A stalled ad account. A two-year pause. Then, a rebuild that turned careful testing into a record quarter.  In this episode, Optidge Paid Media Specialist Sara Reinhold walks through how we revived paid media for FamilyTreeDna by stripping back to intent, stabilizing with a feed-only Performance Max strategy, and expanding product availability to give the algorithm room to win.  We chat about how we made adjustments along the way, setting a realistic ROAS floor, pausing underperforming channels, and rebuilding search around present-day demand rather than yesterday’s assumptions. The result? By choosing time over speed and prioritizing reliable conversion signals, the Optidge team was able to validate their structure and prove the value of their advice, ultimately extending the partnership and increasing loyalty.  An Optidge "Office Hours" Episode Our Office Hours episodes are your go-to for details, case studies, how-to’s, and advice on specific marketing topics. Join our fellow Optidge team members, partners, and sometimes even 1:1 teachings from Danny himself, in these shorter, marketing-focused episodes. Get ready to get marketing! Episode Highlights:This case study example illustrated how just because something worked in the past doesn't mean it works now, as market conditions, platform algorithms, and auction dynamics shift constantly.Patience in scaling compounds trust. By choosing six months over three, Optidge rebuilt reliable conversion signals and created the foundation for a 5.7x budget increase.Budget pacing is as important as budget size. Aggressive spending without a validated structure wastes money; sustainable scaling with clear milestones delivers results.Full-funnel thinking measures the whole system, not just the middle click. Upper-funnel awareness (YouTube, Demand Gen) feeds lower-funnel conversion (search). This case proves that long-term partnerships outperform short-term wins. The 2.59 ROAS and 100% client satisfaction came from working through highs and lows together, not from a single tactic or campaign.  Episode Links: Episode 084: From NICU Nurse to PPC Pro: A Career Pivot Story with Sara Strickland (Office Hours)Sara Reinhold on LinkedInThe Digital Marketing MentorThe DM Mentor on InstagramOptidge Paid Media Services  Send us Fan Mail Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.comInstagram: @thedmmentorLinkedin: @thedmmentorYouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations.ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

When ad costs spike and attribution gets messy, even the best marketing budgets can start to feel unreliable. In this episode, Optidge's own Joe Wolf and Alejandro Torres cut through the noise on marketing budget planning and ad spend forecasting: what the models look like, where most plans fall apart, and how to build one that holds up when platforms shift, and results lag. This episode lights a fire under a candid, lively discussion of the most complex client-facing problems marketers will encounter, using our own experiences as fuel.  An Optidge Office Hours Episode Our Office Hours episodes are your go-to for details, case studies, how-to’s, and advice on specific marketing topics. Join our fellow Optidge team members, partners, and sometimes even 1:1 teachings from Danny himself, in these shorter, marketing-focused episodes. Get ready to get marketing! Episode Highlights: The Optidge team shares that most clients arrive at budget conversations with a plan already in mind, and reveal that refining it is actually harder than building from scratch.One campaign example shared that a real estate client panicked when overall performance began to drop. Joe and Alejandro affirm that the problem isn't always the channel taking the blame and requires a broader analysis.The team shares insights into Optidge’s cohort-based reporting, noting the changes in how you measure paid media success and how to use it to prevent knee-jerk decisions.Both Joe and Alejandro touch on the halo effect using real examples: store visits, YouTube demand lift, and self-reported attribution from intake forms.The conversation emphasizes that assuming every lead is equal is the most expensive mistake in budget planning, and that building unified dashboards and planning for the whole year helps to keep the big picture top-of-mind. Episode Links: Digital Marketing Mentor Podcast: Optidge.com/podcastODEO Academy: odeoacademy.comOptidge Paid Media Services:Optidge.com/paid-mediaEpisode 050: Debunking, Diversifying, and Diving into the Data of Paid Social Ads with Joseph Wolf (Office Hours) Episode 067: The Superpowers of Effective PPC Budget Management and Pacing with Alejandro Torres (Office Hours)  Send us Fan Mail Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.comInstagram: @thedmmentorLinkedin: @thedmmentorYouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations.ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

