Episode 262: Leverage AI and Marketing Automation to Grow Your Business

How Can Marketing Automation and AI Transform Your Small Business? In this episode of Grow Your Business & Grow Your Wealth, Gary Heldt interviews Chris Troka, founder of Focused-Biz, a marketing and automation agency helping small businesses access the same powerful tools and resources as large corporations. Chris Troka shares his entrepreneurial journey from running an award-winning wedding DJ business to pivoting during COVID-19 to launch Focused-Biz, a marketing and automation agency. With a background in marketing and a passion for helping small businesses compete with larger corporations, Chris explains how he's leveraging AI and marketing automation to level the playing field for entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. 5 Key Takeaways → Marketing expertise is often what business owners lack most - they may excel at their craft but struggle with marketing and sales fundamentals. → When optimizing websites, focus on customer experience rather than keyword stuffing - reducing friction in the buyer's journey is essential. → AI tools can dramatically improve content creation, personalization, and customer service efficiency without requiring deep technical knowledge. → B2B (business-to-business) sales cycles typically take 8-15 months, while B2C (business-to-consumer) decisions happen within 3-4 weeks - requiring different marketing approaches. → Business owners don't need to understand everything about new technologies - partner with experts who can guide implementation while you focus on your core business. Quotes from Chris "I see AI as another great tool. The more training that we put into it, the better it will be... With that shift and disruption in the labor market, that just becomes a new opportunity for people to learn a new skill." How to Connect with Chris LinkedIn: Christopher Troka Website: focused-biz.com and christroka.com Podcast: "Brain Work Framework" - available on all podcast platforms Facebook Group: Join Chris's Facebook Community for entrepreneurs interested in sales, marketing, automation, and AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices