Toby Schulz
– Co-Founder & Director of Zen Dental Marketing
Business Strategy | Agency Leadership | Digital Marketing | Sydney, Australia
Toby Schulz is a Co-Founder and Director of Zen Dental Marketing. With experience in digital marketing dating back to 2011, Toby has built his career around helping businesses grow through effective marketing, clear strategy and strong leadership.
Together with his brother, Jason Schulz, Toby co-founded Zen Dental Marketing in 2020 after years of building and operating digital marketing businesses. While his early expertise centred on search engine optimisation (SEO) and Google Ads, his responsibilities have since expanded into broader business strategy, people management and organisational leadership.
Today, Toby focuses on the agency’s long-term direction, supporting its leaders and creating an environment where the team can deliver effective marketing services for Australian dental practices.
From Hands-On Digital Marketing to Business Leadership
Toby’s interest in business began early. After attending Brisbane Grammar School, he briefly explored university before deciding to pursue a more practical path into business and entrepreneurship. That decision marked the beginning of a business journey alongside his brother Jason. Rather than following a traditional academic route into marketing, Toby developed his knowledge through direct experience, independent study and applying new ideas in real business situations.
In the early years, the brothers took responsibility for almost every aspect of running their agency, from learning SEO and Google Ads to delivering campaigns and managing client relationships. They spent many evenings completing online courses, participating in marketing forums and learning from industry professionals.
New ideas were regularly tested the following day, either within their own business or through client campaigns. This practical approach gave Toby an early understanding of how digital marketing strategies perform in real business settings. It also shaped his belief in continuous learning, practical execution and using feedback to improve business decisions.
Building Zen Dental Marketing With His Brother Jason
Before establishing Zen Dental Marketing, Toby and Jason built and operated 5Tales, a digital marketing agency serving businesses in Australia and New Zealand.
Toby also gained experience working at a marketing agency for a large tourism group, where his responsibilities extended beyond digital channels to include traditional marketing, events, advertising and branding. These experiences gave him a broader understanding of how different marketing activities contribute to business growth. As 5Tales developed, the brothers increasingly focused on helping local service businesses connect with potential customers through Google Search.
Their experience eventually led them into the dental industry.
In 2018, Jason was introduced to the sector through Merv Saultry and the Independent Dentist Network. Through industry relationships and conversations with dental practice owners, the brothers identified an opportunity to apply their experience in local search marketing to the specific needs of dentists.
After developing their approach to dental marketing, they founded Zen Dental Marketing in 2020. The agency brought together their experience in SEO, Google Ads and local business marketing, with a dedicated focus on helping dental practices improve their online presence and attract relevant patient enquiries.
For Toby, the move into dental marketing also provided an opportunity to develop more focused internal processes and support a team working within one industry.
Toby's Expertise in Business Strategy and Team Leadership
Although Toby’s career began with hands-on digital marketing, his current expertise centres on the strategic and operational side of running a business.
As Co-Founder and Director of Zen Dental Marketing, he focuses on the broader direction of the agency, supporting its leaders and ensuring the team has the structure and independence needed to carry out its responsibilities.
His key areas of expertise include:
Business strategy
Guiding the long-term direction and development of Zen Dental Marketing.
Leadership and people management
Supporting team leaders and helping them perform effectively in their roles.
Agency operations
Developing processes and supporting decisions that allow the business to operate efficiently.
One principle that influences Toby’s leadership approach is knowing when to step back. He recognises that effective leadership does not require being involved in every decision. Instead, he aims to support capable people, remove unnecessary obstacles and give team members the opportunity to use their expertise.
This allows Toby to concentrate on the bigger picture while the agency’s specialists focus on their respective areas of responsibility.
Helping Zen Dental Marketing Grow With Purpose
Running a digital marketing agency requires more than technical knowledge. It also depends on clear direction, capable people and processes that support consistent work. Toby’s experience across digital marketing, traditional advertising and business operations helps him approach these responsibilities from several perspectives.
Having worked directly with SEO and Google Ads in the early stages of his career, he understands the practical work involved in delivering marketing campaigns. His focus today is on supporting the people who carry out that work and helping the agency develop as a business.
This is particularly relevant to Zen Dental Marketing’s specialist approach. By concentrating on the dental industry, the agency can develop processes and knowledge around the marketing needs of Australian dental practices.
As Co-Founder and Director, Toby helps shape the business direction and leadership structures that support the agency’s continued development.
Life Outside Zen Dental Marketing
Originally from Brisbane, Toby is now based in Sydney, where he lives with his wife and their dog, Winston. Although much of his family remains in Brisbane, he also enjoys having his sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew living nearby in Sydney.
Sport is a significant part of his life outside work. Since meeting his wife, Toby has become a devoted Sydney Roosters supporter. Her family’s long-standing connection with the club helped turn him into an enthusiastic fan, and the couple regularly attend home matches and travel to many away games. He also enjoys playing padel and tennis on weekends.
Despite travelling frequently for work, Toby has one surprising habit. Whether he is travelling by plane, bus or car, he still takes travel sickness tablets. It often surprises people who know just how much time he spends travelling.
Connect With Toby and Zen Dental Marketing
With experience spanning digital marketing, entrepreneurship and business leadership, Toby brings a practical understanding of what it takes to build and support a specialist marketing agency.
Alongside his brother and fellow Co-Founder and Director, Jason Schulz, he has helped shape Zen Dental Marketing into a business focused on supporting dental practices through SEO, Google Ads and digital growth strategies.
Discover how Zen Dental Marketing can help your practice strengthen its online visibility and attract relevant patient enquiries.