PPC Live The Podcast - The F*ck ups that led to Triumphs

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 tha...

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 ...

Navigating PPC Pitfalls: Lessons from Facebook Ad Expert Sarah SalIn 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, emphasizin...

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 spac...

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, bo...

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 C...

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 p...

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 su...

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 managin...

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 ...

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 £12,50...

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...

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 explor...

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 a...

#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 str...

#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 quest...

#ppcchat Anu Adegbola chats with Paid Search expert Chris Ridley, about account structure and AI

Q1. Does Account Structure Even Matter Anymore?

Q2. Do you think account structure matters anymore? If so, does it vary by platform? And if not, why not?

Q3. Have you changed the way you structure accounts and/or campaigns? If so, does it vary by platform? And if not, why not?

Q4. What are your biggest frustrations with account and/or campa...

#ppcchat Anu Adegbola chats with in-house Paid Search expert Matt Beswick⁠, about the latest updates in Search Marketing, giving PPC-ers advice on how to approach PPC in 2025"

Q1 How did you get into client-side 

Q2 What frustrates you most about all the new updates

Q3 How is your PPC workload as a client-side professional

Q4 What’s one thing you want to leave people with

Q5 Advice to freelancers wanting to pitch

Q6 What is your favourit...