In this episode of Inside Marketing with MarketSurge, Reed Hansen sits down with agency-scaling strategist Jesse Gilmore to uncover how service-based business owners can escape the “trap of success,” find their niche, and build rock-solid systems that drive predictable growth without burnout. Jesse breaks down his five-stage growth model, reveals the must-have tech stack for agencies, and even shares the fictional characters and daily rituals that keep him energized.

Key Takeaways

1. The Trap of Success
   • Jesse’s corporate journey eliminating single points of failure inspired his systems-first approach for entrepreneurs.
   • Early wins without systems led to 80-hour workweeks and burnout.
2. Why Niche Is Non-Negotiable
   • Specialists outperform generalists, especially as AI commoditizes broad services.
   • A tightly defined niche cuts through market noise and maximizes client fit.
3. Five Stages of Agency Growth
   • Subject-Matter Expert → Trainer → Manager → Leader → Visionary
   • Each transition requires distinct mindsets, processes, and team structures.
4. Process Before Technology
   • Map and validate workflows visually before you automate.
   • Essential tech categories:
     • CRM: (e.g. Close CRM) for pipeline management
     • Project Management: Trello, ClickUp for task workflows
     • Knowledge Base: Help Scout or similar for SOP documentation
     • Marketing/Prospecting: LinkedIn outreach tools
5. SOP Best Practices
   • Build a high-level “business management system” (the trunk)
   • Define processes as branches, then develop SOP “leaves” with clear “definitions of done.”
6. Fictional Lens & Productivity Hacks
   • Jesse likens himself to a “Yoda-style guide”—empowering clients (the Luke Skywalkers).
   • Daily routine: 5:30 AM start → meditation, stacked journaling, running, green smoothie, family time → work focused 9 AM–4:30 PM.
7. Rapid-Fire Insights
   • Coffee or tea? Coffee, always.
   • Favorite app? Productivity tools and his green-smoothie habit.
   • Morning mantra: Invest daily in Body, Being, Balance, Business.

Resources & Links

• Jesse’s Website: https://www.nicheincontrol.com/
• Join a Masterclass/Event: https://events.nicheincontrol.com/
• Free Guide (“Agency Owner’s Guide to Freedom”): https://www.nicheincontrol.com/free-guide
• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessepgilmore/
• MarketSurge: https://marketsurge.io

Timestamped Breakdown

• 0:00 – Introduction & Jesse’s background
• 3:15 – Breaking free from the success trap
• 8:00 – Why agency owners thrive with systems
• 12:30 – The power of niching
• 18:00 – Five-stage growth model explained
• 24:00 – Tech stack essentials & SOP strategy
• 31:00 – Fictional analogies & “Yoda” insight
• 36:00 – Jesse’s daily routines & productivity hacks
• 40:30 – Rapid-fire Q&A
• 45:00 – How to work with Jesse & closing remarks

In this video, we’ll break down how choosing the right ad mix—TikTok, Facebook, and Google Ads—helps your photography business capture awareness, nurture leads, and close bookings without chasing vanity metrics. Whether you’re a boutique portrait studio or a full-service wedding photographer, this is for you if you’re ready to scale up your marketing and sales the smart way.

💡 What You’ll Learn:
• Platform Roles & Stats – Why TikTok builds buzz, Facebook warms leads, and Google converts high-intent searchers
• Real-World Examples – How a studio booked 8 mini-sessions on TikTok and doubled lead gen on Facebook
• Data-Driven Best Practices – From CPM targets to CPC thresholds, plus A/B testing frameworks for continuous optimization

👉 Key Highlights:
✅ TikTok: 1.2B users, 95 min/day watch time, 1–2% click→booking rates
✅ Facebook: $0.97 avg. CPC, 12% click-to-reservation on carousel lead ads
✅ Google: 5.6B searches/day, 4–6% conversion on targeted search + Performance Max

📈 At MarketSurge, we help you turn ad spend into a predictable pipeline—using real data, not gut feel—to fill your calendar month after month.

🧠 Want to talk strategy or see it in action?
🎯 Book your 15-minute Value or Free Coffee Call:
https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee

🔗 Useful Links
🌐 Website: https://marketsurge.io
📘 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio
🐦 X / Twitter: https://x.com/marketsurging
🎙️ Podcast: https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/

© 2025 MarketSurge. All rights reserved.

In this episode, Pamela Stambaugh, Founder & President of Accountability Pays, Inc., dives deep into:
• Defining true accountability in leadership and why “being” matters more than “doing”
• Turning “soft” people issues into hard data with Harrison Assessments
• Dialogue-driven techniques to foster ownership without finger-pointing

Whether you’re a CEO, manager, or emerging leader—this is for you if you’re ready to elevate your team’s performance, engagement, and results.

