Ascendry

About Us

The reason behind Ascendry is because of a simple observation: there are many good businesses out there, with real value to offer, but they struggle to reach the right people.

Why?

Because their marketing was either non-existent, just an afterthought, or built into a template that had nothing to do with them.

We don't see ourselves as a vendor you outsource to — we see ourselves as an extension of your team. When something's working, we're invested in that. When something needs to change, we'll tell you before you have to ask. That's what it means to actually work with someone, not just for them.

Our Approach

We start by understanding your business: your customers, your goals, what growth actually looks like for you specifically. We'd rather be genuinely useful to a handful of businesses than overpromise to many, so if something isn't right for where you are right now, we'll tell you.

For the businesses we do work with, every client has a consistent point of contact who knows their account inside and out, with a team behind them doing the work.

We don't set things up and walk away. We watch what's working, test different approaches, and put more behind what performs. Your results in month six should look better than month one. That's the standard we hold ourselves to.

About: Matthew

I started Ascendry because I personally know people who tried to start their 'dream job' businesses, eager and excited for what would come next, but then found themselves struggling to get enough people in the door, then having to cut their dream short. With that in mind, I want to enable businesses to grow in a way that allows owners to spend their time on the parts of their business they care about most.

I've worked across the creative, analytical, and strategic sides of marketing — but strategy is where I'm most at home: figuring out who your ideal customer actually is, how to reach them, and what message gets them to take action. Then the real work starts — tracking what's working, dropping what isn't, and refining until the numbers move in the right direction.

I grew up in rural Minnesota, and am based in the Brainerd Lakes Area (Central MN). Outside of work, I enjoy weightlifting, getting outside, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

If you work with us, chances are I've already looked into your business and have an idea of how it works before we talk for the first time.

About: Alex

I'm a marketing professional with five years of experience across agency and brand-side work, specializing in advertising and paid media strategy. I'm people-first and results-driven, someone who'd rather ask the right questions upfront than provide the wrong answers later.

I'm driven by the why, digging beyond the surface to uncover insights that help shape your campaign. I have extensive experience planning and running paid media campaigns using audience tools like MRI/Simmons to ensure you're reaching the right people, not just more people. Having worked both agency and brand-side, I know what it takes to turn that idea into campaigns that actually hit your goals.

I grew up in Minnesota and moved to Michigan last year, where I now work in marketing for the Detroit Pistons. A mix of small-town roots and pro sports marketing shapes how I think about building audiences, big or small.

These past 5 years have taught me that attention is earned, not assumed. I bring that same mindset to every business I work with.