In this episode, Jeremy Rivera sits down with Mark Gilliland, founder of Kyoto Botanicals, a THC-free hemp CBD and functional mushroom wellness brand he's been building for six years. Mark shares the science behind broad-spectrum hemp extraction and his brand-new functional mushroom blend, the regulatory patchwork small wellness brands navigate every day, and what it's actually like to go from zero SEO knowledge to a six-month, 10-hours-a-day obsession with organic search. The conversation closes with a powerful hot take on momentum — and why stacking small habits can transform both your health and your business. Read the full episode recap

“Since the FDA isn't regulating it as a dietary supplement, it's really important that individual consumers do the research on the product and the brand they're buying.” — Mark Gilliland

“I've spent the last six months, at least 10 hours a day, seven days a week, teaching myself SEO and just breaking things fast on my site and fixing them.” — Mark Gilliland

“It’s $5 for hitting the pipe, but $95 for knowing which pipe to hit, where and when and how hard.” — Jeremy Rivera

In this episode, host Jeremy Rivera sits down with David Pourquery, the founder and CEO of Groas — the world's first fully autonomous AI Google Ads management platform. David shares how a background in private equity and late-night e-commerce experimentation led him to build a system that's replacing entire Google Ads teams, why 90–95% of the accounts he inherits from agencies are misconfigured, and how 80% of his customers discover Groas through LLM-powered search — without a single dollar spent on marketing.

"We are now essentially replacing entire Google Ads teams. It runs itself 24-7 — measurably better than what a human can do."  — David Pourquery

"90, 95% of the accounts we take over — what we see is really tough. Businesses losing money with absolutely no idea why."  — David Pourquery

"I haven't spent a dime on marketing. 80% of our customers come from LLMs recommending Groas."  — David Pourquery

Join host Jeremy Rivera as he sits down with spa industry veteran Denise Dubois, who has been transforming lives through beauty and wellness since 1983. In this revealing conversation, Denise shares her 38-year journey from paper appointment books to a thriving multi-location spa empire with a clean beauty product line.

Discover the truth about aging (spoiler: 90% is in your control!), learn why consistency beats quick fixes every time, and get insider advice on building systems that create unforgettable customer experiences. Whether you're in the beauty industry or running any service-based business, Denise's wisdom on turning customer complaints into growth opportunities will change how you think about feedback.

[00:18] - Denise's 38-year journey in the spa industry and founding of DuBois Beauty
[01:27] - What the "spa lifestyle" really means
[03:57] - The science of aging: 10% genetics, 90% lifestyle
[05:30] - The hidden dangers in personal care products
[07:29] - Evolving from paper books to e-commerce
[10:24] - The importance of the human face in marketing
[12:09] - Why video testimonials are the #1 lead generator
[15:16] - 2026 plans: Focusing on membership and longevity
[17:44] - Operating in Albany and Saratoga Springs, NY
[20:23] - Essential advice for aspiring spa entrepreneurs

"The American Academy of Dermatology suggests that really about 10% is genetics and about 90% is influenced by our everyday lifestyle choices. So we truly do have control more than we think over how we do age."

"We do need to be mindful of not only what we put into our body, but what we put onto our body."

"Word of mouth remains the number one lead generator."

"Consistency is key. There's no such thing as a one and done treatment to achieve a person's beauty and wellness goals."

"Constructive feedback can be what makes the difference between you growing and being the best you can be or choosing to just make excuses about why something happened."

Denise Dubois is the visionary Founder of DuBois Beauty, an acclaimed Clinical Esthetician and wellness expert with over three decades dedicated to skin health. Her unique perspective comes from running a successful clinical practice (Complexions Spa) and developing a retail brand built on the philosophy that clean, simple, and nature-based ingredients deliver superior, professional results at home.

As author of Living Beautifully, Denise bridges the gap between internal health, lifestyle, and external skin appearance, empowering people with actionable, expert-backed advice that demystifies skincare and inspires a balanced approach to beauty and self-care.

