In episode 338 of PPC Live The Podcast, I talk to Nick Handley Paid Media Lead at Impression, about the single biggest mistake of his career – and why those first mistakes often shape the strongest marketers.
The podcast series focuses on the biggest “F-ups” of PPC pros, but never explores how they recovered, who helped them, and what lasting lessons came out the other side. Nick’s story is a textbook example of how one mistake can forever change the way you work — for the better.
The Black Friday mistake that brought everything down
Nick takes listeners back almost ten years, to the beginning of his career Tires in Drive (now owned by Halfords). With about seven months of PPC experience, he was left managing campaigns during Black Friday while his senior partner was on vacation.
The task sounded simple: update URLs for multiple campaigns using Google Ads Editor. However, the execution went terribly wrong.
Nick mistyped part of the landing page URL — a small mistake with big consequences. Once loaded, ads on every account are disapproved, making paid search offline at one of the most important trading times of the year. At that time, PPC accounted for about 70% of the company’s conversions.
“It was full of panic,” Nick admitted. “I thought I was going to lose my job.”
Panic makes problems worse
What made the situation difficult wasn’t just the typing – it was what happened next. In a desperate situation, Nick tried to fix the problem without re-syncing Google Ads Editor with the live account. Changes didn’t work, mistakes piled up, and confusion grew.
A change occurred when Max Hopkinson, his senior partner, entered. Instead of blaming or escalating, Max calmly fixed Nick: resync the account, reverse the changes accordingly, reload, and make the campaigns live again.
The downtime was resolved within an hour, and the team worked creatively to restore performance by increasing spend later in the day. Black Friday’s timing has finally worked out – but the emotional impact of the mistake has stalled.
Real lesson: de-escalate yourself first
One of the biggest takeaways from Nick’s experience isn’t technical — it’s psychological.
When things go wrong, panic makes it difficult to see solutions. Nick emphasizes the importance of stepping back, calming down, and properly diagnosing the issue. Five minutes away from the screen can prevent five hours of damage.
This attitude now underpins the way he works – and the way he treats others.
From childhood insults to leadership principles
As a leader today, Nick aims to create systems that reduce risk and stress. At Impression, major changes go through a peer-based QA program, where someone outside of the immediate account team hear-checks major updates before they go live.
The goal is not mistrust — safety. Fresh eyes catch mistakes the tired ones have missed, especially when working at speed.
Nick is clear that this approach is not just for agencies. In-house teams, freelancers, and solo marketers can adapt using automation, AI checks, or streamlined workflows to ensure nothing is missed.
AI helps – but only if you know the basics
Nick also cautions against relying too heavily on AI without understanding the basics first. While automation and AI can help evaluate work, speed up QA, or manage budgets, it cannot replace basic knowledge.
“If you don’t know what ‘right’ looks like,” he explains, “you won’t know when the AI is wrong.”
This applies to everything from ad copy and keyword research to budgeting and performance analysis. AI should augment technology – not replace it.
Accountability beats perfection
Perhaps the most important message from the episode is that mistakes are inevitable – but hiding them is voluntary.
Nick emphasizes accountability over blame. When mistakes happen, the best response is to clearly explain what went wrong, what the impact was, and how to fix it. Most clients and managers are more understanding than people expect, especially when transparency comes early.
This culture of openness doesn’t just protect performance – it protects mental health.
Why sharing mistakes makes better marketers
Nick believes that leaders should openly share their failures, not just their victories. Digital marketing already has a lot of pressure, constant change, and unrealistic expectations of perfection. Hearing that respected professionals still make mistakes – and get away with it – normalizes the learning curve.
“We’re not robots,” he says. “We’re human beings doing the hard work in fast-moving systems.”
The big takeaway
Nick’s first mistake didn’t derail his career – it defined it. It shapes how he approaches QA, leadership, automation, and stress. More importantly, it reinforces the truth that many PPC professionals need to hear:
Mistakes don’t end jobs. Fear, silence, and lack of accountability do.
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