Building on YouTube with Mary Ann Bautista and Matthew Pierce

What if the content you created in 2006 is still making you money today?

In this episode, Kevin sits down with Mary Ann Bautista and Matthew Pierce, co-founders of Turbo Rank, in the first-ever two-guest interview on the show. With 30 years of direct response marketing behind them across TV, radio, and podcasting, they now specialize in helping mid-market businesses turn YouTube into a discoverable, revenue-generating channel. What makes their story remarkable is that they built Turbo Rank without ads, without outside funding, and without starting from zero. A client relationship they started together in 2006 never stopped generating revenue, giving them the foundation to launch on their own terms.

Mary Ann speaks about a relationship that changed everything: Mary Lou, a radio salesperson she met in the early 1990s. A chain of casual introductions through Mary Lou's sister led to the client Mary Ann has worked with since 2006, the one that funded houses, put kids through college, and laid the groundwork for Turbo Rank.

Matthew speaks on the relationship that changed everything: a voiceover artist he hired and became friends with, who casually mentioned Matthew to a large client one day. That single unrequested referral turned into 10 years of work across 40 franchise markets.

 

[00:03:28] Ryan Guthrie: The Introduction Behind This Episode

• Ryan Guthrie connected Kevin with Mary Ann and Matthew, and Kevin calls it an automatic yes.

• Both sides agreed immediately because the trust was already there through Ryan.

• This is also the first time Mary Ann and Matthew have been interviewed together.

[00:04:56] What They Do: YouTube Organic Optimization

• YouTube is the second largest search engine and most businesses do not know how to use it properly.

• They work with brands already active on YouTube in the $10 million to $500 million revenue range.

• They help clients get found, grow owned audiences, and turn YouTube into a direct sales channel.

[00:07:40] What Inspires Them: Results You Can Actually See

• Matthew loves building an owned audience on YouTube rather than renting someone else's attention.

• Mary Ann points to a client they took to over 50% view duration in just eight weeks.

• Both say watching a client's eyes open wide at their 30-day progress meetings never gets old.

[00:11:08] How They Met: A Fake Sales Call on a Friday Afternoon

• Matthew sold radio at CBS and used fake sales calls to Mary Ann's agency as an excuse to leave early on Fridays.

• They became friends, and when Matthew started his own agency, Mary Ann was one of his first clients.

• She brought him a restricted health and wellness account, and they started experimenting with YouTube together in 2006.

[00:13:40] The Client They Have Had Since 2006

• That original account grew into over 60 YouTube channels, most still driving orders today.

• They learned the real craft of YouTube optimization by pushing hard to serve that one account well.

• Two years ago they spotted a gap in the organic YouTube space and launched Turbo Rank together.

[00:16:07] The Client Win They Are Most Proud Of

• A competitor blogger was ranking above a client's own product name with inaccurate negative content.

• Turbo Rank pushed the negative results down and put the client's videos in top positions in about four months.

• Revenue share deals from work done years ago still fund Turbo Rank today and let them launch without outside capital.

[00:21:32] Mary Ann's Million Dollar Relationship: Mary Lou

• Mary Lou was a radio salesperson at KCBS who became a genuine friend over four or five years.

• She introduced Mary Ann to her sister, who made a casual elevator introduction to a key contact at a major company.

• That chain led to Mary Ann's most significant client relationship, one that has lasted over 30 years.

[00:23:20] Matthew's Million Dollar Relationship: The Voiceover Artist

• A voiceover artist Matthew hired stayed in touch long after the job was done.

• Without being asked, he mentioned Matthew to a large client he was working with.

• That one casual mention turned into 10 years of work across 40 franchise markets.

[00:25:35] Empowering People to Outgrow You

• Matthew recognized a team member was destined for bigger things and pushed him toward better opportunities.

• Mary Ann then hired that same person at her agency, where he stayed four or five years before moving to LA and thriving.

• Both believe holding people back hurts everyone, and open communication is the foundation of their culture.

[00:32:14] Final Thought: YouTube Is Not Optional Anymore

• Every month you delay means competitors get further ahead.

• 60 to 65% of people search after seeing an ad, and if you are not ranking, you paid for that lead to go to a competitor.

• Turbo Rank offers a free mini audit and quick fix report for qualified brands at turborank.co.

 

KEY QUOTES

"YouTube is the second largest search engine. People go to YouTube to find out how to do stuff. It is a social network. People go to YouTube to connect. It is one of the most powerful things your business can do right now." - Matthew Pierce

"My very best clients are employees of former clients. They remember you, they know how hard you work, they know the value you brought, and you're the first call when there's a need." - Mary Ann Bautista

CONNECT WITH MARY ANN AND MATTHEW

🌐Website: https://www.turborank.co 

💼 LinkedIn (Mary Ann): https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryannbautista 

💼 LinkedIn (Matthew): https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewfastforwardmarketing 

📋 Free Mini Audit: Available at turborank.co for qualified brands

 

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