Mike
Founder, President & CEO — Digital Marketing Co.
Known to family, friends, and colleagues as Mike — a lifelong technologist, serial entrepreneur, and author helping businesses harness AI-powered digital marketing to achieve measurable, sustainable growth.
At a Glance
A Career Built on Results
Leadership, scholarship, entrepreneurship, and a relentless focus on measurable outcomes for every client.
UMBC Cum Laude
B.S. Financial Economics — also studied Computer Science at UMBC and Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech.
Eagle Scout
Troop 835, Arnold, Maryland — earned the highest rank in Scouting through leadership and community service.
Serial Entrepreneur
Founder of NOTIFYi Inc., Breathalyze.com, and Digital Marketing Co.
Published Author
"Guaranteed Weight Loss: Diet, Exercise & Medication" plus the widely-read industry article on the future of AI-driven SEO.
Bilingual Strategist
English · Español — authentically engages audiences across U.S. Hispanic and Latin American markets.
AI Optimization Pioneer
Early practitioner of AIO, GEO, and AEO — guiding clients through the generative-search era.
Chapter One
Maryland Roots & an Early Love of Technology
Mike was born and raised in Maryland, and his fascination with computers started early. By the time he reached middle school he was already tinkering with code, networks, and anything that plugged into a wall — a passion that has shaped every chapter of his career since.
He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Financial Economics, Cum Laude, from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), pairing the analytical rigor of economics with hands-on computer science coursework. Before finishing his degree he spent time at Virginia Tech in 2007 studying Electrical Engineering, where he also taught himself Ruby on Rails in the evenings — a late-night habit that eventually grew into his first technology company, NOTIFYi Inc.
Long before college, Mike earned the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 835 in Arnold, Maryland, after planning and executing a sizable community service project. The discipline, leadership, and service ethic he absorbed in Scouting still anchor the way he runs Digital Marketing Co. today — initiative, calculated risk-taking, a real commitment to service, and an almost reflexive drive to build something of lasting value.
Chapter Two
NOTIFYi, Breathalyze.com & the E-Commerce Years
NOTIFYi Inc. was Mike's first serious tech venture — an SMS notification platform built on Ruby on Rails at a time when bulk text messaging was still a novel idea for most businesses. It taught him how to design scalable systems and how to move early in a shifting market.
From 2007 to 2009, he operated Breathalyze.com, the exclusive U.S. e-commerce provider of BACTrack personal breathalyzers. It was his first real online retail platform, and it forced him to become fluent in the full stack of digital growth: payment processing, early Google Ads (then AdWords) campaigns, conversion rate optimization, and the foundations of organic search engine optimization (SEO). The muscle memory he built in that era still powers the way Digital Marketing Co. designs campaigns today.
Over the following years, Mike launched and operated additional ventures — all aligned around one mission: helping small, mid-size, and large businesses thrive in an increasingly crowded online environment.
Signature Projects
Campaigns & Platforms That Moved the Needle
From Oprah-featured artisan e-commerce to a private social network for top-producing real estate agents, Mike has led projects that generated real revenue and real headlines.
Caroline's Cakes — "Best Cake in America"
Under Mike’s direction, Caroline’s Cakes built a world-class e-commerce platform. In 2011 it was chosen as one of Oprah’s coveted holiday gifts, with additional press from The Wall Street Journal. The brand generated millions of dollars in online sales.
Oprah 2011 · Wall Street Journal · Multi-million dollar online revenue
The Masters Club — Elite Real Estate Network
Launched in 2012, The Masters Club was the world's first invitation-only social network built exclusively for top-producing real estate agents across the United States. Mike served as founder and executive leader through 2018, cultivating a tight-knit digital ecosystem for community, deal collaboration, knowledge sharing, and high-value referrals.