Send us a Text Message. This episode of the Digital Marketing Mentor takes us back to the classroom as we talk with Noah Frydberg, full-time university student at the University of Texas and founder of the multi-million dollar social media marketing agency, Maverick Creative. We discuss with this young entrepreneur about his greatest mentor, what led him to take the leap into starting his own company, and why he feels TikTok is a social media marketing goldmine that’s being underutilized by businesses looking to scale.Episode Highlights TikTok offers an incredible opportunity to grow your company or brand. Noah highly recommends taking the time to completely understand this social media platform’s potential for creators of all types.As a member of Gen Z,  Noah has used his age to his advantage. He often pursues clients looking to access that specific market. Noah is in a unique position as an entrepreneur in his generation that can make the most from his tremendous knowledge of TikTok.Noah’s greatest mentor has been his father. He’s shown him the art of cold-calling, managing client demands, and making the sale and Noah has carried those attributes to his company when mentoring his own employees.  Episode LinksNoah’s TikTokNoah’s LinkedInMaverick Creative Website Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

Shaina Keren discovered her path in life, and it has led her to become a career coach. She’s a master at drawing out the best in people and discovering how to shape those skills into their career of choice. Her first decade of working life was spent in education, so she’s experienced changing directions at unexpected times. Listen in to learn more about her tips for personal discovery and resume fixes. Episode Highlights:Shaina Keren is a career coach, but her path to this point was not a straight one. She spent the first decade and then some as a teacher in the education field. After some intense self-reflection and research, she found herself connected with Nicholas Lore, the author of The Pathfinder, and on her way to becoming the brilliant career coach she is today.When it comes to mentors, Shaina has grouped them into three categories. There is the kind you’ll never meet, the kind you pay to meet, and the kind that are “right at the top” of the hills you find yourself wanting to climb. Her two most notable mentors have been Nicholas Lore and Jacob Engle. Each has guided her along her journey as a career coach. Shaina offers many pieces of advice for those looking for the right career for themselves. First, imagine your ideal self outside of the constraints of your current reality, then figure out what you take from that image and make it work in the real world. Next, just take a personality test. There are plenty of free quizzes available, and they can work well as a tool to self-discovery. Finally, your resume should not be your whole life history. Tailor your resume to the positions to which you’re applying.  Episode Links: ShainaKeren.comCareer QuizLinkedInBooksThe Choice by Dr. Edith EgerThe Pathfinder by Nicholas LoreI Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

Cory Henke’s path to his current stop, leading his media buying and analytics agency, is anything but a straight line. From convincing his college basketball coach to let him walk on as a novice to being taken into investor meetings by his last boss and CEO, Cory’s learned a lot of things by being unafraid to ask questions, take risks, and be the best at whatever role is needed, especially if that role is ‘Dad.’ Episode Highlights[1:27] Cory shares how being an unlikely member of the basketball team at California Lutheran University taught him how to mold yourself to the a role and the importance of experience.[6:38] A mentor is someone willing to tell you the truth. They don't need anything from you, and are willing to spend the time to help mold you.[7:28] Cory's first mentor and boss, Cat, was ruthless, but helped instill a sense of urgency and the importance of being a team member. [13:19] Cory shares how he found himself loving the combination of disruption and innovation that digital marketing brings when working with a particular client - Mormon.org.[18:05] A position at Molio brought Cory to Utah and spurred the launch of his own agency.[23:55] Now, Cory is the mentor, and focuses on doing it all with transparency and love, allowing his employees the space and freedom to grow.[29:00] Cory shares his keys to mentoring success[30:00] Learn why Cory lists the role of 'Dad' first in his LinkedIn bio.[32:29] Cory's favorite element of digital marketing is data - he believes it's the gold to success in this field, and wants to be the best at mining it.[34:40] Why does YouTube hold such a place of focus for Cory?[38:32] Beginning in 2020 and into 2021, scaling a business required a talented media buyer. In the last year, successful scaling has come from those focusing on product innovation.[44:54] Cory shares is top 3 tips for getting into media buying[47:31] Cory shares why Variable Media's website uses Notion Episode Links California Lutheran UniversityYouTube ChannelsPaid Media ProsLex FridmanAndrew HubermanCory HenkeVariable MediaTwitterLinkedIn Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

