How Dennis Yu Is Building the Uber of Digital Marketing

Jack Wendt on March 31, 2026

Eight minutes on a whiteboard.

That’s all it took for Dennis to lay out the entire model. No slides. No pitch deck. Just a marker, a board, and thirty years of pattern recognition. When he stepped back and capped the pen, I understood why people keep comparing what he’s building to Uber.

Uber didn’t invent cars or passengers. It connected two groups who already needed each other and built a system that made the connection work every single time. Dennis is doing the same thing with digital marketing.

On one side, local service businesses that need marketing but can’t afford a $10,000-a-month agency. On the other, young adults who want real careers in digital marketing but can’t get hired without experience. BlitzMetrics connects them.

I’ve been working alongside Dennis since January 2025. I’ve sat across the table from him in Las Vegas while he sketched campaign structures on napkins. I’ve watched him diagnose a client’s broken funnel in under three minutes on a Zoom call. None of what follows is theory. It’s what I’ve watched work.

Understand the Two-Sided Network

Traditional agencies operate like vendors. They charge a client, outsource the work, and hope nobody asks too many questions about who’s actually doing the execution. Dennis identified this flaw fifteen years ago and built something different.

His model pairs local service businesses (plumbers, roofers, dentists, HVAC companies) with certified AI apprentices who execute real campaigns under direct supervision. The businesses get marketing they can measure. The apprentices get paid experience, certifications, and a career track where compensation rises with the results they produce.

That’s the Uber parallel. Riders need transportation. Drivers need income. The platform makes it work. Except here, the “drivers” don’t stay at the same level forever. They learn, execute, prove competency, and graduate into roles where they train the next cohort.

Dennis Yu explaining the two-sided network model connecting local service businesses with certified AI apprentices

See the Lighthouses

Dennis calls his proven success stories “lighthouses.” They’re the clients and apprentices who demonstrate the model works, so everyone else can follow the path instead of figuring it out alone.

Roger Wakefield became America’s most prominent plumber on social media by following the Content Factory process. He didn’t hire a PR firm. He filmed one-minute videos answering questions his customers already asked, ran those through the six-stage system, and built an audience that other plumbers now study. When a plumber in Dallas sees what Roger did, they don’t need a sales pitch. They need the same playbook.

Johns Hopkins University ran a multi-week program where students partnered with small Baltimore businesses and used BlitzMetrics frameworks to generate real leads with real ad budgets. Students weren’t writing mock proposals. They were running live campaigns by week two.

Ashley Furniture, the Golden State Warriors, Nike, Red Bull, State Farm. Dennis spent over a billion dollars on Facebook and Google ads for brands like these during his years as a search engine engineer. Those aren’t name drops. They’re the testing ground where every checklist got pressure-tested before being compressed into something a 19-year-old apprentice can run.

Each of those lighthouses started the same way: one person filming a one-minute video, one checklist at a time.

Learn the Three Systems That Make It Run

The lighthouses didn’t succeed because they had bigger budgets or better luck. They succeeded because they ran the same three systems Dennis built and refined over three decades. I’ve used all three, and I’ve trained my team on each one.

The Content Factory

This is the engine. Every meeting, podcast, testimonial, or FAQ a business owner records moves through six stages of the Content Factory:

Plumbing: set up tracking, analytics, pixels, Google Business Profile, schema markup
Produce: the owner films raw content (this is the one thing only they can do)
Process: AI tools and trained apprentices transform raw footage into articles, clips, posts
Post: distribute across website, YouTube, social, email
Promote: amplify winners with Dollar-a-Day advertising
Perform: track results through weekly MAA reports, feed winners back into the cycle

The owner’s role is stage two. The system handles everything else. That’s how a single plumber interview becomes thirty pieces of content across eight platforms without the plumber touching a keyboard.

The four stages of the Content Factory: Produce, Process, Post, Promote

Dollar-a-Day Advertising

This isn’t a Facebook hack. It’s structured testing at $1 per day per audience segment. You boost the organic content that already performs, test it against narrow audiences, and scale only what the data confirms works. Dennis refined this approach across campaigns for brands spending millions per month, then compressed the logic into a checklist any trained apprentice can execute.

MAA: Metrics, Analysis, Action

Every Friday, every team member submits an MAA report. Not a task list. Not “I did this and that.” Three columns: what the numbers actually say, what they mean, and what specific action follows with a name and a deadline attached. Dennis taught me that most people can pull numbers. Very few can interpret them. And almost nobody converts interpretation into a concrete next step.

MAA creates the accountability loop that holds everything together. Without it, the Content Factory produces content nobody measures. Dollar-a-Day spends money nobody tracks. The apprentices do work nobody evaluates. MAA is what makes the whole system run.

Watch How Apprentices Become Specialists

The AI Apprentice program isn’t a course you watch and forget. Dennis built it on his Learn, Do, Teach methodology, and every stage requires proof.

First, you learn the frameworks: GCT (Goals, Content, Targeting), the nine triangles, Content Factory, Digital Plumbing, MAA. Then you execute on real client campaigns with direct oversight. Then you teach the system to someone newer than you. If you can’t teach it clearly, you haven’t learned it well enough to run it independently.

Bill Parker, one of our current AI Apprentices, is the highest-performing member of the program. He didn’t start with a marketing background. He started with the checklists, proved he could execute them, and now produces weekly MAA reports that Dennis reviews and approves. His work directly drives client content pipelines.

