Success by design: how PS/digital built a business to last

Phoebe Edge, co-founder of PS/digital, is a deeply thoughtful person who has spent a lot of time identifying what is important to her, to her team, and to her clients. The results speak for themselves – despite founding a business during the 2008 global financial crisis, PS/digital is going strong 18 years later. Her clients and staff are loyal, and Phoebe and the team work each day to fulfil their own definition of success.

Phoebe met her husband Richard at design school in Wanganui. At that time, theirs was the only recognised ‘computer’ graphic design degree in New Zealand. Richard was interested in web design, Phoebe in branding and packaging – and they both enjoy strategy. Their complementary interests and skills came together in both their life together and the business they started.

PS/digital is a creative digital agency that can create and deliver brand strategy, websites, digital marketing activities, and much more. The whole package, however, is more than the sum of its parts. What Phoebe and the team excel at is partnering with clients to develop and deliver business strategy. That strategic partnership creates deeper, longer-lasting relationships than a conventional digital agency model otherwise might.

As they grew the business, Phoebe and Richard learned that they didn’t need to say yes to every opportunity that came their way. They refined both what they wanted their business to be and the type of work they wanted to do. This clarity enabled their team to work in a way that they found personally rewarding, and to deliver consistently high-quality work.

One third of PS/digital clients have now been with them for over 10 years, and in some cases, they are now working on the third iteration of a client’s website. Clients view PS/digital as an extension of their teams, and a true business partner.

Phoebe has found the Wellington community to be very supportive and generous, with her network always willing to introduce her to people who could help. While the outside perception might be that Wellington is all about the public sector, she has found one of Wellington’s greatest strengths is that it has such a diverse mix of industries, including science-based innovation, the creative and technology sectors, and strong finance, manufacturing, education, and government communities. That gives versatile agencies such as PS/digital opportunities to work with a remarkable range of people and industries.

Ultimately, perhaps one of Phoebe’s greatest achievements has been defining what success means to her. In the case of PS/digital, that meant growing the business to the size she and Richard wanted. It did not necessarily mean getting exponentially bigger. They’ve intentionally kept the business small, retained excellent people – and have never regretted the decision.

Phoebe credits this approach with helping PS/digital attract high-quality staff and maintain low turnover – their longest-serving team member has been with them for 14 years.

Phoebe’s advice to anyone thinking of starting a business is simple: “Just do it.” You might think you can’t achieve your dreams, but with ambition and persistence, you can achieve so much more than you expect.

For Phoebe, Wellington has also been an important part of the PS/digital story. She believes it’s a city where businesses can “start, stay, and grow” – building something successful while remaining firmly based in the capital.

Rapid-fire round with Phoebe Edge

Favourite Wellington café or restaurant: The Hangar on Dixon Street

Favourite coffee: Long black, with cold milk on the side and cinnamon on top

Favourite Wellington walk: Anywhere around Plimmerton

Last book, podcast or show you enjoyed: The book Atomic Habits and any podcast featuring Dolly Parton

Beach or bush: Beach

Wellington person or business more people should know about: WELLfed in Porirua, a charity that provides hands-on cooking classes, garden learning, and life-building skills, founded by Kim Murray and Rebecca Morahan

Favourite place to take visitors to Wellington: A walk around the Wellington waterfront