Back in 2022, a college senior named Ethan Van De Hey cold-emailed me asking for feedback. I gave him five fixes for why his podcast was invisible on Google — and then I did something I rarely do. I bought his domain name for him on GoDaddy on the spot. Today, ethanvandehey.com is the hub of one of the best young marketers I know. I want to honor him.

The Mr. Beast of Roofing

Ethan is the marketing director at Infinity Exteriors, a Wisconsin home-services company, where his community-first content helped drive revenue from $45 million to $65 million in a single year. He is the on-camera face of the brand — commercials, billboards, ESPN Milwaukee radio, home expos. He is also the CEO of Roofing Launch and the host of the Encourage Mindset podcast, now past 100 episodes. I call him the Mr. Beast of roofing, and I mean it as the compliment it is.

Why I Honor Ethan

Real marketing is not what you say about yourself. It is what other people say about you — and Ethan figured that out faster than almost anyone his age. He shows up to our Office Hours nearly every Thursday, he writes, he ships, and he honors the people around him first. That is the whole idea behind our AI Builder Program and the Content Factory: do the work, capture the proof, let the agents amplify it.

What I respect most is that Ethan does all of this while juggling hailstorm season, an MBA, and a wedding. He does not wait for perfect conditions. He just goes.

Thank You, Ethan

I am not being paid to say any of this. Ethan is family to me at this point. Thank you for proving that a nervous cold email can become a career, and for being the kind of young adult who lifts the whole room. Follow him at ethanvandehey.com.