Certification demands demonstrated skills: creating one-minute WHY videos, repurposing content into blog posts, conducting live audits, and submitting weekly MAA reports. You prove every competency through doing, not through multiple choice.

See Why This Article Exists

AI and software development agencies reach out to Dennis constantly. They see the content, they understand the model, and they want in. Dennis told our team: “We want to point them to this article as a screening filter. The best people self-qualify by demonstrating they understand what we’re doing and why.”

If you’ve read this far and you can connect the two-sided network to the Content Factory to the lighthouse model to the apprentice pipeline, you’re tracking. If you can explain how MAA creates accountability across all of them, you’re ahead of 90% of the agencies that email Dennis asking to “partner.”

Here’s the bar: we don’t work with people who need the vision explained twice. We work with people who read this, see where they fit, and show up with a WHY video and a plan.

Google figured out something similar when they rolled out the Helpful Content Update and added Experience to E-A-T. The content that survives is content produced by people who’ve actually done the work. Geo-tagged photos from real job sites. Video of real client conversations. Articles written by people who ran the campaigns they describe.

Dennis doesn’t write about E-E-A-T. He builds systems that produce it at scale.

Start Here

If you’re a local service business owner generating $2 million or more annually and you want marketing that actually connects to revenue, here’s the path:

Run a $297 Quick Audit to diagnose where you stand
Get your Digital Plumbing in place (tracking, analytics, profiles)
Film your first WHY video: 60 seconds, on your phone, answering “why do you do what you do?”
Enter the Content Factory and let the system turn your raw footage into a library of searchable, promotable content

If you’re a young adult who wants a real career in digital marketing, not an internship, not a simulation, but a paid role where the team measures your results every Friday, look at the AI Apprentice program. Study the Content Factory process. Submit your application with a WHY video. And be ready to prove you can learn, do, and teach.

I’m 21 years old. I’ve been building High Rise Influence alongside Dennis for just over a year. In that time, I’ve helped produce over 400 articles for clients, trained team members on every stage of the Content Factory, closed Knowledge Panel Sprints, and built the AI Apprentice pipeline from our side. Everything I know about scaling digital marketing careers came from doing it inside this system.

Dennis has achieved roughly 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs. The remaining 75% is what the two-sided network was built to handle. If you’re reading this and thinking about where you’d fit, that’s exactly the point.

Learn more about the Content Factory framework — the 6-stage system behind everything we do at High Rise Influence.

Inside High Rise Academy: What You Can See in the Students

Dennis Yu on December 4, 2025

High Rise Academy exists because there’s a lot of noise in the AI and marketing space, and it’s hard to tell what training actually holds up in the real world. In this High Rise Influence YouTube video, Dennis Yu gave a simple filter for sorting that out. As he put it, “Don’t judge a program by the person selling it. Judge it by the students it produces.”

After Dennis lays out that idea, the video shifts to student builders and lets you hear directly from us about what we’re working on and how we’re applying the training with local service businesses.

The Principle Dennis Shared

Dennis’ point is blunt: it’s easy to make a program look good on the surface. The harder test is what students can actually produce once they’re inside it — their work, their thinking, and how that work holds up when applied to real clients.

That’s why the video centers on the people inside the program. You get to see how students talk about their work, what they’re building, and the kinds of problems they’ve learned to solve for clients.

What High Rise Academy Trains

High Rise Academy is an apprenticeship for young adults who want to build a concrete skill set in AI‑assisted marketing. The training is tied to local service businesses because the work is practical and the feedback is immediate.

Students practice:

Building and improving personal brand sites and business sites
Using AI tools to speed up research, content production, and operational tasks
Running and refining ads using proven systems like Dollar a Day, while tracking performance
Managing deliverables, communication, and client relationships

The idea is to learn repeatable systems and apply them on live accounts, so students leave with work they can stand behind.

Student Examples From the Videos

Dylan Haugen (Me)

I came into the program as a content creator and professional dunker. I knew how to grow an audience, but most of that lived on platforms I didn’t control. The shift for me was learning how to turn content skill into owned assets and clear client value.

What that looked like:

Building a personal brand website I control
Strengthening search presence, including my Knowledge Panel
Learning to package content and relationships into services for local businesses
Delivering real marketing outputs alongside the team

Jack Wendt

Jack’s story shows what happens when someone combines big‑picture vision with consistent execution. He’s been able to travel and still build because he runs work like a professional: projects stay on track, communication stays clear, and relationships keep compounding.

What stands out in his path:

He builds partnerships and opportunities through strong relationships
He keeps a steady operating rhythm even while moving across time zones
He treats marketing like a long game, not a short sprint

Luke Crowson

Luke started in fitness coaching, and Dennis noticed something that carries over into marketing: he cares about outcomes and sticks with a process. Inside the program, Luke applies that mindset to client work that’s built on steady improvement.

His focus areas include:

Campaign structure and ongoing tuning
Landing page and site improvements
Lead quality and follow‑up alignment with owners

The takeaway here is straightforward: consistent, client‑first execution plus good process is what drives dependable results.

Sam McLeod

Sam is still in school and leans heavily into engineering. His role is building tools and workflows that remove repetitive work for students and standardize delivery for clients.