DuBois Beauty (Clean Beauty Brand)
https://duboisbeauty.com/

Complexions Spa Locations:

The Philosophy of Renovation

Join host Jeremy Rivera for a deep dive into the world of residential construction with Alec and Josie Davis, the husband-and-wife team behind H&H Construction in Cookeville, Tennessee. This two-part conversation explores how they've built a thriving renovation business focused on relationship over transactions, creativity over cookie-cutter solutions, and preserving the beauty in old homes while bringing them into the modern age. 

Josie shares her unique perspective on what makes home renovations special: "You're taking something that's already there and already has flavor. It already has its own embodiment, and you are tweaking it, aesthetically smoothing it out, maybe changing some of the rhythms there in the space, but you're ultimately still keeping the foundation and the bones the same."

Discover why she believes the most beautiful spaces happen when you marry older charm with newer aesthetics.

"To me and Alec, there's no small job. Every job has an impact to the customer and to the family that's living in the home."

Learn how H&H Construction builds long-term client relationships by starting with small repairs—drywall holes, baseboard fixes—and growing trust over time into major kitchen remodels, bathroom transformations, and home additions.

"How you're wanting a space to feel should often dictate how you develop this space."

Josie reveals her signature question for every client: "What do you want it to feel like when you walk in?" This approach moves beyond standard kitchen triangles and bathroom layouts to create truly personalized spaces.

The Davis team offers honest consultation about when to invest in customization versus following market standards. "If you're planning to be there forever, then we really want to customize it to what you're wanting to feel."

Josie describes her love for wet rooms—bathrooms where the entire space becomes the shower with seamless tile work that's "almost like artwork." She also shares stories of renovating homes from the 1930s and 40s, preserving original hardwood floors and historic fireplaces while upgrading everything else.

Josie offers refreshingly honest advice: "Some houses, the way that they're structured, they're just perfect the way they are. Sometimes it's meant to be that way. And so adding onto that changes the feel of that home. I would say, 'Nah, friend, just go ahead and find a new place that you can grow into.'"

But when an addition IS right? "You get the right contractor and the right budget, and you can do just about anything."

"A sunroom is being outside and enjoying outside without being outside."

Alec and Josie explain the difference between sunrooms and covered patios, climate-controlled versus non-conditioned spaces, and how they've transformed decks, porches, and even sheds into beautiful year-round living areas.

"We're in Cookeville, Tennessee. There's a lot of mountain ranges. You can't have a patio without flat land."

Alec shares his passion for custom deck designs: "I love anything that's out of the norm, anything that's different." From multi-level decks to grand staircases, fire pits to octagonal designs, discover why decks are the perfect solution for Middle Tennessee's challenging terrain.

"Construction is a marriage of a certain form. You're gonna be spending a lot of time with those people."

Josie offers candid advice about choosing a contractor: "If you meet us and you don't want to go get coffee with us, then find a contractor that you really enjoy speaking with." Learn why relationship matters so much in construction projects that can take months.

Unlike large corporations with streamlined processes, H&H Construction dedicates time to getting to know each client personally. "We have more time, and we carve out more time to be very specific with the customer themselves."

Josie reveals she'll spend hours researching specific kitchen formats or design styles just for one client's unique vision.

"Alec and I want to talk. We want to pray over your family. We want to meet your children if you're willing. We want to encourage you in steps of life."

Discover how the Davis family integrates their faith and values into their business, teaching their children about craftsmanship while treating every client like family.

Alec Davis is a licensed Tennessee General Contractor (BC-A/r) and certified HVAC technician with over a decade of hands-on experience in residential construction. He founded H&H Construction in 2014, initially focusing on mobile home remodeling before transitioning to full-time residential renovations in 2020.

Alec specializes in transforming old structures into restored beauty, with expertise spanning framing, trim-out, custom deck construction, and complete home systems. He holds an Associate's degree in Business and is a graduate of the Nashville State Workforce and Community Development Program.

Construction runs in Alec's blood—passed down through generations—and today, he continues that legacy by teaching his two young children the value of hard work, integrity, and craftsmanship.

Josie brings the creative vision and design expertise to H&H Construction, spending hours researching specific formats and styles for each client's unique needs. Her design philosophy centers on how spaces feel rather than just function, asking every client: "What do you want it to feel like when you walk in?"

