My guest is Roman Prokopchuk aka “The Digital Savage.” Roman was born in Ukraine. As a young boy, he lived under communist rule in the Soviet Union. He remembers waiting in bread lines and KGB agents waiting to see who was attending church services.
Roman’s family moved to the United States in 1990. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Rutgers University during the Great Recession. Since job openings were scarce, he became a self-made digital marketer. His 10 years of experience helped him to land several Fortune 500 clients.
In this episode, we talk about living behind the “The Iron Curtain,” a day in the life of a digital marketer and Roman’s determination to live the American dream.
Other topics discussed:
- Roman’s grandfather
- Thoughts on communism
- Corruption in Ukraine
- Russia’s annex of Crimea
- Hustle mindset
- Business as distraction
- Meditation practice
- Graduating during Recession
- SEO, social media & digital marketing
- Working remotely
- Better Google results
- Making Tiktok videos
- Targeting the right audience
- Tools for ads, research & tracking
- Life as a foster parent
- Foster system in the U.S.
- Kids without parents
- How Roman invests his money
- Watching World Cup in Ukraine
- Value of learning English
Questions asked:
- Were you escaping something terrible happening in Ukraine?
- What traits did you pick up from your grandfather?
- What was your grandfather’s opinion of communism?
- Is it commonplace for Ukrainians to tell their stories?
- What were you thinking when you heard Russia was annexing Crimea in 2014?
- What does Putin say is the reason for all this conflict?
- Are there any specific memories from childhood you’ve deliberately suppressed because it’s too painful?
- Do you think those situations are more common in parts of the world like Ukraine vs US?
- Does your experience with your dad fuel your ambition?
- Have you struggled with depression?
- [You are a proponent of processing feelings and working through them] Is that what therapy helps you do?
- What was your interest in Secret Service?
- [For your Fortune 500 clients] Do you visit their offices and do a pitch?
- Can you give me a ‘day in the life’ of someone who runs an SEO firm?
- How much of your business is Google-related?
- Do you think you will always make money online in some capacity?
- What is one trick/tip maybe your best friend knows because of his friendship with you (that you’ve shared with him) that helped him improve his presence online or market himself?
- Would you use TikTok if you wanted to reach an audience that’s 34 or younger? Is that where people are flocking nowadays?
- What made you want to foster kids in the first place?
- Do you get financial support to help with foster kids?
- Are you able to save & invest some money for the long-term?
- Do you have car payments?
- How do you find time to read and do you get enough sleep?
- When was the last time you and your wife had a vacation?
Fun questions:
- Who are the first two famous Ukrainian-born Americans that come to mind?
- What is the first word that comes to mind when I say Vladimir Putin?
- Do you think you will teach your kids the Ukraine language?
- Do you think the entire world will speak English someday?
- What’s your overall opinion of communism?
- Do you ever argue against communism with people online? Have you found yourself doing that?
- I will give you a name and you tell me if the person is underrated or overrated? (Warren Buffett, Tom Hanks, Barack Obama, Gary Vaynerchuk)
Listen here:
Connect with Roman:
- Google: Roman Prokopchuk
- Podcast: Digital Savage Experience
- Company: Nova Zora Digital
Please let me know if you’re looking for guest posts. My favorite is about your wedding in Playa Del Carmen! You have some really insightful content and I feel I would be an asset to your readers. Please email me if interested. Thanks! Stephanie