Where that shows up:

Automating tedious steps so students focus on high‑value tasks
Turning proven processes into repeatable workflows
Supporting scale without lowering quality

One Shared Thread

Different backgrounds, same direction: we’re learning practical systems and applying them to real businesses. And the four of us you saw in the video are also building this alongside Dennis. We are founders of High Rise Influence and Local Service Spotlight, so we’re learning how to create an agency, start a business, and pressure‑test what we learn by using it every week.

Advice We Shared at the End

We wrapped the video with short advice for anyone considering this path:

Use AI like a teammate. It helps you draft, research, and troubleshoot faster, but you still steer the work.
Mindset drives follow‑through. Skill only compounds if you stay in the game long enough to apply it.
Aim for steady improvement. Getting a little better daily beats waiting for a perfect moment.
Learn by doing. You grow fastest when you ship work, get feedback, and refine.

Takeaway

Dennis’ filter is simple: student work tells you more than marketing ever will. The video applies that idea by showing what students are building and how they think about the work.

If you’re evaluating any program in AI or marketing, whether it be the High Rise Academy or something else, look for a trail of real output: projects you can inspect, processes students can explain, and progress that shows up across more than one person. That’s the safest way to decide what’s worth your time.

Interested in the AI Apprentice Program? Learn more about High Rise Academy — hands-on AI marketing training with real clients and real results.

What You’re Actually Paying For in High Rise Academy

Dennis Yu on December 1, 2025

Why pay for a program when you can get AI training for free on YouTube?

Because you want your young adult to be mentored by the best, be in a structured program with accountability, and because you want to shorten the duration to achieve competency.

Information is free now. The basics are easy to find.

What’s not free is turning that information into real business growth — fast.

In High Rise Academy, you’re paying for two things:

Results for a local service business.
Access to the people and process that create those results.
AI Infrastructure that multiplies output and efficiency.

The Goal

This program is for local service businesses and the young adults working inside them.

The goal is simple: grow the business with marketing that brings in leads, calls, and booked jobs.

What You’re Paying For #1: Results

We measure progress weekly so the work stays tied to outcomes.

MAA every week:

Metrics: what changed in leads, calls, jobs, revenue, and content output
Analysis: why it changed
Action: what we’re fixing or testing next

Your young adult runs real marketing, reports what happened, and improves it week by week until the numbers move.

The loop is always: execute → measure → coach → improve → execute again.

What You’re Paying For #2: Access

Inside the Academy, access means:

Experienced coaches. Dennis Yu and the team review your young adult’s real marketing work and show them how to make it stronger.
A clear path. They know what to focus on first, what to ignore, and what “good” looks like.
Fast feedback. Instead of guessing, they get answers and direction while they work.
A room of builders. Other apprentices are doing the same kind of work, so your young adult learns faster and stays motivated.
Masterminds with other AI Apprentices. They trade what’s working, break down problems, and push each other to deliver better results.

Dennis has 30+ years of experience and has worked with brands like Nike, Starbucks, Rosetta Stone, the Golden State Warriors, and more. That level of coaching helps your young adult avoid expensive wrong turns and reach competency faster.

What You’re Paying For #3: AI Infrastructure

A major part of the program cost is the AI infrastructure we provide.

Each AI Apprentice receives access to a full year of our shared ChatGPT Business account, including pooled credits and the custom GPTs and agents we’ve built for real marketing work.

This matters because:

Apprentices don’t start from scratch. They use proven custom GPTs for planning, writing, auditing, and reporting.
Output is faster and more consistent. Shared business-level access removes usage limits and friction.
Work is easier to review and improve. Everything lives inside one workspace that coaches can see and guide.
The cost is covered by the program. Apprentices don’t have to manage subscriptions, credits, or setup.

This AI setup directly increases how much quality work apprentices can produce each week.

The specific AI tools included may evolve over time. We currently use ChatGPT Business because it’s the best option for our workflow today. As models, platforms, and pricing change, we reserve the ability to upgrade, replace, or remove specific tools so apprentices always have access to the most effective AI systems available.

How the Apprentice Program Works

Your young adult builds skill by working inside a live local service business (often yours).

What they do inside the program:

Create and publish content using the proven Content Factory workflow.
Run simple local campaigns to turn that content into leads.
Improve offers and follow‑up so inquiries turn into booked jobs.
Apply coach feedback to the next round of work.

They’re getting real reps on a real business, with real coaching. That’s how they build skill that shows up as results.

What Your High Rise Academy Investment Covers

Training is free because information is free.
You’re paying for three things: results, access, and AI infrastructure.
Together, that helps your business get more leads, calls, and booked jobs.

That’s High Rise Academy.

Learn more about the Content Factory framework — the 6-stage system behind everything we do at High Rise Influence.

Related: Apply to High Rise Academy

Behind the Scenes at Local Service Spotlight and High Rise Influence: What We Do and Why It Works

Dennis Yu on November 22, 2025

“What do we actually do here?” is a fair question—especially when you hear us talk about helping local service businesses build their brands. This video was a quick, honest rundown from the Local Service Spotlight (LSS) and High Rise Influence (HRI) team about what that help looks like in real life and who is doing what.

LSS and HRI work together as partners. Our job is to take the everyday work local pros are already doing—jobs completed, customer stories, before‑and‑after wins, and five‑star reviews—and turn that into consistent online visibility and campaigns that bring in more calls.

