Send us a textThe perfect blend of digital marketing and psychology, this discussion features Sarah Presch, Digital Marketing Director of Dragon Metrics, who shares her journey from studying marketing to pursuing psychology, emphasizing the critical role of understanding consumer behavior in this space. The conversation explores the rewarding nature of mentorship, emphasizing mutual learning, humility, structured success plans, and regular check-ins. In this episode, Sarah explores ethical considerations in digital marketing and SEO, including the influence of cognitive bias, the importance of psychological safety, and the challenges of ethical content creation. The discussion wraps with Sarah’s passion for music as a therapeutic tool and how it’s all tied into her achievements with Dragon Metrics. Episode Highlights: Understanding human behavior is crucial in marketing and the intersection between psychology and marketing promotes innovation and perspective.Sarah founded Neurodivergents in SEO to provide a safe space for digital marketing professionals on the spectrum to talk and learn about marketing career paths. Ethical considerations that exist in digital marketing and SEO, include the influence of cognitive bias - specifically a user’s confirmation bias, the importance of psychological safety, and the challenges of ethical content creation.She stresses the importance for marketers in understanding an audience’s culture and language. Episode Links: Sarah’s professional websiteSarah’s LinkedInSarah’s XDragon Metrics websiteDragon Metrics LinkedIn Neurodivergents in SEOFollow 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.

Send us a Text Message.This episode of The Digital Marketing Mentor takes us through the remarkable journey of Julia McCoy, President of Content at Scale, whose early struggles finding a passion inspired a career transition to the world of freelancing.  In overcoming doubts and with the support of mentors along the way, she’s turned storytelling passion into a thriving career, pioneering several approaches to marry SEO, content creation, and AI to enhance efficiency and productivity. Julia reveals her take on the role of mentorship in shaping our professional paths - sharing stories of support through her launch into public speaking and entrepreneurial pursuits.  Tune in to hear Julia’s predictions on the future of content and SEO, and how AI is powering the charge. Episode Highlights: Having transitioned to digital marketing, Julia shares her take on how mentorship plays a crucial role in shaping career paths, sharing stories of her own mentors who have encouraged her to step into entrepreneurship and embrace public speaking. Julia says content writers should embrace the arrival of AI and learn to use it to their advantage, harnessing the power of these tools for more creative content solutions. Julia has launched a feature that allows AI to replicate a writer's style and unique voice which helps maintain brand identity and integrity. Her Unified Editor tool allows anyone to create powerful content regardless of their writing experience making the writing process more accessible and efficient. AI is revolutionizing content marketing by allowing writers to focus on strategic thinking and creativity while keeping burnout at bay. Episode Links: Julia’s LinkedinJulia’s InstagramJulia’s YouTubeJulia’s booksContent at ScaleFollow 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.

Send us a Text Message.In this ‘Office Hours’ episode, we examine PPC budget management closely. We speak with paid search analyst, Alejandro Torres, whose frustration with unpredictability of Google Ads’ spend tracking led to a revolutionary solution. With the assistance of his team, they built a robust tool designed to help them with pacing the spending schedule and optimizing the budgets of PPC campaigns for their clients. Tune into an episode packed full of tips on the technical aspects, team collaboration, and unique challenges faced in managing PPC campaigns. 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: Despite Alejandro’s initial disinterest in digital marketing in college, his path led him back, allowing him to apply his practical knowledge in finance and management to his current role on the Optidge PPC team. Alejandro initially heard about an innovative, data-tracking PPC tool, Dataslayer, from another department at Optidge and began testing the tool to see how its capabilities might help handle the headache of tracking PPC campaign spending. Dataslayer and the custom solution put together by Alejandro and the team can now accurately monitor the spending habits of multiple campaigns at once and notify the PPC team when they’re under or overspending (with special thanks to color coding).Episode Links:Alejandro’s LinkedInDataslayer Optidge PPC Services 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.

Send us a Text Message.Join us as we uncover the transformative power of mentorship and cause-driven marketing with Aimee Woodall, founder of The Black Sheep Agency. Amy unpacks her public relations experience for political initiatives and the pivotal role that her academic journey played in shaping her passion for politics and communication. She fondly recalls some of her most influential mentorship experiences and highlights the evolution of mentorship in business. Finally, we journey through Aimee’s establishment of a cause-driven agency, discussing the challenges and rewards of prioritizing social responsibility in marketing. Episode HighlightsAimee defines the relationship between a mentor and a mentee as a two-way street where both parties learn from the experience with each other.One of Aimee’s mentors showed her that there could be meaning behind her work, and that propelled her into cause-driven marketing.One of the greatest gifts Aimee received from her work is learning about all the different social challenges in our society and how to weave social responsibility into marketing strategies. Episode Links Black Sheep AgencyAimee’s LinkedinAimee’s InstagramAimee’s XFollow 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.

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 WebsiteFollow 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.

Send us a Text Message.Pack your bags and join us as we head to Minnesota to speak with Nick LeRoy, freelance SEO consultant and owner of SEOjobs.com.  In today’s episode of the Digital Marketing Mentor Podcast, we’ll explore how Nick hit the ground running by learning SEO in his first job out of college. Having experienced several professional setbacks, he shares how he used this experience and leaned into mentors to propel him into entrepreneurship and a freelance career in SEO. We’ll hear about his passion project, SEOJobs.com, and his vision to revolutionize the SEO job market. Episode Highlights:Nick’s love of SEO began after learning the necessary skills on the job straight out of university. He credits reading ‘how to’ books at the local Barnes and Noble with helping him to understand the subject.According to Nick, a mentor challenges another’s thinking and provides necessary guidance.After losing his job twice, Nick has learned that he prefers working as a freelance SEO consultant instead of within an agency. Being his own boss allows him to be brutally honest with his clients, and he feels he produces better work.The keys to success in the SEO industry include strong communication, genuine curiosity for SEO, and understanding the industry’s ‘hard skills.’Nick enjoys mentoring uniquely by offering advisory services and actively seeking out employment opportunities for SEO professionals through his passion project, SEOjobs.com. Episode Links: Nick’s Leroy’s Company: Nick Leroy Consulting  Nick's  X account  Nick's  LinkedIn  SEO job board seojobs.comFollow 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.

Buckle up for today’s episode as the Digital Marketing Mentor takes you on an exciting journey with Wil Reynolds, the founder, and VP of Innovation at SEER Interactive. As one of the most esteemed digital marketing agencies in the U.S., we’ll talk to this former economics teacher about his life-long passion for learning, creating value, and giving back to others and what led to his creation of SEER Interactive. Wil also discusses the power of mentorship and the importance of the human connection with customers through SEO in the face of growing AI influence. Episode Highlights Wil’s passion for giving back, creating change, and making an impact was born from his early professional years as an economics teacher. His passion was put into overdrive after being denied the opportunity to volunteer, which became a significant value he instilled in the creation of SEER Interactive. Wil has been grateful for his mentors throughout his career and says they have taught him some of his most valuable life lessons. The truest indication that a mentor has done a good job is when the mentee has outgrown them, which has happened to Wil several times. Will is not anti-SEO. Instead, he supports the most ‘frictionless’ way for users to access their desired information, which seems to be through AI. The invention of AI has undoubtedly helped with SEO and content creation. However, Wil says it’s important not to lose the human connection,  including using your ideas instead of those from a bot and connecting with your viewers through organic social media traffic.Episode LinksWil Reynolds LinkedInWil Reynolds YouTubeWil Reynolds InstagramSeer Interactive Website Seer Interactive LinkedInFollow 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.

