Digital Superchats - The Podcast

We catch-up with Stephen Kenwright, and find out about how accidently stumbled into a career in digital marketing, his non-negotiables for being a dad, and what he believes is the biggest opportunity for digital marketers in 2025/2026. 

Timestamp/Chapters

(0:00) - Welcome

(0:55) - How did you enter a career in digital?

(03:11) - How do you switch-off?

(06:14) - Favourite podcast & book?

(09:39) - Fun fact about Stephen?

(12:59) - Proudest achievement to-date?

(15:50) - Favourite movie of all-time?

(18:58) - Advice for younger self?

(22:10) - Biggest opportunity for digital marketers in 2025/26?

(27:24) - Favourite inspirational quote?

(30:42) - Favourite meal to cook at home?

(33:15) - Closing

About Stephen…

Stephen is a non-executive director and consultant for marketing agencies. He founded SEARCH-FIRST creative agency Rise at Seven in 2019 and served as Chief Commercial Officer, growing annual revenues to more than £7m; hiring 110 staff; opening offices in Sheffield, Manchester, London and New York; and winning more than 70 industry awards – about one every two weeks – before exiting after three years.

Stephen held board positions at £15m turnover/200-strong content production agency Ride Shotgun; digital marketing agency Branded3, which he helped to merge into £22m/250-strong data business Edit after its acquisition; and served on the Edit board as Sales and Marketing Director. He was also Head of Digital at £4.7bn turnover automotive retailer Pendragon PLC.

He’s delivered talks on more than 100 stages in 10 countries and founded SearchLeeds, a digital marketing conference that attracted more than 2,000 delegates to the first direct arena in its most recent edition. He’s one of Business Insider’s 42 Under 42 and The Drum once turned him into a Top Trump card. 

This podcast is produced/hosted by John McCambley, Founder & Chief Producer at Marketing Masterclass Series

Related Links/Mentions:

📢Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn  | 

📢Stephen’s Weekly Newsletter

📢 https://www.mothernutter.co.uk/

📢Digital Superchats #17: Organic Search Strategy & Performance (9/9/25)

We catch-up with Cedarwood Digital’s Director – Head of Organic Media, Amanda Walls, and find out about her love for long walks with Ted (her Golden Retriever), Tom Petty’s inspiration, Speaking in Saigon, and what advice she’d give her younger self…

Timestamps

(00:00) - Welcome

(00:14) - How did you enter a career in digital?

(02:59) - How do you switch-off?

(06:35) - Favourite podcast/book/Inspirational Quote?

(09:39) - Fun fact about Amanda?

(11:21) - Proudest achievement to-date?

(12:39) - Advice for younger self?

(15:45) - Biggest opportunity for digital marketers in 2025/26?

(17:55) - Favourite holiday destination?

(19:49) - Closing

About Amanda…

Amanda Walls is the founder and Director of ⁠Cedarwood Digital⁠, an award-winning Digital Marketing agency specialising in SEO, PPC and Digital PR.

With 15 years of Digital Marketing experience under her belt, Amanda founded Cedarwood Digital eight years ago which was recently named Best Small Integrated Agency, PPC Agency & SEO Agency at the European Search Awards and Best Small PPC Agency, Integrated Agency and SEO Agency (Silver) at the UK Search Awards.

Her talks and digital expertise have been showcased at events including 4x Brighton SEO, Digital Marketing Europe, SEO Mastery Summit, SEO Estonia, Digital DNA, MissingLink LIVE and Sheffield DM.

In addition to speaking, Amanda has previously contributed to Forbes, Search Engine Watch, MOZ, Ahrefs, Majestic SEO and many more, discussing topics around SEO, Digital PR and general business. ⁠Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn⁠.

Upcoming Events:

⁠https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/online-events/digital-superchats-17-organic-search-strategy-performance/⁠

⁠https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manchester-dm-8-digital-marketing-event-tickets-1459740195219⁠

We catch-up with Cedarwood Digital’s Director – Head of Organic Media, Amanda Walls, and find out about her love for long walks with Ted (her Golden Retriever), Tom Petty’s inspiration, Speaking in Saigon, and what advice she’d give her younger self…

Timestamps

(00:00) - Welcome

(00:14) - How did you enter a career in digital?

