#173 John Hayden is the Director at Air Logic a company that makes air and liquid controls. Think valves for all kinds of industries. It’s not the sexiest game in town but it’s damn important. And the story Hayden shares of what his team at Air Logic faced is BANANAS!

Let’s hit the rewind button and go back to the pandemic. Suddenly, the nation needs ventilators – remember that time? Ford decided to build ventilators, and they turned to Air Logic for help. 

But here’s the kicker. Air Logic was only producing 50 parts that could be used in ventilators a year. Now they were being asked to produce 100,000! What’s more, Air Logic found itself on a list of companies not delivering. Talk about intense pressure. 

Hayden shares how helicopters were flying parts out of Wisconsin. Welders were being delivered in days instead of months. He turned the company lunchroom into an assembly line.

It was a crash course in leadership, marketing, and adaptability.

John didn’t start as a director. He was an engineer who hated his own company’s website. He fixed it, and suddenly he was running marketing, production, distributor relationships — the whole thing. 

Y’all are going to love this one. 

Get in touch with John here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-t-hayden/

Connect with Pat here: [email protected]

Oh before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#172 Fernando Rojas Sanchez is the CMO of DaBoost a strategic white-label agency. In other words, he and his team help support other agencies. It’s a smart business model. And in this episode Fernando and Pat go deep into how this works and the advantages of using an agency like DaBoost. Plus a whole lot of other good things. 

Timestamp

Topic / Key Moment

00:00

Intro & Background 

02:00

Agency Model – Why DaBoost focuses on other agencies as clients; benefits of white-label services.

04:30

Challenges for Small Agencies – Peaks and valleys, staffing strain, cultural impact on morale.

06:00

Target Niche – Serving growing, small, or “mom & pop” agencies who need a full marketing team in the back office.

08:15

Agency Life: Mexico vs. US – Differences in tech adoption, client values, and work culture.

14:30

Geographic Footprint – Offices in Dallas, Milwaukee, and Merida; expansion strategy.

16:45

Operations Across Countries – Creating clear processes and retaining long-term team members.

19:00

Full Service vs. Specialization – Differences between US and Mexico agency models; why DaBoost offers a broad service mix.

22:00

Core Services – PPC, branding, content generation as bread-and-butter.

23:15

Dental Group Case Study – 43% boost in bookings

26:00

White-Label Relationships – Acting as the “front” or “back office” for partner agencies.

29:00

Building Trust – Positioning as a service provider, not a competitor; “we make your business our business.”

31:00

Onboarding Process – One-week agency audit; seamless integration.

33:00

AI Perspective – Use AI for process optimization, not creative generation; risks of overuse and sameness.

36:15

Global Marketing Insights – What works in Mexico but not the US (personal trust, in-person business) and vice versa.

42:00

A Day in the Life – Time-blocking, KPIs (3 events/week, 2 orgs, 2 new contacts).

45:30

Cultural Differences – Milwaukee/Wisconsin vs. Mexico City and Merida business environments.

47:00

Future of Agencies – Move toward vendor-based execution teams; rise of small agencies.

50:00

Specialization vs. Generalization – Current choice to remain open to all verticals; long-term vision.

53:30

Final Plug – How to connect with Fernando and DaBoost online.

Get in touch with Fernando here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fernandorojassanchez/

Check out DaBoost here: https://da-boost.com/

Connect with Pat here: [email protected]

Oh before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#171 Tim Allen is the Chief Growth Officer at MBE CPAs. In other words, he is responsible for bringing in new business. 

If you’re looking for insight on how to get better getting meetings, building genuine relationships and selling more…then take a few minutes and get this pod in your ears. 

Here’s what we cover: 

Time

Topic

00:00 – 03:10

Intro & Background

03:11 – 07:50

Role of a Chief Growth Officer

07:51 – 12:15

Marketing in CPA Firms: Then vs Now

12:16 – 17:40

Bringing Strategy to MBE

17:41 – 22:50

Building Internal Relationships

22:51 – 28:30

Internal Comms & Knowledge Sharing

28:31 – 34:20

Starting at a New Firm

34:21 – 39:05

Awareness vs Depth of Knowledge

39:06 – 43:50

The Website’s Role in Education

43:51 – 55:50

Channels That Drive Results

55:51 – 1:00:50

Campaign Planning Process

1:00:51 – 1:06:45

Managing Expectations

1:06:46 – 1:12:15

AI in Business Development

1:12:16 – 1:16:40

LinkedIn Strategy

1:16:41 – 1:21:30

CPA as Business Consultant

1:22:26 – 1:31:00

Tim’s Daily Workflow

1:31:01 – 1:36:20

Referral Systems & Reporting

1:36:21 – 1:41:45

Passion Project: Rides and Drives

1:41:46 – 1:44:00

Getting Big Interviews

1:44:01 – End

Final Thoughts & Plugs

Get in touch with Tim here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allentimothy/

Or at Rides and Drives: https://ridesanddrives.com/

Connect with Pat here: [email protected]

Oh before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#170 Tom Sanders, founder of Lost Dog, is a branding + strategy expert who’s spent his career helping companies stop lying to themselves.