In today’s office hours episode, we discuss all things data-driven marketing with Optidge’s Caroline Pham. She shares insights on creating and optimizing paid search campaigns, goal-type selection, and navigating budget increases. You’ll also learn how her drawing of a Dalmatian won her Best of Show at the Houston Rodeo and set her on her path to a great career in digital marketing.An Optidge Office Hours EpisodeOur Office Hours episodes are your go-to for details, how-to’s, and advice on specific marketing topics. Join our fellow Optidge team members, and sometimes even 1:1 teachings from Danny himself, in these shorter, marketing-focused episodes every few weeks. Get ready to get marketing! Episode Highlights: Caroline Pham is a paid search strategist. Her journey into digital marketing started with a Rodeo award-winning drawing of a Dalmatian puppy. She then explored her creative side and realized that advertising was the path she wanted to take. While attending the University of Texas’s advertising program, she discovered her aptitude and inclination for data and statistics. When it comes to setting the best foundation for a successful paid search campaign, Caroline knows that clear, solid goals are the place to start. Once the goal is determined, all other questions can be answered. For paid search, the goal is usually sales. When choosing between Cost Per Lead and Cost Per Acquisition, she operates by the rule of thumb of 30 days. If the conversion window is longer than 30 days, CPL will be the best metric on which to optimize. Finally, if you have a campaign that is being limited by budget but is still performing well, the “budget increase” conversation can be an easy one to have. It’s essential to look at several metrics like share of voice, visibility, industry conversion rate, and more to determine what the ideal budget could be. Then you start the conversation armed with the data showing how the campaign can bring the client even more sales, and isn’t that why we’re doing all of this anyway? Episode Links:  Previous Podcast Episodes ft. Blinds.comJay SteinfeldMosheh PoltorakDaniel CotlarOptidge.com - Paid Search Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

From an early dream of becoming an English teacher to her pivotal shift into the marketing world, Navah's story is a testament to following one's true calling. Discover how her mentors shaped her into a professional and compassionate leader, and explore mentorship strategies that have left a lasting impact. Navah shares invaluable insights on digital marketing trends, data privacy, and the surprising findings from Optmyzer's recent study. Whether you're an experienced marketer or a newcomer, Navah's wisdom will leave you inspired and better equipped for success in the dynamic realm of digital marketing. Episode Highlights: Navah Hopkins originally wanted to be an English teacher, so determined her 3rd-grade self. Through education and honest family guidance, that became marketing. After starting in SEO and there being an ethical mismatch with the strategy she was working within, she found herself in the world of non-profits and eventually Paid Search. She’s had mentors who helped grow her into an empowerer of colleagues, a better public speaker and marketer, and more confident in growing herself. One of her mentees (with whom she connected playing video games) went from a $500/month stipend to her paying them $10k/mo in billable hours within a year. She finds incredible joy in helping others learn how to help themselves. Optmyzer released a study reviewing the efficacy of broad match v. exact match keyword strategies. Navah discusses how she had to adopt a new approach to paid search strategy upon reviewing the results as they contradicted her previous position. She loves getting to learn new and challenging evidence.  Episode Links: NavahLinkedInOptmyzerSearch Engine Journal - Ask a PPCPaid Search AssociationZina KayyaliPurna VirjiHigh Impact Content Marketing Shelly Fagin EpisodeOptmyzer Study Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