This episode features Purna Virji, principal consultant of Content Solutions at LinkedIn, and explores her holistic view of content marketing. She dives into what has shaped her perspective through her 20-year career in marketing as a content creator, program manager, SEO public, instructional designer, and brand evangelist. Tune in to learn more about mentorship's role in Purna’s journey in content marketing and hear some of the best engagement tips from one of the industry’s social media marketing gurus. Episode Highlights Purna says her life purpose is to ‘lift others’ through education and empowerment.  She’s an active mentor to many professionals and feels the responsibility of the job includes shining the light on their strengths and talents while providing constructive criticism. Purna herself has several high-profile mentors she calls her ‘board of directors’. They are a fabulous sounding board when she has questions.The foundation of successful marketing content rests in knowing your audience. Purna stresses the importance of  ‘studying your customers’ to learn what they want, their motivations, and their problems. When you understand your audience, the content will write itself. Additionally, a company must identify its core values, brand purpose, and the ‘connective tissue’ that links its audience to its product or service. Purna compares a brand’s message to water; it can take the shape of any container. So often, content that hasn’t been working is tossed. Purna argues that instead of wasting time creating new content, well-researched and ideated material can be reused or repurposed on a different platform; it still has value.Episode LinksPurna’s LinkedInPurna’s X 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 for this special episode of The Digital Marketing Mentor as we reflect on our conversations with various guests about their experiences with PPC advertising. We cover everything from why our guests entered this industry to bid management, control metrics, conversion tracking, and GA4. Whether you’re new to PPC or a seasoned pro, this Best of PPC episode will offer advice and anecdotes regarding this rapidly evolving industry. Episode Highlights The many experts we’ve interviewed about PPC advertisingI seem to share a few understandings: A detailed PPC audit is an excellent way to ensure a new or revamped campaign will move in the right direction and best utilize company budgets.Manual vs. automatic bidding tends to be a popular topic in the PPC community and our guests believe that the intent and goals behind the campaign should drive the bidding strategy. Digital marketers must pay more attention to the power of good ad copy as even small changes can steer a PPC campaign in the right direction.In a lead generation campaign, some key indicators to evaluate and frame the budget include the length of the campaign (how long it has been running), CPL to acquisition, visibility, and conversion rate. PPC experts emphasize the value of attribution since the cost-per-lead data often drives the connection between campaign results and company growth.Google's elimination of third-party cookies will most impact companies that don’t conduct online transactions or have an e-commerce presence as it will make accessing customer data more difficult. Episode Links Susan Wenograd - Mastering Google Ads: Secrets to Success in Search, Speaking, and StrategyNavah Hopkins - English, Ethics, Education, and Encouragement in Paid SearchSarah Stemen - Effective Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurial EndeavorsDuane Brown - Destination: Digital Marketing Data  Kirk Williams - Speaking, Sparking Connections, Star Wars, and (Google) Shopping Brianna Deboever -  Office Hours | Making Alphabet Soup for Lead Quality: PPC, UTM, CRM, and MoreRachel Howle -  Office Hours  | ManuFollow 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 for an inspiring episode as we explore Brie Anderson's journey from soccer scholarship to digital marketing expertise, discovering the power of saying “YES!” to opportunities and effective mentorship. Gain valuable insights into navigating digital landscapes, leveraging data, and empowering yourself in today's ever-evolving world. Don't miss this enriching discussion filled with actionable analytics advice.Episode Highlights Brie Anderson's journey from scholarship soccer student athlete to digital marketing showcases the importance of embracing opportunities. Transitioning from communications to digital marketing, she learned and grew by saying "Yes" to new experiences. Mentors like her first boss and industry leaders guided her journey.For Brie, mentorship is about open communication and taking initiative. She shares her experiences and insights to support others facing similar challenges. Despite initially not seeing herself as a mentor, her wife helped her see that her openness with her mental health struggles and readiness to share her technical skills and knowledge certainly qualifies her as a mentor to others. As the founder of BEAST Analytics, she helps clients understand and use data effectively, navigating changes like the shift to Google Analytics 4. Brie empowers clients to adapt to evolving digital trends while addressing privacy concerns. Through education and practical advice, she ensures their digital strategies remain effective and responsive.Episode Links Brie’s LinkedInBEAST Analytics website Brie’s email InstagramFollow 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 this episode, learn how Optidge teamed up with Berlin Heart to customize HubSpot, revolutionizing their data management. Explore the challenges Berlin Heart faced with spreadsheets and discover how Optidge customized HubSpot to streamline workflows and enable remote accessibility. Hear about the benefits of tailored CRM solutions and join us as we uncover the transformative power of this partnership with Berlin Heart. 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 Berlin Heart came to Optidge to help set up Hubspot, a customer relationship management system (CRM), for their unique needs. As a medical device company that develops, produces, and markets innovative devices for mechanically supporting the heart, Berlin Heart needed the CRM to do more, and be more of a database management system. They needed to transition from a system of data management that existed in 12-20 spreadsheets, only accessible in the office, with multiple redundancies - to a cloud-based, interconnected database of data. They needed to track hospitals, staff, patients, devices, training logs, status updates, maintenance records, and more. And they needed to know their information was up-to-date and accurate.Optidge utilized Hubspot’s custom objects to build out an expansive, interconnected database system for Berlin Heart. Through the creation and customization of custom objects, they could oversee a variety of data points configured in different ways. They could see all the device pump changes and their next needed timing. They could view all the patient status updates for a given week in one table. They could also look at a specific device and see which hospital, patient, staff, and crate it was currently connected to. Episode LinksBerlin Heart Berlin Heart LinkedInFollow 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.

