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.
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 run a local service business and want your son or daughter to take over the digital marketing, here’s a practical path—grounded in what actually worked on real projects, not theory. Dennis Yu, Jack Wendt, and Dylan Haugen recently sat down to discuss how parents can help their kids become successful AI apprentices through the High Rise Academy, sharing what’s working, what young adults are learning, and how families can apply these lessons to real businesses.
Why Teens are a Great Fit and how to Test it Fast
During the discussion, Dennis explains why young adults often pick up AI tools faster than seasoned professionals. They tend to reason with AI instead of treating it like a search bar. Jack suggests a simple test for parents: have your teen open voice mode and talk through a problem with the AI for five minutes—then ask it to outline next steps. Speaking out loud encourages richer prompts and better plans. A second quick test, mentioned by Dylan, is to record a simple one-minute video explaining what your business does and who it helps. That short clip becomes raw material for posts, a blog, and even a lightweight ad.
Dennis shares how this exact process helped a cosmetic dentist in Atlanta. The team started with plain, phone-shot videos about smile makeovers, the doctor’s process, and the office itself. Those clips were repurposed into website articles, Google Business Profile updates, Instagram/TikTok posts, and ad variants—a single shoot fueling weeks of distribution. Businesses that follow the properly repurpose videos can multiply their reach without multiplying effort.
Doing, Measuring, and Iterating Weekly
Jack and Dylan emphasize that success comes from consistent action and feedback. Apprentices wire the digital plumbing first—analytics and call tracking—so we can see exactly which videos, pages, and ads move the needle. Every Friday, they submit an MAA (Metrics → Analysis → Action) report, a system Dennis developed to help keep projects data-driven and accountable.
Accountability isn’t lonely: work is organized in Basecamp, and there are live office hours every Thursday at 2 p.m. Pacific where apprentices present campaigns and dashboards for critique. Dylan points out that this structure helps young marketers build confidence. On the dentist project, one weekly MAA revealed a patient-story clip outperforming equipment demos, leading the team to double down on testimonials across blog, reels, and ads.
Learning by Applying, not Just Taking a Course
Dennis and Jack share how this hands-on model grew from a six-week applied module at Johns Hopkins, where students paired with real local businesses—no simulated assignments. The same “learn → do → teach” framework powers the apprenticeship: learn a tactic, implement it on a live account, document it so the next person can repeat it. Dylan mentions that this approach taught him to solve real problems—like when he got stuck swapping a website image, used AI to troubleshoot it, and then documented the process so others could benefit.
What the Work Actually Looks Like
Capture: Short, authentic videos from the owner and team (think FAQs you answer daily).
Repurpose: Turn one clip into a blog post, a GBP update, two social cuts, and an ad variation—five outputs from one input.
Distribute: Publish across site, search, and social.
Measure: Track calls and form fills back to the specific asset and keyword.
Improve: Scale the winners, fix or drop the laggards.
On the dentist account, that flow moved the business from “invisible online” to a steady stream of measurable calls—because Google could finally “see” the same reputation locals already knew.
What Success can Look Like
Dennis recalls Sal Sciorta, from Plumbing Pros in Eastern Pennsylvania, which followed the same framework. Revenue grew from roughly $30–40k/month to nearly triple, and marketing was intentionally dialed down while the team hired to meet demand. Growth became manageable and repeatable, rather than chaotic.
Compensation also evolves with results. Dylan, who began as an apprentice, advanced from $17/hour to $25/hour through performance and client satisfaction—not time on the clock. Along the way, he built lasting professional assets like a personal brand website and Google Knowledge Panel, helping him stand out in search results. These principles mirror what we teach for building your personal brand on Google, where visibility and credibility reinforce one another.
Who Thrives in This Model
Jack notes that strong communication and self-management are key indicators of success. Apprentices who try, measure, and then ask targeted questions grow quickly. Remote teamwork is part of the experience—Dennis and his team span multiple time zones—but the shared MAA process and weekly reviews keep everyone on track.
