Transcript
Tim: Hello everybody, and welcome to Surviving the Pride. I am your host, Tim.
Jourdyn: And I'm Jordan.
Tim: And you might be asking, what is Surviving the Pride? Well, Jordan, I would tell you surviving the Pride is all about marketing, explaining all aspects of marketing to help business grow, importance of having a website, SEO, social media. And we're also going to be talking about starting a business as well.
Jourdyn: Yeah. So in addition to that, we're also going to give you guys some helpful hints, tips, and tricks about current and upcoming trends within whatever industry our guest business is from and give you guys a bit of general information. In regards to that, I just want.
Tim: To give a brief rundown on some of the segments that we have planned for him during this podcast. One of them is titled technically the Hot Seat. Usually within this segment, we kind of just introduce the guests. We put them in the hot seat, asking them questions about customer experiences and how to deal with the branding that they have currently been doing with social media and if they have anything that else that they would like to describe or say about their business. And then also near the end of it, we're going to be playing a little game with them. Just called word association. Typically with that, each round entails for our guests to give us a phrase or words that first come to their mind based on our randomly generated word selection. And on today's installment, we have the owners of Digital Kings networking, matt and Alex.
Alex: Hey, my name is Alex.
Matt: Hey, my name is Matt.
Alex: Hey, Matt. How are you doing today, Matt?
Speaker E: I'm doing good. How are you, Alex?
Alex: What brings us here today is we're going to take a look at Dkn and Surviving the Pride. Survive that pride always.
Speaker E: You guys got some questions for us?
Alex: You all want to stick over? Got it.
Jourdyn: Okay.
Alex: This will be edited out, correct?
Matt: No, that's like keep it bluebird.
Jourdyn: No, for real.
Alex: The bluebirds would be fun. What would be a good time?
Jourdyn: Okay, I guess we're going to just jump right on in right now. Okay, so the first segment.
Alex: Tossed in.
Speaker E: My lap.
Jourdyn: Side eye, SEO.
Alex: SEO salad.
Jourdyn: That's funny. Okay, so I guess this is brutal. All right, we're going to jump into the first segment, which is the hot seat. Obviously, most of you guys who are listening know that the hot seat is just the time where we take to introduce and set the tone for the rest of the podcast. So are you guys ready?
Alex: Oh, yeah.
Speaker E: It's hot and you're definitely ready.
Jourdyn: Okay. What made you guys decide to start Digital Kinks?
Alex: Well, basically working in the marketing industry for a long time, you're really seeing a lot of companies out there do it one way and really stick with one way as how they're going to plan for every company out there. And wanted to change that up and make sure companies had an option. It's not just a one solution fits all that. Every company has their own built in solution that is made for that company itself. And so we wanted to have that flexibility to be able to take care of companies in all industries.
Jourdyn: Okay, so when did you guys first start? What was the business plan to come to this?
Speaker E: We started in 2020. Business plan? I think it's more of an Alex question, to be honest.
Alex: Yeah, business plan was always an ongoing piece. It was never something just set in stone. We were going to adjust with times and different marketing types and kind of go with the flow on that end. But as far as business wise, we really wanted to start a company that was going to be able to be flexible in the market. And we just had goals of really kind of just going out there and seeing what we can do at the beginning. And then we realized that, shoot, we're actually really good at what we do. And so that business plan and business model has adjusted throughout the years and it's changed so many different times. And I love that flexibility about us to be able to adjust on the fly, too.
Jourdyn: Some media convergence here. Okay, see you guys. So what kind of products or services do you guys offer?
Speaker E: We got a plethora of services, we got SEO, all three forms, on page, off page, ongoing. You name it, we do it. We do podcasting, as you're aware, social media, marketing and posting, review management. And there's a lot more that we're constantly trying to add as well, website design in general. But one of the cool things about a small and growing company is that Alex and I are constantly brainstorming new things with our clients, figure out basically what they need, how we can help. And the cool thing about being small is that you can add those very quickly because if we were a large company, it would take forever to train multiple different departments and implement new strategies.
