In this episode, Jenny Gonzalez, Co-Founder and CEO, Rocahead, shares her journey into the industry and offers valuable insights. She emphasises the importance of hustle and continuous learning, highlighting the need to stay up-to-date with industry trends and techniques. Jenny also discusses the changing landscape of traffic sources and the role of technology in affiliate marketing. She encourages affiliates and program managers to find their niche and specialise, in order to add value to the ecosystem. The episode concludes with a discussion on upcoming events and the importance of collaboration in the industry.
Listen in here for all of the insights:
The Hustle Explained
Jenny explains that working in this industry means that: “You have to have passion for this because it’s not easy. A lot of people look at social media and look at online marketers and think they’re living the life. That all they do is travel the world, party, hang out with each other and make money. What most people don’t realise is how much work it takes to get to this point.”
Lee-Ann asks, “I want to talk to you about that because you talk about hustle a lot. Can you describe what that hustle has been for the last 10 years, because people listening to this podcast, they’re either new into the industry or they’re looking to level up and get to the next part of their career. But how do you actually hustle to get from affiliate account manager to senior in a space of very short time?”
Jenny replies, “It can move fast, but doesn’t necessarily have to move fast. I feel that I made this happen. It was no coincidence. I had a plan when I started to have a promotion every two years – either vertically or laterally. But my point was every two years, I had to be one step up from what I was before. And also that didn’t just happen.
“I needed to be willing to work harder, put in more hours, study more, and go the extra mile every single day. So when I usually explain this to people, I say I had no life for 10 years. I sacrificed friendships, I sacrificed personal relationships. I didn’t start a family when I was supposed to start it. All of this so I could focus on a super fast career ramp-up. And that was a personal choice and I’m super happy I did it. It’s not as easy as it seems. But if you’re willing to, you will do it. There is absolutely every chance that if you put your heart into it, you will accomplish it.”
Continuous Learning
Lee-Ann asks, “How much information do you read in a day to keep your skills level at the top of the game? Your skills level really is at the top of the game. How much of your daily time goes into skills development?”
Jenny says, “It kind of depends on the day. For example if there is something crazy that has happened and I have to dive into it. But at any given point, not only am I studying to improve my skills, like my technical skills and my online marketer skills, but I’m deeply fascinated by humans and I’m constantly reading about psychology and about personal growth and trying to understand what makes humans tick.
“In this industry, there are such interesting people. So whenever I can, I love talking to people about what’s happening and where they think the industry is going and what the particular vertical has going on. It’s just knowing what people are up to and why and what’s coming. So I would say most of my day is dedicated to that.”
New Traffic Sources
Lee-Ann asks, “Where are some of the places that you’re looking for new traffic sources that are maybe a little bit kind of left field and not he standard Google search and SEO and all of those types of things? Are you finding value sources everywhere and anywhere? Are you going to multiple events?
Jenny replies, “I travel for a living. I am very into the face-to-face understanding of what people do, what makes them tick, and understanding if I am the right solution for them. Because once I start working with my traffic sources, I don’t want to work with everyone. I have zero interest in working with everyone. I want to work with smart people that know what they’re doing and they want to scale. I want those guys that are capable of scaling up to whom I can provide help and consult and help them optimise their setup. You definitely want to ensure that you’re going to the right place, working with the right advertisers, working with the right traffic sources, making sure that everyone down that line is good. In order to make that happen, it’s all relationship building. It’s creating trust.”
Listen to find out more about:
- The importance of hustle and continuous learning.
- Building successful relationships – crucial for long-term success.
- Finding your niche and specialising to give you a competitive edge.
- Collaboration and adding value to each other is key in the industry.
Key segments of this podcast and where you can tune in to go direct:
[12:00] The Changing Landscape of Traffic Sources
[15:00] Creating Trust and Relationship Building
[28:25] Lessons to Take Away This Week
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