Empathy with grit
We meet you with genuine care, and we never dodge the hard truths. Real progress takes both the warmth and the honesty to act on what we find.
About
The team behind Team Empathy
We're the AI search partner for growth-stage ecommerce brands. We install the search and AI visibility systems that make Shopify stores the answer in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI, then hand them over for your team to own and run. Future-forward and human-led, here to make the brands doing good the obvious choice.
Our purpose
We help growth-stage brands own their demand through search and AI.
Earning intent, not buying attention. We put the brands doing good at the top of the answers.
Our values
What we stand for
Clarity over complexity
We simplify. We find the single most impactful path and focus there, so you always understand the why behind the work.
Ownership culture
We're a small, high-trust team that owns its outcomes. Your results are our results, and we treat your brand like it's our own.
Impact-driven
We lead with purpose, chasing the largest ripple of positive impact we can create. Your growth and the good you put into the world matter to us as much as the numbers.
Transparent and authentic
We stay transparent about the work we do, and authentic in the way we show up. Every project lives in a doc you can open any time, and we connect on a human level for the long run.
Future-forward, human-led
We build on the newest AI and search technology, with people leading it. The models shift every week, so we stay ahead of them and keep you there too.
The team
Meet the people
Ben
Chief Empathy Officer
Team Empathy is my baby. I started this business in 2020 with the vision of making purpose-driven business the norm. I've taken my skills in digital marketing and entrepreneurship (8+ years of marketing across running 2 agencies and a few other businesses) and formed an amazing, empathetic, incredibly skilled team that delivers groundbreaking (32x ROI on average) SEO results. I'm a passionate, excitable human, dedicated to making the world a better place. You'll find me either leading our team or taking sales calls. I love chatting, so if you ever want to discuss ethics and sustainability or business growth, let's chat. Special talent: I'm a fantastic Dog Coach and CrossFit Coach. The question is, do I join them together? DogFit? Hobbies: taking my dogs (and myself) for walks through nature, reading fantasy, reading self-development, playing volleyball, and gaming socially with friends.
Simon Phillips
Strategic Growth Partner
Simon is our strategic growth partner, with 14+ years scaling DTC brands. He scaled Archies Footwear from 8 to 9 figures and took a wellness brand from $50K months to its first $1M month. Founder of The Ecommerce Accelerator, he helps our clients think bigger about what growth-stage can really look like.
Abi
Head of Experience & Service Delivery
As Team Empathy's official energiser bunny, I'm committed to making your experience with us as fun and exciting as possible. I'm all about creating epic connections with clients, and steering our strategic approach to delivering results-focused services across the board. Special talent: my mixology skills are unparalleled, so if you ever find yourself in need of an espresso martini, a margarita or a mojito, give me a call. Hobbies: I have a low-key house plant obsession. I'm also a big fan of coffee, sunshine and the beach, and you'll often find me taking a chilly early morning dip in the ocean.
Milda
On Page SEO & Content Strategist
Hey, I'm Milda. You'll get to know me well during your Team Empathy journey. I'm famous for my content audits and plans, and I enjoy structuring and organising websites to perfection. I like to work on technical SEO, keyword research and content creation, but I love explaining how and why we should do certain things in human language, so you always know what's going on. Special talent: my favourite special talent is touching my nose with my tongue. On a more serious note, I'm a good conversationalist. I love talking to people and believe I could find interesting topics to discuss even with a tree. Hobbies: I come from the small country of Lithuania, which I often leave to travel around the world. You may bump into me in numerous countries as I tirelessly search for the ultimate cup of espresso.
Om
Straight SEO Wizard
Hello, my name is Om. I am a dedicated and hard-working person who believes in honesty and good working relationships. I'm an SEO expert and I've been in the SEO business providing high-quality SEO services and building successful SEO campaigns for over 10 years. Before joining Team Empathy I was working as a Project Manager in a leading digital marketing firm. If you need help growing your business, growing sales, or leveraging digital marketing to gain attention in your market, please contact Team Empathy where we are delivering amazing results. Special talent: I can sit for 6 to 8 hours and work without a break. When I get a new assignment or urgent work, I put my 100% time and energy into delivering what's needed. Hobbies: I love cooking with family and friends, bringing everyone in on the process and making it fun. I'm a 100% vegetarian cook. I also love swimming in the rivers and pool.
Nico
AI Systems Architect
Hey, Nico here. You'll quickly notice I'm obsessed with building content systems that actually work. I specialise in SEO, AEO and AI-powered content operations, helping brands turn scattered content efforts into structured growth engines. I love designing workflows, optimising funnels and making complex strategies feel clear and actionable. If it touches search, AI visibility or scalable content production, I'm in. Special talent: I can reverse engineer almost any content workflow and turn it into a scalable, AI-powered system. I spot bottlenecks fast, simplify complexity and build repeatable frameworks that connect strategy, execution and measurable performance. Hobbies: I'm a guitar player and a lifelong sci-fi fan. I love anything futuristic, from AI tools to cyberpunk worlds and classic science fiction stories. When I'm not building content systems, you'll probably find me playing guitar, gaming, training, or experimenting with new tech just for fun.
Vicky
Content & Blog Writer
As you can probably tell by my title, writing is my favourite thing. I've been writing since I could first hold a pencil, everything from poems about my pets to terrible teenage song lyrics. I've grown up a little and now you'll find me writing blogs, articles, email newsletters, you name it, I can write it. Special talent: shower singing. The acoustics in the bathroom are the best for singing like no one is listening. I do have a background in musicals and choirs, but now I save my solos for the shower cubicle. Hobbies: when I'm not writing, you'll find me with my nose in a book, or out for a walk in nature with my four-legged pal Bella.
Erica
Chief Bean Counter
I look after all the fun money stuff like reconciliations and GST returns. It's my job to make sure we have an accurate record of the money flow. I also bring a little cheeky banter to team meetings and make sure Ben remembers to pay people. Special talent: indicating correctly at roundabouts. Hobbies: I enjoy a good flat white, love live music and a good book. I play chess and football and spend too much time napping.
Archer & Cas
Chief Morale Officers
Not your regular office dogs, Cas and Archer bring personality, energy, and endless hilarity to the team environment. Bookings are essential, but if you'd like to meet these two adorable pups during a meeting, they're more than happy to tag along. If you like dogs, we love you already. Bonus points if you can guess their personalities.
What our clients say
I don't know the ins and outs of SEO, but what we're doing together is WORKING! Since working with Team Empathy, we've seen our direct bookings jump from 45% to 70% (vs. via booking agents). That saves us a lot in fees, and allows us to provide the entire experience for our customers ourselves, which we LOVE!
We highly recommend! After shuffling through a number of corporate SEO providers over the years, we've found dealing with Team Empathy a much better experience, and the value they create for us is much better than before! Team Empathy has been life-changing for us.
Before working with Team Empathy, we hadn't really done any SEO work and didn't really understand the advantages that it would give to the business. But we're seeing some real noticeable increases in lead traffic from all over the place!