Matt: With all those services that you guys provided, do you focus on one specific specialty?
Speaker E: I'd say SEO and web designs our main thing.
Alex: Yeah, right now it is. But our focus is also going to change as the markets change that's the reason why we brought in the podcasting is because we saw a real need for it. So a lot of our services will adjust as we go and whatever is going to help out our customers and get them the visibility and ultimately get in the business that they're looking for. That's really the direction that we want to go in and that's what we will be continuing to do, like Matt said, is changing and adapting and being flexible. Amen. This is awkward.
Speaker E: Can't drop the mic. It's bolted to the table like I.
Alex: Was built for this. We're just going to go to podcast only, SEO farmers only.
Speaker E: But for podcast.
Alex: Podcast only.
Matt: You said you did.
Jourdyn: No. So what would you state that your mission statement would be?
Speaker E: No idea. No, I'd say that we have this kind of mantra that we live by and that everyone that starts a business, they all have the goal to make a lot of money, obviously, but everyone wants to be a millionaire. But here we want to help a million people before we move on. And this is one of those kind of reciprocal services where we can help teach you guys what you need to be able to then help teach others and be able to help them grow their businesses. And if we're working with good business owners, then we're helping business owners help other people. So we're helping people help people. So that is our mission statement.
Alex: Is that going on the website? If you want getting recorded, that needs just its own page. That took forever. It sounded good, but it right under.
Jourdyn: Leo the line help people, help people.
Alex: There you go.
Matt: I do have a question.
Alex: Wrong episode.
Matt: For being such a small company and just being in the game for three years, how would you compete? How do you tell people that you're competing against people who've been in it for years and years, who built up a name to give you guys a shot?
Jourdyn: Question.
Speaker E: Yeah, that's a good question. I actually think it's more of a benefit though, that we're newer and smaller because several reasons. I mean, A, we can balance ourselves out from our production to our sales guys. And what I mean by that is like the amount of work coming in, we actually have enough
employees to make sure that that's done correctly. Whereas these bigger companies, a lot of them have grown so quickly and so fast and too large to where they can't fulfill a lot of the requirements that what they're offering entails. So I actually think that that's a huge benefit.
Alex: Another benefit on top of that is, like Matt said, is going off of companies grow and the bigger that they get, they need more resources to be able to handle what they could do at an earlier time. So with us starting out, we are learning and adapting to every kind of situation that we have. And as we grow, we still can take care of every single one of our customers the right way and be able to do it without sacrificing anything on our end, not sacrificing integrity or resources to help out customers. So that's the great part about also working with a small company, is that you can mold it into your company. We're helping out customers, but we are there for them whenever they need us at any time.
Jourdyn: It's very well said.
Matt: Do you have anything else you want to add, Jordan?
Jourdyn: No, I think we might be ready for the second segment.
Alex: How many shots of espresso did you.
Jourdyn: Have this morning put three in there and they were blonde espresso, so they were much stronger than the regular shot.
Speaker E: The Jameson are in there.
Alex: That's part of the flexibility here, though.
Matt: We adapted Jameson at 1020 every festival.
Alex: Mirror, every employee here, they're doing their best. And sometimes you got to need a little boost.
Matt: That's right.
Alex: Oh, boy.
Matt: A boost. You mean multiple boosts?
Jourdyn: Whatever. Close the boat. Okay.
Speaker E: It's cheers in Irish.
Jourdyn: Okay, are you guys ready for the second segment?
Alex: No.
Jourdyn: I love that enthusiasm. Okay, we're going to jump into word association. All right, now the goal of the game is to basically give us the first thing that comes to your mind when I give you these terms, okay? Please don't say anything crazy, guys.
Alex: Is that cool in the podcast?
Speaker E: Okay, challenge accepted.
Jourdyn: Challenge accepted.
Matt: Mark this one explicit.
Jourdyn: Okay, so like I said, word association is the name of the game. I'm going to give you a word. You guys give me the first concept that comes to your mind with that term of that phrase.
