Every story links to the original video or post, so you can check it yourself. Watch a few before you apply. If someone’s situation looks like yours, reach out to them.
Dennis Yu with one of our young AI builders
Builder: a young adult we’ve coachedFounder: a business owner using the methodQuotes: exact words, linked to the source
Builder
George Paladichuk
Founder, NaiL AI
George was a college student when he messaged Dennis after a Facebook post about the program, expecting the usual pitch. In George’s telling, Dennis said: “I don’t need you in this program. It works for the people who actually do the work.” George joined anyway. His first agency, Gutterwise Marketing, was bought in 2025.
His AI call center, NaiL AI, now answers calls for 100+ locations
For one franchise client, NaiL captured almost $1.5 million in 30 days. He grew it to 60 clients in a year with no sales reps and no cold calls.
Marko started a marketing agency in high school. It was bought and merged into ServiceLegend, where he became CMO and a co-founder. He also founded CoatingLaunch and HVAC Quote AI.
HVAC Quote AI is used by 300+ HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractors
He co-taught a 77-minute Dollar a Day class for contractors with Dennis in 2023.
He’s helped me dramatically get in the right rooms, talk to the right business owners… He’s personally helped me grow my companies. Facebook video
Shaq hand-picked Cam as one of 24 dunkers to compete for $500,000 on TNT. Off the court, he built a Claude agent that finds positive mentions of a person, scores them and updates their website, without writing code.
Won the 2026 DunkMan World Championship and its $500,000 prize
He’s a senior at Abilene Christian University, and he teaches business owners to use AI agents alongside Dylan Haugen.
AI builder · co-author, How to Get a Google Knowledge Panel
Dylan was 17, a pro dunker who had made videos for years. He says he knew absolutely nothing about AI. Within his first year he was setting up AI for real businesses, earned his own Google Knowledge Panel and launched his personal brand site.
Built Cam Hazzard’s personal-brand website
At 18 he competed in Shaq’s DunkMan League. He gave his first conference talk next to Dennis at the ALIGN Volleyball Summit.
Jack started reselling watches at 12. He never went to college. He learned on church camera crews and in an unpaid internship, then learned digital marketing in about 18 months.
Went from zero experience to running his own agency, then founded High Rise Influence
He joined the Army National Guard at 18. In basic training he shared his food with everyone, and his platoon went from second-to-worst to the best.
Ethan started with his dad’s landscaping and Christmas-lights business. He used AI to run its Facebook ads, Google Business Profile and Local Services Ads, faster than doing it by hand. He wrote down everything he did, so his AI agents could repeat it.
Ran ads for 12+ Christmas-light installers: more than $500,000 in booked installs in one season
Leads cost under $20 each across seven Georgia markets. He also co-wrote the book Mow Money with Anthony Hilb.
Ethan reached out to Dennis cold in 2018, as a college student, asking for mentorship and feedback. He kept showing up, earned his MBA while working full time, and joins our weekly office hours.
Our team’s write-up reports he helped grow Infinity Exteriors, a large Wisconsin roofing company, by $20 million in a single year
He hosts the Encourage Mindset podcast, with more than 100 episodes. Dennis has been his guest.
On his first day, at 23, Dennis told Jacob he wasn’t an employee. He was an owner in training. Days later Jacob was on stage interviewing the CEO of the National Speakers Association.
Co-founded Growth Ring Media, a tree-service marketing company, and writes a newsletter for about 1,850 tree-service owners
One of his tree-service clients grew from $1.21 million to $1.66 million in a year, up 37%.
Roanin grew up in Vacaville, California, studied economics at UCSB and taught himself AI. He took a job at a country club to meet people. In his words, it turned into mentors, golf, a consulting contract and the path to Avoca, an AI company for home-service businesses.
Dennis has been mentoring him. In August 2026 they recorded podcasts for each other, and Dennis was the guest on Roanin’s first episode.
That weekend they hiked Mt Bierstadt with Jason Amato, after Jason’s workshop for home-service operators, where seven companies booked an Avoca demo.
Jack, a journalism grad from Arizona State, met Dennis at Dunk Camp in Salt Lake City. In his words, “a conversation about marketing changed everything.” He sent his one-minute video like everyone else.
Now owns Roof Launch Marketing in Tucson, helping home-service businesses win on Google
He also built Anyone Can Dunk, a coaching brand with 15,600+ Instagram followers.
Founder, Pest Control SEO · host, The Dan Leibrandt Show
His dad’s 20-year flooring business wasn’t getting clients or ranking on Google. Dan learned SEO to fix it, then helped his dad’s home-service friends.
Started his own agency, Pest Control SEO, and now hosts his own show
Dennis Yu taught me his famous “Dollar a Day” strategy, and it’s been a huge advantage for my digital marketing campaigns. Blog, Aug 2023
At 19, Leo left Germany to see the world. Instead of going to business school to learn business, Dennis told him to start one. Leo built an AI video editing business for local companies like plumbers and roofers.
Set up his payment systems and sent his first invoice: €500, a little over $500
The one promise Dennis asked of him: before you quit over criticism or a mistake, talk to me first.
Jeff joined in October 2025 with a school-issued Chromebook and no phone. He showed up, did the work and asked for help when he needed it. That’s how he earned a company iPhone and MacBook, as tools he’s trusted with.
His advice to others: “If you get the opportunity that I’m in, please take it.”
In his words, his job is the most basic job in our Content Factory: turning long videos into articles for local businesses.
Alex cold-pitched Dennis with a personalized four-minute video, and Dennis replied. Later, on a coaching call, Alex admitted cold email was making his clients churn. Dennis told him he was wasting his talent without an industry focus.
Picked one industry, built a playbook for it, and now teaches lead generation with Dennis
Video, Aug 2025
In his own words
Jack Wendt’s story, one short at a time
Jack founded High Rise Influence. He told his story in short videos: watches at 12, a $4,000 Breitling at 15, the Army National Guard at 18, no college, and an agency he built from zero.
Could you be another Jack? Ideally, we pay builders like him to co-found and run one of our agencies. See the two ways in.
David served prison time from 21 to 25. When he started working with Dennis, Dennis put him in the back end of the Ashley Furniture account: data analysis, research, running ads.
DOPE Marketing lists three straight Inc. 5000 rankings, 2024 to 2026
Dennis and I started working together and he unlocked the doors. YouTube
Brad runs Capital City Roofing in Atlanta and licenses its system to other roofers. He sits on national roofing boards, and he’s tough on marketing and tech vendors. He still tells his home-service friends to work with Dennis.
Scaled Capital City Roofing to $10 million in its second year, using AI and community
Our builder George Paladichuk says he grew NaiL the same way Brad grew his roofing company: relationships and reputation.
For all my home services connections. If you’re looking for a marketing-seo-ai expert, Dennis Yu is the real deal. Facebook, Mar 2026
Owner, Anthony’s Lawn Care and Landscaping (Bloomington, Indiana)
Anthony started in 2011 with a minivan, a push mower and a toolbox. He runs his companies on what he calls the Gordon Ramsay model: his name on the door, his standards in the kitchen, and a trained operator running the restaurant.
Now leads about 70 people across four businesses in Indiana, Tennessee and North Carolina
He co-wrote the book Mow Money with Ethan Murphy, one of our builders.
Caleb started BetterWealth at 21. It’s also where Jack Wendt got his start: Jack interned for Caleb as a teenager, after the two met in Denver.
BetterWealth is licensed in all 50 states and has placed more than $2.1 billion in protection
I am literally on the stage at Traffic and Conversion because Dennis has given me opportunities to not only learn from him, but… actually travel and get speaking opportunities to speak in front of hundreds of people. YouTube, May 2026
Ross took the training himself and applied it inside his franchise.
Credits the training as a key factor in Pure Green’s growth
Guys, I’ve learned so much from Dennis Yu and all of his training courses, and I’ve applied that to Pure Green franchise. And that’s a key factor in our success and our continuous improvement to get better in marketing, SEO, and just continuing to grow the business. YouTube, Oct 2026
Ordered by who said it and where. Each one links to the original.
Dennis Yu is an amazing person. He invests in helping others… if you ever get a chance to work with or work for Dennis, I strongly advocate on his behalf.
Mike StelznerFounder, Social Media Examiner · Facebook video
One of the top digital marketing Jedi Masters, if you will, of our time. I was just looking at the participant count and it literally did not drop…
I am literally on the stage at Traffic and Conversion because Dennis has given me opportunities to not only learn from him, but… actually travel and get speaking opportunities to speak in front of hundreds of people.
Dennis, over and over, just extended his time, his knowledge, created more opportunity for me than anyone that I’ve met.
David CarrollFounder & CEO, DOPE Marketing · YouTube
He’s helped me dramatically get in the right rooms, talk to the right business owners… He’s personally helped me grow my companies.
Marko SipiläFounder & CEO, HVAC Quote AI · Facebook video
Dennis is one of the most practical AI practitioners I’ve met. Extremely generous with what he knows. Hands-on. No fluff. And honestly, an inspiration.
Coaching and consulting with Dennis for years… It’s changed my life.
Mark LackEntrepreneur and business coach · Facebook video
…thank you for leveling up my skills and knowledge when it comes the Dennis Yu methodology of marketing! It’s amazing how much I learned from you over 4 days…
When we first met in Phoenix through Jeff… I knew that something was going to change after that just being around you guys and then all the connections that I made through you guys.
Jason runs Power Crew and the Operations Mastery Lab. Dennis joined his workshop for home-service operators near Broomfield, Colorado, in August 2026, then hiked Mt Bierstadt with him.
Jason AmatoHome Services Hall of Fame inductee · jasongamato.com · Dennis’s write-up
High Rise InfluenceThe AI Builder Program
