Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlie Yarbrough.
Hi Charlie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born in Atlanta but grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and I’ve always loved sports. I played football and baseball in high school and continued playing baseball in college. My junior year, I got drafted into the minor leagues and spent a few years traveling around playing pro ball. When my playing career ended, I returned to Eastern Kentucky University to finish my business degree and figure out my next steps.
I’ve always looked up to my grandfather, who spent 30 years with Travelers Insurance before retiring at 59, and then dedicated his life to serving the community and giving back. His selflessness, community impact, relationship-building, and meaningful approach to life have always stayed with me.
After college, I tried a few things, but starting a career during the financial crisis was extremely challenging. I decided to focus on two industries I saw as pivotal — medical and technology — and, following in my grandfather’s footsteps, pursue a career in business and sales. On New Year’s Day 2011, I found a roommate on Craigslist, packed my car, and moved to Charlotte, NC the next day. That leap connected me to a friend of my roommate, which led to an internship with an IT company that quickly became a full-time sales role. After a year in IT, I transitioned into the medical field, working with two different laboratories over the next several years.
I first visited Nashville in 2013 and instantly fell in love. I had friends here from college summer baseball and knew I wanted to make it my home one day. In 2016, I interviewed for a medical device sales role in Nashville. While the company had strong local candidates, they needed someone willing to live in Boston and cover the Northeast — from New York to Maine and even Newfoundland, Canada. So I packed up and moved to Boston. Over the next 3.5 years, I traveled extensively across the region. Boston turned out to be a fantastic experience: I lived with a college baseball teammate for two years, then a buddy from the minor leagues and his now wife, joined a softball team, and made lifelong connections.
In February 2020, I finally moved to Nashville — arriving just as the tornado hit and COVID shut everything down. After nearly eight years traveling for work and living out of my car, I realized I wanted more control over my time, my future, and my ability to make an impact. I researched over 1,000 franchise opportunities before becoming an independent dealer for a marketing company based in Colorado — the perfect fit.
The model provides strong backend support while allowing me to do what I love: get out in the community, build relationships, and make an impact helping businesses grow. Today, I run my marketing business and self-manage a short-term rental in the Smoky Mountains.
We are proud members of multiple Chambers of Commerce, and in 2024, I was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the Hendersonville Chamber. Giving back, building community, and helping small businesses succeed has been incredibly rewarding — and this is just the beginning.
In a year and a half, we’ve built strong partnerships and momentum. While we’re a full-service marketing company, our biggest differentiator is our indoor digital billboard network, placing screens in high-traffic local businesses to showcase ads, events, nonprofits, weather, fun facts and community content. We also focus heavily on Google Business Profile optimization, SEO, and AI-driven search visibility — helping local businesses get noticed inside local businesses as well as online.
I love the greater Nashville area, its people, and being part of helping local businesses succeed. Building relationships, adding value, and supporting the community is what drives me every day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Like anyone chasing big goals, changing career paths, and starting something new, there have been plenty of challenges along the way. My background is in sales, so when I launched 615 Digital Marketing, I had a learning curve on the technical side. I dove into training and committed to constantly learning so I could provide real value to clients. The digital marketing world moves fast, and staying ahead requires research and effort — but I genuinely enjoy it. I’m naturally curious, so digging in to find the best and most cost-effective solutions has become something I love, especially when it drives real results for local businesses.
Last July brought one of the toughest challenges in self-managing a short-term rental that’s 3.5 hours away. Both septic tanks at my four-year-old cabin collapsed. No machinery could access the mountain and no crews were available for weeks, so I drove out and spent five days digging them out by hand in the middle of July — right in peak rental season. It was exhausting and humbling, but I’m grateful for the experience. I learned a ton, saved a lot, and it reminded me that business ownership isn’t easy — sometimes you simply have to show up, get your hands dirty, and figure it out.
I also brought on my first team member, which has been a big milestone. Shifting from doing everything myself to leading, communicating, and supporting someone else has been a little nerve-racking, but it has pushed me in a really good way. With how fast the marketing world — especially AI — is evolving, every day brings something new to learn. It keeps me motivated to grow and build something meaningful.
On a personal note, one of the biggest challenges has been helping care for my mom. She began showing signs of dementia in 2017, and it has progressively worsened. She’s only 72, and we’ve worked hard to keep her at home instead of in a facility. My twin sister — who’s one minute older — lives in Northern Virginia and Mom lives with her full-time. I travel there whenever possible to give her breaks and help however I can. It’s been emotionally tough but deeply meaningful. I used to travel constantly for work and couldn’t support as much, so having the ability to show up now has been a blessing.
There’s been a lot on my plate, and a lot of challenges, but things are finally starting to smooth out. I’m learning, growing, and getting better every day — and I’m grateful for every step of the journey.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
615 Digital Marketing exists for one purpose — to help local businesses grow by connecting them with the right people at the right time, whether online or inside local businesses. We partner with both businesses that host our billboards and those looking to display their ads for branding and lead generation. We’re active in the community, attending ribbon cuttings, networking events, and building meaningful relationships with business owners across Middle Tennessee.
We specialize in indoor digital billboard advertising in high foot traffic local businesses — from Nashville to Hendersonville, White House, Gallatin, and beyond as our billboard network grows. Alongside our billboards, we provide targeted digital marketing services including Google Business Profile optimization, SEO, AI-visibility readiness, paid advertising, and Meta ads. Whether your focus is lead generation or brand awareness, we help businesses get seen.
What makes us different is our approach and team. With over 70 digital marketing specialists backing us, we provide scalable, top-tier support while maintaining the personal attention and responsiveness every client deserves. We don’t believe in long-term contracts — if we do our job, you’ll want to stay. Clients have direct access to us 24/7 via cell phone.
Today’s digital landscape is more competitive than ever. Organic reach is shrinking, platforms push paid ads, AI is reshaping customer behavior, and attention spans are shorter than ever. Businesses don’t just need marketing — they need strategy, innovation, and support that adapts with the market. We provide transparent reporting so partners always understand the work being done and the results it delivers.
Our mission is simple: empower business owners with real support and real results. We offer free audits, honest guidance, and only recommend services that align with your goals. Whether you’re launching, building awareness, generating leads, or ready to scale with paid strategies, we meet you where you are — and fuel your growth.
At the end of the day, our success is measured by the success of the businesses we serve. We’re proud to be part of the Middle Tennessee business community, and nothing motivates us more than seeing our partners thrive, expand, and win.
If your business has foot traffic and you’d like to host one of our digital billboards, we offer excellent incentives and cross-promotion opportunities — reach out and let’s explore a partnership!
How do you think about luck?
I do believe luck is real, but it’s not something I rely on or can control. I prefer to focus on what I can control. You have to put yourself out there, take risks, give to get, and do things that push you out of your comfort zone. Meet people, network, and immerse yourself in your community. When you actively engage, opportunities naturally arise — connections are made, and you find people who genuinely want to support you. For me, it’s less about random chance and more about building relationships, fostering community, and solving problems wherever I can. I genuinely want to help people, whether or not I make money from it. That’s where real “luck” comes from — being present, showing up consistently, being a resource, and creating meaningful connections along the way.
Pricing:
- Google Business Profile & SEO Management (including AI-driven optimization) — starting at $200/mo
- Indoor billboard advertising – as low as $1 per day per screen ($30/mo per screen)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://615digitalmarketing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/615digitalmarketingtn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558900796535
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/615digitalmarketing