Join us in this episode as Duane Brown, Founder & Head of Strategy at Take Some Risk Inc.,   shares his unique journey from college in Canada to the realm of digital marketing, unveiling the power of mentorship, strategic PPC tactics, and the often-overlooked nuances of data analysis in advertising.Episode Highlights Duane Brown first started his career in Public Relations after attending college and then university and getting two marketing certificates. His first (hard-won) digital marketing position taught him many business skills and PPC. He’s worked in the data-rich realm of paid search and paid social advertising ever since. Mentorship should be tailored to the person. A mentor is someone who will root for you to succeed but not just give you the answers. They should guide you in your journey. He finds it necessary to discover what motivates his mentees and what they want to work on. He will then try and find the points where the business can help them achieve their goals. Ultimately, PPC is about taking action. Duane and his team have a general rule that if a campaign is performing poorly for three or more days, that’s no longer an anomaly and has become a trend, and you need to make a change. People often underestimate the power of good ad copy and of delving deep into the data of a campaign. He knows how beneficial it can be to look deeper than just campaign-level metrics into the SKU, ad level, keyword, and ad group data.  Episode Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanebrown/?originalSubdomain=caWebsite: https://www.takesomerisk.com/about/Blogs: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/author/duane-brownArticles: https://www.appbind.com/agency-connect-featuring-duane-brown/Twitter: @DuaneBrown Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

In today’s episode, we discover the transformative journey of Natara Branch, from her early experiences at the University of Houston through her unprecedented career at the NFL to her pivotal role in cultivating a thriving startup ecosystem, as she leads Houston Exponential in redefining the city's identity beyond its traditional industries.Episode HighlightsNatara Branch calls Houston home, even if she’s not a native Houstonian. And Houston happily welcomes Natara into its family. She attended the University of Houston after falling in love with its scrappy, underdog personality on a campus tour. After growing up in a military household, the blue sky, no guardrail type of dreaming and thinking that happened there was pivotal to her future career. She has taken the concept of mentors and meshed it with a concept from a book she read many years ago and now has a life board of advisors. These people are family, friends, professional acquaintances, and former mentees of hers who mentor her in all aspects of her life. Mentors help hone and add polish to your life. At Houston Exponential, Natara is passionate about its goal to bring startups and entrepreneurs to the Houston Region and help nurture partnerships and collaborations between new businesses and the legacy industries (petroleum and healthcare). She sees all the amazing things happening in the Houston Metro and is determined to help the city market itself and the amazing opportunities it offers.  Episode LinksHouston Exponential WebsiteLinkedInInstagramX - TwitterYouTubeNatara's LinkedIn Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

Join us as Stacey Piefer shares her transformative career, from journalism to purposeful, personal branding. Discover the power of mentoring, authenticity, and Stacey's mission to banish imposter syndrome on the University of Houston campus. Unveil the truth in advertising and explore the evolving landscape of marketing through the lens of a perpetual student of life. Episode Highlights Stacey Piefer's journey began in broadcast journalism at Alvin Community College and led to a degree in Communications and Public Relations at the University of Houston. This shaped her impactful career in communications, personal branding, and career coaching.Stacey emphasizes kindness, influencing, and listening as key mentorship skills. At the University of Houston's Bauer College of Business, she and her colleagues adopt diverse mentoring approaches, prioritizing what's best for each student.Stacey's transition from PR to branding at Savage Brands led her to discover her purpose, evolving from "express" to proudly identifying as a "guide." Authenticity is the cornerstone of personal branding, embracing uniqueness and multi-dimensionality.Stacey challenges the term "imposter syndrome," aiming to debunk the notion that students should feel fraudulent for being in a continuous learning phase. She advocates building confidence and dispelling unrealistic expectations, fostering a culture of growth and authenticity at the University of Houston. Episode Links:  LinkedInStacey PieferBauer College of Business - Rockwell Career Center Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.