Why This Beats Influencer Thinking
Dennis often reminds parents that their kids don’t need viral fame to make an impact. Local businesses grow by showing up consistently in maps, search, and social with authentic content. Genuine videos, regular updates, and measurable results build trust faster than follower counts ever could.
He and the team emphasize that success comes from visibility within your community, not popularity online. When your content reflects real stories, honest expertise, and steady improvement, Google and AI tools start recognizing your business as the local authority—helping you win right where it matters most.
Partnering to Build the Next Generation
The conversation between Dennis, Jack, and Dylan shows how this program blends mentorship, accountability, and applied learning. Parents who want to give their kids real-world marketing experience—and see results for their own business in the process—can join forces with High Rise Academy. The program pairs young adults with experts who guide them through real projects, helping them gain confidence, technical skill, and a clear career direction while supporting your local business growth.
What do you get when you combine a day of grind with a Vegas food crawl? A behind-the-scenes look at how Jack Wendt and I turn a trip into content gold. We started at Eataly on the Strip for authentic Italian bites before diving into the mind-bending optical tricks at the Paradox Museum. Between the attractions we were talking shop about building brands and training our young agency apprentices – because when you love what you do, the line between work and play blurs.
From there, we hopped to a couple of comedy clubs to soak in some laughs and share stories from the trenches. And because no Vegas day is complete without overindulgence, we wrapped up with an all-you-can-eat sushi feast that tested our appetite and our ability to keep a straight face on camera.
Check out the full video above for the unfiltered, whirlwind day in Vegas — then head over to Jack Wendt for more of his adventures. For my insights on marketing, building agencies and making the phone ring for local businesses, visit Dennis Yu. Let us know your favorite Las Vegas spots in the comments — maybe we’ll feature them next time.
Unlock the full potential of your franchise’s marketing by training a young adult—your son, daughter or a team member—to become a dedicated digital marketing and AI-powered social media expert. In this video, Dennis Yu and Jack Wendt explain how a one-year program equips them with the tools and strategies to manage the Content Factory process for your local service business.
This program includes:
Weekly Office Hours and coaching
Full access to all training materials
Hands-on support with analytics, ads, and websites
A community of peers and mentors
The curriculum is built on proven methods used by major brands like Red Bull and Nike and thousands of local service businesses. Think of it as trade school for digital marketing—tailored specifically for your franchise.
If you’re ready to give a young adult the opportunity to grow into your business’s marketing champion, watch the video and learn how to enroll them today.
In this video, Jack and Dennis discuss how young adults can help fix the digital marketing for their parents’ businesses. They share practical insights into advertising, content creation, and SEO fundamentals.
If you’re a young adult looking to build real marketing skills and serve local businesses, check out the High Rise Academy program to get hands-on training and mentorship.
If you’re tired of vague “consulting” promises and want a repeatable blueprint for building a service agency that actually scales, this candid conversation is for you.
Dennis Yu and Jack Wendt pull no punches as they share how High‑Rise Influence helps 7‑ and 8‑figure founders earn a Google Knowledge Panel — the digital stamp of legitimacy most gurus can’t deliver. They reveal why clarity and proof matter more than hype, why you must draw a line on who you serve, and how to create an operations playbook that lets you hire and train without reinventing the wheel each time.
Highlights include:
Why “customizable” beats “custom” — and how to productize services without becoming a cookie cutter.
The hard truth about clients who think they’re the exception: you can’t make a beef Wellington out of baloney.
Real numbers: thousands of AI bots (from Claude, ChatGPT, and others) hitting their content, turning free education into actual leads.
How to leverage AI, social snippets and small ad spends to attract the right people — and repel the wrong ones.
Lessons from plumbing and HVAC agencies: focus on one niche, own your proof, and watch referrals snowball.
If you’re ready to stop selling air and start delivering results that even Google recognizes, hit play. Then let us know in the comments: what’s the one thing holding your agency back from scaling?
