Welcome to Growth IRL.

In episode one, Mike Schmutz shares the path that led to DataXGrowth: 15+ years in growth marketing, the reality of building a business as a dad and competitive bodybuilder, and the discipline it takes to keep moving when the work gets hard.

Mike breaks down why DataXGrowth was built as a fractional growth partner for startups, SaaS, D2C, subscription, and high-growth brands. The goal is straightforward: bring strategy, analytics, SEO/AEO, conversion optimization, paid acquisition, lifecycle, experimentation, and lean technical execution into one measurable growth system.

This conversation is about more than agency building. It is about choosing a growth mindset that can handle hard things: taking the next rep, solving the next constraint, and staying in the work long enough for real progress to compound.

In this episode:

• The story behind DataXGrowth

• The experiences that shaped Mike's operating philosophy

• Why data, strategy, and execution must stay connected

• How fitness, family, and resilience influence the way he builds

• What to expect from future Growth IRL conversations

Follow Growth IRL for practical conversations about building companies, systems, careers, and lives that keep moving forward.

Learn more: https://dataxgrowth.com