Description:
In this solo episode, Matt takes you behind the scenes of his entrepreneurial journey—from artist to affiliate marketer to agency founder. Through real stories and personal reflections, he breaks down how experimentation and taking action have shaped every phase of his growth. From launching websites in the early 2000s to dealing with modern shifts like AI replacing client work, this episode delivers a candid look at what it really takes to build and evolve over decades.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Success rarely comes from a grand vision—it emerges from action, iteration, and feedback.
- Every stage of your business (and life) can be improved through experimentation, whether that’s launching a product or tweaking your website’s design.
- Matt shares how a single guide created for a niche PPC forum led to a full-fledged online business, highlighting the power of relevance and community.
- He reflects on the evolution of his web agency and product brand, Unified, built step-by-step through testing and refinement.
- AI isn’t just a threat—it’s an opportunity. Matt talks about how he’s embracing AI internally, and how it’s shaping his future services and consulting plans.
- Growth is not static—it’s built through continual learning, adapting, and taking small but meaningful actions.
THE MEAT OF IT!
1. Intro & Episode Setup
- Why you’re flying solo again
- Framing the topic: experimentation and action as the engines of progress
2. The Early Days of Experimentation
- From art to insurance to contracting: nonlinear beginnings
- Launching websites, discovering PPC, and the first taste of online success
- The AdWords guide that changed everything
3. How One Guide Sparked a Business
- Writing to solve real problems in real communities
- From eBook to memberships, coaching, and ClickBank success
- Key lesson: contextual experimentation wins
4. Transition to Web & Agency Life
- Leaving info products to focus on web design
- Freelancing, Upwork (Elance), and the agency evolution
- Building Unified Web Design from client work and team-building
5. The Builder’s Mentality
- Always upgrading: internal websites, animations, infrastructure
- How every site (Builders.fm, UnifiedPlugins.com, UnifiedWebDesign.com, and MattLevenhagen.com) serves a purpose
- Small actions, big forward motion
6. Facing Change: The AI Wave
- Losing a contract to AI — and what that taught you
- How you use AI daily for dev, strategy, and writing
- Team adoption and client value behind the scenes
7. Looking Ahead: What’s Next
- Expanding into consulting and team/AI advisory
- Integrating AI into services and future plugin features
- Staying ahead by building with change, not against it
8. Final Thoughts & Motivation
- Business success is built on momentum, not perfection
- Try the next thing — even a small step can unlock your future
- Call to action: keep experimenting, keep building
Click to See Episode Chapters and Timestamp
| Timestamp | Summary |
| 0:00 | Building Businesses Through Experimentation and Action |
| 7:35 | A Journey of Experimentation in Art, Business, and Technology |
| 10:36 | Experimentation and Success in Digital Marketing and Web Development |
| 20:52 | Adapting to Change in Business and Personal Growth |
| 24:44 | Continuous Website Improvement and Strategic Business Progression |
| 32:51 | Embracing Speed and Evolution in Business Growth |
| 39:53 | Embracing AI to Enhance Business Efficiency and Innovation |
| 52:32 | Experimentation and Action as Keys to Business Success |
Check out these related Episodes:
- Episode 223 – I Considered Quitting… Enter Claude AI: Reigniting the Fire to BUILD and Rediscovering My Passion
- Episode 222: George McGillivray – Lifelong Learning & Growth: Never Too Late to Build, Write & Give Back
- Episode 219 – Guardians of the Build: 4 Yr Contract & Counting, Our Role as a Client’s Digital Defense Team
Web Developer, WordPress & JavaScript Nerd at Unified Web Design, LLC
Matt is the Founder & Web Designer at Unified Web Design, Owner of UnifiedPlugins.com, blogger at MattLevenhagen.com ( who else would be? 😉 ) AND host of this amazing podcast, The Builders!
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