It is always impressive when you meet a highly successful entrepreneur who also somehow manages to be down-to-earth. Alex Caragiannides is that kind of entrepreneur.
His upbeat attitude and grounded demeanor were handed down through his roots. Coming to America as an immigrant and growing up in a North Side Greek community in Chicago, Alex learned early on that if you work hard and make yourself invaluable to others, you’ll never go hungry. This spirit continues to drive Alex’s work ethic to this day.
He founded BSM Vault, a digital results marketing agency, in 2017. Alex credits his work ethic, industry experience, and passion for marketing with his ability to scale to seven figures quickly.
What is the best part according to Alex? Watching his Loan Officer and Realtor clients achieve their personal and professional dreams by implementing what he has taught them. So, how does he do it?
Alex started his career in the Mortgage industry. After moving to San Diego, he worked as a telemarketer at a large Mortgage company making about $300 per week. When he discovered the best opportunity for advancement was to become a Loan Officer, that is what he did. But he did not love the high-pressure work.
“Getting fired from that job for not meeting my quotas was the best thing that ever happened to me,” says Alex. That is when he met his mentor, Samuel Webster, who owned a competitor Mortgage company and decided to take Alex under his wing.
Although Alex carved out a niche for himself among Veterans, rose quickly through the ranks, and became one of the top producing Loan Officers in San Diego, it was digital marketing that really excited him. When Alex discovered he could target consumers directly using Google and Facebook Ads, he knew in his heart a full-scale digital marketing agency would be his legacy.
Alex went all in! He joined no less than 15 mastermind groups and after absorbing all the knowledge he could for five years, he then opened his own agency, BSM Vault.
Alex’s big “ah-ha” moment came when he realized most Loan Officers could handle twice as many leads as they are bringing in. In other words, if you are not closing enough sales, the problem is not that you need sales training. You need to look at your marketing tactics.
Traditionally, Loan Officers generate leads by connecting with real estate agents and networking. While pounding pavement is effective for building relationships over years, it is inefficient. But digital marketing can be both an effective and efficient way to bring in new clients if you have the right tactics.
On the real estate side, Alex says he saw a gap in the marketplace and knew he could help Realtors grow their businesses. “I work closely with real estate agents as a business development manager. I realized Realtors could greatly benefit from strategic digital marketing. The only problem is that they don’t have the time to dedicate to this kind of work.”
Yes, Loan Officers and Real Estate agents need to create digital ads that speak to their exact niche, whether that be luxury, sellers, listings, or veterans. But Alex says, “ads are only 10% of the equation. The other 90% comes from having the right systems, processes, and methodology.”
Because you cannot help but focus on revenue-generating tasks throughout your week, it’s hard to find time to learn how to leverage social media or level up your digital marketing game. That is where Alex and his team come in.
“If there’s one big lesson I’d like my clients to learn it’s this: you can’t build an empire on your own,” Alex says. The key to success is finding the right people to help you implement your dream. And there is no shame in asking for help. “I guess you could say I’m humbled by nature,” says Alex. “I am a student first. Even to those who I am mentoring or coaching, I remain a humble student.”
There’s no doubt Alex’s approach to digital marketing is unusual, but it is working well for both his clients and his bottom line. Alex has scaled his agency to seven figures in under three years.
Still, somehow Alex remains charmingly humble to the very end, “I’m just a regular guy who wants to do extraordinary things for my family.” And in the end, isn’t that what we all want?