High Rise Academy is led by three practitioners who train students on real business projects using documented processes and live feedback.
Jack Wendt — Founder & CEO, High Rise Influence
Jack started young — at 12–13 he was buying and reselling watches, learning how to negotiate, reinvest profits, and build relationships. That early hustle turned into a passion for entrepreneurship and mentorship. He built High Rise Academy so motivated teens don’t have to guess their way forward or build businesses alone.
“When I was 13, I had to figure it out myself. Now we can give young people a system — and help real businesses along the way.” —Jack Wendt
How Jack mentors
Assigns live business tasks: editing vertical videos, writing platform-native captions, basic ad setups.
Shows students how to publish once, then distribute across channels without duplicating work, following our cross-posting guide.
Models client communication and simple reporting (before/after assets, notes, and next actions).
Helps students channel their entrepreneurial energy into real businesses — generating calls, creating content, and directly contributing to client revenue.
Dennis Yu — Former Search Engine Engineer & Co-Creator of the Content Factory
Dennis designs the systems our teams use to execute reliably at scale — checklists, SOPs, and feedback loops rooted in the Content Factory framework. Students don’t watch theory; they ship assets and get reviewed. He also emphasizes E-E-A-T — real people, real places, real work — to make content credible and reusable.
“There’s no age too early to start building a brand or learning how to learn.” —Dennis Yu
Layering proof — names, locations, client artifacts — to establish trust via E-E-A-T.
Avoiding common VA pitfalls by tying every task to a clear goal, content asset, and target.
Works with students from age 17 to 60, proving that the Academy’s structure supports all levels of experience — from teenagers just starting out to adults seeking to sharpen their skills.
Dylan Haugen — Professional Dunker & Creator
Dylan is a professional dunker who performs in contests and live shows while documenting his journey online. His creative background gives him a unique perspective on content and storytelling. After connecting with Dennis and Jack in late December, he discovered how to use the Academy’s structure to transform his passion into professional growth.
“After joining the program, I learned more in a few weeks than I had in years on my own.” —Dylan Haugen
How Dylan teaches
Short-form storytelling on real client pages (clear hook, proof, next step).
Practical feedback on pacing, framing, and retention.
Works with business owners — from local gyms to personal brands — showing them how consistent storytelling drives measurable results online.
What You’ll See in Practice
Live weekly coaching with screen-share reviews and action items.
Documented SOPs with examples for each step.
Real distribution on business accounts, followed by sensible republishing.
Proof built in — faces, places, and outcomes attached to the work.
Range of participants from teens to age 60; quality is driven by checklists, not age.
Students are paid as they demonstrate competency on production tasks.
Why High Rise Academy Matters
Students learn marketing by doing: edit videos, post on business accounts, and follow checklists until their work meets spec. Parents see consistent habits and professional communication develop over time. Business owners get useful assets instead of vague ideas.
For parents who want to see their teens develop real-world skills, build meaningful relationships, and gain confidence through hands-on experience, High Rise Academy provides a clear path — while also contributing real work for the businesses they support.
If you’d like to learn from mentors like Dennis, Jack, and Dylan, or know a young adult who would thrive in this environment, explore how to get involved with High Rise Academy. It’s a place where curiosity turns into capability, and learning turns into real results.
High Rise Academy is designed for people who take action. Success comes from following the Metrics → Analysis → Action (MAA) process every week. Apprentices who do the work, communicate clearly, and follow through on assignments build measurable results and real skills.
Dennis Yu emphasized during the conversation that the Academy only works for those willing to “do the thing.” As he explained, people who collect metrics but never implement improvements are “getting paid to do nothing.”
The Foundation: Taking Consistent Action
Many projects fail because people spend too much time reporting and not enough time executing. Every week should include progress—new videos published, ads launched, or landing pages improved.
Our process relies on three steps:
Metrics: Track specific numbers tied to your work, such as video performance metrics or ad performance.
