Episode 162 Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

Performance marketing takes center court as Jake Tlapek of Finch breaks down demand-side platforms (DSPs), TikTok SEO, and conversion optimization playbooks that win customers on every channel. He shares his journey from Air Force IT to agency leader and founder-creator, including how posting twice daily sparked 100K+ TikTok followers and a steady stream of leads. You’ll learn why DSPs let brands place ads where buyers actually are—from Hulu to digital billboards—without juggling a dozen dashboards, plus why search isn’t dying, it’s moving (hello, Reddit, Pinterest, and TikTok). Jake caps it with two slam-dunk case studies: a landscaper scaling from 3 to 9 crews and a simple button-color change that 5x’d conversions.

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• DSP dominance: Use demand-side platforms to reach buyers across Hulu, Pandora, podcasts, and digital signage—meet fans where they play.
• TikTok SEO is real: Search is shifting—1 in 4 TikTok sessions starts with a search; optimize captions, hooks, and on-screen text.
• Founder-led content wins: Twice-daily posting built Jake’s 100K+ audience and inbound pipeline. Consistency > complexity.
• Conversions are a game of inches: A button color change lifted a landing page from ~1.2% to 6.5%—micro-tweaks, macro-results.
• Messaging mismatch kills deals: Most sites speak to the owner, not the customer—rewrite copy to the buyer’s “benefit of the benefit.”
• Search isn’t dead—just moved: Blend SEO + social search (Reddit, Pinterest, TikTok) to capture intent beyond Google.
• ROAS that scales: Finch’s DSP programs target money-in/money-out efficiency, with cited 17x ROAS examples.
• People over pixels: AI is the cream in the Oreo—useful in the middle, but humans bookend the brand experience.

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Jake Tlapek is a performance marketing strategist at Finch, known for DSP-driven omnichannel campaigns and no-fluff SEO + CRO execution. He grew a 100K+ TikTok audience by posting twice daily and turns that attention into qualified demand. His wins range from doubling crews for a Chicagoland landscaper to 5x conversion lifts with surgical UX tweaks.

Jake plays full-court press on performance marketing—open lanes via DSP buys, fast breaks via TikTok SEO, and high-percentage shots with on-page conversion. His stance that “search moves” reframes strategy: build content for platforms where your buyer already searches, then use DSPs to...

161 Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

n this episode of Business Superfans®, Freddy D Take dives into the power of gratitude marketing—how saying “thank you” can transform your business ecosystem into a community of loyal superfans. Using real-world service examples, Freddy breaks down how appreciation emails, anniversary cards, and automated check-ins can drive referrals, retention, and revenue. Discover how gratitude isn’t just good manners—it’s a competitive advantage that fuels growth and connection in every direction. November’s not just for Thanksgiving—it’s your month to thank and grow.

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• Gratitude = Growth: Saying thank you strategically keeps you top of mind and builds loyalty that competitors can’t touch.
• Differentiate with Appreciation: Sending a “thank you for the opportunity” sets you apart before the contract is even signed.
• Story Marketing with Photos: Before-and-after project images turn clients into brand storytellers—free word-of-mouth power.
• Automate Thoughtfulness: Schedule follow-ups at 1, 6, and 12 months to show you care—without adding to your workload.
• Birthday Surprise Effect: A simple birthday card from a contractor can create lasting buzz and emotional connection.
• From Referrals to Introductions: Gratitude nurtures warm introductions that shorten sales cycles and boost conversions.

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Freddy D (Frederick Dudek) is the founder of Business Superfans®, a global authority on ecosystem-driven growth. A bestselling author of Creating Business Superfans, Freddy helps service businesses turn their teams, clients, and partners into loyal promoters who drive sustainable success.

Freddy D reminds us that championship teams win with fundamentals—and in business, gratitude is the ultimate fundamental. By transforming “thank you” from a formality into a growth system, service providers can build powerful ecosystems where every touchpoint—client, employee, partner—feels valued. This is exactly the type of strategy Freddy coaches inside the SUPERFANS Framework™ within his Prosperity Pathway™ coaching. When businesses lead with appreciation, they activate emotional loyalty that no discount or ad campaign can match. The playbook? Gratitude, automation, and storytelling—your winning trio for 2026.

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The Action: Send personalized thank-you notes this week.

Who: Clients, employees, suppliers, and partners.

Why: Gratitude strengthens relationships and sparks repeat business.

How:

• Write 3 heartfelt thank-you messages.
• Automate one follow-up in 30 days.
• Capture a story or photo to share.
• Recognize a team member publicly.
• Repeat monthly.

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Episode 160 Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

B2B marketing with Richard Levy centers on aligning sales and marketing to win today’s 5% in-market buyers while educating the 95% who aren’t ready yet. In this episode, Richard shares 25 years of lessons—from Santander’s graduate scheme to leading Sophera Marketing—on building demand without racing to discounts.