Speaker E: Hit me.
Jourdyn: All right, first word.
Matt: SEO results page.
Alex: I'm still thinking, well, new customers. Okay, you have to edit that part.
Jourdyn: You want to expand on that SEO part?
Alex: I thought we were going to talk about what we thought it was. Let's throw it off. So I was going to say SEO is bringing in new customers.
Matt: Yeah, you can wait. First off, what does SEO actually stand for? For people who are like, what's SEO?
Speaker E: Search engine optimization. So you optimize your website for search engines and the main ones are Google, Yahoo and Bing Fax.
Jourdyn: Okay, America, what are some of the benefits of using that optimization for a smaller business?
Alex: Separate yourself from the competition visibility.
Speaker E: So you're an option when someone is researching for a service or product that.
Alex: You offer being an option. If you're not there, you're not an option. If you're not where people buyers are looking, then you don't have a chance to sell to that customer.
Jourdyn: Okay, bring to the next word.
Alex: Sure, I think I'm ready. All right.
Jourdyn: Second word is social media marketing.
Alex: I'd say large reach. You can reach out to a lot more people through social media marketing than you can through a direct form. Also, the next word I'd say is creative. It's a very creative form of marketing, whereas Google is more of a direct form that someone has a problem or an issue, they're looking to get it solved. Social media, as you have a bunch of people coming together that necessary, aren't looking for that issue to be solved, but it is name branding and stuff like that as well.
Speaker E: I was going to say interactions, because social media is something that's a lot more interactive than, say, search engine optimization. Search engine optimization. You're just kind of like on the first page and people can find your site and call you that way. But social media marketing catches your eye and you can respond to it. You can leave comments, you can like share, subscribe, all that good stuff
Alex: Jordan, I want to ask you a question
Jourdyn: Sure.
Alex: What is the first social media platform that comes to mind whenever someone says social media?
Jourdyn: Honestly, because I am of a younger generation, I mainly think of TikTok. A lot of companies now are like instead of doing branding on Instagram or on Twitter, which is like mainly what I think millennials typically go for. They're kind of reaching out towards TikTok a little bit more, but more companies are starting to do like really quick videos instead of opting for YouTube, instead of making big graphics or anything crazy, they love picking up on TikTok trends and just going for it. And I think it's really I would.
Matt: Say Instagram and TikTok.
Speaker E: For me, the two big ones, I'd say Facebook, yours? MySpace.
Matt: What was your MySpace on?
Alex: I never had a MySpace. I'll go ahead and tell you, friendly behind times. I would say right now it's going to be TikTok. I mean, my kids like to watch it. They love doing the animal stuff. They have like the different snakes and alligators and stuff. But yeah, I do nothing with Facebook on that end. But it's weird how people are very passionate about their social media platforms that they do use these days. And they're drawn to those social media platforms. And that's what's important for companies is to make sure that you're being found where people are searching and where people are spending a lot of the time at on a regular basis. So that's kind of the reason why I asked that question, is to get kind of your feedback and you can tell that you're passionate about the fact that you do like TikTok is amazing.
Jourdyn: You go on there, you find so many you learn so many things. It's like Google, but all video.
Matt: I probably spend like 2 hours a day on TikTok.
Alex: Okay.
Matt: There Matt at work, all day on my house. I scroll, you just see like random stuff. It's just like this is what people do at home.
Jourdyn: It's crazy to see the resurgence of certain I won't say companies, but I'll say like brands like Hogwarts Legacy. Everybody's making a whole bunch of stuff.
Alex: But that's a video game, right?
Jourdyn: It's a video game, but the franchise is making so much money just off of the videos that they're generating.
Alex: Well, all the influencers that you see that are out there that have products that they're pushing or whatever it may be, I mean, they do it because they get paid off of it because.
Speaker E: People buy what house do you think we'd be in and why?
Jourdyn: Oh my gosh.
Alex: Okay.
Matt: What house you and Alex will be in?
