In this episode of The Entrepreneur’s Logbook: Lessons from Growing Businesses, Zachary Bernard speaks with James Onyks, CEO of Ohana Avertising. James walks us through his journey from launching Ohana in 2021 to building a full-service digital agency that blends creative storytelling with strategic growth. Early on, he learned the hard way that every founder needs a dedicated project manager from day one, a role he skipped and paid for by getting bogged down in fulfillment rather than sales and expansion. Drawing on ten years in marketing and a unique New York-to-Portugal perspective, James shares how he pivoted from straight ad management to offering fractional CMO services, helping enterprise clients craft holistic growth roadmaps without the overhead of an in-house hire.

Throughout the conversation, James breaks down real-world wins, like repositioning a product so it could sell in metropolitan bathtubs and driving a 30% sales uplift, and explains why creative strategy is just as vital as ad spend. He reveals his hiring philosophy of bringing on mid- to senior-level experts who need little hand-holding and deliver immediate impact, and how Ohana’s month-to-month, no-contract model builds trust and long-term partnerships. James even unveils the sentimental story behind the “Ohana” name, reminding him that business exists to support family, not the other way around. Tune in for actionable tips on scaling your agency, honing your offer, and becoming the proactive growth partner every business owner needs.

Contact Information James Onyks – Ohana Advertising

Website: https://ohanameansbusiness.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digital-advertiser/

Zachary Bernard – We Feature You PR

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itszachb/

Websites: https://www.wefeatureyou.com/ + https://zacharybernard.com/

Want press, podcast or TV features? Visit wefeatureyou.com

Chapters

• (00:00:00 ) - The Entrepreneur's Lockbook Podcast
• (00:00:49 ) - Interview
• (00:01:58 ) - What is the one thing that you would implement from day one of
• (00:03:48 ) - Fractional CMO Services
• (00:06:11 ) - How To Build a Growth Partner's Business
• (00:10:32 ) - How to Build a Creative Strategy
• (00:11:35 ) - How To Hire the Right Marketing Team
• (00:15:18 ) - How To Differentiate Yourself From The Competition
• (00:18:30 ) - The Ohana Logo