He Fixed a Dead Website in 40 Minutes — Here's How 🚀💻
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When a floral shop's website went dark, its owner couldn't make a single sale - and that's exactly the kind of problem Russell Lunda solves every day. In this episode of Meet My Business, Russell shares how he went from teaching himself web design on YouTube to pay for his studies, to running Akha Web, a business that helps South African companies get found online.
Russell talks candidly about the early struggle, moving from Durban to Pretoria and almost giving up, and the responsibility to family that kept him going. He unpacks how he actually works with clients - from discovery and honest conversations about where to spend their money, to meeting each business where it is, whether that's a R200-a-day starting point or a multi-branch operation.
He also reflects on how quickly AI has changed the game, why being findable now means showing up in ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude as much as on Google, and why, at the end of the day, the work is really about making a genuine impact in people's lives.
Russell talks candidly about the early struggle, moving from Durban to Pretoria and almost giving up, and the responsibility to family that kept him going. He unpacks how he actually works with clients - from discovery and honest conversations about where to spend their money, to meeting each business where it is, whether that's a R200-a-day starting point or a multi-branch operation.
He also reflects on how quickly AI has changed the game, why being findable now means showing up in ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude as much as on Google, and why, at the end of the day, the work is really about making a genuine impact in people's lives.
Chapters
- 00:00 Opening story: the floral shop that couldn't sell
- 00:57 Welcome and introducing Russell Lunda
- 01:14 Who Russell is: family, faith and Congo to South Africa
- 02:18 A typical day
- 03:28 From software developer to self-taught web designer
- 04:44 What he actually does, explained simply
- 05:33 Why he started, and the client who stopped drinking
- 06:51 Registering and formalising the business
- 07:20 Moving to Pretoria and nearly giving up
- 08:27 Responsibility as motivation
- 09:38 Advice to his younger self: systems and relationships
- 10:38 How AI changed the industry
- 12:19 The ideal client
- 13:08 What working with Russell looks like
- 15:28 What sets Akha Web apart
- 16:24 Common client misconceptions
- 17:23 The real benefits for clients
- 18:51 Seeing the blind spots clients miss
- 20:41 A standout client success story
- 21:49 Why DIY marketing costs you more
- 22:29 Back to the opening story: the 40-minute fix
- 23:41 Why the work matters
- 24:13 Where to find Russell
- 24:48 Final advice
