BizGrowMojo

BizGrowMojo Episode 15 - Agentic AI Engineer Nick Ruest

Nick Ruest has lived multiple business lives—from dominating local SEO in the early 2010s when the map didn't even exist in many Canadian cities, to closing over $30 million in sales in a single year working in finance, to now building enterprise-grade AI systems that are quickly getting downloaded by hundreds of developers worldwide. He's the co-founder of the Agentics Foundation, a global nonprofit teaching agentic engineering, and he's currently developing multiple AI platforms including AdProof AI for Shopify stores. In this episode, you'll discover: * ✓ The underground method for setting up lead gen sites using storage facilities (not virtual offices) * ✓ Why Nick measures his success by how many times he fails each day * ✓ The exact sales strategy for selling leads before you even have a client * ✓ How to get past gatekeepers by understanding what THEY'RE afraid of * ✓ The AI revolution happening right now that's replacing 6-month engineering projects with 3-week builds * ✓ Why limiting beliefs cost Nick years of potential growth (and how he overcame them) * ✓ The storage facility job that taught him business management skills worth millions * ✓ How to reverse-engineer competitor sales pitches to improve your own * ✓ The industries with high search volume but low competition * ✓ Why virtual offices don't work anymore and what to do instead Nick doesn't hold back in this conversation. He shares the exact tactics, the mistakes that cost him years, and the mindset shifts that finally unlocked success. Whether you're in SEO, running an agency, or exploring AI, this episode is packed with strategies you can implement immediately. You can connect with Nick on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-ruest/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-ruest/]. Check out the full episode at BizGrowMojo.com [http://bizgrowmojo.com]. Sign up for our newsletter where you’ll get updates about upcoming episodes and guests, insights and breakdowns from previous episodes as well as marketing and business tips you can apply to your own business: https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/ [https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/].

BizGrowMojo Episode 14 - Erica D'Arcangelo - Agency CEO and Pizza Podcast Host

Building Multiple Businesses: Inside a 30-Person Agency with Erica D'Arcangelo Erica D'Arcangelo is the founder of two thriving agencies with over 30 team members, and she's doing it all while growing a successful pizza podcast. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on what it really takes to scale a digital marketing business. What You'll Learn: * The exact outreach numbers: Why Erica’s insane number of messages per week are the baseline for growth (It’s probably a lot more than you’d think.) * How to scale from $1M to $10M (and why that's the hardest growth phase) * Why organic SEO traffic converts better than any other channel—and how long it really takes to see results * How to structure your agency team with clear roles and organizational charts from day one * Why video content is becoming non-negotiable for digital marketing success * The truth about AI in content creation: where it helps and where human oversight is critical Whether you're building your first agency or scaling to eight figures, Erica's practical insights on team building, client acquisition, and staying consistent through the slow-growth phases will give you the roadmap you need. You can learn more about Erica and her business at createwant.com [http://createwant.com], webcontentdevelopment.com [http://webcontentdevelopment.com], or her pizza podcast at: https://www.youtube.com/@AStoryAboutPizza [https://www.youtube.com/@AStoryAboutPizza] Learn more about becoming a guest, sponsoring episodes and where else you can listen at BizGrowMojo.com [http://bizgrowmojo.com]. Sign up for our newsletter where you’ll get updates about upcoming episodes and guests, insights and breakdowns from previous episodes as well as marketing and business tips you can apply to your own business: https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/ [https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/].

BizGrowMojo Episode 13 - Marc McDougall - Website Design and Conversion Specialist

