The Growth Gameplan with Carson Spitzke

In this Growth Game Plan podcast episode, Brandon Liebowitz, founder of SEO ptimizers, shares insights into his journey in digital marketing since 2007. From Craigslist beginnings to refining SEO strategies, Brandon emphasizes patience in the long-term play of SEO. He discusses early challenges, the evolution of AI in content creation, and the importance of quality backlinks. Brandon offers a valuable gift and free website SEO assessments on SeoOptimizers.com. As the conversation delves into future trends, Brandon anticipates potential shifts towards programmatic SEO. For business owners, he advises persistence, emphasizing the enduring value of organic traffic over time.

In the early stages of building a business, the Kevin McLaughlin faced challenges ranging from personnel and fulfillment issues to the struggle of gaining visibility in a competitive field. The primary hurdle was making their vision known and attracting clients. Cold outbound strategies, including email outreach, became crucial for getting noticed. The speaker emphasized the often-overlooked importance of marketing in the early phase of a business. They highlighted the need to overcome initial obstacles, such as invoicing and collecting payments, while stressing the ongoing challenges of growth. The key takeaway was the value of authenticity and perseverance in business development. Kevin also shared insights on their growth journey, relying on personal outreach rather than solely depending on tools. Despite recognizing the existence of various growth tools, the speaker emphasized the fundamental role of being true to oneself and conveying a genuine story to connect with clients. The conversation touched on the dynamics of having a spouse as a business partner and the importance of mutual understanding and grace. Finally, the he underscored the ongoing challenges in business and life, emphasizing the continuous need to adapt, learn, and confront new obstacles.

In this episode, Joshua Dirks, founder of Project Bionic, discusses his journey from a director of digital intercom communications to starting Project Bionic 15 years ago. He shares insights into the early days of social media marketing, emphasizing the importance of personalization and brand ethos. Dirks highlights the need for strategic content creation, using Eric Qualman's 60-30-10 ratio, and delves into the significance of understanding a brand's core identity. He touches on the success of campaigns for clients like Deono, focusing on child safety seats, and the integration of AI for content testing. Dirks concludes with advice on entrepreneurship, curiosity, and building recession-proof businesses. Connect with Joshua Dirks on LinkedIn and explore Project Bionic's services on various platforms.

Peter Polygalov, Director of Marketing at Mastery Coding, shares his journey from video production to digital marketing. Reflecting on experiences with celebrities like Juicy J and Robin Thicke, he highlights the behind-the-scenes complexity of video shoots. He discusses Mastery Coding's lead generation, Polygalov emphasizes the effectiveness of cold email outreach, website optimization, and event participation. He stresses the importance of list quality in email campaigns and mentions tools like Apollo IO, Instantly AI, SendGrid, and Million Verifier. The conversation also touches on the evolving dynamics of cold email response rates in 2024 and the critical role of an "inbox manager" in prompt customer engagement. Polygalov underscores the need for tailored responses to convert marketing qualified leads into closed deals, emphasizing relationship-building in the education sector. He provides insights into scaling email campaigns and the value of focusing on proven strategies over constant experimentation.

In this episode, Brook Shepard, with over 15 years of experience, discusses the evolution of their marketing strategies. Initially focusing on Google and gated campaigns on Meta, they aimed to emphasize social media value beyond likes, emphasizing email acquisition. Facing challenges, they shifted to a focus on search and social media for the first years. Shepard emphasizes the importance of client growth, setting firm goals, and adapting strategies when projections fall short. The conversation touches on email marketing challenges, the effectiveness of different channels, and the preference for consistent revenue through monthly retainers. Additionally, Shepard mentions the recent exploration of acquiring smaller agencies for further growth.

Stacy Richter, a successful entrepreneur with diverse experience in marketing, shares his journey on on this episode. Initially conforming to conventional career paths, he realized the corporate life didn't align with his goals. After quitting a Fortune 500 job, he pursued entrepreneurship, co-founding a marketing agency. Through the years, he transitioned into various industries, emphasizing the importance of mindset in overcoming challenges. Stacey advocates for a zero-based thinking approach, focusing on solving problems over providing solutions. He discusses his strategic use of Lean Start-Up Methodology, emphasizing iterative testing and learning from failures to achieve product-market fit.

In this episode of the Growth Game Plan, the host welcomes Charles Fadel, founder and chairman of the Center for Curriculum Design and author of "Education for the Age of AI." Charles, a global education thought leader, shares his background, transitioning from technology to education policy. He discusses challenges faced by his nonprofit, focusing on grant-seeking, building credibility, and assembling a versatile team. Charles emphasizes the importance of quality over quantity in scaling education impact, highlighting the need for resilience and adaptability. He rejects the concept of exiting, expressing a lifelong commitment to his passion for transforming education.

Xaña, a seasoned entrepreneur in the marketing field, shares her journey in a conversation. With over 20 years in the industry, she emphasizes the challenges faced as an accidental business owner and the importance of leadership, financial acumen, and scaling expertise. Xaña highlights the value of working with coaches and implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System. She stresses the significance of intentional metrics, including financial goals, marketing conversions, employee happiness, and product retention. She follows a structured daily routine, prioritizing exercise and maintaining a remote work environment. Short-term goals involve team growth, while long-term aspirations include adding new revenue streams.

