Time We Discuss: Market Growth Professional
Watch/Listen to this Episode Market Growth Professional
In this episode of Time We Discuss, Dillon Hill, founder of Cosmoforge, shares his truly inspiring journey and the philosophy behind his marketing growth agency. Dillon’s passion for entrepreneurship stems from his upbringing. Raised in a poor family, he witnessed firsthand how his father built a successful business from scratch. This instilled in him a deep appreciation for entrepreneurship and the value of improving systems and processes.
Dillon’s early foray into business began during high school, when he founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aimed at helping hospitalized children through video games. Inspired by his childhood friend who had cancer, Dillon’s nonprofit raised $200,000 and made a tangible difference in children's hospitals across the country. This experience taught him crucial lessons in operations, fundraising, and marketing.
His path took a dramatic turn when his best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer while Dillon was in college. Motivated to make a meaningful impact, Dillon dropped out of school to co-found a foundation with his friend, centered around pursuing a bucket list and documenting their journey. This project gained massive attention, achieving over 200 million views. One of their bucket list goals was to break a world record for the most bone marrow donor signups. Their efforts resulted in 13,000 people signing up, one of whom was a perfect genetic match for Dillon’s friend, ultimately saving his life. This profound experience highlighted the power of well-executed marketing combined with effective follow-through.
After the success of the foundation, Dillon transitioned into helping other businesses with their growth strategies, leading to the creation of Cosmoforge. Unlike typical marketing agencies, Cosmoforge focuses not only on attracting leads but also on the post-marketing process, ensuring that operations, sales, and customer retention are seamlessly integrated. Dillon’s goal is to help businesses grow holistically, not just through marketing but by improving overall operational efficiency.
The agency primarily works with businesses that have high lead values, such as contractors and freight companies. Dillon emphasizes the importance of understanding the unique needs of each client and selecting the most appropriate marketing channels based on their business model. For instance, while social media might be useful for lifestyle-oriented brands like van conversion companies, more urgent solutions like Google Ads are better suited for roofing contractors.
Dillon also leverages automation and artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT, to streamline marketing operations for his clients. He highlights the importance of balancing technology with human oversight, acknowledging the limitations of AI tools in certain complex tasks. For example, while AI can generate content and assist with coding, it struggles with nuanced tasks like extracting structured data from unformatted transcripts.
Beyond his business ventures, Dillon remains committed to giving back. He hosts an annual scholarship in honor of a friend who was a victim of domestic violence and offers free marketing services to nonprofits as part of Cosmoforge’s onboarding process for new hires. This initiative not only helps nonprofits grow but also serves as a training ground for employees to gain hands-on experience in real-world marketing scenarios.
Dillon’s story is a testament to the power of resilience, innovation, and purpose-driven work. From overcoming personal hardships to building a successful business, his journey reflects the importance of aligning passion with action. His approach to marketing growth—rooted in empathy, strategy, and continuous learning—offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs looking to make a difference in their industries.
Links from the Show
- Dillon's Business: Cosmoforge
- Sahara Hope Scholarship
- This student left college to help his dying childhood friend complete his bucket list - The Washington Post
Also Mentioned in This Episode:
- What You Need to Know to Start a Design or Marketing Agency
- AI Marketing Career, The Future of Digital Marketing
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