Never Been Promoted: Lessons in Precision, Pivoting, and Progress

This week’s episodes were a wake-up call. Growth doesn’t mean chasing every opportunity or grinding yourself into the ground. It’s about knowing your strengths, setting your limits, and focusing on what actually moves the needle.

Marketing tip of the week: Precision wins.

Stop wasting time on shotgun strategies. Focus on the right people, the right tools, and the right approach. Throwing ads everywhere won’t help if you don’t know who you’re targeting. Be intentional, be consistent, and let the results speak.

Here’s what you missed this week...

Episode 169

Kaleem Clarkson on Unleashing Business Growth Through Remote Work Expertise

Kaleem Clarkson , co-founder of Blend Me, Inc , went from a front-end engineer stuck in a corporate rut to a thought leader in remote work. His journey wasn’t easy—facing self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and the challenge of scaling a business during a global pandemic. But Kaleem found his superpower in leading, storytelling, and helping companies navigate the new world of hybrid and remote teams.

Key Takeaways

• Identify Your Superpower: Kaleem realized coding wasn’t his strength—it was leading and speaking. Sometimes, you need someone to hit you with the truth.
• Side Hustles Are Powerful: BlendMe started as a side gig in 2013. By year 7, it had traction—proof that you don’t have to “go all in” blindly to succeed.
• Flexibility Wins Top Talent: If you want the best people, offering remote and hybrid flexibility is non-negotiable. The office-only mindset is outdated.

Expert Recommendations and Resources:

• Book: Lean Startup – A must-read for validating ideas before diving in.
• Kaleem’s Advice: Use data to refine hiring requirements and stop chasing “unicorn” employees.
• People to Follow: Kaleem Clarkson himself—his LinkedIn is full of insights on remote work.

Read more about Kaleem Clarkson and his journey HERE.

Check out the full podcast episode HERE.

Episode 170

Entrepreneurship on Your Terms with Chelsea Husum

Chelsea Husum didn’t follow the usual script. A former high school Spanish teacher turned owner of American GPR and Coring, she now leads a thriving commercial construction company. With no business degree, Chelsea built her empire by learning on the fly, Googling her way through, and leaning into her grit and work ethic. She’s also a bestselling author of Real Vibes Only: Unapologetic Confessions of a Hot Mess Mompreneur, where she shares raw, inspiring stories about juggling business, motherhood, and life’s adversities.

Key Takeaways

• Build on Your Terms: Chelsea’s unconventional move to pay employees for 40 hours—whether busy or not—redefined loyalty and retention in construction. She built a business that works for her life, not against it.
• Adapt and Pivot: From teaching to core drilling, Chelsea identified niche opportunities and pivoted quickly—doubling her company’s revenue year after year.
• Balance is Key: Success isn’t 80-hour weeks. Chelsea works in “weird spurts,” managing her company remotely from Italy or squeezing in a ski day with her kids.

Expert Recommendations and Resources:

• Chelsea’s Book: Real Vibes Only: Unapologetic Confessions of a Hot Mess Mompreneur.
• Resource Mentioned: SaneBox for email productivity.
• Future Speaker Events: Catch Chelsea in Scottsdale and Dallas, or visit chelseahusum.com for more.

Read more about Chelsea's journey HERE.

Listen to the full podcast episode HERE.

Episode 171

Better Not Bigger – Trey Boden's Approach to Marketing

Trey Boden , founder of Roar LLC, has a simple yet powerful approach: build a business that’s better, not necessarily bigger. From a career as a pastor and educator to creating a fractional marketing agency, Trey redefined success by asking one question – what is enough?

Key Takeaways

• Define “Enough” for Yourself: Trey prioritizes quality of life over scaling for the sake of it. Success, for him, is about balance – having time for family while serving the right clients.
• Play to Your Strengths: Roar focuses on bottom-to-mid funnel marketing and referral enablement, avoiding spray-and-pray tactics. Be intentional and rifle-shot precise.
• Know Who You’re Not: Trey’s clarity about what his agency doesn’t do ensures he works with aligned clients and delivers authentic, high-value results.

Expert Recommendations and Resources:

• Faith Driven Entrepreneurs: A group that inspired Trey’s values-first approach to business.
• Direct Mail & Fat Mail: Effective tools Trey uses for niche marketing strategies.
• Authenticity in AI: Trey emphasizes using AI as a creative accelerator, not a lazy replacement.

Read more about Trey HERE.?

Catch the full episode HERE.?

Episode 172

Nick Pavlidis on Overcoming, Ghostwriting, and Finding Purpose

Nick Pavlidis has lived a story most couldn’t imagine. Dead at the scene of a car accident in high school, he rebuilt himself into a high-powered New York City lawyer, only to leave it all behind and become one of the most successful ghostwriters and entrepreneurial mentors you’ve never heard of. His story is packed with lessons on resilience, hustle, and prioritizing what truly matters.

Key Takeaways:

• Work-Life Balance is Earned, Not Given: Nick realized his corporate success was coming at the cost of his family life. He quit his high-paying law job to prioritize his family, taking a $125,000 pay cut and rebuilding his life on his own terms.
• Control Your Deal Flow: As a ghostwriter, Nick emphasizes the importance of owning your leads. Relying on outside sources for deal flow is a recipe for instability – entrepreneurs need systems that give them control.
• Success Comes from Adding Value: Nick’s business plan is one sentence: “If I help enough people become successful, I never have to worry about my own success.” This mindset has allowed him to build a thriving business with almost zero advertising.

Expert Recommendations and Resources:

• Book: 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller
• Tech Insight: Avoid relying solely on services or lists for deal flow. Build your own leads through networking and systems.
• Follow: Morgan James Publishing (for authors), Podfest Expo (for podcasters).

Read more about Nick’s story HERE.

Listen to the full podcast episode HERE.?

Episode 173

Matthew Silverman on Mastering Digital Marketing and Building Genuine Relationships

When you meet someone like Matthew S. , founder of Silverman Consulting LLC , you quickly realize this guy’s no-nonsense about digital marketing. From working with the smallest local businesses to massive global advertisers, Matthew’s approach is simple: tell the truth, know your audience, and don’t waste a dollar.

Key Takeaways

• Stop throwing money at the wrong strategies. Just because you “want Google Ads” doesn’t mean you need them. Matthew coined the term fiduciary marketer – someone who spends your money like it’s their own, prioritizing results over quick fees.
• Your audience matters more than your platform. TikTok, Meta, LinkedIn – it doesn’t matter unless you’re targeting the right people. Know where your customers are, then focus your efforts there. “You wouldn’t buy a 30-seater bus if you only have three kids.”
• Marketing isn’t a one-time fix. Like maintaining your house, you need to regularly refresh ads, content, and strategy. The key to long-term ROI? Consistency and testing.

Expert Recommendations and Resources:

• Rand Fishkin for insights on trends like zero-click searches.
• Google Search Console and Google Ads for effective data analysis.

Learn more about Matthew - read the full article HERE.?

Check out the full podcast episode HERE.

Up Next on Never Been Promoted:

• Mastering Podcast PR and Brand Command with Jeremy Jeremy Ryan Slate
• Leadership Lessons from the High Seas with Neal Petersen - Keynote speaker, TEDx, Author
• Creating Lasting Brand Impressions with Nikole Haumont ★
• Virtual Sales Mastery with Eric I Anderson
• Turning Bold Ideas into Billions with Roy Osing

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