Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Hartzell.
Peter, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The Story of Tree House Media
Tree House Media was founded in 2017 in Spring Hill, Tennessee, just south of Nashville. In those early years, most of our clients were based in Franklin and Brentwood, where we worked with businesses, artists, and organizations to create podcasts, music videos, and brand films. Those projects gave us our first taste of what Tree House Media could become; a creative partner helping people share their ideas with the world.
The idea for the name traces back even further, to a moment in Montana. One evening while watching Treehouse Masters with Pete Nelson, I was struck by how much joy Pete had in his work. He wasn’t just building treehouses, he was helping people bring their dreams to life. I remember looking at my wife with tears in my eyes and saying, “I WANT TO BUILD TREE HOUSES!” Not in the literal sense, but in the sense of helping people take big, seemingly unreachable ideas and make them a reality.
That vision stayed with me for years, until my wife finally gave me the push I needed to launch Tree House Media. From that day forward, I set out to build something that could turn imagination into strategy, ideas into content, and dreams into tangible growth.
Over the past eight years, we’ve worked with hundreds of clients, from scrappy start-ups bootstrapping their first campaigns to established businesses refining their message and scaling for growth. Few things bring me more joy than helping a business owner see their idea come alive and watching that spark of possibility turn into momentum.
Today, Tree House Media is more than a production house. We are a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in:
– Digital content creation
– Meta, Google, and TikTok Ads
– SEO and backlink strategies
– Google Business Profile ranking
– Website design and development
– Graphic design
– Business directory listings and reputation management
– Social media posting and management
Our head office is now based in St. Augustine, Florida, though we remain active in the Nashville market and are structured to work with businesses anywhere in the world. Whether it’s producing high-quality content, developing a marketing strategy, or managing full-scale campaigns, our mission is the same as it was at the beginning: to take lofty ideas and help make them real.
At Tree House Media, our tagline says it all: Your Story. Handcrafted.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Launching Tree House Media back in 2017 was both exciting and terrifying. I was stepping out with no guarantees, no roadmap, and no safety net; just a vision that I believed in and a skill set I knew could serve people. One of the first challenges I faced was simply breaking into such a crowded space. Digital marketing and content creation are saturated fields, and standing out meant I had to be relentless about relationships, referrals, and results.
In those early years, most of my clients were startups or small businesses bootstrapping their way forward. That was rewarding, because I love helping people at that stage, but it also meant budgets were tight and expectations were high. I had to learn how to stretch resources, prove ROI quickly, and sometimes wear ten different hats just to get a project over the finish line.
The landscape itself has been another challenge. Platforms like Google, Facebook, and TikTok never stop changing the rules, and that forces you to stay sharp. What worked a year ago might not work today. Adapting to those shifts, while still delivering results for clients, has been a constant learning curve.
Another big transition came when I realized Tree House Media needed to evolve from being just a creative production house into a full-service digital agency. That meant going beyond video and podcasts into SEO, paid ads, websites, and full-scale marketing strategy. Expanding like that required me to grow personally, to build new systems, and to start thinking less like a freelancer and more like an agency owner.
There’s also the human side of the journey. Moving from Tennessee to Florida meant rebuilding my local network from scratch while still maintaining relationships in Nashville. And of course, balancing business ownership with family life hasn’t always been easy. My wife and kids are my greatest motivation, but keeping that balance has required discipline and sacrifice.
Looking back, though, every obstacle has pushed me to grow. Each challenge has forced me to sharpen my skills, to build stronger systems, and to stay focused on the core mission of Tree House Media: helping people take their ideas and turn them into reality.
As you know, we’re big fans of Tree House Media, LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Tree House Media is a full-service digital marketing agency with a creative core. We started in 2017 with video production, podcasting, and music videos, but over the years we have grown into a comprehensive agency that can handle nearly every aspect of digital marketing for a business. Today we specialize in content creation, social media management, paid advertising on platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok, SEO, website design and development, graphic design, directory listings, and reputation management.
What we are best known for is our ability to take an idea and bring it to life in a way that feels personal, handcrafted, and strategic. Our tagline, “Your Story. Handcrafted.” really sums up how we approach every project. We are not just churning out generic content or cookie-cutter campaigns. We want every piece of content and every marketing plan to reflect the unique story, values, and goals of the client we are serving.
What sets us apart is the relational and creative heart behind the work. For us, it is not just about analytics, algorithms, or quick wins. It is about helping real people and businesses take ideas that might feel out of reach and turn them into something tangible. Many of our clients started out as small startups with a vision, and we were there to help them take those first steps into the market. Today, we also work with more established businesses that are ready to scale, and we love building strategies that help them grow in sustainable ways.
Brand wise, I am most proud of the consistency of our identity. The name Tree House Media came from the idea of building with care and creativity, just like Pete Nelson did on the show Treehouse Masters. That story has stayed with us, and it continues to shape how we show up for clients. We do not just deliver services. We help people realize dreams.
What I want readers to know is simple: Tree House Media is here to help businesses grow, no matter what stage they are in. Whether you are a brand-new entrepreneur with a vision, or a seasoned business looking for a marketing partner who can help you scale, we have the tools, the creativity, and the strategy to get you there.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
The first person I have to mention is my wife, Amanda. She has been my steady encourager since the very beginning. She is the one who gave me the final push to actually launch Tree House Media, and she has been by my side through every up and down. Without her, this business would not exist.
I also owe a lot to my dad. After college, I worked with him for eight years, and he is the one who introduced me to internet marketing. He taught me about sales funnels, digital advertising, and the real-world principles of business development. Those lessons built the foundation I still rely on today. If it were not for him, I probably would not be running a digital agency at all.
Another person who deserves recognition is Sean Kaplan. Sean was one of my first “real” clients when he was working as a mortgage lender with Legacy Mutual Mortgage. From the very beginning, he invested heavily in my personal and professional development. He was instrumental in helping me connect with movers and shakers in the Nashville real estate market, and his friendship and encouragement came at a time when I really needed it. Today, Sean is a mortgage broker with CrossCountry Mortgage in Franklin, Tennessee, and has also become a viral money influencer online. We still keep in touch a few times a year, and I often reach out to him for advice. Sean is one of the real ones, and his impact on my journey has been lasting.
I also need to acknowledge my business partner, Chauncy Horton, with SNA Consulting and Bridge Builders. Chauncy originally hired me to help him create a video course, and since then he has been one of my most consistent supporters. He has kept me busy and employed even during leaner seasons, and he knows me better than most. His steady pace and consistency have been like a handrail when I needed support and a springboard when creative ideas were ready to launch. His business sense, self-awareness, and friendship have meant the world to me.
Beyond that, I have to acknowledge the role of my clients. Many of them took a chance on me in my early years and trusted me to bring their ideas to life. That trust stretched me to grow in ways I could not have imagined. And I have been blessed by mentors and peers who reminded me to stay the course when the road felt uncertain.
The truth is, while I founded Tree House Media, I did not build it alone. The encouragement, investment, and belief of people like Amanda, my dad, Sean, Chauncy, and so many clients and friends have made all the difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.treehousemediaco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treehousemediaco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treehousemediaco/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepeterhartzell/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@treehousemediaco
