TOM Talks Online Marketing

Hosted by Derrel Allen

Business MarketingInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

About the show

Online marketing tips, tricks, and advice for today’s online marketing dilemmas. Each episode covers topics ranging from website creation and design to social media, backlinks, blogging and more. Guests include business owners and marketing professionals who share their expertise and experience covering successes and challenges their business faces.

Listen to episodes

15 recent

August 21, 2026Episode 1537 min

From Spaghetti to Cinema: Inside AI Video Ads with Sean O'Connor of Texas AI Guy

Derrel Allen and Kris O'Connor welcome a very special guest to the hot seat, Kris's son Sean O'Connor, founder of Texas AI Guy. Sean's building a fast-growing business creating AI cinematic video ads that let small businesses compete with bigger brands on a fraction of the budget. From the early "Will Smith eating spaghetti" days to today's photorealistic models, Sean breaks down just how far AI-generated content has come. He explains how reference images build a detailed character sheet that locks in a subject's face, so that person can be placed in any scenario, outfit, or location without ever stepping in front of a camera. Topics covered: Cinematic content on a budget: how Sean builds custom action sequences, like a Nike-style ad for a youth baseball camp or a dancing mascot for a local ice cream shop, to instantly level up a brand's visual storytelling. The stop-the-scroll problem: why you've got less than two seconds to grab attention on YouTube Shorts and TikTok, and why creativity is what actually earns that attention. Getting reviews that stick: Derrel shares his selfie-mode video review technique from the entertainment world, and Kris breaks down her quest formula that helped a South Texas business land over 500 five-star ratings. Altruistic marketing: how pro-bono video work for local community events and nonprofits skips the sting of cold emailing and builds real word-of-mouth. Disclosing AI content: what you actually need to know about flagging AI-generated, real-looking people on social media, legally and platform-wise. Plus a fun detour into the rumored MySpace comeback, and finally, the real story behind the name TOM Talks Online Marketing. Connect with Sean O'Connor: texasaiguy.com, or search Texas AI Guy on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. The opinions expressed by guests on TOM Talks Online Marketing are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or Total Online Marketing LLC. Want to be a guest and talk about your own marketing gems? Reach out to Derrel at totalmagic.com/podcast. Derrel Allen -- Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com Kris O'Connor -- Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems bttom.com/url/kris Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod

August 3, 2026Episode 1442 min

Marketing to Seniors: Gary Upchurch on Earning Trust in the Reverse Mortgage Space

Derrel Allen and Kris O'Connor sit down with Gary Upchurch, a reverse mortgage specialist from Mutual of Omaha Mortgages, to talk about reaching and serving the senior demographic. This one goes beyond general reverse mortgage info and digs into how to actually market to seniors, building trust and delivering real value to homeowners 62 and older. Gary shares his own journey and how being a peer in that same age bracket helps him relate to clients working through retirement income and home equity decisions. He breaks down what a reverse mortgage actually is, a home equity loan with no monthly payment, and clears up common myths, from folks on a fixed income to wealthy estate owners with multimillion dollar homes. Topics covered: Educational content that works: why answering the "top 10" questions seniors ask through YouTube Shorts builds authority fast. Referral partnerships: how Gary grows his business through trusted relationships with banks, financial advisors, and real estate agents. The rule of repetition: why a message often has to land dozens of times in a noisy world before someone actually acts on it. Digital tools for low tech professionals: practical ways to optimize a Google Business Profile and use AI to speed up ad creation and compliance. The "greedy child" syndrome: how family dynamics shape the decisions seniors make around their home equity. Whether you're a marketing pro looking to sharpen your approach to the senior market or a homeowner curious what a reverse mortgage could do for you, this episode lays out a roadmap for moving forward with confidence. As Gary puts it, it's about helping people get a reverse and move forward with life. Connect with Gary Upchurch: bttom.com/url/ep14 Derrel Allen – Total Online Marketing Kris O'Connor – Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems bttom.com/url/kris The opinions expressed by guests on TOM Talks Online Marketing are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or Total Online Marketing LLC. Want to be a guest and talk about your own marketing gems? Reach out to Derrel at totalmagic.com/podcast. Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod

July 30, 2026Episode 1337 min

EP13: From Clowning to Closing: Eric Hogue on Personal Marketing

Derrel Allen and Kris O'Connor sit down with a man of many hats: former Mayor of Wylie, Texas, professional magician, and seasoned real estate agent Eric Hogue. Eric shares his journey from corporate America to real estate, and makes the case that success in any industry comes down to a servant mindset, treating your career like a real business instead of a side hobby. Topics covered: Personal marketing that actually works: Eric breaks down why real estate is a relationship business first. He walks through his approach to staying top of mind, personal newsletters, and why he sends closing anniversary cards instead of generic birthday greetings. Social media with intent: why Eric runs LinkedIn as his business tool, keeps Instagram for personal life, and skipped Facebook entirely during his time as mayor. DFW housing market, boots on the ground: homes are averaging 44 to 55 days on market right now, plus a look at how the Texas State Fair slows North Texas business down every year. From Clinky the Clown to the Mayor's office: Eric's path from shy introvert to professional clown who paid for college in a yellow suit and red wig, all the way to the presidency of the Texas Association of Magicians and testifying before Congress alongside David Copperfield. Resilience and what now: Eric opens up about his 2022 health crisis, a heart attack followed by complications, and how it shaped the book he's now writing about navigating the unexpected. Whether you're an entrepreneur refining your marketing plan or a buyer trying to make sense of today's market, this one's a masterclass in resilience and personal branding. Connect with Eric Hogue: Website: erichogue.com Instagram: @EricHogueRealtor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erichogue/ Derrel Allen – Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com Kris O'Connor bttom.com/url/kris Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod The opinions expressed by guests on TOM Talks Online Marketing are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or Total Online Marketing LLC.

July 26, 2026Episode 1224 min

Local Citations, NAP Consistency, and Why Directory Authority Still Works

Derrel Allen (Total Online Marketing) and Kris O'Connor (Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems) get into why local citations still matter and how directory authority actually helps a business rank. Derrel runs TOUSAN BOLD, the Talk Of USA Network of Business Oriented Local Directories, 15 sites built for DFW businesses and the agencies that serve them, out of the main hub at talkofusa.com, with city-specific sites like talkofallen.com that have been live since 2012. He breaks down why the directory page itself doesn't need to rank on page one of Google to be valuable, it's the backlink authority it hands to your main site that does the work. Kris brings her Google Business Profile expertise into the conversation and makes the case for nailing the basics, proper image alt tags and solid meta descriptions, before chasing whatever new marketing trend shows up next. Both of them land hard on NAP consistency, keeping your business Name, Address, and Phone number identical everywhere it's listed. Kris even keeps a dedicated document just to track exact spelling and formatting (ST vs Street, that kind of thing) so Google isn't left guessing. If you've got some slower weeks this summer, this is your homework: go find out which directories your business should actually be listed in. Derrel Allen -- Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com Kris O'Connor -- Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems bttom.com/url/kris Talk of USA TOUSAN BOLD talkofusa.com Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod

July 10, 2026Episode 1155 min

EP11: From Rock Radio to Real Magic -- Dal Sanders on Building an Entertainment Empire

Dal Sanders has interviewed the Sex Pistols and the Allman Brothers, built a viral television segment, landed an internationally syndicated TV show, and somehow ended up teaching kids communication skills through magic. His career doesn't follow a straight line -- and that's exactly what makes this conversation worth an hour. Dal is the founder of Amazing Attractions and the Texas Magic Academy, a past president of the Society of American Magicians, and the current president of FISM North America -- the international federation that represents magicians worldwide. He came to all of it through rock and roll radio, which turned out to be better marketing training than most business schools offer. In this episode, Dal walks Derrel and Kris through the full arc -- from spinning records and getting backstage access to legendary acts, to incorporating magic into live promotional events, to building the Texas Magic Academy around the idea that illusion is really just applied communication. He's candid about what didn't work, including high-cost ad campaigns that produced nothing, and what did, including creative risks that generated media coverage money can't buy. The pandemic chapter is worth noting too. Dal pivoted when most entertainment businesses folded. That ability to read the room and move fast is a throughline in everything he's built. Derrel knows this world firsthand -- he's a professional magician himself -- which gives this conversation a depth you don't get from a standard host-guest format. Two people who've both made a living doing the impossible, talking about how to build a business around it. Derrel Allen -- Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com Kris O'Connor -- Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems bttom.com/url/kris Dal Sanders stagemagic.com Amazing Attractions amazingattractions.com Texas Magic Academy bttom.com/url/tma 214-720-2262 Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod The opinions expressed by guests on TOM Talks Online Marketing are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or Total Online Marketing LLC.

