Meet Brandon Smithwick | Chief Digital Marketing Strategist & Lead Digital Marketing Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Smithwick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, how do you think about risk?
I think about risk in terms of reward. My biggest growth has always occurred when I’ve entered the unknown. When starting my career in digital marketing, I moved out of state for an entry level marketing role on a 90-day contract making less than what I was when I was laid off from a company. After a month into the role, I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. I didn’t let that stop me from trying. By the end of 3 months, I was promoted from being a Coordinator to Manager level. Within a year from that date, I became a Senior Digital Marketing Manager. Most would not move out of state for what I was being paid at the time. I took a big risk that day and it paid off to give me the confidence needed to move up into my career. Looking back, I was amazed at what had occurred in just 2.5 years!

This one risk set the platform for me to network with colleagues, formulate superior relationships and sharing real-world advice that wasn’t found in a textbook.

For my career in hospitality, it moved me into managing a department of one, myself as a self-taught leader, then becoming a Director of eCommerce and managing a team of 3. 10 years later, the knowledge I’ve gained has given me the tools and resources to now work for myself and to grow my digital marketing strategy business working with individuals and small business owners.


Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a very family-oriented person as I enjoy people. What gets me excited is when I can learn alongside them and lend a helping hand. Since the pandemic I began to work with my brother and sister by helping them build their online presence with their businesses using an array of digital marketing strategies. Previously serving on advisory boards for Hilton and Marriott with my closest colleagues and corporate leadership teams helping them direct their digital future.

I have a vast background in digital marketing which includes website, content development, graphic design, paid ads, social media, search engine optimization (SEO) and email marketing. Most of my knowledge has been self-taught, while I do hold an undergrad degree in eCommerce/Marketing as well as an MBA in Internet Marketing. Additionally, I teach digital marketing at the University level to hard working people who have a desire to do more. My motto is, People are MY business.

You may be wondering what it will be like working with me? The greatest joy for me is being a part of a project and seeing it transform. My desire is to work with family-minded people and lifelong learners. These people are the ones that value relationships for the long-term. Working with me will provide you the tools to succeed in the digital world for either yourself or your business.

Being involved within the SEO industry since 2007 and professionally since 2012 has brought me the opportunities to expand into nearly every area of digital marketing. Starting off working in an office while gradually moving into roles that were 50/50 between office and home to now working fully remote. Originally from Michigan, I’ve lived in Texas, North Carolina, Florida and have chosen Texas as my home.

One of my biggest achievements was speaking in 2015 in Charlotte, NC to 75 of my colleagues, including the CEO! I was the first person in a digital marketing role with a hotel management company as their eCommerce Manager. This was my time to educate them on how important digital marketing was and helped me form closer relationships with the team.

Being a professional speaker, it opened the doors into teaching at Miami-Dade Community College in 2018 as a digital marketing instructor. During my tenure there, I taught students how to market their business on social media. This was a 9-class, 30-hour course taught 3 times a year. Fast-forward to 2022, I now teach students at the University level across several universities. This is a full-on Digital Marketing Bootcamp that spans across 10 months and approximately 450 hours of instruction.

After working in hospitality for the last 10 years, I am now ready to take on the challenge of growing my iBrain Web Marketing business working with individuals and local business owners on their digital marketing strategy. As a side arm to the business, I will also be providing mentoring for my past and present students for themselves as well as their businesses.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Two of my favorite eateries I’ve discovered in the DFW area are Victor’s Wood Grill in Coppell and Lazy Dog (multiple locations in the DFW area), both are family owned. There are a wide variety of activities like the Fort Worth Zoo, Klyde Warren Park in downtown Dallas, Trinity Park in Fort Worth, AT&T Stadium/Texas Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, The Star district for nightlife and training camp home for the Dallas Cowboys in Frisco, or a daytrip to the Magnolia Silos in Waco, 1.5 hours south of Dallas just to name a few. DFW is a mecca for shopping that offers the Galleria Mall, NorthPark Center, a handful of boutiques and shopping strips along the way.


Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been fortunate to have had family, friends and colleagues be my biggest supporters. Professionally, the best supporters are the ones who challenge you to think different. Family and friends are the ones who stand beside you even though they may think your idea is a little off par. For this, I am thankful for everyone whom I have crossed paths with and who have helped make a difference in me.

Website: https://ibrainwebmarketing.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bjsmithwick/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonsmithwick/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iBrainWebMarketing

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ibrain-web-marketing-frisco