James Van Elswyk is a media-buying expert, #entrepreneur, and educator known for leadership in native advertising, @Affiliate Marketing, and performance-driven e-commerce. Elswyk began in lead-generation call centers in the early 2010s and by 2013 had moved fully into online advertising, specializing in native channels such as Taboola and Outbrain and shifting away from more volatile social platforms. He founded Purple Leads, Symphony Agency, Purple AdLab, and Geek Out Education, overseeing international teams and sizable budgets across e-commerce, finance, and B2B categories. His work emphasizes data-driven, ROI-focused campaign design and resilient growth independent of platform volatility, a theme he highlights in interviews and industry forums. Through Geek Out Education, he provides practical training and access for aspiring buyers, including underrepresented or system-impacted learners, and he speaks at events such as Affiliate World and Affiliate Takeover. He positions himself against “guru culture,” favoring quantifiable results and direct mentorship, and frames media buying as a merit-based equalizer. I was introduced to James by @Ace Eddleman in 2024. He immediately invited me to his GeekOut mastermind where I learned a ton and met super amazing people rocking the media buying landscape.

Contexts

• #media-buyer