Shane Parkins is the founder of Climb & Conquer, a fast-growing digital marketing agency headquartered in County Durham, with a fully remote team that delivers SEO, PPC, Klaviyo, and digital strategy. The agency was named one of the Independent Agencies to Watch in 2024 and won the Best New Agency award at the Northern Digital Awards 2025.
What was your first job, and how much did it pay? Aside from the pizza delivery and retail work I did in college, my first 'proper job' was for a road marking company called Prismo. My title was works programmer, which meant I helped plan jobs for a fleet of operatives and wagons, carrying out road markings and cat's eye work from Wakefield to Berwick. My salary here was £16,000, and I learnt an incredible amount while I was there.
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business? That stagnation can lead to rigor mortis quickly, so never stand still. I've also got to give a shout-out to Durham City Incubator, a local initiative that really helped me establish my business in those crucial early days. There have been countless people supporting me in some way, shape, or form over the years, too many to mention, but hopefully they know who they are if they’re reading this!
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What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing? AI is surging, and many people in our sector don’t know how to handle this. When we couple this with challenging market conditions and economic uncertainty, it’s no surprise that many similar businesses, many of them well-established, are shrinking or closing altogether. The landscape has rapidly changed - and continues to change - and AI brings almost daily changes to “how things have been done” for years, so keeping up can be difficult for some.
Climb & Conquer has doubled down on getting better and better results for our clients. Our main challenge at the moment is scaling up operationally while maintaining the agility of a small agency and our current effectiveness.
What would your dream job be? I'd love to run my own artisan pizza shop one day. It would be a total departure from digital marketing, but of course, it’d be the best-optimised website for a pizza shop ever.
What advice would you give to someone starting out a career in your sector? In this industry, experience often trumps theory. There’s a lot of bad advice out there, mainly because the barrier to entry for publishing content or offering training is so low. This can lead to poor guidance that can steer people in the wrong direction. Instead of blindly following advice, focus on honing your skills through hands-on experience in a low-risk environment. When I recruit, I always value practical experience over just having certifications.
What makes the North East a good place to do business? I travel a lot for work, and one thing that always stands out about North East businesses is how friendly the people are. There’s also a strong sense of camaraderie among local businesses, with an unspoken desire for each other to succeed. Many companies prefer to work with others nearby, and the sense of community in the North East is incredibly vibrant.
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How important is it for business to play a role in society? Businesses should create an environment where employees are empowered to make a positive impact, and leaders must lead by example, because developing and improving society is everyone’s responsibility. People naturally want to contribute to their communities, and everyone thrives when a company supports that.
Outside of work, what are you really good at? I love playing chess. I have played it regularly since school and do pretty well in online matches.
Who would play you in a film about your life? Christian Bale. He has this knack for shifting between intense highs and crushing lows, which is what it feels like to run an agency sometimes. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next you’re in the trenches. The scene in American Psycho where Bale’s character, Patrick Bateman, and his colleagues fawn over each other’s business cards is spot on for the agency world. We love seeing others succeed, but there’s always that little bit of envy, wishing we’d won that client or thought of that idea first.
Which three people would you invite to a dinner party, and why? Such a tricky question to answer! I’d have to say David Attenborough, a total legend of our times, who would undoubtedly bring thought-provoking insights and hard truths about the world, its future, and our responsibilities. Then, for a business spin, I’d add Steven Bartlett, because love him or hate him, his journey from struggling university dropout to successful entrepreneur and podcast host is the epitome of the modern hustle. Finally, I’d invite the comedian, writer and mental health advocate, Sara Pascoe, for some light relief. She’d bring sharp wit and insight into personal growth, equality, and mental health.