An Agency Story
First hand interviews of creative, digital, advertising, and marketing agency owners that have walked the talk of running an agency business. These are riveting stories of the thrill of starting up, hardships faced, and the keys to a successful business from agency owners around the world.
Episodes
What does it really take to build a large agency without chaos, investors, or burning out your team? In this episode, Alex Melen, Co-Founder of SmartSites, shares how starting a business at 13 shaped his long-term mindset and how disciplined measurement and intentional growth decisions helped SmartSites become a 450-person agency.
Key Takeaways
- Why agency growth helps the talent game
- How accurate measurement protects your business
- ...
In this episode, Russel sits down with Tom Conlin of North Street to unpack how an unexpectedly narrow offer became a mechanism for opening doors, reducing stress, and creating better opportunities across the business.
Key Takeaways
- How a narrowly defined offer can become a powerful door-opener for bigger work
- What it really means to “see the machinery of the business” and why it changes decision-making
- The difference between being...
Company: Digital HQ
Guest: Hillary Applegate
Year Started: 2020
Employees: 11-25
What if the key to improving your agency is stepping away from your business? In this conversation, Hillary Applegate, founder of Digital HQ, shares how distance reshaped her leadership, clarified what actually matters, and strengthened the way her team operates. Listeners will walk away with a fresh perspective on agency ownership, boundaries, and letting...
Company: An Agency Story
Guest: Russel Dubree
Year Started: 2022
Employees: 1-10
Most agency owners underestimate the most powerful differentiator they have, their personal story. In this episode, Russel breaks down why your authentic “why” matters and how sharing it can deepen connection with your team, attract the right clients, and clarify your purpose.
Key Takeaways
- Why your personal story is the strongest positioning tool you’re...
Company: Scott Social
Guest: Chelsea Flower
Year Started: 2018
Employees: 1-10
What does it take to turn a disconnected, overwhelmed team into a unified, creative powerhouse? In this episode, Chelsea Flower, Founder of Scott Social, shares the pivotal mindset shifts, leadership breakthroughs, and culture changes that doubled her agency’s clients and transformed her team from stressed and siloed to connected and thriving.
Key Takeaways
Company: Neon Moth
Guest: Lisa and Jason Cerezo
Year Started: 2011
Employees: 1-10
What happens when a laid-off marketer, a former music teacher, and a chance meeting lead to a design and web agency? In this episode, Jason and Lisa Cerezo share how Neon Moth was built through partnership, necessity, and a deep commitment to serving small businesses well. You’ll hear how they grew from $300 websites to a dependable agency built on clari...
Company: My1Brand
Guest: Benjamin Behrooz
Year Started: 2008
Employees: 11-25
Doing hard things isn’t optional in entrepreneurship, it’s the requirement. In this episode, Benjamin Behrooz, Founder of My1Brand, reveals why discomfort is the doorway to better leadership, stronger teams, and real creative excellence. You’ll hear how hardship shaped his career, how he builds empowered teams, and why great agencies must invest in doing thin...
Company: White Canvas & Loop3
Guest: Nico Pisani
Year Started: 2015
Employees: 11-25
What happens when you pack a bag, buy a ticket, and bet everything on yourself?
In this episode, Nico Pisani, founder of White Canvas and Loop3, shares how one bold month in New York transformed his mindset, business, and approach to risk. From humble beginnings in Argentina to building two successful agencies, Nico’s story is a testament to a...
Company: RicketyRoo
Guest: Blake Denman
Year Started: 2009
Employees: 11-25
Some stories start with ambition, this one starts with a crash. In this episode, Blake Denman, founder of RicketyRoo, shares how a near-fatal accident and a long recovery reshaped his perspective on business, leadership, and life.
Key Takeaways
- How trauma can transform the way you lead and make decisions
- The “User Guide” system RicketyRoo uses to strengt...
Company: Nopio
Guest: Piotr Nowak
Year Started: 2010
Employees: 11-25
What happens when a lifelong developer decides to step out from behind the code and build something of his own? In this episode, Piotr Nowak, founder of Nopio, shares his journey from being fired from a comfortable job to creating an international digital agency based in Poland. He reveals how embracing simplicity, culture, and clear purpose helped him transform comp...
