EP320 - From $300K Mistakes to Management Gold ft Greg Finn

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

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 a completely different advertiser's account.

More importantly, Greg reveals how these disasters shaped his management philosophy and company culture, emphasizing transparency, open communication, and treating mistakes as growth opportunities rather than failures.

On Mistake Management:

• Intent matters more than outcome - if someone is trying to do the right thing, the mistake is secondary
• Transparency builds trust - own mistakes immediately, provide full documentation, and offer immediate refunds
• Create processes after mistakes to prevent repetition, not punishment

On Company Culture:

• Foster an environment where employees feel safe reporting mistakes immediately
• Focus on education and growth rather than perfection
• Treat team members as teammates, not competitors

On AI Usage:

• AI works best as an assistant, not a replacement for human creativity
• Avoid AI-generated content that looks obviously artificial
• Maintain authentic brand voice rather than relying on AI for everything

On Conversions:

• "All conversions are not created equal" - optimize for sales-qualified leads, not just any conversion
• Sync CRM systems with ad platforms to focus on actual business outcomes
• Quality over quantity when it comes to lead generation

The episode emphasizes that mistakes are inevitable in PPC, but how you handle them defines your success as both a marketer and a leader

00:00 Introduction to PPC Live The Podcast

00:50 Guest Introduction: Greg Finn of Cypress North

03:01 Greg's Background and Expertise

05:33 Discussing $300,000 worth and uploading to the wront account PPC Mistakes

19:53 Owning Your Mistakes

20:14 The Illusion of Perfection on Social Media

21:42 Encouraging Open Communication in the Workplace

25:44 The Importance of Team Mentality

27:29 Mismanagement of Talent

30:32 The Role of AI in Marketing

35:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Find Greg on Marketing O'clock and LinkedIn

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PPC Live The Podcast (formerly PPCChat Roundup) features weekly conversations with paid search experts sharing their experiences, challenges, and triumphs in the ever-changing digital marketing landscape.

The next ⁠⁠⁠⁠PPC Live event⁠⁠⁠⁠ is on June 26th in Leeds, UK

The next PPC Live London event is on July 31st

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