From the building trade to building Funnels.
Digital marketing was never the plan; carpentry was.
So, why did I give up on a clear, reliable career to instead pursue the wild world of digital marketing?
Instead of giving you the usual “Hi, my name is James” story that will put you to sleep, here’s how someone like me ended up here.
How Did I End Up Here?
Fresh out of college with my NVQ in carpentry, I thought I’d made it.
I had a few jobs lined up, and a future of not having to open another textbook again gave me a new lease of life.
Carpentry was always the plan from the age of 13. It’s in-demand, reliable and pays well. But the moment I started dealing with customers directly, something clicked.
I quickly realised I enjoyed talking about the work rather than doing it. (Not in a lazy way, more of an oh, I’m good at this way)
Things like:
- Explaining the process after each stage.
- Recommending solutions.
- And upselling to “better” designs.
Normally, this was the boss’s job, but it came about accidentally when I upsold a customer into premium cabinets that had hidden compartments.
This then led to them wanting a built-in wine fridge and changes to the existing floor to blend with the new cabinets.
All because I personally preferred cabinets with hidden compartments.
Some may call it luck, and some may call me annoying, as it was more work (which they did), from that moment on, I had this ego where I felt like I could sell anything to anyone, provided I had permission from my boss.
But before I could play act up-selling customers, our good friend Boris Johnson hit us with the first of many lockdowns. Which meant all of my colleagues and I got let off.
But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, while I wasn’t getting paid, I realised…
“Why don’t I learn sales/marketing?”
Obviously, there were times I enjoyed the UK weather and participated in dumb trends.
But this didn’t stop me from learning my new passion.
I started learning the same way everyone else does in the 20th century… bingeing podcasts, YouTube videos and investing in courses.
At one point, my screen time was 14 hours a day.
It got so bad that my phone started sending out smoke signals and exploded in my face. (Thanks, Apple)
After a couple of weeks of enjoying the weather, battling distractions and avoiding exploding phones.
I eventually landed a couple of jobs after spamming DMs like a desperate guy trying to land a first date. But instead of dating, I was helping influencers sell through landing pages, emails and captions.
These couple of clients, paired with the amazing weather, are what got me through the pandemic till the world slowly opened up again.
Once everything was up and running, I was back to being a carpenter but seeing work through a completely different lens.
As it turns out, carpentry is very similar to digital marketing.
It taught me how to:
- Work to a plan on a tight schedule.
- Solve problems fast.
- Deal with real human beings.
- Spot small mistakes before they become big problems.
- And deliver work customers will love.
After expanding my network and mastering my craft, I got a chance to be a part of the legacy team.
My bread and butter is email marketing and funnel building, which, to some, may seem “outdated”, but with the right strategy, it will still give you the highest ROI, so it’s best not to play around with it.
If you want to find out how this carpenter-turned-marketer/ lead gen partner can help you, click below and find out for yourself.
– James Creaven
Lead Generation Partner
Boost open rates