Company: X Agency
Guest: Darwin Liu
Year Started: 2016
Employees: 1-10
Most people avoid embarrassment and failure, Darwin Liu trained for it. In this episode, he reveals how doing the uncomfortable on purpose helped him build a multimillion-dollar agency and stay sharp in an industry that's rapidly changing. You'll hear the mindset behind pushing limits, hiring struggles, and why boredom can be a sign of progress.
Inside...
Company: Dapper Codes
Guest: Kelly Gordon
Year Started: 2007
Employees: 1-10
Most agency owners don’t realize how long they’ve been operating in survival mode, it becomes default. In this episode, Kelly Gordon of Dapper Codes shares what it really took to move from reacting to everything to leading with intention. You’ll hear the turning points, the mindset shifts, and the cost of staying in “hard mode” too long.
Key Takeaways
- T...
Company: Norbella
Guest: Stephanie Noris
Year Started: 2009
Employees: 1-10
Running an agency means solving problems every day, but what if one lesson could make most of them easier? In this episode, Stephanie Norris of Norbella shares how mastering tough conversations, focusing on people, and tackling root challenges have shaped her 16-year journey in business.
Key Takeaways
- Why learning to have difficult conversations solves m...
Company: Visible Logic
Guest: Emily Brackett
Year Started: 2001
Employees: 1-10
Financial Clarity and the Creative Journey with Emily Brackett
In this episode Emily Brackett, founder of Visible Logic and Branding Compass, shares how a pivotal moment reshaped the way she runs her business. From building a branding agency rooted in clarity to developing a software tool that helps businesses define their message, Emily’s story is a r...
Company: Comet Fuel
Guest: Jarod Spiewak
Year Started: 2018
Employees: 1-10
In this episode, Jarod Spiewak, founder of Comet Fuel, shares his unconventional journey, the pivotal shifts in his business model, and the hard-earned lessons behind building a system of value.
Key Takeaways
- Why saying “yes” strategically can unlock bigger client opportunities
- Ensuring you have R&D happening in your business
- The importance of tracking cus...
Company: Inovāt
Guest: Doug Logan
Year Started: 2006
Employees: 1-10
What happens when a 14-year-old builds an agency and later finds himself running a burrito shop on the side? In this episode, Doug Logan of Inovat shares his journey from teenage entrepreneur to seasoned agency owner, offering candid lessons on leadership, letting go, and staying in love with the work.
Key Takeaways
- Why imposter syndrome never fully disappears ...
Company: Enleaf
Guest: Adam Chronister
Year Started: 2009
Employees: 1-10
Adam Chronister took his time on his path to entrepreneurship. Struggling in school and unsure of his future, he took the long road—gaining experience, building a side hustle, and creating financial runway before finally making the leap. In this episode, Adam shares how that deliberate approach shaped the ethos of Enleaf, where focusing on the business, not ...
Company: Bytes.co
Guest: Jason Di Vece
Year Started: 2010
Employees: 26-50
What happens when you walk away from security and take the leap into the unknown? In this episode, Jason Di Vece, Co-Founder of Bytes.co, shares how selling everything to move abroad reshaped his mindset and set him on the path to building a 25-person agency serving hundreds of clients.
Key Takeaways
- The risky move that built lasting confidence and shaped Ja...
Company: Scratch Media + Marketing
Guests: Ryan Ellis
Year Started: 2009
Employees: 26-50
What happens when an agency depends too much on its founder? In this episode, Lora Kratchounova, Founder of Scratch Marketing and Media, shares how she built a 40-person B2B tech agency by shifting from founder-dependence to team empowerment. From mastering positioning to embracing deep tech and climate tech, Lora’s story highlights an ever presen...
Company: Red Egg Marketing
Guests: Ryan Ellis
Year Started: 2011
Employees: 11-25
Growing an agency doesn’t always come from chasing the newest trends, it often comes from mastering the basics. In this episode, Ryan Ellis, Founder of Red Egg Marketing, shares how focusing on client relationships, intentional growth, and sticking to fundamentals helped him build a business that lasts.
Key Takeaways
- How low expenses gave Ryan the fre...
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