Speaker E: Like individually, not collectively.
Alex: If we put the hat on in.
Speaker E: That hat that talks, what would he.
Jourdyn: I've actually spent a lot of time thinking about, oh, my God, this is.
Alex: Not scripted at all.
Jourdyn: I really have genuinely, like, thought about this to a T. Okay, I'm going to start with Alex. Alex, for some reason, part of me really, really believes that you're Gryffindor, but you have a Slytherin streak.
Matt: I was going to say Slytherin friend.Jourdyn: I must say he has a Slytherin streak, but I'm like teetering between which one?
Alex: What does this mean, though?
Jourdyn: Okay, part is obviously not going to be part of the podcast, but this.
Alex: Is who we are.
Jourdyn: Honestly, I feel like Alex is very like, okay, this is what needs to be done. This is what needs to be done here. Everybody good? Very team leader. Very like very team leader. Very like, okay, get the truth together. Let's go. But at the same time, he has a Slytherin streak that is like, very, like okay.
Matt: Mischief.
Jourdyn: Yes. Very what's that? Spray.
Alex: Spray. This is going to be part of the episode.
Matt: Who we are, not this part.
Alex: And then all of a sudden, it's.
Speaker E: Like you're.
Jourdyn: A snake. Not every single one.
Matt: I would say you're like 70% Slytherin, 30% Gryffindor. But if the hat was on you, I think it would probably yeah, you'd.
Jourdyn: Be like a Hat Staller
Alex: Which one was Harry Potter in?
Speaker E: That one.
Alex: And then that blonde kid that was letting me draco.
Matt: Drake draco, yes.
Alex: All right, I could see it.
Jourdyn: Okay, now, Matt, I really had to.
Matt: Think about this because I'm torn between two for Matt.
Jourdyn: What do you think? Because if we're in agreements, then I'm going to high five you.
Matt: I'm kind of torn between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuffle.
Jourdyn: Hufflepuffs are like, delicate.
Matt: No, people give so much **** on.
Alex: I'm going off of the name.
Jourdyn: They're like they have good judgment. They're like really good loyal to a tea. Like, oh, my God, I love Hufflepuffs, but I'm a Ravenclaw, so that makes like I get it
Speaker E: Okay. And what is Ravenclaw?
Jourdyn: They're the intellects and creative ones. So they use both sides of their brains.
Matt: I would say Matt's more hufflepuff.
Jourdyn: Yeah, he's definitely more Hufflepuff.
Speaker E: I feel like from the way you're
Jourdyn: Describing it, I can say that normally the ones are like our friends with Slytherin.
Alex: So this is Hufflepuff Group. Like in the movie.
Jourdyn: In the movie. So there's Cedric degree. Tonks am I forgetting the tongs? What's the first name?
Matt: Nephadora.
Jourdyn: Thank you. Oh, my God, it has been such a long time.
Alex: We needed to study up on this.
Jourdyn: Yeah, there's a bunch of movies and a bunch of books.
Alex: She is so passionate about. So TikTok. Game of Thrones. I know.
Speaker E: That enough. No, I mean, I know, but I don't know that enough to be in this house.
Matt: The slander that was the Slither.
Alex: And then.
Speaker E: We could save the Game of Thrones house for the next episode.
Jourdyn: Oh, my God.
Alex: Game of Thrones. We can talk about that. I love that.
Jourdyn: I don't know what house anyone would be in here for Game of Thrones? Yeah.
Matt: I don't have no idea.
Jourdyn: No idea. I just hope that no one's a Lannister, because I'm going to run the other Lannister.
Alex: We're going to have to edit the part.
Matt: R-I-P curry.
Alex: We'll be back.
Jourdyn: Do we want to continue the segment?
Speaker E: Because I got to edit all that up
Jourdyn: I know. Okay.
Alex: There's some good material in there, though.
Jourdyn: Honestly, this is a great time. This is a great time. All right, so let's do some outdated techniques. What's the first thing you guys think.
