Interview: George Avery (GetAds)

George Avery thought he had a career in professional hockey. But hockey was not short on players riding the bench. While warming the bench 90% of the time, George looked up at all the empty seats. He started to think of ways he could help fill those chairs. He came up with ideas on how to get fans in the stands. He began working with the hockey’s marketing team to bring people in the rink. Finding that niche ultimately led him to online marketing. So hockey may not have had a place for him on the ice, but affiliate marketing allowed him to be a key player. Taking the experience on the ice to online marketing, he has built successful companies form the ground up. He is now CEO of GetAds where the network focuses on having educated affiliate managers and direct successful offers. To learn more about George and the GetAds team, you can follow them on their blog at http://www.getads.com/blog.

If you are in town for the Affiliate Convention in Denver June 21st or 22nd, GetAds is having an open house and everyone is invited. So stop on by and check out the new GetAds office.

Tell us a little background info about yourself. Where are you from?
Denver, Colorado.

How old are you?
32.

How long have you been working in this industry?
Going on 8 years.

What accomplishments so far are you the most proud of?
Building a few different companies, including GetAds, LLC and seeing where they are today.

How did you come to learn about this industry?
Through a friend.

Why did you choose this career?
I knew the internet was the future and I wanted to be a part of it.

When did you first realize the full potential in affiliate marketing?
Within the 1st month of being in the industry. It was crazy to see the amount of money coming in.

What do you think more affiliates need to understand about the network side of things?
That all networks are not created equal. Look for the networks that are there to take you to the next level. That can help add to your career and help you grow.

What have been your biggest failures and frustrations as a network owner?
The biggest would have to be when advertisers don’t pay and we still have a responsibility to pay our affiliates.

Another frustration is when new networks start and really don’t get the industry at all. Because of this they put a bad taste in the affiliates and advertisers mouth and it turns them away from affiliate marketing. If they gave a proven and knowledgeable network a chance, they would have to re-teach them what the industry is really about.

What is the single toughest problem you’ve had to face in creating a successful company, and how did you get through it?
I would say it’s managing growth. We want to have key people to come in and do their job well and to love what they do. We want to pass our knowledge on to our new employees. We don’t want people to just come in and fill seats.

What do you think it takes to be successful as an affiliate?
You need to be able to take in all the ideas around you and then focus on one and build off that. And, of course, dedication.

Is there anything that you don’t like to do, that you just hate working on?
Not really.

What is the future of marketing?
Sites and media channels are gathering more and more data about their visitors. I think this opens the door for very specific target marketing. Of course mobile advertising will be huge. This is the space you’ll see name brands moving into.

If it’s possible for you to share, are there any particular niches that you currently favor? Or that you aren’t necessarily in right now but that you would recommend?
Our affiliates work in a variety of niches. We make sure to have the offers that convert in the niches our affiliates promote.

Which methods of promotion do you favor?
We don’t really favor one particular promotional method. Our affiliates favor display, email and PPV.

What have you been up to recently? What projects are you working on?
Our main focus has been to better the network and keep expanding. We are working on different technologies that will create exciting opportunities within the industry.

What problems have you had with those new projects?
We have to create everything from the ground up. We have to explain our vision to the programmers. There just isn’t anything to really compare to what we would like to do. So getting things just right takes a bit more time.

Do you think anything particular in your past prepared you for this industry? Your education? Jobs you’ve held before?
I played 8 years of professional hockey and it has given me a competitive spirit.

What are your greatest strengths?
I would have to say my charisma and people skills.

What are your greatest weaknesses?
After all these years, I still type with the hunt and peck method. (just two fingers)

What motivates you?
I like seeing the company grow and seeing the people with in the company successful. I don’t want to fail for them.

What is the best advice you’ve been given and try to apply to your life?
Be the Best you can possibly be at what you decide to do. If you can’t be the absolute best at something, still give 110% in everything you do.

Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?
I like to look to Steve Jobs. He’s such a free flowing spirit. He’s an innovator. He has created a brand and a following for that brand. I like to look at where he’s come from to where he is now.

What kinds of people do you have difficulties working with? Any good stories?
I am really not a fan of working with people who act like your friend to your face then will stab you in the back.

No good stories or I’d be doing the same thing.

What are some of your long-term goals? How much is enough? If money was no object, what would you be doing?
I want to create a brand that is an innovator in the industry. Enough is when I have enough to take care of everyone around me. This includes my employees, my family and my friends. If money were no object I would pretty much be doing the same thing.

Where do you want to be ten years from now?
I want to be someone who left a positive mark on the industry and created opportunities for everyone in the affiliate marketing space.

How do you like to spend your free time? What doe work-life balance mean to you?
Free time is spent playing hockey, wake boarding and surfing. Work/life balance is important to me, but it’s a tough balance. Even when I’m at home relaxing or on the weekends my mind still goes to work. I almost feel bad if I’m not working 24/7.

If you could go back to being 18, what different career choices would you make?
I don’t think I would change anything. Everything I did made me who I am and gave me the edge I needed.

What is your greatest achievement outside of work? What are some of your unfulfilled dreams?
My greatest achievement outside off work would be; I was one of the few Colorado kids and American, for that matter, to go as for as I did in hockey. This was during a time that Canada and Europe ruled the sport.

As for my unfulfilled dream – I feel like I’m living my dream every day.