💡 What You’ll Learn:
• Leadership vs. Management – How showing up creates discretionary effort
• Data-Driven Suitability – Matching people to roles based on 175 behavioral traits
• Accountable, Awake & Aware – The inner game that powers external impact

👉 Key Highlights:
✅ “Accountable, Awake & Aware” – Center yourself to lead effectively in turbulent times
✅ The 100-Day Rule – Trust-building strategies for new leaders
✅ Exemplary Leadership in Action – Stories from Unilever’s Paul Polman and Chobani’s Hamdi Ulukaya

📈 At MarketSurge, we bring you unfiltered conversations with the most insightful minds in marketing and leadership.

🧠 Want to dive deeper into accountability and culture transformation?
🎯 Connect with Pamela Stambaugh:
• Website: https://accountabilitypays.com
• Email: pstambaugh@accountabilitypays.com

🔗 Useful Links
🌐 MarketSurge: https://marketsurge.io
🎙️ Inside Marketing with MarketSurge Podcast: https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/
📅 Book Your 15-Minute Value or Free Coffee Call: https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee

📲 Follow Us
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marketsurge-q7q
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio
• X / Twitter: https://x.com/marketsurging

Welcome to Inside Marketing with MarketSurge! This week, we’re diving into the wildest shifts happening in the world of marketing, AI, and digital strategy.

From Cannes Lions-level AI investments to the death spiral of traditional SEO... from AI-generated ad campaigns that feel soulless to viral controversy over a billboard telling businesses to “Stop Hiring Humans” — this episode covers it ALL.

We’re breaking down what’s hype, what’s real, and what actually matters for your business in 2025.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, confused, or straight-up curious about how AI is changing the marketing landscape (and maybe the entire workforce)... this is the episode for you.

🧠 What We Cover:

• 🚀 AI’s Grip on Marketing: Why 71% of CMOs are dumping over $10M/year into AI—and why most still don’t know how to use it right.
• 🔎 The Death of SEO? How AI answers are killing search traffic—and why TikTok, YouTube, and human-first content are the future.
• 🎯 AI in Ads: Friend or frenemy? Are we sacrificing creativity for efficiency?
• ⚠️ The 'Stop Hiring Humans' Backlash: Genius marketing or dystopian nightmare?
• ⚖️ AI Bias in Marketing: How AI mirrors human bias—and how it can both help and harm your brand.
• 🎨 The AI vs. Creativity Debate: Can AI ever truly replace human imagination, or is it just a very smart remix machine?

🏆 Key Takeaways:

• AI is transforming marketing faster than most teams can adapt.
• Traditional SEO is becoming less reliable; human-first, video-driven content is rising.
• AI brings incredible power but also real risks—bias, depersonalization, and job displacement.
• The brands that win will be the ones that balance automation with authentic human creativity.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• 🌐 MarketSurge: marketsurge.io
• 🗓️ Book a Free 15-Minute Value Call: link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/marketsurge/demozvwcxw
• 🎙️ Subscribe to the Podcast: marketsurge.transistor.fm
• 📲 Follow MarketSurge:
  • YouTube: youtube.com/@marketsurge-q7q
  • Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio
  • Twitter/X: x.com/marketsurging

🙌 Thanks for Listening!

If you loved this episode, be sure to follow, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who's trying to figure out where marketing is headed next.

Let’s scale something legendary. 🚀

In this episode of Inside Marketing with MarketSurge, we sit down with Ben Heuertz, co-founder of The Skinny Platform, to explore how their revolutionary 60-minute book format helps entrepreneurs clarify their message, accelerate sales, and build trust — all without ghostwriter dilution.
Whether you’re a coach, consultant, or business owner, this is your blueprint for turning your story into your strongest marketing asset.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
• The origin story behind The Skinny Platform
• Why short, strategic books beat traditional publishing for business goals
• How these books become powerful tools for sales, lead qualification, and personal branding
👉 Key Highlights:
✅ Real-world example: 3-month sales cycle reduced to 30 days
✅ How their interview-driven format keeps your authentic voice
✅ The surprising power of short-form publishing for positioning and authority
📈 At MarketSurge, we help you turn tools into systems — and systems into growth.
If you want to scale your brand with a book people actually read, Ben’s system is a game changer.
🧠 Want to talk strategy or see it in action?
🎯 Book your 15-minute Value or Free Coffee Call:
https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee
🔗 Useful Links
🌐 The Skinny Platform: https://www.writeaskinny.com
🌐 MarketSurge: https://marketsurge.io
🎙️ Podcast: https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/marketsurging

🚜 Ever wonder what agronomics and marketing have in common?

