If you had told me five years ago that I’d be running a digital marketing agency, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But like many business stories, mine started with curiosity, a creative itch, and a need for something more fulfilling than the 9-to-5 grind.
Today, I’m the founder and creative director of Samantha Digital, a digital marketing agency based in Fairfax, Virginia, and the creator of three niche brands focused on web design and SEO: Web Design for Food Bloggers, Ever & After Design Co., and The Plastic Surgeon SEO Company. Here’s a look at how I got here—and what I’ve learned along the way.
The Moment I Realized the Dream Job Wasn’t the Dream
In 2019, I landed a job in consulting—what I thought was my “dream job.” I enjoyed solving client problems and leading my team. I was good at it.
That’s when I started Lifestyled By Sam, a food blog where I shared recipes, party ideas, and gift guides. I thought it would be an fun side project. Its ended up changing my life.
How a Food Blog Turned Into a Business
Blogging taught me how to write for the web, optimize content for Google, and create systems that worked. I spent almost every spare moment outside of work learning everything I could about SEO, web design, and user experience. And the more I learned, the more I wanted to help other people do the same.
By 2022, I officially founded Samantha Digital. I knew I could help small businesses get better results from their websites, and I was ready to go all in.
What Samantha Digital Does
At its core, Samantha Digital helps ambitious entrepreneurs get more traffic, leads, and sales from their websites. We specialize in branding, web design, and SEO—and we do it with quality and integrity.
We’ve earned recognition as one of the top SEO agencies in Virginia and Washington by Social Apps HQ, and we’ve been named Best Web Designers and Developers in Arlington. But more than the accolades, what matters to me is building long-term relationships with clients who are serious about growing their businesses.
Niching Down: Why I Created 3 Specialized Brands
As the agency grew, I realized that certain industries needed more tailored solutions. Instead of forcing a general approach, I created niche sub-brands under Samantha Digital to provide focused expertise.
1. Web Design for Food Bloggers
As a former food blogger, I knew firsthand how hard it is to find a website solution that’s both beautiful and functional. This brand helps food bloggers create custom WordPress or Showit websites that are optimized for SEO, designed for monetization, and built to grow.
2. Ever & After Design Co.
This is our search and design studio for wedding photographers. These clients need more than just a pretty website—they need an online portfolio that reflects their photography style, connects with ideal clients, and drives inquiries. We build custom sites or provide templates that help them stand out in a competitive industry.
3. The Plastic Surgeon SEO Company
Plastic surgery is one of the most competitive SEO industries. This brand focuses solely on SEO for plastic surgeons, combining local SEO, content creation, and technical optimization to drive organic traffic and increase patient inquiries.
Core Beliefs That Guide Our Work
Everything we do at Samantha Digital is rooted in a few key beliefs:
- No business is too small for a website. Even the smallest ventures deserve a high-performing, strategic online presence.
- SEO is the #1 form of marketing—especially now. SEO builds long-term visibility, which means it outperforms other channels in terms of ROI.
- Your website should work a hard as you do. It should be your most powerful marketing asset, not just a placeholder.
- We believe in the long game. No quick fixes, no gimmicks—just sustainable strategies that drive real results.
Where We’re Headed Next
Right now, we’re focused on refining our offers, testing new markets, and expanding our systems so we can grow without sacrificing quality. Every day, I get to help business owners turn their websites into growth engines—and that never gets old.
We’re also continuing to build out resources, templates, and tools so our clients have everything they need to grow—whether they’re photographers, surgeons, bloggers, or something else entirely.
Final Thoughts
Starting Samantha Digital was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It gave me the opportunity to combine creativity with strategy, help people grow their businesses, and build something that actually makes a difference.
If you’re a business owner and your website isn’t doing its job—or you don’t even know where to start—I’d love to help.
Thanks for reading.
— Samantha Mirallegro
Founder & Creative Director, Samantha Digital
