The Smart50 Awards 2023 Resilience Award winner: StudioHawk

Winning The Resilience Award at The Smart50 Awards 2023 is yet another feather in the cap of the never-say-die StudioHawk founder Harry Sanders. His journey to this point in time has been anything but ordinary, with the SEO maestro having to pull himself out of homelessness to realise his entrepreneurial dreams.

“I started StudioHawk when I was living under a bridge in Melbourne, with nothing but a phone and a laptop,” Sanders remembered. “My primary motivation wasn’t just to make money; it was survival. I taught myself SEO skills at the age of 13, and identified a niche in the market for dedicated SEO services.”

Despite starting with just the bare necessities, StudioHawk has since grown to become the largest dedicated SEO agency in Australia, boasting an enviable client list that includes Ryobi, Vodafone and Officeworks.

Sanders says StudioHawk’s path to greatness has been marked by persistence and the invaluable support of others. And the company’s spirit of giving back is reflected through its partnership with The Lighthouse Foundation, which advocates for the homeless and provides hope for those in need.

StudioHawk’s resilience goes beyond overcoming adversity. It has reimagined the role of human creativity in an AI-driven landscape. Rather than fearing AI, it is harnessing it as a tool to liberate – not replace – its talented content creators.

“We recognised the emotional intelligence, nuance and depth that only humans can bring to content,” Sanders says. “To maintain this unique value, we transitioned our content team from traditional copywriting to content journalism. This move allowed us to delve deeper into subjects and provide an avenue for team members to develop new skills.”

“StudioHawk’s extraordinary dedication to its mission, coupled with its strong engagement in the community, is to be celebrated,” said Adriarna Nunn, head of people and culture at Cobild and a guest judge at The Smart50 Awards 2023. “It is not only creating waves in its industry, but in the lives of many through its ethical services, new initiatives and knowledge sharing.”

In addition to The Resilience Award, StudioHawk placed 26th on the 2023 Smart5o List.

Back to The Smart50 Awards 2023.