Practical business experience. Purposeful AI adoption.
Mary and David Scarborough help owners use AI with a clear purpose: answer more opportunities, build better workflows and give their team a system they can use.
Our story
Experience, not theory
Strategic Marketing Advisors was founded on a simple conviction: that the best marketing advice comes from people who have actually built things. We've sat in Fortune 500 boardrooms. We've launched startups from nothing. We've taught at the university level and coached executives through their hardest decisions.
Our signature services are AI Voice Agents and VedaKosa, your private AI assistant. AI Visibility is also available independently, with a free assessment, a 30-day roadmap and DIY, 30-day done-for-you or extended 90-day options. Our free resources help you make a useful start.
Veteran-owned — 23 years of U.S. Air Force service
Authors of three Entrepreneur Press books
Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coaches
Core philosophies
Principles we won't compromise
The same standards we held in command and in the boardroom guide every engagement.
Passion first
We only recommend strategies we've tested ourselves — in real boardrooms and real startups, with real money on the line.
Transfer, don't trap
We build your team's capability instead of your dependence on us. When we leave, you own the playbook and the results.
Measure what matters
Vanity metrics are worthless. We track revenue impact, lead quality, acquisition cost, and lifetime value — nothing else.
Accountability
We own our work. If a strategy isn't producing, we say so, we fix it, and we tell you the truth about why.
Disciplined execution
David’s 23 years of Air Force service inform our approach to planning, responsibility and follow-through.
High impact, low cost
You don't need a massive budget to win. You need the right approach — and that's exactly what we bring.
How we work
A clear path from first call to lasting growth
01
Discover
We dig into your business, your market, and your numbers until we understand what actually drives your growth.
02
Strategize
We build a focused plan around the few levers that matter — not a laundry list of tactics that don't.
03
Execute
We implement with military discipline, tracking the metrics that tie directly to revenue and pipeline.
04
Transfer
We hand your team the playbook and the skills, so the results keep compounding long after we're gone.
Leadership
Meet Mary & David
A husband-and-wife team, authors, coaches, and consultants — with Fortune 500 experience and 23 years of U.S. Air Force service between them.
Mary weaves humor throughout her practical, plain-speaking advice, drawing on real-life experience as a Fortune 500 marketing executive, founder of two successful small businesses, and independent strategic marketing consultant. She and David co-authored The Procrastinator's Guide to Marketing, and Mary also co-authored Mastering Online Marketing and Guerrilla Marketing on the Internet (Entrepreneur Press). She holds a degree in Journalism & English from the University of Maryland and a master's in marketing from The Johns Hopkins University.
David A. Scarborough
Business leader, educator, writer & speaker
David applies his expertise in business, finance, economics, and strategic marketing to help entrepreneurs grow and maintain healthy businesses. He served as a U.S. Air Force officer and aviator for 23 years before retiring, and taught business courses at Charleston Southern University. A certified Guerrilla Marketing coach and co-author of The Procrastinator's Guide to Marketing, David holds a bachelor's in aviation from Western Michigan University and an MBA from Golden Gate University — and remains a certified commercial and instructor pilot.
Get the full story
Connect with David on LinkedIn, or reach out to start a conversation about your business.
David and Mary live full time in the mountains of western North Carolina. They feel fortunate to have built a thriving business that lets them do what they love — sharing their passion for marketing with readers, seminar students, and conference audiences.
It also leaves room for what matters most: their individual and shared hobbies, and time with each other, their children, grandchildren, extended family, and friends.
Client reviews
Don't just take our word for it
Feedback on our founders’ books, courses and consulting. Each quote is attributed to its source and context.
Entrepreneur PressGuerrilla MarketingBrian TracyMichael PortThe Johns Hopkins UniversityMitch MeyersonU.S. Air ForceCharleston Southern UniversityEntrepreneur PressGuerrilla MarketingBrian TracyMichael PortThe Johns Hopkins UniversityMitch MeyersonU.S. Air ForceCharleston Southern University
This is an incredible book — a virtual bible for getting more customers, making more sales and increasing profitability. Every business owner should read and apply these great ideas.
BT
Brian Tracy
Bestselling author & speaker
Dependable, practical, and reliable — something you can count on. If you've got marketing problems, this book is your solution. Clear, simple and succinct.
MP
Michael Port
Author, Book Yourself Solid
Business owners in every industry should add The Procrastinator's Guide to Marketing to their reference library. Solid strategies and practical tactics.
MM
Mitch Meyerson
Author & founder
Superlatives are inadequate to express the quality of everything Mary and David brought to the Guerrilla PPC Class. They started as mentors and finished as friends.
