From Failing SMMA to $250K/yr with AI in 5 Months: An Entrepreneur's Journey

If you're kind of trying to get started in the SMMA space, my number one advice would be to take it over to AI. My whole entrepreneurial journey started with a social media marketing agency, and I just felt like I was sprinting and eventually I slipped and fell off, and that company went bankrupt.

I knew that AI is taking over, so I decided to utilize it. I joined an accelerator program and started learning AI skills. It wasn't easy - there were many nights of not knowing what I was doing and feeling like it was too hard to learn. But I continued to learn new software and how to do low-code and high-code automation.

I started using a platform called Thly and created partnerships within the accelerator community. This quickly blew up into a deal of becoming the Chief Solutions Engineer at Thly. In just 3-4 months, I was able to go from having no coding experience to landing this high-level role, where I'm now compensated at over $250,000 per year.

The key was really focusing on becoming an expert in one specific area - in my case, it was voice bots and AI automation using Thly. By diving deep into that platform and becoming one of the top 0.1% of users, I was able to showcase my expertise and get noticed by the Thly team.

The accelerator community also played a huge role. By networking and offering free value to others, I was able to find partnerships that brought in clients for my agency. And once the Thly team saw the work I was doing, they reached out and offered me the Chief Solutions Engineer role.

So in summary, the steps were:

1. Niche down and become an expert in one specific AI tool/platform
2. Provide free value to build authority and find partnerships
3. Leverage a supportive community to accelerate your growth

If you're looking to transition from SMMA or another field into the AI space, this is a proven path to achieving rapid success. The opportunities are endless, you just have to be willing to put in the work.

If you're kind of trying to get started in the SMMA space, it is so my number one advice would be to take it over to AI. My whole entrepreneurial journey started with a social media marketing agency. I just felt like I was sprinting and eventually I slipped and I fell off, and that company went bankrupt.

I've become an expert-level of what a $4 million dollars worth of compensation per year or up to that within one of these roles within the space of a few months. You literally have an engineer in your title, never been an engineer before. I finally found a way to create things, create voice bots within 15-20 minutes, and I became an expert in that field.

If you're kind of trying to get started in the SMMA space, my number one advice would be to take it over to AI. SMMA is so saturated and it's very hard to break through the noise. I was using tools like Zapier and chatbot builders within my SMMA, and it kind of pivoted into AI. I thought, I could either work with AI or work for AI, so I went ahead and made the choice of working with AI.

I took all of my acquisition skills that I previously had in SMMA, like LinkedIn outreach, Tripwire funnels, Instagram DMs, and Facebook ads, and I found that LinkedIn was the best way to acquire clients in the AI space. The key was to offer free value - I would create a free chatbot or a free solution for their business and deploy it completely for free. This helped me break through the noise and create partnerships.

As for learning the skills, it was a lot of lonely nights of figuring things out. I finally found a way to create voice bots within 15-20 minutes, and I became an expert in that field. My accolades even got noticed by the team at Thly, the AI voice platform I ended up working with.

The community aspect was also crucial. I joined your accelerator program and instantly started networking, offering free services, and finding partnerships. Talking to the right people and bringing value to the table was key to my success.

Overall, the AI space has been a complete game-changer for me. The technical expertise, lead generation, and authority I was able to build in a short period of time led to me landing a Chief Solutions Engineer role at one of the top AI voice startups. I'm excited to see what the future holds!

If you're kind of trying to get started in the SMMA space, my number one advice would be to take it over to AI. SMMA is so saturated and it's very hard to break through the noise.

I was using tools like Zapier and cheap chatbot builders within my SMMA, and it kind of pivoted into AI. I thought, I could either work with AI or work for AI, so I went ahead and made the choice to work with AI.

I took all of my acquisition skills that I previously had in SMMA, like LinkedIn outreach, Tripwire funnels, Instagram DMs, and Facebook ads. I found that LinkedIn was the best way to acquire clients in the AI space.

The key was to offer free value upfront. I would create a free chatbot or a free solution for their business, completely deployed into their system, at no cost. This helped me break through the noise and get my foot in the door.

From there, I would create a partnership on a free basis, and then they would feel compelled to sign up for more services based on the expertise I had shown. It was all about providing value first before asking for anything in return.

The community aspect was also crucial. I joined the Accelerator program and instantly started networking, looking for potential collaborations. I reached out to everyone, trying to find ways we could work together. This led to partnerships that brought in 5-6 clients per month for me.

Overall, the key was leveraging my existing client acquisition skills from SMMA, but applying them in the AI space where the offer was fresh and the acquisition was much easier. By providing value upfront and building strategic partnerships, I was able to grow my AI agency quickly.

I think the key takeaways from this discussion on the power of communities and networking are:

1. Niche Down and Become an Expert: It's important to niche down and become an expert in a specific tool or platform, rather than trying to be a generalist. This allows you to truly master the technology and become one of the top users.

2. Leverage Communities: Joining the right communities, like the one you mentioned, can be incredibly valuable. It allows you to network, find potential partners, and learn from others who are further along in their journey.

3. Provide Value First: When networking within a community, it's important to focus on providing value first, rather than just looking to take. Offer free services, share your expertise, and look for ways to help others. This builds goodwill and opens the door for potential partnerships.

4. Start Narrow, Then Expand: It's best to start by mastering a narrow skillset, like voice AI or a specific no-code tool. Over time, you can then expand your knowledge and capabilities as you encounter new challenges working with clients.

5. Persistence and Dedication: Becoming an expert in a new field takes time, effort, and persistence. Be prepared to put in the long hours, make mistakes, and continuously learn. The payoff can be huge, as you've demonstrated.

Overall, your story is a fantastic example of how someone can leverage communities, niche expertise, and a willingness to provide value to rapidly accelerate their career in the AI/automation space. It's an inspiring journey that I'm sure will motivate others to follow a similar path.

As I reflect on the past few months, I'm truly amazed at how quickly my career in the AI space has progressed. Coming from a background in social media marketing, I never would have imagined that I'd be in the position I'm in today - as the Chief Solutions Engineer at one of the top AI voice startups in the world.

The key to my rapid success has been my willingness to dive headfirst into learning new technologies and platforms. When I realized the potential of AI, I didn't hesitate to start experimenting with different tools and services. I tried out everything from chatbot builders to voice automation platforms, determined to find the ones that best fit my needs and the needs of my clients.

Through this process of trial and error, I developed a deep expertise in platforms like Thly. I was able to quickly create custom voice bots and automations, often in just 15-20 minutes. This level of proficiency caught the attention of the Thly team, and before long, they had offered me the Chief Solutions Engineer role.

Looking ahead, I'm incredibly excited about the future. In this new position, I'll be overseeing all of Thly's white-label services, ensuring that their high-ticket clients receive the top-notch solutions they deserve. I'll be leveraging my skills to build out even more advanced voice and automation tools, pushing the boundaries of what's possible with AI.

But my journey doesn't stop there. As part of this role, I've also been granted equity in the company. This means that I now have a vested interest in Thly's long-term success, and I'll be working tirelessly to help the business grow and thrive.

In the coming years, I see myself continuing to deepen my expertise in the AI space. I plan to stay on the cutting edge of emerging technologies, always looking for new ways to create value for my clients. And who knows - perhaps I'll even start my own AI-focused agency or consulting firm down the line.

The sky's the limit, and I'm grateful to have the support of this incredible community behind me. With the skills I've developed and the opportunities that lie ahead, I'm confident that my AI consulting and solutions career is just getting started.