In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, Lewis Vandervalk sits down with John Dwyer, a direct response marketing expert from Australia who has spent decades helping businesses break free from price-based competition through creative incentive strategies. 

John shares the legendary story of how he convinced Jerry Seinfeld to become the spokesperson for an Australian bank's "get a home loan, get a free vacation" campaign, which resulted in the bank tripling their home loans within the first year while never advertising interest rates. He reveals his "Happy Meal Toy" philosophy; the same principle McDonald's uses with low-cost, high-perceived-value incentives that take customers' eyes off price. 

John demonstrates how service businesses can implement this strategy, sharing case studies including a turf farm that sold out of grass in six days by offering premium beer with purchases, and a hardware store that doubled revenue competing directly against a massive chain store using vacation incentives. 

The conversation covers his Facebook contest formula that generates hundreds of qualified leads for as little as $30 per day, including the "Ugliest Back Fence Contest" that produced six months of hot leads in three days for an aluminum fence company. John explains how his vacation incentive program works, offering $1,000+ value vacations for $50 cost, and how businesses can use these as both lead generation tools and conversion closers. 

Throughout the episode, he emphasizes that successful marketing isn't about having the best product or lowest price… it's about creating irresistible offers that make price irrelevant.

Resources Discussed on the Episode:

https://theinstituteofwow.com/

https://vacationsincentive.com/

https://fbcontestblueprint.com/

https://bookofwow.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

01:07 Direct response vs. traditional advertising: The calamari principle

05:31 The Jerry Seinfeld bank campaign: Chasing a celebrity for six months

12:15 The Happy Meal Toy philosophy: Low cost, high perceived value

18:26 How persistence and a bad Crocodile Dundee accent landed Seinfeld

22:27 Case study: The turf farm that ran out of grass in six days

25:38 Why the most expensive bank in Australia never advertised rates

28:45 The vacation incentive program: $50 cost, $1,000+ value

32:20 Facebook contest formula: 900+ leads for $200 spend

38:15 The hardware store vs. Bunnings: David beats Goliath

41:10 Real estate revolution: Personalized home valuations

43:11 Final advice: Never compete on price, always add value

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In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, Lewis Vandervalk sits down with Kendall Hines, co-founder and CEO of Clicki, who transformed his family's struggling lawn care business from 90 customers to over 2,000 customers and nearly $1 million in revenue within six years and then went on to start a software company changing the game for business referrals.  

Kendall shares his journey from building his first software solution out of necessity (Lawn Bot, which was acquired by Real Green and later WorkWave) to creating Clicki, a referral platform that automates the entire referral process for service businesses. He reveals how rising digital advertising costs on Google, Facebook, and platforms like HomeAdvisor are forcing small businesses to pay $100-400 per customer acquisition, eating into profits and growth potential. 

Kendall demonstrates Clicky's automated system that sends referral invitations immediately after job completion, tracks referrals through CRM integration, and handles payouts automatically via Venmo, Cash App, Amazon gift cards, or Visa cards. 

The conversation covers building B2B partner programs with real estate agents and other complementary businesses, the new mobile-optimized promoter app with magic links that eliminate login friction, and strategies for creating omnipresent marketing campaigns. Kendall emphasizes the importance of systematic approaches to growth, sharing how one client reached $650K in revenue in their first year spending $0 on traditional digital advertising by focusing entirely on referrals and community marketing.

Interested in seeing if Clicki is the right fit for your business? Click here to book a demo (& snag a $50 gift card)

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

02:31 Kendall's journey: From lawn care technician to software entrepreneur

05:27 Building and selling Lawn Bot to Real Green/WorkWave

07:03 The referral problem: Why most programs fail

09:13 How Clicki automates the entire referral process

13:18 Live demo: Setting up referrals for Joe's Junk Removal

17:28 Building B2B partner programs with real estate agents

19:37 The new promoter app: Mobile-first referral experience

22:37 Tracking, leaderboards, and gamifying referrals

24:57 Magic links: Eliminating friction in the referral process

28:45 Overcoming objections: Why referrals matter for growth

31:07 Building omnipresent marketing across multiple channels

32:22 Year-end planning: Reverse engineering your growth goals

34:18 Final thoughts and getting started with Clicki

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In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, Lewis Vandervalk reconnects with Marc Mawhinney, a lifelong entrepreneur who has been helping coaches get more clients since 2014 and hosts the Natural Born Coaches Podcast with over 900 episodes. 

