- Marketing in the Age of Machines
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- How One Creator Built a $10M Business Without Ads or Employees
How One Creator Built a $10M Business Without Ads or Employees
A weekly email with the best of marketing, AI, and business.
Marketing in the age of Machines by Castleberry
June 12, 2025
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Welcome to Marketing in the Age of Machines. Each week, we bring you the following:
👉 An innovative marketing strategy that has worked for others.
👉 The 2 most relevant contents in marketing, AI, and business that will help you understand the ever-changing landscape.
👉 3 tools for the Marketer of the Future.
👉 The quote of the week. A simple take on everyday marketing concepts.
Problem
Most aspiring entrepreneurs want freedom and financial independence, but they get stuck relying on ads, juggling full-time jobs, or targeting the wrong audience. Many never find a sustainable way to scale a one-person business without burning out.
Solution
Justin Welsh built a $10M business without ads, employees, or investors by focusing on content, niching down, listening to his audience, and gradually productizing his knowledge. Through deliberate steps—starting with service, then launching info products, and finally building a community—he scaled with high margins and low overhead.
Lesson
Long-term consistency beats shortcuts. Building an audience-first, signal-driven business takes time, experimentation, and discipline—but it’s possible to succeed solo if you commit to playing the long game.
Today, my little one-person business crossed $10M in total revenue.
It took 2,119 days, I ran zero ads & I operate at a ~89% margin.
Here are the 23 steps of my wild & strange journey:
Hope they are helpful to someone ↓
— Justin Welsh (@thejustinwelsh)
12:02 PM • May 26, 2025
1/. How to Turn B2B Leads into Real Business Opportunities
Many B2B teams confuse lead volume with lead quality. This article explains how to spot real opportunities by qualifying leads better, aligning marketing and sales, and using smart nurturing during long sales cycles. A must-read if your CRM is full but conversions are low.
Read the full post here:
Are you using the latest strategies for B2B Lead Generation?
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2/. How To Lead in the Age of AI Agents
Managing B2B teams now means leading both people and AI. This article explains how to adapt: address employee concerns early, adjust onboarding for AI agents, and build new skills in data, tech, and judgment. A must-read for leaders preparing for a blended workforce.
Read the full post here:
👉 Tools in the Age of Machines:
If you’re still chasing leads instead of qualifying intent, you’re not doing B2B marketing, you’re just collecting emails.