Discover Andrea Cruz's journey from Venezuela to Boston, mastering business administration and international marketing. Learn about the power of mentorship and the intricacies of B2B marketing in this insightful episode.Episode Highlights Andrea Cruz's journey from Venezuela to Boston shaped her into a versatile business professional. Her degrees in Business Administration and International Business equipped her with digital marketing skills ahead of their time. Mentors like Jeremy Krantz, AJ Wilcox, and JD Prater played pivotal roles, guiding her through career transitions and public speaking fears.Embracing diversity in Massachusetts, Andrea thrived among various cultures, fostering a deep understanding of global perspectives. Fluent in multiple languages, she embodies a polyglot identity, enhancing her ability to empathize and connect across diverse communities. Andrea's dedication to mentorship reflects her belief in holistic growth, emphasizing emotional openness and strategic planning.As a B2B marketing enthusiast, Andrea challenges misconceptions and advocates for personalized strategies. Her managerial role allows her to empathize with team members and champion inclusive, hands-on leadership. With a passion for niche verticals and brand differentiation, she navigates the complexities of B2B marketing with creativity and purpose, emphasizing customer-centric approaches for sustainable growth.Episode LinksTinuitiLinkedInX/TwitterFollow 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 Susan Wenograd as she shares her journey in digital marketing, blending creativity with practicality. Explore mentorship insights and the evolving landscape of Google Ads and new strategies to optimize in a post-cookie world! Episode Highlights Susan Wenograd, characterized by her unique blend of practicality and creativity, recounts her transformative journey from initially considering film studies to ultimately carving out a successful career in the realm of digital marketing. Through her experiences, she embodies the ethos of adaptability and perseverance, demonstrating how embracing both sides of her personality has been instrumental in navigating the complexities of the industry.Susan has seen a profound impact from mentors like Mike King and Jeremy Bloom, whose guidance transcends conventional boundaries, offering Susan holistic insights that extend far beyond their apparent roles. Their mentorship serves as a testament to the power of genuine connections and the invaluable lessons that emerge from meaningful relationships within one's professional journey.Susan dives into the deep, ever-evolving world of Google Ads. She provides valuable insights into strategic shifts in bidding tactics, optimizations, and the differences in strategies over the past decade (and more). She offers a glimpse into her entrepreneurial venture with Can’tdles, a candle-making business that beautifully intertwines her creative flair with astute business acumen. Through her multifaceted experiences, Susan offers a compelling narrative that underscores the importance of adaptability, mentorship, and embracing one's unique blend of skills and passions in navigating the complexities of the modern business world.Episode LinksSusanWenograd.com Susan’s LinkedInTwitterFollow 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 for a captivating conversation with Britney Muller, where she delves into the realms of mentorship, AI innovations, and her enchanting ASL escapades. Explore the intersection of expertise and experience in this digital marketing adventure!Episode HighlightsBritney Muller shares her journey from pre-med to journalism to internet marketing, emphasizing learning beyond the classroom through diverse experiences like waitressing and mentorship from industry giants like Rand Fishkin. She reflects on the pivotal role of informal mentorship, highlighting relationships that blur the line between guidance and friendship.In the realm of AI, Muller warns against overreliance on LLMs for deterministic tasks like keyword research. She predicts a surge in industry-specific LLMs and advocates for thoughtful integration to maximize their potential. She discusses the importance of diversity in AI and shares a paper about the affinity group talks she saw poorly attended at NeurIPS. Additionally, she sheds light on biases in AI models and the importance of transparency in mitigating them.Beyond AI, Muller discusses her passion for American Sign Language, recounting inventive experiences like introducing ASL interpretation on ski slopes. She emphasizes the value of quality content over quantity in marketing and PR strategies. Through her diverse interests and expertise, Muller offers valuable insights into navigating the ever-evolving landscape of technology and communication.Episode Links Website - Data Sci 101Website - Britney MullerArticle/Paper re: Indigenous NAI researchersBlack in AIMuslim in AIIndigenous in AILatinX in AIFollow 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 on this episode as Andrew Foxwell shares his journey from St. Olaf University through Capitol Hill to California, revealing how mentorship played a pivotal role in his career. Discover the inception of Foxwell Founders, a thriving community connecting marketers and mentors. Andrew reflects on the power of mentorship, the challenges of parenting during a pandemic, and the evolution of digital advertising and paid social on platforms like TikTok.Episode HighlightsAt St. Olaf University, Andrew Foxwell delved into political science and business, finding solace in the college's renowned music program. As a choir member, he embraced singing as a unique form of worship, considering choir practice a meditative escape from the complexities of daily life. Andrew's journey into the political arena began in rural Minnesota, fueled by a fascination with government and a desire to be 'in the room where it happens.' His active involvement in political campaigns, including volunteering in the 2008 presidential campaign, eventually led him to a life-changing role in Washington, D.C. Working for a congressional representative.The pivotal moment for Andrew in the realm of digital advertising occurred when Congress allowed social media ads. This opened the door for Andrew to run ads on platforms like Facebook and Google, eventually leading him to specialize in Facebook Ads. His journey into the advertising world involved working with a diverse range of politicians and agencies, fostering a bipartisan approach to his work. This experience laid the foundation for his later endeavors in mentoring and community building within the digital marketing space.Foxwell Founders (FF) is a community founded by Andrew Foxwell, focusing on digital marketing mentorship and collaboration. Initially created to facilitate discussions on social media advertising challenges, FF has grown into a substantial online community of marketers. The community aims to provide a platform for members to seek guidance, learn, and connect with mentors. They've expanded their topics of discussion and launched specific communities, like the PPC community. Foxwell Founders is dedicated to building self-sustaining programs, fostering mentorship, and helping members learn and grow in the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing.Episode LinksFoxwellDigital.comEmail – [email protected]’s LinkedInFollow 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 this episode, Raphael Gavin, the media-production master, spills the beans on navigating the advertising industry, humorous entry to his career, and the transformative power of mentorship. From his accidental title upgrade to the importance of tailored guidance, dive into the world of advertising with wit and wisdom.Episode HighlightsRaphael Gavin, son of advertising legend Louis Gavin, found his own path in advertising after a chance meeting during his time at his father's agency. He believes no degree can match the power of learning from experience.Raphael emphasizes three key elements of mentorship: clear communication, mutual trust, and tailored guidance. His mentors include his wife and agency co-founder Sean Dawson, who shaped his business acumen and taught him how to always show up better the next time. As a mentor, Raphael prioritizes support, sharing experiences, and acknowledging that mentees may surpass their mentors. Flexibility, highlighted by COVID-19, is crucial in adapting to unpredictable situations in the advertising industry.Raphael's advertising journey, starting as an account executive, led him to appreciate production. Despite challenges, working with family accelerated his career growth, providing constant strategic discussions at work and home.Episode LinksLevergyInstagramXLinkedInRaphael’s LinkedInJay Steinfeld EpisodeFollow 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 we hear about Sarah Stemen’s journey from programming through in-house marketing to starting her own business. From unexpected mentorship lessons to the art of being an accessible mentor, Sarah spills the beans on agency struggles, the power of conversation in consulting, and her unique approach to Google Ads. Episode HighlightsSarah Stemen began her digital marketing journey before the field fully existed, transitioning from a tech-focused background with an MBA pivot into marketing. Sarah's genuine care for doing good is reflected in her mentoring style. Accessible at any hour, she emphasizes nonjudgmental advice and building trust with mentees.Like many agencies, Sarah faces challenges marketing her own business. Limited budgets and the common struggle with being objective about one’s own business guide her choices, emphasizing outsourcing for content and SEO.With the guidance of other agency professionals, Sarah challenges the notion that agency success correlates with size, limiting her clients to four. Her focused, strategic approach echoes the value of staying small and niche. Like a video game player who is a “button-masher,” Sarah goes into a new client’s Google Ad account and pushes every button. She will find the settings and patterns to optimize an account through her own discovery. Episode Links: Kirk Williams EpisodeKirk Williams Book - Stop the ScaleAkvile’s recommendation: Jasper AISarah Stemen LLC Sarah’s SocialsLinkedInX/TwitterInstagramTikTokFollow 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.

On this special Office Hours episode, we are talking with Tracy about making a grand career change. After nearly a decade of working, after achieving a doctorate in physical therapy, Tracy transitioned to freelance work in marketing. Listen in to hear how she faced the questions, both from others and herself, the imposter syndrome, and the challenges of starting a new career. 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 Tracy, a physical therapy director, felt unfulfilled and anxious in her 9-5 healthcare job. Pandemic uncertainties pushed her to transition to digital marketing, finding solace in ODEO's tailored support for career shifts. Leaving her secure job, Tracy navigated through a grieving process for her previous profession. And despite missing in-office friendships, she found new camaraderie in the dynamic world of digital marketing.Tracy challenges the notion of university degrees as essential for marketing. ODEO, with its tailored support, exemplifies how knowledge and training are more accessible today. Soft skills from diverse backgrounds seamlessly translate into digital marketing.Tracy's transition from a corporate salary to freelancing involved careful financial planning. She embraced a mindset shift, starting a few rungs lower on the career ladder, valuing service and adding value. Imposter syndrome is tackled through accountability and recognizing growth.Episode Links: Tracy’s LinkedInOptidge 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.

