In person · Oceanside
What Your Google Ads Agency Isn't Telling You
- Thursday, November 19 at 6:00 PM PST
- Pan's studio, Oceanside · Oceanside, CA (North County)
- 30 of 30 seats left
Independent · No pitch · Since 1997
Before you hire an agency or buy AI — ask Pan.
Independent. No pitch. I'll tell you what actually works, what's a scam, and what I'd do in your shoes.
The stuff nobody tells you
Five things that are costing small businesses money right now.
01
Likes don't pay bills
Facebook engagement numbers look great in a report. Your bank account doesn't care.
Read the truth →02"Google Partner" robocalls
Google doesn't cold-call you to fix your listing. The caller is selling something.
Read the truth →03Who owns your ad account?
If the agency owns it, they own your history. Leave and you start from zero.
Read the truth →04AI tools that connect to nothing
A chatbot that doesn't reach your calendar or CRM is a subscription, not a system.
Read the truth →05SEO guarantees
Nobody can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Anyone who does is guessing or lying.
Read the truth →Check this yourself
- Open your Google Ads account → Campaign settings → Networks.
- If 'Search Partners' or 'Display Network' is checked on a search campaign, you may be paying for junk clicks.
Who is Pan
I've been inside the machine since 1997.
I started in video games, designing how millions of people click, play and keep coming back. Then I spent two decades applying that to businesses.
I've seen what agencies say in the pitch and what's really in the account. Ask Pan is where I tell owners the difference.
- Built a patron portal for a casino that replaced direct mail and saved over $750,000 a year.
- Runs a 5,000 sq ft production and podcast studio in Oceanside.
- 1997–2000Game Director
The 3DO Company - 2000–2005Lead Game Designer
Angel Studios / Rockstar Games - 2005–2011President
S8 Solutions - 2011–nowLeads a strategy, studio and AI firm
Oceanside, CA The method
Reputation → Rank → Experience → Follow-Up → Amplify
How it works
Learn first. Decide later.
- 1
Learn
Come to a free workshop or read the Truth pages. No pitch, just how this stuff really works.
- 2
Get your free Marketing Reality Check
Take the 8-question scorecard, then a 25-minute straight-talk call with me.
- 3
Do it yourself, or get matched
Run my roadmap on your own, or I match you with a vetted partner who does the work.
If I refer you to a partner, they may pay me a referral fee. You never pay more, and I only refer firms I'd hire myself.
Upcoming free workshops
Pull up a chair.
Live in the Oceanside studio or online. No pitch, no pressure.
Online
AI Automation Without the Hype (Online)
- Thursday, December 3 at 12:00 PM PST
- Online
- 100 of 100 seats left
Free · 3 minutes
The Marketing Reality Check
8 quick questions. A score out of 100, a breakdown, and the three fixes I'd make first.
FAQ
Fair questions.
Is this really free?+
Yes. The workshops, the scorecard and the 25-minute call cost nothing. If I refer you to a partner and you hire them, they may pay me a referral fee. You don't pay more.
Are you going to sell me something on the call?+
No. I'll tell you what I'd do in your shoes. Sometimes that's 'do nothing' or 'fire your agency'. If you want help, I'll tell you who I trust.
Who is this for?+
Small and mid-size business owners who are spending money on marketing, Google or AI and aren't sure it's working.
Do you run an agency?+
No. I run a studio and strategy firm in Oceanside, but Ask Pan is independent education. I refer the hands-on work to vetted partners.
What if I'm happy with my current agency?+
Good. Come to a workshop anyway. You'll leave knowing how to check their work in five minutes.
Ask before you spend another dollar.
Straight answers about marketing, Google & AI — from someone who's been inside the machine since 1997.