In this episode of Fast Forward, I sit down with Danny Gavin, founder and chief strategist of Optidge, host of the Digital Marketing Mentor podcast, and creator of the ODO Academy, to unpack what it takes to build a modern agency in a world where AI is changing search, reputation, and strategy in real time. Danny shares his origin story from immigrating to Houston as a kid to building websites in the early internet era, how an MBA internship at blinds.com helped solidify his path, and why mentorship and education have stayed at the core of everything he has built.

If you are interested in SEO, AI search, digital marketing strategy, or how to actually use AI as a tool without losing your thinking, this one will land.

🎙️ We dive into:

• Growing up in an immigrant family and how early internet curiosity pulled him toward marketing
• Building his first websites in the late nineties and why that foundation still matters
• The MBA turning point at blinds.com and how consulting evolved into Optidge
• Why Danny built Optidge around mentorship, clarity, and long term relationships
• The wild west of search right now and why nobody should pretend it is fully figured out
• What is changing in AI search and why being talked about matters as much as backlinks
• How reviews and third party mentions can impact visibility in LLM driven discovery
• Why diversified marketing is more important than ever and the Facebook lesson founders forget
• Practical AI use cases inside Optidge, including instant client kickoff research decks
• The Zapier workflow that ranks his emails, reduces noise, and protects focus
• What agencies must become in the next three to five years, more consultancy and less commodity fulfillment
• Why AI will not replace you, but someone using AI will
• How schools should teach AI, including using it openly and evaluating thinking, not policing tools

Danny brings a grounded perspective on strategy, search, and education that cuts through hype and puts the focus back on principles, operators, and real outcomes.

🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations with founders, operators, and creators building what is next

🎤 Hosted by Jeffrey Mailey
📍 Fast Forward Podcast

#FastForwardPodcast #DigitalMarketing #SEO #AI #MarketingStrategy #Entrepreneurship #AgencyLife #ContentStrategy #Education #Automation

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 The Journey Begins: Danny Gavin’s Origin Story
08:08 Building a Different Kind of Agency
11:30 Navigating the Wild West of SEO and AI
16:20 The Importance of Reputation in the Digital Age
17:33 Leveling the Playing Field in Business
19:40 The Importance of Diversification in Marketing Strategies
21:43 Integrating AI into Business Operations
25:57 The Future of Agencies in an AI Driven World
28:27 Rethinking Education in the Age of AI
34:49 Introduction to the Podcast