Speaker E: Of when you think about desktop? Focus? Yeah. A lot of companies are still focusing on the desktop side of optimization, and 70% of users and searchers use their cell phones. One thing I like to say to people when they're considering this is when's the last time you went home and fired up the desktop to order a pizza?
Alex: You didn't.
Speaker E: So why would you market that way?
Jourdyn: I honestly would have been thought it, wow. I honestly wouldn't have thought about it like that. But that's a pretty good analogy.
Alex: What I would go off of is say this is the terms like directories are no longer called directories or citations, but it's also the value that people or marketing companies used to give on some of these parts of SEO has changed. Like, for example, citations were really big and weighed a lot more in SEO, and now they don't weigh as much.
Speaker E: Even hurt some instances, too.
Alex: Right. So that's changed. So that's where working with a company that's been around for a long time is you got to make sure that they're adapting to the change and not just going off of old school methods and thinking that that's going to be the process that's going to work. Now.
Speaker E: Stuck in their ways.
Alex: We are not. We're a bunch of double dwarfs here.
Jourdyn: Hufflepuff double dwarf.
Alex: To the house. To the house, baby.
Jourdyn: Wow. All right. Well, I guess from, like, branching off of that, I only have one more little word sucks.
Alex: Because this is fun. I've had a lot of fun with you guys.
Matt: Oh, I got one more question.
Jourdyn: Yeah. You want to ask?
Matt: Oh, yeah.
Alex: Let's do this.
Matt: How would the both of you define success and personal success?
Alex: Like, on the business side and personal business side is going to be really how you're seen by your customers and your employees. I want to make sure that everybody that does work here has a great time and learns a lot and grows a lot and has things to be able to take care of their families and themselves. And then for our customers, I want to make sure that we're taking care of every single customer the right way. Are we perfect? No. Do we make mistakes? Absolutely. But I want to make sure that we're going in and fixing whatever mistakes we've made or learning from those mistakes. On the business side, personal, I want to be the best father and husband that I can be and take care of my kids and give them the same values that I believe that is important in life and watch them grow and learn their own values and learn how they want to be. I mean, if they want to be Hufflepuffs or humble dwarfs or whatever, that's perfectly fine with me.
Matt: Unacceptable.
Jourdyn: Who a house elf?
Alex: I don't know what that is.
Matt: Yeah, not going to happen.
Jourdyn: Don't let them be a house elf, okay?
Alex: Just say no to the house. And then also on the personal side is be able to have financial freedom and be able to take care of my family the way that I feel fit.
Speaker E: For me, I would say on the business side, adequate growth. What I mean by that is we all want to grow, get more customers, more employees, get better. But as long as it's not lopsided and we're still getting, like you said, good reviews, things that kind of indicate that we're not cutting corners or getting overzealous of things and things of that nature that some companies can even kind of see them doing, just steady growth and making sure that the quality is still there. Personally, I would say more development would be my thing. We all compare ourselves to each other and to people we look up to and stuff like that. But I think it's best if you compare yourself more so to who you were yesterday and make sure that you're improving each day and all matters that you can, because the more that you personally develop yourself, the more you're going to be able to help those around you. So I would say growth and development.
Matt: I know.
Jourdyn: Make a book study for every deep quote. Write down the book.
Alex: Right?
Jourdyn: Math message.
Alex: Book is going to be sick.
Speaker E: Math podcast.
Alex: I like it. You should have your own little podcast. Good.
Speaker E: I'm good. It's in a good mood today. I got my coffee.
Alex: How many shots are in?
Jourdyn: That was like a direct attack on me.
Alex: It is coffee.
Speaker E: My triple Schwatt.
Alex: That will not be edited.
Matt: That will stand tears in my eyes. Well, I'm all good on my end. What about you, Jordan?
Jourdyn: I have everything I needed.
Alex: Great, guys. Full.
Speaker E: Awesome.
Matt: I loved having you guys here and answering our questions. So it's a great time.
Alex: We should do this more often. I had a great time too. Yeah, we will.