Venture on Vicky Charleston's transformative journey from art student to corporate leader. Uncover the profound impact of mentors, familial wisdom, and the challenges of breaking biases in the corporate realm. Explore the multi-chromatic blend of creativity and analytics in her digital marketing odyssey, proving that artistry and strategy can coalesce seamlessly.Episode Highlights Vicky Charleston's journey from abstract art studies at the University of Houston to graphic design success is marked by academic achievements, including a selective entry into the junior block of the graphic design program. She remembers this accomplishment to this day if she ever doubts herself. Vicky's father, a strict military man with artistic insight, instilled valuable life lessons in his children throughout their whole lives. His encouragement, overcoming humble beginnings, motivated her through doubts. The mantra "never be afraid to ask" remains a guiding principle in her life. Vicky emphasizes the impact of mentors throughout her career, acknowledging those who invested in her growth. She reciprocates by mentoring others, emphasizing honesty, listening, and empathy as essential mentorship qualities.As a woman of color in leadership, Vicky gracefully navigates biases and challenges in organizations. She highlights the importance of representation for younger people of color, and her education through Optidge’s ODEO digital marketing program broadened her digital marketing knowledge, proving the value of diverse skill sets.Episode Links: Vicky’s LinkedInFollow 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.

Explore the dynamic world of social media advertising with Joseph Wolf, Optidge’s Head of Paid Social. From diverse campaign strategies to understanding audience behaviors, uncover the importance of quality over quantity and the nuances of tracking for optimal results. Join us as we debunk common myths and gain insights into crafting effective social media campaigns.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 HighlightsJoseph Wolf's passion for marketing ignited in high school, leading him from a marketing degree at St. Edward’s University to honing analytical skills in business intelligence. His career journey and expertise truly bloomed at Optidge.Contrary to common advice from big media buyers and Meta reps, diversification is crucial for effective advertising, especially in low-budget scenarios. Joe advocates varied campaigns, content, and audience targeting to achieve success without massive spending.Dispelling the myth of broad targeting success, Joe emphasizes diversification in demographics, regions, interests, and creative. Backup audiences play a vital role, ensuring sustained success as specific audiences may lose efficacy over time.Optidge's approach prioritizes lead quality over quantity. Joe recommends focusing on the relationship between CPL and lead quality, leveraging diverse campaigns, and testing creatively to achieve success in the evolving landscape of paid social advertising.Episode LinksJoseph’s LinkedInOptidge Website For the full list of episode links, visit our main page. 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 CenterFollow 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, hear Pinny's extraordinary journey from Montreal to Harvard, shaped by mentorship, global ventures, and entrepreneurship. Discover the transformative power of an unconventional Rabbi, lessons from a father who survived the Holocaust, and the innovative era of early digital marketing with Ice.com. Join us for a conversation on life's variety of experiences, business adventures, and the joy of being a "Zadie."Episode HighlightsWith an education that spans Montreal, Los Angeles, London, and New York, two master's degrees, and a current Harvard degree program, Pinny has a unique upbringing and education. Guided by a Rabbi who taught him to go against the grain, he started his career in digital marketing with confidence and creativity that took him very far. Pinny views mentors as guides, not answer-providers. His Harvard-assigned coach trades coaching for Chassidus study with Pinny. Pinny, as his mentors have for him, now emphasizes clarity without ego and letting others do the important work of arriving at their own solutions.Pinny's venture, Ice.com, was a trailblazer in the early anarchic days of digital marketing. Starting in 1999, he navigated challenges, including high website setup costs, utilizing PPC ads, and employing customer-focused rebranding strategies.Diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, Pinny embraced it as a revelation. Armed with newfound understanding, he strategically surrounds himself with finishers, leveraging his creativity while learning to navigate and thrive with ADHD in both personal and professional endeavors.Episode Links: Pinny's LinkedInDelmar JewelersFollow 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 this episode, we explore Sicily Dickenson's unique journey from film to marketing, driven by fearless challenges and mentorships. Learn how she shapes careers, empowers customers, and tackles the intricacies of national brand marketing. Discover the importance of likability and responding to challenges in the make-or-break moments of branding. Episode Highlights Sicily started her career in the film industry to satisfy her love of creativity, working with others, and storytelling. She learned she was destined for a different industry and used her familiarity with computers (thanks to learning digital editing software in college) to enter the world of digital marketing. A mentor, for Sicily, is someone with close proximity and immediate feedback. Her fearless approach led her to new roles, like VP of Marketing at NRG, mentored by Brad Fogle. Later, Karen Jones became a significant mentor, guiding Sicily's growth and even recommending her as CMO.Sicily must believe in her mentees. She relates mentoring to the Montessori principle of teaching to master a concept. At Sun & Ski, she emphasizes customer empowerment and likability in marketing, tackling challenges from revitalizing sales to managing diverse regional preferences.Episode Links: Lightning Round - BooksTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and TomorrowHello BeautifulYellow FaceSun & SkiSicily’s LinkedInFollow 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 LinkedInFollow 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: @DuaneBrownFollow 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 SearchFollow 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.

Today, we delve into Eric Vardon's journey from pioneering the digital marketing landscape in the 90s to co-founding and gracefully selling his first agency, Arcane. We discuss the valuable lessons in mentorship, business growth, and smooth acquisitions he’s learned along the way.  Episode Highlights Eric Vardon started his career by finding one of the only colleges near him offering a website coding and development course. He then went on to co-found All Maple Apparel. While that may sound like a clothing store, which it did evolve into, it originated as more of an e-zine (like an internet magazine, a format popular before blogs took over). It started out discussing all things happening locally to them in Canada, and eventually, merchandising became a piece of their offerings, and that blossomed into a couple of brick-and-mortar All Maple Apparel stores. Eventually, they couldn’t keep up with the need for capital investment and had to close down. A mentor is someone who sees something in you that you can’t see in yourself. It’s usually a reflection of something they see in themselves. For Eric, there’s also a sort of connection or spark that happens right away when a mentorship begins. Eric has had a few impactful mentors, including his business partner, other co-founders, and an investor. They’ve all taught him many business and life skills and have done a brilliant job of keeping ego out of the way to maximize personal and business growth. Eric has gone through the mergers & acquisitions (M&A) process with his first agency, Arcane Agency. He and his co-founder came to that business with the knowledge and internal resolution to replace themselves and get out of the way of the business as soon as possible. They’ve always known what they were good at and what they weren’t. They utilized an M&A firm to manage their transition, and while expensive, it was worth it as they managed to help a process often fraught with issues go incredibly smoothly. Episode Links: Eric VardonEventConnectSocials:LinkedInFollow 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.

Today’s episode brings us the story of Alison Reeves, a business and mindset coach. We learn how she grew through mentors and mastermind courses to offer her coaching services today. She also gives plenty of tips and marketing tools you can use today to help improve your reach and marketing strategy! Episode HighlightsAlison Reeves is a business and mindset coach. She came to this niche via a bachelor’s degree in leadership from a small Bible College in Houston. Through her time as a mentee and a mentor, Alison has come to define a mentor as someone who can both show you the way and help you find your own way. She’s also learned that some mentorships can become toxic if they focus on high-pressure sales tactics instead of aligning with the mentee's true goals and personality. After fighting her way out of mastermind course addiction, Alison has learned so much about mindset and nervous system work and how it plays into one’s own business. She’s become a certified Somatic Coach, and even the clients who come to her for business coaching often find themselves drifting into mindset work over their time with Alison. Audience Borrowing is the most missed/under-utilized marketing tactic, according to Alison. It’s a great marketing tool and can manifest in a few different forms:Podcasts - Having guests and being a guestGuest bloggingBundles and summitsShout-outs on social mediaEmail swappingEpisode Links: WebsiteEverything - All her linksSocial MediaFacebookYoutubeInstagramThe Mind Your Marketing PodcastFollow 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 StudyFollow 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.