Marc reveals his remarkable consistency strategy of sending daily emails for over 8 years without missing a single day, explaining why most entrepreneurs fail at email marketing by putting all their effort into one weekly email that gets lost in busy inboxes. He breaks down his systematic approach to content creation, including batching emails three weeks in advance and repurposing content across multiple platforms to cut through the noise of the online space. 

The conversation covers Marc's evolution from real estate to coaching, his innovative flat-fee joint venture model that has generated consistent revenue streams, and his philosophy on handling criticism and building resilience in business. Marc shares his three critical questions every entrepreneur must answer for guaranteed success: who do you help, how do you help them, and where do you find them. He also discusses the retirement of his 92-month Secret Coach Club newsletter, creative business ideas from golf ball diving to pizza box innovations, and his approach to building authentic relationships rather than high-pressure sales tactics. 

Throughout the episode, Marc emphasizes the compound effect of small daily actions over sporadic bursts of effort, providing practical frameworks for sustainable business growth that service business owners can apply to build lasting customer relationships.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

02:33 Marc's journey from real estate to coaching since 2014

06:47 The power of daily email consistency (8+ years without missing a day)

09:28 Why repetition works: The Guy Kawasaki Facebook experiment

11:11 Navigating social media algorithms and engagement challenges

12:05 The three questions for guaranteed business success

16:45 Secret Coach Club: 92 months of newsletter publishing

19:53 Flat-fee joint venture model and partnership strategies

22:58 Community building: The Coaching Jungle VIP program

24:40 Creative business ideas and thinking outside the box

30:15 Golf ball diving business and insurance strategies

34:16 The Alter Ego Effect and performance psychology

39:49 Final advice on authenticity and avoiding online BS

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In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, Lewis Vandervalk sits down with Kasim Aslam, serial entrepreneur who built and sold Solutions Eight (the world's #1 ranked Google Ads agency) for eight figures to a SoftBanc-backed company. 

Kasim reveals why most service business owners struggle with hiring and retention, sharing his counterintuitive approach that peak performers care more about growth than compensation once financially satisfied. He walks through his proven 7-step hiring system that has helped him build six multimillion-dollar businesses, including how to create job postings that attract top talent, implement "flytraps" to filter thousands of applicants down to the best candidates, and run trial projects that reveal true performance before making hiring decisions. 

Kasim introduces his "Black Box Delegation" framework for managing high performers without micromanaging, explaining why the traditional approach of trying to "retain" top talent is backwards, instead focusing on creating a flywheel that benefits from peak performers while they're with you. 

The conversation also covers the emerging field of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and how local service businesses can leverage authority-based content strategies. Throughout the episode, Kasim emphasizes treating employees as "miracles" rather than commodities, sharing real examples from his agency where individual employees managed 40% of revenue and became millionaires through equity partnerships.

Get Kasim's Free Hiring Book: https://thehirebook.com/#section-IHYOSLuNCP

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

02:24 Kasim's background: From $100M Google Ads agency to serial entrepreneur

04:17 The power of collecting books as "traps for future learning"

07:17 Why service business owners struggle with hiring and delegation

12:45 The Pareto Principle in hiring: Finding your 20% peak performers

18:30 Why peak performers choose growth over compensation

22:15 The flywheel approach to top talent retention

25:19 Step 1-2: Mindset shift and creating irresistible job postings

27:19 Step 3: Distribution strategy for maximum applicant flow

29:08 Step 4-5: Flytraps and trial projects to filter candidates

35:00 Step 6: Interview techniques that prevent future complaints

37:09 Step 7: Onboarding for peak performance from day one

40:45 The Black Box Delegation framework

44:49 Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) for local service businesses

48:33 Final thoughts and resources

Visit BlueCrocus.ca if you have marketing questions you need help with!

In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, Lewis Vandervalk walks through the complete playbook for rapidly scaling a junk removal business, using his own success story with Integrity Junk Removal as the foundation. 

Starting from zero in May 2021, Lewis and his partner Ryan grew their Fredericton, New Brunswick-based business to $15,000 per month within just four months, serving a population of only 80,000 people. Lewis breaks down his proven strategies across website optimization, Google Business Profile mastery, community engagement through Facebook groups, and his signature "FEAST method" for leveraging local restaurant partnerships in giveaway campaigns. 

