
EP 120: We Fired 30 People and Nothing Changed
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A growth lead at a fast-scaling startup admits the truth: his old company cut a 30-person marketing and sales team, and sales didn't change at all.
In this episode, Hector Hughes explains why a year of growth work, SEO, conversion rate optimization, and endless website testing achieved almost nothing, and how that failure led him to build Unplugged, a digital detox retreat business now serving thousands of guests across the UK and Spain. He breaks down why "tracking everything results in tracking nothing," why most companies never answer the one question that matters, and how stepping away from constant distraction became the foundation of his marketing philosophy.
You will learn how trackable tactics replace the harder work of positioning without anyone noticing, what happens to your mind and body after three days offline, and why authenticity beats competing on someone else's terms.
Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host: 👉 [Book your call with Chris now] 👈
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- 0:42What Unplugged Actually Is
- 1:43Phones And The Relationship Test
- 4:41Why The Brand Is Hardcore Offline
- 6:56Getting Cut Off And Craving Quiet
- 10:00Day One Anxiety Then Real Calm
- 20:57Failures That Led To Unplugged
- 28:16Creativity Needs Diffuse Thinking
- 33:54Marketing Without Competing Or Pretending
- 38:06Books, Music And Booking A Cabin