Two of the key responsibilities of account management are expectation management and client onboarding. In this episode, we learn from Jenna Meldrum, account manager extraordinaire at Optidge, how a successful onboarding process sets the tone for the rest of your client relationship. We also learn how to manage delicate conversations about scope and upsells and how to manage the people on both sides of the table: your team and the client. 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 HighlightsClient onboarding is your first impression of a client and their first impression of the agency. It will set the tone for the rest of the relationship. It should be done for clients of any size or duration. We always need to ensure everyone has what they need for success and that expectations are appropriately set. Upselling can be a delicate balance to manage in client conversation, especially as it relates to setting (and resetting) expectations and defining scope. Oftentimes, when a client asks if something is in scope, it’s innocent. If they want something out of scope, this is a great time to discuss an upsell. When bringing an upsell idea to a client, they can get upset because they might not want to spend more money. It’s important to steer the conversation back to the notion that we simply want to support the client and saw this opportunity for growth and shared it. There’s no pressure. Quick tips on client communication for Account ManagersRead the room. If you have a client you can’t joke around with, then don’t. If they’re a more serious person and don’t turn on the cameras in meetings, mirror that. Whatever they do, you do. That said, don’t dull your sparkle. There will be clients you can be bubbly and bright with. When it comes to communication - there’s no such thing as too much. Stay on top of it. Get ahead of it. If you know something is going to or even MIGHT happen, go ahead and communicate. Overcommunication is never discouraged or unappreciated. Guest + Episode LinksJenna MeldrumLinkedInFollow 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.

Mike Metzler has long had a home on social media: beginning on Facebook in 2005 as a college student to interviewing celebrities octagon-side for UFC Instagram to becoming a social media consultant and strategist. In this episode, you’ll learn the many steps it took to get to this point and how his first boss/mentor and doodling his corgi as an astronaut helped him along his path. Get ready for a great cliff’s notes version of Social Media Marketing 101 with Mike Metzler. Episode HighlightsMike Metzler got his undergraduate and graduate degrees back-to-back from St. Edwards University. He then went on to have a great mentor in his first boss, who taught him many career skills. These days, Mike believes those he mentors would simply call him ‘friend.’ As he works in the social media industry, he tries to help guide the younger generation, who often find themselves thrust into the limelight as influencers. They often know how to perform on social media, but they don’t necessarily know “business,” so he helps them avoid being taken advantage of in their career.When it comes to the keys to great mentorship, Mike has fairly solid pillars:First, and most importantly, be available, more available than just what’s convenient for you. It is a big commitment that you can’t make for everyone. Next, a mentor should encourage responsible risk-taking. It’s your job to push your mentee to help them grow but know the risk so they don’t gamble with their career.Finally, a mentor must hold their mentee accountable. If they say they’re going to tackle a particular challenge, you should follow up with them and make sure they actually took action. Mike has done plenty of work in the social media space over nearly two decades (hey, Facebook circa 2007, we’re talking about you). Throughout his time in the digital world, he’s seen many social platforms come and go and grow. He’s a big proponent of being on every social platform as early as you can. He’s found that the early adopters and those who take “responsible risks” are those who often find success on social media. Episode LinksLinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter/XSnapchatFollow 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.

Shelly Fagin has been in the digital world since she was a young girl playing on her green screen Apple IIGS. After figuring out how to connect to the internet, it was all gas, no breaks to agency work, over 12 years of consulting, SEMRush speaking, managing a team at CreditKarma, to now being the Director of SEO at DigitalOcean. Listen to this episode to learn how her mentors helped teach her confidence, and her curiosity helped her teach herself the skills. Episode HighlightsLike many of our guests on The Digital Marketing Mentor, Shelly Fagin’s path to digital marketing was not a straightforward one. She’s a lifelong computer geek who taught herself how to code from books when she began working online while pregnant with her first child. This thirst for knowledge of all things digital led her to an agency job that led her to open her own consulting business, Highly Searched, where she helped her clients for over twelve years. She then found herself at SEMRush as a brand ambassador, and most recently made her mark in the world of leadership with her former role as Director of SEO at Credit Karma and current role as Director of SEO at DigitalOcean.Shelly’s mentors, Rae and Melissa, helped instill a sense of confidence in her that inspired her to start speaking at professional events, a piece of her career that has blossomed ever since. As she recently started managing a team, she’s fallen in love with mentoring others. She tends to take a hands-off approach and encourages learning by doing. WordPress Evangelist - That’s Shelly Fagin in a nutshell. She will long tout the strength and flexibility of the platform, especially as it pertains to enterprise-level websites. She has a tendency to go light with plugins and strongly encourages those looking to select a dependable hosting provider, like Kinsta or WPHosting. Episode LinksLinkedInTwitter/XShellyFagin.comThreadsInstagramTikTokFollow 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.

Chayale Kaufman started her career in sales, as many entrepreneurs do. Her intuition, hard work, and dedication led her to found two businesses and integrate the world of print and digital advertising amidst the Jewish business community. In this episode, we hear all about the devotion and challenges that brought her to her current position as founder of The Jewish Content Network. Episode Highlights: After attending seminary for a degree, Chayale went into sales for a major publication. She began selling ad space, and that was when she became hooked on the advertising industry and grew to love it so much more than she anticipated. Living through the shift to digital at a nationwide publisher, Chayale saw the ever-present nature of print for the Jewish community in particular. She also saw the power instant advertising and the world of digital held. So, she created The Jewish Content Network.For Chayale, she tries to find a mentor in every person she meets. She is very adept at reading people and uses that skill to draw upon the traits she admires in others. She believes a mentor should have a certain level of calmness about them. They should also feel somewhat “aspirational” to the mentee. She recalls one of her past bosses who was very good at keeping the worries of the higher offices away from those whom he managed. Chayale has built a phenomenal team for herself, full of go-getters and hard workers. She has a skill of seeing that drive and energy in a person. It takes a particular personality to work in the advertising industry, and she is very good at identifying those people. She lost herself in her work for a while, but with the help of her husband and plenty of internal work, she now does her work for the joy of it, not because it defines her. Episode Links: LinkedIn | Chayale KaufmanThe Jewish Content NetworkFollow 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 this Office Hours episode, Optidge’s COO and resident expert in operations shares three secrets to building high-performing remote teams in digital marketing agencies. From removing the stigma that surrounds independent contractors and the fear of process standardization, Leah shares how to create a cohesive culture of drive, efficiency, and top-notch client service. This episode is packed with practical strategies & guidance to help your teams feel supported and successful.An Optidge "Office Hours" EpisodeOffice Hours episodes are your go-to for details, how-to’s, and specific marketing advice. Join Optidge team members, or experience 1:1 teachings from Danny, in these shorter, focused episodes. Get ready to get marketing!Episode Highlights: Leah Leaves, Optidge’s COO shares her career journey, from journalism to SEO for agencies, and ultimately to operational organization for remote teams in digital marketing agencies.Leah’s 3 secrets to high-performing teams in remote digital marketing agencies:1 - Streamlined Onboarding -  a comprehensive & detailed onboarding process is paramount in setting new team members up for success.2 - Transparent Communication - whether through documentation, collaboration tools, or project management platforms, communication is key to fostering a collaborative environment, especially in remote work. 3 - Organization & Standardization - Meticulous organization of tools & platforms enhances overall productivity.  Links:ClubhouseColorado State UniversityLeah LeavesAlderaan EnterpriseLinkedInBooksTraction, Gino WickmanProfit First, Mike MichalowiczMultipliers, Liz WisemanThe Science of Success podcastFollow 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.

