When a Marketer Starts a Home Service Business

Guest:
Mike Venidis – Co-Owner, Good Golly Garage Doors & Former Partner at Rhino Digital Marketing

Guest Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mvenidis/

Good Golly Garage Doors: https://goodgollygaragedoors.com

MikeVenidis.com: https://mikevenidis.com

This episode explores how Mike Venidis, after 15 years building one of the most respected digital marketing agencies in the home service space, is now applying that expertise to launch Good Golly Garage Doors with a level of strategic precision rarely seen in this industry. The episode dives into his data-driven market planning, Census Bureau research, demographic and home-value mapping, neighborhood selection psychology, pricing and margin modeling, supplier negotiations, and the mindset required when transitioning from marketer to operator. It also unpacks how AI is reshaping search behavior, why reputation platforms heavily influence AI recommendations, how AEO and GEO play into the future of local SEO, the emerging importance of Reddit and Quora authority, the role of wearables in reshaping search, and how zero-click search will change the traffic landscape. The episode highlights his views on building brand affinity long before launch, the power of word-of-mouth compounding, the surprising resurgence of lead aggregators, and why customer experience is becoming the most defensible asset in home services. It also touches on the personal events that pushed Mike into entrepreneurship, the balance of working with his spouse, and how he is building a modern home service brand from scratch with intention rather than improvisation.