The episode covers advanced SEO tactics including backlink building through local directories, charity partnerships, and discount programs, while emphasizing the critical importance of customer retention through systematic follow-up campaigns. Lewis demonstrates live examples of Reddit marketing, local directory submissions, and provides actionable scripts for cold outreach to restaurants and media outlets. 

This comprehensive guide provides everything needed for both beginners and established junk removal operators looking to dominate their local markets through organic growth strategies.

00:00 Welcome and introduction

01:55 The Integrity Junk Removal success story overview

04:47 Lewis's background in construction and digital marketing

17:01 Website fundamentals and Google Search Console walkthrough

37:46 Facebook profile optimization for business growth

44:24 Community group engagement and posting strategies

52:02 The FEAST method: Restaurant partnership giveaways

01:03:24 Backlink building strategies and local directories

01:06:28 Live Reddit marketing demonstration

01:22:16 Charity partnerships and community sponsorships

01:27:19 PR strategies and podcast guesting opportunities

01:31:08 Customer retention and follow-up systems

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In this throwback episode of Marketing Without Rules, host Lewis Vandervalk sits down with Tommy Mello, founder of A1 Garage Door Service, who has built a remarkable home service empire spanning 15 states with 350 employees and is on pace to hit $300 million in revenue. 

Tommy shares his unconventional journey from starting with limited capital in 2007 to developing a billion-dollar vision, emphasizing that recruiting is the foundation of any successful home service business. He reveals his systematic approach to building company culture, demonstrating how A1's Indeed page with 154 five-star reviews and comprehensive Glassdoor presence attracts top talent by selling the company rather than just posting job requirements. 

The conversation covers Tommy's essential KPIs (average ticket, conversion rate, booking rate, and cost per acquisition), his philosophy of turning employees into recruiters and lead generators, and his strategic approach to affiliate marketing partnerships. Tommy discusses his extensive reading habits, the importance of delayed gratification, and his plans for becoming a consolidator in the home service industry. 

He emphasizes the critical role of systems, processes, and treating employees as internal customers, sharing real examples of how proper training and culture can turn upset customers into raving fans and generate significant revenue through employee-driven lead generation.

00:00 Introduction & Guest Welcome

01:01 Meet Tommy Mello: A1 Garage Door Service founder

03:16 Key catalysts and growth milestones in Tommy's journey

08:49 Recruiting strategies: Why hiring is everything

15:30 Live demonstration of A1's Indeed and Glassdoor presence

22:41 Tommy's extensive book collection and learning philosophy

31:10 Building lasting customer relationships and experiences

33:13 Daily KPI reviews and data-driven decision making

35:22 The billion-dollar vision: From dream to written plan

37:32 Strategic acquisitions and platform company building

47:44 Lead generation strategies and Google's dominance

57:15 Final advice: Getting out of your comfort zone

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In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, host Lewis Vandervalk sits down with Darcy Cudmore, founder of RepuLinks, a boutique digital PR and SEO agency that has secured over 5,000 organic backlinks for clients since launch.

Darcy, a journalism graduate turned PR expert, reveals his proven strategies for landing high-authority backlinks from major publications like Forbes, USA Today, and CBS News without buying links. He demonstrates the Featured.com platform live, showing exactly how home service companies can pitch journalists and secure valuable media coverage.

The conversation covers both reactive PR strategies (responding to journalist queries) and proactive campaigns, with specific tactics for plumbers, electricians, HVAC companies, and other home service businesses. 

Darcy emphasizes the importance of creativity and persistence in 2025's competitive PR landscape, sharing real client success stories including a $10,000 sale directly attributed to CBS News coverage. 

This episode provides actionable insights for any home service business looking to build authority, improve SEO rankings, and gain credible media mentions through organic link building strategies.

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

05:44 Creative PR strategies for home service companies

11:56 Live demonstration of Featured.com platform

16:45 Client success story: CBS News coverage leads to $10,000 sale

18:47 Home service opportunities on Featured.com

23:15 Proactive PR campaigns and finding story angles

25:51 Building media lists and finding journalists

32:15 Final advice and connecting with Darcy

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In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, host Lewis Vandervalk interviews Kevin Hess, founder of Survivor Junk Removal and former standout team member at 1-800-GOT-JUNK. Kevin shares how he helped grow a franchise location from $800K to $9 million in revenue by transforming from a manager into a leader and developing his entire team as leaders. 

