230: What If This Could Replace Your Daily Content Grind?
So many business owners I talk to are burned out from the constant content treadmill. Posting to social, creating reels, and hoping for viral reach that rarely comes. What if I told you there’s a much easier way to consistently grow your list and revenue…without being glued to your phone?
In this episode, I’m joined by Zach Spuckler from Heart, Soul & Hustle, and we’re talking all about how to use Facebook and Instagram ads to grow your email list on autopilot. Zach breaks down his refreshingly simple approach to running lead-generation ads, even if you’re brand new or have a small budget.
We also talk about how ads can help you reclaim your time, stop relying on algorithm whims, and still see consistent results.
If you’ve been hesitant to try Facebook ads, this episode is the nudge you need. Zach shares his “always-on” ad strategy, and the honest truth about what works in 2025 (and what doesn’t).
What You’ll Learn:
Why Facebook ads are easier and more accessible than ever before
How to shift your mindset from “ads are an expense” to “ads are a time buyback tool”
The #1 type of campaign Zach recommends starting with
Why low-ticket funnels aren’t the magic bullet many think they are
Common Facebook ad myths—and what’s actually true
What email open rates look like for paid traffic vs. organic
How to blend storytelling with promotions in your email strategy
If you’ve ever wished for an “easy button” in your business, this is it. Tune in and learn how Facebook ads can simplify your marketing, grow your audience, and give you back your most precious resource: your time.
🎧 Listen now and let’s make ads work for you.
Mentioned in this episode:
Where to find Zach: Website and Instagram
Free gift from Zach: The $15/Day Facebook Ads Growth Strategy
How Facebook Ads Helped Me Reclaim My Time and Grow My Email List on Autopilot
So many digital product creators are stuck in what I call the content hamster wheel—constantly trying to “beat the algorithm,” going live, creating reels, and showing up daily just to stay relevant. It’s exhausting. And honestly? Not always effective.
I knew there had to be a better way to grow my audience and revenue without sacrificing my sanity or my time. That’s why I brought back one of my very first podcast guests, Zach Spuckler from Heart, Soul & Hustle, to talk all about how Facebook ads can be a game changer—especially when you're ready to scale without burning out.
Zach has spent years teaching business owners how to use paid ads strategically to grow their email lists, boost conversions, and buy back their time. In this episode, we dug into what’s working right now in the world of Facebook ads and why it's never been easier to get started—even on a small budget.
Here’s what I learned from our conversation—and how you can apply it to your business.
Why Facebook Ads Are Easier (and Smarter) Than Ever
One of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Zach was that Facebook ads today are actually easier to use than they were five years ago. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have added guardrails and automation that help even first-time advertisers see results.
That said, Zach made an important distinction: just because it’s easier doesn’t mean you’ll understand everything instantly. There’s still a learning curve, and strategy matters.
But here's the exciting part: you don’t need to be a tech wizard or spend thousands of dollars to get started. Zach emphasized that if you can fumble your way through ads—even imperfectly—you can still get results. And as he reminded us, “You’re not paying for clicks; you’re buying back your time.”
That mindset shift changed everything for me.
Buying Back My Time with Facebook Ads
This year, I turned on always-on Facebook ads for Hobby School (my B2C brand), and I can confidently say it’s been one of the smartest moves I’ve made.
No more stressing over daily posts or hoping a reel takes off. With ads, I know we’re growing our list every single day—without needing to be constantly online.
Zach described it perfectly: when you’re spending hours creating content that doesn’t always convert, that’s time you’re not spending on big-picture strategy. Ads, when done right, run quietly in the background and deliver consistent leads. For his business, he knows that even if he does nothing for seven days, he’ll still add 250 people to his email list.
Imagine what you could do with all that reclaimed time.
Start Here: Grow Your List First
If you’re new to ads, Zach recommends starting with lead generation. That means creating a freebie—a valuable download, checklist, or training—that solves a specific problem your audience has.
Once you’ve got that freebie, create a simple email sequence (Zach suggests anywhere from 5 to 20 emails depending on your offer and niche). Then set up your ad campaign to drive traffic to that freebie. That’s it.
What I loved about Zach’s advice is that he’s not promising overnight riches. In fact, he’s very transparent: you’re not going to turn on a low-ticket funnel, spend $1, and magically make $3. That’s the exception—not the rule.
Instead, start small. Test your messaging, tweak your images, try different audiences, and see what works. With just a few hundred dollars, you can find a winning formula that grows your list predictably and sustainably.
