Spotlight on Success
Featured Interview
Mike Montague
“Spotlight on Success” is an interview series created by David Levine of I Am Your Virtual Professional. Its purpose is to amplify the voices of today’s business leaders. Each interview provides actionable insights that readers can implement immediately. No fluff, just practical wisdom that enables individuals to move forward with clarity and confidence.
Mike Montague
| Company | Avenue9 |
|---|---|
| Role | Founder |
| LinkedIn Profile | https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedmontague/ |
| Company Website | https://avenue9.com/ |
Mike helps small and mid-sized businesses market like big brands with authenticity and automation. From working with Google, Coca-Cola, and HubSpot to interviewing AI leaders on my Human-First AI Marketing® podcast, I’ve learned what works and what wastes your time and money.
I’ve spent over 25 years building websites, Content engines, and demand generation strategies for startups, franchises, and Fortune 500 companies. I’ve authored LINKEDIN THE SANDLER WAY and PLAYFUL HUMANS, spoken at INBOUND and ATD, and won national web development awards. But the real win is helping SMBs punch above their weight with AI that’s smart, ethical, and effective.
Today, I focus on helping businesses with $1M–$30M in revenue automate what’s painful, create Content that converts, and build scalable systems using tools like ChatGPT, Descript, and HubSpot.
Who Should You Nominate?
- Leaders doing meaningful work
- People with insights others can learn from
- Voices worth elevating
Interview Questions
1. What’s one strategy your business used recently that created meaningful growth?
Focusing on relationships. Networking, podcasting, lunches, and calling old friends. I feel like the IRL channels are wide open now that everyone has gone digital and remote.
2. How has AI or technology changed the way you operate or serve clients?
I love using AI to make hyper-personalized Content for my clients. I never do a standard presentation or repurpose an old message. I use AI to translate, transform, and customize everything I send over so they get something unique every time.
3. What’s one thing you stopped doing that actually helped your business grow?
I stopped working with smaller clients that didn’t have the money to pay my full retainer. I found that micro businesses and solo entrepreneurs are much more work than larger organizations for much less pay, and moving upmarket allowed me to free up my time and earn what I’m worth.
4. What’s a customer insight you discovered that changed the way you do business?
I love it whenever I get positive feedback on something that I make. It always encourages me to keep going when customers realize what I can build is better than what they could do themselves or with AI alone. They have shared several insights with me that it’s my thinking, expertise, and strategy that add value to the project, and I find that very encouraging.
5. If a business had to improve ONE area to grow faster in the next 90 days, what should it be?
Find a way to encourage introductions and referrals. The fastest way to grow is to keep your existing clients and add their friends, family, coworkers, and partners through great recommendations. The fastest way to get recommendations is to do good work, ask for them, and build something worth passing along, like a gift or an invitation.
6. What’s one thing you do consistently that keeps your pipeline healthy?
Podcasting, having a weekly conversation with another human helps me constantly grow my connections with friends, colleagues, partners, and clients.
7. What’s a decision you made in the last year that had a bigger impact than you expected, and what led you to make it?:
Just having the confidence to put myself out there, get on more stages, promote my podcast, reach out to strangers, especially in person, and to really go for it. I think that waiting for somebody else to pick you really prolongs your time to impact. Go for it and then keep going.
8. What’s one process you streamlined that made a noticeable difference in efficiency or results?
Recording every conversation allows me to process the transcript with AI, pull out valuable insights, create marketing materials, capture to-do items, and so much more. Just by hitting record, I feel like I am 9 times more efficient than I was by trying to take notes and keep track of things by hand.
9. What book, podcast, or resource has influenced your thinking or business decisions lately and why?
The YouTuber Mo Bitar has really influenced my thinking about AI, how it works, and its benefits and weaknesses to society. His humorous, real-world, and technical approach to AI helped me ground my work in reality rather than hype or hysteria.
Who Should You Nominate?
- Leaders doing meaningful work
- People with insights others can learn from
- Voices worth elevating
I am Your Virtual Professional's
3 Key Takeaways
# 1
Relationships Still Drive Business Growth
In a world where so much communication happens digitally, Mike emphasizes the importance of personal connections. Networking, podcasting, reconnecting with friends, and asking for introductions can create opportunities that technology alone cannot.
# 2
Use AI to Personalize, Not Standardize
Mike uses AI to tailor Content and presentations to each client rather than recycling generic messages. The lesson? Technology should help businesses deliver more relevant, personal experiences, not make every interaction feel the same.
# 3
Growth Requires Knowing Your Value and Taking Action
Mike learned to focus on clients who recognize the value of his expertise. He also discovered that putting himself out there, speaking on more stages, and reaching out to new people created opportunities. Sometimes growth comes from knowing where to focus your energy and having the confidence to act.
Who Should You Nominate?
- Leaders doing meaningful work
- People with insights others can learn from
- Voices worth elevating
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