Analysis: Identify what changed and why.
Action: Implement the next improvement before the next report.
Jack Wendt mentioned how some participants kept producing the same weekly reports without changing a thing. He shared that those projects “looked busy on paper but delivered no new client results.” This reinforced the Academy’s focus on action, not appearance.
Dylan Haugen added that every weekly status report feeds the coaching process. “The more action they take,” he said, “the more feedback we can provide.” When students actually produce videos, launch ads, or adjust campaigns, coaches have data to work with and can give sharper guidance.
Communicating Effectively
Remote work depends on timely, organized communication. Team members are encouraged to apply the Do / Delegate / Delete framework:
Do the next task from your checklist.
Delegate when you hit a roadblock and need support.
Delete low-value items that don’t advance the goal.
Jack recalled several examples where simple communication lapses caused unnecessary delays—someone waited days to ask a question instead of flagging it early. “If they’d just said something, we could’ve solved it in five minutes,” he said. Clear updates keep everyone aligned and prevent small issues from slowing progress.
Skills that Support Success
Participants who think clearly, express ideas in writing, and approach problems logically tend to perform well. The program rewards those who take ownership of their work, stay organized, and use available tools to keep improving.
Dennis highlighted that being able to reason through tasks with AI tools or team members is key to growth. “Young adults who can talk through a problem and provide context always do well,” he said. This ability to explain intent and process mirrors how top performers handle real client projects.
Follow-Through Makes the Difference
Age and credentials matter less than reliability. Students as young as fourteen have produced outstanding results through consistent follow-through.
Dennis shared one story about a 14-year-old student who completed every assignment on time, produced content weekly, and analyzed results without prompting. That consistency led to measurable growth and personal confidence. In contrast, he mentioned older participants who “have to ask a question every single time” or constantly make excuses—and they rarely advance.
To stay on track:
Dedicate at least one hour per day to assignments.
Complete and submit a weekly status report summarizing what you shipped, what you learned, and what comes next.
Plan around vacations or other priorities so deadlines are met.
The goal is steady progress, not perfection.
What Success Looks Like Week to Week
Each week, successful participants:
Publish new work such as a video, ad, or content update.
Record clear performance metrics and note what improved.
Decide on the next concrete action to take.
Review targeted feedback from mentors and apply it immediately.
Dylan described one student who launched a short-form video campaign and then tracked its performance in the weekly report. “They took the feedback, adjusted the titles and tags, and doubled their watch time in a week,” he said. That’s the type of learning loop the program aims to build.
This cycle—action, reflection, improvement—builds measurable skill and momentum.
How to Prepare and Self-Assess
Identify specific actions you can take this week.
Choose one checklist and complete the first task today.
Start your weekly status report document now and update it as you complete work.
Reserve your hour-a-day block on your calendar for the next two weeks.
These steps help you form the habits that lead to success inside the program.
Final thoughts
High Rise Academy rewards people who act consistently, communicate clearly, and keep improving. Those habits matter more than background or prior experience. The more you build, measure, and refine, the more meaningful results you’ll achieve.
Dennis concluded the discussion by reminding parents and students that this program requires genuine interest. “We’re not here to babysit,” he said. “If they have that drive—whether it’s basketball, content creation, or entrepreneurship—they’ll thrive. If they don’t, they’ll struggle.”
Most young adults aren’t taught how to get meaningful work experience, let alone how to build systems that bring long-term value. That’s exactly why we started the High Rise Academy inside High Rise Influence.
We launched this program to help young people get real results for real clients, using a process that blends content creation, AI tools, and repeatable systems. And Henry Holm’s story is one of the best early examples of how it works.
What Makes This Different
Unlike traditional internships or online courses filled with busywork, this apprenticeship is rooted in action. Every apprentice works on real projects and meets weekly with the team to share wins, tackle challenges, and report results using MAA (Metrics, Analysis, Action).
