In this 6‑questions‑in‑7‑minutes interview, Professor Pete Alexander talks with Julien Sicard, CEO of Genius Sales – the leading LinkedIn marketing agency – and director of an MBA program in digital marketing. Julien explains why digital marketing is becoming indispensable, especially after the COVID‑19‑driven digital transformation seen in China, and stresses that execution, not elaborate planning, drives real business results. He highlights integrity and respect as non‑negotiable values, describing how his agency eliminates clients and team members who lack these traits. Julien recommends fellow marketer Mike Golden, CEO of Brandigo, for his successful adaptation and projects in China. He recounts his first job at McDonald’s, noting how the fast‑food chain’s focus on simple, timed processes inspired the efficiency framework he now applies to LinkedIn campaigns and remote team automation. The episode closes with Julien inviting listeners to connect on LinkedIn, attend his bi‑weekly masterclass, or outsource their LinkedIn efforts to his agency.
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This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
My name is Julien Sicard, I'm the CEO of Genius Sales, the number one LinkedIn marketing agency where we help Fortune 500 to get new clients, to get new clients on LinkedIn. Beyond that, I'm also a director of an MBA specialized in digital marketing and business where I help the next talented generation of marketers to reach the next level.
Julien, it's so great to have you on the show. Question number 2: What's the best thing about working in your industry?
Well, I think working in digital marketing, the first point, it's you never get bored. You have every time new things to learn. And what is right now really awesome, it's like digital marketing is going to be more and more important. It's going to be more essential for businesses in in order to survive. It's what we have seen with the COVID-19 transformation, and especially here in China, because we are more advanced. The businesses that have taken this digital transformation before COVID-19 happened succeed to still exist and even increase in growth. On the other hand, the ones that didn't anticipate this digital transformation literally disappears. So that's a new reality. We don't have any more choice, and I'm proud to be part of that transformation for the new world we are entering in.
I love that, how you describe that. It really sets the story very well. Question number 3: I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
Well, again, in execution I trust. It's like people get stuck because they are feared to execute. In business, there is no plan. Whatever they teach you at school, business plans, that's not true. I don't believe in that. It's just about, again, execution and get this experience. Because no matter what people can give you, any kind of advice, you need to live that. And it's just through the experiences through the execution you're gonna make that, okay, you're gonna understand how everything is working. I don't believe again in kind of book, okay, that can guide, that can give you some inspiration, that's for sure. But again, execute over and over and then take a step back. That would be the chapters I would advise, yeah.
I couldn't agree with you more. You learn from experiences, not just from reading. So Very astute there. Question number 4: other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice or insight would you give to other business leaders?
Well, again, be integral. Integrity, it's, uh, it's the key. So you have to deliver what you say. And respect. Respect is important because if you are not respected by your employee or respected by your clients then you won't enjoy anymore doing business. For me, I've just been radical. I literally eradicate the boring clients that didn't respect me or didn't have any kind of form of integrity. And the same for our team members in our agency. We are driven by a common interest that goes beyond a simple digital marketing agency. When we wake up, we wake up to, again, We build the trust on making business through online, but again, more important, the way we help clients, and especially when they close big deal like that, we do more than the politician because we save, and directly, a lot of employment. So again, we want to contribute to make, and especially in this challenging transition time, to have a great impact. And so it's go beyond than just managing LinkedIn campaign. LinkedIn campaign. So yeah, it's what we believe and we are driven by that and that's wonderful.
I love it and I hear that passion in your voice. It's so great and that integrity, I believe as well, it's so important because without your integrity, you don't have trust. I mean, if you don't have trust, how are you going to have a business that's successful? It's inevitable that it's gonna fail. So great insight, thank you. Question number 5, what are the— business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast?
Sure, so I'm thinking about one person that really, again, did a lot of changes, Mike Golden. And actually, he is the CEO of Brandigo. They succeeded, I think, this year to readapt and get a more clear value proposition on what they have to offer. And plus, I think like the projects they have launched in China, it's pretty cool. They launched Costco, actually, that has been really a wonderful success, and it's part because they were managing their marketing strategy and this implementation strategy. So that's definitely one of the few business owners in the marketing industry that I have a lot of respect for. For here in China, yeah.
Wonderful, well, I'll reach out to him. Thank you for that referral.
Yeah, and happy to introduce you to him, yeah.
Thank you for that. And our final question, question number 6, please tell me about your first job.
Well, my first job, you know what, my first professional experience, it was to make Big Mac at McDonald's. And I really think, and especially in that, At the time, I was like so lost about what I want to do. I didn't really know, but for sure, I didn't want to continue the rest of my life making Big Mac. No offense, but what I learned from there, and it's still something that I use, and I have a lot of respect actually for Ray Kroc, the first CEO of McDonald's. It's like, what is important, ready to make things the most simple to be executed as fast as possible. So the way that I actually designed the work inside my agency, it's even each task has a certain minute to be executed. So it's like making a Big Mac. And from there, I understood that it's actually possible to cut the different tasks and be really like super efficient. By implementing the same methodology like McDonald's for organizing your work. And especially when you work remotely, we have automation in our team that directly they're gonna have in the server, okay, from that time to that time you have to execute that task. And we measure how long this task takes. And again, it's, I think, mainly because of my 2 months, well, it wasn't a long time, but 2 months working for McDonald's. So yeah, I'm grateful for that. And that was a wonderful experience, yeah.
I love how you tied the whole process into learning what you learned from a Big Mac into digital marketing today. That's a great, great way to transition. So Julien, thank you so much for being on the show. How can people find you?
Well, you can find me mainly on LinkedIn. Again, welcome to send me a message. And again, you can attend to my LinkedIn masterclass. It's once every 2 weeks. We share some great, great insight. And again, that's the way we can help you mainly, well, for free. And if you need to outsource your LinkedIn activities because you deserve more clients, well, again, welcome to talk with me directly and we can see what we can do for you.
Perfect. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Thanks for listening. Hmm.