Matt: Don't worry.
Jourdyn: This time, talk wars. Next time, Game of Thrones.
Alex: I'll have to watch all the shows. I'm going to have to binge that. How many is it? Like 100 of them.
Jourdyn: There's eight seasons of eight seven eight seasons of Game of Thrones.
Matt: You should probably about like 76 episodes.
Jourdyn: And they're like 40 to like, an hour.
Alex: Yeah, well, either that or you can do like 14 Harry Potter movies if.
Matt: You watch all the harry Potter movies. Like in a marathon, it averages about to be like 22 hours straight run through.
Jourdyn: He would know.
Speaker E: Have that down in a day.
Alex: He's tatted with the Harry Potter symbol.
Speaker E: I need a lot of Twiple.
Alex: Schwartz, we have a couple of questions for you. This is episode ask you questions.
Matt: Oh gosh, that's going to be part of it.
Alex: What is your favorite part about working at DK?
Matt: I would just say like the flexibility of it all. And it's just yes, it's still business, but also at the same time it's super laid back, but we get the work done and know how to have we know how to tell when to have a good time and when to actually get serious. So I would say just overall, just that whole vibe and atmosphere is a positive one.
Jourdyn: I agree with that. That in addition to the fact that I get to take something that I'm already really good at, which is writing, and then kind of adding more skill sets on to being able to write as far as, like, copywriting and editing and stuff is concerned, it makes me feel like I'm kind of like back in my news element kind of good.
Alex: Well, the reason why I bring this part up and you can edit this if you want or keep it, but that's the reason why Dkn is what it is. It's not about Matting up myself. Yeah, we started this and kind of grew it from nothing to where it is or to at least a start to where we can bring you guys in. But you guys have made it into what it is. I mean, every single person here has put in their hardened work into it. It's not about us. It's about what you guys have been able to produce. Our customers wouldn't be leaving us five star Google reviews. It has nothing to do with Matt and I, nothing at all. It has to do with the process that we have in here. Working hard on the social media, working hard on GVPs, working hard on content, learning, adapting and figuring out how to get better on the content side. Working on the websites and designing new sites and figuring out new ways or new things that we put on websites and SEO. Learning and adapting and figuring out what is the best processes for now and not something that was the best process five years ago and us being set in stone. Our sales guys set up the expectations the right way and selling it the correct way instead of a bunch of false promises that we can never deliver on or we can never achieve on just to try to sell a deal. And that's truly how I feel. And on the professional side or the business side, that's what I want. Because as long as you guys are doing what you are continuing to do day in, day out, our customers are going to be happy and Dkn will always be here. And it has, once again, nothing to do with Matt and I. It has to do with everything, with what you guys do. And that's the way I feel.
Jourdyn: Mike Drop, in the words of the Wonder Pets, what's going to work? Teamwork.
Alex: Absolutely.
Matt: Teamwork makes the dream work.
Alex: Now we're done this whole podcast. We have to read you through that cheesy stuff out. You think Michael Jordan was like,
hey, we're in the championship game. Teamwork is dreamwork.
Speaker E: Yeah.
Alex: No.
Speaker E: Give me the ball.
Alex: Give me the ball.
Jourdyn: Not give me the ball.
Speaker E: That's so boring.
Jourdyn: That's so boring.
Alex: It's true, though.
Jourdyn: Those shots of espresso are really beefy.
Matt: Does anyone have any other final thoughts they would like to throw in?
Alex: I could do this all day. I like this. This is fun.
Speaker E: Really. So, anyways, this was great.
Alex: Thank you. This is the Puffle dolph coming out.
Speaker E: That Huffle.
Tim: I hope everyone enjoyed this week's installment with the four of us here at Digital Kings.
Matt: As you can see, we like to.
Tim: Have fun, but we get down straight to the point when needed. So I hope this was a fun episode for everyone to listen to. But stay tuned for next week as we are going to be sitting down with another Charlotte local to discuss their business. So stay tuned and thanks for listening.
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