We’re looking forward to introducing you to Paul Setkus. Check out 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. Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
That’s a good question. Actually, it’s one of the first questions I ask myself when we start looking for a new specialists to join our advertising agency.
I can explain why. I believe this is more than just a question; it’s a mindset that begins within the organization’s culture, values, and, of course, the founder or CEO.
In my daily routine, managing and working with people, I always ask myself this question before asking employees to do something for me: How would I react if their answer were negative? How do I approach them? What questions do I ask? Am I too pushy or too easygoing?
With every decision, I try to answer this question myself first, because I am a huge believer in a culture where everyone is encouraged to act according to our agency’s values and create something meaningful together.
So yes, I like who I am, and I would hire me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Paul, and I am the founder of LemonHook, a creative performance marketing agency. We work exclusively with eCommerce brands, helping them succeed online through Google, Meta, and TikTok Ads, as well as email marketing services.
What separates us from other agencies is our focus on creative performance. We take full responsibility for our clients’ marketing efforts, freeing up their precious time for high-level business management or spending time with loved ones.
Our specialty lies in our expertise with AI tools and their implementation within our internal processes. With the help of AI, we create visuals and ad copy that don’t just look or sound great, they actually perform and drive revenue.
We truly care about every client’s success. We don’t simply “run ads”, we take time to analyze a product deeply. Only once we fully understand its potential do we develop a marketing strategy focused purely on generating sales.
We also understand how important an advertising budget is, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. Every growth decision where to spend, which channels to prioritize, and which products to promote is data-driven.
In other words, when you trust our experienced team with your advertising accounts, you can sleep well at night. You’ll know that everything is taken care of: from strategic audits and creative production to campaign setup, optimization, A/B testing, and reporting with clear growth suggestions.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I’d call myself a bit of a bookworm, as I enjoy reading quite a lot. For a while now, I’ve been delving into the world of mindfulness and visualization. I remember first hearing about the power of visualization within my personal circle, but soon I started hearing about it everywhere online from highly successful people. After doing my own deep dive, listening to audiobooks, reading articles, and studying the topic, I’ve become a firm believer in its power.
The moment that truly shaped my worldview was realizing that everything starts in your head. You must have a clear vision of where you want to go and what you want to achieve.
Surprisingly, one after another, the things I once only dreamed of have started coming true, in both my business and my personal life. If you are patient, those visions slowly become your reality.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I believe it’s important to celebrate your victories, even the small ones. However, if you think about it honestly, the biggest life lessons actually come from struggles and suffering.
I have a love-hate relationship with suffering in general. Usually, if there is something I am avoiding or afraid of, I try to overcome it by doing it anyway, sometimes even pushing myself into uncomfortable situations on purpose.
Hate cold calling? Do more of it. Hate cold morning showers? Take them every day. Hate public speaking? Find more opportunities to speak.
All of my daily habits and personal goals revolve around this mindset because, when I reflect on my past, the most significant growth has always come from the hardest times.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
To this day, the advertising industry is still clouded by mystique and charlatanism. Many potential clients come to our agency for help, hoping that advertising their brand online will solve all of their business problems.
Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee success online. Simply running ads or launching email marketing campaigns will not generate sales if other parts of your business are shaky.
Before spending money on advertising campaigns, I usually suggest that brands audit their internal business processes. Is your website running smoothly? Is it easy to shop? How is your pricing and customer service? Do you offer returns? What are people saying about your brand online?
These are just a few of the questions I recommend brands ask themselves before they start investing thousands of dollars into advertising.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
I would call myself a creator. I love building things. Most of the time, I view my life as a game where I constantly need to level up.
I enjoy building a business, developing our agency’s processes and operations, launching new products, entering new markets, and hiring new teammates. I see each of these steps as a “mini-game” that I need to master.
I also enjoy building our podcast with my co-founder. I love scouting for guests, brainstorming topics, and setting up the processes that make it run.
Even in my personal life, I see things through the lens of a game: the books I want to read, the skills I want to develop, and the routines I build to bring me one step closer to my goals.
Every step in my life is part of a game I enjoy playing, building it brick by brick and raising the bar a bit higher every time.
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
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lemonhook.agency
Image Credits
Personal images.