Charlie Harper, CEO of Woosh Agency, shares insights in this episode of The Growth Game Plan episode. A tech veteran, he transitioned from IBM to digital marketing, focusing on law firms. Harper emphasizes overlooked marketing tools, highlighting recommendations within industry groups for organic growth. Discussing agency growth, he challenges the conventional desire for massive agencies, emphasizing personal goals. Harper simplifies growth by focusing on capturing, converting, and following up. He measures success systemically, prioritizing revenue, three-month averages, and fixing system flaws. His approach underscores the business owner's bottom line rather than granular metrics.

Todd Swickard discusses being actively involved in decision-making, Todd dives into how he ensures internal operations run smoothly, supporting and motivating his team. With flexibility to address unexpected challenges, his day combines strategic thinking, communication, and adaptation to the dynamic digital marketing landscape.

Carson Spitzke and Jerremy Newsome delve into trading, entrepreneurship, and financial freedom in this episode. They trace the origins of Real Life Trading, emphasizing its real-world trading applications. Jerremy details his trading journey and growth strategy. The duo explores investing nuances, comparing individual stocks to index funds, and discusses the significance of in-person events. Jerremy envisions expanding Real Life Trading through government partnerships for stock market education in schools. Financial milestones, philanthropy, and the psychological impact of wealth are explored.

In this episode, Becky tells us about the beginnings of her career and how she and her partner founded Impact Group Marketing. She talks about the growth of her company through months of working without a paycheck. She discussed their growth through referrals and shares her advice.

In this episode, Matthew shares his wisdom and experience. He emphasizes the importance of personal relationship with employees and caring about them beyond work. He shares the history and growth of his company and delves into future plans.

In this insightful episode, Jeff Poppe and Carson Spitzke dive into the nuances of differentiating oneself in saturated industries through unique offerings and irresistible services. They explore the effectiveness of tailored campaigns, the importance of leveraging past successes, and the art of engaging audiences with compelling copy. The conversation also covers the enduring relevance of cold email, the power of personalization, and the surprising success of niche campaigns. With a focus on brand reputation and strategic growth, Jeff shares his journey from freelancing to considering agency expansion or product development. Tune in for expert advice on becoming an industry expert and scaling your business through targeted outreach and valuable connections.

Darren Magarro, owner of DSM agency shares his experiences in this podcast. They discuss the challenges, growth, and future plans in the industry. Darren talks about his transition from working at a large agency to starting his own agency, DSM, and emphasizes the importance of overcoming setbacks, being financially conscious, and hiring good people. Carson highlights the challenges of hiring the right person and providing support for success. They both value human relationships, transparency in pricing, and prioritizing helping over selling. They suggest visiting DSM's website or reaching out through LinkedIn for more information.

Josh discusses his marketing background and the journey to starting his agency, emphasizing the crucial role of assembling the right team. The conversation explores challenges in scaling a business, highlighting the importance of strategic partnerships. Effective tactics for growth include having a clear vision, providing resources, and empowering employees. They delve into measuring success through KPIs and maintaining transparency amid market trends like AI integration and authenticity-driven marketing. Josh emphasizes proactive deep work in the morning. Looking to the future, Josh aims for significant growth within one to two years, prioritizing value-driven organizations without specifying an exit strategy yet.

Carlos Melendez delves into Schola's mission of connecting students with schools regardless of income. Carlos explains Schola's free platform for parents and schools, with options for school upgrades. They explore Schola's targeted online advertising approach and its growth during COVID-19. Carlos focuses on helping parents find better school options. Scola aims to support the Latino community, emphasizing the limitations of standardized testing. They discuss challenges in school marketing, the importance of adapting to online platforms, and Schola's role in aiding school leaders with marketing skills. Carlos addresses challenges with inbound leads, adapting pricing models, and the need for sustainable revenue.

Michael Venidis underscores the pivotal role of trust in customer relationships, advocating for a focus on positive experiences and problem-solving over traditional sales tactics. Michael highlights Google Maps' value for opportunities. They discuss collaboration and market research, acknowledging potential challenges with large entities like Google.

Humphrey Chen introduces CLIPr, a video tool designed to unlock video insights and eliminate overload, featuring automated table of contents, topic-based navigation, and GPT-generated summaries. They explore CLIPr origins during the pandemic, applications in onboarding, learning, public safety, and enterprise use. https://www.linkedin.com/in/humphreychen

Rusty discusses ERP implementation and testing, emphasizing the importance of A-B testing for new audiences. He delves into understanding client needs and exploring diverse demographics. The narrative shifts to the speaker's experience starting an Allstate insurance company after leaving a 23-year position. Facing initial failure, they successfully revived the company by hand-writing quotes and employing unconventional methods. The speaker highlights their love for chaos and discomfort, attributing success to thriving in challenging situations. The conversation touches on entrepreneurship mindset and the unique approach the speaker took to achieve success in various industries.