Ashley Werhun is the co-founder of Mentorly. Her first career was as a professional dancer. Today, we discuss how she learned how important mentorship was through her performing career and how she used those lessons to build Mentorly. We also discuss some of the most important traits a mentor should have and more!Episode Highlights: Ashley Werhun is the co-founder of Mentorly, an enterprise software solution to help promote, manage, and optimize inter-company mentorship systems. She felt drawn to create mentorly after a long, successful career as a professional dancer. Through touring the world with performance companies, she met many people from many backgrounds and cultures and learned life lessons from all of them. She’s now turned those lessons into Mentorly in the hopes that everyone can have the same support she had. Startup companies are hard, and they seem impossible. They take nothing and turn it into something they use to help their customers. Mentorly had its struggles but found its way with the help of angel investors who have helped not only with business funding but also by mentoring, guiding, and helping Ashley and the Mentorly team along the way.Episode Links: MentorlyBlack Business and Professionals Association (BPPA)Ashley’s LinkedInFollow 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.

Adele Beiny is the founder and CEO of Life’s Looking Good, a lifestyle blog and social media presence, as well as a marketing consultancy. She wants to help people design and curate a life they love and brands they love to be. She’s traveled across the country through many tough industries and different occupations to find herself here today. We talk about being your authentic self on social media and how mentorship can look different to different people.Episode Highlights: Adele Beiny grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family and community on the East Coast. At her mother’s advice, she did not attend college and instead played to her strengths of networking and real-life work. She’s worked in sales in luxury real estate and the beauty industry, and even a bit as a floral designer, but eventually found her way to lifestyle design and branding consultation at Life’s Looking Good. Maybe they’re born with it. Maybe it’s Mentoring! Adele believes most mentors come by it naturally. A mentor is someone with a natural or self-developed passion for guiding and teaching others. She’s found many mentors in the social media space and is definitely drawn to those who share organically, fully, and authentically. She cautions, despite the experts and algorithms pushing for it, don’t niche yourself down out of your humanity. We’re malleable beings and don’t exist just within one hyper-niche space. Adele hasn’t been heavily impacted by AI in the marketing world yet. She’s played around with it some but knows, right now, it’s all based on the unique inputs we give it. AI can’t be imaginative and creative yet. But she knows we’re just scratching the surface of this tool and is curious to see what becomes of it. Episode Links:LifesLookinGood.comInstagramRecommendation: TezzaFollow 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 SethiFollow 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 this special episode of The Digital Marketing Mentor, we look back at the many conversations we’ve had with our guests around the topic of ChatGPT and AI. We discuss the teaching of it to students (and our own kids). We talk about the ethical and moral uses and limitations of such a tool. We also talk about why many of us believe this will not be taking any of our jobs any time soon. Episode Highlights:The many experts we’ve interviewed about ChatGPT and AI seem to share a few understandings.If you don’t use these tools, everyone else in your industry will, and you will be left behind. ChatGPT and AI are intended to be tools to assist humans, not the other way around. These new tools can help us write content that better (and in fewer words) gets to the crux of a point of communication.Educators believe they are responsible for teaching their students how to use this tool as well as the limitations and implications of its use. There is one major thing ChatGPT and AI are NOT - human. They lack our humanity, creativity, and perspectives, and therefore, humans will always be needed to polish, expand, and supervise their content. Episode Links:Mosheh PoltrakAurora LosadaDaniel CotlarJohn DohertyFay FriedmanBill ZahnJamie BelinneAmalia FowlerFollow 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.

Broadway? More like broadband! Emily Ryan is THE Mailchimp influencer. After moving past the dream of being big on Broadway, she became an executive assistant. When having a baby led to a dread of returning to office work, she struck out on her own and made herself the champion of Mailchimp Email Marketing. Learn more about her journey and how she mentors new mothers wanting to work from home in today’s episode! Episode Highlights:Emily Ryan got her start in theater. She attended a prestigious musical theater school, got her degree, and then moved to New York City to pursue a Broadway career. It was incredibly challenging and turned what was previously a passion into a business. So Emily transitioned to executive assistant work. After doing that work for many years, she had a baby, moved to Utah with her husband, and shuddered at the idea of returning to office work and leaving her new baby (with whom she was obsessed). A friend recommended she look into becoming a virtual assistant (VA), and she did. That VA work very quickly became Mailchimp email marketing work. And it’s just snowballed from there. To Emily, a mentor is someone who you can rely on to be there for you when you need advice and is there to provide guidance and support. She has been mentored by many other agency owners from around the globe through the Mailchimp partners program. She is extremely passionate about helping other mothers learn how to start their own businesses to work from home. She mentors those women and is there for them in so many ways. She shares her contract templates and will sit in on kick-off calls for newcomers to the business. Seeing a new mother crushing it and making a significant income while working from home is the best!Email marketing is not old news, and Emily knows it. Have you been in your inbox today? The likely answer is ‘yes.’ She knows this means email is incredibly powerful. SMS is the next budding tool, and while she’s unsure of its conversion power, she knows it will certainly be powerful for many businesses' marketing strategies. She does love social media, especially Instagram. She knows both email and social media are necessary, and each has its own pros and cons. Go export a copy of your mailing lists right now. Always have a backup copy. Do it!Episode Links:Instagram @emilyryanlikesTwitter @emilyryantweetsWeekly email newsletterWestfield CreativeLinkedIn | Emily Ryan 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.

Today’s Office Hours episode focuses on the many ways stereotypes and unconscious biases can make their way into the workplace. Maddie Deane, the SEO Team Lead at Optidge, is a young woman in the digital marketing space, and she discusses her experiences with certain behaviors that seem to question her expertise based on her gender or perceived age.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:Maddie, being mostly Gen-Z with some Millennial still there, knows all too well the stereotypes associated with those generations. She has had to fight for respect in the workforce because many have the preconceived notion these generations don’t care about careers or putting in hard work. She views many of the “negatives'' as “positives.” When it comes to countering stereotypes and biases, Maddie’s number one tip - Self Confidence. Avoid using softer language like “I think…” or “it might be…” and use strong, assertive language and posture. She tries to teach this to her mentees and trainees by leading by example. Managers, bosses, and owners can help by setting expectations with new clients of who they will be working with and passing their credibility onto the day-to-day workers by communicating their expertise and confidence in their team to the client. Episode Links:LinkedIn - Maddie DeaneAleyda SolisAnn HandleyAmy VernonWomen in Tech SEOBooksDaring Greatly by Brene BrownNot Nice by Dr. Aziz GazipureWe Were Liars by E. LockhartFollow 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.

