How I Made $200K in My First Year as a Freelance Marketer

Building a Marketing Business That SELLS: Lessons form an Exited Agency Founder

⚡️ Columbus Marketing Jobs Newsletter: https://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com [https://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com/] Danielle Walton co-founded Adept Marketing in Columbus, Ohio, scaled it to 40+ employees, landed on the Inc 5000, and sold it to a global performance commerce agency in 2022. In this episode, she breaks down exactly how she and her business partner built something a buyer actually wanted, where the gaps were, and what she'd do differently. We also get into why Columbus gave Adept an edge that no other market could have replicated, and what she's building now with LGS Consultants and a growing dental group. CONNECT WITH DANIELLE 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-walton-a6205720/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-walton-a6205720/] CONNECT WITH ANDY 🌐 Website: https://www.mmgdesign.net/ [https://www.mmgdesign.net/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmilligan/ [https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmilligan/] TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction to Business Acquisition and Consulting 02:47 - Career Trajectory and Entrepreneurial Roots 05:54 - Identifying Market Trends and Business Strategy 09:11 - Narrowing Focus: The Shift to Digital Marketing 11:57 - Building a Business for Acquisition 14:50 - Misconceptions About the Acquisition Process 24:41 - Misconceptions in Entrepreneurship 30:10 - Building a Business in Columbus 34:52 - Transitioning to New Ventures 39:14 - Coaching and Leadership Insights 40:12 - Implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System TEAM 🎙 Host // Andy Milligan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/] 🎥 Production // MMG Design: https://www.mmgdesign.net/ [https://www.mmgdesign.net/] 🤝 Powered by // AMA Columbus: https://amacolumbus.org [https://amacolumbus.org/] and our friends at COhatch (Get 2 free weeks of premium coworking, on us) https://www.cohatch.com/mbd [https://www.cohatch.com/mbd]

A Transparent Look Into My Business (2026)

⚡️ Columbus Marketing Jobs Newsletter: The best marketing jobs in Columbus delivered to your inbox every Monday. Freelance, fractional, in-house. Totally free. https://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com/ [https://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com/] This week, Andy pulls back the curtain on his marketing studio with the full January 2026 monthly retro. He walks through revenue, contractor costs, the new MMG rebrand, two LinkedIn posts that popped off, and the websites his team shipped. If you run a marketing business or a freelance practice and want to see how someone else thinks about finances, hiring, and accountability, this episode is the inside look most agency owners will never show you. CONNECT WITH ANDY 🌐 Website: https://www.mmgdesign.net/ [https://www.mmgdesign.net/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmilligan/ [https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmilligan/] 📬 Columbus Marketing Jobs: https://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com/ [https://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com/] TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:30 - I Show My Numbers Every Month 02:30 - $28,818. Here's Where It Came From. 04:15 - The Diagram That Runs My Business 06:30 - Why Contractors Cost Me $4K 09:00 - Why I Stopped Saying "Expenses" 11:00 - We Moved Into a Real Studio 12:45 - Florida On Spirit Airlines 14:30 - The MMG Rebrand Is Real 17:00 - Two LinkedIn Posts That Hit 19:30 - The Websites We Launched in January 22:30 - The Things I Need To Own 25:00 - What I Said I'd Do in January 27:00 - My February Marching Orders TEAM 🎙 Host // Andy Milligan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/] 🎥 Production // MMG Design: https://www.mmgdesign.net/ [https://www.mmgdesign.net/] 🤝 Powered by // AMA Columbus: https://amacolumbus.org [https://amacolumbus.org]and our friends at COHATCH (Get 2 free weeks of premium coworking, on us) https://www.cohatch.com/mbd [https://www.cohatch.com/mbd]

LinkedIn Marketing For Founders Masterclass (2026 Proven Playbook)

