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Before he was building ad campaigns, Jack Hepp was building houses. Now he runs Industrious Marketing, helping local businesses grow through hands-on paid media advertising strategy.

In this episode, Jack shares how getting fired early shaped his marketing career, discusses the mentors who sharpened his skills, and why clear pricing and clean strategy always win over smoke and mirrors, specifically in regard to local businesses and Google Local Services ads (LSAs).

Episode Highlights:

• Jack Hepp’s background in construction and mentorship shaped his approach to marketing, emphasizing responsibility, adaptability, and long-term thinking in paid media strategies.
• He advocates for a “listen first” approach in client interactions, and stresses the importance of honest, constructive feedback.
• Jack discusses the value of Local Service Ads (LSAs) for certain industries, but warns they should be complemented with traditional campaigns for consistent lead generation.
• He prefers transparent, tiered pricing models based on ad spend, and emphasizes that clear scope, reporting, and communication are essential for building trust and setting expectations with clients.

Episode Links:

• Jack Hepp on LinkedIn
• Industrious Marketing

Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor:

• Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com
• Instagram: @thedmmentor
• Linkedin: @thedmmentor
• YouTube: @thedmmentor

Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family:

• Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations.
• ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

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Mohammad Anwar, President and CEO of Softway and Culture+, shares how embracing love, empathy, and honest, human-centric leadership transformed his approach to business and marketing.

From early culture shocks in both Saudi Arabia and rural Kansas, to guiding executives through challenges today, his story highlights how trust, storytelling, and people-first communication drive organizational success and personal growth.

This episode offers practical insights for leaders steering through change and technology-driven transformations, sharing conversation about themes discussed in his upcoming book, “Love as a Change Strategy,” which will be released later this month.

Episode Highlights:

• Growing up between cultures shaped Mohammad’s empathy, perspective, and openness as a leader.
• A Catholic boarding school experience in his younger days taught him to advocate for change and respect diverse traditions.
• Near-bankruptcy forced a personal reckoning, leading him to adopt love as a business strategy.
• The leadership philosophy of University of Houston’s Coach Tom Herman transformed Mohammad’s approach to culture and mentorship.
• Love and vulnerability are not abstract ideals, but measurable, actionable tools for change management.

Episode Links:

• Mohammad Anwar on LinkedIn
• Softway
  Culture+
  Love as a Business Strategy (podcast
• Love as a Business Strategy (book)
• Love as a Change Strategy (NEW book, available this month!)

Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor:

• Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com
• Instagram: @thedmmentor
• Linkedin: @thedmmentor
• YouTube: @thedmmentor

Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family:

• Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations.
• ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.

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In this solo Office Hours episode, Optidge founder Danny Gavin dives into how generative AI is radically reshaping how we search, discover, and measure online visibility.

From the shift away from rankings to the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), Danny breaks down what marketers need to know now, and how to stay visible and relevant in a world where ChatGPT might answer before Google does.

An Optidge "Office Hours" Episode

Our Office Hours episodes are your go-to for details, how-to’s, and advice on specific marketing topics. Join our fellow Optidge team members, and sometimes even 1:1 teachings from Danny himself, in these shorter, marketing-focused episodes every few weeks. Get ready to get marketing!

Episode Highlights:

• Danny details the timeline of AI search, sharing how the evolution of tools is transforming SEO, shifting focus from traditional rankings to being cited, summarized, and trusted in AI responses.
• To succeed in the AI era, Danny suggests brands focus on visibility, establishing authority through original content, and structuring websites for AI readability.
• He shares that traditional SEO metrics are becoming less reliable, and that the emphasis should be on inclusion rate and monitoring brand reputation
• Danny gives examples to explain how your website and online presence serve as signals for AI, making it crucial to audit, optimize, and build brand authority to stay relevant.

Episode Links:

• Optidge Website
• Danny Gavin on LinkedIn
• Follow @Optidge on Instagram and Twitter

Follow The Digital Marketing Mentor:

• Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com
• Instagram: @thedmmentor
• Linkedin: @thedmmentor
• YouTube: @thedmmentor

Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family:

• Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations.
• ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business’s digital marketing strategy.