In this episode of The Entrepreneur's Logbook Podcast, host Zachary Bernard sits down with Amber Goetz, founder of Active Media, a high-performance web and SEO agency that's been turning websites into lead generation machines since 2005. With over 500 websites under her belt and clients pulling in over $10 million through organic search, Amber has spent two decades learning what actually works in SEO.

Key Takeaways

• Start with market research: Validate search demand, competition levels, and real market need before building your business

• Fix messaging first: Address root causes (messaging and site health) before driving traffic—visitors leave for competitors if your foundation is broken

• Demand transparency: Quality SEO agencies provide visual dashboards, share keyword rankings, and educate clients rather than hiding behind "secret sauce"

• AI content is dead: Mass AI-generated blog posts no longer work; Google rewards human-reviewed, human-edited content that provides genuine value

• Optimize for AI now: Implement schema markup and voice search optimization immediately—DIY website builders are falling behind

• Focus local SEO efforts: Update Google Business Profile constantly (offers, photos, reviews every ~10 days) for local businesses

• Red flags in SEO agencies: Avoid anyone promising overnight rankings or not requesting Google Analytics/Search Console access

• Trust your instincts: Combine gut feelings with solid data when making business and technical decisions

Amber Goetz - The Active Media

Website: https://www.theactivemedia.com/ and https://goetzgo.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambergoetz9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seowithamber/

Zachary Bernard – We Feature You PR

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itszachb/

Website: https://www.wefeatureyou.com/

Personal site: https://zacharybernard.com/

Want press/podcast/TV features? Visit wefeatureyou.com

• (00:00:00) - The End of Human-edited Content
• (00:00:37) - Amino Podcast
• (00:01:39) - The One Startup Tip You'd Get Wrong
• (00:03:09) - How To Turn A Completive Audit Into a Proposal
• (00:07:12) - How To Lead an SEO Team With Transparency
• (00:09:33) - Top SEO Executives: The Shift in Search
• (00:11:47) - How to Optimize Your Site for AI Search
• (00:13:18) - How to Optimize Your Website for AI & Small Business SEO
• (00:19:08) - Several Red Flags For Hiring An SEO Agency
• (00:21:07) - Go With Your Gut

In this episode of The Entrepreneur's Logbook, host Zachary Bernard sits down with Aya Kikimova, founder of LeapEngine, a digital marketing agency that brings Fortune 500-level strategies to startups and small businesses at a fraction of the cost. Aya shares her remarkable journey from immigrating to the US from Kazakhstan at 16, not knowing how to type on a computer, to managing over $50 million annually in ad spend at Microsoft and earning the prestigious Platinum Club Award given to just 0.01% of the company.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• AI in Marketing [00:00-04:00]
• The GPS Framework [06:00-08:00]
• Marketing Myths [16:00-19:00]
• ROI Measurement Mistakes [28:00-32:00]
• AI Implementation Strategy [22:00-26:00]
• Key Takeaways

• Ensure business readiness before marketing investment
• Test attribution by pausing different channels
• Setting expectations - Focus on lifetime value, not short-term returns
• Choose AI tools with human guidance and verification

Aya Kikimova – LeapEngine

Website: leapengine.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akikimova

Zachary Bernard – We Feature You PR

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itszachb/

Website: https://www.wefeatureyou.com/

Personal site: https://zacharybernard.com/

Want press/podcast/TV features? Visit wefeatureyou.com

• (00:00:00) - The Lockbook
• (00:00:49) - Starting a Business With 0.01% of the Company
• (00:02:28) - How Is AI Affecting Your Company's Business?
• (00:05:06) - How to Get Your Business Profile on Google Maps in 2 Minutes
• (00:15:01) - MR: Marketing Myths that Small Businesses Fall for
• (00:20:56) - How to Integrate AI into your Business?
• (00:25:47) - How To Train an AI Tool for Google Ads
• (00:27:48) - MT: Small Business Marketing ROI

In this episode of The Entrepreneur's Logbook Podcast, host Zachary Bernard sits down with Jamie Uppenberg, co-founder of Runway Group, a specialized firm helping FinTech startups navigate complex regulatory landscapes while building scalable compliance programs. As a former chief compliance officer at five different FinTech companies, Jamie brings rare operational expertise to an industry often dominated by theoretical approaches.

Jamie shares her hard-won insights on the two critical mistakes that sink most FinTech startups: either over-investing in product perfection while neglecting marketing, or the inverse—building impressive marketing campaigns without a solid product foundation. She emphasizes the importance of finding the MVP sweet spot and maintaining disciplined spending, especially as investment dollars have tightened in recent years.

The conversation dives deep into Runway's unique methodology for building compliance programs from the ground up. Unlike traditional consultants who come from legal or regulatory backgrounds, Jamie's team has actually lived inside FinTech operations, understanding how these fast-moving companies actually function. Rather than overwhelming clients with every compliance gap at once, they create prioritized roadmaps that tackle the highest-risk areas first—typically starting with anti-money laundering and financial crimes prevention—while ensuring companies can maintain revenue and growth momentum.

Jamie explains how her approach differs from document-heavy compliance programs, focusing instead on operational excellence: "Can you do what this document says?" This practical methodology helps FinTech companies build programs that actually work when regulators and banking partners come asking for proof of compliance activities, not just policies on paper.

The discussion also explores Runway's integrated model, where compliance consulting works hand-in-hand with specialized FinTech legal counsel and strategic advisory services. This collaborative approach eliminates the common problem of conflicting advice from different vendors, allowing the team to synthesize legal requirements, operational realities, and strategic positioning into cohesive recommendations.

For founders considering building compliance programs in-house, Jamie offers crucial hiring advice: look for professionals who can build systems "with a Google Suite and a dream"—not just those accustomed to enterprise-level resources. She stresses the importance of objective reporting and clear communication about program progress, warning against purely anecdotal updates that leave leadership in the dark about their actual compliance status.

Whether you're launching a payments platform, building lending infrastructure, or creating the next generation of financial services, this episode provides actionable insights for navigating the regulatory challenges that can make or break FinTech ventures in today's environment.

Jamie Uppenberg – Runway Group

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-uppenberg
• Website: https://rnwy.group/

Zachary Bernard – We Feature You PR

• (00:00:00) - The Entrepreneurs Logbook Podcast
• (00:00:51) - Fintech Compliance Expert Jamie Uppenberg
• (00:01:45) - What's the One Thing All Startups Get Wrong?
• (00:03:57) - How to Find The Right Balance For Your Company
• (00:04:47) - Have You Got the Money to Grow?
• (00:06:05) - How To Get Fintech Companies To Be Compliant With the
• (00:11:26) - WSJD Live: The Fintech Compliance Program
• (00:16:38) - What to Know Before Hiring a Compliance Program Designer?
• (00:19:21) - Expertise in Fintech at Runway Consulting
• (00:24:58) - How to Reach Jamie Uppenberg on Podcast