Delaware

As a U.S. Marine and Drill Instructor, Antonio DeAscanis honed his leadership skills and discovered his talent for helping others achieve fitness goals. “Training large groups of people really spoke to me, and I was really good at getting them in shape,” he says. But after his service, sports injuries forced him to give up his go-to exercise: competitive Crossfit. “I had to face that I couldn't keep up with the sport, and I felt like I was by myself in no man's land,” he says. “I saw what I liked about personal training and Crossfit–and what I didn’t like–and knew there was a space for something new. So that led me to create a fitness program that I needed for myself, and that I felt would be beneficial for other people.” Antonio opened BlkOps Fitness in 2015. Now he and his eight employees train 165 group class members, plus personal training clients, with workouts that challenge them without causing injury.

BlkOps Fitness has had a Google Business Profile since the start, and they’ve gathered over 100 five-star reviews. “There's no way we’re a five-star every day,” Antonio says humbly, “but people see that our customers want to promote us and share their stories. It draws in like-minded people and links straight to my website–that’s the greatest tool I’m using.” Antonio also shares instructional videos and clips from charity events with over 500 subscribers on YouTube. BlkOps Fitness has just begun using Google Ads, but Antonio is pleased so far. “I’m watching the impressions and clicks come in,” he says. As BlkOps Fitness continues to grow by 25 to 50 new members per year, Antonio sees their newly-launched nutrition program, led by his wife, Kelly, playing a big role. “We’re right there on the cusp,” he says. “We have an amazing team in place, we’re starting new things, and we’re going to see where it goes from here.”

Euphoric Herbals Apothecary founder Cindy Collins was already an Air Force veteran, a chef, a mom, a doula, and a photographer before adding business owner to her list. After the birth of her second son she developed her own blend of lactation support herbal tea to share with other doulas and breastfeeding moms. “I wanted to make sure I knew what I was putting in my body,” Cindy recalls. She started selling her teas at farmers markets–her three kids in tow–then via an online marketplace in 2010. She became a certified herbalist, and Euphoric Herbals was born. In 2013 she launched her e-commerce site, expanding to include salves, essential oils, soaps, and other wellness products for all ages. Business boomed, and Cindy used Google Analytics to understand how customers found her. “That was really insightful–when you’re running a business you may forget what it’s like to be a customer searching for things,” she says.

By 2018, she had enough interest to open an herbal apothecary and smoothie bar in Milford. She uses Google Ads to reach national and local audiences, and saw over 6,600 clicks in six months and a 2.6X return on ad spend in 2023. When her store temporarily shut down during the pandemic, Cindy put her inventory online, expanding from 30 to 800 products. Business grew faster than she imagined, and she soon moved fulfillment operations to a 3,600-square-foot warehouse. She estimates 20 percent of foot traffic comes from her Google Business Profile, which includes product listings, reviews, and directions. “It’s important to build that trust factor,” she says. “People will drive pretty far to our store based on our reviews.” Cindy opened a second shop in Edgewater, Maryland in 2022, and actively supports international women’s and children’s charities. “Even a small business can make an impact globally,” she says. “We believe a mother’s love can change the world.”

When Katey and Kevin Evans married and began working together on Kevin’s 3,000-acre grain, fruit, and vegetable farm, Katey was in for a few surprises. The biggest one? How many “misfit” fruits and veggies were wasted. “Grocery stores have very high cosmetic standards,” Katey says. Buyers reject 20 percent of produce that doesn’t conform to strict size or cosmetic ideals. Katey’s mom, Jo Ellen Algier, always made ice cream at home, so the two women launched Frozen Farmer in 2015 to create frozen desserts as a tasty outlet for the misfits. They’ve used Google Workspace products like Docs and Sheets from the start; sharing data in real time with harvest and logistics teams keeps the operation running smoothly. Sales exploded after an appearance on the reality show “Shark Tank” in 2020, and Katey turned to Google Ads to make the most of the publicity. “The show helped us gain initial national grocery distribution, but the Google Ads we've placed have helped our flavors sell now that we're on the shelf,” Katey explains.

Frozen Farmer started with ice cream and sorbet, but after combining the two for their trademarked Frobert, which is creamy but low-fat, they really came into their own. The company has seen eye-popping growth in 2021: Both dollar and unit sales jumped over 2,100 percent. “A year ago we were a small business in fewer than 200 regional locations,” Katey says. “Now we’re in more than 8,000 stores across the U.S. We’re working on sustaining sales and growth, and improving that year on year.” She uses Google Analytics to track the metrics for orders and advertising, as well as to generate data for investors, and her Google Ads pay off in increased sales. “It’s a matter of gaining brand recognition and product recognition for Frobert. We raise awareness with Google Ads, and we ultimately gain loyal customers,” Katey says.

Kemeshia Greene has no shortage of tasks to fill her day. She was already a wife, mother, full-time flight nurse in the Delaware National Guard, and part-time oncology nurse at the University of Pennsylvania two years ago when she added being an entrepreneur to the mix. “One day I bought my daughter a candle-making kit and I’m the one that got hooked,” Kemeshia recalls. In late 2018, she launched Greene House Scents, her online, made-to-order candle business. To help on the marketing front, Kemeshia started using Google Ads in 2019. “I know Google Ads helps tremendously, because when I drop the budget, sales go down, and when I raise it they almost immediately go up,” says Kemeshia. When COVID-19 hit, this one-woman business saw an increase in interest as folks from across the country sought ways to make their houses and apartments feel more serene, especially during quarantine.

One of Kemeshia’s most successful sales drivers during the pandemic has been running daily deals, discounts, and special offers like “buy one, get one free.” She recounts, “Over the past four months, I’ve had over 1,000 conversions from Google Ads to my website. I use my Business Profile on Google to post deals and then amplify them using social media.” As a full-time flight nurse, Kemeshia has to be ready for duty at a moment’s notice. That’s why when it comes to managing her campaigns and online presence, she goes mobile. “I do everything from my phone. With the Google Ads app I run and monitor my Smart Campaigns, and update promotions using the Google My Business app. It makes it easy to do, wherever I am.” Greene House Scents doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. Kemeshia is exploring new scents and virtual marketplaces as a way to reach new audiences online. As she expands the business, Kemeshia is bringing her favorite Google products along for the ride. She shares, “Google Ads is such an important resource for my business, so I absolutely plan on continuing to use it as Greene House Scents grows.”