For over a decade, Nathan worked as a freelancer, wearing many hats. He did sound design, 3D, branding, web design, and anything creative he could get his hands on.
But when he and his wife found out they were expecting their second son, something shifted. He knew it was time to go bigger, get focused, and build something more sustainable.
That’s when Agency Astro was born.
“I’d been freelancing for 13 years. I knew it was time to step up. I needed to narrow down what I was best at and start building with intention,” says Nathan.
What began as Web Astro, a solo operation focusing on websites and light branding, quickly grew into a full-service creative agency rooted in visual storytelling, strategy, and brand clarity.
Discovering His Niche Through Creativity
Like many creatives, Nathan didn’t settle on one service right away. He experimented with different offerings and followed what sparked joy. Eventually, he gravitated toward videography, drawn to the way it combined visuals, story, and emotion.
“I realized what I really love is creating beautiful things and helping clients tell their stories in a way that actually connects,” Nathan explains.
Today, Agency Astro offers much more than visuals. The team guides clients through strategy sessions, brand identity development, and the creation of the right content mix, including websites, email campaigns, videos, and photography.
It’s about ensuring clients can communicate their brand clearly and consistently to their target audience.
From Freelancer to the Sydney Opera House
One of Nathan’s proudest achievements came when his work was featured on none other than the Sydney Opera House. Through a collaboration with an organization called Collaborations, Nathan helped bring World Ocean Day to life by animating artwork and assembling creative visuals with a roster of Australian artists.
“Standing across Sydney Harbour and seeing my work projected onto the Opera House was one of those surreal, pinch-me moments.”
Nathan’s animations included artworks from Timothy Johnston, scenes from the Great Barrier Reef, footage of diver Sam Fricker, and visuals from Valerie Taylor’s book, which he brought to life on the sails of the Opera House.
Learning to Let Go and Scale Up
Running a creative agency brings its own set of challenges, and for Nathan, one of the biggest was figuring out how to let go of doing everything himself.
That’s where an agency partnership program becomes a game-changer. Instead of juggling every responsibility alone, agency owners like Nathan can tap into dedicated support, co-marketing opportunities, and performance-based benefits that help scale faster. It’s a smart way to offload non-core tasks, focus on growth, and build sustainable client success, without burning out.
“I used to think I had to do it all—design, dev, video, everything. But growing meant learning to build a team, trust others, and step back when needed.”
He also had to learn how to price services correctly, find the right niche, and define his agency’s product-market fit. Support from mentors helped him shape Agency Astro’s business model and establish systems that enable sustainable growth.
The Strategies That Keep Clients Coming Back
Agency Astro didn’t grow just by doing good work; it grew by doing the right job, with the right people, and staying consistent.
Nathan’s top three strategies for success are:
- In-person networking to build relationships that turn into opportunities
- Delivering top-tier service, letting the quality of work speak for itself
- Staying present, responsive, and involved every step of the way.
“Most of my growth has come from relationships and referrals. When you take care of your clients, they take care of you.”
Cloudways: Making Growth Simple, Not Stressful
As Agency Astro began to grow, Nathan quickly realized that juggling creative work with server management wasn’t a sustainable plan. He needed a hosting solution that was reliable, scalable, and didn’t demand hours of technical setup.
That’s when he found Cloudways.
“I looked at setting up a VPS with DigitalOcean, but I didn’t want to learn a whole new skill just to get hosting working. Cloudways was the perfect middle ground—it gave me power and flexibility without the stress.”
Before Cloudways, Nathan had been using Bluehost for years but struggled with poor support and inconsistent performance. The switch to Cloudways was, in his words, a “night and day” difference.
With Cloudways, he was able to quickly migrate his clients’ sites, scale up resources as needed, and feel confident that performance wouldn’t suffer.
Built for Agencies That Want to Grow
One of the things Nathan appreciates most about Cloudways is that it feels like it was designed with agencies in mind. From managing multiple projects to launching new applications, the platform enables easy organization and control.
“You can scale your servers based on your needs, add apps easily, and manage your resources without getting too technical. That flexibility is a lifesaver for a growing agency.”
While he notes that being able to scale servers down more easily would be a nice feature, the overall experience has been overwhelmingly positive. And when it comes to support, even without phone calls, Cloudways’ live chat and rich documentation have consistently come through.
“The support chat is actually great. Every time I’ve hit a roadblock, someone’s been there to help fast.”
Tools of the Trade
Outside of Cloudways, Nathan leans heavily on a creative stack that powers everything from branding to animation:
- DaVinci Resolve for video editing
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, including After Effects, Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop
- Blender for 3D work
- And of course, Cloudways to host it all reliably
This combination lets him deliver high-quality content across multiple formats, with hosting that scales as he brings in more clients.
Looking Ahead: Big Goals, Smart Growth
Nathan has ambitious plans for Agency Astro.
His target? A $5 million AUD valuation in five years. But he’s not in a rush to grow for the sake of it. For him, success means building the right team, attracting long-term clients, and growing safely and strategically.
“It’s about finding the right clients with the right retainers and making sure we’re scaling at a pace that keeps the quality high.”
That consistency also shows in how he retains clients. Agency Astro offers hosting and maintenance plans, and Nathan says he’s never had a client drop one. The reason? They feel supported, understood, and taken care of, even after the project is done.
Final Advice: It’s All About Connection
For anyone thinking about starting an agency in his space, Nathan has one simple piece of advice:
“Meet people. Build relationships. That’s where everything starts.”
From networking to referrals to long-term contracts, connection is at the core of Agency Astro’s growth. And with the right creative vision, a strong team, and Cloudways behind the scenes, Nathan’s just getting started.
Want to learn more about Nathan and Agency Astro? Check out his work at AgencyAstro and follow along as he builds an agency rooted in creativity, clarity, and care.
Sarim Javaid
Sarim Javaid is a Sr. Content Marketing Manager at Cloudways, where his role involves shaping compelling narratives and strategic content. Skilled at crafting cohesive stories from a flurry of ideas, Sarim's writing is driven by curiosity and a deep fascination with Google's evolving algorithms. Beyond the professional sphere, he's a music and art admirer and an overly-excited person.
