Winning in the Age of AI: How Blair Witkowski Helps Small Businesses Punch Above Their Weight
Interview with Blair Witkowski, Founder of Coastal Marketing Strategies and Gutter Pro Marketing Labs
Spartan Business Journal: Blair, thanks for joining us. You’ve been running a successful SEO agency for over a decade, and now you’re at the forefront of integrating AI into small business marketing. What’s the biggest shift you’ve seen in the last year?
Blair Witkowski: The biggest shift is how quickly AI has gone from “nice to have” to absolutely essential. For small businesses, this isn’t about replacing people—it’s about not missing opportunities. Whether it’s an AI answering service making sure you never miss a lead, or AI analyzing sales calls so you can close more of them—this tech levels the playing field. Ten years ago, only big companies had this kind of support. Now, anyone can.
The other major shift is the democratization of tools. You no longer need to be a Silicon Valley startup to use machine learning to your advantage. We’re training gutter installers and garage door companies to use AI to rewrite their homepages, qualify leads, and even send follow-up emails—all without hiring an in-house team.
SBJ: A lot of small business owners are overwhelmed by AI. How do you talk to them about it without the hype?
Blair: I tell them the truth: AI isn’t magic, but it is useful. I walk them through exactly how it works and what it can and can’t do. I show them how we can train an AI to write content in their brand voice, help them sound like themselves online. Or how an AI agent can respond to basic customer questions so they’re not buried in emails.
What usually changes their minds is when I show them how we’ve created content or structured a site that actually feels like them—it’s their words, their personality, just powered by AI. When they see it working for them—not replacing them—they get it. And then they want more.
SBJ: What’s one way your agency is using AI right now to help clients grow?
Blair: One of the biggest is helping clients tell their story better. Right now, we’re doing exactly what I do with my clients: teaching them how to prompt AI to reflect their values, tone, and vision. Once you train AI to think like you—it becomes your assistant, your writer, your strategist. That’s a massive edge in a competitive market.
We’re also using AI to analyze search intent faster and with more nuance than traditional keyword tools. It helps us prioritize which content will actually convert instead of just drive traffic. This kind of smart targeting used to take a whole team—now, AI helps us move faster and make sharper decisions.
SBJ: You work with a lot of home service businesses—garage door companies, gutter installers, roofers. Why focus there?
Blair: I like working with people who just want results. No fluff, no ego. These folks care about one thing: is the phone ringing? They’re usually underserved by big agencies that don’t understand local marketing. So we built agencies just for them, with directories and tools tailored to their industry.
It’s personal for me—I come from hands-on work. I used to run a car lot and work as a service writer for BMW and Porsche repair shops. I even built and shipped rustic furniture with my wife and kids. That’s why I connect with these business owners—they’re building something real, and they need someone in their corner who gets it.
SBJ: That hands-on experience really comes through. You’ve been a service writer, a car dealer, even sold furniture on Etsy. How has that shaped your approach to digital marketing?
Blair: Every job I’ve had taught me to listen, solve problems, and care about the outcome. When I ran a used car lot, or packed furniture with my wife and kids, we couldn’t afford to get it wrong. That mindset never left.
And it taught me something else: clients aren’t just buying a service, they’re trusting you with their livelihood. I’ve been on the other side—I know how it feels when you’re putting your own money on the line. So when I say I want to be indispensable to my clients, I mean it. I become part of their business, and I help them grow it like it’s my own.
SBJ: Let’s talk economic uncertainty. When budgets tighten, marketing often gets cut. What do you say to a small business on the fence?
Blair: Cutting your marketing is like taking the wheels off your car to save gas. In a slowdown, visibility matters more than ever. I help business owners focus on what works: getting found, showing up, and converting. If we can train an AI to help automate or scale part of that? Even better.
You don’t need to spend more—you need to spend smarter. I focus on local SEO, Google Maps, and high-intent content that makes the phone ring. And for companies that are serious about surviving the next downturn, I help them use AI to keep their brand active, even if their staff is stretched thin.
SBJ: Do you think every business will have its own AI agent soon?
Blair: Yes, 100%. In the next five years, AI agents will be answering your calls, booking appointments, writing emails, even managing some of your sales process. The tech is already here. What’s missing is guidance. That’s where I come in—I show small businesses how to plug into this stuff without getting overwhelmed.
Imagine a gutter company with an AI that qualifies leads, schedules estimates, and follows up after the job is done. Or a garage door installer that has content automatically generated for every neighborhood they serve. That’s not science fiction—it’s already happening. I’m just helping more people get access to it.
SBJ: Final question: What makes you different from every other “SEO expert” out there?
Blair: I care. And I stick around. I’ve had clients for over 10 years because I become part of their team. I’m not selling rankings—I’m helping people succeed. I’ve got a family too. I know what’s on the line.
My clients trust me because I treat their business like it’s mine. I’ve spent time on a ventilator. I’ve worked 16-hour days packing furniture. I’ve trained myself to run every day for years. Discipline, honesty, and reliability aren’t buzzwords to me. They’re how I live.
SBJ: Blair, this has been one of the most real and insightful interviews we’ve done. Thanks for your time.
Blair: Appreciate it. Let’s help more people win.
Blair Witkowski
Founder-Coastal Marketing Strategies
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