In this episode of Inside Marketing with MarketSurge, we sit down with award-winning agronomist Todd Steinacher — founder of Acre Crop and Land and the 2021 International Certified Crop Advisor of the Year — to explore how deep expertise, smart systems, and true coaching create results in both farming and business.

💡 What You’ll Learn:
• What an agronomist really does and why it matters to every acre
• How Todd coaches agronomists to think like business owners
• The surprising overlap between growing crops and growing companies

👉 Key Highlights:
✅ Why “test and tweak” is the secret to both high-yield crops and high-performing ads
✅ The power of being an independent advisor (not a vendor with an agenda)
✅ Real talk on mentoring, building systems, and staying sharp in your career

📈 Whether you're planting seeds in soil or in sales, Todd’s story is a masterclass in mixing science, strategy, and service.

🌾 Want to connect with Todd? Visit: https://www.everyachermatters.com

🎯 Want marketing that grows as hard as you do?
Book your free 15-minute strategy call here:
https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee

🔗 Useful Links
🌐 Website: https://marketsurge.io
📘 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio
🐦 X / Twitter: https://x.com/marketsurging
🎙️ Podcast: https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/

In this episode of Inside Marketing with MarketSurge, host Reed Hansen sits down with Elizabeth Mahusay — national speaker, bestselling author, and mindset coach — to unpack what it really takes to get out of survival mode and into a life of clarity, direction, and conviction.
From teaching high school chemistry to leading national sales teams and launching a speaking empire, Elizabeth shares her journey from burnout and identity loss to building a life rooted in faith and purpose.
💡 Whether you're navigating a pivot, launching a business, or just feeling stuck — this conversation will fire up your vision and help you see what’s possible when you lean into your purpose.
💬 What You’ll Learn:
• Why generalists make powerful leaders (and how teachers become business titans)
• How to unlock vision when you feel directionless
• The secret power of visualization and your brain’s “reticular activation system”
• How Elizabeth integrates faith, focus, and follow-through in coaching
• Why asking great questions is more powerful than having all the answers
👉 Key Highlights:
✅ How to discover your purpose using “vision mapping”
✅ Why most people fail (hint: it's not lack of talent)
✅ Real coaching examples that shift mindset in real time
✅ How to use a personal SWOT analysis to get unstuck
✅ Public speaking tips from a pro who’s delivered hundreds of keynotes
📚 Check out Elizabeth’s books, coaching, and speaking:
🌐 https://elizabethmahusay.com
🎧 Prefer to listen on the go? Subscribe to the podcast here:
👉 https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/
📈 Want marketing that feels personal but performs like a team of 10?
🎯 Book a 15-Min Value or Free Coffee Call:
https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee
🔗 Follow MarketSurge:
🌐 Website: https://marketsurge.io
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio
🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/marketsurging
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marketsurge-q7q
🎙️ Podcast: https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/
00:00 From Burnout to Boldness: Clarity, Confidence & Vision with Elizabeth Mahusay

In this episode of Inside Marketing with MarketSurge, host Reed Hansen interviews Stephen Jaye, founder of Reclaim Your Time — a transformational program built to help overwhelmed entrepreneurs and professionals break free from screen addiction and reclaim their most valuable asset: their time.
If you’ve ever said “I’m too busy” while juggling Slack, email, and TikTok — this episode will hit home. Stephen drops wisdom on building a business (and life) that runs on focus, not frantic energy.
💡 What You’ll Learn:
• Reclaim Your Time – What it is, who it’s for, and how it helps you unplug with purpose
• Focus = Freedom – The surprising link between screen habits and business momentum
• Stephen’s Journey – How he went from digital overload to intentional creator
👉 Key Highlights:
✅ The science-backed system behind Reclaim Your Time
✅ Real strategies to reduce screen time without quitting your business
✅ Why managing your attention is the next-level marketing hack
📈 At MarketSurge, we help you turn tools into systems — and systems into growth.
If you want automation that feels personal and performs like a team of 10, you’re in the right place.
🧠 Want to talk strategy or see it in action?
🎯 Book your 15-minute Value or Free Coffee Call:
https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee
🔗 Useful Links
🌐 MarketSurge: https://marketsurge.io
🎙️ Podcast: https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/
🌟 Reclaim Your Time: https://reclaimyourtime.co
👤 Stephen Jaye’s Website: https://stephenjaye.com
📷 Stephen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephen_jaye
📘 MarketSurge Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654
💼 MarketSurge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio
🐦 MarketSurge X (Twitter): https://x.com/marketsurging