I first met Ethan Van De Hey a few years ago when he was still a college student with big ambitions. Back in 2022, Ethan reached out to me while he was studying at UW–Eau Claire and helping a tech startup. I remember his very first email – he introduced a startup called Zync.ai and boldly asked for my take on it.
Even as a student, he wasn’t shy about seeking mentorship and expert advice. I was impressed by his initiative and hunger to learn. It’s not every day a college kid cold-emails you detailed questions about product-market fit and target audiences! Ethan clearly saw the value in Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T) early on, and he was determined to build his by learning from others.
When I congratulated him on this new role and offered to chat, he immediately made the most of the opportunity. I suggested that as a follow-up, he film a short video about what mentorship meant to him. Sure enough, Ethan’s reply was an enthusiastic “Sure!!!”.
That same day, he promised to create a one-minute LinkedIn video and tag me. True to his word, he did just that – showcasing his initiative and willingness to give back.
In his note after, he thanked us and said, “I’ll be making a LinkedIn video for you Dennis this evening and posting it. You will be tagged.”.
And indeed, that video went up, a genuine testament to our mentor-mentee exchange and a savvy move on his part to start building his own personal brand on LinkedIn.
Navigating Challenges in His Early Career
After finishing school, Ethan’s journey wasn’t all smooth sailing. In late 2024, he found himself in a challenging marketing role at a law firm – and feeling completely stuck.
He confided in me that despite his best efforts, his boss “doesn’t have confidence in me to run a marketing department for his law firm,” and that all his proposals were just collecting dust on the boss’s desk.
“We still have not run a Google or Facebook ad yet,” he lamented, highlighting his frustration at not being able to do “real marketing.” The situation was draining his passion: “This job is draining me and I am not even doing real marketing. Doing stupid tasks that are very meaningless in this marketing world,” Ethan wrote, starkly honest about his dissatisfaction.
It was a tough spot. He was also juggling an MBA program on top of work, which was, as he put it, “kicking my butt”.
On top of that, he was recently engaged (to his fiancée, Jordan) and thinking about the future. The law firm gig had no benefits or real growth, and he knew he couldn’t stay for long. “If I am going to have a family with Jordan next year after our wedding I need to find [a job with stability]. So it sucks, but I have to leave,” Ethan realized.
Hearing the usually upbeat Ethan sound so discouraged really struck me. But it also showed how self-aware and mature he was – even in frustration, he was thinking ahead and ready to make the hard choices for his own good.
During this period, we exchanged dozens of emails brainstorming his next steps. (In fact, over the last few years, we’ve traded 30+ emails and countless LinkedIn messages as I’ve watched his journey unfold.) Ethan often asked for feedback on his plans.
For example, he sent me drafts of marketing proposals he was trying to get his boss to approve, like Facebook and Google ad strategies, and asked, “Is there anything else I am missing in these proposals?”.
He was doing all the right things – creating detailed plans, incorporating his boss’s feedback – but getting nowhere internally. It wasn’t a lack of skill; it was a lack of support from above.
A Turning Point – Taking Charge of His Career
Sometimes a mentor’s job is to be a mirror and a coach. I reminded Ethan that “Only you are in charge of your career. Don’t leave it up to Chris.” (Chris was his boss at the time.) I could see he had the talent and drive, and I didn’t want him feeling trapped or doubting himself.
In one email, I pointed out the obvious: “If your boss doesn’t respect or trust you… how can he possibly give you enough room to make an impact? … Why stay in a job like that?”.
Tough love, perhaps, but Ethan took it to heart. I even invited him to come out to Las Vegas (where I was holding a training) so we could spend a couple days plotting his next move: “Come out to Vegas on the 16th… and let’s work on YOUR business and your plan.” I offered. I wanted to help him channel that frustration into a concrete action plan for his own growth – a bit of tough love mixed with guidance.
Ethan was grateful but also level-headed. Ultimately, he decided to stick it out just a little longer – mainly to finish his MBA, which would be done by the summer of 2025. “I am just going to stay put for now since my MBA program is kicking my butt. When I graduate this summer I will plan on doing a lot of fun and exciting things,” he wrote me in December 2024.
Even as he vented about his job, he always kept an eye on the long game. We kept in close touch; I told him I was there whenever he needed help, no pressure. And true to form, a week later Ethan emailed asking for resources: “Do you have any proposal templates that really work well for CEOs to review marketing data/analytics/ad ideas… Anything would be great!”.