July 4, 2026Episode 1032 min

EP10: Feeding Your Cells, Not Just Your Stomach -- Mari Villar on Purium and the 12-Week Nutrition Reset

Mari Villar is 63 and says she feels better than she did in her twenties. That's not a sales pitch opener -- it's her proof of concept. Mari is a Purium representative based in Allen, Texas, and in this episode she sits down with Derrel and Kris to break down what cellular nutrition actually means and why she believes most modern health problems trace back to two things: inflammation and what we're unknowingly eating. The conversation covers Purium's 12-week nutrition reset -- not a fad diet but a gut-brain focused detox designed to clear mental fog, improve sleep, and rebuild the microbiome from the ground up. Mari goes deep on glyphosate, the herbicide found in Roundup that she says is showing up in food, water, and air, and explains why she believes addressing it is foundational to any real health transformation. She also walks through three core products: the Power Shake (one serving equivalent to six micro-green super salads), Biomedic (a pre and probiotic designed specifically to pull herbicides from the gut), and Essential Amino Acids built for vegan-friendly protein without stressing the liver or kidneys. And she makes an economic case -- two superfood meals a day for under $13, stacked against the $800 to $1,200 a month most people spend on groceries or eating out. The back half of the episode turns into a live consulting session. Derrel and Kris push Mari on YouTube for long-term content visibility, AI for repurposing a single piece of content into 10 to 14 posts, and setting up a Google Business Profile as a service area business to build credibility without a storefront. Mari also shares how she's built referral partnerships with holistic practitioners and chiropractors through Purium's affiliate gift code system. If you're a direct sales rep, a wellness entrepreneur, or just someone trying to figure out what's actually going on with your health, this episode covers a lot of ground in 34 minutes. Derrel Allen -- Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com Kris O'Connor -- Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems bttom.com/url/kris Mari Villar -- Purium Representative Instagram: @healthy.you071322 Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod The opinions expressed by guests on TOM Talks Online Marketing are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or Total Online Marketing LLC.

July 1, 2026Episode 947 min

EP9: Close Enough to See the Magic -- Daryl Howard on Building a Career in Close-Up Magic

This episode got personal fast. When Daryl Howard sat down with Derrel and Kris, it didn't take long to discover that Derrel and Daryl share more than a similar name -- they share a birth month, a love of magic, and a career built around performing it. What started as a marketing conversation turned into something closer to a masterclass on what it actually takes to build a sustainable business doing what most people think is a hobby. Daryl Howard is a Dallas-based professional magician specializing in strolling close-up magic -- cards, coins, and everyday objects performed inches from your face, no props, no machinery, pure sleight of hand. He's been doing this since age eight when Mark Wilson lit the spark at the State Fair of Texas. Today he owns nearly 1,000 books on magic, holds memberships in both the Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and has been named Dallas's close-up performing magician of the year. He's also the official close-up performer for Magic in the Living Room, a monthly show held the first Tuesday of every month at the Backdoor Comedy Club in Richardson, Texas. The marketing conversation covers how Daryl generates bookings through platforms like The Bash and Gig Salad, why he targets event and wedding planners over the general public, and how he custom tailors every performance to the client -- including a poker-themed set for a retirement party full of card players. Derrel and Kris push him on social media, YouTube, and the untapped opportunity in packaging his scriptwriting and performance expertise to teach other magicians nationally. If you're in the entertainment business, the creative services space, or just trying to figure out how to market something that doesn't fit a standard template, this one's worth your 47 minutes. Derrel Allen -- Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com/contact-us/ Kris O'Connor -- Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems bttom.com/url/kris Daryl Howard -- Daryl Howard Magic darylhowardmagic.com Facebook: facebook.com/darylhowardmagic 214-532-3619 Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod

June 7, 2026Episode 834 min

Detox Without the Gimmicks -- Marla Sharpe on Lymphatic Health and Building a Franchise That Actually Works

