Notion! Notion is an infinitely customizable blank canvas of ultimate power. 

Notion's greatest advantage is also it's biggest weakness. That's where I come in.

As the GTM Lead @ Optemization, I specialize in helping companies in hyper growth mode scale effectively without letting their workspace become a "dumping ground" for scattered info, links, meetings notes, and outdated docs that no one can trust. 

Optemization is an Ops Design consultancy focused specifically on the adoption of Notion. 

That could mean large migrations onto Notion, improving current workflows, creating custom automations and integrations, or auditing what you're currently working with.

If you've made it this far and want to learn more, here's some resources that can help:

Our all-in-one Notion template built for early-stage startups

https://optemization.com/hivemind

(Make sure to duplicate it)

Notion's Eleven - A free online course exploring the fundamentals of building an effective Notion workspace for teams of all sizes:

https://optemizations.notion.site/Welcome-to-Notion-s-Eleven-317a0fd26bf24d0295504e4cab1eba83

AND, my last offer is if you ever want to about anything related to Notion, I'm your guy 😎 

Lastly the fun part. My Special Skills include:

🏆 3x Cornhole Champion 🏆 
🏅 3x Dodgeball Champion 🏅 
👨‍🍳 Former Food Cart Owner 👨‍🍳 
🥩 Steak Off Champion 🥩 
🐔 Notoriously known as “The Chicken Man” 🐔

Skyler Birk-Stachon

SUSANCK

Going remote was the best decision we ever made for scaling our agency.

Not because it’s trendy.
Not because it cuts costs.
But because it removed limits.

No more talent pool defined by ZIP codes.
No more 9-to-5 bottlenecks that slowed decisions down.

We built a team that runs around the clock, brings global perspectives to every strategy, and operates with more focus and ownership than we ever had in-office.

Yes, it takes stronger systems. 
Clearer communication. 
More trust.

But the trade-off?

A business that scales without borders.
And a team truly built for growth.

If you’re still in-office, what’s holding you back from going remote?

Susan Coelius Keplinger

CEO at Force of Nature | Performance Marketing at Scale

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Apple’s “Share Your Gifts” ad is one of my favorite holiday campaigns — and it barely shows a single Apple product.

No flashy features.
No tech specs.
No hard pitch.

Just a story about creativity, connection, and putting your work into the world.

That’s the genius of it.

Apple doesn’t sell you the gadget — they sell you the feeling of being creative. The device just happens to be the bridge.

Most brands already know emotion matters.
Few have the patience to build it.

What’s your favorite emotional campaign of all time?

It’s officially campaign crunch time.

Some teams locked plans in back in August.

Others are still finalizing ad creatives this week. 😅

There’s no single “right” answer — but the brands that win seasonal traffic usually do one thing well:

→ Some hunt for gifts before Halloween.
→ Others wait for Black Friday madness.
→ And plenty don’t shop until mid-December.

So, I’m curious:

How early do you start planning your holiday campaigns?

🗓️ 3+ months out
🗓️ 1-2 months out
🗓️ Just before Black Friday
🗓️ Still pulling it together now

Fun fact: The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days back in 1621.

Proof that some things are just worth taking time to celebrate.

Here’s to good food, good company, and the kind of gratitude that lasts all year long.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 🍁

Nike’s “You Can’t Stop Us” hit in all the right places.

You didn’t need to love sports to get it.

That split screen of people pushing through?
It really got everyone.

It wasn’t selling sneakers.
It was reminding us what we’re made of.

Even when the world hit pause, people didn’t.
We still showed up. We still moved.

That’s why it stuck.

Because the best ads don’t talk AT you, they talk TO you.

What’s a campaign that still gives you chills when you see it?

force-o-nature

susanck

LinkedIn

JSESSIONID

li_at

Talks about #dtc, #startups, #marketing, #mediabuying, and #performancemarketing

Same problem.
Different day.

You can switch clients, jobs, even cities..
But the lesson follows you until you face it head-on.

It’s not bad luck. 
It’s the universe on repeat.

The loop doesn’t break on its own.
You break it.
By doing something different this time.

The loop breaks when you do.
Until then, it just wears a new mask.

What loop are you breaking this week?

Every year, it sneaks up on us.

You’re scrolling through YouTube or watching TV...

And then you hear it — that “Holidays are coming…” jingle 

The Coca-Cola trucks roll in, and suddenly it feels like the holidays.

No big reveal. 
No surprise offer.
Just that familiar red glow that says, “It’s time!”

That’s the power of showing up the same way, year after year.

You don’t need to shout when people are already listening to you.

Some ads grab attention.
Others build tradition.

Coca-Cola did the latter — and it worked for decades! ❤️

What brand triggers your holiday nostalgia?

BFCM is coming to a close, and hopefully, your numbers crushed it! People are still shopping online though, so don't stop now. 

Keep up the good work and finish strong! BFCM has been a great opportunity for businesses to SCALE. 

What did you do differently this year that you'll continue next year? The coming weeks are a perfect time to try new things and see what works.

In the meantime, congrats on surviving another one 🍻

Gucci doesn’t do “flash sales”

Every holiday season, they drop their “Gucci Gift” stories — cinematic mini-films that feel more like art than ads.

No flash discounts. 
No panic countdowns.

Just beautiful storytelling and design that remind people why the brand matters.

Here’s why it works — and why your brand should reflect, not copy:
✨ Gucci is Gucci — they’ve earned that space.
✨ Their audience cares about identity more than deals.
✨ They’ve built desire first, so demand follows naturally.

If you’re leading a brand this BFCM, this is your cue:
Use emotion to elevate value.

