Meet Alex O’Neil | Founder, City on the Hill Consultancy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex O’Neil and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, what do you attribute your success to?
When I think about what’s helped me succeed, a few things come to mind.

First off, I’m always learning. I love reading, staying active on LinkedIn, and keeping up with the latest industry trends. There are many people who do the same, but I’ve found one of the things that sets me apart is that I can also put it into practice. It’s one thing to read a book, it’s another thing to take extensive notes and practice it in a business setting. While everyone has heard of AI, I tried to really learn it – in 2023, I won a company-wide ChatGPT contest at GE Appliances.

Learning about and implementing these new tools is exciting and a has been a huge competitive advantage. In my business, it helps me save time and I can even pass on savings to my clients because of it.

What I think really sets me apart is how I communicate with clients. Recently, I’ve had several businesses come to me after working with big marketing agencies where they felt left in the dark. No info on campaigns, costs – nothing. And when they tried to end the engagement with this agency? Crickets, but the bills kept coming. Most companies will also lose their websites when these engagements end. Not cool at all.

That’s why I do things differently. People trust me because I’m upfront. They appreciate that they can actually meet me in person instead of dealing with a faceless team overseas that communicates once a month (or less) via email. It’s all about building a real connection. When I walked into two in-person meetings recently, they both said “nice to meet you! Now I know you exist and aren’t AI!” While I love technology, there will always be a need to have a personal connection with people.

Lastly, pricing. Some agencies (particularly SEO agencies) out there charge top dollar for pretty much the same results. I aim to provide excellent service at a more reasonable cost. My mentors and clients have said I charge way too little… so this may have to change soon, but as of now, I don’t see myself going to prices that many agencies charge.

So, it’s this combination of tech savviness, clear communication, personal touch, and fair (sometimes too fair!) pricing that’s really been key to my success. It’s about delivering real value and building strong relationships with my clients.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I don’t need the world to know about City on the Hill Consultancy, but if one or two people are inspired by me to start their own business, I succeeded.

The journey to having your own business and working for yourself is not particularly easy, especially if you’ve never started a business before. There are lots of setbacks I came across early on such as finding clients, pricing, narrowing down my services, etc. I was working pretty long days, too.

I love to work, so it wasn’t as bad for me as it may be for others, but I do love my sleep. I’m usually a 10:30pm-7am kind of person, but there were some days I wouldn’t get to sleep until after midnight, then would wake up at 6:30am or earlier. Working multiple jobs, going to classes, having internships, and starting my business would take up that entire time – I could barely take a break. My boyfriend, Colten, always told me to get more sleep and work less. I was probably a little crabby… just another reason to thank him for everything 🙂

The good thing about these setbacks and hardships is that they are learning lessons. I learned how much I prioritize sleep and the types of clients I like to work with. It may seem hard at the time, but you’ll be better off for it since you now know what you do and don’t want for your business and your life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would definitely suggest they stay at The Loutrel. It’s a beautiful hotel and is in the perfect location!

My absolute favorite breakfast place is East Bay Meeting House. The french toast is genuinely some of the best french toast I’ve ever had.

For lunch, Odd Duck in Park Circle is outstanding. The Italian on focaccia is *chef’s kiss*

For dinner, pretty much every spot on Shem Creek is great. Red’s Ice House has a frozen Arnold Palmer that is really good on a hot day – so I’d recommend trying that!

When it comes to things to do, you can’t go wrong with walking around the Charleston City Market. The lemonades are great! And don’t miss out on Byrd’s cookies either! Speaking of cookies, if you’re lucky enough to find The Other Plate at a farmer’s market, GET THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE. One of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had.

Walking the Daniel Island Waterfront, Exploring I’On, seeing a concert or tennis match at Credit One, or getting local goods at the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market are all great options as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My boyfriend, Colten, has been incredibly supportive since the start. I did a one-time project with my first ever client in early 2023 for $75. For my birthday, he had that $75 check framed and told me it was just the beginning.

My family has also been huge. They weren’t all on board at the beginning, but I think they came around (or are at least starting to) 😉

Website: https://www.cityonthehillconsultancy.com

Instagram: @cityconsultancy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-oneil/

Image Credits
Lauren Busman