Cold Email Tactics That Actually Work & The 3-Year Strategy That Changed Everything Marc McDougall has been running his freelance web design business for 13 years, specializing in conversion optimization and full-service work for software companies. In this episode, he pulls back the curtain on the marketing strategies that have kept his pipeline full for over a decade. In this episode, you'll discover: * Why paid discovery projects became Marc's game-changer for landing five-figure contracts * The unconventional cold email approach that gets 50% reply rates (yes, really) * How to use video outreach without spending hours per prospect * The brutal truth about growing on YouTube: commit to weekly uploads for a very long time * Common landing page mistakes that are killing your conversion rates * Why asking "why?" repeatedly sets you apart from desperate competitors * The power of lowering activation energy on your calls-to-action * How Marc closed $105,000 in client work from YouTube (and the mistake he made afterward) Marc shares raw, honest insights about the entrepreneurial journey—from the "pit of despair" when nothing seems to work, to the systems and mindset shifts that create sustainable success. Whether you're a freelancer, agency owner, or small business trying to generate leads, this episode delivers actionable strategies you can implement immediately. You can learn more about Marc and his business at https://marcmcdougall.com [https://marcmcdougall.com].  Learn more about becoming a guest, sponsoring episodes and where else you can listen at BizGrowMojo.com [http://bizgrowmojo.com]. Sign up for our newsletter where you’ll get updates about upcoming episodes and guests, insights and breakdowns from previous episodes as well as marketing and business tips you can apply to your own business: https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/ [https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/].

BizGrowMojo Episode 12 - Sales Coach Stefani Havel

Decode Your Clients: The Psychology Behind Every Sale with Stefani Havel Are you losing sales because you're not speaking your client's language? In this episode, sales strategist Stefani Havel reveals the psychology-based framework that transformed her 25-year corporate career and now helps entrepreneurs close more deals with confidence. Stefani breaks down the DISC behavior model—a proven methodology that identifies four distinct buyer personalities—and shows you exactly how to adapt your pitch, presentation, and follow-up to resonate with each type. You'll discover why some prospects want you to skip the small talk while others need relationship-building, and how to spot these cues within the first few minutes of any conversation. In This Episode: * ✓ The four buyer personality types and how to identify them instantly * ✓ Why "I need to think about it" really means you missed something crucial * ✓ How Stefani helped a moving company owner stop losing bids to cheaper competitors * ✓ The biggest mistake salespeople make (hint: it's about listening, not talking) * ✓ How to adapt your sales style without feeling inauthentic * ✓ Practical tips for presenting to mixed audiences and teams * ✓ Building a referral-based business through strategic networking * ✓ Transitioning from corporate America to entrepreneurship at any age You can learn more about Stefani and her business at bettercallstefani.com [http://bettercallstefani.com]. Learn more about becoming a guest, sponsoring episodes and where else you can listen at BizGrowMojo.com [http://bizgrowmojo.com]. Sign up for our newsletter where you’ll get updates about upcoming episodes and guests, insights and breakdowns from previous episodes as well as marketing and business tips you can apply to your own business: https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/ [https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/].

BizGrowMojo Episode 11 - Russ Perry, Founder of Design Pickle

Russ Perry went from closing a dying creative agency to building Design Pickle—an eight-figure subscription design service working with 10,000-15,000 projects monthly. But his path to success wasn't about being more creative or doing flashy work. It was about focusing on the boring, repetitive design tasks nobody else wanted to systematize. In this episode, Russ reveals: * Why figuring out the parts of the business that were working the best and not stressing him out led to going all in on a model that made all the difference. * The positioning strategy that differentiated Design Pickle without changing the actual service * How he built a custom platform managing 300-500 designers across the globe * His framework for making better decisions when you only have 50-50 odds * Why knowing your exit strategy NOW makes daily operations exponentially easier * The one investment that's driven all his success (hint: it's probably not what you think) Whether you're drowning in client work, struggling to scale, or just looking for a fresh perspective on building a profitable business, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you can implement immediately. If you’d like to learn how Russ built his empire, he lays out the framework in his new book and you can get that for free by following his instructions in the episode! You can learn more about Russ and his business at  RussPerry.co [http://russperry.co] and DesignPickle.com [http://designpickle.com]. Learn more about becoming a guest, sponsoring episodes and where else you can listen at BizGrowMojo.com [http://bizgrowmojo.com]. Sign up for our newsletter where you’ll get updates about upcoming episodes and guests, insights and breakdowns from previous episodes as well as marketing and business tips you can apply to your own business: https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/ [https://bizgrowmojo.com/newsletter/].