She handles client relations with a relationship-first approach, dedicating time to truly understand each family's goals, priorities, and vision for their home. Her commitment to personalization sets H&H apart from large corporations with standardized processes.

On Renovation:

"Renovations are really special because you're taking something that's already there and already has flavor. It already has its own embodiment, and you are tweaking it, aesthetically smoothing it out." — Josie Davis

On Every Job Mattering:

"To me and Alec, there's no small job. Every job has an impact to the customer and to the family that's living in the home." — Josie Davis

On Design Philosophy:

"How you're wanting a space to feel should often dictate how you develop this space." — Josie Davis

On Honest Consultation:

"Some houses, the way that they're structured, they're just perfect the way they are. Sometimes it's meant to be that way." — Josie Davis

On What's Possible:

"You get the right contractor and the right budget, and you can do just about anything." — Josie Davis

On Seamless Additions:

"In my opinion, a good addition never feels like an addition. It feels like you've successfully continued to walk through the house from start to finish." — Josie Davis

On Choosing a Contractor:

"Construction is a marriage of a certain form. You're gonna be spending a lot of time with those people." — Josie Davis

On Finding the Right Fit:

"If you meet us and you don't want to go get coffee with us, then find a contractor that you really enjoy speaking with." — Josie Davis

On Creating Vision:

"A lot of people don't have vision for space. We help create that vision for people who struggle with seeing their space and what it could be." — Alec Davis

On Custom Decks:

"I love anything that's out of the norm, anything that's different. We've done multi-level decks, decks with grand staircases, decks with fire pits within them, octagonal decks." — Alec Davis

On Core Values:

"At the core of our work is a simple principle: build well, work honestly, and treat every project as if it were our own home." — Alec Davis

On Client Relationships:

"Alec and I want to talk. We want to pray over your family. We want to meet your children if you're willing. We want to encourage you in steps of life." — Josie Davis

Website: handhcookevilleremodel.com

Phone: (931) 329-5754

Email: [email protected]

Address: 541 S Willow Ave Suite 101#528, Cookeville, TN 38506

Portfolio: View Their Work

Facebook: H&H Remodels

Service Area: Cookeville, Sparta, Smithville, McMinnville, and all of Middle Tennessee

Listen: unscriptedsmallbusiness.com Host: Jeremy Rivera Guest: Chad T. Jenkins, Founder of SeedSpark & The CoLAB

Chad T. Jenkins grew up on a small farm in South Carolina, started his first real estate deal at age 11, and spent 25 years building over 50 businesses across wireless phones, data centers, construction, HVAC, GPS leasing, and more. Then he stopped. Not because he failed — but because he found something better: engineered collaboration.

In this episode, Chad breaks down the framework he calls the VCR Formula (Vision + Capability × Reach = Success), explains why most entrepreneurs suffer from a WHO deficiency, and shares how his CoLAB community grew to 700+ collaborations in just 18 months — outpacing his entire 25-year history of starting companies.

Jeremy and Chad also dig into the real role of AI in entrepreneurship, how to structure collaboration outcome splits, and why "showing up at the receiving dock" is the ultimate growth strategy.

"A true entrepreneur is someone who relentlessly seeks leverage." — Chad T. Jenkins

"Stop trying to grow through effort. Start focusing on what you have, combining it with what others have, and ask one question: How do you want to split the outcome?" — Chad T. Jenkins

"The only thing cash does is pay for somebody's vision or buy somebody else's capability." — Chad T. Jenkins

"Always show up at the receiving dock, not the procurement office. Future money is always up for grabs." — Dean Jackson (via Chad T. Jenkins)

Chad T. Jenkins / SeedSpark

Strategic Coach / Dan Sullivan

Mentioned Companies / People

Host Jeremy Rivera

Chad T. Jenkins is the founder of SeedSpark, a Charlotte, NC-based organization known as a leverage partner for entrepreneurs worldwide. Over 25 years he started more than 50 businesses across industries ranging from wireless phones and GPS leasing to construction and real estate investment. In the past 18 months, he's pivoted entirely to building collaborations through his CoLAB community — which now represents 700+ businesses ranging from $2M to $35B in annual revenue.

