0. Let’s Start With You - Ipek Isler

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What are you doing today and how would you define your career? How would you summarize the journey that brought you here in 2–3 key turning points?

I have been working in marketing for over 10 years. I’ve worked both at top advertising agencies in Turkey and at global brands like Unilever and TikTok. I’ve gained experience across all areas of marketing, including influencer marketing, social media, and overall brand management.

There’s a saying in Turkey, “I’m at every table” and that was me. With endless energy, I did everything on the marketing and advertising side. Today, I work as a Marketing Director at a skincare brand operating in the US market, and I am also the Founder & CEO of the AI Marketing Tool AEO Vision.

What brought me to where I am today might spark a generational discussion. :) As a Millennial, I think we were always trying to do more than what was expected of us. If the brand I was working for needed a quick design, I would do that. If it needed a journalist network, I would build that connection. I believe this mindset is what brought me to Canada today. Being flexible is important. When building a campaign, you need to create cross-functional connections. It’s not just about saying “we can do this on social media,” you also need to build the community, think about the right people for that community, and establish the right brand partnerships. And sometimes, saying “I came up with the campaign that increased sales 5x” is a unique kind of satisfaction.

1. Journey & Migration Story

Your career started in Turkey and brought you to Canada, where you built your own venture. What was the most critical turning point behind this transition? What were the most challenging and most motivating factors when deciding to move to Canada? When building a career in a new country, what was the biggest gap between what you expected and what actually happened?

When I was in Turkey, I was working at TikTok. It was the end of 2024, and I could clearly see where AI assistants like ChatGPT were heading. When I said “brands need to be visible here, I’m going to build a company that does this,” honestly, no one paid much attention.

At the beginning of 2025, after moving to Canada, I started making all my purchasing decisions based on AI assistants’ recommendations. That was my turning point. I realized there was a real opportunity here, and I needed to act on it quickly.

But there is a reality. We spend our lives studying in one country, building a network there, working at strong brands, and becoming valuable in that local market. But does this translate globally? Unfortunately, no.

That’s why many people go back. Because building a life is not just about building locally.

After moving to Canada, I actively worked on building my network both within Turkish and Canadian communities. We were selected by DMZ, one of North America’s largest business incubators. They helped me access the communities and investor groups I wanted to be part of. I became a member of Monday Girl and met many strong women within that community, where we support each other’s businesses.

Many people pursue a master’s degree here because having studied in the country you live in is highly valued globally.

At its core, I believe building a life abroad requires a lot of effort and time.

I built and continue to grow my own company, while also working full-time for nearly 1.5 years as a Marketing Director for Phoilex. This brand was founded by a strong female entrepreneur, and I can say the founder is a daily source of inspiration for me. I truly admire women supporting each other in every aspect. Together with the founder Sarina, we are building a strong brand on that side as well.

2. Building a Career Across Markets

You’ve worked with global companies like TikTok, Delivery Hero, and Netflix. What are the key differences when doing marketing across different markets? What did working in global companies teach you, and at the same time, where did it limit you? Looking back, what is a risk you’re glad you took?

Marketing can vary from region to region. In Turkey, communication is often driven by economic factors, while in global markets you communicate with a more conscious consumer. However, the one thing that never changes is the importance of building a community.

It doesn’t matter what your product is or what market you are in. You need to build a community and create a sense of belonging for the audience you are selling to. TikTok was an incredible school for me in this regard.

While working at Unilever, I was responsible for the Magnum brand and worked at the Cannes Film Festival for several consecutive years. This gave me strong global experience in event management, as well as influencer and celebrity management.

The risk I’m most glad I took… When you move to a new country, you usually focus on adapting. I, on the other hand, built a company alongside my full-time job. At the same time, I was trying to adapt to a new country, be a good mother to my 2.5-year-old daughter, and grow my network. It was beyond a risk. While everyone around me said “don’t do this to yourself,” I still say I’m glad I did it and I’m glad I’m doing it.

3. From Corporate to Founder

You had a strong corporate career. Was becoming an entrepreneur more of an opportunity or a necessity? How did the idea for AEO Vision emerge? What specific problem are you solving? As a co-founder, what was the most challenging part in the first 6 months: product, team, or positioning?

This was an opportunity, and opportunities have deadlines. Unfortunately, in today’s world, you have to move fast. That’s why I believe I took the right step. But at the same time, when you move to a new country, especially if you have a child, you can’t risk everything. That’s why I didn’t want to quit my full-time job.