Instead of just quitting on the spot, he tried one more time to make progress at that firm, arming himself with better tools. My team sent over our best templates and training on creating marketing plans, and we gave him access to our Agency Management course to sharpen his skills.
Ethan’s response when we delivered those materials says everything about his attitude: a big, all-caps “THANK YOU SO MUCH DENNIS!”, followed shortly by “Thank you guys!” and an assurance that he’d put them to use and give back by sharing a LinkedIn testimonial about the help.
And that he did. The very next day, I saw a LinkedIn video pop up where Ethan publicly talked about how our training helped him – demonstrating gratitude and also savvy personal branding (a touch of E-E-A-T in action, showcasing the authority of what he was learning).
I replied to him, “Can’t wait to see it!” – genuinely proud, like a teacher seeing his student’s progress.
Stepping Up as a Marketing Leader in Home Services
By early 2025, the clouds parted for Ethan. Armed with his MBA (nearly complete) and a fresh sense of purpose, he landed a new role as Marketing Manager at Infinity Exteriors, a top home services and roofing company in Wisconsin. This was the break he deserved – a chance to spread his wings in an environment that valued marketing. It’s here that Ethan truly transformed from eager student to up-and-coming marketing star in the home services space.
Suddenly, all those hours he spent honing his craft paid off. In fact, as part of his development, Ethan started contributing thought leadership content about Infinity’s marketing. He authored articles on our BlitzMetrics blog analyzing Infinity’s advertising strategy – including one on the power of billboard advertising and another on how they leverage local radio partnerships.
Seeing “by Ethan Van De Hey / February 12, 2025” on an article about Infinity’s billboards was a proud moment. Another piece he wrote in May 2025 detailed Infinity’s radio campaigns on ESPN Milwaukee. These weren’t college assignments or theoretical musings – these were real campaigns he was running, and he was now sharing his expertise with the world. It was evidence that Ethan had become a practitioner with authority in his niche, building his public profile as a marketer. (Not to mention the Infinity Exteriors website proudly lists him as Marketing Manager, and for good reason!)
What’s more, Ethan stayed closely engaged with our community. Despite a packed schedule managing marketing for a roofing company (during hail season, no less!), he regularly jumped into my weekly Office Hours calls to continue learning. I’d get the Zoom notification “Ethan Van De Hey has joined your meeting – Office Hours” almost every Thursday.
Even when “hail storms have been making me super busy”, as he once emailed, Ethan still tried to attend our coaching calls. He asked smart questions and updated us on his progress. I recall him requesting the permanent Zoom link so “I can consistently join Office Hours going forward :)” – classic Ethan, always eager for consistent improvement.
It was clear he was now applying concepts like E-E-A-T and Dollar-a-Day in a real business, and coming back to refine his approach with us in the community. The student had become a peer – sharing new insights from the field of home services marketing.
Building His Personal Brand – “Encourage Mindset” Podcast and Beyond
Another remarkable facet of Ethan’s growth has been his commitment to personal development and thought leadership. While climbing the ranks in his day job, he also launched and grew his own podcast called “Encourage Mindset.” This started as a passion project to motivate fellow young professionals, and it’s taken off. By mid-2023, he had produced dozens of episodes, featuring entrepreneurs, coaches, and leaders sharing their stories.
In fact, I had the honor of being his guest for episode #75 of Encourage Mindset. We recorded an episode titled “Embracing Life’s Journey”, where I shared my perspective on ongoing growth and finding one’s purpose. Ethan was a gracious host, asking great questions. (I got a chuckle when I saw the episode promo copy referring to me as “legendary Dennis Yu, a powerhouse in digital marketing” – he sure knows how to butter someone up!). The conversation we had was deep and wide-ranging – true to Ethan’s style, it wasn’t just about marketing tactics but about mindset, personal growth, and living intentionally.
To see him evolve into a podcast host and content creator has been incredible. He’s effectively leveraging E-E-A-T here as well: establishing his Expertise by interviewing experts, building Authority through association and the knowledge shared, and earning Trust with his audience by consistently delivering value and authentic stories.
His podcast now has over 100 episodes and counting, and he’s even repurposing them into short video snippets on LinkedIn and YouTube to expand his reach. The consistency and heart he puts into Encourage Mindset reflect the same determination I saw in that college student emailing me in 2022 – but now magnified with experience.
