Our extraordinary Account Executive shows us his cool style by keeping things light and easy while giving Solutions 8 the best of his Google Ads expertise and knowledge.
Skateboarding In Calgary
Home Is Where The Heart Is
When Colby was younger, all he wanted was to pack up and move to a big city. In Canada, that big city would have been Vancouver. But back then, his biggest dream was to move out to LA. A skateboarder is in his element in California, well-placed and at home. What more could a young, energetic athlete ask for?
Fast track to the present and Colby is more than grateful to live in a big-ish city in Canada, where housing is affordable and the four seasons are still distinguishable.
“Those places I once wanted to go are busy and the people seem complicated.”
Honolulu Animal Sanctuary
So Canada wins. Colby has a wonderful partner named Emily and two children, Sonny who is almost four, and Sloane, who is 20 months old. Sloane and Colby incidentally share the same birthday. Emily is a supermom, who keeps the house from devolving into chaos. She is a professional toddler wrangler and in addition, she’s great at making sure Colby keeps his head screwed on right, which is not an easy job, he says.
“Emily and I worked together at a local ad agency. I like to think we had a Jim and Pam [from the American sitcom The Office] sort of situation. Young kids are nuts, but there’s so much joy and warmth in watching them grow and become their own little people. We also have a cat named Kitty, but she doesn’t like to use her litter box all the time, so our relationship is in flux. If you aren’t a family member, she’s not very nice. She also knocks glasses off the counter for entertainment.”
The Importance of Snacking
Breakfast In Hawaii
To get an insight into our amazing Account Executive’s approach to life, it would probably be a good idea to mention he is vegan and an avid cyclist. Anyone who ever has anything to do with Colby will find him snacking on something. It’s his go-to productivity trick that keeps his energy levels up.
“I’m notorious for always eating and drinking something at my desk. I’d combine that with some good music and it’s a recipe for success. I am a very simple eater and just want to scarf something down, so I can get back to work.”
Despite his simple eating habits, Colby suggests we get out of our comfort zone when it comes to trying new foods. Everyone should travel and eat some of the local favorites wherever that might be. And since he’s a vegan, he’d offer up some precious advice for those who are open to it: Try eating less food with animals or animal byproducts, and love the planet and all living things on it.
No Skydiving, No Bungee Jumping
L’Tape Bike Event 120+ kms
While Colby might be adventurous when it comes to food, going out of his comfort zone to try new sports is out of the question. He likes skateboarding and snowboarding and gets everything he needs from these two sports. He’s quite convinced skydiving and bungee jumping are not for him.
He did consider taking up hockey at one stage but he started playing quite late for a Canadian, taking to the sport in his mid-twenties. He didn’t learn how to stop until midway through the season. Crashing full speed into the boards put a stop to that sports love affair fairly quickly.
Let’s Talk Shop
Family Time
Colby started at Solutions 8 as a Senior Google Ads Strategist before becoming an Account Executive.
“One day I was sitting on LinkedIn and I received a message from Leandra. The company was looking for a senior strategist and wanted to know if I was interested.
I played hard to get. Before Solutions 8, I was a broader performance marketer, who was hellbent on never specializing. So when I first spoke with Leandra, I was conflicted. I was scared that I would be limited if I shifted my focus to one area.”
After taking some time to reflect, he remembered he had heard Kasim speak at HubSpot Inbound a year prior, and was impressed with the content (and his hair). He then scoured our YouTube channel and was very impressed with John (despite the lack of hair).
“I knew I wanted to be on a team with these guys, as they were on the cutting edge of everything Google. It also helped that Leandra was located in the same city as me, and I could confirm that this job was real.”
So here he is, looking after the highest-tiered accounts for the team along with other Account Executives.
His job is to develop a Google Ads strategy that works harmoniously with a brand’s marketing activity, establish benchmarks, and do everything in his power to exceed them. He is the main point of contact for clients and is aided by the team’s specialists to get things done.
“Another task we AE’s take with pride is teaching and mentoring. Every week, we meet with our team’s specialists and Account Managers to see what problems they are facing and how they can resolve them.”
Loving His Work
With Sonny
Working with people who have some of the best Google Ads minds in the world makes Colby’s job worthwhile. He admits he has always enjoyed being on top of his game with optimal practices and trying new strategies, and it is a bonus to work with others who take it to the next level.
When there’s a team of people who genuinely care about results and keeping their clients happy, great conversations about strategy come up and people bounce ideas off one another. This is why Solutions 8 is the greatest company to work with!
Of course, there’s always a challenging part to anyone’s job, and in Colby’s case he wisely says,
“All of it is challenging, but that’s why I do it. Things don’t always go according to plan and you often need to be agile and open to trying new things. There’s also always a healthy dose of imposter syndrome, too. You need to keep your ego in check and face the simple fact that you might not always be right, but never let that discourage you.”
These insights most likely come from his parents, who Colby reminisces gave him some pretty significant lessons in life. He remembers long car rides with his dad where he would pass down wisdom and funny stories. To know what is going on in the world around him is something both parents impressed on him.
“When bad things happen, it’s not the end of the world” is another pearl of wisdom. Add this to Colby’s resilient and curious character and it is easy to see how he takes this personal strength and pours it into his work.
His curiosity fuels the research and tinkering needed to push an account in the right direction. Resilience keeps him on his feet when things don’t go as expected.
“You continually test, tinker, win and lose. All of this teaches you lessons and puts you in a better position for the future. And give yourself more grace and love.”
In life and work.
Getting To Know The World
Sonny’s First Hike In The Rockies
“I’m really bad at nailing down a favorite place I’ve visited. Realistically, I’m happy getting out of the house to go somewhere new to see different sights, eat different food, and get the feel of how people live life somewhere else.”
That said, Colby adds that driving down the coast of the U.S. was a fun trip. Getting to see all the different cities, landscapes, and people with Emily before they had their first little one was a special experience. It brings new dreams, too.
“I’ve only been to Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and so I’m hoping the future brings experiences that are new and distant.”
Favorite Films
Here are Colby’s top three favourites:
The Matrix
Man on Fire
Dazed and Confused
Podcast Guests
If this skateboarder had a podcast, who would he want to speak on it?
“Either Jesse Brown from Canadaland or Casey Newton from Hardfork. Both are intelligent and hilarious.”
A bit like our Account Executive.
Jani Kahukiwa
