About Us

Austin Hansen was born on the outskirts of Nashville, TN in 1989 to a restaurant equipment salesman and a stay-at-home mom. As the tech boom took off in the early to mid 90s, he became fascinated with computers and the idea that things could be shared with people across the world instantly (as long as no one was using the phone, of course) and, as a result, he grew interested in web design from an early age.

In 1998, he created his first website, coded purely in HTML using a book rented from the local library as his only teacher.

He used his savings from his weekly chore allowance (via a suspiciously trusting father’s credit card) to buy his first domain and set up his first server, and thus the 9 year old launched a video game fan website that, regrettably, had audio play automatically on each page. He thankfully adheres to better practices now.

His tinkering wouldn’t end with just HTML, though. In the early 2000s, he would learn to code in C++ and Java, making simple games and programs. He would learn CSS and PHP and build his own forum board for his “Warcraft 3” team’s website. He would even end up learning how to use email.

These digital time sinks would prove to be very useful in his adolescence. He became practiced in creating online bulletin boards, informational websites, forums, download portals and more for a range of interests.

But while this was all a wonderful recreational pastime (at the time), his eyes would end up settling elsewhere for College. He became fascinated with hard sciences as a teenager and eventually attended MTSU on academic scholarships for Chemistry.

I know what you’re thinking: “he studied chemistry? and he went into digital marketing?! but… why?” Well, here’s how the career started:

The year is 2013. Austin is working as a restaurant waiter. At this time, he is in the awkward stage between undergrad, grad school, and figuring out what to do with his life. A friend of his (and fellow waiter) had just graduated with a degree in graphic design and landed her first job at a web design firm.

About a month after she leaves the restaurant, she calls Austin and starts, “Hey, you do website stuff, right? We need to hire a developer, do you want to apply?”

Austin hadn’t imagined actually doing this for a living; it had only been ‘for fun’ up to that point, after all. Was he under-qualified? Probably. On paper, at least. But with his future unclear and a love for “doing website stuff” egging him on, he threw his insecurities aside and steeled himself. 

“Yes, I would like to apply.” 

So he did. And the rest is history.

Over the next decade, Austin would master not only front-end website development, but also many different forms of digital advertising, email marketing, project management, client relations, and process organization. During this time, he would hold virtually every official position a digital marketer could hold: Support Developer, Lead Developer, SEO & PPC Strategist, Project Manager, Account Manager, Sales Director, Director of Client Services, and eventually Vice President.

This cumulative experience would give him a unique insight into the industry that seldom few get. And just like any upstanding comic book superhero, he pledged to use this power of insight for good.

The idea that would become Marketing RNA sprouted in 2020. While both Austin and his wife settled into a work-from-home lifestyle due to the pandemic, they found they had more time for brainstorming scary things like *gasp* the future.

His wife asked him, “if you had your own firm, how would you run it?”

A decade of developing scalable work processes, implementing successful ad campaigns, launching hundreds upon hundreds of websites, and handling client escalations made the answer clear.

Austin responded:
“I would make our work transparent.”
“I’d give the client the access they expect.”
“I would never deceptively own any client’s assets.”
“I’d do away with long term marketing contracts. If I do my job correctly, it’s illogical to leave, right?”
“And I’d never bite off more than I can chew.”

Over the next year, ideas turned into plans, plans turned into actions, and in August of 2021, actions turned into a leap of faith. 

Marketing RNA was born.

The name “Marketing RNA” is a play on the genetics term “mRNA” which is ‘messenger RNA.’ It plays a key role in maintaining growth and survivability in virtually all cellular life (including us, human people). It could be said that mRNA fulfills a marketing role in the cell, but it’s admittedly a convoluted analogy.

(The owner would love to explain how the analogy “works” if you’re interested, though.)

So while mRNA plays a key role in a cell’s growth and survivability, Marketing RNA plays a key role for small business growth and survivability. The owner knew he wanted to incorporate something “science-y” into the brand given his college background, and there it was. The fact that the letters “RNA” match with the owner and his wife’s first names was a plus.

This may come as a surprise, but many digital marketing firms today are, for lack of a better term, unscrupulous. They will outsource important work overseas for pennies on the dollar, while advertising “all work is done in-house.” They will sneak in long-term commitments, hidden deep in legalese. They will literally hold your assets, website, or even domain name hostage under the guise of “security.”

Marketing RNA set out to provide the small business community with a tangible, accountable, and scrupulous digital marketing partner. A partner that is trustworthy. Responsive. A partner that isn’t trying to conquer the world for their own means. Instead, one that wants to help paint the world a little brighter.

So Marketing RNA did away with the smoke and mirrors. And over two years and dozens of projects later, those vaporous wisps and silvery reflections that typically plague this industry are nowhere to be seen.