Email Open Rates: What to Expect from Paid Traffic
One of the questions I asked Zach during our chat was whether he sees better email engagement when he’s running ads. His answer? Yes—but with context.
Paid traffic tends to bring in slightly lower open rates (30–40%) compared to warm, organic lists (which can get up to 70%). But here’s the thing: when you’re using ads to scale, that tradeoff is worth it.
He shared that he’d rather have a 40% open rate from cold traffic—without having to hustle endlessly—than a higher open rate that requires nonstop content creation.
The key is nurturing those new leads. Zach recommends emailing your list consistently (he sends emails 3–5 times per week!) and cleaning your list every few months. The money is in the relationship you build with your list—not just the size of it.
Sell with Simplicity (and Storytelling)
Once you’ve built your list, the next step is simple: sell to it.
That doesn’t mean you need to run a massive launch every time. Zach encourages using evergreen webinars, live workshops, and even low-ticket offers to nurture and convert your audience.
One of my favorite parts of our conversation was when Zach shared how he weaves personal stories—like adopting a hairless cat!—into his emails. It’s a genius way to make your emails feel authentic, relatable, and still strategic.
The result? Higher engagement, better conversion, and a list that actually wants to hear from you.
Whether you’re launching a course, selling a $25 bootcamp, or running an evergreen funnel, the same principle applies: be consistent, be yourself, and be promotional. People can’t buy what they don’t know exists.
Zach’s #1 Tip for New Advertisers
Before you dive into ads, Zach gave one piece of non-negotiable advice: invest in your education.
Facebook ads are the only type of marketing where it costs you money to not know what you’re doing. Even if you’re working with a small budget, it’s worth taking a course, watching tutorials, or using Facebook’s free Ads Manager training before clicking “go.”
Oh—and whatever you do, don’t use the Boost button. Use Ads Manager. It gives you way more control, better targeting, and a much clearer view of your results.
The Bottom Line: Ads Can Set You Free
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the need to “show up” constantly online, I want to encourage you to take this episode to heart.
Facebook ads aren’t just about clicks or sales. They’re about freedom. They’re about reclaiming your time, your energy, and your focus—so you can do the work that actually moves your business forward.
Start small. Learn the basics. Create a killer freebie. And give ads a try.
It might just be the “easy button” you’ve been looking for.
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Creator's MBA podcast, your go-to resource for mastering the art and science of digital product entrepreneurship. My name is Dr. Destini Copp and I help business owners generate consistent revenue from their digital product business without the need to be glued to their desk—constantly live, launching, or worrying about the social media algorithms.
I hope you enjoy our episode today.
My special guest today is Zach Spuckler. Zach is the founder of Heart, Soul & Hustle, where he teaches business owners how to leverage Facebook ads and launches to strategically maximize leads, conversions, and sales. Zach, I am super excited to chat with you today. I actually mentioned to you that when I started this podcast back in 2019—and we're about 230-something episodes in now—you were one of the first people I had on the show. I went back to look at that episode and thought about how far we've come. I'm super excited.
Zach: Yes, I love it. Episode 13, which is... I'm wearing my Taylor Swift shirt, so it's 13. Oh, you found it! You found it. It's kismet. We've come a long way since then, but I'm very happy to chat with you about Facebook ads today. Before we get into all the questions, can you tell the audience a little more about you and how you help people?
Zach: Absolutely. First, I'm so excited to be back. Thank you for having me. I'm Zach Spuckler, and Heart, Soul & Hustle is a small Facebook and Instagram ads agency, education, and consultancy company. When I say small, I mean we take on a limited roster of agency clients. We use the information from testing ads for people in a variety of niches—from spirituality to dog training, to photography, to your traditional Instagram/Facebook marketing—and we translate that over to our membership, courses, and programs. We help people who aren't ready for a full-blown agency or don’t have the means, funds, or ability to relinquish that control to DIY it with a high-touch level of support, at prices that we think are really accessible.
Destini: I can't wait to chat about Facebook ads because they have changed over the years. I used to be a Facebook ads consultant for a while and realized it wasn’t for me, so I pivoted. When I first started, it wasn’t as easy as it is today. I know folks are considering dipping their toes in ads. Can you walk us through what you think about Facebook ads today? Can anyone try them?
