Interview With Georgi (SEA Team Lead)

1) Where were you born and raised? Also tell us something unique about yourself.

I was born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria. The city has a rich history of at least 3000 thousand years. Constantine The Great stated "Sofia (Serdica back then) is my Rome" and it was one of the cities considered for the new capital. But finally the old Thracian / Greek settlement of Byzantion won the contest and became Constantinople, the centre of the Middle Age world, and today's Istanbul. Basically, I just showed you that history is my passion. Probably the last 2000 years of European history are very well-structured in my mind.

2) What got you interested in marketing and what was your journey?

I've wanted to have an interesting job, to understand, and to influence people. It was not easy to find something - I was a student in Germany, the first year was rough, at the end of my bachelor studies, it was necessary that I start with a modestly paid internship.

It was more SEO and E-Commerce focussed, but a couple of months later, I applied for an SEO position elsewhere, and I had the luck to mention during the interview with the recruiter that I would like to learn SEA.

They decided to hire two people instead of one and to give me a pure SEA position. The rest is history - I spent the past 10 years doing SEA at multiple German companies, both in-house and at agencies.

3) What skills and industry do you specialize in?

I am a dedicated PPC professional and have experience with many channels - everything within the Google eco-system, except DSPs, Microsoft Ads, Apple Search Ads, Criteo, Taboola, Amazon (both PPC and SEO), eBay, Facebook, TikTok.

For this year, my plans are to become confident with Social media campaigns and Affiliate marketing.

The next 9 months will tell, whether the time will be sufficient for me to learn everything. To summarize it, I do PPC and marketplaces, without focus on particular industries, but I enjoy E-Commerce campaigns more than Lead Gen.

4) What is your best soft skill?

Communication. It's necessary in dealing with clients and with team members. Sometimes, as a PPC manager, you will have some issues with the performance, but you can calm down the client with good communication, and then turn the situation around.

We all know that there are learning phases, seasonality, optimization measures that take time. And till one achieves a satisfying equilibrium, communication is key.

5) What softwares and tools do you use regularly?

Google Ads Editor and Excel, pretty old school. The Editor is something I really miss, when creating and managing Social media campaigns. Facebook and TikTok lack good usability and overview without it.

6) What are your goals for the next year and into the future?

To develop further. Both as a Digital Marketing expert and as a manager. I would like to publish more guest articles for magazines in our industry this year. And I hope that I will manage to move to Switzerland in the near future.

7) What has been the hardest thing you dealt with in your career path?

To become a Team Lead was not easy. My first try with interviews for such position was back in 2019, but despite having wasted time with 3 rounds of interviews, then came back the feedback that I am "too junior".

I wonder myself - why did the recruiters then waste my time and did not reject me at the beginning? It took me another 3 years before I was promoted to the desired position at my current company.

Given the fact that I was the youngest and the less experienced in terms of years served among the seniors, this was not expected by me.

Now, the next step will be hard too, but at least I have 2 years of experience managing teams and great understanding what comes with such responsibility.

8) What is the biggest mistake you made that you want others to avoid?

Maybe it was switching some of my jobs as a student. There are at least 2 companies, where, if I had stayed, I would have been already a director.

Back then, of course, I could not foresee how things can develop in the long-run. My advice to everyone is - don't be myopic, always try to estimate what your development will be in the next years.

Sometimes, I reject positions at my current level because I see that this will delay me in taking a higher position sooner.

9) Who are your favorite people in the industry that you follow?

In terms of insights, Navah Hopkins is currently my favourite PPC professional. I like when content is presented in detail and I don't need to ask myself "So What?".

This is a thing sometimes the content of other professionals in our industry is lacking. Okay, you see some news, but why don't you reflect on that?

Tell the community what are the implications. This is a notion I stick in my own postings, and I think that's the reason why I enjoy the content of Navah.

For everyone else, I am still a bit undecided - posting daily means that one would have tops and flops, and I need more time to build my opinion.

10) Who has had the biggest influence on your career to date?

This is the most difficult question because I have jumped ships so many times and had the opportunity to work with many great teachers along my way. Given the hardships I had obtaining a supervisor position, I must be grateful that Maria Maria Riecke - Katsoulas saw my potential and as a TRG CEO gave me the opportunity to be finally a lead.

Because this gives me the chance in the future to apply for positions with more responsibility and demonstrate that I had experience in managing teams. So, with the next 3 decades in mind, Maria had the biggest influence.

11) What has been your favorite course that you taken and why?

Back in 2022, I did a Google Analytics 4 course with Thomas Besmer and Claude Sprenger from Hutter Consult in Zurich, Switzerland. They have given us a lot of theoretical stuff, but I appreciate that we could implement things directly during the workshops, even over test accounts.

Our flight was cancelled in the last moment, and while travelling in the train back to Germany, I started thinking of moving and researching what is life in Switzerland.

So, it had a great impact even on my future plans.

12) What would you tell yourself or someone who is just starting out in marketing?

If I can speak to my younger self, I would tell him to put more effort in networking because it's a lot of fun.

To someone starting today, I will tell "First, don't trust Google and any reps.

Have always an open, but critical mind. Don't be affraid to test. Fail and learn. And never stop developing yourself further."

13) If the entire world was listening to you, what would you have to say?

I refrain from talking politics on LinkedIn. But if the whole world is listening to me, I would say that Ukraine is heroically defending itself from an unjust and genocidal aggression, and it's the highest priority for the security of the civilized world that they win. Support them, with everything you can.

14) Where can we find you?

On LinkedIn. As networking enthusiast, I will be happy to connect.