Episode
Episode 25: 25 Years in Digital Marketing: Lessons from a Creative Who’s Seen It All | The Paper Jacket Podcast
- Podcast
- The Paper Jacket Podcast
- Published
- Dec 23, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 2424
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Summary
🎙️ Filmed in our DeLand, Florida studio — this episode is a goldmine for business owners, creatives, and marketers trying to keep up with an industry that never stops shifting. In this episode, we sit down with Mike Carlton , founder of Soda Rocket and longtime creative director of 42nd Street , to unpack 25+ years of hard-earned lessons from the frontlines of design, SEO, branding, and small business marketing. From his early days sketching Disney characters and hand-painting murals to becoming a digital strategist helping local businesses thrive, Mike shares his brutally honest take on: Why AI can't replace real creativity How consistency literally saved his life and business What most small businesses get dead wrong about SEO Why you should market to your neighborhood, not your state This isn’t just a marketing episode—it’s a masterclass in doing business with heart, strategy, and staying power. 🧠 Ideal for: Small business owners, designers, marketers, brand strategists 🛠️ Services: Branding, local SEO, web, and digital strategy 🌐 Learn more: https://sodarocket.com | https://42st.com 🎬 Produced by: https://paper-jacket.com Timestamps 00:00 – Start Local, Then Go Wide (SEO + Video Strategy) 00:30 – Welcome to the Show: Meet Mike from Soda Rocket 01:30 – From Murals to Marketing: How It All Began 03:00 – Self-Taught Design Before YouTube Was a Thing 05:00 – DuckTales, Disney, and Creative Influences 06:30 – How Business Card Requests Turned Into SEO Work 08:00 – Early SEO Wins vs. Today’s Reality 10:00 – Social Media's Shifting Role in Marketing 13:00 – Why Consistency Beats Quick Wins 15:00 – The Health Crisis That Changed His Business 16:30 – How Soda Rocket Was Born (and Why It’s Different) 18:00 – The ABCs of Digital Presence Most Businesses Ignore 20:00 – The AI…