Nick Shackelford

BRĒZ

Partner - Head of Retention and Subscription

Structured

Co-Founder - CRO

Commerce Roundtable

I lead the content development and speaker procurement process that allows for the highest quality conversations to be had in an e-commerce centered live event space. From in-person to digital, the focus on content will always remain the most valuable thing we can provide.

Partner - Content and Education Lead

Konstant Kreative

Top 1% of performance focused ad designers and editors from around the world.

Lucyd Media

Partner

GeekOut Events

Geek Out Education is all the elements of events we love combined into one. 
Our only rules, No ego and don't be a jerk.

We speak with each attendee, we hand select the teachers and we work hard to create environments that produce conversation, debate, and ultimately future business growth. We are paid media experts across multiple channels, multiple industries, and

Triple Whale 🐳

Marketing Advisor

Motion (Creative Analytics)

Angel

PostPilot

MarketerHire

Drinkbrez.com Structured.agency Konstantkreative.com Wearelucyd.com

Proven Track Record of Scaling Social Focused Campaigns consistently past 8-figures through Programmatic buying, Influencers, E-mail and Adwords. 

Learning and growing businesses in this ever changing age of customer acquisition.

Knowing that I had more to offer, I applied that same drive to work with established brands as well as brands looking to make that pro jump. 

Let's Connect at 

nick@structured.agency

Did anyone in NY get a chance to see our can? 

Shoot me a few photos if so!

Drinkbrez.com Structured.agency Konstantkreative.com

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San Diego, a few weeks back. I’m hosting a fireside with Gary Vee.

I do the grown-up operator thing. Prepare a doc, talk track, & run of show. Send it to his team. Boxes checked. Timers set. We’re tight.

Morning of, Gary walks in. I hand him the docs. He smiles, “I’m not going to look at it. I’m just going to do my thing.”

I give him the quick brief of who’s in the room, where they’re at, what’s heavy right now. Five minutes later it’s the full Gary show. At one point I just step off stage and let him cook. People loved it. Voted best talk of the week.

Lesson #1: You don’t interview a hurricane. You point where the water should go and get out of their way.

He tells us he has a hard out. Then he pushes past it. Then he takes a swarm of questions. More hands shoot up and, boom, “I’m out,” and he’s gone. Perfect timing.

Lesson #2: Gary on stage is Gary off stage. Same on camera, same off. Consistency = credibility.

Appreciate you, @garyvee. Absolute legend

If you're just starting out in ecom right now / or doing it solo... I’m not gonna lie to you,  it's not easy and it’s gotten harder in a lot of areas.

Yeah the complicated tactics are one thing, but the main thing is you have no relationships, no partnerships, no mentors giving you feedback.

You're just listening to everybody chatting sh-t on the internet.
 
Where do you even go? 
Who do you follow? 
What do you listen to?

Who's going to spend time with you without charging you money you don't have?

Yeah, there are tools now - to find mentors and stuff while you hit people up on different channels. But getting somebody invested enough in you takes money and time from that person.

People will overcomplicate this because at the beginning, you actually have nothing.

Just simplify it as easily as possible before you start listening and consuming all this type of content

Or you're just going to fall into analysis paralysis and have a lot of conflicting information flooding into your workday.

That's where you're going to get stuck.

If you want to continue burning cash testing Meta Ads then be my guest

For this 4th Quarter you should just stick to what is working now:

This playbook is for the big dawgs👇🏼

Scaling Structure

Being Brand Side AND Agency 
Here's How I Recommend going about getting what you want from the agency.... (too a degree)

Same story every time.

If your agency is doing 3+ of these 5 red flags, it's time to have a conversation: 

1. Weekly Reporting Theater

They make you wait for a weekly call to get updates. You can't access data ongoing.

Worse - they use the same cookie-cutter template for every brand regardless of what stage you're at or what you're trying to accomplish.

If the report isn't bespoke to what YOU'RE trying to do right now, they're not paying attention.

