The BroxtenDigital Show - Episode 21: John Vehlewald

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/broxten-davis Follow the show on Instagram for more daily value and insights: https://www.instagram.com/thebroxtendigitalshow/ I see performance marketing brought up everywhere but almost never actually explained, so I got someone who ran it at scale. This episode is John Vehlewald's full story: MSU advertising student to VP of Marketing at Rocket, and how he built a marketing career along the way. He got his foot in before LinkedIn was even a thing, printed out resumes and applied through Monster, started in sales, and just kept stacking one opportunity on top of the next until he was running marketing for one of Detroit's biggest names. If you are trying to figure out how a marketing degree turns into an actual career, John has the blueprint. This is for students and young marketers who keep hearing 'performance marketing' and want to know what it actually means and how to get into the space. John zeros in on the part people skip over: at the end of the day, it's always about spending money and pulling in more than you put in. The channels shift. The tools change. The math doesn't. We get into why starting in sales toughens you up, why a big company or agency is a great first move, how he built his brand on LinkedIn without complaining into the void, why the relationships you make early pay you back a decade later, and how to actually start learning AI instead of just slapping "AI expert" on your profile. The one that stuck with me: when John hires, he is not looking for the person with the perfect resume, he is looking for the curious one who digs deeper and asks the next question. That is the skill you can start building today, for free, before anyone gives you the title. Give it a look and let me know which advice you're actually going to take action on. CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro: Meeting a Fellow Spartan 1:26 From MSU Advertising Grad to Rocket VP 2:51 Breaking In Before LinkedIn Existed 4:15 Why Starting in Sales Toughens You Up 6:22 Landing at Quicken and Getting Noticed 11:29 Performance Marketing, Actually Explained 15:33 The Fundamentals That Never Change 16:08 Learn by Doing and Just Ask for Help 17:30 Networking Your Way Into the Industry 18:50 Big Company vs Small: Where to Start 23:36 Building Your Brand on LinkedIn 25:56 Standing Out in a Brutal Job Market 28:49 Why Relationships Pay Off Years Later 30:54 Getting Into AI Without the Hype 35:03 What He Looks For When Hiring 37:11 Spartan Talk and Favorite MSU Spots 39:17 How to Actually Start Learning AI Today 42:43 John's Open Offer to Listeners 46:11 Final Thoughts Connect with John Vehlewald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnveh/ Subscribe to get more actionable advice from the best in advertising & marketing! #DigitalMarketingPodcast #AdvertisingPodcast #YoungProfessionals #MarketingPodcast