Vox & Coin

In this episode of Vox & Coin, hosts Jake “The Wizard” Tlapek and Dave Valentine get brutally honest about budgets, expectations, and what it really takes to get results in SEO and paid ads. Spoiler: if you’re thinking small and local without the revenue to back it up, you might not be ready for the big leagues—and that’s okay.

💰 From real talk about low-budget pain to practical thresholds for meaningful ROI, this episode covers:

The bare minimum ad spend needed to make a platform work

Why $50/day is your starting line—not your finish line

What to expect at $500/day, $1k/day, and $30k+/month ad tiers

The four levers of SEO: Content, Technical, UX, and Authority

What $2k/month in SEO actually buys you—and why it’s non-negotiable

How to tell if your agency (or internal team) is wasting your money

Why most local-first mindsets are stuck in bottom-tier thinking

Real-world stories: impossible clients, overextended businesses, and smart execution

🧠 Plus:

What 10,000+ SEO plans taught us about ROI timelines (hint: it’s longer than you think)

The SEO vs. Ads debate—compound growth vs. instant feedback

Minimum time commitments you need for SEO, Ads, Email, and Organic Social

When to cut a client loose (even if the check clears)

🎯 Whether you're running ads yourself, hiring an agency, or building your first marketing funnel, this episode is your no-BS benchmark for what actually works—and what just wastes time and money.

Search-optimized keywords:

💥 It’s raw. It’s real. It’s the conversation you wish someone had with you before you lit your last $3,000 ad budget on fire.

Want tailored help with your budget or strategy? Visit us at voxandcoin.com or follow Jake @wizardmarketing and Dave @realdeval.

🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review—it helps more founders and marketers find the show and stop wasting cash on weak strategies.

In this episode of Unicorn Campaigns, host Dave Valentine chats with Talya Pessolano, the founder of The Dirty Italian — a South Boston deli that’s anything but ordinary. From importing rare cheeses to crafting custom grazing tables for baby showers, Talya’s brand blends bold flavor, hospitality, and high-performing marketing that turns everyday customers into raving fans.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:

How The Dirty Italian scaled from Instagram charcuterie boards to a brick-and-mortar deli with classes, catering, and a cult following.

The email marketing playbook Talya used to drive $15,000+ in holiday catering revenue with one simple campaign.

Why she refuses to sell gas station-looking cookies — and how visual brand experience impacts everything from Instagram Reels to in-store design.

Her grassroots approach to social media, including trending audio hacks, scheduled weekly content, and strategic collabs with Boston chefs and influencers.

The origin story of her unforgettable brand name and the mindset shift that helped her transition from software sales to full-time food entrepreneur.

🎯 Whether you're running a local food business or a national eCommerce brand, Talya’s journey highlights the power of personal branding, community collaboration, and keeping your marketing both simple and stunning.

Keywords for discovery:

📲 Follow Talya at @taliasdirtyitalian on Instagram or visit thedirtyitalian.com to learn more.

🎧 Subscribe to Unicorn Campaigns for more behind-the-scenes stories of wildly successful marketing moves that built brands worth raving about.

In this episode of Vox & Coin, hosts Jake “The Wizard” Tlapek and Dave Valentine unpack the most mind-blowing marketing and business development tools they’ve ever used—and why choosing the right tech stack can make or break your growth.

🧰 From enterprise dashboards and AI automations to lightweight, budget-friendly solutions, this episode covers:

The marketing dashboard that replaces 9 tools and how to know when you’re ready for it (Adriel)

Why Zapier crushes Make and how to avoid automation fails

The power of deep research and autonomous agents in ChatGPT

A no-code tool that writes and deploys code for you (Lovable.dev)

Why SearchAtlas beats SEMrush for all-in-one SEO management

Our favorite tools for proposals, CRMs, bookkeeping, project management, content repurposing & more (think: Proposify, PipeDrive, Wave, Monday.com, Repurpose.io, Loom, Fathom, Gusto, Looker Studio)

Our top AI + automation stack for startups, scale-ups, and 7- to 9-figure agencies

🔍 Plus:

Why engagement, not expense, defines a great tool

The one mistake even billion-dollar companies make when choosing software

How to evaluate whether a tool will actually make you money or save you time

🎯 Whether you're a solo founder or leading a marketing team, this episode is your no-fluff, all-playbook breakdown of the software stack we use and recommend to real businesses every day.

Search-optimized keywords:

💥 This is your toolkit. No sponsorships. No fluff. Just the software that’s actually working for real businesses in 2025. Want to talk tools for your brand? Hit us up at voxandcoin.com or find Jake @wizardmarketing and Dave @realdeval.

🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review to help other marketers and founders discover the show!

Sharon Kuriakose, the CEO and Co-founder of Plates Full, an innovative online personal chef marketplace discusses the motivations behind creating Plates Full, the company's rapid growth across Texas, and their unique marketing strategies.

He shares insights on the importance of trust, quality, and customer obsession. Sharan emphasizes the significance of networking, partnerships, and a multi-faceted marketing approach to building a successful business.

Tune in to learn more about Plates Full's mission to become the go-to brand for in-home dining experiences and their future expansion plans.

Welcome to the first episode of Vox & Coin, where eCommerce insights collide with unfiltered conversation. Hosted by Jake “The Wizard” Tlapek and Dave Valentine, this debut episode dives deep into the real ROI of influencer marketing and why engagement rate trumps follower count in 2025 and beyond.

Whether you’re a startup founder, marketing exec, or eCom brand owner, this episode breaks down:

Why micro-influencers often outperform macro-celebrities in lead generation

How to find influencers already talking about your product using social search

Why authenticity and BS-free brand storytelling drive conversions

The real math behind TikTok’s algorithm (and how to hack it)

How to use influencer content as ad creative gold without making it suck

The case for bringing humor, relatability, and even brand mascots into your ad strategy

Plus, we unpack a real-world example where a product gifted to a small creator outperformed campaigns with creators 10x their size—and why that kind of authentic brand advocacy is the future of social commerce.

This isn’t theory—it’s the playbook. From Topgolf and Totino’s to Lincoln and Duolingo, we dissect what works, what flops, and what you should do next.

If you’re tired of wasting money on follower counts and want to grow your brand with real engagement, authentic partnerships, and high-converting content, this is your new favorite podcast.

Keywords to help you find us: influencer marketing, eCommerce podcast, TikTok algorithm, micro-influencer strategy, engagement rate, social media ROI, user-generated content, authentic branding, product marketing, digital advertising, social proof.

Subscribe and leave a review if you’re ready for honest takes and tactical breakdowns that’ll help you market smarter, not louder.

Follow Jake at @wizardmarketing and Dave at @realdeval on TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.