2. One-Hour Franken-Meetings

They combine creative strategy conversations and business updates in the same 60-minute call.

This is disrespectful.

Strategy sessions need inspiration and space to think. Updates need focus and clarity.

Grouping them together means neither gets the attention it deserves.

3. Yearly Contracts With No Outs

They lock you into 12 months with no quarterly opt-outs.

Three months is enough time to do real damage (in a good way). If they're not delivering in 90 days, why would the next 9 months be different?

Shit changes. Clients change. Teams change.

4. The Bait and Switch

The person who closed you never touches your account again.

You DON'T want the closer working on your account at all.

You want them to identify what your business needs, match you with specialists, then get out of the way.

But if they disappear completely and you never hear from leadership? Red flag.

5. No Clear Owner

You're dealing with 5 different people and none of them own your success.

Someone needs to own your account end-to-end. Not just execute tasks, but actually give a shit about whether you win.

If nobody's accountable, nobody cares.

Brands spend $10K-50K/month with agencies that check these boxes.

Stop paying for theater. Start demanding results.

Agency Redflags

Chase Dimond

Top Ecommerce Email Marketer & Agency Owner | We’ve sent over 1 billion emails for our clients resulting in $200+ million in email attributable revenue.

Currently building Structured — a top ecommerce email marketing agency.

We’re a top Omnisend and Klaviyo email marketing agency partner.

And I was recently voted as the #1 ecommerce influencer to follow by Shopify and Shopify Plus.

I was also given the Top Voice Award for Email Marketing by LinkedIn and was ranked as the top email marketer on LinkedIn by Favikon.

Since launching our email agency in June of 2018, we’ve helped our clients send over a billion emails resulting in over $200 million in email attributable revenue. 

A few of our current and past clients include:
- Poo~Pourri
- Eight Sleep
- Health-Ade
- Mixtiles
- The Chive
- Vessi
- CrossNet
- Orgain

If you’re looking to hire a great email marketing agency, send me an email with more here: chase@chasedimond.com

———————————————————————————

Outside my agency, I run a number of other fast growing businesses. And I’m fortunate to have over 750,000+ amazing followers/subscribers across my social channels and email newsletter.

If you’re looking to advertise to my audience, please send me an email with more info: chase@chasedimond.com 

———————————————————————————

Here are a few other things I've accomplished:

-Scaled a product I built, marketed, and managed to 500,000 visitors in 6 months without spending a single traditional advertising dollar.

-Generated 1.5 million visitors for a dating site within the first two months of launch without spending a single traditional advertising dollar.

-Acquired 500,000 subscribers in 10 months for a travel email newsletter I helped launch while spending very little traditional advertising dollars.

-Acquired over 1.5 million total followers on Instagram for the clients/companies I have worked with/for.

-Sold a business (social media tool that helps musicians automate growth and promotions) to the largest player in the space.

You can reach me via email: chase@chasedimond.com

Founder

My newsletter is your no BS guide into what's working in email marketing - I'll give you the latest tips + tactics to help you drive more revenue from your email marketing channel. 

Sign up (it's free) here: https://chasedimond.com/chase-email-newsletter

It’s not about collecting business cards or follower counts.

It’s about building bridges with people who get it - who challenge you, inspire you, and open doors you didn’t know existed.

The right network doesn’t just grow your career - it expands your mindset, your confidence, and your opportunities.

Here are 12 ways to build powerful, authentic connections:

1️⃣ Lead with curiosity. Ask, don’t pitch. People love being seen and heard.

2️⃣ Add value first. Share insights, introductions, or encouragement before asking for anything.

3️⃣ Show up consistently. Comment, engage, and participate where your industry hangs out.

4️⃣ Find your communities. Join professional groups, Slack channels, or niche forums.

5️⃣ Attend events strategically. Go where your next mentor, collaborator, or client might actually be.

6️⃣ Follow up. A short, thoughtful message can turn a conversation into a relationship.