He is the author of Friction Fuel and Just Add a Zero, and his new book The Code to Collaboration is available for preorder now on Amazon. He speaks globally at entrepreneur conferences and hosts twice-monthly CoLAB Kickstarter events.

Jeremy Rivera is an SEO consultant and entrepreneur with 19+ years of experience. He is the founder of SEO Arcade, a unique podcast-based content and link building service, and hosts the Unscripted Small Business Podcast — a series dedicated to authentic conversations with entrepreneurs, SEO professionals, and small business owners. Jeremy specializes in converting podcast interviews into comprehensive SEO content marketing strategies.

Subscribe to the Unscripted Small Business Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Feedback? Connect with Jeremy at jeremyriveraseo.com

Sara Nay, CEO of Duct Tape Marketing, joins Jeremy Rivera to discuss why strategy must come before tactics in small business marketing. With 15 years at Duct Tape Marketing—starting as an intern and rising to CEO—Sara shares the agency's proven approach to building trust through transparency, education, and true partnership.

This conversation covers the evolution of SEO in the age of AI, why customer interviews are non-negotiable, how to structure content for both humans and LLMs, and why quarterly planning beats annual marketing plans in today's rapidly shifting landscape.

Sara Nay is the CEO of Duct Tape Marketing, where she has spent 15 years helping small businesses build effective marketing strategies. She recently authored Unchained: Breaking Free from Broken Marketing Models, offering a fresh perspective on escaping outdated marketing approaches that no longer serve today's businesses.

"A website should help people get to know, like, trust, and even be able to try your services and buy your services. Yes, it should look nice—that is important. But the content and the journey that you're guiding people on is what I would argue is the most important piece of the puzzle."

"We're not just creating marketing strategy for people anymore. We're creating marketing strategy for people AND AI."

"When people skip over leadership interviews and ideal client interviews, that's where they waste time, energy, and money on marketing in the long run."

"Gone are the days where you can just publish content and hope it shows up. You have to be very focused on what you're putting in the content, but also how you're structuring it."

"I believe you can't really plan for marketing further than three months at this time because it's changing, shifting, and evolving so much."

Jeremy Rivera is the founder of SEO Arcade and host of the Unscripted SEO Podcast, with 19 years of experience in SEO and digital marketing. He specializes in converting podcasts into comprehensive SEO content marketing strategies.

If you've ever found yourself trapped in the exhausting cycle of filling your pipeline, delivering to clients, then scrambling to fill your pipeline again—this episode is for you. Rachel Minion, Head Rock Star at Rockstarr & Moon, joins host Zaneta Chuniq Inpower to break down why consultants get stuck in what she calls "the grind cycle" and how to escape it without working more hours.

Rachel brings a unique perspective as a third-generation entrepreneur who cut her teeth managing 400 to 1,200 estimates daily at her parents' printing company before moving into corporate marketing roles at Verizon Wireless and Ticketmaster. When the pandemic hit and she was furloughed, she went full-time on her consulting business and never looked back.

In this conversation, Rachel shares how her Profit Multiplier program helps consultants find at least $100,000 in hidden profit—with one client already seeing a 52% year-over-year sales increase and another at 42% growth, all without adding staff. She also gets refreshingly honest about the moment every entrepreneur faces when they think "maybe it would be easier to just get a job" and how to push through it.

The most tactical segment comes when Rachel describes losing her project manager of three years and her husband's challenge: what if you automated 80% of the role? Three weeks of intensive work later—mapping processes, rewriting SOPs, and building automations—she went from working 3 a.m. to 7 p.m. to finishing by 5:30 for dinner. Her example of turning meeting note-takers into automated task creation systems is something any consultant can implement immediately.

Rachel also challenges the common advice to just "talk about yourself more" when marketing your consulting business. Her reframe: make the client the hero of every success story. When you showcase their transformation and challenges, prospective clients see themselves achieving the same results.