2012–2018 · Invitation-only · Top-producing agents, nationwide
EarthRiverGeothermal.com
Mike recently led the full growth strategy for EarthRiverGeothermal.com, dramatically expanding their visibility in the renewable energy sector through an integrated blend of SEO, content marketing, link building, and custom web application development.
Geothermal / HVAC · Integrated SEO + AIO + GEO + Content
Geothermal.contractors — Global HVAC Directory
Mike designed and launched Geothermal.contractors, a SaaS directory connecting homeowners with licensed geothermal HVAC contractors worldwide. Built on Next.js with Stripe billing, advanced SEO, and a transparent cost breakdown (our price: $55,983) projected at 56x ROI.
Next.js · Stripe · Prisma · $3.13M Year 3 ARR projection
Recent Builds
Case Studies Under Mike's Leadership
Transparent cost breakdowns, real revenue projections, and the engineering decisions behind each platform.
Today
Modern Expertise for the AI-Powered Search Era
Mike’s approach blends traditional digital marketing fundamentals with the tools shaping the next decade of search: AI Optimization (AIO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). His clients don’t just rank on Google; they show up when customers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and the next wave of assistants for a recommendation.
His depth of practice covers the full modern stack: SEO, AI Optimization (AIO), content marketing, email automation, link building, social media management, custom web applications, SEO-optimized press releases, and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO).
He is a strong advocate for bilingual marketing, using his Spanish fluency to help clients reach U.S. Hispanic and Latin American audiences with voice and messaging that feels native — not translated. It's one of the reasons many of his clients see outsized returns as multicultural digital marketing continues its rapid expansion.
Beyond client work, Mike is a published author. His book “Guaranteed Weight Loss: Diet, Exercise & Medication” translates structured, evidence-based health strategies into practical guidance. In the marketing world, he is the author of the widely-read essay “The Future of SEO: Integrating AI and Voice Search for Modern Businesses”, which maps the next era of growth shaped by AI, conversational interfaces, and predictive consumer behavior.
Leadership Philosophy
Measurable ROI. Long-Term Brand Equity. Full Transparency.
At Digital Marketing Co., Mike stays fully hands-on with strategy, client relationships, and technology decisions. His north star is simple: every campaign, every page, every line of code should move a real number on a real business — more qualified leads, more e-commerce revenue, stronger conversion, better local visibility.
The engine behind that commitment is a rare combination: a technologist's fluency with modern marketing platforms, an economist's eye for what actually drives value, and an entrepreneur's instinct for the risks and trade-offs behind every growth decision. As AI, data science, and digital strategy continue to evolve, Mike remains committed to helping businesses turn that change into lasting, compounding results.
From the Blog
Mike's Thinking, in Writing
Where to Put $1 Million for the Next 5–5–10 Years (June 2026): A Research-Backed Investment Allocation Guide
If you suddenly had $1 million to invest for the next 5 to 10 years, how would the world's top financial researchers and endowment managers allocate it? This guide synthesizes evidence from Harvard, Yale, Wharton, Vanguard, and BlackRock to build a research-backed portfolio designed for long-term wealth preservation and growth.
The AI-Powered Buy-vs-Build Revolution: Why Now Is the Time to Invest in Custom Web Application Development
In early 2026, analysts predicted a "SaaSocalypse" as agentic AI tools made it cheaper than ever to build custom software. The real story is more nuanced: smart businesses are using AI to build what differentiates them and buy what does not. Here is why custom web application development is the investment that pays for itself.
Reimagining Marketing Strategy for the AI Era: A Comprehensive Framework for Generative AI Integration, Consumer Trust, Governance & the Agentic Future (2026)
Generative AI is a general-purpose technology reshaping marketing strategy. This comprehensive framework — drawing on MIT Sloan, Stanford HAI, Harvard Business School, Wharton, Columbia, and Carnegie Mellon research — covers GenAI integration, consumer trust engineering, governance architecture, creativity augmentation, and preparing for the agentic future where AI agents mediate commerce.
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