To A Million And Beyond

Matt Willis
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Discovering how respected brands made their first million.Who should we interview next?Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

  1. 4D AGO

    #033: Busy, Booked, and Still Broke

    In this episode of To A Million and Beyond, I talk about why small business owners can be slammed with calls and booked solid yet still feel financially fragile: they’re building on the wrong foundation. I explain how profit often leaks through small decisions like discounts, low-margin jobs, and taking work out of fear, and I share a Midwest home service example where record volume still produced shrinking profit because the schedule was full of the wrong customers. I argue the real issue is trust and identity: when customers see you as interchangeable, you compete on price and urgency. I outline how consistent, targeted brand storytelling and “brand priming” can shift your client mix in 60–90 days, and I recommend raising your floor price, saying no to draining work, creating simple memorable media, and training your crew to embody your identity so margins rise naturally. 00:00 Busy But Broke 00:54 The Wrong Foundation 01:43 False Security Trap 02:16 Profit Leaks Everywhere 02:50 Full Of Wrong Jobs 03:31 Trust And Identity 04:22 Tell A Better Story 05:16 Clarity Changes Clients 06:17 Brand Priming Proof 07:41 Small Steps To Fix 08:19 Leaking Buckets Metaphor 09:17 Back To Businessman Who should we interview next? Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

    10 min

  2. MAY 4

    #032: What Rebuilding My Marriage Taught Me About Winning Customers

    In this episode, I share how a decade-long addiction and a trust-shattering lie to my wife exposed three questions that surface when trust collapses—who are you really, can I trust what you say, and are you for me—and how consumers ask the same questions of brands. I explain why logos and value claims like “integrity” don’t create belief, and how leading with declarations can backfire by setting unrealistic expectations. Instead, trust is built through character, culture, vulnerability, specificity, and consistent communication over time—using stories instead of slogans, showing failures and how you made them right, and deepening emotional connection with repeated, evolving creative. Drawing on IPA research, I connect consistency to trust, memory, and profit, and argue that relationship-based marketing aims for customers to feel like they already know you. 00:00 Betrayal Confession 00:45 Three Trust Questions 01:17 Consumers After Betrayal 01:56 Why Logos Fail 02:49 Trust Is Demonstrated 04:02 Fix Culture First 04:41 Trust Drives Profit 05:18 Vulnerability Stories 06:19 Consistency Compounds 07:39 Parasocial Marketing 08:22 Pillars And Farewell Who should we interview next? Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

    9 min

  3. APR 27

    #031: Winning in Hard Times. Why Most Businesses Shrink and a Few Roar Back.

    Why Most Businesses Shrink in Hard Times (And How to Roar Back) In this episode, I explain how hard economic times change the rules of business and customer behavior, and why most competitors fall into a death spiral by cutting brand-building marketing, over-relying on PPC, lowering prices, and degrading team and service quality. I break down how fear makes purchases feel risky, why customers want an ally they can trust, and why the goal in a downturn shifts from maximizing revenue per transaction to winning long-term emotional preference. I share practical steps to plant your flag now: keep investing in top-of-funnel customer bonding marketing, protect demand with branded keywords, be cautious with unbranded PPC when the math breaks, add adjacent or recurring revenue streams, and stay consistent because repetition builds familiarity, trust, and pricing power. I also offer free, tailored “economic weather reports” via email. 00:00 Why Businesses Shrink 00:50 Competitor Death Spiral 01:34 Fearful Customer Mindset 02:29 New Goal in Downturns 03:27 Bonding Marketing Playbook 03:51 Protect Branded Search 04:40 Unbranded PPC Reality 05:38 Add Recurring Revenue 06:49 Consistency Wins Long Term 07:29 Plant Flags and Close Who should we interview next? Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

    9 min

  4. APR 24

    #030: How Trust Fills Your Funeral Home - Win Their Heart Before They Need You

    This talk was requested by the National Funeral Directors Association and presented via webinar on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026. Matt Willis of Wizard of Ads explains that funeral services, like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and insurance, are “grudge buys,” so transactional, price-focused marketing drives families to compare on price and location. Using Henry Ford’s cross-industry innovation as a metaphor, he argues funeral homes should learn from other essential businesses by building trust and preference before a death occurs. He outlines four customer paths (Google search, Facebook recommendations, trusted-referrer calls, and families coming directly to you) and cites research that 75–83% choose at time of need, two-thirds contact no other funeral homes, and 84% choose brands they preferred before entering the market. He recommends relational marketing built on empathy, competence, consistency, and frequency; using reflective storytelling, authentic vulnerability, and “happy stories”; prioritizing mass media to reach the 95% not in-market; budgeting ~60% to brand building and ~40% to activation; and positioning pre-need as an outcome of trust.  00:00 Ford Assembly Line Lesson 01:55 Grudge Buy Reality 03:31 Four Decision Paths 06:39 Trust And Safety Stats 08:02 Relational Not Transactional 11:34 Trust Building Ingredients 19:17 Story Types That Work 23:18 Relational Ad Example 26:49 Targeted Vs Mass Media 30:33 Proof From Other Trades 33:07 Budget Split Guidance 33:54 Pre Need Follows Trust 37:07 Next Steps And Wrap Up Who should we interview next? Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

