Start Up Mindset

Neil Thompson is our guest on today's episode of Traffic and Leads Podcast. When it comes to the world of digital marketing, some people are still just starting out. It’s a fast-paced environment to live in, and being able to handle your own against some of the best is important if you want to succeed. That’s where Neil Thompson comes in. Neil is just starting out in the world of digital marketing, and through the success, he’s found today, he can speak first hand on the struggles of dipping your toes into this environment. His company, Teach the Geek (https://teachthegeek.com/), has helped many people just like him, and this week, Neil talks to us about how he can help you get comfortable with public speaking, as well as encouraging others to ask for and seek help when they need it. Let’s get started!

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:

* How Neil got into digital marketing! With his product, Teach the Geek, Neil invites people just like him to conquer their fears of public speaking. With a background in engineering, science, and the STEM community, Neil would often find himself overwhelmed with the number of presentations he’d have to do in a week. Creating a product to not only help himself but help others in the same position, gave him a better quality of life at work!

* Neil tells us about when he first developed the product, and the struggles he faced along the way. Without knowing what to do after creating the idea, and no background in marketing or sales, Neil tried to do things on his own. Nothing was really working out, however, and so, Neil turned to the internet, trying his hand at things like webinars and Facebook groups.

* Following the suggestion that he try webinars, Neil hired VAs to help him set one up, inviting his friends and family to join him on YouTube Live. When the time came, however, no one showed up. The show must go on, Neil said, and he still went through with the presentation. However, after watching it back, Neil discovered an error with his slides, and the webinar footage was still unusable. That’s when he knew he needed professional help.

* From there, Neil tells us about hiring a marketing agency to help him with branding and marketing. They gave him a plan and a strategy on what to do going forward. Additionally, Neil explains that they were big on setting him up with a social media strategy, introducing him to new accounts across the board. With events planned on teaching his course and getting new hires, Neil found success with this agency. Currently, Neil also has a YouTube channel where he interviews people in the STEM field!

* Neil tells us about how hiring the agency was the right idea. Playing to your strengths is important, but being able to recognize your weaknesses is important as well. Neil wonders if Teach the Geek would’ve taken off sooner if he had hired the agency earlier on, but going through what he did is a good lesson, both to himself and to fellow people who’re just dipping their toes into the marketing game.

* Lastly, Neil talks to us about the future of Teach the Geek. Currently, it’s an online course aimed towards individuals. In the future, however, he’d like to move into companies! Giving keynote speeches, workshops, and offering the course to people who work in the company is something Neil is looking forward to. Neil never wants to be an employee again, and Teach the Geek is giving him the opportunity he needs.