What you’ll learn:
- How versatility shaped Sal Conca’s 20+ year career in digital marketing
- The role of leadership and self-awareness in growing teams and businesses
- Why relationships and LinkedIn networking are still the backbone of marketing success
- How skill stacking fuels innovation across affiliate, video, and multi-channel strategies
- Sal’s unique “Flanking Allies” approach to partnering with affiliates through video
Episode Summary
In this episode of the Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast, host Jamie Birch sits down with long-time friend and digital marketing leader Sal Conca, CEO of Amazing Ads.
The conversation spans decades of experience, from Sal’s early days at 1-800-Flowers and Puritan’s Pride to launching agencies, startups, and even teaching digital marketing at Stony Brook University. Along the way, Sal shares lessons in adaptability, creativity, and why relationships are the foundation of any lasting career in marketing.
Key themes include:
- Versatility as a career superpower – Sal’s journey shows how adapting to new roles, industries, and technologies creates long-term resilience
- Leadership through self-awareness – He opens up about balancing being a CEO with personal challenges, and why reflection and action go hand-in-hand.
- The power of relationships – From early affiliate days to LinkedIn connections decades later, Sal explains why genuine networking pays off in unexpected ways.
- Innovation in video and affiliate marketing – His “Flanking Allies” strategy demonstrates how brands can boost affiliate-created content with paid amplification for mutual growth.
This episode is equal parts career wisdom, personal storytelling, and forward-looking insights into the evolving world of performance marketing.
Resources & mentions
- Amazing Ads
- Profitable Performance Marketing Podcast
- Book mentioned: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin