If Quarter 3 proved anything, it’s that business growth rarely moves in a straight line. It’s been a proper mixed bag—a blend of quick, satisfying wins, complex deep dives into agency strategy, unexpected corporate shifts, and some genuinely exciting tech experiments.
Here’s the high-level takeaway: Execution takes longer than you think, but double-downing on value and owning your media assets always pays off.
Whether it was spending weeks building massive 8-part content silos, wrestling with LinkedIn algorithms, vibe coding WordPress plugins without knowing how to write code, or taking time out for family milestones at historic castles, Q3 was about building foundations for the long haul.
Here is the complete, honest breakdown of how it all went down.
The Big Agency Focus: Deep-Dive Content Silos & Owned Media
A huge amount of energy at Empire Base went into content strategy this quarter. While our internal SEO team consistently churns out weekly value, I wanted to personally jump into the weeds to build out two major content silos designed to demonstrate true topical authority to both readers and Google.
1. The HVAC Marketing Silo (8 Articles)
We mapped out a deep-dive, 8-part series focused on the HVAC and home services sector in North America (USA & Canada). Instead of fluff, these were value-first, actionable pieces showing HVAC business owners exactly how we approach lead acquisition—and what they can do themselves if they aren’t ready to hire an agency yet. They start over here.
2. Owned Website vs. Facebook Page (9 Articles)
Over the years, I’ve seen far too many businesses rely entirely on a Facebook page as their sole online presence. I wanted to create the definitive resource on why owning your platform matters.
This turned into an 9-article cluster dissecting the risks of rented land versus owned assets. To get this right, I went back and forth on structural frameworks and leveraged AI to run deep data research across specific industry points far faster than manual research would allow. We pulled that real data directly into the post sources to fuel a truly comprehensive series. You can find the beginning of that cluster here.
The Reality Check: Between research, drafting, editing, and designing custom graphics, this cluster took far more hours than anticipated. But now, Empire Base has two rock-solid value assets live on the site that continuously work for us.
Outbound Experiments: Profile Rebranding & The Sales Navigator Verdict
To support our expansion into the North American HVAC market, I undertook a complete revamp of my LinkedIn presence and cold-outbound infrastructure.
- ICP & Personal Branding: Rebuilt my personal profile from the ground up to speak directly to HVAC decision-makers looking to escape referral dependency.
- The Routine: Established a systematic posting schedule to wake up a LinkedIn algorithm I hadn’t actively pushed in years.
The LinkedIn Sales Navigator Takeaway
After years of avoiding it, I finally succumbed to paying for LinkedIn Sales Navigator. My verdict? Deeply underwhelming for this niche.
The industry filtering for HVAC combines heating and cooling with roughly three or four completely unrelated industrial sectors. The result? A lead list diluted with non-prospects. I’m currently testing alternative scraping and data-sourcing tools with far superior search granularity, and will likely drop Sales Navigator before the second billing cycle hits.
Despite the platform clunkiness, the profile refresh is already paying off with significantly increased profile views, inbound engagement, and warm conversations.
Agency Ethos: Shifting from Service Provider to Prescribing Doctor
One of the biggest personal breakthroughs this quarter came from looking across all my past and present businesses. I realized that my core approach has never been “Here is a rigid package, take it or leave it.”
It’s about listening, diagnosing the exact business symptoms, and prescribing a bespoke solution—much like a doctor.
We’ve now baked this philosophy directly into Empire Base:
- The “Why” Page Refresh: Clearly articulating our mission and consultative approach.
- The Three-Stage Journey: Categorizing client growth into Build, Accelerate, and Dominate.
Every client enters at a different stage, but these clear benchmarks help business owners immediately see where they stand and what needs fixing next.
Vibe Coding: Building Custom Agency Plugins with AI
As someone who isn’t a traditional developer, AI-assisted coding (“vibe coding”) has been an absolute game-changer.
Building on a successful database plugin I built for our billing system earlier this year, I’m currently developing custom WordPress plugins to streamline client operations and support:
- Direct Support Integration: A bespoke plugin allowing clients to submit support tickets directly from inside their own WordPress admin dashboard straight into our backend ticketing system.
- Backend Automation: Internal management plugins to save our team time on client administration.
Because I can’t manually audit every line of code, I proceed with healthy caution—building iteratively, double-checking edge cases, and testing thoroughly. But watching custom functional software come to life through prompt architecture is incredibly satisfying.
Business Transitions & Quick Wins
It wouldn’t be a full quarter without a few unexpected operational shifts:
- Corporate Restructuring: Behind the scenes across Buck Daddy Express (UK) and Pollux Technologies LLC (USA), team adjustments have required structural transitions. While these deep conversations and operational adjustments swallow up time and energy in the short term, they protect our core recurring income streams for the future.
- Physical Media Wins: On the tangible side of business, it was a pleasure welcoming back a returning client for CD replication. This release was particularly special—it was their first album performing as the drummer rather than on keys/piano. They followed up shortly after with a repeat order for a past release, getting physical product ready for live gig merch tables.
Personal Highlights: Family Reunions, Castles, & Watching Laszlo Grow
Outside of business, Q3 brought some incredible personal moments:
- UK Sibling Reunion: We spent a fantastic few days in Kent reconnecting with my brother, and my sister who traveled down from Leeds with her two boys (now 12 and 15—time truly flies!). With family spread abroad, having the UK siblings together to catch up and hang out was priceless.
- Hever Castle (Belated 40th Birthday): Took my wife on a long-awaited trip to Hever Castle in the southeast—a historic spot she’s wanted to visit for years. Between exploring the castle grounds and the scenic drive back past Stonehenge, it was a perfect getaway.
- Laszlo’s Accelerating World: Little Laszlo is developing at lightning speed. Watching him absorb language and ideas from shows like Postman Pat and Thomas the Tank Engine (between playing with his physical toys!) has been amazing. He’s obsessed with anything with wheels—tractors, trains, planes, helicopters, and lorries.
I’ve been keeping dedicated journals of all his daily achievements. I know how fast memories fade, and I can’t wait to look back on these notes with him when he’s older.
Looking Ahead to Q4
Quarter 3 was dense, demanding, and full of foundational work. The content silos are built, the agency positioning is sharpened, the coding experiments are underway, and the family memories are locked in.
Now, it’s all about taking these active assets and pushing hard into Q4. Let’s get to work!