John Doherty is the founder of Credo, an agency broker, and EditorNinja, a subscription-based professional editing services firm. He has traveled extensively and has currently found home in Colorado with his wife and daughter. In today’s episode, he discusses tiered business relationships, mentorship, entrepreneurship, editing, and sales tactics.Episode Highlights: John Doherty got a degree in technical and scientific communications from James Madison University. He originally believed he wanted to diverge from his father’s 30-year employer and older brother’s alma mater and go to university out of state, but James Madison provided a great degree program. After graduating, he traveled, lived in Europe for a bit, and then returned to work his way up the East Coast. Forty-seven states, 20+ countries, three continents. John travels. He knows travel can open one’s worldview and perspective. He and his wife and family now live in Denver, where they seem to have put down fairly deep roots. This doesn’t stop them from going on trips and vacations often. To John, business relationships settle into tiers. Tier 1 is peers, many of whom follow different paths as we move through our careers; some grow with us. Tier 2 is for coaches. A coach is someone you pay for their business advice and guidance. They’re often a couple of steps beyond you in business. Finally, Tier 3 is reserved for mentors. A mentor is someone many steps ahead of you in their career who advises on a more macro, meta-level. This is the type of person who, in a 10-minute conversation, can completely shift your paradigm around a question, challenge, or opportunity. EditorNinja is John’s current business venture focus. They offer professional editing services on a subscription-based model, a strategy inspired by John’s friend, the founder of Design Pickle. Many freelance editors they work with are in their first job out of an editing or master's program. John mentors them on professional career skills. He is not an editor. He’s a writer, marketer, and salesperson who will not try to convince someone they need his services but will instead ask the right questions until the person convinces themselves if they’re the right match for EditorNinja. Episode Links:LinkedInTwitterEditorNinjaWordPressSlackMoz.comCredoFollow 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.

Henry Adaso is The Marketing Quarterback. In this episode, we discuss what a mentor is and why Henry didn’t have the broadest access to mentors when he was younger. We also discuss how storytelling and teamwork are the key pillars of marketing success in the digital marketing world. Episode Highlights:Henry Adaso was born and raised in Nigeria, where he founded and led his high school’s press club. This was when he first fell in love with words. He uses those powerful storytelling skills today in his marketing career. A mentor is a guide. They are someone who can help guide you along your career path because they’ve walked a similar path. A successful mentor must listen. They must understand their mentee's goal and not default to their own understanding or personal goals to advise them. Adaso is the epitome of The Marketing Quarterback because he wants to be in the trenches, doing the work with his team. His team he crafted carefully, ensuring he had a collection of unique individuals with skills and superpowers that complemented each other, all working toward a shared vision. Storytelling is a key element of Henry’s life and marketing strategy. This is obvious in the three bestselling books he’s written and published. They all discuss different elements of marketing strategy, including overall content strategy,  internal motivation, and audience definition and focus. Each book begins with a story and goes on to motivate and teach the reader the marketing quarterback’s playbook. Episode Links:Global Mentoring InitiativeLinkedInWebsiteFollow 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.

William (Bill) Zahn is a clinical professor at the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business. He started teaching there five years after finishing his Ph.D. at the same institute. His former professors and department heads have mentored him, and he now mentors his students in the ways of storytelling in marketing and how writing will always need the human element. Episode Highlights: BackgroundWilliam (Bill) Zahn started his marketing career with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Texas at Austin. After a stint in the workforce, he got his Ph.D. in marketing from the University of Houston. Five years after completing the graduate program, he returned as a professor, where he remains today. MentoringWhen defining a mentor, Bill knows one thing for certain - he doesn’t like to leave it open-ended. If someone requests Bill to mentor them, he wants expectations set up front. How often will we meet? What do you hope to get out of this? He believes a mentor is someone who has been where you want to go and can offer you advice to help you overcome challenges on your path to success.ProfessorshipA social media marketing class project had a bit of a plot twist when one of Bill’s students managed to convince Gary Vee to call and be a guest speaker for their class. Bill knows that storytelling is a critical element of good teaching and good marketing. He always tries to find ways to relate a topic to his students' lives so they’ll better remember it. He also knows that AI is here to stay, especially in the world of marketing content creation, but it will always need the human touch because it doesn’t have life experiences to draw upon. Episode Links:LinkedInTwitterBooksThe Go-Giver by Bob Burg The Trusted Advisor by Charles Green  Lost and Founder by Rand Fishkin 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.

Get ready to dive deep into a case study with a real Optidge client. Their website had more than 12,000 pages, but they were getting little organic traffic. That, coupled with a “Couldn’t Fetch” error for the sitemaps in Google Search Console, is what led Optidge down the rabbit hole that is “low-quality content” in SEO. 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:This case study concerns a client that came to Optidge with a 12,000 page website that was underperforming in organic search. They also received a “couldn’t fetch” error when submitting their sitemap via Google Search Console. The website's purpose was to serve as a search engine for social media influencers. Our analysis uncovered a low-quality content issue.Because so much of the website is content copied from various social media sites and profiles, it’s fairly low on content, AND Google will view it as low quality because it’s not unique. There are two ways to rectify a low content quality issue. You can remove or block the pages from being indexed by Google. Alternatively, you can increase the value and improve the quality of the content on those pages. The latter should be driven by keyword research. We recommended the client create static pages targeting specific, high-traffic keywords and then link those pages via a categorical structure in the navigation. Finally, if the content quality were not an issue and the likely cause of low organic performance, the search console error would still be annoying. Our research uncovered that a sitemap submission in Google Search Console is mostly a suggestion rather than a command to Google when crawling and indexing your site. If it doesn’t accept the sitemap, your main remedy is waiting. There are certain rules of thumb and alternative file types and submission methods you can try to help increase the likelihood of Google accepting your sitemap. Episode Links:Mandy’s SEO EpisodeGoogle Search ConsoleHow to Submit SitemapYoast SEO WordPress PluginFollow 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.

Amalia learned through her education that there is no one path to success. For her, it started with a degree in psychology. It went on to include managing Google Ads, being a marketing director, and now, being a professor at her alma mater and running her own consulting agency. In this episode, we talk about public speaking, management strategies, professorship, AI, and Taylor Swift.  Episode Highlights:Amalia learned through her education that there is no one path to success. For her, it started with a degree in psychology and went on to include managing Google Ads, being a director of marketing, and now, being a professor at her alma mater and running her own consulting agency. She knows age doesn’t always mean more life experience and formal education isn’t the absolute best or worst route for people interested in digital marketing. It depends. Defining a mentor is a challenge, but to Amalia, the definition should be broad and open to different paths. A mentor is someone who has had a positive impact on your life that you’ll recall for many years. Her three keys to mentoring success are:Self Awareness. It’s incredibly important in general, but especially in mentoring. If you don’t know what you don’t know, you’re incapable of providing advice. Approach with curiosity. She’s learned always to ask questions. She never approaches with anger and tries not to be upset. Everyone has backgrounds and core beliefs we were taught as we grew up. Now we must ask ourselves if we still believe or want to subscribe to those life rules.Follow your sparkle. If you don’t like the word ‘sparkle,’ you can use ‘joy,’ but why would you when ‘sparkle’ is right there? At the end of each semester, Amalia always tells her students, “If you HAVE to disappoint someone, don’t let it be you.” When it comes to updating her course curriculum to keep up with the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, Amalia has a fairly straightforward approach. If her students can Google a tool or program once they’re out of her classroom and in the workforce, then she has a responsibility to teach them how to smartly and safely use that tool. Regarding ChatGPT and AI, she makes sure they understand the inherent biases, challenges, and flaws in the foundation of those tools. An essential question you must always ask when using AI is, “What’s WRONG with it?”Episode Links:LinkedInTwitter her dad is on Twitter and he always responds to every one of her tweetsDove Self-Esteem ProjectCost of Beauty: A Dove Film | Dove Self-Esteem ProjectFollow 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.