Match storytelling to your brand’s identity, not someone else’s.

Your strength may not be the boldest sale — but it could be the strongest message.

Who does emotion-driven marketing best?

Timing is everything. 

The product can be solid.
The offer can be great.
The creative can hit.

But if you show up at the wrong time... it all lands flat.

Right now:
People are searching, scrolling, and adding to carts.

They’re not just browsing. 
They’re buying.

Hitting that window makes everything you’re doing work harder.

So before you launch anything this season, ask yourself:
👉 Are we showing up when people are actually in “buy” mode?
👉 Are we syncing our drops with peak search and spending windows?

Because in Q4… timing is the multiplier.

How are you timing your campaigns this Q4?

In 2025, AI is at the center of how we run performance marketing.

We predict winning campaigns before launch.
We personalize messaging based on real behavior.
We build new creative variations automatically.
We shift budgets in real time as signals change.

The edge comes from how well we teach it — with our data, our insights, and our goals.

That’s how we scale faster, waste less, and make smarter moves.

Humans still steer the ship. 
We set the direction. 
We show the machine what “great” looks like.

The real question now: 
Are we letting AI drive growth — o r just letting it ride shotgun?

When was the last time you checked your search trends? 👀

We track revenue.
We track CAC.
We track every KPI under the sun.

But do we know if people are looking for us?

Search trends are early signals!

They show when curiosity is growing.
When awareness is fading.
When it’s time to get louder.

Example:
→ A spike after a podcast mention = brand buzz building.
→ A dip after a product launch = messaging missed.
→ A rise in searches from a new region = expansion clue.

If you’re only measuring after the click...
You’re missing what happens before it.

Be honest: how often do you check yours? 💭 

Weekly? 
Monthly? 
Almost never?

Everyone talks about growth. But not enough people talk about what makes that growth sustainable.

Most teams think scaling means more:
More tools.
More hires.
More meetings.

But real scale happens when the engine runs without you watching every move.

It’s when:
→ Campaigns launch smoothly — no 2 AM fire drills.
→ Decisions are driven by data, not hunches.
→ The team moves fast and stays in sync.

The truth is, ideas rarely hold companies back.
Messy operations do.

Tighten the backend, and growth stops feeling like luck.. it starts feeling like a system.
 
Drop the first thing you’d optimize below 👇

If you’re throwing money at ads and hoping for the best... this is for you.

If results feel off, here’s what’s probably happening:

🚩 You’re spending the same amount every month — even when buyer behavior changes.
🚩 You’re ignoring November search spikes and gifting season.
🚩 You’re splitting budget evenly — even for products no one’s looking for.

Here’s how smart brands are moving now:

→ Shifting spend week by w eek based on demand.
→ Leaning into seasonal momentum instead of guessing.
→ Fueling top-performing products instead of spreading too thin.

Brands that do this cut wasted spend by up to 30% before BFCM.

How will you stretch your ad dollars in this kind of season? 💭

Dear Founders: reward yourself for surviving this weekend, you did a great job! 👀

Most brands overspend on acquisition by about 20% — and it’s not because their ads are bad.

It’s because they skip one step: impact analysis before scaling.

Here’s what that means 👇

Before you add more budget, you should know:

→ Which audiences actually bring profit
→ Which offers turn buyers into repeat customers
→ Which channels drive long-term revenue

A lot of teams skip this part because they’re chasing quick wins.

But when you grow without clarity, you’re basically guessing — and guessing gets expensive.

The ones who grow profitably take a pause.

They run deeper analysis, cut wasted spend, and double-down where the real ROI lives.

How often do you check all this before you scale? 💭

This is why - WE - marketers have trust issues 😂

3 types of holiday buyers — and how to sell to them.

Not every shopper behaves the same way during the holidays.

If you want your products to land, you need to meet them where they are.

These shoppers show up every year 👇

The Explorers
They’re planning hikes, ski trips, and winter adventures.

→ Looking for: waterproof boots, durable jackets, gear that can handle any weather.

→ How to sell: Talk about performance, durability, and “ready-for-anywhere” features.

The Homebodies
They’re creating cozy weekends at home.

→ Looking for: soft blankets, comfy loungewear, candles, anything warm and comforting.

→ How to sell: Use warm, simple language and show how your product makes home feel better.

The Savers
They’re scrolling deals and trying to stretch their budget.

→ Looking for: under-$100 gifts, bundle deals, free shipping.

→ How to sell: Highlight savings, urgency, and easy gift ideas.

Each group shops differently — and your message should match what they’re actually searching for.

Which type do you sell to most?

3 types of holiday shoppers

Everyone loves to look sharp.

Fresh logo. 
Clean feed. 
Polished pitch.

But looking sharp is easy when you haven’t done any work.

Real ones have the dents.
The grind marks.
The stories behind every win.

If you’ve got a few scratches, good.
It means you’ve been in it.

Shiny fades.
Work lasts. 

What’s the toughest lesson that gave you your edge?

Are you building your rocketship right?

In performance marketing, operational excellence is step one.

Check this out:

✅ Is your marketing plan clear — or just lucky?
✅ Are your campaigns built with best practices in mind?
✅ Can your team actually use the tech they have?
✅ Do you track results in real time?
✅ Do you trust both your people and your stack?

Even the best strategy fails if the backend isn’t solid. 

Pixels break. Feeds glitch. Platforms change.

Your channel managers aren’t just “marketers”
Tthey’re the builders of your growth machine.

 How confident are you in the foundation you’ve built? 💭

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Skyler Birk-Stachon

SUSANCK

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SUSANCK

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