Vi "The Fiddler" Wickam

Vi "The Fiddler" Wickam Champion fiddler Vi Wickam, (Vi the Fiddler), enchants as he entertains. In addition, he’s a member of Fritto Misto, and Fiddle Whamdiddle.

From bluegrass and jazz to rock and old-time fiddle, Vi’s unforgettable performances embody his belief that great music creates a rich life. From bluegrass and jazz to rock & roll and old-time fiddle, Vi the Fiddler exudes energy, passion, humor, and musical mastery in every performance. Vi Wickam is an accomplished solo performer and also fronts his own band, cleverly named Vi Wickam and The Band. The latter’s albums Old School Old Time and Not My Monkey were honored by inclusion on the Grammy Ballot in 2014 and 2016 respectively. In 2018, Vi had 2 albums chart in the top 5 of Folk DJ Radio. His album Armadillo on a Hot Tin Roof hit #4 in April and ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas hit #5 in December. He’s a 4-time Colorado State Fiddling Champion, a finalist at the Grand Masters’ Fiddler Championship, and Runner Up in the National Fiddle Contest. In addition to performing, Vi is a highly regarded music instructor. He’s a founder of the online music school myTalentForge.com, and is much in demand as a teacher at music workshops and camps around the US.

Google will happily tell you what to do with your ad account. Remember whose account it is. The recommendations Google g...
09/21/2026

Google will happily tell you what to do with your ad account. Remember whose account it is.

The recommendations Google gives you primarily make Google more money. That doesn't make Google the villain. It does make Google a self-interested vendor who advises in their own favor.

Most people follow the Google advice for an understandable reason: Google wouldn't recommend something that isn't in my interest right???

The the reports come in. Impressions up. Clicks up. No extra dollars in the bank. And nobody can explain why, because nobody decided what was the measure of success.

First, decide what a win is for your business, in dollars or booked jobs, then build tracking to validate it. Only then can you judge any Google recommendations on one question: will the change improve it?

From my conversation with Sacha Awwa on Uncomplicated Marketing.

09/18/2026

Most owners have never had someone outside their business look at what they're doing online and just tell them the truth.

That's the offer. Go to wizardofadsonline.com and I'll look at your website and the other things you're doing online, and give you 45 minutes of my time. Whether we end up being a good fit or not, you'll leave with something useful.

Thanks to Daniel Tolson for having me on the Leverage podcast.

09/11/2026

Google changed how Target CPA works on August 17. If you didn't touch your targets before then, go look at your account.

Here's the change. Say your Target CPA is $100 and Google was getting you leads at $70. It did that because you told it $100 was acceptable and it could do better. Google called that "over-performing on bidding targets." I call it getting a better deal for our clients.

Now Google says affected campaigns will optimize more consistently toward the target you set. More predictable, in their words. More expensive, if your campaign was beating its target.

This hits campaigns that are limited by budget and use Target CPA or Target ROAS. If that's you, compare your targets against your actual performance from the last few weeks.

Make sure that if Google hits your target that you will be happy with the performance.

If you run Local Services Ads, the dashboard you've been using is going away.Google confirmed LSAs are moving into Googl...
09/01/2026

If you run Local Services Ads, the dashboard you've been using is going away.

Google confirmed LSAs are moving into Google Ads as a new Performance Max campaign type with pay-per-lead goals. The first phase started in August and covers plumbers, electricians, HVAC contractors, roofers, pest control, movers, landscapers, house cleaners and appliance repair.

From a customer's perspective, almost nothing changes. Your ads still show in Search, you still pay only for qualified leads, and Google still uses your service categories and service areas instead of keywords.

From a management perspective, everything changes. Budgets most from weekly to daily averages, some bidding options disappear, and the standalone LSA dashboard is being retired.

Here's a part worth acting on: historical LSA performance reports will not migrate. If you manage your own LSA account, download your reports before your migration date. Google notifies account admins about 14 days ahead.

And expect a bumpy few weeks. Google says performance may take up to two weeks to stabilize after migration, so don't assume something is broken the moment numbers move.

Full post:
https://www.viwickam.com/google-is-officially-moving-local-services-ads-into-google-ads/

08/28/2026

In the age of AI, genuine human connection is your biggest marketing differentiator. I’m seeing local businesses outsource call centers to AI bots, but that sacrifices the friendly human touch customers crave. Lean into your humanity, treat clients like family, and you’ll outshine the big players that care more about profits than people.

08/26/2026

Your competitors can buy your name. Don’t let them steal your brand value.

When you're a top brand in your market, someone eventually stops bidding on "AC repair" and starts bidding on YOU. If you're not protecting your own name, Google doesn't care. "They just want money."

Broke down how brand campaigns work with Daniel Tolson on Leverage. Is anyone bidding on your name right now? Search it and see.

08/24/2026

What if the reason your marketing isn't working has nothing to do with your budget, your tools, or your strategy?

Most owners aren't measuring the right things, so they get lost in the data and default to random acts of marketing.

"If you don't have good measurement, you're flying blind."

From my conversation on the Mindset2Results podcast with Elena Apalkova.

08/20/2026

"Nobody picks up a violin and draws the bow across the strings and doesn't sound terrible the first time."

Before I ran ad campaigns, I played the fiddle. Music taught me the skill I use most in business: being willing to be bad at something until you get good.

Most owners quit marketing channels after a month or two, right in the middle of the sounding-terrible phase. We call that the chickening out phase. You have to be committed to your marketing strategy if you want to have real business success!

Great conversation with Daniel Tolson on the Leverage podcast. What did you stick with long enough to get good at?

08/17/2026

Growing beyond a one-person show means trusting others with your technical wheelhouse. I struggled to give up those details until I realized my clients suffered when I couldn’t keep up. Once I brought in the right talent, I found more time for strategy, client relationships and my own wellbeing.
Development

Important question:Is it even Thanksgiving if there aren’t fiddles involved? 🤔🎻Bob Silvestri over at Best of WNY seems t...
03/24/2026

Important question:

Is it even Thanksgiving if there aren’t fiddles involved? 🤔🎻

Bob Silvestri over at Best of WNY seems to think we’re onto something:

“family, food, fun and fiddles.”

I mean… I’m not saying he’s right.

…but he’s right.

Head to my website or the link in my bio to read the review

Address

428 North Lincoln Avenue
Loveland, CO
80537

Telephone

(970) 795-0000

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