Purifying Growth with Health-Focused Marketing | Peter Klein from Ideal Living

Kevin: Hey everybody. Welcome back to Pathmonk Presents. Pathmonk is the AI for website conversions. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online.

Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments with relevant micro experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more. Stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50% by adding Pathmonk to your website in seconds—letting the artificial intelligence do all the work while you keep doing marketing as usual.

Check us out on Pathmonk.com.

Hey everybody. Welcome back to Pathmonk Presents. We’re really looking forward to today’s conversation because today we’ve got Peter Klein over at Ideal Living. They’re a multi-brand retailer looking to expand their growth into their space. Peter, thank you very much for joining the show today.

Peter Klein: Thank you so much for having me. Excited to chat with you.

Kevin: Of course. So I know you’re the VP of Growth and Retention at your company, and I really want to understand what you guys are doing from a marketing perspective and how you’re planning growth for the future. But before we dive in, maybe you can give our audience and myself a little background. In your own words, tell us about the company and what it is you do.

Peter Klein: Absolutely. At Ideal Living, our mission is that everyone has a right to pure water, clean air, and a solid foundation for wellness. So we create brands and products that support that mission. Our two biggest brands are Air Doctor, which makes professional and medical-grade air purifiers, and AquaTru, which makes reverse osmosis water purification units that remove forever chemicals, microplastics, and dozens of other contaminants. We have other brands too, but those two are the biggest—and really, it’s all about enabling people to live good, healthy lives.

Kevin: Excellent. I’m curious—are the air purifiers mainly for residential or commercial use? How do you support both individuals and businesses?

Peter Klein: We’re mostly direct-to-consumer, especially on the air side. But we do have some commercial units, and a lot of people use them in their businesses. They capture 99.97% of contaminants, down to 0.003 microns—so bacteria, viruses, everything. In our own office, every conference room and hallway has them.

On the consumer side, we talk to people who want clean air at home—people with pets, or who are concerned about off-gassing from furniture and products. Indoor air can be up to 100 times more contaminated than outdoor air, which is mind-blowing. On the water side, we have more of a commercial B2B presence—like wall-mounted or freestanding bottle-filling stations with reverse osmosis. We also offer countertop and under-the-sink versions. So, we’re kind of everywhere.

Kevin: I didn’t know indoor air could be that bad. That’s definitely a wake-up call! I want to ask about Ideal Living’s client base. Who do you serve, and what’s the main problem you’re solving for your customers?

Peter Klein: The main acquisition channel is through social influencers and affiliates. That tells you a lot about our audience. They’re usually moms who want healthy homes, people living non-toxic lifestyles, or biohackers. These are audiences that need to understand the difference between our products and others out there.

It’s really the evolution of the infomercial. Influencers explain what they use, why it’s better, and they offer a special deal. That works way better than hoping someone sees a TV spot while channel-surfing. The audience is already targeted and trusting, and someone they admire is saying, “I use this—you should too.”

Kevin: Interesting. So it sounds like the audience is slightly older—people who own or rent their homes. Not necessarily teenagers or college students?

Peter Klein: That used to be the case, but lately the discourse around air and water quality has grown so much that now even college dorms have air purifiers. We see our carafe units in dorm rooms too. If you go to ismywatersafe.com and enter your zip code, you’ll see all the stuff in your tap water.

So yes, not teenagers at home—but we’re reaching a broad cross-section now. I’m in Los Angeles, and during wildfire season, air quality becomes a huge topic. It’s becoming more normal to see an air purifier in every room.

Kevin: Makes total sense. I want to shift to the website. Since you’re representing multiple brands, how does the website play into acquisition or sales? Do you see any major strengths or weaknesses?

Peter Klein: The Ideal Living website itself isn’t used for acquisition—it’s just to explain who we are. Ads drive to the brand-specific sites, like Air Doctor or AquaTru.

A lot of the pre-selling happens through influencers, so people usually arrive ready to buy. What we’re not great at is top-of-funnel communication. We’re always testing—how much info is too much? Some people just want better-tasting water, while others want the science: 84 contaminants, arsenic levels, certifications, etc.

We’re constantly balancing the science with the benefit. Where should we place that info on the page? What type of lead magnet works best? That’s the challenge—talking to people at different levels of awareness and making sure we’re addressing what they care about.

Kevin: That’s a great segue to my next question. In your own experience, what makes a great converting website? And what kind of things hurt conversion?

Peter Klein: I’ve worked in direct response marketing my whole career, so it’s always problem-solution. A good site must immediately show what problem it solves. That has to be first. Then it should show the deal—dollars off, percent off—plus a strong CTA.

That approach works well for people who already know the product. For others, it’s about showing why we’re different and better. I focus heavily on benefits first, then features. People want to know what’s in it for them: better sleep, fewer allergies—not just specs.