The Problem We’re Solving for Local Service Businesses

Plumbers, HVAC techs, roofers, and other local service owners don’t usually have time to be full‑time marketers. They’re running routes, answering phones, managing crews, and taking care of customers. That means their online presence often lags behind the quality of their work.

Our teams step in so the business owner doesn’t have to learn five tools, edit videos at midnight, or guess at ads. We build the systems, the content, and the campaigns around their real‑world service so they show up where customers are searching and scrolling.

What Each Role Contributes:

Sam: Engineering, AI Tools, and Automation

Sam McLeod’s focus is speed and leverage. He builds websites and automations, using AI tools and code so repetitive tasks take less time. When content can be repurposed quickly and websites update smoothly, clients get faster turnaround and faster results.

This fits the Content Factory approach BlitzMetrics teaches: create once and repurpose into multiple assets without adding extra workload.

Luke: Facebook Ads, Creative, and Client Care

Luke Crowson handles the marketing side that clients actually see. He creates the ad creatives that go into Facebook campaigns, helps manage spend, and keeps improving the client’s website and online presence.

He also emphasized something most agencies ignore: client care. Meeting with clients, making them feel heard, and staying close to their goals is part of performance. The ads and the website are supposed to make a homeowner feel, “Okay, these people will take care of me.”

When we do this right, we’re applying the same Goals‑Content‑Targeting (GCT) foundation BlitzMetrics lays out—get clear on the goal, build the right content, and aim it at the right audience.

Jack: High Rise Academy Training and the LSS–HRI Bridge

Jack Wendt’s explains how HRI connects directly into the work LSS does through High Rise Academy. HRI runs training while partnering with LSS on tools and processes. Sam helps build the tools students use, and Jack makes sure students know how to apply them.

The students learn to make a local business owner more visible, build better ad campaigns, and drive more calls and revenue for whoever they’re representing. It’s practical training with real businesses, not theory.

Dylan: Content Repurposing, Websites, Ads Support, and Training

Dylan Haugen’s role has been wide by necessity. Over the last six to seven months he’s done content repurposing with AI tools like Descript, worked on client websites, helped create content for local businesses, supported Facebook ads with Luke, and trained Academy students weekly.

He also made a helpful point for anyone watching: the tools we use are intentionally simple. If you’ve ever edited a video before, tools like Descript make repurposing fast once you know the system.

Jack’s Close: Credibility and Invitation

Jack ends by giving real context on the team’s experience: Dylan has generated over 100 million views across his social channels, Luke is known for delivering results with ad spend (including work with Ad Astra), and Sam is the engineer making the backend run smoothly. The invitation was simple—if this kind of work sounds interesting, check out LSS, HRI, and the Academy.

Why LSS and HRI Are Stronger Together

Watching the roles side‑by‑side makes the partnership obvious.

LSS builds and refines the operational system: AI tools, websites, ad creative, and client delivery. HRI multiplies that system by teaching it through High Rise Academy, so more trained people can support more local businesses.

It’s one pipeline from real service work to real marketing output—supported by engineering, creative, and training all moving in sync.

The Big Takeaway

Local service businesses don’t need to reinvent a brand from scratch. They already create proof every day in their jobs and customer outcomes. Our job at LSS and HRI is to capture that proof, repurpose it into content people actually watch, and put it behind campaigns that convert into calls.

If you’re looking for a clear path, real skills, and a way to put them to work on projects that matter, High Rise Academy could be a great fit.

Want a complete local marketing strategy? Read our local service marketing strategy guide to see how we help contractors and local businesses dominate their market.

Learn more about the Content Factory framework — the 6-stage system behind everything we do at High Rise Influence.

Is This Too Good To Be True? The High Rise Influence Program Explained by Its Founders

Dennis Yu on November 22, 2025

When people first hear about High Rise Influence, the reaction is almost always the same: “There’s no way this is real.” Free access to training, mentorship from leaders like Dennis Yu, and hands-on experience helping real local service businesses sounds impossible—especially for young adults still figuring out their path.

But the video we filmed together tells a different story. Four of us sat down for a real, honest conversation about where we’re at in life, what this program has done for us, and why we believe it’s worth sharing.

This article breaks down what we shared in that conversation and why the High Rise Influence model works so well for young adults.

Why Young Adults Are Uniquely Positioned to Succeed

In the video, we talked about how each of us founders lives a completely different life. One of us is married and in school. One is 27 and trying to find clear direction. One is 20 and already confident in his path. And then there’s me—I’m still in high school, and I’m a professional dunker.

Even with those differences, we share something important: we grew up surrounded by technology.

A lot of local service business owners haven’t had to live inside social media and modern tools the way we have. It’s not that they’re incapable—it’s just not their world. For young adults, using Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and now AI tools feels natural. We recognize patterns in interfaces and content without thinking about it.

That’s a massive advantage.

Inside High Rise Influence, we lean into that advantage instead of ignoring it. We plug those natural instincts into structured systems like the Content Factory, which breaks down how to market to actually drive results. When you combine what you already know with a clear framework, your skills become valuable very quickly.

Real Experiences We Shared

In the video, each of us shared where we were in life and what led us into this program.

I’m still in high school, and I’m a professional dunker. I travel across the country competing in dunk contests and creating content around that journey. On paper, it looks like I shouldn’t have much time for anything else.

But that’s exactly why my story matters here.

