Episode Details

Many businesses obsess over getting more leads, but the real growth happens in what you do after the click.

In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene interviews Michael Elliot, Founder of Adtrain, who discusses how he built a seven-figure PPC agency starting with just $3,000 in the bank and no safety net. Drawing from his experience with depression, high-risk entrepreneurship, and rapid agency growth, Michael explains what most businesses get wrong about paid traffic, lead follow-up, and data attribution. This episode provides a candid look at how conversion rate optimization, automation, and honest operational discipline turn ad spend into real, scalable revenue.

Key Takeaways:

→ The greatest ROI improvements usually occur after the click, not from attracting more traffic. 

→ Broken attribution and dirty data result in expensive, misleading decisions.

→ Quick lead responses greatly boost conversion rates.

→ Automation is most effective when it first addresses key business processes. 

→ AI tools are only useful when connected to fundamentals, not just shiny objects.

Michael Elliott is an expert in turning paid media and AI into systems that deliver predictable revenue. With 14 years of experience, he’s renowned for transforming messy ad accounts, vague funnels, and operational bottlenecks into clean, scalable engines that founders can rely on. A Google Premier Partner and top 1% Upwork freelancer, Michael has managed £1.5M/month in ad spend, generated £67M+ in client revenue, and built multiple seven-figure businesses across advertising, AI automation, and the holiday-home industry.

Michael’s AI-driven systems have helped companies generate 600–800 leads per month with just one salesperson, leveraging workflows that streamline operations and accelerate response time. His approach focuses on adopting AI in ways that directly impact profit, such as improving qualification, routing, and follow-up—rather than getting distracted by flashy tools. Michael leaves audiences with actionable steps to apply immediately, helping them maximize their ROI.

Connect With Michael:

Website: https://adtrain.co.uk/