7️⃣ Be generous with your expertise. Give more than you take - it builds reputation fast.

8️⃣ Don’t chase status. The best opportunities often come from peers, not big titles.

9️⃣ Stay authentic. Pretending to be someone you’re not is the fastest way to disconnect.

1️⃣0️⃣ Keep it human. Share stories, not sales pitches.

1️⃣1️⃣ Support others publicly. Celebrate others’ wins - it builds goodwill that lasts.

1️⃣2️⃣ Play the long game. Relationships compound like interest; nurture them with time.

The truth? You’re one conversation away from a completely different path.

Image credit: Tim Stoddart

I hired the smartest person in the room once.
They lasted 3 months.

I hired the kindest person in the room once.
They're now running that team.

(Credit: Daniel Disney) 

Here's what that sign gets absolutely RIGHT about building winning teams 👇

We're obsessed with IQ.
With credentials.
With "rockstars" and "ninjas."

But after 15+ years building sales teams, I've learned something brutal:

Smart people who lack humility? They're ticking time bombs.

Think about it...

That genius who won't listen to feedback?
That top performer who belittles teammates?
That "expert" who thinks they know everything?

They're not building your business.
They're slowly destroying it.

Here's what ACTUALLY happens when you prioritize kindness and humility:

↳ Team meetings become idea factories (not ego battles)
↳ Mistakes become learning moments (not blame games)
↳ Success gets shared (not hoarded)
↳ People actually WANT to help each other win

I've seen it firsthand:

The "average" rep who listened to everyone?
Became our top performer within 6 months.

The "inexperienced" manager who admitted what they didn't know?
Built the strongest team culture we'd ever had.

The "quiet" team member who always helped others?
Now our most valuable leader.

Because here's the uncomfortable truth:

Skills can be taught.
Systems can be learned.
Processes can be mastered.

But kindness? Humility? 
Those are CHARACTER.

And character is what determines:
- How they handle pressure
- How they treat customers
- How they respond to failure
- How they celebrate others' wins

Smart people might win alone.
Kind and humble people? They build dynasties.

So next time you're hiring, promoting, or building a team...

Don't just check their resume.
Check their character.

Because working with smart people IS great.

But working with kind and humble people?

That's how you build something that actually lasts.

Your peace of mind is worth more than any paycheck


🟡 Put Your Mental Health First: No Job is Worth Your Peace of Mind 

Your job should make you feel good, not stressed out

🟠 If work is keeping you up at night, it's time for a change. 

Your mental health comes first—always

🔴 Let's create workplaces where we can thrive without sacrificing our well-being

🟢 You deserve a job that lets you rest peacefully at night


Credit: Dr. Mohammed Shagil

Every marketer has been here.

Meanwhile, the marketing team is just trying to hold it together.

But here’s the truth —
Marketing isn’t about making things look good.
It’s about making things work.

✅ It turns chaos into clarity.
✅ It connects what the product does with what people actually want.
✅ It builds systems that create demand instead of chasing it.

When you treat marketing as design-on-demand, you get noise.
When you treat it as strategy, you get growth. 🚀

Image credit: @Kimberly Gordon


P.S. If you write emails and you’re looking for inspiration, check out:

inboox.ai

People will forget your title.

But they’ll NEVER forget how you treated them.

Everyone deserves respect.
Regardless of title or status.

I’ve seen people completely ignore cleaners, security & junior staff…

Only to light up when a senior exec enters the room.

It's embarrassing. 
And tells me everything I need to know.

I come from humble beginnings.
My parents taught me to respect everyone.

Here’s How To Lead With Humility & Build A Culture Of Respect:

1️⃣ Treat Everyone Like They Matter
↳ Because they do - everyone has a part to play.

2️⃣ Speak to People on Their Level
↳ Don’t talk at people. Speak with them.
↳ Be genuine - ask questions and listen. 