The conversation touches on why systems beat hustle every time, the importance of interconnected tools rather than disconnected apps, and Rachel's ambitious goal to help 100 small businesses double by 2029. She argues that when small businesses grow, the ripple effects extend far beyond revenue—to their families, communities, local little leagues, and neighboring businesses in ways that large corporations simply don't replicate.

For consultants struggling with inconsistent lead flow, Rachel's core message is clear: you're not lacking talent, you're lacking structure. And more hustle won't fix a business that isn't built on a proven growth system.

Connect with Rachel directly at rachelminion.com or explore her consulting frameworks at rockstarrandmoon.com—that's Rockstarr with two R's at the end.

Rachel's current reading stack includes Alex Hormozi's $100M Offers and $100 Million Leads, which she returns to regularly for fresh ideas on testing and experimentation.

About the Host

Zaneta Chuniq Inpower is a marketing professional and entrepreneur based in Atlanta with experience across multiple industries including resume writing and personal branding.

About the Guest

Rachel Minion is the founder and Head Rock Star at Rockstarr & Moon, a RevOps organization helping B2B consultants escape the grind cycle and build predictable, scalable profit. A third-generation entrepreneur, Rachel previously contributed to the Verizon Wireless website rebuild and led marketing at Ticketmaster before going full-time on her consulting practice during the pandemic. She's based in Northeast Florida.

Episode produced by Unscripted Small Business

Interview edited and formatted by Jeremy Rivera

Episode from the Unscripted Small Business Podcast

Host: Jeremy Rivera — SEO Arcade Founder & Freelance SEO Consultant

Guest: Dave Gulas — President & Co-Founder of EZDC 3PL

Sponsored by: Cookeville Sunroom Company

Dave Gulas is the president and co-founder of EZDC 3PL, providing warehousing, fulfillment, and transportation services for manufacturers and e-commerce brands. With 20 years in medical/pharmaceutical sales and over three years in logistics, Dave brings a customer-first approach to the 3PL industry.

Dave also hosts the Beyond Fulfillment Podcast, featuring real stories from entrepreneurs — available on the EZDC Blog and all major podcast platforms.

In this conversation, Dave shares how he and his partner identified a gap in the 3PL market — legacy providers weren't delivering the customer service that growing e-commerce brands needed. Three years later, EZDC has built a reputation for responsiveness and genuine care.

Key Topics Covered:

From SEO Arcade:

From Jeremy Rivera SEO:

"We saw a vast amount of complacency within the market to where legacy big box 3PLs were just not providing the proper service to e-commerce brands." — Dave Gulas

"Our guiding principle is we want to treat our customers as if it's our business in terms of we're gonna operate with urgency." — Dave Gulas

"Entrepreneurship has been glamorized so much in recent years... But let's be real about what it's really like to be an entrepreneur." — Dave Gulas

"Having a personal brand is more important than ever. People do business with people and faceless nameless brands are really losing ground." — Dave Gulas

"Struggle creates strength... It's really nature's way of making you stronger. Certainly entrepreneurs can relate to that." — Dave Gulas

Have questions about e-commerce fulfillment? Reach out to EZDC 3PL for a quote.

Need help with SEO strategy for your business? Contact Jeremy Rivera for consulting

Guest: Bill Kasko, Founder & CEO of Frontline Source Group
Host: Jeremy Rivera
Podcast: Unscripted Small Business by Be Sharp Digital Marketing

In this episode, Bill Kasko shares how he built a successful recruiting and staffing agency by doing the exact opposite of industry standards. From inverting the traditional sales model to being the first company to publish pricing online, Bill's "Costanza Theory" has disrupted an entire industry for over two decades.

We dive deep into the evolution of customer service technology, the fragmentation of the search landscape, and how AI is creating both opportunities and challenges for businesses. Bill also shares his insights on the current job market and why honest communication wins more business than overselling.

Bill Kasko is the Founder and CEO of Frontline Source Group, a staffing agency and executive search firm with over 21 years of experience. Known for their industry-disrupting five-year placement warranty and contrarian business approach.

Connect with Frontline Source Group:

Jeremy Rivera is an SEO expert and digital marketing strategist who hosts the Unscripted Small Business podcast, featuring conversations with entrepreneurs and business leaders about real-world challenges and innovative solutions.