My biggest advantage is that I truly love the brand I work for, its ideology, and its founder. That’s why my job has never felt like a burden.

How did the idea for AEO Vision emerge? Today, people make purchasing decisions through LLMs like ChatGPT. If your brand does not appear in those recommendations, it directly means losing customers.

AEO Vision enables brands to become visible in LLMs. As a result, both Google and LLM traffic increase, and naturally, sales grow. This requires being strong in digital, and at this point, we simplify marketing processes through AI agents.

In the first 6 months, the most challenging part was bootstrapping. While building a life from scratch in Canada, I also had to financially support the company. As we grew our customer portfolio, this became more manageable.

Of course, I wasn’t alone in this journey. I co-founded the company with my partner Metehan Yeşilyurt. He has done incredible work in AI Search and has been recognized across global platforms like Microsoft and Semrush. There is truly a “magic touch” from him in every brand we work with. Even newly launched brands can achieve significant traffic and sales growth.

Within the AEO Vision tool, marketing teams can closely monitor their brand and competitors and quickly take action. We put a lot of effort into building a strong product. At the Women Innovation Summit in Canada, we were selected among the Top 25 out of 200+ companies. The tool’s ease of use and the benefits it provides attracted significant attention.

4. Market Insights & Reality Check

For brands, this is also a form of reputation management. When I first moved to Canada, I was trying to choose the right egg brand. I asked ChatGPT about a brand, and it said, “a user shared a video in year X showing that this brand uses cage production.” Of course, I immediately stopped buying it and told everyone around me not to buy it either.

We saw a similar issue with an alcohol brand we worked with in Turkey. ChatGPT described the brand as “heavy to drink, not a good pairing with meals,” and listed negative user feedback.

For brands to manage this, they need to use tools like AEO Vision and receive proper consulting.

5. Working Culture & Life in Canada

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a Turkish professional/entrepreneur in Canada? What are the most visible differences between how business is done in Canada vs. Turkey? What has managing a global team taught you?

In Canada, people tend to work strictly within their defined roles. They don’t think broadly. They lack a practical mindset. People don’t take extra initiative, and processes are very slow. No one is in a rush.

Because we, as Turks, are not like that, I believe we can create real value in the companies we work for.

Recently, I came across a report about Turkish white-collar professionals working globally. I don’t remember the exact source, but one point stood out: Turkish professionals don’t challenge their managers much, whereas globally, this is expected. I completely agree.

Here, managers expect you to defend your opinion if you disagree. That’s why you were hired in the first place. In Turkey, questioning management was often uncomfortable. Here, it’s encouraged.

Every time I challenged an idea, I received strong support, and those discussions became highly educational—either for me or for the other side. At the end of the day, we are all working for the same company.

What surprised you the most about life in Canada?

What surprised me the most is how much responsibility is placed on the individual. You handle your own tax declarations. In healthcare, you often have to act as your own doctor—tracking, researching, and taking action yourself.

The banking system was also surprising. Sometimes a payment I make takes 3–4 days to appear. You can’t fully trust your account balance in real time because automatic payments may have been processed but not yet visible. Even banking apps sometimes don’t work properly on weekends.

There are also differences in company culture. For example, there is no meal allowance. Systems like Ticket in Turkey don’t exist. People usually bring food from home, and lunch breaks are typically only 30 minutes.

Some daily experiences feel quite outdated in terms of UX. From product packaging to banking experiences, you can feel this gap. One day, I didn’t have my wallet with me and needed to withdraw money from an ATM. I tried using my phone, but it didn’t work. I went to the bank and asked if there was a QR withdrawal option. The banker told their colleagues, and they laughed for a few minutes.

At that point, I realized that in some areas, Turkey is actually far ahead—especially in healthcare, banking, and technology.

6. Rapid Fire

What are your top 3 favorite things?

Nature—being this connected to nature even within the city is amazing. Living in a multicultural environment—working with people from different countries is very eye-opening. The general respect people show to each other, even in public spaces.

What has been the most challenging part to adapt to?

Rebuilding everything from scratch. The network and system you build over years in Turkey disappears when you move. Also, adapting to a 6-month winter is not easy, especially with a young child.

What are the 3 most critical truths for someone who wants to build a career in Canada?

Networking is essential—sending a CV alone is usually not enough. Patience is key—processes are slow and your first opportunity may not be your dream job. Studying in Canada provides a strong advantage and helps you integrate into the professional ecosystem more easily.