3️⃣ Show Gratitude Daily
↳ A simple thank you can mean the world.
↳ Especially to those often overlooked.

4️⃣ Promote DEI Beyond the Buzzwords
↳ Listen to diverse voices & celebrate differences
↳ Hire & promote inclusively - your team will benefit.

5️⃣ Ask for Feedback at Every Level
↳ Get 360 insight from everyone around you. 
↳ You'll see how you're actually perceived. 

6️⃣ Stay Grounded
↳ Don’t let your title make you forget where you came from.

7️⃣ Lead by Example
↳ People remember how you make them feel. 

How you treat others says everything about you.

Respect everyone.

You'll be a better person & leader because of it.


Credit: Dan Mian

Some years test your patience more than your strategy.

Not every year is about scaling fast, hitting every goal, or breaking records.
Some years are about surviving the turbulence and learning who you are when nothing goes as planned.

Those seasons don’t define your losses - they define your foundation.

Because:

👉 The lessons learned in difficult years become the instincts you rely on in successful ones.
👉 The resilience you build under pressure becomes the quiet strength that carries your team.
👉 The humility gained in setbacks makes you a better leader when you rise again.

You don’t lose when progress slows.
You build depth, discipline, and direction.

Growth doesn’t always look like expansion.
Sometimes, it looks like endurance.

Some years you win.
Other years - you build the person who will.

Image credit: UpSkillYourLife on Twitter/X

Marketing managers don’t sign up to do it all. They’re just expected to.

Write the copy.
Run the ads.
Design the creative.
Analyze the data.
Manage the projects.

No one can excel when they’re spread this thin.

Marketing managers shouldn’t have to wear every hat. They should be supported so they can focus on leading strategy and driving growth.


P.S. If you write emails and you’re looking for inspiration, check out:

inboox.ai

Working with smart people is great.
But it is not enough.

Because intelligence can solve problems.
But humility and kindness build cultures where problems don’t have to exist in the first place.

Here’s why it matters so much 👇

Kind and humble people:

They make collaboration effortless.
You don’t waste energy defending ideas or egos. 
You build together - faster, cleaner, and with more trust.

They create psychological safety.
When people feel respected, they speak up, share bold ideas, 
and admit mistakes early. 
That’s how teams innovate and grow.

They inspire long-term loyalty.
People don’t leave companies - they leave toxic dynamics. 
Working with grounded, genuine teammates keeps great talent around.

 Ways to practice kindness and humility at work:

Listen more than you talk.
You don’t need to have the loudest voice to have the strongest impact. 
Listening builds connection and earns respect.

Give credit - generously.
Acknowledging others’ work doesn’t diminish your own. 
It multiplies the trust and energy in your team.

Keep learning.
The moment you think you’ve “arrived,” you stop growing. 
Stay curious, stay open, and never let success make you unapproachable.

Kind people build strong teams.
Strong teams create big results.

We live in a world obsessed with titles, but every person carries invisible stories of struggle, wisdom, and potential that no business card can capture.

When we lead with respect rather than hierarchy, we unlock something powerful: authentic human connection.

What i have learned about true leadership.

Real leaders don't wait to see credentials before showing respect. 

They understand that:
- Dignity isn't distributed based on job descriptions
- Today's intern could be tomorrow's innovator
- Every person has something valuable to teach us
- Character reveals itself in how we treat those who "can't help us"

Three simple shifts that change everything

1. Replace "What do you do?" with “What are you passionate about?"
Watch how conversations transform when you're genuinely curious about the person, not their position.

2. Listen for the story, not the status: 
Everyone has a journey. 

The most interesting people are often hiding in plain sight.

3. Practice "respectful curiosity": 
Approach each interaction wondering what you might learn, rather than what you might gain.

When you treat the receptionist with the same courtesy as the CEO, people notice. 

When you thank the maintenance team as genuinely as you thank your biggest client, culture shifts.

Respect isn't a favor you give; it's a standard you set.

