Expert to know: Jim Hammerel (Q&A Interview)

Jim Hammerel is the founder & CEO at Xtropy (based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming), listed on 50Pros as a top 50 firm in Advertising and Paid Ads & SEM.

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In this Q&A, Jim shares his in-depth perspective, unique background, robust experiences, and insightful tips.

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How do you manage work-life balance as an agency owner or executive?

I'm still learning how to manage work-life balance, but practice and a good routine have helped me a lot. I believe that it's important for agency owners to set a good example for their team members and show them that it's possible to have a successful business and a healthy personal life.

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I set clear boundaries between work and personal time. It can be easy to let work bleed into my personal life, but I make a conscious effort to log off at the end of the day and not check my work email or Slack until the next morning.

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I delegate tasks. I can't do everything myself, so I delegate tasks to my team members whenever possible. This frees up my time so I can focus on the most important things.

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I take time for myself. I make sure to schedule time for myself each week to do things I enjoy, such as spending time with my family and friends and being outside. Taking time for myself helps me recharge and come back to work refreshed on Monday.

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What activities or hobbies outside of work do you enjoy that help you recharge and stay creative?

Being outdoors in nature is how I recharge. Whether it's skiing in the winter, or backpacking in the summer. Disconnecting from work and concentrating on the adventure in front of me is the best way for me to stay sane.

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What do you like most about your industry?

Managing Google Ads campaigns is great because it's always changing. There's always a new challenge to face and trying to figure out how to overcome it keeps me going. I also love the instant feedback. My campaign inputs have a near-instant effect on my clients' performance.

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What do you wish people knew about your industry?

I wish people would understand that running Google Ads isn't like planting magic beans. You don't wake up the next morning and you're rich. It takes time to optimize and get campaigns performing the way you intend them to. There's a lot of trial-and-error, experimenting, and figuring it out on the fly. Having patience is the key to a successful campaign--making hasty decisions that aren't data-driven can set you back.

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When you first started, how did you get clients?

In the beginning, it was all word-of-mouth. Even to this day we have to perform at a high level for our clients so they refer us. There's nothing more valuable than a personal referral from a happy client.

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...and how do you get clients today?

Because we've been around for nearly 20 years, we have quite a bit of brand recognition in the space as being Google Ads professionals. In addition, we eat our own dog food and run full-funnel campaigns on Google to attract new prospects.

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How do you stay updated on the latest technologies and tools relevant to your industry?

Luckily, we don't have to stay educated on our own. We're members of half a dozen mastermind groups...other professionals in our industry who share the latest trends and best practices in a cooperative fashion. We're all looking out for each other. In addition, we rely on our team at Google to give us access to beta products and new technologies so we have the opportunity to shape future product roadmaps and releases.

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What changes have you seen occur since you got into this business?

In the past 20 years, the biggest trend is towards automation. No longer are we bid adjusting keywords. That's not the highest and best use of our time. Machines are better and faster, so we're no longer in a reactive position. Now we focus on feeding the algorithm with accurate data. Once the machines have the proper data, we can help steer them to get the results our clients want.

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Who do you see having a competitive edge in the future?

Google Ads agencies in the future will only survive if they know how to manage the algorithms that drive Google Ads. Without knowing how the input and outputs work, agencies will flounder and won't be able to generate positive returns. That deep understanding only comes with a lot of time and practice.

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If a company was looking to hire your firm, or a firm like yours, what questions should they ask themselves as a team before approaching you?

They should be asking:

- Do we have a solid and accurate measurement foundation?

- Can we attribute our success or failures to our Google Ads campaigns?

- Am I collecting first party data on my customers and clients?

- Are my campaign results improving, declining, or staying the same?

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When a company is interested in hiring your firm, how should they approach you and how should they do business with you?

Reach out to us on our website and book a call with me at https://www.xtropy.net/jim-meeting/

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How do you maintain strong relationships with clients to ensure long-term partnerships?

Constant communication and receiving feedback from our clients ensures that we're receiving the information we need to get the best performance on our campaigns.