ACERCA DE ESTE EPISODIO
Tech One, Two is back with a powerhouse conversation at the intersection of technology and digital marketing innovation. EMPIST Founder & CEO John Kampas sits down with Logical Media Group’s CEO Chris O’Neill and Vice President Kevin Hughes to break down how they’re using AI, data, and bold strategy to zig while everyone else is zagging in the digital landscape.
In this episode of the Tech One, Two Podcast presented by EMPIST, John Kampas – Founder & CEO of EMPIST, a leading managed IT, cloud, and cybersecurity partner for growing businesses – hosts Chris O’Neill and Kevin Hughes from Logical Media Group, a full-service digital growth agency based in Chicago. Together, they unpack how technology and marketing are aligning like never before in history, and why brands that embrace both are the ones pulling away from the pack.
Chris shares the Logical story as a long-time digital leader, from scaling a boutique SEO and PPC shop into a Google Premier Partner that delivers full-funnel growth strategies across paid media, SEO, web design, creative, and analytics. Kevin brings the perspective of a VP who’s led account management and now oversees the agency’s global direction across product and revenue, focused on building integrated strategies that actually move the needle for clients.
They reveal “HARRY,” Logical’s in-house HR AI agent built when their Director of HR went on maternity leave—a copilot trained on their HR handbook that now fields internal HR questions in real time, saving 15–20% of HR’s time while improving onboarding and employee experience. The team walks through how they architected HARRY on Google Cloud, connected it to an LLM, and why they view AI as operational infrastructure, not a gimmick.
From there, the conversation turns tactical: how digital marketing is changing in 2026, what’s really happening with SEO, and why ethical, strategic search and content still sit at the core of long-term growth. Chris and Kevin break down how they’re integrating AI into paid search, creative, and reporting, how Performance Max and automation are reshaping PPC, and why the best agencies are combining human strategy with machine intelligence—not replacing one with the other.
John ties it all back to the technology foundation needed to support this pace of innovation: secure, modern IT, cloud, and cybersecurity that protect businesses while enabling them to scale. You’ll hear how EMPIST’s 25 years in managed IT and security intersect with Logical’s aggressive digital marketing playbook to create a blueprint for companies that want to grow faster, safer, and smarter.
If you’re a founder, CMO, or IT leader trying to make sense of AI, SEO, and the future of digital growth, this episode is a masterclass in how to build a truly modern go‑to‑market engine.
IT'S ALL INSIDE-
- How technology and marketing are converging into a single growth engine for modern brands.
- The origin story of Logical Media Group and how Chris built it into a full-service, award-winning digital agency.
- How HARRY, Logical’s HR AI agent, was built, what it does, and the measurable impact it’s had on HR efficiency and employee experience.
- What’s changing in SEO and why ethical, strategic search still drives compounding returns for brands that invest in it.
- How AI and automation are reshaping paid search, analytics, and creative—and what that means for marketing leaders.
- Why EMPIST’s cybersecurity, cloud, and managed IT capabilities are critical to supporting this level of digital experimentation and scale.
WHO ARE THESE EXPERTS???
- John Kampas is the Founder & CEO of EMPIST, leading the company for more than two decades as it delivers managed IT, cybersecurity, and cloud solutions that reduce risk, cut costs, and drive business growth. EMPIST has been recognized repeatedly for its growth and performance, including multiple appearances on the Inc. 5000 list.
- Chris O’Neill is the CEO of Logical Media Group, a Chicago-based full-service digital advertising agency specializing in SEO, PPC, paid social, web design, and creative for fast-scaling brands, and has led the agency for nearly 20 years. Under his leadership, Logical has become a certified Great Place To Work for six consecutive years, reflecting a strong culture alongside strong performance.
- Kevin Hughes is the Vice President at Logical Media Group and previously led Account Management, responsible for post-sale client relationships, renewals, upsells, and ensuring clients hit their marketing objectives, before stepping into a global leadership role across product and sales.
- EMPIST website: https://empist.com
- Logical Media Group website: https://logicalmediagroup.com
#TechOneTwoPodcast #EMPIST #LogicalMediaGroup #DigitalMarketing #Cybersecurity #ManagedIT #CloudSolutions #AI #HRAI #MarketingInnovation #SEOStrategy #PPC #GoogleAds #GooglePartner #MarTech #BusinessGrowth #ChicagoBusiness #FounderStories #CIO #CMO #ZigWhenOthersZag