Think about someone you interact with regularly but might overlook. 

What would happen if you approached them with fresh eyes tomorrow?

The most successful people I know aren't those who demand respect—they're the ones who give it freely.

What's one assumption you've made about someone that completely changed when you got to know their story? 


Credit: Makarand Utpat

Marketers don’t quit marketing.
They quit:

– companies that believe marketing is just “posting on LinkedIn”
– leaders who don’t understand how marketing actually works
– founders who refuse to trust the experts they’ve hired
– executives who treat every new idea as urgent
– managers who assign twelve “top priorities” at once
– leadership teams that want bold results but reject bold ideas
– organizations where insights are collected but never acted upon
– executives who cut budgets but double the targets
– founders who expect one person to do five jobs
– cultures that dismiss brand work as vanity
– leaders who pull headcount approvals after promising them for months
– timelines that confuse motion with progress
– teams where data matters only when it fits the narrative
– workplaces that celebrate constant “busyness” over meaningful results
– decision-makers who change direction every quarter and call it agility
– companies that undervalue strategy because it doesn’t produce instant ROI
– environments where creative work is micromanaged to death
– executives who equate “viral” with “effective”

Good marketing isn’t fragile.
Bad leadership is.

Marketers don’t burn out from the craft - they burn out from the chaos around it.

They love the process, the insight, the storytelling, the measurable growth.
What drives them away isn’t the work.
It’s being set up to fail.

Did I miss anything?

Bad marketing feels like someone is selling to you.

Great marketing feels like someone is helping you.

Credit: therealhakam on Twitter/X

Marketing and advertising are not the same. 
(Credit: Nehal Kazim)

They have two different objectives.

Too many brands are still getting this wrong. 

I've seen 100s of brands at Ad Pros struggle to scale. 

It has nothing to do with their product or service. 
It's their marketing approach. 

They think marketing is just running ads and posting content.
But as advertising lead, I have to remind them there's more to it. 

Marketing is knowing your customers, creating trust, 
And showing them why they should buy from you and not your competitors. 

Here are the 6 foundational components of marketing and why they matter: 

1. Market Research

Understanding the landscape, trends, competitors, and customer needs. 
You can't position effectively if you don't know what's out there.

2. Target Audience

Knowing exactly who you're talking to. 
A clear profile of the customers you're trying to reach.
Vague audience definitions lead to vague messaging. 

3. Value Proposition

The reason people should choose you over alternatives.
Your value proposition should be specific and meaningful. 

4. Marketing Channels

The platforms and mediums where you connect with your audience. 
(Social, email, paid ads, and events.) 
Channel selection matters if positioning and messaging are locked in.

5. Content Strategy

The messaging, visuals, and stories that attract, engage, and convert.
Content isn't just what you post. 
It's how you communicate value across every touchpoint.

6. Marketing Campaigns

Planned initiatives to achieve specific marketing goals. 
Campaigns are the execution layer. 
They only work when the foundation is already solid.

If you're a small brand just getting started, 
Running ads and posting on social might work temporarily. 

But if your goal is building something that scales to 8 figures and beyond... 

You need to understand the full marketing system inside and out.

When you have clarity on your market, audience, and value proposition, 
Everything else becomes more effective and predictable.

Visual credit: reputeforge on Instagram.

Marketing is...

We often search for the “perfect candidate” - someone with every qualification, every skill, and years of experience. But in doing so, we overlook a simple truth:

(Credit: Makarand Utpat )

Most jobs are trainable.
What really matters is a person’s willingness to learn.

The real asset is a teachable attitude

Skills can be taught. Software can be learned.
Processes can be explained.
But curiosity, drive, and a growth mindset are priceless.

Here’s proof:

Every top chef once started at the sink, scrubbing dishes.

Every great designer once fumbled through their first Photoshop file.

Every confident leader once feared speaking up in a room.

Every skilled coder once Googled “how to write a loop.”

