Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business 1101: What GROWTH HACKING really is and how to TEST EVERYTHING for marketing success w/ Marcus Slater
Franchise businesses often come with a built-in brand, but success isn’t automatic. In this episode, we dive into the world of franchise marketing with Marcus Slater, founder and CEO of AdCloud, a digital marketing powerhouse helping franchise owners achieve real, measurable growth.
Marcus shares why most franchise owners struggle with marketing, how to think like a true growth hacker, and how his team is leveraging AI for lead conversion. If you’re looking to scale your business, this episode is packed with takeaways on marketing, mindset, and AI-driven customer engagement.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
🚀 How to think like a growth hacker—why testing everything leads to scalable success
📉 Why most franchise owners fail at marketing (and how to avoid their mistakes)
🤖 AI-powered lead engagement—how Marcus is automating customer conversions with AI
📊 The difference between marketing tactics vs. a real marketing strategy
⚡ Why cutting marketing is the worst thing a struggling business can do
📈 The mindset shift that separates successful franchisees from struggling ones
📝 About Marcus Slater
Marcus Slater is a growth marketing and technology leader with over 13 years of experience driving customer acquisition and revenue growth for some of the largest franchise brands and emerging startups in the U.S. As the founder and CEO of AdCloud, Marcus specializes in tailored digital marketing solutions for franchise businesses, helping brands like Deka Lash, beem light sauna, Frenchies, F45 Training and more achieve significant growth.
His work has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, Forbes, and The New York Times, and he was named Marketing Icon of the Year by OnCon20.
Marcus is passionate about bringing clarity to marketing strategies, leveraging technology to drive results, and scaling businesses through innovative approaches.
🎯 Marcus’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
👉 “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
Marcus believes that resilience and adaptability are the ultimate keys to entrepreneurial success. Too many business owners give up too soon or hesitate to pivot when things aren’t working. Instead of fearing failure, test everything, adapt quickly, and remove ego from decision-making.
📢 Memorable Quotes
💬 “The smartest entrepreneurs aren’t the ones who think they have all the answers. They’re the ones who test everything.” – Marcus Slater
💬 “Cutting marketing when your business is struggling is like trying to save money by turning off your oxygen.” – Marcus Slater
💬 “If you can’t measure it, you shouldn’t be running it.” – Marcus Slater
💡 Actionable Takeaways
✅ Stop guessing in your marketing—use data to make decisions
✅ Test multiple strategies at once to find what really works
✅ Leverage AI to automate and improve customer engagement
✅ Prioritize long-term brand growth over short-term wins
🔗 Links & Resources