It all started with a box for a Houston Rockets sweepstakes for kids at an Olive Garden. Be sure to listen to this episode to hear about Adam Clanton’s love for all things Houston Sports and how he got into sports talk radio. You’ll also learn plenty about how the internet and social media have changed sports media in big ways over the years. Episode Highlights:After first getting his start in the world of sports at a young age, winning the chance to be a ball boy for the Houston Rockets, Adam Clanton persevered through his challenging college education at Sam Houston State University and has been working in sports talk radio since 2004. His father is a very influential mentor to him and also works in (not-sports) talk radio. He’s encouraged him many times over the years and has encouraged some encounters that became long-lasting business relationships and friendships. To Adam, a mentor is not someone necessarily working the job you want in the industry in which you’re working. A mentor is someone who makes sure you’re going down the right path based on your skills and strengths. They help minimize or overcome your weaknesses in the most selfless way imaginable. Mark Vandemeer is one of those mentors for Adam. He met Mark after Mark had met his father and worked at the same radio station. Mark eventually developed a friendship with Adam and helped coach him on many things in business and life. Early in his career, Mark offered Adam a co-host spot on his radio show. And the rest, as they say, is history. The internet has been increasingly present in sports media the whole time Adam has worked in the industry. His favorite platform of choice is Twitter, though he notes it can be a perilous place. His love for the “Mute” button cannot be overstated, and it has helped him focus on listening to the people whose opinions truly matter, his family and friends. Social media has also given him a platform to partake in one of his favorite parts of his job - giving away free tickets. He loves giving away free Rockets tickets to people on social media who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to see and enjoy a game. Episode Links:Adam ClantonTwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedInSam Houston State University - Broadcast JournalismSportsHouston Rockets BasketballHouston Texans FootballHouston Astros BaseballFollow 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.

Ever wondered what it takes to excel as a client account manager in the fast-paced world of digital marketing? Join me for an engaging conversation with Nayeli Cano, a seasoned marketing expert and client account manager at Optidge. In this podcast, Nayeli shares her inspiring journey from starting as a content manager, to volunteering with a non-profit, and eventually diving headfirst into the digital marketing industry.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:Nayeli Cano is a client account manager at Optidge. Her foray into the digital marketing industry began thru a volunteer position at a nonprofit organization. She then went on to work in sales at a marketing agency. This is where she discovered account management - in her effort to truly understand the offerings and services she was selling. She was hooked and eventually moved from sales at that agency to account management at a different company.Organization, time management, and communication are all key skills for account managers. Nayeli is a natural “control freak,” so she takes to organization like a duck to water. Time management for her all comes down to the good ol’ To Do List and setting priorities. Finally, communication and being able to read people, both your client and your team members, is key for setting expectations and protecting your team. Managing expectations can be very challenging, and sometimes last-minute, urgent requests are unavailable. But Nayeli’s team knows she’s there to negotiate for them and protect their time and effort. It can be very easy to keep your account management “hat” on 24/7. She avoids this by having a specific “closing” routine to wrap up her work day, where she notes all remaining priorities and plans her tasks for the next day. Then, she turns off all notifications and takes her dog on a walk outside. Sometimes, when walking, she’ll get inspired and find insight or a solution to a work problem. When this happens, she writes it down on her phone and then gets back to being in the moment with her dog. Guest + Episode LinksOptidgeLinkedInFollow 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.

Starting her career as an SEO copywriter in the wild west days of internet marketing, Fay Friedman has worked diligently and now finds herself as the CMO at a commercial real estate firm bringing the rental world into the modern marketing era. In this episode, you’ll learn how a university degree isn’t the only path into marketing, how self-motivation, learning, and teamwork are keys to success, and how SEO in e-commerce influences the world of apartment rentals.Episode Highlights: Fay Friedman began her career as an SEO copywriter. Through this work, she learned much about the good, the bad, and the ugly of digital marketing and what does and doesn’t help a client’s website. After many years in traditional SEO, she made the transition to commercial real estate, where she is now the CMO of AJH Co. While she may have been thrown into the deep end of real estate marketing, she’s mastered the art of it now, slowly but surely bringing real estate in the modern marketing era (with modern tracking and reporting).Fay believes a mentor is someone you can look up to and that will provide you with clear-headed guidance. They don’t need to be someone you’re close to that you see daily. She references Barry Schwartz of SEO Round Table as one of her early SEO mentors, as she learned so much from reading his blog. Her current COO has also mentored her, teaching her the different ways to be an effective leader. When it comes to real estate marketing, it’s all regional. Fay knows the key to standing out and bringing in high-quality leads is in-depth property and target market research. She then uses that research to craft a unique message highlighting how a given property will help overcome any pain points of that customer group. She’s working to shift the marketing focus from being simply ILS management with basic reporting to a wide breadth of marketing platforms and advertising styles, all with the most reporting and targeting available.  Episode Links: AJHCo.comFay EmailLinkedInResourcesSEO Round TableSearch Engine LandKristina AzarenkoFollow 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 playing games and performing commercials about items in the pantry, to his family, to being Senior Marketing Director at Ostendio, Yehuda has always loved advertising and marketing. Learn how he’s learned to always look for the light, find the lighthouse brand offering, and listen to customers' genuine concerns in this episode of The Digital Marketing Mentor. Episode Highlights: Yehuda Cagen has always had an interest in advertising. Even as a kid, his family would play a game that entailed picking a random item out of the pantry and doing a commercial on the chosen thing. He began his career at an advertising agency after getting his Master’s in Communication. He knows his degree helped open doors for him, but he knows he had to prove himself once he got to work. A mentor is anyone you can learn from, according to Yehuda. He says that our entire journey on this earth is to keep learning. There are formal and informal mentors and intentional and passive mentors. Brian Grodner, Larry Sachnowitz, Peter Edlund, and Grant Elliot have taught him much over the years, much of it focused on being open and inviting to others and having a positive focus in life.  When it comes to advertising complex and niche products, like many of the businesses Yehuda has worked for in his career, he says you must find your beacon. This is the one thing that truly differentiates you from your competitors. You discover this by talking with the customer service and sales teams and listening to honest conversations with current and prospective customers. Episode Links:Ostendio.comLinkedIn - Yehuda CagenFollow 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.

If you’ve ever wanted to know what it takes to be a brilliant account manager, this is the episode for you. Taylor McMaster owns and runs DOT & Company, a digital marketing agency turned client account management agency. With her, we discuss the power of experiential learning, mentorship from many individuals, and how to truly delight your clients. Episode Highlights: Taylor McMaster owns and runs DOT & Company, a client account management agency. Originally, DOT & Company was a digital marketing agency themselves, but while on a Mastermind trip in Fiji, Taylor realized what she most enjoyed was client communication, management, and organization. So, she transitioned her business to one that managed other agencies’ clients. For Taylor, being a mentor is more of a vibe than a title or rigid definition. However, in her experience with many mentors from different walks of life over the years, she found they share one thing in common. A mentor is someone you can confidently ask for help, and they can provide a new perspective for you. She’s also learned that it is key for her to find mentors who share common values with her. She doesn’t want to be someone working 80-hour work weeks and living in a hustle culture. Obviously, Taylor is very passionate about what makes a good account manager. She knows that proactive communication is paramount to a long-lasting client relationship. Also, having good processes, documentation, and systems are key to efficiency and help soften the edges of the “human element” of agency work. Finally, continuous optimization is imperative to long and profitable client relationships. DOT & Company’s account managers are constantly working with the agency strategists and experts to provide a better service to their clients, whether that’s upselling them on a new service or shutting down one that doesn’t seem to be bringing in the return they need. If you do all these things, you’re sure to delight your clients. Episode Links:Dot & CompanyThe Happy Clients PodcastSocialsFacebookInstagramCompany - LinkedInTaylor McMaster - LinkedInFollow 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.