VE
Venan E. Thompson
Guerrilla PPC Class
Fantastic class! Way more than just an AdWords class — it was a first-rate marketing class. The value is way more than the cost.
JW
Joe Wilson
AdWords Bootcamp
Mary Scarborough is obviously the real deal and sincerely wants her students to be successful. For my money, Mary has got PPC nailed.
BF
Bruce Fields
PPC Course
Mary showed me how powerful AdWords really is and how it should be used. My campaigns now cost me less and make me more money.
TS
Theo Steward
AdWords Acceleration Bootcamp
It showed me how to create an AdWords campaign from scratch even with no prior experience. Best of all, it teaches you how to think for yourself.
RB
Ricky Benns
AdWords Bootcamp
This is an incredible book — a virtual bible for getting more customers, making more sales and increasing profitability. Every business owner should read and apply these great ideas.
BT
Brian Tracy
Bestselling author & speaker
Dependable, practical, and reliable — something you can count on. If you've got marketing problems, this book is your solution. Clear, simple and succinct.
MP
Michael Port
Author, Book Yourself Solid
Business owners in every industry should add The Procrastinator's Guide to Marketing to their reference library. Solid strategies and practical tactics.
MM
Mitch Meyerson
Author & founder
Superlatives are inadequate to express the quality of everything Mary and David brought to the Guerrilla PPC Class. They started as mentors and finished as friends.
VE
Venan E. Thompson
Guerrilla PPC Class
Fantastic class! Way more than just an AdWords class — it was a first-rate marketing class. The value is way more than the cost.
JW
Joe Wilson
AdWords Bootcamp
Mary Scarborough is obviously the real deal and sincerely wants her students to be successful. For my money, Mary has got PPC nailed.
BF
Bruce Fields
PPC Course
Mary showed me how powerful AdWords really is and how it should be used. My campaigns now cost me less and make me more money.
TS
Theo Steward
AdWords Acceleration Bootcamp
It showed me how to create an AdWords campaign from scratch even with no prior experience. Best of all, it teaches you how to think for yourself.
RB
Ricky Benns
AdWords Bootcamp
Believe me when I tell you this course is worth every single dollar you pay for it. Get in the game and get effective at what you're marketing with PPC!
BS
Brian Schneider
PPC Course Member
What a joy! An excellent book written in true, easy-to-read style by Mary and David Scarborough. I've not seen anything quite like it — it is truly unique.
BA
Brian Austin
Reader
Just the information you covered in Module One was worth the price of admission alone. I know I'll be armed with the tools to build a significant online business.
RR
Rick R
Bootcamp Student
Mary walked through each step of the process in a clear, understandable way. This holistic approach was just what I needed.
AB
A. Boykin
Course Member
Your class really helped me understand the connection between keywords and ad groups. Your information provides the ammo for the best ROI.
MT
Mark Thomas
AdWords Student
You're doing an outstanding job. I've learned a lot so far from the teachings of your AdWords course, and look forward to the next module.
GH
Gary Harford
AdWords Course
Thank you so much for the high quality you pack into your teaching. We're glad we signed up and love the intensity!
AD
Ariana Daglian
Student
You're doing a great job and I've definitely learned a lot — especially Google AdWords and Analytics to track my keywords. Thanks again.
NG
Nick George
Student
Believe me when I tell you this course is worth every single dollar you pay for it. Get in the game and get effective at what you're marketing with PPC!
BS
Brian Schneider
PPC Course Member
What a joy! An excellent book written in true, easy-to-read style by Mary and David Scarborough. I've not seen anything quite like it — it is truly unique.
BA
Brian Austin
Reader
Just the information you covered in Module One was worth the price of admission alone. I know I'll be armed with the tools to build a significant online business.
RR
Rick R
Bootcamp Student
Mary walked through each step of the process in a clear, understandable way. This holistic approach was just what I needed.
AB
A. Boykin
Course Member
Your class really helped me understand the connection between keywords and ad groups. Your information provides the ammo for the best ROI.
MT
Mark Thomas
AdWords Student
You're doing an outstanding job. I've learned a lot so far from the teachings of your AdWords course, and look forward to the next module.
GH
Gary Harford
AdWords Course
Thank you so much for the high quality you pack into your teaching. We're glad we signed up and love the intensity!
AD
Ariana Daglian
Student
You're doing a great job and I've definitely learned a lot — especially Google AdWords and Analytics to track my keywords. Thanks again.
NG
Nick George
Student
Veteran-owned
Proudly veteran-owned and operated
Co-founder David Scarborough served his country as a U.S. Air Force officer and aviator for 23 years before retiring. That background shapes how we work: disciplined planning, precise execution, and accountability for every result.
When you partner with SMA, you get the same commitment and follow-through that defined 23 years of military service.
