Before We Get Started – Simon Gould- Founder Sydney Digital Marketing
Before We Get Started - Simon Gould- Founder Sydney Digital Marketing
Podcast Description
"Before We Get Started" is an insightful podcast hosted by Simon Gould, offering a unique blend of solo monologues and interviews with diverse business leaders.
This show is designed for action-oriented leaders seeking inspiration, ideas, and practical insights.
Each episode delves into the multifaceted world of entrepreneurship and leadership, covering a wide range of topics including:
The entrepreneur's journey
Determination and resilience
Serendipity in business
Mindfulness practices for leaders
Pivoting strategies
Navigating business challenges
Conscious leadership approaches
The impact of artificial intelligence
Geopolitical influences on business
Whether you're listening to Simon's weekly observations or engaging conversations with guests at various stages of their careers, "Before We Get Started" promises to deliver valuable insights, ideas, and inspiration to fuel your leadership journey.
Join us as we explore the intersection of business, technology, and personal growth, empowering you to take decisive action in your professional life.
About Simon
Simon Gould is a digital marketing maverick and the CEO of Sydney Digital Marketing Agency. www.sydneydigitalmarketing.com.au
With over 35 years in the tech and digital industry, Simon's career reads like a history of the digital revolution.
He flogged mobile phones in '87, rode the internet wave in '96, mastered digital marketing by 2010, and now he's knee-deep in the AI boom.
In 2023, Simon's agency cracked the Smart50 list of Australia's cleverest businesses.
It's no surprise, given his knack for slashing customer acquisition costs and turning ambitious brands into digital powerhouses.
Simon's not your average suit. He's a dad who can nail a backside 180 on a skateboard, and while he admits to knowing bugger all about football, he's a deadset expert at kicking goals in the digital arena.
His strategies have delivered over 150 million website visits, 5 billion display ad impressions, and more than 200,000 conversions and tens of millions in additional revenue for his clients.
From Google Ads to SEO, social media marketing to marketing automation, Simon's expertise spans the digital landscape.
He's a Google Certified Partner, a HubSpot Agency Partner, and a winner of the Google Allstars award.
But it's not all about the tech. Simon's a big believer in the triple bottom line, helping businesses grow while making a positive impact on society and the environment.
His thought leadership content racks up over 100,000 impressions monthly on LinkedIn, proving he's got the goods when it comes to digital insights.
Whether you're a CEO, founder, or marketing manager with a hunger for growth and digital innovation, Simon's your man.
He's all about transforming businesses with data-driven, integrated digital strategies that deliver real, measurable results.
So, if you're ready to take your digital game to the next level, give Simon a bell. Just don't ask him to explain ...
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a variety of topics related to entrepreneurship and leadership, including the entrepreneur's journey, mindfulness practices, navigating business challenges, and the impact of artificial intelligence. Episodes feature discussions on serendipity in business, resilient strategies for leaders, and conscious leadership approaches, providing listeners with practical insights and inspiration.
“Before We Get Started” is an insightful podcast hosted by Simon Gould, offering a unique blend of solo monologues and interviews with diverse business leaders.
This show is designed for action-oriented leaders seeking inspiration, ideas, and practical insights.
Each episode delves into the multifaceted world of entrepreneurship and leadership, covering a wide range of topics including:
The entrepreneur’s journey
Determination and resilience
Serendipity in business
Mindfulness practices for leaders
Pivoting strategies
Navigating business challenges
Conscious leadership approaches
The impact of artificial intelligence
Geopolitical influences on business
Whether you’re listening to Simon’s weekly observations or engaging conversations with guests at various stages of their careers, “Before We Get Started” promises to deliver valuable insights, ideas, and inspiration to fuel your leadership journey.
Join us as we explore the intersection of business, technology, and personal growth, empowering you to take decisive action in your professional life.
About Simon
Simon Gould is a digital marketing maverick and the CEO of Sydney Digital Marketing Agency. www.sydneydigitalmarketing.com.au
With over 35 years in the tech and digital industry, Simon’s career reads like a history of the digital revolution.
He flogged mobile phones in ’87, rode the internet wave in ’96, mastered digital marketing by 2010, and now he’s knee-deep in the AI boom.
In 2023, Simon’s agency cracked the Smart50 list of Australia’s cleverest businesses.
It’s no surprise, given his knack for slashing customer acquisition costs and turning ambitious brands into digital powerhouses.
Simon’s not your average suit. He’s a dad who can nail a backside 180 on a skateboard, and while he admits to knowing bugger all about football, he’s a deadset expert at kicking goals in the digital arena.
His strategies have delivered over 150 million website visits, 5 billion display ad impressions, and more than 200,000 conversions and tens of millions in additional revenue for his clients.
From Google Ads to SEO, social media marketing to marketing automation, Simon’s expertise spans the digital landscape.
He’s a Google Certified Partner, a HubSpot Agency Partner, and a winner of the Google Allstars award.
But it’s not all about the tech. Simon’s a big believer in the triple bottom line, helping businesses grow while making a positive impact on society and the environment.
His thought leadership content racks up over 100,000 impressions monthly on LinkedIn, proving he’s got the goods when it comes to digital insights.
Whether you’re a CEO, founder, or marketing manager with a hunger for growth and digital innovation, Simon’s your man.
He’s all about transforming businesses with data-driven, integrated digital strategies that deliver real, measurable results.
So, if you’re ready to take your digital game to the next level, give Simon a bell. Just don’t ask him to explain the offside rule.
What separates the businesses that will win with AI from the ones that’ll just burn time and money on it?
In this episode of Before We Get Started, host Simon Gould sits down with Dan Stevens, Partner Development Manager at HubSpot, for an honest conversation about what’s really happening in the SME tech stack right now, and what most “AI experts” are getting wrong.
Dan has a front-row seat to how Australian businesses are adopting CRM, sales, marketing and AI tools, and he doesn’t sugarcoat it: bad data plus AI equals more bad, faster.
Before you bolt agents and automations onto your business, you have to get the fundamentals right.
In this episode, Simon and Dan cover:
Why CRM deployments fail, and why it’s almost never the technology
The shift from CRM as a “database” to an AI-native customer platform
Why context is king when it comes to AI, and how to actually build it
The rise of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and what it means for your brand visibility
HubSpot’s new AI capabilities: the AEO grader and agent, smart deal progression, prospecting agents, customer agents, and the Breeze assistant
What “AI agents” actually are (hint: they’re not chatbots)
A practical 90-day plan for SMEs starting their AI journey without creating chaos
What CRM will look like in 2029, and what will separate the winners from the dabblers
Whether you’re considering a CRM, already running HubSpot, or just trying to figure out where AI fits into your business, this conversation will save you time, money and a lot of false starts.
About the guest:
Dan Stevens is a Partner Development Manager at HubSpot, working with partners across the Australian market. Find him on LinkedIn (search “Dan Stevens HubSpot”). He’s the one with the Viking beard.
About the host:
Simon Gould is the Founder of Sydney Digital Marketing Agency (SDM), a HubSpot Gold Partner helping service-based businesses generate more leads, increase revenue and get AI-ready.
🎧 Subscribe to Before We Get Started for more conversations with the people shaping marketing, sales, and tech for growing businesses.
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