(02:59) - How do you switch-off?

(06:35) - Favourite podcast/book/Inspirational Quote?

(09:39) - Fun fact about Amanda?

(11:21) - Proudest achievement to-date?

(12:39) - Advice for younger self?

(15:45) - Biggest opportunity for digital marketers in 2025/26?

(17:55) - Favourite holiday destination?

(19:49) - Closing

About Amanda…

Amanda Walls is the founder and Director of Cedarwood Digital, an award-winning Digital Marketing agency specialising in SEO, PPC and Digital PR.

With 15 years of Digital Marketing experience under her belt, Amanda founded Cedarwood Digital eight years ago which was recently named Best Small Integrated Agency, PPC Agency & SEO Agency at the European Search Awards and Best Small PPC Agency, Integrated Agency and SEO Agency (Silver) at the UK Search Awards.

Her talks and digital expertise have been showcased at events including 4x Brighton SEO, Digital Marketing Europe, SEO Mastery Summit, SEO Estonia, Digital DNA, MissingLink LIVE and Sheffield DM.

In addition to speaking, Amanda has previously contributed to Forbes, Search Engine Watch, MOZ, Ahrefs, Majestic SEO and many more, discussing topics around SEO, Digital PR and general business. Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn.

Upcoming Events:

https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/online-events/digital-superchats-17-organic-search-strategy-performance/

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manchester-dm-8-digital-marketing-event-tickets-1459740195219

In this talk from Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition), Propellernet's Head of Digital PR, Louise Parker examines - Digital PR & AI: Simple Adjustments to Future-Proof Your Strategy.

Louise began her career in traditional PR agencies before transitioning in-house at major fashion brands, eventually joining Propellernet in 2015.

Louise is well known in the industry for her niche TikTok content, which provided light relief to the digital PR community during lockdown. She is also the co-host of the top 40 charting Digital PR Podcast.

*This talk was delivered at Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition). The online event took place on Tuesday 13th May 2025. Produced by John McCambley at Marketing Masterclass Series and hosted by our MC Rick Guttridge from Smoking Gun.

Get Involved: https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/

In this talk from Digital Superchats #13 (Digital Strategy, Performance & Effectiveness Edition), idhl's Performance's Media Strategy Director , Tom Walkden, examines - Navigating Beyond Search and Social: Unleashing Programmatic’s Potential.

As Media Strategy Director at idhl, Tom is a seasoned expert in digital marketing and paid media strategies. With a wealth of experience in paid search (PPC), programmatic advertising, and social media advertising, Tom has a proven track record of delivering outstanding results for his clients.

Tom’s journey in the digital marketing world has been marked by innovative campaigns, data-driven approaches and a relentless pursuit of excellence. His deep understanding of the ever-evolving digital landscape, coupled with his creative flair, has enabled him to stay ahead of the curve and drive tangible business outcomes for his clients.

Outside of the digital world, Tom is an avid fan of sci-fi epics, enjoys immersing himself in the world of fantasy RPGs, and likes spending his time with his spaniel, Parker. With his passion for storytelling and his flair for strategic thinking, Tom brings a unique blend of creativity and analytical prowess.

*This talk was delivered at Digital Superchats #13 (Digital Strategy, Performance & Effectiveness Edition). The online event took place on Tuesday 21st May 2024. Produced by John McCambley at Marketing Masterclass Series and hosted by our MC Jamie Pollard from Impression.

Get Involved: https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/

In this talk from Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition), Cedarwood Digital's Senior Digital PR Manager, Sarah-Jayne Taylorson, examines - Put On your Thinking Cap(s): Six Hats to Inspire Digital PR Ideas.

SJ has over seven years of experience in digital PR, having worked both in-house and agency-side with a diverse range of brands—from well-known consumer names to niche industries like compliance and insurance.

Specialising in reactive PR, she leads the reactive digital PR offering at ⁠Cedarwood Digital⁠. With a passion for creative, timely campaigns, SJ excels at finding ways to put clients at the centre of trending conversations, securing valuable links and supporting long-term organic growth.

*This talk was delivered at Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition). The online event took place on Tuesday 13th May 2025. Produced by John McCambley at Marketing Masterclass Series and hosted by our MC Rick Guttridge from Smoking Gun.

Get Involved: https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/

In this talk from Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition), Impression's Digital PR Strategy Consultant, Lauren Henley, examines - Capturing Your Customer’s Pain Points to Build Brand & Drive Organic Performance

Lauren has over 12 years of experience in SEO and digitalPR, delivering successful campaigns for B2C and B2B clients across local, national, and international markets. Drawing on a decade of expertise in SEO, social media, and PR, Lauren collaborates with teams and clients to unlock thefull potential of digital PR and drive impactful results.

*This talk was delivered at Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition). The online event took place on Tuesday 13th May 2025. Produced by John McCambley at Marketing Masterclass Series and hosted by our MC Rick Guttridge from Smoking Gun.Get Involved:

https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/

In this talk from Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition), Connective3's UK Digital PR Manager, Will Waldron takes examines - Building More Than Just Links; How to Make Sure your Link Building Strategies Drive Success by Aligning Digital PR, SEO and Content

Starting out in music PR, and now with over ten years’ experience in traditional and digital PR, Will is the UK PR Manager at ⁠Connective3⁠, overseeing the strategy and delivery of PR activity with a team of 12.

Working with brands such as Ocado, Adobe, thortful and more, Will covers both B2C and B2B outreach, with a specific focus on organic and SEO performance.

Covering new business, marketing, and managing the UK PR team, Will is also experienced in technical PR and delivers award-winning campaigns for his clients.

*This talk was delivered at Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition). The online event took place on Tuesday 13th May 2025. Produced by John McCambley at Marketing Masterclass Series and hosted by our MC Rick Guttridge from Smoking Gun.Get Involved:

https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/

In this talk from Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition), Propellernet's Head of Digital PR, Louise Parker examines - Digital PR & AI: Simple Adjustments to Future-Proof Your Strategy.

Louise began her career in traditional PR agencies before transitioning in-house at major fashion brands, eventually joining Propellernet in 2015.

Louise is well known in the industry for her niche TikTok content, which provided light relief to the digital PR community during lockdown. She is also the co-host of the top 40 charting Digital PR Podcast.

*This talk was delivered at Digital Superchats #16 (Digital PR Strategy & Search Performance Edition). The online event took place on Tuesday 13th May 2025. Produced by John McCambley at Marketing Masterclass Series and hosted by our MC Rick Guttridge from Smoking Gun.

Get Involved: https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/

In this talk, Propellernet's Head of Paid Media, Travis Eyles, examines - Demystifying Paid Media & Providing a No-Nonsense Approach to Your Strategies.Paid Media is full of acronyms, abbreviations, and closed language. Whether you’re an experienced paid media consultant or an in-house marketing manager, Paid Media offers an abundance of barriers to entry.

Travis’ talk has the ambition of demystifying what has become an overly complicated to empower our peers to talk about their paid media activity with confidence. He’ll discuss the evolution of multi-billion industry digital advertising is today and offer his recommendation for approaching your paid media strategy.

Once comfortable with that, he’ll share his view on what’s next for the industry, setting up the event nicely for the remaining talks to follow.

Key Delegate Takeaways:

• 1. You’ll understand how Paid Media has grown into the industry it’s become today.
  2. You’ll be given an acronym/abbreviation free overview of how to approach your paid media strategies.
  3. Finally, you’ll receive an understanding of what is next for the Paid Media industry and what you need to be mindful of in the future.

About the Speaker:

Travis is the Head of Paid Media at Propellernet and prides himself on demystifying technical elements of paid media for his clients. With over a decade’s experience in the industry, Travis joined Propellernet in 2023 after two years working in digital marketing for conservation groups. Travis uses his experience to translate the complex language used in paid advertising and make it accessible for his clients.

Outside of work, he spends a lot of time outdoors taking pictures of wildlife or running on the South Downs and along the beach. He’s also a huge music fan who loves the local gig-scene in Brighton.

*This talk was delivered at Digital Superchats #15 (Paid Media Strategy & Performance Edition). The online event took place on Tuesday 14th January 2025. Produced by John McCambley at Marketing Masterclass Series and hosted by our MC Will Anderson from Growth Society.

Get Involved:

https://www.marketing-masterclass-series.com/