Episodes

Summary In this episode of PPC Live The Podcast, Anu Adegbola interviews Aashna Makin, a senior paid ad specialist with extensive experience in managing campaigns across various industries. They discuss Aashna's early career mistakes, the importance of taking ownership of campaigns, and common errors in PPC management. The conversation emphasizes the need for transparency in the industry regarding mistakes and the significance of learning from them. Aashna shares valuable insights on navig...

In this conversation, Anu Adegbola and Inderpaul Rai discuss the importance of learning from mistakes in PPC management, the role of automation and AI in marketing, and the significance of effective communication within teams. Indi shares a personal experiences and insights on how to navigate challenges in the industry, emphasizing the value of client relationships and the need for continuous learning and adaptation in a rapidly changing digital landscape. Takeaways The importance o...

In this episode of PPC Live The Podcast, Anu Adegbola interviews Adrienne Shaver, a PPC expert who shares her journey in the advertising industry. They discuss the importance of learning from mistakes, the role of AI in advertising, and the need for accountability and guardrails in PPC campaigns. Adrienne emphasizes that mistakes are inevitable and that transparency with clients is crucial. The conversation also touches on the evolving best practices in PPC and the importance of sharing failu...

In this episode of PPC Live The Podcast, Anu Adegbola interviews Dave Alexander, a digital marketing professional specializing in Google Ads. They discuss the challenges of managing PPC campaigns, particularly focusing on a recent experience with a client where a campaign structure led to unexpected issues. Dave shares insights on the importance of communication, teamwork, and learning from mistakes in the fast-paced world of digital marketing. He emphasizes the need for continuous researc...

In this episode of PPC Live, Reva Minkoff shares her extensive experience in digital marketing, focusing on the importance of learning from mistakes in PPC campaigns. She discusses a significant error made during a Performance Max campaign, how it was turned into a learning opportunity, and the importance of understanding client goals. Reva emphasizes the need for a supportive environment where team members can share their failures and learn from them. The conversation also touches on t...

In this episode of PPC Live, Anu Adegbola speaks with Aaron Levy, a seasoned PPC expert, about his journey in the industry, the importance of learning from mistakes, and the impact of social media on professional reputation. They discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in PPC, emphasizing the need for purposeful marketing strategies. The conversation also highlights common mistakes in the PPC industry and concludes with key takeaways for listeners. Takeaways: Social...

In this episode of PPC Live, Anu welcomes Matt Shenton from Croud, one of the biggest global agencies. Matt shares a candid story from his early career about overspending a client's budget and the valuable lessons he learned from that experience. They discuss the importance of accountability, client communication, and continuously monitoring campaign performance. Matt, who is also well-versed in AI and machine learning, offers insights into the current and future landscape of paid search, emphas...

In this episode of PPC Live The Podcast, formerly known as PPC Chat Roundup, host Anu introduces the podcast's new format where she brings PPC experts to share their insights. This week's guest is Gareth Westhead, a digital director with 18 years of industry experience. Gareth shares his first-hand experience of a major mistake he made early in his career. He discusses the importance of not working in silos and ensuring that marketing efforts align with sales capabilities to avoid wasteful spend...

In this episode of PPC Live, formerly known as PPC Chat Roundup, host Anu introduces the show's new format where she will bring PPC experts to discuss their biggest professional setbacks and how they turned them around. Anu interviews Elisabetta Nicoli, also known as Betty, a seasoned paid media specialist. Betty shares a major mistake involving a targeting error in a PPC campaign and the surprising reactions from her team and clients. The discussion covers how to manage and communicate er...

Navigating PPC Pitfalls: Lessons from Facebook Ad Expert Sarah Sal. In this episode of PPC Live, host Anu introduces the podcast's new format, bringing experts directly to the listeners. Anu speaks with Sarah Sal, a renowned Facebook ad specialist, known for her engaging and often sarcastic takes on digital marketing. Sarah shares a story about how a sarcastic blog post nearly destroyed her lead generation on Facebook, emphasizing the importance of diversifying marketing channels. The conv...

In this episode of 'PPC Live The Podcast,' host Anu welcomes Sarah Stemen to discuss the intricacies of paid search marketing. They delve into the challenges of working with various clients, the importance of recognizing and addressing mistakes, and the pitfalls of focusing solely on ROAS. Sarah shares her experiences, including a significant mistake involving store visits tracking, and offers advice on creating a safe space for junior marketers to experiment and grow. The episode also touches o...

In this episode of PPC Live,The Podcast, host Anu interviews Kate Luke, a seasoned head of digital with a passion for e-commerce. The episode focuses on how mistakes, specifically in PPC settings, can lead to unexpected successes and valuable lessons. Kate shares an early career mistake involving setting the wrong target ROAS and how it surprisingly generated positive results. The conversation highlights the importance of trust, both within teams and with clients, as well as the necessity of ...

