As HeartBeat Digital turns seven on 19 February 2026, we’re taking a step back (way back) to look at the moments that shaped who we are.
Here’s how a small idea grew into a digital partner for businesses
The Beginning: 2010s to 2018
“It really was just signs and word of mouth back then”
Before HeartBeat Digital had a name, it had a question.
Owner and Founder, Lachlan McPherson was working in practice management and noticed healthcare businesses juggling growth, patient experience, and outdated systems.
“They were getting left behind online, it really was just signs and word of mouth back then,” Lachlan says.
“I kept asking, ‘How can we connect practices with the digital channels that other industries benefit from?’”
For healthcare businesses, it was time to fill a prescription of modernisation.
Lachlan (in white) at The Bays Hospital annual golf day in 2017
In November 2018, Digital Lead Mick Carney joined the journey, bringing sharp instincts in graphic design and website development.
The foundations were about bringing those who offer such important services – healthcare – up to speed with modern digital marketing.
“HeartBeat Digital”: 2019
HeartBeat Digital officially opened its doors on 19 February 2019.
The early focus was tight: website builds, hosting, and maintenance, mostly for GP clinics that needed reliable and compliant online homes.
But it didn’t take long for the conversation to shift from “How does this look?” to “How does this perform?”
By the end of that year, Ian Morrison joined, and digital advertising became part of the mix. Traffic, leads, and data entered the room, and never really left.
“I think bringing in Google Ads’ data streams really set a theme still evident today,” says Ian.
As you probably know, we believe that tracked, visible data is a golden thread of digital marketing.
🎬 WATCH: If you’re interested in how paid ads work for businesses, our video Navigating The Lucrative World of Google Ads explains it all. 👇
Acceleration: 2020–2021
When Alan Hall joined in July 2020, SEO entered the picture, and not as a buzzword, but as a long-term growth system.
What is SEO? “It’s about making websites rank as high as possible in search engine results”, says Alan.
“It’s really evolved into an internet science, which I find exciting and inspiring. It’s always changing!” – read more about what SEO is and how it works for businesses here, explained by Alan.
Our client base expanded into dentistry, and then beyond healthcare entirely.
COVID changed the landscape across every industry too. Suddenly, mobile-first, fast, and easy-to-use digital channels weren’t nice-to-haves, they were expectations.
The Expansion Era: 2022
2022 was a year of momentum.
Social Media Manager, Benedicta Genoveva joined in February, followed by SEO & Content Specialist, Julian Richards in November.
As such, social media and eDM (email marketing) became formal service lines.
“Social media reaches people in ways the other channels can’t; it tells a story and humanises businesses, often without a salesy side,” explains Benedicta.
👉 She explains much more around why businesses should use social media here.
HeartBeat Digital stepped onto bigger stages too, attending and branding major conferences like the AAPM National Conference.
The client base grew into compounding dispensaries and the cosmetic surgery sector, industries where trust, compliance, and clarity matter just as much as performance.
Our Christmas party in Melbourne, December 2022
Our Community: 2023
“I’m talking in terms of interacting with our community, not just for business growth”
2023 was the year HeartBeat Digital started interacting more.
Our monthly newsletter launched, and quarterly webinars followed covering topics from social media and websites to ads, SEO, and GEO (how your business shows up in location-based and AI-driven search experiences).
We again exhibited at the AAPM National Conference in Adelaide, expanded into the pharmacy sector, and built out our news and blog content.
Mick and Lachlan at the 2023 AAPM National Conference in Adelaide
“Attending conferences is a real blessing, and I’m talking in terms of interacting with our community, not just for business growth,” says Mick.
2023 felt less like an agency broadcasting, and more like a digital community taking shape.
Christmas 2023: The sun sets on a big year at HeartBeat Digital
Big year. Big energy: 2024
Sam Hall joined in January as COO, followed by SEO Specialist Silviu Georgescu in April, reflecting growing demand for the service.
“Joining the team was a very easy and very rewarding decision,” says Sam.
“I think we’ve really got to know some clients well since many have been with us for years”.
Sam’s been a regular at the conferences that HeartBeat Digital has attended over the years.
Sam at the Bp Premier Summit in Brisbane, one of the many conferences we’ve exhibited at
Website Developer, Jerome Honrado joined in May to support Mick in this primary service, and Silviu brought advanced technical SEO skills.
Does SEO still matter? YES. Silviu gives 7 reasons why it does.
The team grew, and so did the scope of what we could take on:
- We became an AAPM National Partner
- Exhibited in Darwin
- Sponsored the RACGP Welcome Reception in Cairns
- Joined the Essendon Football Club Business Network, and
- Expanded into engineering, construction, telehealth, fertility, beauty, and workplace safety.
Webinars sharpened. Partnerships deepened. The pace picked up.
“The ‘What do you guys do?’ questions decreased at conferences in 2024, suggesting that HeartBeat Digital was becoming better known.
“Instead, we got more ‘What do you guys recommend?’ questions, which we love as it shows people know and trust us more,” says Lachlan.
Lachlan, Mick and Sam (and a certain scaly mascot) at the 2024 AAPM National Conference in Darwin
Milestone Season: 2025
2025 saw a further push into new industries like IT services, traffic management and commercial premises design and maintenance.
Website Designer Jude Manalang joined the team in August. In November, Taylar Vincent came on board as our dedicated Customer Success Manager – a pivotal role focused on deepening client support and ensuring every client feels supported, seen and heard.
“Unlike some other online channels, websites are something businesses actually own, plus they act as a hub, so building them as a reflection of what a business wants to be is really important,” says Jude.
We returned to the AAPM as a National Partner in Melbourne, hit the road with the Educare Roadshow, and stepped into sectors like cyber security, private wealth, retirement living, and fire protection.
We also reached major sales milestones reminding us why we’re careful about who we grow with and why alignment still matters more than plain volume.
Mick at the 2025 Bp Premier Summit
We’re incredibly grateful to have worked with leading businesses from a huge range of industries, including:
- Healthcare and specialist clinics
- Dentistry
- Pharmacies, including compounding
- Animal health
- Retirement living
- IT infrastructure services
- Cyber security
- Solar
- Traffic management systems
- Commercial premises design and construction
- Engineering
- Mining
And there’s many more to add!
Looking Forward
Seven years in and what we’re proud of isn’t just what we’ve built, it’s who we’ve built it with.
Different industries. Different challenges. But the same standard: being on the same page with data-backed decisions, and never treating digital as a “set and forget” exercise.
The story so far belongs to the people who joined, the teams who trust us, and the moments that nudged us to keep getting better.
The rest is yet to be written.
