Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Turner.
Hi Zach, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I began my marketing career at Pure Fishing, where I had the opportunity to work across five major fishing brands and see firsthand how established companies approach everything from product launches and endorsements to advertising and content. That experience gave me a foundation in branding that I carried throughout my career.
From there, I worked across very different industries and types of marketing. At System1 in Seattle, I developed my understanding of paid advertising and, more importantly, how to get the right content in front of the right audience in a way that gets a response. After moving to Florida, I was able to combine those skills with broader brand strategy—completely rebranding Healthlink Advisors and developing marketing campaigns that brought in new clients, and later building the MAXX Health Clinics brand from the ground up.
Along the way, I also worked in agency marketing, where I developed a deeper understanding of what makes people stop, pay attention and respond to content.
Additionally, I produced a music documentary called Seattle Music Scene 1975-1985 and published a companion book. That experience taught me so much about long form content, and how to research a new topic thoroughly and assess all relevant matters.
Looking back, each experience taught me a different piece of the same lesson: effective marketing starts with understanding what makes a business different, knowing who you’re trying to reach, and then finding the right way to communicate that to them. That became the foundation for First Order Impact and ultimately gave me the confidence to start my own company.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the struggles I faced in starting this company was figuring out how to differentiate myself among so many other marketing professionals who provide similar services or have similar skills. After reflecting on my work and my own marketing philosophy, the answer actually came together somewhat simply: good marketing starts with a solid brand—one that is thought out, intentional, and built with a clear understanding of what makes it different. That idea became the foundation for First Order Impact.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
First Order Impact is a marketing strategy company built around a simple idea: in order for Impact to occur from marketing the proper First Order decisions need to be put in place.
A lot of businesses jump straight into tactics—a new website, social media, advertising, SEO—without first clearly defining who they are, what makes them different, who they’re trying to reach, and why someone should choose them over a competitor. That’s where I come in.
I work with businesses to establish or strengthen that foundation through brand audits, positioning, messaging, rebranding, and marketing strategy. Sometimes that means identifying problems within an existing brand and making targeted changes. Other times, it means taking a step back and rethinking how the business presents itself entirely.
What sets First Order Impact apart is that I’m not approaching a business with a predetermined service I want to sell. I’m looking at the business first, identifying what is and isn’t working, and determining what actually needs to happen next. I also don’t believe in changing things simply for the sake of making them different. If something is working, there should be a reason to keep it. If we’re going to change it, there should be a reason for that too.
That’s also what I’m most proud of about the First Order Impact brand. The philosophy behind the company is the same philosophy I bring to the work: be intentional, understand the foundation, and make decisions for a reason. Good marketing shouldn’t just look good or generate activity. It should make it easier for the right people to understand why a business is the right choice.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
AI is obviously going to have a tremendous impact on marketing over the next five to ten years, but I think one of the more interesting effects will be that it makes strong brands even more important.
We’re reaching a point where almost anyone can create an ad, write content, build a website, or produce a professional-looking image in a matter of minutes. That makes execution faster and more accessible, but it also means there is going to be an incredible amount of content competing for people’s attention.
I think the challenge will increasingly become standing out from all of that. If everyone has access to the same tools, the tool itself isn’t much of a competitive advantage. Businesses will still need to know who they are, what makes them different, what they want to say, and why someone should care.
AI will absolutely change how we execute marketing, and I think marketers who use it well will have a major advantage. But the strategy and ideas behind that execution are going to become even more important. In a way, I think the future of the industry reinforces the philosophy behind First Order Impact: the tools will continue to change, but you still need a strong foundation to know what to do with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://FirstOrderImpact.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-order-impact/