In this episode of PPC Live, The Podcast, host Anu sits down with seasoned PPC professional Serge Nguele to discuss one of his biggest professional mistakes and how integrity helped him turn it around. Serge shares the story of a £20K overspend at his former agency and the valuable lessons learned from the experience. Key Takeaways For PPC Professionals Facing Mistakes: - Stay Calm: Remember that no lives are at stake in PPC - Own It Completely: Take full responsibility without ma...

Host Anu interviews digital marketing executive Dii Pooler (11+ years experience) about the dark side of personal branding in PPC. Dii shares a vulnerable story about a corporate client consultation where she was put on the spot with complex YouTube and CTV questions outside her speciality area of paid search and lead generation. Despite her expertise, not having an immediate, polished answer shifted the room's energy, leading to passive-aggressive comments and microaggressions. The episode e...

Susan Richards-Benson, a 20-year PPC veteran and independent contractor, shares her experience with a devastating account suspension that cost her client tens of thousands in revenue during their busiest season—all due to client dishonesty. The Setup: Client: Indoor children's playground in Florida Timing: Christmas period (peak season) Problem: Google Ads account suspended for "circumventing systems" The 2-Month Investigation: Google support only provided generic respons...

In this candid episode of PPC Live The Podcast, host Anu sits down with Peter Guba, a Google Ads expert and founder of Profit Mill, to explore the raw reality of PPC failures and how they can become powerful learning experiences. Peter shares two memorable mistakes from his career - one hilarious, one costly - that shaped him into the marketer he is today. The main story centres on a perfect storm of PPC disasters: while managing a multi-million dollar enterprise event management client, P...

In this episode of PPC Live: The Podcast, host Anu chats with Greg Finn, co-founder of Cypress North, about the biggest mistakes he's witnessed in PPC and how they became learning opportunities. Greg shares two major f-ups: a Halloween costume company that accidentally set their monthly budget as a daily budget (spending $300K instead of $30K), and his own team's Microsoft Ads import error that sent one client's ads to a completely different advertiser's account. More importantly, Greg reveal...

In this episode of PPC Live The Podcast, host Anu interviews Kat Sale, co-founder of House of Performance, about a catastrophic client experience that serves as a cautionary tale for agency professionals. Kat shares how a gifting company client spent £40,000 in just three days with zero sales, despite her team's explicit warnings against their aggressive launch strategy. The situation escalated when the client refused to pay £12,500 in consultancy fees, forcing Kat to write off the loss and end ...

In this episode of PPC Live, host Anu interviews Chris Nightingale, founder of Can-Do Digital Marketing, about a significant mistake early in his PPC career and how he turned it around. Chris shares the story of accidentally increasing bids by £50 instead of 50p, causing massive overspending for a client. He discusses his immediate panic response, how he addressed the situation professionally, and the surprising support he received from his manager. Key takeaways discussed: Good manage...

In this insightful PPC Live The Podcast episode, host Anu Adegbola welcomes industry powerhouse Navah Hopkins, Evangelist at Optmyzr and respected digital marketing strategist. Navah courageously shares her experience of accidentally spending $50,000 in just three days (a client's entire monthly budget) due to an ill-timed switch to max conversions bidding strategy combined with a significant budget increase. The conversation explores how Navah turned this potential disaster into a valuable l...

In this episode of PPC Live The Podcast, host Anu welcomes Google Ads coach and ex-Googler Jyll Saskin Gales to discuss a pivotal moment in her career – taking on a client she shouldn't have. Jyll shares how ignoring red flags led to a situation that forced her to fire a difficult client and refund their retainer, but ultimately pushed her to transform her business model from Google Ads management to coaching and education. Listen as Jyll provides valuable insights on: Recognizing clie...

Q1 How has your journey in the industry been? Q2 What are your biggest frustrations with the industry right now? Q3 You only do smart bidding - why? what is your position on which strategy to use and under what circumstances? Q4 What are your thoughts on PMax? Exit velocity: What’s one thing you want to leave people with Best advice have you've been given Imposter Syndrome moment

#ppcchat Anu Adegbola chats with Paid Search expert Boris Beceric about account structure and AI Q1 What is it like being a LinkedIn influencer Q2 What are your biggest frustrations with the industry right now? Q3 Smart versus manual bidding, what is your position on which strategy to use and under what circumstances? Q4 What is your position on using PMAX and under what circumstances? Q5 SKAG or STAG, what is your position on which strategy to use and under what circumstances? What is a h...

#ppcchat Anu Adegbola chats with in-house Paid Search expert, Helen Dooner, about how her in-house team uses AI and giving PPC-ers advice on how to approach PPC in 2025" Q1 What was the biggest shift for you in how you run PPC campaign when you moved in-house Q2 What are your general feelings towards AI Q3 What wouldn’t you allow AI to touch Q4 What has AI changed the most for you Q5 Does your Lead Gen team use Performance Max Exit questions: What’s one thing you want to leave people with...