For most of my life, I made social media content just for myself—filming dunks, editing clips, posting on Instagram, and learning what caught people’s attention. I never thought of that as a “professional skill.” It was just something I did because I loved it.

When I got involved with High Rise Influence, I realized those same skills were incredibly valuable to local service business owners. The same instincts I use to pick the best angle on a dunk or to edit a hype clip help me decide what makes a strong testimonial, a compelling ad, or a short that stops people from scrolling.

That’s when it clicked: what feels normal to me can be life-changing for someone’s business.

How High Rise Influence Helps Young Adults Find Purpose

In our conversation, one of the guys talked about hitting 24 or 25 and suddenly asking himself, “What am I actually doing with my life?” That moment hits harder than most people admit.

I’ve seen versions of that same feeling in a lot of young adults—drifting through school, changing majors, trying random jobs, or scrolling all day because nothing feels meaningful.

Purpose didn’t show up for me in some huge, dramatic way. It came from being put in a position where my skills were useful to someone else.

Inside High Rise Influence, purpose looks like:

Helping a local business owner who genuinely needs support
Seeing your work turn into leads, reviews, and real results
Being trusted with responsibility and held accountable
Working alongside other young adults who are aiming higher than “just get by”

Real progress comes from doing real work, learning from your mistakes, and slowly realizing, “I’m actually good at this—and it matters.”

Direction isn’t something you wait around for. You build it through deliberate practice and real work.

Digital Skills Young Adults Already Have

If you’re a young adult reading this, there’s a good chance you already have your own version of the skills needed in this space. You grew up in a digital world—using social media, creating and consuming videos, learning new tools quickly, and navigating technology as second nature.

Most of us don’t even realize how much we’ve picked up just by living online: understanding what makes content engaging, recognizing patterns in how platforms work, and adapting to new features and trends without thinking too hard about it.

Young adults are also surprisingly good at reasoning with AI tools. Because we’re used to technology evolving fast, things like prompting, experimenting, and iterating feel natural. Those instincts translate directly into this work—helping local businesses tell their stories, produce content, and run campaigns that actually perform.

All of these everyday digital habits become valuable when they’re applied inside a clear process with real clients.

A Community Built on Real Work, Not Hype

We’re very clear inside the program: this is not a “get rich quick” scheme.

We’re not promising overnight success or crazy income screenshots. What we’re offering is:

Real work with real local businesses
Systems and frameworks that have been tested
Mentorship from people like Dennis and the rest of the BlitzMetrics and High Rise teams
A community of young adults who are serious about building something

In the video, you can see how much we genuinely enjoy working together. That’s not acting. We joke around, challenge each other, and push each other to do better—not because we’re trying to impress anyone, but because we actually care about the work and the people we’re serving.

How to Get Involved

If you’re a young adult and any of this resonates with you—feeling directionless, wanting to use your existing skills for something that matters, or just wanting a path that isn’t “go to school and hope it works out”—then this is worth exploring.

High Rise Academy is the training path where young adults like me get real-world experience, build portfolios, and learn how to run campaigns the right way.

If you’re looking for direction, purpose, and a place to put your skills to work in a meaningful way, High Rise Academy might be the right next step for you.

Interested in the AI Apprentice Program? Learn more about High Rise Academy — hands-on AI marketing training with real clients and real results.

Learn more about the Content Factory framework — the 6-stage system behind everything we do at High Rise Influence.

Related: Book a Power Hour consultation

How Young Entrepreneurs Are Using AI to Build Real Skills and Experience

Dennis Yu on November 20, 2025

Young people often ask whether it’s realistic to start doing meaningful work while they’re still in high school or just stepping into college. In this conversation, the founders of High Rise Influence shared how we did exactly that as young entrepreneurs—and how other young adults can follow a similar path.

The message is straightforward: when a young person is given a real opportunity and the support to act on it, their confidence begins to match their potential.

For readers who want to understand the broader frameworks behind turning conversations and videos like this into written assets, BlitzMetrics has public resources such as their Blog Posting Guidelines, the Content Factory process, and many other pieces of content creating for the purpose of teaching young adults how they can become a successful AI Apprentice.

From Doubt to Belief Through Opportunity

In the video, the founders talk about how each of us went from not believing in ourselves to realizing that we could actually build a career. That shift came from being given chances to learn, practice, and see real results.

We described how opportunities to work, grow their personal brands, and gain experience helped us move from uncertainty to genuine belief in our capabilities.

For young entrepreneurs, we pointed out that the main limitation usually isn’t age, background, or starting skill level—it’s the way they think about themselves.

What High Rise Influence Offers Young Entrepreneurs

Our team at High Rise Influence explained that we have programs and courses designed to help young adults launch their careers. One of the core ideas we stressed is that the educational content itself is free.

All the courses and information are available at no cost. The only thing someone might pay for is direct access: live weekly coaching, guidance, and being able to report progress to people who have already walked the path.

We also highlighted that this access includes time with Dennis Yu, who has over 30 years of experience in digital marketing. Having that kind of guidance is a major advantage for someone just starting out.

Starting Young: Real Ages, Real People

I’ve been doing similar work since I was very young, and I started doing this specific kind of implementation about a year before the video was recorded, when I was 17.

Since then, I’ve brought multiple friends into the same system, also at age 17. I’ve also brought in my younger brother, who started at 15 and was 16 at the time of the conversation.

