Make the Internet Like You: From Blogging to Digital Marketing Founder | Vivienne Wagner, Founder + CEO, Houndstooth Media Group, Ep. 28

You've built a solid business, but the old way of getting found on Google is quietly disappearing — and if your website isn't speaking a language AI can find, your competitors are already winning customers you never knew existed. Most business owners have no idea this shift has already happened.

Vivienne Wagner, founder and CEO of Houndstooth Media Group, bootstrapped her digital marketing agency from a divorce-era blogging hobby into a 16-person team, and now specializes in helping business owners get found by AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude, not just Google. In this episode, she breaks down exactly what's changed and the zero-technical-skill steps any business owner can take today.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

[00:03] Vivienne's career pivot story before Houndstooth Media — from a divorce-era pottery business to a public administration and PR degree, and how those “unrelated” chapters quietly built her foundation as a digital marketing entrepreneur[00:06] How saying yes to one ghostwriting favor for a friend accidentally launched a marketing agency — and the mindset shift from “one-time project” to “this is a business”[00:07] The marketing lesson from her pre-agency PR and public affairs career that still drives every strategy she builds: “nobody is searching for the cure, they're searching for the symptom”[00:13] AI search basics: why the shift from Google SEO to AI search matters right now for entrepreneurs, business owners, and side hustlers — and what's at risk for your revenue if you don't adapt[00:16] Entrepreneurship lessons on building a business around your personal core values — why she hires and fires on integrity, loyalty, kindness, thankfulness, and humor, and how “the freedom to say no” became her most profitable business decision[00:29] AI search vs. Google search, explained through her librarian-vs.-detective analogy — why understanding how your customers use AI is becoming essential for any business or side hustle, and the real difference between ranking on Google and getting recommended by ChatGPT or Claude[00:38] The zero-technical-skill steps you can take today to audit whether your own website clearly communicates who you are, what you do, and who you serve[00:44] Financial considerations for entrepreneurs — her approach to paying yourself first, pricing your services without racing to the bottom, and planning for retirement and long-term financial goals as a business owner

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST

Vivienne's free AI Visibility We