We recently had the chance to connect with Paul Setkus and have shared our conversation below.
Paul, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
For me, how I start my day is essential, because the way you begin your morning sets the pace for the entire day.
That’s why I follow a fairly strict morning routine, which starts with:
1) Cold shower
2) Breathing exercises
3) Affirmation exercises
4) Gratitude exercises
5) Brain and language games
6) Reading a book
And I finish my morning routine with an intense gym session.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Since my early days at high school, I’ve had a deep curiosity for building things that was interesting to me. Whether it was launching small online ventures, selling perfume, trying out the print-on-demand T-shirts niche, selling bikes, having multiple small internet businesses with my close friends or co-founding my first marketing agency that later evolved into a mobile game development studio, I was constantly creating new things.
There was something that satisfied me from early days, starting on a blank white paper and bringing ideas to life.
But none of those businesses stuck. I lacked the experience, and soon after graduating from high school, I moved abroad to study game design. During that time, I worked various odd jobs, but the traditional 9-to-5 lifestyle never felt right. I kept felling that there had to be something more fulfilling.
After spending about five years in the gaming industry working as a professional I got tired and realized I wasn’t doing what I truly loved. My real ambition had always been to build my own business, something meaningful that could genuinely serve others and provide value.
The turning point came when a friend shared a bad experience when he was trying to launch an online bookstore. He’d hired a marketing agency and ended up disappointed. He didn’t received any support, were lacking transparency, poor communication, and inflated bills. That moment clicked for me. I thought, “This is the problem I want to solve.” thus I wanted to create an advertising agency that would treat clients the way I would want to be treated like real people. And at the same time help my close friend.
After saving up enough money, I left my day job and set out to build a digital marketing agency. But I’ll admit, the beginning was a huge mess. Marketing is such a broad field that I found myself doing everything from web design, branding, logos, copywriting, social media to paid media.
Over time, though, I understood something important: you can’t be world-class at everything. So, I doubled down on what I enjoyed the most, Google and Facebook Ads. I dove deep into paid advertising, enrolling in various digiral courses, reading case studies, and learning everything I could absorb from tracking and analytics to creative strategy and performance copywriting.
That focus paid off and at the networking event, I connected with my future web development partners. Collaborating with them led to new client opportunities, and as demand grew, I brought on my first team members.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned in that phase was that you don’t need to do it all yourself. Smart partnerships and a focused skill set are far more effective than trying to wear every hat.
Over the following two years, our agency grew to a team of 7. We’ve managed over $1MM in annual ad spend across Google, Meta, Microsoft, Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok Ads.
We decided to specialize in Google and Meta Ads for eCommerce brands and through that focus, we’ve helped several companies scale to seven-figure revenues. At the same time, we’ve gained valuable cross-platform experience with Spotify, Pinterest, and other networks.
What sets us apart? We’re not generalists, we’re performance-first specialists specializing in eCoomerce. Or, as I like to call us: data geeks. Why? Because every decision we make is grounded in data. From strategy and creatives to setup, tracking, optimization, and reporting we manage the full paid media pipeline with precision.
So, did I fulfill the vision I once had in school? I’d say yes. Today, my team and I are fully committed to our clients. We respond fast, we go above and beyond expectations, and we treat every ad dollar with the care it deserves.
Can we improve? Absolutely. That’s why ongoing education is one of our strongest company values we strive to evolve, learn, and become better every single day.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Over the years I’ve met several people, who saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. These people were my business partners, mentors and close friends. More experienced and successful, who trusted me, offered guidance when I needed it most, and helped me make decisions when I felt I need a second opinion. They believed in a better version of me, even when I had lost sight of it myself.
I’m so grateful to those who walked beside me, believed in my potential, and trusted that I could grow and evolve.
Looking back, it’s almost scary to think how much I’ve changed. But even more than that, I’m excited to see where this journey will take me next.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Over the years, there were numerous times when I wanted to give up.
The hardest moments were usually when others depended on me. I’ve always known I can push through tough times personally, but it’s a whole different story when your business is running low on cash, and you have just several days left to cover salaries and other business related expenses.
Those moments bring real pressure and many sleepless nights.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I believe my closest friends would say that I’m a 100% values-driven person.
That I’m highly structured, disciplined, and once I commit to something, I follow it through to the end always finding a way to achieve what I set out to do.
I think they’d say they can trust me, open up about their struggles and worries, and that they know how important self-development and personal growth are to me.
They’d also tell you that, no matter how tough life gets, I always try to face it with a sense of humor.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
Over the years, I’ve tried to pursue as many of the things I truly want to do so that, down the road, I’ll have as few regrets as possible.
I hope people will remember how I made them feel.
One day, I hope to leave a legacy behind. I want to build a company that helps businesses scale online, a company that offers more than just services, but one rooted in real values.
I’ll create a product that supports a community in a meaningful way.
And lastly, I want to write a book, something people can read even after I’m gone. A book that shares my values, my principles, and what I deeply stand for.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lemonhook.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemonhook.agency
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lemonhook
- Twitter: https://x.com/lemonhookagency
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lemonhook.agency
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lemonhook.agency
Image Credits
Personal images.