Zach: Yeah. I love this question. To your point, it's a lot easier than it’s ever been. Where people get tripped up is they assume that easy means you should just understand it completely right off the bat. Over the last few years, a lot of guardrails have been put in place. I jokingly tell people: you can pretty much fumble your way through and you'll probably get some kind of result. Now, is there a benefit to learning the nuance and strategy? Absolutely.
People are afraid to foray into ads because everything else in online business outside of paid media is free. If I do a reel and it flops, no harm, no foul. But with Facebook and Instagram ads, you are paying for your time back. I can tell you—and this sounds egotistical as it comes out—but I’m busy. I don’t have time to do some things I need to be doing.
We're doing big stuff in our agency right now. We had five new clients come in within a short period of time, which we normally don't do. I'm going on vacation. I'm doing a couple of webinars in a few weeks. I'm in pre-launch. I met with my team and they said, "Oh, by the way, the launch after you come back from vacation starts the day you return." So all that needs to be done in three weeks. It's the life I’ve chosen—booked, busy, and blessed.
When you put an hour into creating a piece of Instagram content—even if you use AI and it takes 15 minutes—that’s 15 minutes you’re not spending on the bigger picture of your business. What I’ve realized is that advertising is something we just kind of turn on. I know that's a simplification, but every week we pull our stats and track how much we spent on ads, how many people joined our list, and how much revenue we generated.
Even if I do nothing for seven days, we'll add 250-ish people to the email list. That’s the lifeblood of our business—email marketing. For most course creators, membership owners, and service providers who want to scale, you need an email list.
So I don't look at advertising as an expense. I look at it as a buyback tool. If you shift your perspective to: "How much could I do if I wasn’t spending time trying to get 10 people on my email list this week?" That’s powerful.
Destini: I completely agree. One of the things I’ve done this year in my business is turn on ads—especially in Hobby School, my B2C brand. We just have ads running all the time. It’s made a huge difference because we're not having to be on social media constantly.
Let’s say we’re ready to buy back our time. What’s the first thing you recommend?
Zach: Start running ads to grow your email list. Get a good freebie. Have a solid 5- to 20-email sequence depending on your niche and expertise. Just start growing the list.
My two pet peeves: One, you're not going to turn on ads, sell a low-ticket product, double your money, and sail off into the sunset—especially if you’ve never run ads before. Everyone wants to be the exception, but you are the rule.
Two, there's a message going around that you don’t need to spend a lot to test. I’m not saying you need thousands of dollars, but just like with organic content, some things hit and some don’t. So you need a good freebie and a budget to test what works.
Destini: I love that. Do you feel like your email open rates increase when you're running paid ads?
Zach: Yes, but open rates for ad-generated leads tend to be lower—closer to 30–40%. Organic lists might get 60–70%. I’d rather have a 40% open rate with zero hustle than a 70% rate with endless content creation. But clean your list and email consistently. We email 3–5 times a week.
Destini: Let’s talk about selling to your list. Say we're doing a webinar. Would you recommend running ads specific to that webinar?
Zach: Yes. Everything works—challenges, webinars. We do 3–4 challenges a year, full-on themes (last one was Disney princesses). But not everything needs to be a production. Email your list multiple times—10–14 days before the event. I include intentional opt-outs so people can say, “Don’t email me about this but keep me on the list.”
Also, always have something to promote: low-ticket offers, evergreen webinars. And mix in storytelling. We have a hairless cat and are getting another. I wrote a whole email about the journey of buying that cat, how my husband warmed me up to the idea, and related it to marketing. Then linked to our $25 Bootcamp.
It doesn’t have to be big fanfare. Tell stories, connect them to your offers, and just be yourself.
Destini: I remember those cat pictures! It definitely stuck in my mind. Any last-minute tips for the audience?
Zach: Yes. If you’re going to run ads, invest in your education before you start clicking buttons. It’s the only kind of marketing where it costs you money to not know what you’re doing. I don’t care if you go through Facebook’s free Blueprint course—just learn the fundamentals. And please, don’t use the Boost button. Use Ads Manager.
Destini: That’s so true—anyone who’s dabbled in ads knows. Where can folks find you, and do you have a free gift for them?
Zach: Best place is Instagram @zachspuckler. And if you want our Facebook & Instagram ad strategy, go to heartsoulhustle.com/ads15. It’s a 15-page guide on how to run Facebook ads for $15/day to grow your list, engagement, and sales.
Destini: Zach, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast for the second time.
Thanks for listening to the end! If you love the show, I’d appreciate a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast platform. Have a great rest of your day and bye for now.