⚡️ Get the best marketing jobs delivered to your inbox every week: https://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com/ [https://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com/] The real LinkedIn growth isn't what you see on the surface. It's the behind-the-scenes work that happens in DMs, profile optimization, and strategic commenting. In this episode, I sit down with Alison Ditmer, a LinkedIn strategist who's helped countless founders build thriving businesses on the platform. We break down what actually works in 2026: the consistency required, why clarity beats content volume, and the conversations that turn into real client relationships. This episode contains the secret to growth on LinkedIn and becoming a thought leader on LinkedIn. CONNECT WITH ALISON DITMER 🌐 Website: https://allisonditmer.com/ [https://allisonditmer.com/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonditmer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonditmer/] 📹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@allisonditmer/videos [https://www.youtube.com/@allisonditmer/videos] CONNECT WITH ANDY 🌐 Website: https://www.mmgdesign.net/ [https://www.mmgdesign.net/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmilligan/ [https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmilligan/] ⚡️ High-Converting Websites Visual Swipe File: https://www.mmg.studio/visualswipefile [https://www.mmg.studio/visualswipefile] TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - The Algorithm Lie Nobody Talks About 3:15 - How Often Should You Actually Post 8:45 - The Busy Founder Problem 12:30 - Show Your Work, Not Your Life 18:00 - Why Comments Beat Posts Right Now 24:15 - The Real Money Happens in the DMs 30:45 - How to Audit Your Profile for the Right People 36:30 - The Lacey Picasso Attribution Story 42:00 - What's Actually Working on LinkedIn in 2026 48:15 - Testing the Phone Posting Theory 52:45 - What Alison's Building Next TEAM 🎙 Host // Andy Milligan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/] 🎥 Production // MMG Design: https://www.mmgdesign.net/ [https://www.mmgdesign.net/] 🤝 Powered by // AMA Columbus: https://amacolumbus.org and our friends at COhatch (Get 2 free weeks of premium coworking): https://www.cohatch.com/mbd [https://www.cohatch.com/mbd]

Ex-Google Employee Reveals Secrets to Profitable Ads

⚡️ High-Converting Websites Visual Swipe File: https://www.mmg.studio/visualswipefile [https://www.mmg.studio/visualswipefile] Peter Guba spent nearly a decade at Google managing more than 1,000 ad accounts before launching Profit Mill, where he now helps B2B startups, scale-ups, and service businesses turn ad spend into measurable profit. In this episode, Peter pulls back the curtain on why most B2B paid ads campaigns are quietly broken before they launch, the 50/50 truth about offers and setup that most agencies will never tell you, and how he is rebuilding his agency around AI without losing the human edge. If you run paid ads or are thinking about starting, this is the inside look most people in this space will never give you. CONNECT WITH PETER 🌐 Website: https://www.profitmill.io/ [https://www.profitmill.io/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterguba/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterguba/] CONNECT WITH ANDY 🌐 Website: https://www.mmgdesign.net/ [https://www.mmgdesign.net/] 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/] 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmilligan/ [https://www.instagram.com/mindfulmilligan/] TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Why Fridays are sacred at Profit Mill 11:30 - Why Peter wakes up at 3am 18:12 - From Google to founder 22:00 - The "drain the swamp" lesson 27:25 - The all-nighter that started automating the agency 33:45 - Why speed is the only moat 43:40 - Who's actually ready for paid ads 46:30 - The 50/50 rule of paid ads 52:18 - Why your hook has nothing to do with your customer 55:30 - Where the name "Profit Mill" came from TEAM 🎙 Host // Andy Milligan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmgdesign/] 🎥 Production // MMG Design: https://www.mmgdesign.net/ [https://www.mmgdesign.net/]

How I Made $200K in My First Year as a Freelance Marketer

How I Got My First 5 Freelance Marketing Clients: https://mmgdesign.kit.com/first5 [https://mmgdesign.kit.com/first5] If you're a freelance marketer trying to land your first few clients or break six figures for the first time, this is the playbook I wish someone had handed me when I got laid off February 1st of 2024. This presentation was given at the SEO Search Summit. It walks through the exact three-part system I used to get there using a podcast and LinkedIn outreach. Stick around until the end. The lead generation section is the most important part of the whole thing. All resources, links, and tools mentioned in the video are below. RESOURCES MENTIONED - The three-part system: podcasting, LinkedIn, and lead generation activities - The mindset shift that has to come before any of this works - Guest selection framework (potential clients, referral partners, thought leaders) - My 9 highest-performing LinkedIn post types with examples - LinkedIn profile optimization basics - The Fibonacci follow-up cadence I use to close more deals - Bonus: how I got my first 5 web design clients (resource link below) RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO Marketing by Design Podcast: http://www.mmg.studio/podcast [http://www.mmg.studio/podcast] How I Got My First 5 Freelance Marketing Clients: https://mmgdesign.kit.com/first5 [https://mmgdesign.kit.com/first5] Subscribe to Columbus Marketing Jobs (The Best Marketing Gigs in Columbus delivered to you, weekly, for free) http://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com [http://www.columbusmarketingjobs.com]