He reveals the critical difference between managing processes and leading people, explaining how empowering employees to run morning huddles and setting ambitious goals created an "army of leaders" that achieved franchise of the year and #1 ranking out of 175 locations. 

Kevin breaks down his proven customer experience strategy that achieves a 95-96% onsite conversion rate, including welcome calls, strategic call-aheads that plant seeds for additional work, offering coffee runs, and building genuine relationships before discussing pricing. He explains his effort-based KPIs focused on residential average job size and shares the three key customer value drivers: time, space, and effort. 

The episode concludes with insights from his leadership books and resources available through The Junk Evolution, emphasizing the importance of putting ego aside and focusing on relationship-building over transactional interactions.

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

00:36 Meet Kevin Hess: From Cancer Survivor to Business Leader

02:14 Kevin's Journey with 1-800-GOT-JUNK

03:13 The Power of Leadership and Team Development

06:15 Setting and Achieving High Goals

12:43 The Importance of KPIs in Business

20:22 Customer Experience: From Booking to Job Completion

25:37 Building Customer Relationships in Home Services

26:25 Examples of Rapport Building

27:59 Understanding Customer Needs

30:52 Keys to Customer Value: Time, Space, and Effort

33:05 Tools of the Trade

34:16 Earning Five-Star Reviews

35:49 The Importance of Clear Communication

39:07 Dream Collaborations and Networking

41:46 Avoiding Transactional Interactions

44:23 Books and Resources for Home Services

49:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, host Lewis Vandervalk chats with Phil Risher, founder of Phlash Consulting, who shares the exact blueprint he used to scale a home service business from $3M to $5M in under two years. 

Phil reveals how the original company achieved $3M in revenue with just 36 Google reviews by leveraging 100 B2B referral partners instead of relying on traditional marketing.

He breaks down his complete B2B partnership system step-by-step: finding complementary services, cold outreach sequences, lunch-and-learn presentations with technicians, QR code referral systems and B2B email newsletters that gamify the referral process.

Phil also covers lead management strategies that unlocked $100K in additional revenue for one client, AI-powered content creation using call transcripts and why cohesive content calendars outperform scattered marketing efforts. 

From his early days paying off $30K in student debt on a $48K salary to building a marketing agency with 15 team members, Phil demonstrates how data-driven strategies combined with relationship-building create sustainable business growth that attracts private equity buyers.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

02:28 Phil's Early Career and Financial Hustle

03:51 Transition to Digital Marketing and Blogging

05:40 Corporate Experience and Starting Flash Consulting

14:24 Scaling Flash Consulting and Service Offerings

17:18 The B2B Partnership System That Changes Everything

24:20 Step-by-Step Cold Outreach for B2B Partners

24:37 Lunch-and-Learn Strategy with Technician Teams

25:29 QR Code Referral Systems and Follow-up Process

26:03 B2B Email Newsletters and Gamification Tactics

27:15 Lead Management Systems That Unlock Revenue

29:44 Three-Touch-Point Communication Strategy

31:34 Using AI for Content Creation and Call Transcripts

41:59 Content Calendars and SEO Strategy

49:06 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

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In this solo episode, host Lewis Vandervalk discusses how business owners can secure a prominent place in search results as AI transforms how people find local companies. With Google AI overviews, ChatGPT, and other AI tools now scanning the internet for signs that people are talking about your business, the old approach no longer works. 

Lewis shares four specific strategies: getting detailed reviews that mention what you did and how you did it, engaging actively in community groups through participation and giveaways, leveraging social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok as searchable SEO tools, and utilizing Reddit for local visibility since Reddit posts are dominating search results. 

He also covers implementing schema markup as a bonus strategy. Lewis offers a gift card incentive for the first five listeners who take action on the Reddit strategy. 

The episode emphasizes that this isn't about manipulating search engines, but about documenting great work consistently so AI and search engines can serve you up when people need your services.

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

00:42 Why being "talked about" matters more than ever

01:34 Strategy #1: Get reviews that include specifics

04:37 Strategy #2: Community engagement and giveaway tactics

08:58 Strategy #3: Using social media as an SEO tool

11:48 Strategy #4: Reddit strategy for local businesses (gift card offer)

16:50 Bonus Tip: Schema markup implementation

20:42 Conclusion and call to action

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