We still include those specs—99.97% capture rate, filter types, etc.—but they come after the benefits. You need to help people envision how their life will improve, not just throw data at them.

Kevin: We’ve seen the same at Pathmonk. It’s not just about “50% uplift in conversions”—you have to connect that to real-life benefits, like better PPC results or improved ROI. Same for you—cleaner air means better sleep, fewer allergies. Benefits above all.

Peter Klein: Exactly. Sometimes a sentence can do both. I don’t remember who said it, but there’s a great line: “If you don’t have an air purifier, you are the filter.” Meaning your lungs are doing the work. That puts it in perspective.

Kevin: Same for water—if you’re not filtering it, your body is. Love that. Let’s shift a bit to talk about you as a marketer. What are the key tasks you focus on as a VP of Growth and Retention?

Peter Klein: I wish I had a normal day. I split things into two buckets: optimizing what we’re doing now (through testing and improvements) and building new things (project plans, budgeting, forecasts). We’re looking at both Q1 goals and 2029 goals at the same time.

So I’m reviewing daily results, planning for next week, and also building the foundations for where we want to be in five years. It keeps all sides of my brain engaged—and that keeps it fun.

Kevin: I agree. You need a mix of short-term wins and long-term vision. If you’re only looking far ahead, you lose track of what’s happening now—and suddenly weeks go by with no measurable success.

Peter Klein: Exactly. And you need to feel like you’re making progress. For me, that means having a project plan, checking off milestones, and knowing that the work I did today is moving us forward.

Kevin: Let’s stay on that thread. How do you keep growing and improving as a marketer? Where do you go to learn?

Peter Klein: Podcasts are great—I listen to a few regularly. I also go to conferences a couple times a year and talk to other marketers. My favorite question to ask is: “What have you tried lately—and what didn’t work?” You always learn more from what didn’t work.

I also build strong relationships over time. People reach out and ask, “Do you know a good copywriter for X?” And I’ll do the same—ask around about vendors, legal workarounds, whatever. Those personal connections are so valuable.

Kevin: So it’s mostly through your network—people you know, people you meet at events or connect with from podcasts?

Peter Klein: Exactly. And sometimes I’ll hear someone on a podcast and reach out to them directly. Not everyone replies, but when they do, it can lead to great conversations and even partnerships.

I’ve also read a few books over the years, and if I get one nugget of insight from each one, it’s worth it. All those learnings add up.

Kevin: Totally agree. Sometimes one good takeaway makes the whole book worthwhile. Let’s wrap up with some rapid-fire questions. First—what’s the last book you read?

Peter Klein: Not a business book! It was 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s by Rob Harvilla. There’s a podcast by the same name. I’m a huge music person, and the ‘90s were my decade. Every song he mentions brings back a vivid memory. It’s a fantastic read.

Kevin: I love that. Sounds like the nostalgia hit I didn’t know I needed. Next: if there were no limits in technology, what’s one thing you’d fix for your marketing role?

Peter Klein: I’d create a magical checkbox labeled “Worth it?” I want to instantly know whether a project, idea, or investment is worth it—considering time, resources, ROI, everything. Just check “yes” or “no” and move on.

Kevin: Love it. We’ve had the same thought here—should we build this? Is it worth it? A quick “yes” or “no” would save hours, days, or weeks of debate.

Peter Klein: Same thing when hiring. I once said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if resumes had a ‘Do they care?’ checkbox?” I like magic checkboxes, even though they’ll never exist.

Kevin: You’re the first guest to bring those up. I love it. Next one: if you could automate one repetitive task, what would it be?

Peter Klein: Fortunately, we already solved a lot of that. We hired Ethan, who built dashboards that automate reporting and save tons of time. Now I only build pivot tables myself when I want to really engage with the data.

So there’s nothing repetitive I’m desperate to automate right now—which is a great place to be.

Kevin: Awesome. Final question: what’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self as a marketer?

Peter Klein: Build testing into your routine—every single week. No matter what else is going on, you should always be running a test. Testing is the lifeblood of direct response. Wins, losses—you learn from both. Review the results from last week, set up the next one, and keep going. That habit will serve you for your entire career.

Kevin: That’s excellent advice—especially for younger marketers just getting started. Peter, thank you so much for joining us today. Before we go, can you remind our audience what they should remember about Ideal Living?

Peter Klein: Sure. Ideal Living has two main brands: Air Doctor and AquaTru. That’s airdoctor.com and aquatru.com (no “e” in Tru). Air and water are things we all consume, and unfortunately, there’s a lot of unhealthy stuff out there. These products are science-backed, high-quality, and I use them in my home. They’re designed to help people live healthier lives, and that’s something we really care about.

Kevin: Awesome. Thanks for the time, Peter. Hope to talk again soon.

Peter Klein: That’d be great. Thanks—you too.