"I'm not that smart of a guy, Jeremy. I'm just not. These are just stupid things that I have stumbled on over 21 years and realized that business people sometimes are stupid." - Bill Kasko

"We don't like to fail. It's so simple. Like, have an honest conversation with someone, especially a service business, if it's something that you know is going to be a struggle." - Bill Kasko

"When you start doing the opposite of everybody else, it will work. Now I tell people when they call and give me a hard time about it. No, it doesn't work. You're right. Don't do it. Stay away from it. It's horrible." - Bill Kasko

Innovation Area Traditional Approach Frontline's Approach Result Sales Model 20 salespeople, 10 recruiters 1 salesperson, 20 recruiters Better candidate quality wins business Pricing Transparency No pricing pages in industry First to publish pricing online #1 traffic driver to website Customer Service Hours Monday-Friday, 8-5 only 24/7 scheduling, weekend calls Competitive differentiation Placement Guarantees 90-day standard 5-year warranty Industry disruption, client confidence

 Listen to this episode: Unscripted Small Business Podcast

 Subscribe on your favorite platform:

Questions or feedback? Reach out to Jeremy Rivera or connect with our guests directly through the links above.

Want to be a guest? Email the show through our Unscripted Small Business website.

Guest: Tianna Mamalick, SMB Marketing School

Tianna Mamalick brings 12 years of SEO expertise focused exclusively on small businesses. In this conversation, she reveals why working with SMBs is more rewarding than enterprise clients, how to honestly manage expectations while delivering real results, and why she went back to human-written content after testing AI extensively. If you're a small business owner wondering what actually works in SEO right now, this episode cuts through the hype with practical, proven strategies.

Running a small business means every marketing dollar counts. Tianna specializes in helping businesses with limited budgets compete effectively by focusing on what drives actual revenue—not just traffic or rankings. She shares her formula for pairing SEO and paid ads that works specifically for service-based businesses, and explains why your service pages matter more than blog posts right now.

The Small Business Advantage Unlike enterprise clients where a 20% conversion increase gets a polite "that's nice," small business owners email about life-changing results: hiring their first employee, taking their first vacation, or investing in business growth. For Tianna, this feedback makes the work meaningful.

Honest Expectations Setting

The SEO + Ads Formula While ads don't directly boost SEO, they strategically help prime new pages through engagement. When expanding to multiple locations, running targeted ads on new service pages helps get Google Business Profiles moving faster and improves location-specific performance.

What's Actually Working in Content

The AI Content Experiment Tianna's agency tested AI-generated content extensively—and none of those articles ranked well. They've gone 100% back to human-written content, using AI only for creating outlines based on top-ranking competitors. The reality: people want authentic mistakes and real human voice.

AI Search Reality Check Less than 10% of traffic comes from ChatGPT for most small businesses. While you should prepare by enriching About pages with certifications and expertise, this isn't the urgent crisis some marketers claim. Most people aren't using ChatGPT for business searches yet—we're still in early adoption.

Mining Your Best Content Stop using SEMrush as your starting point. Instead:

Platform-Agnostic SEO SEO principles work across all platforms, not just Google. Younger generations search directly on Instagram. Make sure you're consistently talking about your actual services across social media, not just listing a keyword in your bio while posting unrelated content.

"When I increase revenue by 10K a month for a small business, I get emails like, 'I just hired my next person. I was able to take my first vacation.' It's not just a nice investment—it's a business changing investment."

"People want to work with people they like, know and trust. It's not just about the backlink. We're really looking at conversions—how can we get SEO to convert for you?"

"We can't give them cookie cutter content anymore. People want to see mistakes. They want to see people talking. They want to be connecting even in this content."

The SEO landscape is shifting from keyword-focused blog content to comprehensive service pages that answer real questions. Small businesses with limited budgets can't afford to waste money on tactics that don't convert. Tianna's approach focuses on the fundamentals that drive actual business growth: clear service descriptions, strategic local targeting, and content based on real customer conversations—not AI-generated fluff.