We emphasize that these younger participants were able to pick up the workflows quickly, which reinforces our message that young people can do this when the process is clearly laid out.

Using AI Tools as a Personal Assistant

A recurring theme in our conversation is how AI has made learning and execution easier for young people. We talked about using ChatGPT as a kind of personal assistant.

We also mentioned actions like taking screenshots of tasks and asking AI questions about them, and using the Atlas browser assistant to ask questions directly in the browser.

Instead of getting stuck on unclear instructions or unfamiliar tools, we showed how AI can help break things down, explain steps, and keep work moving forward.

Helping Local Service Businesses with AI

When the founders answer the question, “What do we actually do?”, we explained that we use AI tools to help local service business owners and entrepreneurs build their personal brands.

Our work involves:

Making videos
Repurposing existing content
Structuring content so that Google can recognize the person or business as an entity it can trust

They note that they’ve done this for landscapers, HVAC companies, and professionals in the fitness industry. The same approach can be applied across many kinds of local service businesses.

The result is a win on both sides: local businesses get help showing up credibly online, and young people get a structured way to learn and contribute.

How This Fits Into a Larger Training Ecosystem

The methods discussed in the video align with broader systems used in the BlitzMetrics ecosystem, such as the Content Factory and process-driven training. High Rise Influence builds on these ideas with a specific focus on young entrepreneurs.

The founders describe a path where young adults can:

Build their personal brands
Learn how to support local service businesses with AI-assisted workflows
Get guidance from people who have executed in the field for many years

For those who want to explore the specific opportunity mentioned in the video, learn more about the High Rise Academy, and how you can begin your path as an AI Apprentice.

Interested in the AI Apprentice Program? Learn more about High Rise Academy — hands-on AI marketing training with real clients and real results.

Learn more about the Content Factory framework — the 6-stage system behind everything we do at High Rise Influence.

Universities are taking notice. Learn how our University Partnership Program brings real-world AI marketing training into the classroom through guest lectures and hands-on projects.

Why Successful Founders Need a Google Knowledge Panel: Blueprint for Real Influence

Dennis Yu on November 19, 2025

While exploring Germany’s iconic Neuschwanstein Castle, Dennis Yu and Jack Wendt recorded an episode of the High Rise Influence Podcast focused on helping established entrepreneurs build the online authority they deserve. In their conversation they explained that too many founders have real-world success but no digital footprint to match.

The duo shared specifics on how to earn a Google Knowledge Panel, including:

Documenting and structuring your accomplishments, awards, media features and press mentions so Google’s algorithms can verify your authority.
Building genuine backlinks and encouraging customer reviews to strengthen domain authority and signal credibility.
Auditing your existing online presence to identify gaps and inconsistencies across social profiles, websites and directories.
Creating a content plan that highlights your expertise through articles, interviews and appearances on authoritative sites.

They also outlined what High Rise Influence’s $6K Authority Panel package entails: a comprehensive audit of your digital footprint, development of an authoritative biography and supporting content, creation of high-quality citations, and submission to Google for Knowledge Panel eligibility. This service is designed for entrepreneurs who have already built successful businesses offline and want their online presence to reflect that accomplishment.

If you’re a founder who treats $6,000 as a small investment in your personal brand and you’re ready to upgrade your digital reputation, apply for a High Rise Influence Google Knowledge Panel Package today.

Don’t want to do it yourself? Our Knowledge Panel Sprint handles everything — entity building, schema markup, authority building — guaranteed results for $6,000. See our client results.

AI Apprentice Program

Dennis Yu on November 18, 2025

Imagine your young adult becoming the person who actually makes phones ring for real local businesses using AI, proven marketing systems, and hands-on apprenticeship.

This is learn-by-doing, directly with Dennis Yu and Jack Wendt, inside a community of 400+ motivated young adults building real skills, real experience, and real income.

Why this program exists

Local service businesses (plumbers, landscapers, roofers, dentists, HVAC, contractors ) are drowning in agencies that overcharge and underdeliver.

We train young adults to become the opposite.

Your young adult becomes the AI-powered marketing operator who:

Makes the phone ring.
Ranks businesses on Google.
Creates videos that convert.
Uses AI agents to scale execution.
Runs Dollar-a-Day ads.
Fixes bad SEO and exposes fake agencies.
Drives measurable revenue for a real client (often your business).

They don’t graduate because a calendar year passed.
They graduate when they can prove they can drive real leads at an acceptable cost per result.

See if you qualify (15-minute Zoom call)

Success stories

Dozens of professionals (from young apprentices to established business leaders) have sharpened their marketing skills and launched new opportunities through mentorship and collaboration with Dennis and Jack.

Ethan Van De Hey

Went from a stuck marketing role to leading campaigns at Infinity Exteriors.

After mentorship from Dennis, he mastered Dollar-a-Day ads and storytelling frameworks that now generate measurable ROI for a multimillion-dollar construction company.

Dylan Haugen

Former high-school athlete turned content creator and host of the Dunk Talk Podcast.

Under Dennis’s guidance, Dylan transformed his already extensive library of viral content (amassing over 100 million organic views) into a structured personal brand with real authority.

He learned how to make his online presence visible on Google through his personal brand website, articles, and structured data, ultimately earning his own Knowledge Panel.

This shift turned his reach into lasting digital credibility.

