What Startups Taught Me About Building Something That Lasts
Working with startups is a bit like raising a puppy. Lots of energy. Lots of potential. And a whole lot of chaos.
Over the years, I’ve led marketing at large organizations and scaled brands across B2B, B2B2C and B2C. But some of the most creatively fulfilling — and humbling — work I’ve done has been with startups trying to do two impossible things at once:
1. Build a brand that people remember and
2. Drive revenue so they can keep the lights on
Let me tell you that tightrope walk is real. And it’s made me a better marketer.
The Balancing Act: Brand vs. Survival Mode
Startups often treat branding like something you earn the right to care about later — after you’ve found product-market fit or hit your first million in ARR.
But the truth is, brand shows up from day one. Whether you’re intentional about it or not, your website, your tone, your emails, your onboarding — they all tell a story. The only question is whether it’s the right one.
When you’re in survival mode, though, it’s hard to think beyond this quarter’s lead goals. I get it. And that’s where my work with a few early-stage companies comes in.
Procon Analytics: Turning Ideas Into Ecosystems
I launched the Procon Analytics brand, and under this holding company — formerly Connected Holdings — I partnered with sales, product, and executive leadership to incubate and launch multiple connected-car and IoT ventures. Some were sold, some never made it past the pilot stage, and others grew into multimillion-dollar platforms.
Procon Analytics’ portfolio included:
- CDS, TheftPatrol, Elo GPS, ZAZ GPS, and CarRx – retail and franchise-focused solutions improving customer retention and service revenue
- Freight Metric – a transportation product later acquired by Phillips Connect
- SmartClime – an HVAC sustainability solution
- Advantage GPS – subprime telematics platform redefining dealer-lender visibility
- Ryken GPS and Ryken Security – asset tracking and gaming verticals
- HOS Reporter: GPS hours of service fleet tracking solution
- Pet Tagging – consumer IoT prototype for pet recovery
- YourLocalFleet – SMB fleet tracking solution
Each launch taught me something about how to balance brand vision with go-to-market urgency. When you’re bootstrapping, brand isn’t a luxury — it’s your lifeline. It’s how you attract customers, partners, and even talent before the revenue is there to prove it.
Wagley: Pet Parenting Meets Startup Hustle
In between Spireon and Procon Analytics, I worked with Wagley, a new pet-care startup blending veterinary care, grooming, and doggy day camp and boarding into a single membership model. My focus: acquisition strategy for grooming, early demand gen, and storytelling that built trust with pet parents.
Momentum matters more than perfection.
When you show empathy and consistency — even through scrappy campaigns — you can turn early believers into lifelong advocates.
The Recruiting Squad: PLG with a Punch
Right now, I’m consulting with The Recruiting Squad, a SaaS platform taking a product-led growth (PLG) approach to modern recruitment.
What makes them interesting is also what makes marketing a challenge — they’re trying to modernize an industry that still runs on referrals, handshakes, and word-of-mouth. Their model flips that on its head with a hybrid, tech-forward, self-serve experience that combines expert recruiters with an on-demand, pay-as-you-go model — giving companies flexible access to recruiting support without the traditional agency markup or contracts.
My role focuses on building the foundation and driving early traction — testing AI tools, refining ICP messaging, and experimenting with practice areas, offers, and content. I’ve built out SEO, social, and campaign infrastructure designed to learn fast and scale efficiently.
We’re growing brand awareness without a big ad budget — just smart testing, steady iteration, and a clear focus on what actually drives engagement. It’s scrappy marketing in its purest form — and that’s what makes it fun.
Tooling Up: Scrappy, Smart, and Measurable
Startups often don’t have a MarTech stack — they have a wish list. So part of my role includes not just strategy and content, but building the operational backbone of modern marketing from scratch.
That means rolling up my sleeves and setting up:
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track engagement, conversions, and behavior flow
- Google Tag Manager to streamline event tracking across channels
- Google Search Console to understand organic visibility and index health
- UTM parameters on all outbound links to track source performance
- SEMRush for keyword tracking, competitive intel, and content audits
- WordPress and social media channels to support branding and demand generation
Plus testing other tools like Instantly.ai, Freshsales, Zapier, Python, and more.
The goal? Track what matters, optimize what’s working, and cut what isn’t — even on a startup budget.