You've heard of detoxing. Marla Sharpe's business does it differently -- no juice cleanses, no fads. Just a specific rhythmic technique designed to move your lymphatic system, reduce bloating, and improve circulation from the inside out. Marla is the owner of The TOX franchise in Allen, Texas, and a serial entrepreneur who knows what it takes to build something real in a competitive market. In this episode, she walks Derrel and Kris through what The TOX technique actually is, how it works, and why it's gaining traction with people who are serious about their health rather than just chasing a trend. The conversation gets candid on the business side too. Marla talks about the unique challenge of running a franchise -- corporate marketing restrictions, building a dependable team, and carving out your own customer relationships within a brand framework that doesn't always give you room to maneuver. Her answer to all of it comes down to consistent networking and genuine personal connection. The TOX also offers lifestyle products including debloat gummies and lymphatic health items for clients who want to extend the work between sessions. If you're in the Allen area and curious about lymphatic health, or if you're a franchise owner trying to figure out how to market yourself within corporate guardrails, this one's worth your 34 minutes. Derrel Allen -- Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com Kris O'Connor -- Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems bttom.com/url/kris Marla Sharpe -- The TOX Allen thetoxtechnique.com/stores/the-tox-allen/book TikTok: @marla.detoxallen 972-837-9421 Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod

June 1, 202641 min

Your Garage Door Is the Largest Moving Wall in Your Home -- Dale Clark on Service, Safety, and Standing Out

Most homeowners don't think about their garage door until it stops working. Dale Clark thinks that's exactly backwards. Dale is the owner of ProLift Garage Doors of West Plano, a credentialed, Google-verified franchise operation built on transparency and customer education. He came to home services by way of the military -- signal communications -- and a career in sales engineering. That background shows up in how he runs his business: methodical, honest, and focused on doing the job right the first time. In this episode, Dale walks Derrel and Kris through why annual maintenance isn't optional -- springs, sensors, and balance checks on what he calls the largest moving wall in your home. He breaks down what separates a credentialed contractor from the guy who shows up in an unmarked van, and why that difference matters for your safety and your wallet. The conversation also gets into marketing. Dale shares why he's walked away from high-cost SEO agencies in favor of local networking and partnerships that actually produce results. Sound familiar? If you own a home in the West Plano area or you're a contractor trying to figure out what marketing actually works at the local level, this episode is worth your 42 minutes. Derrel Allen -- Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com Kris O'Connor -- Kris O'Connor Marketing Gems bttom.com/url/kris Dale Clark -- ProLift Garage Doors of West Plano proliftdoors.com/west-plano proliftgarage.tech Facebook: facebook.com/ProLiftGarageDoorsofWestPlano 469-888-6024 Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod

May 26, 2026Episode 629 min

EP6: Not Knowing Your Numbers Is Planning to Fail -- Jeff Goold on What Bookkeeping Actually Does for Your Business

Most business owners think bookkeeping is about keeping tidy records. Jeff Goold says that's exactly the problem. Jeff is the founder of Element Ledger, a QuickBooks Pro Advisor, and a 27-year tech sales veteran who spent decades at companies like Cisco and Arista teaching clients the language of business. Now he applies that same ROI thinking to help entrepreneurs actually understand what their financials are telling them -- before it's too late. In this episode, Jeff walks Derrel and Kris through some hard truths. Like the client whose projects looked busy but had zero profit margin until proper categorization exposed the problem. Or why co-mingling personal and business funds is one of the biggest IRS red flags -- and why the IRS is now using AI to catch it. Or why AI bookkeeping tools, as powerful as they are, still need a human who understands how money actually flows through your specific business. Jeff works with solopreneurs, nonprofits, and has a particular focus on the construction industry -- a space he says has a serious blind spot around project costing. If you're a contractor who feels busy but can't figure out where the money went, this one's for you. As Jeff puts it -- crediting the original source -- "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Not knowing your numbers isn't just sloppy. It's a plan to fail. Derrel Allen -- Total Online Marketing www.totalmagic.com Kris O'Connor -- Kris O'Connor Marketing Gemsbttom.com/url/kris Jeff Goold -- Element Ledgerelement-ledger.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/element-ledger-llc214-862-8025 Follow the show: bttom.com/url/pod