Marko Sipilä

Started with BlitzMetrics as a teen and built a seven-figure agency by applying Dennis’s mentorship framework.

He’s now mentoring other young marketers around the world.

David Carroll

Agency owner who credits Dennis for his growth in digital marketing and strategy execution, applying the same processes that power Fortune 500 campaigns.

In 5 years, David Carroll has led his innovative print marketing company Dope Marketing to be evaluated at $100 million.

Heather Dopson

Industry leader and keynote speaker who collaborates with Dennis Yu on mentorship and professional development programs, embodying the “learn-do-teach” philosophy.

Caleb Guilliams

Founder of BetterWealth and long-time mentee of Dennis.

His storytelling-driven approach to financial education reflects the systems Dennis helped pioneer.

Natalie Ferreyra

From social media consultant to leading roles at Snap Inc. and now Netflix, Natalie’s career showcases how mastering core marketing frameworks and consistent execution can open doors to global opportunities.

Taylor James

Owner of Dumpster Dogs in Austin, TX.

Taylor was paying an SEO company $750 a month for “optimization” that delivered zero measurable results until he learned how to do it right through mentorship from Dennis.

In just a few weeks, he learned to spot fake SEO tactics, take control of his own analytics, and build true authority the right way by creating authentic one-minute videos, writing helpful blog posts, and connecting with other local businesses.

Brennan Agranoff

Six years ago, Brennan was stitching socks by hand in his parents’ garage.

Today he’s built a seven-figure sock brand, a logistics company, and a software platform while becoming one of the clearest examples of what happens when you combine grit with systems.

We’ve put him on stages across the country to teach how the Content Factory works in real life: hiring and training VAs, building scalable SOPs, and applying the 9 Triangles to grow from “kid with an idea” to a multi-business operator.

Brennan shows young entrepreneurs exactly what’s possible when you follow the framework and put in the reps.

What your young adult will actually do

All apprentices work on a live client project.

If they’re doing this for your business, perfect.
If they’re joining solo, we assign them a client.

During the first 90 days they:

Produce

— Capture authentic, short-form videos (15–60 sec) using just their phone.
— Coach business owners on what to say and how to say it.

Process

— Edit in Descript or CapCut.
— Subtitle, trim, format.
— Follow the SOPs step-by-step using AI agents.

Post

— Upload across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and website.
— Use correct titles, descriptions, hashtags, schema markup.
— Fix broken websites and analytics setups.

Promote

— Boost top-performing content using Dollar-a-Day.
— Set up retargeting.
— Improve Google entity authority.
— Optimize Google Business Profiles.
— Run Google, Meta, and LSA campaigns.

Measure

— Track calls through CallRail, ServiceTitan, or similar.
— Submit weekly MAA (metrics, analysis, and action) reports.
— Identify what’s working and what’s not.
— Present findings clearly and confidently.

This system is the same framework we used with Nike, Adidas, Red Bull, Quiznos, The Golden State Warriors, Rosetta Stone, Johns Hopkins University, and thousands of local service businesses.

How the program works

Weekly live coaching

Every Thursday at 2 PM Pacific.
You bring real problems, we solve them live.

Hands-on implementation

Not homework.
Real campaigns.
Real budgets.
Real phone calls.

Weekly reports

Every apprentice submits a weekly MAA report.
Even if they’re traveling.
Even if it takes 3 minutes.

Active AI tools & agents

Each student gets access to our internal AI agents that we burn $15–20k/month maintaining in credits and tooling.

Your young adult learns to be the manager of these agents, the true skill of next-gen marketing.

Community & accountability

Inside the private Facebook group, students help each other, solve problems, and collaborate 24/7.

This is a group of A-players who compete, push each other, and level up.

Who this is for

Young adults who:

Want real skills and real-world results.
Can follow checklists.
Can communicate clearly on video.
Are humble, hungry, and willing to put in the reps.
Want a portfolio of work they can show to any employer.

Parents & business owners who want:

A capable young adult running their marketing.
Authentic content instead of agency BS.
More phone calls and better visibility.
A system that has already worked for hundreds of local businesses.

You must be:

Based in the United States.
Working with (or willing to work with) a Local Service Ads category business.
Willing to put in at least 5 hours per week.
Not afraid of learning new tools.
A decent human being who doesn’t complain, whine, or ask for refunds every time life gets hard.

If you’re an excuse-maker, a complainer, or someone who needs hand-holding, don’t join.

Who this is not for

People outside the U.S.
People running e-commerce, SaaS, or crypto projects.
People who want “motivation” instead of execution.
People terrified of video.
People not willing to submit weekly reports.
People who want babysitting.
People who want to “try it for a week.”
People who don’t want to give back or help others.

We’re building a culture of execution, accountability, and mentorship.
If that scares you, this isn’t for you.

Program cost

$7,500 for the full year.

You’re investing in weekly coaching, AI tools, SOP library (hundreds of checklists), full Content Factory pipeline, over 140 courses (constantly updated), access to our AI agent system, a real client project, accountability and mentorship, a community of peers, and a year of guided execution.

Before joining, we require a quick call to make sure it’s a mutual fit.

Book a 15-minute qualification call

If we’ve already spoken and agreed you’re a fit:

Make a payment

If you’re all-in, committed, and willing to show up each week, you will win here.

If you’re looking for shortcuts, passive courses, or easy buttons, this isn’t for you.

