An Inspired Chat with Chad Treaday

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Chad Treaday. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Chad, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity, hands down. Look, in today’s world, intelligence is literally at our fingertips thanks to AI and technology, and energy comes and goes depending on how much coffee I’ve had that morning. You can be the smartest person in the room with all the energy in the world, but if people can’t trust you to do what you say you’ll do, you’re done. Integrity is what turns customers into advocates, transactions into relationships, and good businesses into great ones.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Chad Treadway, Partner and Chief ‘Smarketing’ Officer at Cube Creative Design, where I’ve spent over 12 years helping pest control companies and rural small businesses compete in the digital marketplace. My blue-collar communication style and deep understanding of small-town business challenges have made me a go-to expert for service companies that are often overlooked by big-city marketing agencies.

What distinguishes my work is what I call ‘Smarketing’—the strategic alignment of sales and marketing efforts to generate actual leads rather than just impressive metrics. Through my involvement with the NC Pest Management Association and my book ‘Digital Marketing for Rural Small Businesses,’ I address the unique challenges faced by service companies in smaller markets. My mission centers on creating opportunities where demographics don’t determine business destiny, helping companies that serve real communities build digital presences that work as hard as they do

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My grandfather, hands down. He was one of the hardest-working men I ever knew, and being from the Greatest Generation, work wasn’t just what he did—it was who he was. He spent most of his career as a long-haul truck driver, but even after he retired, he wasn’t ready to slow down. That’s when he started cutting timber, and those summers I spent working with him as part of the logging crew during my teens absolutely shaped who I am today. There’s something about watching a man in his seventies outwork guys half his age that teaches you what real dedication looks like. To this day, I can pull up behind a logging truck on the highway (no Final Destination fears here) and I’m instantly transported back to those hot summer days. It’s fascinating how an image combined with those diesel fumes, hydraulic oil, and cut wood smells can trigger such a core memory. He taught me that if you’re going to do something, you do it right (even if it takes a little longer), you protect your people and your equipment, and you do all you can to provide for your family.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You’re on the right track. That voice in your head telling you to treat people with respect and give them straight answers? Listen to it. It’s going to take you places you can’t even imagine right now. In other words, trust the process.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Absolutely. What you see is what you get, and that goes right back to what I said about integrity being everything. The guy who shows up to industry events, writes marketing content, and works with clients is the same guy who’s at home with my family or grabbing coffee with a friend. I use the same straightforward communication style whether I’m explaining SEO to a pest control company or talking to my son about homework.

That consistency isn’t just easier to maintain—it’s essential for building real trust. When clients know they’re getting the authentic version of me, not some polished “marketing consultant” persona, they’re more likely to be honest about their challenges and actually implement the strategies we discuss. You can’t help someone solve real problems if you’re not being real yourself. The moment you start putting on a show or telling people what you think they want to hear instead of what they need to hear, you’ve lost that integrity. And without integrity, nothing else matters.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
When it’s painful, that’s when you know you’re in the growth zone. I’ve learned to recognize that uncomfortable feeling when I’m tackling something new or challenging, whether it’s a complex marketing problem or trying to explain to a client that an SEO campaign will work better long term, who wants the phone to ring. That discomfort used to make me wonder if what I was doing was working, but I’ve realized it’s actually a signal that I’m about to learn something valuable.

The key is being honest about it instead of pretending you’ve got it all figured out. I’ll tell a client straight up, Transparency actually builds more trust than trying to fake expertise you don’t have. The painful moments—when you’re struggling with a new platform, when a strategy isn’t working, when you realize you gave advice that missed the mark—those are the moments that force you to dig deeper and come out better on the other side. The growth happens in the discomfort, not in your comfort zone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cubecreative.design
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chadjtreadway/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/chadjtreadway/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CubeCreativeDesign/
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Marketing-Rural-Small-Businesses-ebook/dp/B0CG2J3BWP

Image Credits
Heather Cardwell with Times Treasured Studios (https://timestreasuredstudios.com/)