Henry was one of the first people we brought on. At the time, he had no client experience and no marketing background. But in just a few weeks, he was creating content that helped a real dental practice in Atlanta grow its online presence.
“There’s a lot of freedom in this role. I work from my cabin, my house—wherever I have Wi-Fi. But there’s still accountability. That’s what helped me grow fast,” Henry told me.
From Setup to Strategy
During onboarding, Henry gained access to our systems, tools, and SOPs. He jumped in right away by doing real client work:
Writing blog posts from raw video footage
Creating short-form clips for YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram
Running Dollar-A-Day Ads on top performing content
“We don’t just get tasks and do them. We actually talk to the client, figure out what they need, and deliver based on that,” Henry said.
For example, with Flax Dental in Atlanta, Henry and I worked together on a full content engine. He repurposed raw videos from the dentist into:
Website blog posts
YouTube videos
Social clips with captions and headlines
He also contributed to weekly MAA reports, which have evolved over time to include full SEO audits, performance tracking, and recommendations.
“Those reports started small,” he said. “But now we include way more—like SEO data and what we’re going to fix next.”
Building Systems, Not Just Skills
Henry quickly saw how one system could be applied across multiple clients. What we did for a dentist could just as easily work for a plumber, real estate agent, or gym.
Learn the framework
Document everything
Improve with each cycle
“A lot of the stuff we do is transferable. We build a model once and use it again,” Henry said.
Managing Time Like a Pro
Time commitment is flexible by design. Apprentices pick the projects they want and are expected to own results, instead of focusing on working a set amount of hours.
“Some weeks I have more time than others. If I’m too busy, I can pass something off, to another team member” Henry said.
He estimates that someone working on a single business, they could do great work with just an hour a day.
Confidence Without Experience
The biggest change Henry experienced was in how he thought about learning and ownership.
“When I started, I didn’t feel confident. I had no experience. But everything is documented. And there’s always someone to help,” he told me.
Whether it’s using our SOPs, Googling our public articles, or getting help on a team call, apprentices aren’t left guessing.
Want to Start Your Journey?
High Rise Academy isn’t about watching videos. It’s about doing real work with real clients—and building proof of your results as you go.
If you’re interested in joining or know someone who should, check out what we’re building and start your path toward meaningful work that actually grows with you.
Most young adults face three common choices after high school: go into debt for college, work minimum-wage jobs, or drift without direction. High Rise Academy offers a fourth option—one that’s skill-based, paid, and directly tied to real-world work.
This program, built by High Rise Influence with Jack Wendt and Dennis Yu, trains young people to become digital marketing practitioners by doing real work for actual clients.
What Apprentices Actually Do
Apprentices:
Work with local businesses to improve their digital presence
Turn raw content (videos, FAQs, photos) into posts and ads
Use the MAA framework—Metrics, Analysis, Action—to track progress
Attend live office hours every Thursday at 2:00 p.m. PT for direct feedback from mentors like Dennis Yu, Jack Wendt, and others
The work is tracked weekly, with feedback loops baked into the structure.
What Skills They Build
Participants learn by doing. They:
Manage real business accounts
Publish content on websites and social media
Edit video clips for campaigns
Set up and run local ad campaigns with measurable goals
They finish the program with published client work and proven, transferable skills.
Why This Works for Young People
Young adults already understand how attention works online. They’re consuming content daily. What they need is structure, mentorship, and real clients. The apprenticeship gives them that.
Instead of passively consuming AI tools, they use them to plan, write, and execute faster. This approach makes them efficient operators in a content economy.
What Sets This Program Apart
As Jack Wendt put it:
“Most jobs extract value from you. This one builds it.”
Apprentices often earn income while building long-term assets—client relationships, published content, and measurable campaign results.
If You’re Already Creating, You’re Closer Than You Think
If you’re already posting videos, testing AI tools, or managing your own page—you’re ready. You don’t need a degree. You need the right environment and accountability to grow.