Every thriving professional once just had the courage to say, “I’m willing to learn.”

Skills are teachable. Hunger isn’t.
Hire for mindset. Train for mastery.

What employers should do

Hire for attitude, train for skill.
Build supportive onboarding and mentorship.
Create clear growth paths.
Reward effort, not just results.

The payoff:

When you give someone a chance, you don’t just fill a role, you build loyalty, reduce turnover, and uncover hidden potential.

Every expert was once a beginner.
Every success story started with someone who got a shot.

Let’s stop gatekeeping potential. Give people the opportunity to prove themselves.

Marketing without humor
is like pizza without cheese

You can serve it 

But 

No one’s coming back for seconds.
Funny doesn’t mean unprofessional.

It means relatable.
It means human.

People don’t remember the product.
They remember how you made them feel.

So make them feel good.

Add flavor to your brand. 
Not just features.

Marketers,

Here’s a table with 6 copywriting formulas for writing effective ads:

Bookmark this 🔖

Bad copywriting:

• Here's my product
• Here's what it does
• Here's what's so good about it

Good copywriting:

• Here's your problem
• Here's the benefit of solving it
• Here's why what you've tried has failed
• And by the way here's a product that will help you solve it

Credit: Dickie Bush 🚢

You can mute people in real life too.

It is called boundaries.

Setting boundaries isn’t rude.
It’s responsible.

You’re not meant to be available for everyone, all the time.
Protecting your time, focus, and mental space doesn’t make you cold — it makes you effective.

Boundaries aren’t walls — they’re filters.
They help you decide what gets your attention and what doesn’t.
Because not everyone deserves access to your time or mental space.

🚫 Situations where you need to stop wasting time and set boundaries:

Endless negativity.
If someone always brings problems but never solutions — stop being their emotional landfill. You can listen with empathy without absorbing their energy.

Unclear work expectations.
If you’re constantly saying “yes” to extra work, late calls, or unrealistic deadlines, you’re not being a team player — you’re burning out. Boundaries protect both your energy and your quality of work.

Relationships that drain instead of support.
When every conversation leaves you exhausted or doubting yourself, it’s a sign to step back. Not everyone is meant to stay in your circle forever.

🧭 Simple ways to set healthy boundaries:

Communicate clearly — not emotionally.
Boundaries aren’t ultimatums. They’re statements of respect.
→ “I can’t take calls after 7 PM.”
→ “I’ll join, but only if we can stick to 30 minutes.”

Protect your calendar.
Treat your time like money. If you wouldn’t give away $1,000 easily, don’t give away hours of focus to low-value conversations or tasks.

Practice saying no — kindly.
“No” isn’t rejection. It’s redirection.
You’re saying no to one thing so you can say yes to something that matters more.

Boundaries don’t push people away.
They teach people how to treat you — and show that you take yourself seriously.

Because when you stop pouring into things that drain you,
you finally have energy for the things that build you. 

♻️ Repost to remind others that protecting your energy is productive.

👉 What’s one boundary you need to reinforce this week?

Marketing 101: The B.S. Detector

People trust 4.6/5 more than a 5/5.

Don't position yourself as "too good to be true".

Credit: The Ad Professor


P.S. If you write emails and you’re looking for inspiration, check out:

inboox.ai

Most people never lose because they tried.

They lost because they never started.

Trying doesn’t guarantee you’ll win.
 But not trying guarantees you won’t.

Every idea, business, or dream you’ve ever admired
Started with someone willing to look a little foolish at first.

You don’t need perfect timing.
You need momentum.

💡Start small. Try anyway.

The worst that happens? You learn.

The best? You win.

Image Credit: dtop1percentmen on Twitter/X

6 Copywriting Techniques You Can Leverage For Your Sales Pages:

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The Battle

Nick Shackelford

Chase Dimond

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The Battle

Nick Shackelford

Chase Dimond

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Nick Shackelford's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreNick Shackelford's LinkedIn Performance