$1.5B Co-Founder: We Grew GoHighLevel To 1,600 Employees, Here’s How! - Robin Alex

In this episode of Local Marketing Secrets, host Danny Leibrandt interviews Robin Alex, one of the three co-founders of HighLevel—a powerful sales and marketing platform now valued at over a billion dollars. Robin’s story begins in the trenches of local marketing, where he grew his own agency to over 200 clients before realizing the critical need for a more unified, automated approach to managing leads and communicating with customers.

Robin dives into how he teamed up with his co-founders, their early struggles duct-taping multiple tools together, and the “lightbulb moment” that sparked HighLevel’s creation. Learn why they decided to emphasize a product-led growth strategy from day one, and how this approach—combined with a game-changing affiliate program—catapulted HighLevel into a global phenomenon.

Robin also explores the practical applications of AI in business, including real-world examples of AI-powered phone support that drive better customer experiences—without sacrificing the personal touch small businesses are known for. Plus, he opens up about the challenges of scaling a remote team to more than 1,600 employees worldwide while maintaining a “bias to action” culture, where problems get solved quickly rather than buried under bureaucracy.

Whether you’re an agency owner looking to elevate your service offerings, an entrepreneur seeking to solve real client problems, or simply curious how three founders went from concept to a billion-dollar valuation, this episode is packed with actionable insights on building a thriving SaaS, finding (and compensating) the right talent, and staying laser-focused on customer needs.

Robin Alex, Co-Founder Of HighLevel:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinalex/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therobinalex/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexrobint/

HighLevel: https://www.gohighlevel.com/

Danny Leibrandt, Founder of Pest Control SEO:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DannyLeibrandt  

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dannyleibrandt/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyLeibrandt   

Website: https://dannyleibrandt.com 

Pest Control SEO: https://pestcontrolseo.com/ 

Local Marketing Secrets Platforms:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LocalMarketingSecrets 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1TCL0LhZbsJS6mzanqnnT1?si=224075c9fbda42f5  

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/local-marketing-secrets/id1741176782 

Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0bb5254-5d6c-4940-8211-085157cc1239/local-marketing-secrets 

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Local-Marketeer/B0D1FCN28S?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp 

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Robin Alex

05:35 The Birth of High Level

12:27 Finding Co-Founders and Building a Team

23:22 Leveraging AI in Business Operations

29:01 Core Principles for Scaling a Business

34:30 Challenges in Business Growth

38:08 Starting a Successful Business

40:56 Lessons Learned in Entrepreneurship

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