We’re here to build the next generation of marketers who can run real businesses, manage AI agents, and drive measurable outcomes.

If that fires you up, welcome home.

Blueprint for Real Influence: High Rise Influence Podcast from Neuschwanstein Castle

Dennis Yu on November 10, 2025

In our inaugural High Rise Influence podcast, Dennis Yu and Jack Wendt discuss the blueprint for real influence from Neuschwanstein Castle. They explore how genuine accomplishments, relationships and reviews form the foundation of your digital authority.

Hosted by Dennis Yu and Jack Wendt.

In this conversation, Jack Wendt and Dennis Yu share how real influence comes from genuine accomplishments, meaningful relationships, and authentic reviews. They outline a step-by-step blueprint for building influence that includes identifying your target audience, systematizing your content production through a team of virtual architects, and nurturing authentic relationships rather than pushing sales. They emphasize preparing clients with a clear roadmap and setting expectations for long-term growth.

Key takeaways from the episode include:

Identify and serve a specific audience that already has proof of expertise to amplify.
Systematize influence by building a team of virtual architects to execute your strategy so you can stay focused on client relationships.
Build authentic relationships and partnerships instead of relying on aggressive sales; let real results and strategic partnerships speak for themselves.
Prepare clients with a clear journey and manage expectations—success is a long-term game that requires consistent effort over time.
Focus on authenticity and follow-through to build trust and long-lasting relationships

In this episode, Jack Wendt and Dennis Yu outline a blueprint for building real influence by focusing on genuine accomplishments, meaningful relationships, and credible reviews. They stress that influence isn’t about vanity metrics but about serving a defined audience, creating systems to scale your work, and nurturing authentic connections.

Key takeaways:

Identify and serve a specific audience that already has proof of expertise to amplify.
Systematize your influence by building a team of Virtual Architects (VAs) who handle content repurposing and amplification, freeing you to focus on strategy and relationships.
Build authentic relationships and partnerships instead of relying on aggressive sales; let real results and strategic partnerships speak for themselves.
Prepare clients with a clear journey and manage expectations—success is a long-term game that requires consistent effort over time.
Focus on authenticity and follow-through to build trust and long-lasting relationships.

If you’re a young adult—or a parent looking to help your teen develop real marketing skills—consider joining High Rise Academy. Our hands-on program teaches you the same systems for building influence and driving results that Dennis and Jack discuss in this podcast . Clic k here to learn more.

AI Apprentice Onboarding Checklist

Dennis Yu on November 5, 2025

Welcome to the AI Apprentice program, where you’ll learn how to build, automate, and execute real marketing systems using AI the right way.

This checklist is what our Operations team follows every time we onboard a new apprentice.

It ensures each person has access to all the tools, training, and communities they need to succeed from day one.

Step 1: Create the Basecamp Project

Create a new Basecamp project for the apprentice.

Use the naming format:
HRI’s AI Apprentice – [Full Name]

Add:

The apprentice.
Program manager / mentor.
Operations team member for oversight.

Post the welcome article inside Basecamp:
Welcome to the AI Apprentice Program

Note: Steps 1 and 4 above are now automated through our Zapier integration. When a new apprentice purchases the program through Stripe, their Basecamp project is created automatically, the team is added, and the Keap welcome email sequence fires — with no manual steps required. Read How to Automate AI Apprentice Program Onboarding Using Stripe, Zapier, Keap, and Basecamp for the full technical setup guide.

Step 2: Invite to Private Facebook Group

Invite the apprentice to our private community:
Office Hours with Dennis Yu Facebook Group

Encourage them to introduce themselves with a short video or post.

Step 3: Share Live Office Hours Info

Give the apprentice the recurring link to our weekly Office Hours:

Every Thursday at 2 PM PST.
Format: Live Q&A, real-time audits, and apprentice showcases.

Remind them to come prepared with a progress update.

Step 4: Grant Academy Access

Provide login credentials to the Academy, which includes over 150+ paid courses they get free access to.

Confirm they can log in and navigate the dashboard.

Step 5: Share Level 1 VA Guide

Send the Level 1 VA Guide, which covers:

Our Content Factory process.
Task structure and documentation standards.
How to report daily updates and submit completed work.

Confirm they review it within their first 48 hours.

Step 6: Introduce MAA (Metrics > Analysis > Action)

Each apprentice must complete a weekly MAA every Friday to build real data analysis habits.

Share both reference articles:

How to Do MAA Like a Pro
https://www.digitalmarketer.com/blog/data-and-how-to-optimize-like-a-champ/

Remind them:

Every Friday = MAA time.
Review data, analyze what it means, and suggest next actions.

Step 7: Encourage YouTube Learning

Share Dennis Yu’s YouTube Channel:
Dennis Yu on YouTube

Assign them to watch 3–5 recent videos.

Step 8: Confirm Completion

When all steps are done:

Tick each item in the internal tracking sheet.
Post a “✅ Onboarding Complete” message in Basecamp.
Tag the apprentice.

Done! They’re Officially Onboarded

Once the checklist is completed, the apprentice is now ready to start contributing to real projects, attend Office Hours, and advance through our levels of mastery.

Interested in the AI Apprentice Program? Learn more about High Rise Academy — hands-on AI marketing training with real clients and real results.

Learn more about the Content Factory framework — the 6-stage system behind everything we do at High Rise Influence.