TrustEngage
- Founded
- 2023-01-01 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Headquarters
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
TrustEngage is a boutique performance marketing consultancy founded in 2023 by industry veteran Cari Hartman. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, the firm operates as a single-employee entity, offering direct founder-level engagement for clients. Specializing in email marketing, lead generation, customer acquisition, omnichannel media buying, and first-party data management, TrustEngage serves verticals such as insurance, legal, financial, home services, and e-commerce. Hartman brings over 15 years of expertise, including scaling eight-figure operations and deep knowledge of TCPA compliance. She is a recognized speaker at conferences like ad:tech and Mailcon, and in 2023 received the Affy Heart Award. The company positions itself as a lean, scalable partner for brands looking to optimize performance marketing through consulting, referrals, and partnerships.
Detailed Review
Company History and Founding
TrustEngage was founded in 2023 by Cari Hartman in St. Louis, Missouri. Hartman had previously built and scaled large performance marketing operations, including eight-figure campaigns with small teams and tight deadlines. She decided to launch her own consultancy to offer brands a more personalized, hands-on approach to customer acquisition and email marketing.
Business Model
TrustEngage operates as a self-owned, single-employee boutique agency. Revenue comes from consulting fees, referral commissions, and partnership arrangements. The company does not take on large-scale retainer clients but instead works on a project or campaign basis, allowing Hartman to remain directly involved in every engagement.
Core Products and Services
The company lists six primary service areas on its website: Internal Email distribution, Email CPMs, Media Buys, Newsletter Traffic, Branded lead generation, and 1st Party Data Management. Additional specialties include SMS marketing, list management, lifecycle marketing, and omnichannel marketing. TrustEngage also provides compliance guidance around TCPA and CAN-SPAM regulations, leveraging Hartman's deep regulatory expertise.
Market Position and Clients
TrustEngage targets mid-market brands in insurance, legal, financial services, home services, and e-commerce. Competitors include larger performance marketing agencies, but the firm differentiates through its founder-led, highly responsive model. The company has no publicly disclosed client list or case studies, but Hartman's track record and industry reputation underpin its credibility.
Leadership
Cari Hartman serves as Founder and CEO. She has over 15 years of experience in email marketing, compliance, omnichannel media buying, and Google paid search arbitrage. She has spoken at numerous industry events and won the Affy Heart Award in 2023. No other executives are listed; the company is a one-person operation.
Key Products
Internal Email Distribution
Manages and deploys email campaigns using owned, verified email lists, optimised for deliverability and compliance.
Email CPMs
Cost-per-mille (CPM) pricing for email inventory, allowing advertisers to buy impressions across curated email channels.
Media Buys
Negotiated placements across display, native, social, and programmatic channels, with a focus on high-converting audiences.
Newsletter Traffic
Targeted advertising in third-party newsletters, leveraging subscriber trust for brand campaigns.
Branded Lead Generation
Custom user acquisition campaigns that generate compliant, opt-in leads for brands, using paid media and organic tactics.
First-Party Data Management
Consulting and services to help clients collect, segment, and activate their own opt-in data for retargeting, SMS, and direct mail.
SMS Marketing
Compliance-focused SMS campaigns using owned opt-in data, with an emphasis on regulated verticals like insurance and financial services.
Omnichannel Marketing
Integrated campaigns spanning email, paid media, SMS, and direct response, coordinated for consistent messaging across touchpoints.
1st Party Data Management
Services to help clients collect, organize, and activate their own first-party data for marketing purposes.
Offices & Headcount
1 employees (approx.)
Key Persons
Cari HartmanFounder & CEO