In this show, we cover Tom’s unexpected start in IT and his journey to launching his own shop. Tom walks us through how brands get built — not with a checklist and some Helvetica, but with honesty, alignment, and a hell of a lot of listening.

Here’s the full breakdown: 

00:00–03:00

Intro & Tom’s background 

03:01–07:30

From IT to Marketing: Tom’s origin story 

07:31–13:00

What is strategy vs branding vs tactics? Mission, vision, and the “why”

13:01–17:30

Why most companies botch brand strategy (and why “making money” isn’t the mission)

17:31–21:00

Red flags: When mission/vision becomes a checklist

21:01–25:00

Tom’s branding approach: Organic, not fabricated. 

25:01–28:00

Internal brand alignment: Why employees need to believe it too

28:01–34:00

The branding process deep dive

38:01–42:00

Metrics that matter: Why engagement isn’t enough

42:01–47:00

Tom’s 5-Step Process: Why → Current Situation → Goals → Communicate → Monitor

52:01–56:00

Timelines, and why smaller clients get his best work

59:01–1:03:00

Inferior products? Why experience and expectations still win

1:03:01–1:07:00

Why Tom started Lost Dog & the future of agencies 

1:07:01–1:10:00

AI & strategy: From “C student” to A-minus assistant

1:10:01–end

Final thoughts 

Get in touch with Tom here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsanders/

Or here: https://lostdogmke.com/

Connect with Pat here: [email protected]

Oh before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#169 Joining Pat are Shante Micah and Josh Moody, the founders of Hi Good News. A PR agency that is NOT like any other PR agency. 

The discussion centers on the evolution of PR, highlighting how traditional methods are becoming obsolete and trust and human connection are paramount. 

Micah and Moody are empowering clients with an AI-powered "blueprint" that provides transparent access to contacts, story angles, and pitches, fostering long-term relationships directly for the brand rather than gatekeeping them. 

Here’s the breakdown of the show: 

00:00 – 02:00

Intro & Background 

02:00 – 06:00

State of Modern PR 

06:00 – 09:00

Trust as the New Currency 

09:00 – 13:00

Origin Story of Good News 

13:00 – 18:00

What Makes Good News Different 

18:00 – 23:00

The Good News Blueprint 

29:00 – 36:00

The Three Core Indices

36:00 – 41:00

AI Behind the Curtain 

41:00 – 46:00

Misunderstandings About PR

1:05:00 – 1:08:00

Channel Trends 

1:08:00 – 1:10:00

Future Vision 

1:13:00 – 1:16:00

Finding Right Fit Clients 

1:19:00 – End

Closing 

Get in touch with Shante here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shantemicah/

Get in touch with Josh here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadmoody/

Check out their site: https://www.higoodnews.com/

Connect with Pat here: [email protected]

Oh before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#168 Brian Bennett is the President of Stir Advertising, an agency specializing in the art and science of helping turn around struggling brands. 

Bennett has spent a career helping brands. And in this episode, he shares some of his insights and wisdom as a turnaround ninja. 

Here’s the breakdown of the show:  

0:00 – 2:00

Intro 

2:00 – 7:00

State of Branding Today vs. Past

7:00 – 14:00

When Clients Think They Need a Turnaround

14:00 – 21:00

Discovery Process & Stakeholder Interviews

28:00 – 35:00

When the Problem is the Product, Not the Messaging

35:00 – 42:00

Synthesizing Data into Strategy

42:00 – 48:00

Case Studies & Big Simple Ideas

48:00 – 54:00

Simplicity vs. Overcomplication

54:00 – 59:00

Key Branding Ingredients & Marketer Skills

59:00 – 1:04:00

Why Start Stir & Agency Evolution

1:04:00 – 1:09:00

Media Strategy & AI Insights

1:09:00 – End

Closing

Get in touch with Brian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbennettprofile/ or here: https://www.stirstuff.com/contact-us/

Connect with Pat here: [email protected]

Oh before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#167 Listen up all my higher ed peeps. I’ve got something special here. Mark Young is the Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions & Divisional Strategy at UW-Milwaukee, and he’s been rewriting the recruitment playbook. 

Here’s the short story.

When Young got to UW-Milwaukee, there was no recruitment plan. So he got to work. And in short order, turned transactional recruitment into relational recruitment. 

No more just shoving forms at students.

Instead, the focus is on creating emotional connections and making students feel seen from day one.

The result: record numbers of students!

