In this episode of the I Am Lakeland podcast, host Don Burns sits down with Frank Motola, the founder of Brandtastic, a Lakeland-based marketing and advertising agency. Frank shares his extensive background in the industry, which began as a child helping his father with a sign and graphics business. The conversation highlights Frank’s transition from traditional sign-making to becoming a pioneer in web design and digital marketing, with his first website dating back to 1997.
Frank discusses the core philosophy of Brandtastic: delivering tangible results through increased leads rather than just managing large ad budgets. He emphasizes the importance of a “killer website” as the foundation for any service-based business, such as plumbing, pool cleaning, or septic services. Listeners will hear about some of Brandtastic’s local success stories, including work for The Glass Door Store, Lakeland Septic Company, and Pool Works.
A key differentiator for Brandtastic is their hands-on approach. Frank explains how his team travels across the country to visit clients, capturing high-quality photos and videos to create a year’s worth of authentic marketing content. The episode also covers the importance of “social proof” and staying current with new platforms like Threads, while remaining focused on the heavy hitters like Google SEO, Facebook, and Instagram.
Beyond business strategy, Frank shares personal updates about his team, including general manager Stephen Allen’s recent adoption journey and the company’s deep ties to the Lakeland community through partnerships with organizations like Bridge Local and Catapult. The episode concludes with a reminder for business owners to stay consistent with their marketing even during economic shifts and an invitation to access Frank’s free six-part educational video series on marketing. 17