    40 min

  5. APR 15

    #029: Cutting Edge Firewood: Turning a Commodity into a Luxury

    Matt Willis of Wizard of Ads interviews Leroy Hite, who built Cutting Edge Firewood from nothing into a 25-person luxury brand trusted by celebrities and prominent leaders by obsessing over details, product quality, customer service, and branding. Hite shares how growing up poor shaped his independence, how he overcame imposter syndrome, and why understanding customer expectations matters more than “expert” opinions, including lessons from using yard signs to drive brand awareness. He recounts early risks—winning a massive Kroger reverse-bid contract, a bankruptcy, quitting corporate work, maxing credit cards, and near-cashless moments—plus a pivotal acquisition that accelerated revenue and later reinvesting home-sale proceeds to reinvent local delivery. The conversation covers faith and identity, calculated risk versus gambling, learning through hardship, avoiding comfort, improving customer service culture, and hiring practices focused on real examples and motivations. 00:00 Hard Times Payoff 00:36 Meet Leroy Hite 01:11 Raising Entrepreneurial Kids 03:02 Growing Up Independent 03:59 Gratitude Over Entitlement 05:23 What Is Luxury Firewood 05:54 Luxury Is Details 08:10 Three Legged Luxury 10:03 Imposter Syndrome Lessons 13:20 Experts vs Real Customers 16:21 Marketing and Being Hated 17:20 Origin Story and Kroger Bid 21:05 Corporate Exit Leap of Faith 22:22 Debt Snowpocalypse Breakthrough 26:09 Reinventing Deliveries and Brand 26:59 Risk Debt and Resilience 33:36 Bankruptcy Without Fear 34:58 Hard Lessons in Business 36:27 Do Hard Things 37:34 Conscience Over Fear 39:39 Identity and Failure 42:27 Grit and Growth 46:00 Risk and Innovation 47:24 Luxury Customer Service 52:59 Culture and Standards 55:32 Hiring for Fit 01:01:42 Why Keep Building 01:04:03 Closing Reflections Who should we interview next? Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

    1h 9m

  6. APR 14

    #028: Aspiring To Go Viral Is Lazy

    In this episode of To a Million and Beyond, I explain why aspiring to go viral is a lazy, unreliable growth strategy that rarely moves the needle, even when it happens. I argue that real success comes from training, hiring experts, and focusing on controllable variables rather than hoping for algorithmic luck. I break down what effective marketing actually is: a long-term strategy rooted in a business’s core identity, consistent messaging that makes people feel something, and systems that build know-like-trust over time. I contrast this with media efforts that chase views and trends, and I share how outside expert perspective can reveal revenue model improvements that fit a business’s bigger picture. I also describe the “chickening out period” of roughly nine months before meaningful revenue shifts, emphasizing that real growth is earned, not granted. 00:00 Viral Is Lazy 01:05 Train For Growth 01:22 Hire Real Experts 01:45 Strategy Over Trends 03:06 Viral Fame Fades 03:29 Scale With Intent 04:22 Outlast The Dip 05:10 Realistic Hope 05:38 Build On Purpose Who should we interview next? Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

    6 min

  7. APR 9

    #027: Which Marketing Strategy is Most Effective

    Overarching Marketing Strategy vs. Message Strategy: How to Choose Media and Craft a Winning Message Matt Willis explains that growing a business requires two complementary strategies: an overarching marketing strategy (big-picture plan based on business realities, buyer behavior, reducing friction, and alleviating customer fears) and a message strategy (choosing words and stories that build emotional connection). He argues strategy answers what to say, where to say it, and how often, and discusses key decisions such as whether demand can be stimulated (internally triggered purchases) versus needing to be top-of-mind for externally triggered events. He contrasts targeted media (e.g., PPC, direct mail) with mass media (e.g., radio), noting the high cost of bottom-of-funnel unbranded keywords and the benefit of building relationships and capturing branded search. He compares direct-response offers with branding for long-term trust and margins, then outlines message strategy principles: assess assets and challenges, use “business problem topology” and “unleveraged assets,” and learn from what has worked historically. 00:00 Marketing Strategy Overview 00:56 Why Strategy Matters 02:30 Demand Triggers Explained 04:17 Targeted vs Mass Media 06:50 Mass Media Example 08:52 Direct Response vs Branding 10:28 Message Strategy Basics 11:34 What You Have to Work With 12:45 Topology and Hidden Assets 14:26 Case Studies and Wrap Up Who should we interview next? Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

    15 min

  8. APR 1

    #026:  How to Become Famous on a Small Budget

    Who should we interview next? Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

    4 min
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About

Discovering how respected brands made their first million.Who should we interview next?Send nominations to MattWillis@WizardOfAds.com

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Willis
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 To A Million And Beyond
  • Show Website
    To A Million And Beyond