Honoring Ethan’s Journey
Looking back at all our interactions – the ~3 years of emails, LinkedIn messages, Zoom calls, and even that podcast appearance – I’m struck by how far Ethan has come in such a short time.
We’ve exchanged over thirty emails (probably more if you count all the brief check-ins and forwarded resources), and each one tells a piece of the story.
From a young college senior nervously asking for advice, to a frustrated employee seeking validation, to now a confident marketing professional leading campaigns and publishing thought leadership, Ethan’s progression has been nothing short of phenomenal.
What makes his story especially compelling are the personal moments and specific milestones along the way:
- September 19, 2022 – The First Email: Ethan reaches out about Zync.ai, showing respect and initiative in seeking mentorship. That day he commits to making a mentorship video at my suggestion, demonstrating action-orientation even as a student.
- 2019-2023 – Continuous Learning: Through LinkedIn, email, and calls, Ethan soaks up every bit of knowledge. He was never afraid to ask “basic” questions or request templates if it would make him better. His willingness to be coachable set the foundation for his later success.
- Late 2024 – The Crucible: Facing adversity at his job, Ethan opens up about his struggles in candid detail via email (writing “I have literally no idea… I am very unhappy… I have to leave”). This could have been a low point, but he turns it into a pivot point.
He takes my tough advice (“why stay in a job like that?”) to heart. Instead of giving up on marketing, he doubles down on growth – finishing his MBA, leveraging our support, and planning his next move. The gratitude and grit he showed during this time – thanking us, yet also taking charge of his destiny – really highlight his character. - Early 2025 – New Beginnings: Ethan secures the marketing manager role at Infinity Exteriors and relocates into the home services arena, ready to apply everything he’s learned. He immediately becomes a star performer – implementing campaigns and even writing about them. (How many 20-somethings do you know who not only plan a billboard strategy but also get published articles out of it?) It’s also during this time he fully steps into thought leadership: he ramped up his podcast content and had me on as a guest, showing the confidence to engage industry veterans in dialogue.
- Mid 2025 – Giving Back and Leading: Now Ethan is mentoring other young adults in our programs, sharing his journey of “E-E-A-T” in action – from college to professional success. He’s become a connector; for instance, he often tags me and others on LinkedIn to share updates or give kudos, fostering a community of learning.
Just recently (June 2025), he was still joining our weekly office hours, camera on, asking questions about the latest AI tools or local ad hacks, and offering his insights from the roofing world. The transformation from mentee to peer is apparent.
In honoring Ethan, I want to emphasize how specific moments shape a person. Ethan’s story isn’t some generic “worked hard and succeeded” trope – it’s a series of real interactions and turning points.
I can pull up the exact email where he said “Hail storms have been making me super busy. I’ll try and get there today” – juggling crisis management at work yet still showing up for additional learning. Or the time he emailed, excited that he got to implement something we taught, effectively saying “Look, I did the thing and it worked!”
The stats also tell a tale: in just a few years, he went from 0 to 100+ podcast episodes, from a handful of LinkedIn connections to hundreds (including industry leaders), and from being a student volunteer to managing a 7-figure marketing budget at Infinity Exteriors (and producing measurable ROI – though those figures are private, I hear they’re impressive).
Ultimately, what I admire most about Ethan Van De Hey is that he always kept the mindset to learn and improve, no matter the setbacks. That’s exactly what we love to see in our program alumni – young adults who take the training and run with it, then circle back to share their wins and lessons.
Ethan exemplifies that in spades. He’s taken every lesson about “Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust” and applied it: building his expertise through hands-on work and constant study, establishing authority by creating content and speaking up, and earning trust by following through on his promises and delivering results for those he works with.
It’s been my privilege to play a part in Ethan’s journey, and I couldn’t be prouder of the marketer – and the person – he’s become. From that college student hungry for knowledge, to an up-and-coming digital marketing star in home services, Ethan Van De Hey’s rise has been a whirlwind of growth. And the best part? He’s really just getting started. I often tell him: the difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do. Ethan is living proof of that mantra – one LinkedIn video, one email, one campaign at a time – and I can’t wait to see where his journey takes him next.
Sources: The insights and quotes above come from my personal email exchanges with Ethan and our collaboration history, including: our September 2022 email thread when he first sought advice, our late-2024 correspondence during his career transition (many quotes from those emails are included above), and recent communications in 2025 as he hit new milestones.
Ethan has kindly allowed me to share these snippets from his original emails to illustrate his story.