Here’s how Young and his team did it + so much more: 

0:00 — Intro and Mark's role explained

5:30 — Defining and building culture (students and staff)

16:30 — Why only undergrad admissions?

20:30 — Current challenges in higher ed

33:00 — What's working now?

48:00 — Traditional media’s role

50:00 — Department transformation since 2021

58:00 — Record enrollment numbers and retention focus

1:03:00 — Metrics and obsession with data

1:10:00 — Wisconsin vs. out-of-state recruitment strategy

1:20:00 — AI adoption in admissions

1:25:00 — Final thoughts

Get in touch with Marc here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-young/

Connect with Pat here: [email protected]

Oh, before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#166 Hey there you amazing listeners. Thanks for checking out the show. We have a great one for y’all today. It’s a sit-down with the super-talented and bourbon-curious Cory Ampe. 

Ampe is the founder and CEO of Campe + Co. She’s also a BizTimes 2024 Notable Marketing Executive. 

In this episode, she shares how her zigzag journey through PR, publishing, and agency life led her to build a fractional CMO practice that’s equal parts strategy and scrappy brilliance. 

Here's what you're going to get:

01:00 – Intro, Bourbon, Beer, and Early Career

11:00 – Launching Campe & Co

13:00 – Services, Flexibility & Team Model

18:00 – Discovery Process & Client Assessment

23:00 – Strategic Roadmaps & Brand Alignment

25:00 – Creative Differentiation & Standing Out

33:00 – AI + Creativity = The New Handshake

35:00 – Competitive Audits & Spreadsheet Magic

42:00 – Internal Comms, HR & Culture Alignment

45:00 – Content Strategy & Storytelling Mindset

52:00 – How Cory Uses AI Today

54:00 – Networking Advice for All Career Stages

57:00 – Wrap-Up

Connect with Cory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coryampe/

Connect with Pat at: [email protected]

Before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#165 Holy sh*t how did we get to 165 already??!! And ain’t no better person to have on the pod than the Onion Lady herself, Ms. Michele Tonkovitz. 

Michele, or MT as her public knows her, is the Founder and CEO of Green Onion Creative. A successful agency rooted in Milwaukee. 

Not only is she a friend of the pod. She delivers great insights on marketing. Plus, she shares a great case study for her PR work around for Buc-ee’s in Oak Creek. 

Want more? Yeah you do becasuse there's so much more!

Here are the highlights: 

[00:00] Intro & Background

[04:30] Running an Agency: The Highs & Lows

[10:45] Self-Awareness and Knowing Your Strengths

[14:30] Advice for Aspiring Business Owners

[17:20] A Day in the Life

[21:10] Managing a Virtual Team

[25:10] What’s Changed in Advertising

[29:00] Changing Client Behavior & Expectations

[31:10] Networking Philosophy

[42:00] Clients Often Don’t Understand PR

[48:00] Case Study: Buc-ee’s in Oak Creek

[54:30] The Agency World at Large

[56:10] Sharpening Focus & The “Dying Dog” Analogy

[1:01:20] Vision for the Next 3–5 Years and Wrap

Connect with Michele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micheletonkovitz/

Connect with Pat at: [email protected]

Before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.

#164 The work Hunger Task Force (HTF) is doing is impressive. Check out these stats: 

• It supports 50+ food pantries, 

• 20+ meal sites

• 100+ senior-serving locations locally

• And 150+ statewide partners via the Hunger Relief Federation

Plus, they have a farm! 

A 28-acre partnership with Milwaukee County producing over 500,000 pounds of fresh produce annually, feeding the food system from the ground up. 

Impressive!

Here are the highlights…make sure to have a listen!

00:00:00 – Intro + What’s in Your Pint?

00:03:30 – The Hunger Task Force Origin Story

00:07:20 – How Matt Got Started

00:12:40 – A Day in the Life of a Nonprofit CEO

00:15:35 – By the Numbers: HTF’s Scope and Scale

00:17:30 – The Nonprofit Landscape Right Now

00:21:15 – Keeping Morale High in a Heavy Job

00:25:30 – How Hunger Task Force Approaches Marketing

00:30:15 – Measuring What Works

00:33:30 – What People Get Wrong About Hunger Task Force

00:36:50 – The Power of Volunteers as Brand Ambassadors

00:40:15 – Advice for Small Nonprofits with No Budget

00:42:30 – Leadership Style + Superpower

00:46:10 – Walking the Line: Leadership vs Micromanagement

00:48:00 – The Farm: A Fresh Solution to a Food Desert

00:51:45 – Final Word + Call to Action

Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-king-a652284b/

Connect with Pat at: [email protected]

Before you go, please do us a favor. Take a minute and leave us a review. That’s the energy that powers this supertanker! 

Thanks, you’re the best!

Want more marketing insights? Take a look at our full lineup.

This podcast is sponsored by Ascedia. A web development and digital strategy agency helping clients win in the digital space.