[PS #0009] Building a $2.5M/month Business in the Competitive World of SEO with Clayton Johnson, CMO at The HOTH
I’m really excited to introduce today’s guest - Clayton Johnson. He’s the Chief Marketing Officer of The HOTH, a systems genius, and a personal friend of mine. It has been incredible to witness The HOTH’s success, and the investment that Clayton has made in getting the company to where it is today.The HOTH - which, by the way, stands for ‘Hittem Over the Head’, meaning to go above and beyond in getting things done, is a complete package of products and solutions for all things SEO and online marketing.Find out what sets The HOTH apart in the competitive world of SEO, and how a systems mindset can help build an exceptional, scalable productized service.Let’s dive in!Exclusive Interview:Golden Timestamps:3:23 - The one trait you need to have as an entrepreneur5:56 - How The HOTH went from a one-product service with just a post and a PayPal link to a multimillion-dollar business10:10 - The need for systems was discovered while Clayton worked in a T-shirt printing shop12:15 - The game-changer step to taking your business to the next level (Founders - this one's for you!)15:00 - Growing The HOTH’s revenue from 100k to 2 million in 5 years18:55 - Why you need to think beyond your one service or product32:05 - The sweet spot in choosing your margins for your productized service37:00 - Finding the best product-market fit to land your first few clients39:22 - For successful marketing, you need a systems mindset and approach43:05 - Why marketing is your growth engine in building a large, sustainable business 48:06 - Building assets that are your marketing soldiers (must listen!)58:14 - The best productivity hack: Ruthlessly eliminate all distractions!1:04:30 - The 50-50 split that will help prevent burnout as a business ownerKey Takeaways:Systems don’t need to be complicated. When you’re starting out, keep it simple and build on the basics. As your productized business grows, your processes will be able to sustain and support you to maximize your growth.There are no magic beans or shortcuts to success. If you want to see sustainable growth, focus on the ‘boring’ stuff: Build an email list, focus on growing your email subscriber base, and sending them great content.Think beyond the one productized service and study the needs of your client base, you’re likely to find a few other products that will deliver more value to them. Think BIG.Business Model Breakdown:Customer: Agencies, in-house SEO, and affiliatesMechanism: An expertly crafted suite of 15+ pr