We built this for the businesses who built the Central Valley.
Shockwave isn't a Silicon Valley agency selling AI from a co-working space in San Francisco. We're built right here in Friant, California — by people who understand the dental practices, HVAC contractors, ranchers, and family businesses that actually run this region.
Started by a Cal Fire Captain who got tired of watching local businesses get left behind.
Ian Hogan founded Shockwave Digital Advertising after 25+ years in the fire service. As a Cal Fire Captain and instructor at Atwater Training Institute, he spent years helping communities prepare for the worst. Off-shift, he watched something quieter — but no less important — unfold across the Central Valley.
Local family businesses, the kind that have served their neighbors for generations, were getting outranked on Google by national chains. Their websites scored 40 out of 100 on performance tests. Their reviews went unanswered. Their phones rang for the bigger players who could afford full marketing teams.
Meanwhile, AI was becoming powerful enough to do the work of a six-figure marketing team. But nobody was packaging it for the businesses that needed it most. So Ian built it.
The Mission
Bring enterprise-level AI marketing to small and medium businesses in the Central Valley and beyond — at a price they can actually afford, with results they can actually measure.
The Promise
Every Shockwave client earns back at least 3x what they pay us. If they don't, we keep working until they do.
Our values aren't a poster on the wall.
They're the rules that decide who we work with, what we build, and what we refuse to do.
Real Results, Not Vanity Metrics
Other agencies report "impressions" and "engagement." We report leads generated, appointments booked, and revenue influenced. If we can't tie our work to your bottom line, we shouldn't take your money.
Local Trust Beats Slick Marketing
We grew up here. We know that in the Central Valley, word-of-mouth and reputation matter more than fancy ad campaigns. Our entire system is built around earning and protecting local trust — including the indoor billboard network in places your customers already trust.
Honesty About AI
We use AI everywhere. We tell you exactly where, exactly why, and exactly what humans still oversee. We never pretend AI is human, and we never pretend humans are AI. The line is clear, always.
The Supervisor Model
Our AI agents do the work. Real humans supervise. You get the speed and scale of automation with the accountability and judgment of people. No one in our company is "just an AI." No one is "just hands on a keyboard."
We're Picky About Clients
We don't take every business that asks. If we don't think we can deliver real value, we say so upfront. We'd rather have 50 clients who love us than 200 clients chasing us for refunds.
Forward-Thinking, Always
The marketing landscape is changing weekly. What works today might not work in six months. We commit to evolving our system, our offerings, and our approach so our clients never get left behind by a technology shift.
Ian Hogan
Founder & CEO · Marine Corps Veteran · Fire Captain
Ian Hogan is a Marine Corps veteran turned fire captain and training instructor. After 17 years in the fire service, he knows what it takes to stay ready for anything — and he built Shockwave with that same discipline.
A lifelong Central Valley resident, Ian started Shockwave because he watched local businesses — the kind that serve their neighbors, sponsor youth sports, and keep the valley running — lose ground to national chains with bigger marketing budgets. AI changed that equation. Ian built the system that levels the playing field.
Outside of Shockwave, he's a father of five, a gym regular for 25 years running, and a Lake Millerton boat slip holder. The boat is the symbol. The family is the why. Shockwave is the vehicle.
"I built this for the businesses who built this valley. They deserve marketing as sharp as anything Silicon Valley has — without paying Silicon Valley prices."
Fresno & Clovis. Right where we should be.
Serving Fresno, Clovis, Madera, Sanger, Reedley, Selma, Kerman — and growing across the Central Valley. We're local because we have to be. Local trust is the whole point.