You’ll hear why thought-leadership newsletters outperform hard sells, how to use global cultural nuance in messaging, and why AI is a true business revolution to embrace—not fear. He explains “market in the gap” thinking, anti-discounting discipline, and the power of warm introductions to create lifelong superfans and compounding referrals.

If you want practical B2B marketing that compounds trust, this conversation gives you the frameworks and field examples to get started now.

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• Sales–marketing alignment: Use field feedback to shape messaging and offers so both teams pursue the same ICP.
• Win the 95%: Create consistent, helpful content for out-of-market buyers; save hard sells for in-market moments.
• “Market in the gap”: Validate demand before building; a gap may exist simply because nobody wants it.
• Thought-leadership newsletter: One BIG monthly question, zero pitching, long-term trust > short-term clicks.
• Anti-discounting stance: Discounts pull demand forward, crush margins, and train buyers to wait. Hold the line.
• Global marketing nuance: Adapt tone to culture (e.g., UK indirect vs. Dutch direct) while keeping fundamentals constant.
• Embrace AI: Treat it like the internet shift—learn it, pilot it, and lead the pivot.
• Introductions > referrals: Warm intros collapse sales cycles and transfer trust instantly.

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Richard Levy is a marketing consultant and mentor at Sophera Marketing with 25+ years in B2C and B2B. He began on Santander’s UK marketing graduate scheme and now guides SMEs globally on strategy, measurement, and executive mentorship. Richard is known for his “95% out-of-market” approach, anti-discounting discipline, and a no-pitch monthly newsletter that compounds trust.

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Richard’s operating system is pragmatic: align sales and marketing, respect buying timing, and earn future demand with useful ideas. His “95% not in market” lens reframes content from lead-grabs to trust-building—exactly what turns ecosystems into business superfans who advocate long after the campaign ends. Global examples reinforce that fundamentals travel, but tone must flex by...

Episode 159 Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

Trust in leadership drives everything—and Adam Malone explains why it’s the linchpin of sustained high performance. In this episode, Adam breaks down a practical, three-part trust model—empathy, authenticity, and performance—and shows leaders how to inspire reciprocal trust so teams truly operate with autonomy, speed, and accountability. You’ll hear how “window-and-mirror” leadership creates superfans on your team, why trust is contextual (not universal), and how to design systems that separate inspection from curiosity to fuel long-term results. Adam also shares a real-world turnaround where empowering directors—supported by a trust-first performance cadence—transformed operations from fear to flow. If you lead people (or want them to become your loudest advocates), this conversation gives you the playbook to build trust that lasts beyond the next sprint.

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• Trust = Empathy, Authenticity, Performance: Adam’s three-part model clarifies what to grow—and measure—for sustained results.
• Reciprocity beats “I empowered you”: Leaders must also inspire teams to trust them, or “empowerment” turns into CC-everything fear.
• Window in wins, mirror in losses: Protect the team when it’s hard; share credit when it’s good—trust skyrockets.
• Trust is contextual: You can trust someone with secrets—but not your kids. Design roles and guardrails accordingly.
• Systems over heroes: Build processes that allow empowered execution and visible inspection—without fear.
• Recognition creates superfans: Publicly celebrate individuals; the whole team’s belief and momentum compound.
• Curiosity + inspection, not either/or: Separate idea-time from plan commitments to unlock innovation without sacrificing delivery.

Adam Malone is an operations and supply-chain executive turned leadership consultant focused on building trust-driven, high-performance cultures that last. After exiting corporate in May 2024, Adam now helps leadership teams operationalize empathy, authenticity, and performance to scale sustainably—without fear-based management. Connect with him on LinkedIn at “Adam Malone Speaks.”

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Adam’s trust framework maps directly to ecosystem performance: when leaders model empathy and authenticity, teams self-correct and execute at pace—no micromanaging required. I loved his “window in wins, mirror in losses” approach; it’s exactly how you convert employees into superfans who’ll “walk through glass” for the mission.

Episode 158 Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

Employee empowerment takes center stage as Sollah leaders Jon Grannis and Bob Chonka reveal how to turn training into behavior change and build superfan cultures. They unpack their E+I=C formula—Emotion + Information = Communication—and explain why “dramatic edutainment” outperforms lecture-style compliance courses. You’ll hear real stories: a major automaker whose teams started raving about sexual-harassment training, and a lean HR group that delivered ~500 sessions using facilitator-ready assets. We dig into microlearning, consistency of messaging, recognition that reduces turnover, and leading teams to respond—not react. If you want employees, contractors, and partners advocating for your brand like sports fans, this is your playbook for culture, retention, and results.

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• Employee empowerment beats compliance — Empowered teams make better decisions and excel when trusted and equipped.
• E+I=C training formula — Lead with emotion, layer information, achieve real communication that changes behavior.
• Dramatic edutainment works — Hollywood-level scenarios create engagement that boring lectures can’t match.
• Microlearning + consistent messaging — Short, consistent communications empower faster understanding and action.
• Recognition drives retention — Small gestures of appreciation and flexibility spark culture shifts and advocacy.
• Leadership: respond vs. react — Redirection and facilitation boost performance more than top-down commands.
• Case study—automaker turnaround — Engaging harassment training created internal buzz and voluntary promotion.
• Case study—500 sessions at scale — Facilitator-ready assets helped green trainers deliver hundreds of classes.

Jon Grannis is a training-industry veteran who began in the early 1990s and co-built Sollah’s high-impact content library to help employees maximize potential through facilitator-ready programs and microlearning.

Bob Chonka entered the industry in 1989 and co-developed the E+I=C formula and “dramatic edutainment” approach that transforms compliance into culture change and advocacy.

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Jon and Bob show how emotion unlocks learning and how empowerment fuels advocacy. Their E+I=C framework maps perfectly to ecosystem transformation: spark emotion with cinematic scenarios, guide with clear information, and establish communication norms that stick. I loved the sports analogy—momentum and synchronization win games and workplaces. Their case studies illustrate how recognition, micro-messaging, and consistent leadership shift teams from reacting to responding. This is exactly the type of strategy I help clients implement through my SUPERFANS Framework™ in...

157 Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

Freddie D dives into the pivotal relationship between leadership and culture in the tech industry, drawing from his own experiences from decades ago. He reflects on his early days in the CAD Cam field, where he learned the importance of empowering teams under the guidance of his manager, Tom. Tom's approach of fostering camaraderie through shared experiences, like happy hours and group outings, created a strong culture of teamwork and appreciation. Freddie emphasizes that great leadership involves setting clear missions and then stepping back to let team members thrive, often leading to unexpected achievements. The episode serves as a reminder that empowering individuals can turn them into super fans of both the leader and the organization.

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• Empowering leadership creates a culture where team members become invested in their work and the company.
• Building camaraderie through social events, like happy hours, strengthens team bonds and enhances productivity.
• Recognizing team efforts, especially during challenging times, fosters loyalty and motivates employees to go the extra mile.
• Successful leadership involves setting clear goals, providing support, and then stepping back to let the team excel.

Episode 156 Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

The search landscape has changed forever. AI search engines—like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Bing Copilot—now rely on classic SEO signals to decide which businesses to recommend.

In this episode, Trio SEO Co-Founder Steven Schneider joins Freddy D to reveal how service providers can dominate this new era through a unified strategy called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). GEO is about positioning your brand where prospects now ask questions—AI chat interfaces—not just on Google’s first page.

Steven breaks down why ranking in Google still drives visibility in ChatGPT and how his team builds that authority using 90-day SEO sprints, weekly progress updates, and ROI-driven content. You’ll learn why Bing matters more than ever, how backlink quality—not quantity—shapes credibility, and how interactive tools like calculators & quizzes can transform casual visitors into qualified leads.

Trio SEO’s approach helped one client go from a handful of submissions to 200 leads per month, using a single on-site valuation calculator and smart topic clustering. Steven also shares a powerful case study where a prospect found a client directly through ChatGPT—resulting in a $10 K setup + $2 K monthly retainer.

If you’ve ever wondered how to show up in AI search results, turn SEO into measurable ROI, and future-proof your visibility, this episode is your roadmap.

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Steven Schneider is the Co-Founder of Trio SEO, an agency built by founders who scaled 40 niche sites to $1.4 M ARR before helping B2B service and SaaS brands dominate organic and AI search visibility. Explore free resources at trioseo.com/sops or connect on LinkedIn.

Copyright 2025 Prosperous Ventures, LLC

• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Align your content, backlinks, and schema so AI search engines trust your data.
• 90-Day Sprints + Weekly Proof: Set clear deliverables and communicate every Wednesday morning for total transparency.
• Interactive Lead Magnets: Build calculators, quizzes, or ROI tools that educate and capture leads.
• Backlinks with Purpose: Earn guest posts and industry mentions—avoid low-quality link farms.
• Case Study—ExitWise: Grew to 40–50 calculator submissions/week (~200/month).
• AI Demand Capture: A ChatGPT...

155 Frederick Dudek (Freddy D)

Freddy D emphasizes the ultimate goal of achieving true freedom in business, where one can step away for weeks while everything continues to run smoothly. He elaborates on how this isn’t just a distant dream but a tangible reality attainable through building a network of superfans—loyal stakeholders who actively support the business. Throughout the episode, he outlines the five stages of the Prosperity Pathway, culminating in the freedom stage, where a business thrives on systems, strategy, and the backing of dedicated advocates. Freddy D shares actionable steps for listeners, encouraging them to delegate tasks and empower their teams, ultimately guiding them toward a sustainable and fulfilling business model. The conversation is infused with a motivational spirit, driving home the message that building a superfan engine is key to not only surviving but flourishing in the competitive landscape of commerce.

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• Stepping away from your business for a month reveals how well it runs on its own.
• Creating superfans among your stakeholders can significantly enhance your business's success.
• True freedom in business is achieved when operations run smoothly without your daily involvement.
• Building a strong culture and loyalty among your team drives sustainable growth and fulfillment.

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