In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, Lewis Vandervalk sits down with John Cody, founder of Trailblaze AI and Social Spike, who has helped clients add over $20 million in new revenue by solving the critical problem of missed calls and slow response times.

John shares his entrepreneurial journey from creating nutrition apps in 2012 to launching his agency just weeks before COVID, and how he discovered that even successful marketing campaigns were leaving six figures on the table when businesses couldn't handle the influx of leads. He reveals how Trailblaze AI was born from this pain point, creating voice and text AI assistants that answer calls 24/7, qualify prospects, and book appointments directly into calendars.

During a live demonstration, John's AI assistant "Michelle" calls Lewis in real-time, showcasing how the system scrapes website information to provide personalized responses and guide prospects through the sales process. John explains that 60% of conversions happen after hours when traditional businesses are closed, and shares case studies showing 25-30% increases in booked appointments.

The conversation covers advanced SEO strategies using AI for competitor research, Reddit scraping for user-generated content insights, and how AI can research competitors' reviews to identify pain points. John emphasizes the transparency of telling callers they're speaking with an AI assistant, noting that customers are simply grateful someone picked up the phone after calling multiple competitors.

He discusses the future of AI-to-AI communication, where Google's AI will book appointments with business AI assistants, and how being available 24/7 can improve Google My Business rankings and local SEO performance.

Try Trailblazeai.ca live - https://chat.trailblazeai.ca/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

02:40 John's entrepreneurial journey: From nutrition apps to AI solutions

04:40 The problem: Successful marketing campaigns leaving money on the table

06:13 What Trailblaze AI does: Voice and text AI assistants for businesses

11:20 Live demo setup: Testing the AI assistant in real-time

18:28 AI for SEO: Using artificial intelligence for competitor research

22:52 Reddit scraping: Mining user questions for content strategy

25:23 Live AI demonstration: Michelle calls Lewis on air

27:15 Transparency in AI: Why telling customers it's AI works better

31:21 After-hours advantage: 60% of conversions happen outside business hours

34:45 Case studies: 25-30% increases in booked appointments

38:42 SEO benefits: 24/7 availability improving Google My Business rankings

40:15 The future: AI-to-AI communication and Google booking integration

42:42 Pricing and getting started with Trailblaze AI

Visit BlueCrocus.ca if you have marketing questions you need help with!

In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, host Lewis Vandervalk interviews Dale Dupree, the renegade behind the Sales Rebellion who proves that authenticity outperforms tactics every time.

Dale shares his unconventional journey from heavy metal band frontman to copier salesman to sales coach, revealing how he developed his signature "crumpled letter" strategy after being told to "F off" by a prospect. He discusses his most audacious tactics including exploding toner bottles, empty donut boxes with lipstick-written notes, and foam bricks for "copier repair," explaining how these experiential approaches get prospects calling him back from parking lots. Dale emphasizes that creativity isn't about being weird—it's about being genuinely human in a robotic sales world.

He challenges listeners to find their own version of the crumpled letter by identifying what they fix, understanding their prospects' daily frustrations, and creating memorable moments that break through the monotony.

This episode is packed with actionable strategies for anyone ready to abandon traditional cold calling and embrace bold, relationship-building outreach.

Connect with Dale Dupree:

• Website: https://www.salesrebellion.com/

• Crumpled Letter Templates: https://icrumpledletter.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/copierwarrior/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

01:20 Meet Dale Dupree: From Heavy Metal to Sales Rebellion

02:29 The Non-Traditional Journey: Band to Copiers

03:56 Birth of the Copier Warrior Brand

06:12 Exploding Toner Bottles and Unhinged Marketing

08:14 The Crumpled Letter Origin Story

11:45 Why Nobody Likes Cold Calls (Even Cold Callers)

14:58 The Empty Donut Box That Changed Everything

19:37 Getting Called Back from the Parking Lot

21:49 Resources and Templates at Sales Rebellion

23:40 Success Stories Across Industries

24:36 Finding Your Creative Voice in Sales

25:57 The Analytical Approach to Creative Outreach

28:09 The Baseball Bat and Foam Brick Strategies

31:54 Why This Approach Takes Commitment and Risk

35:12 The Three Sections of Your Motivation Day

37:22 Final Challenge: Be a Hunter, Not a Gatherer

Visit BlueCrocus.ca if you have marketing questions you need help with!

In this episode of Marketing Without Rules, host Lewis Vandervalk interviews Greg Wilkes, multi-award-winning construction business coach and author of "Building Your Future."

Greg shares the raw story of how his successful 7-figure construction business collapsed overnight due to scaling without proper systems, including hiring disasters like an alcoholic employee and a project manager who coached clients to break contracts. After losing everything, Greg rebuilt from zero to 1.5 million in under 12 months using a refined 5-step framework covering planning, marketing, sales conversion, delivery, and scaling.

He reveals why most contractors target the wrong clients (homeowners instead of architects), the critical difference between margin and markup that cost him tens of thousands, and his AI-powered hiring system that prevents costly people mistakes.

Greg emphasizes the power of outbound marketing, human connections over automation, and the importance of leveling up project values rather than just adding volume when scaling.

Connect with Greg Wilkes:

Get his free book "Building Your Future": https://www.developcoaching.co.uk/building-your-future.pdf

Website: https://www.developcoaching.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-wilkes/

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Marketing Without Rules

01:01 Greg Wilkes' Background and Business Journey

02:52 When Everything Burnt to the Ground - The Perfect Storm

06:45 Hiring Disasters: The Alcoholic Employee Story

09:12 The Unscrupulous Project Manager Who Stole Contracts

11:54 Pricing Mistakes: Margin vs Markup Explained

14:56 The Decision to Rebuild and Start Again

17:23 Zero to 1.5 Million in 12 Months - Doing It Right

19:27 The Five-Step Framework for Construction Success

20:51 Attracting the Right Talent to Your Business

22:01 Using AI to Revolutionize Your Hiring Process

23:33 The 30-60-90 Day Onboarding System

25:04 Setting KPIs and Calibration Sessions

28:13 Marketing Strategy: Why Architects Are Your Real Clients

31:13 The Donut and Gin Strategy for Warming Up Prospects

33:39 Scaling Smart: Bigger Projects vs More Volume

36:12 Essential Books for Construction Entrepreneurs

38:45 Podcasts and Staying Current with AI

40:21 The One Thing That Makes the Biggest Difference

Visit BlueCrocus.ca if you have marketing questions you need help with!