The Power of Niching Down and Building Meaningful Relationships with Corey Morris

What if focusing on fewer services and leaning into the right relationships could transform your business and generate millions in ROI?

On this episode, our host Kevin Thompson talks with Corey Morris, CEO of Voltage and author of The Digital Marketing Success Plan. Corey has spent 20 years in the marketing industry, navigating a career that began in traditional advertising and evolved into digital marketing leadership. Through a succession plan, Corey became the sole owner of Voltage, where he reshaped the agency from a generalist “do-it-all” shop into a focused powerhouse specializing in SEO, paid search ads, and website creation.

In this conversation, Corey shares how mastermind groups and peer communities gave him tough love and clarity, pushing him to double down on what he and his agency do best. He highlights how intentional relationships shaped his path as a leader and fueled his company’s growth. Corey also recounts a standout client success story—how his team helped a logistics firm turn a $77,000 investment into $1.2 million in revenue.

Listeners will gain powerful insights into niching down, building stronger networks, and the ROI of authentic, meaningful relationships in business.

 

02:18 – Guest Introduction: Corey Morris
• Shout-out to Jessica and the Podcast Guest platform for the introduction.
• Corey shares his excitement and context for the conversation.
• Kevin sets the stage for Corey’s story of career and relationships.

03:26 – Corey’s Journey: From Project Manager to CEO
• Early career pivot into digital marketing before it became mainstream.
• Hands-on learning of SEO, HTML, and search strategies in the early 2000s.
• Transition into agency leadership through a succession plan.

07:18 – Challenges and Strategic Decisions
• The tension between being a generalist agency vs. specializing.
• Tough choice to focus only on SEO, paid search, and websites.
• Letting go of “good” work to focus on the “best” opportunities.

12:04 – The Importance of Relationships and Community
• The role of mastermind groups and Agency Management Institute.
• Peer feedback that pushed Corey to niche down and gain clarity.
• Value of accountability, candid feedback, and tough love.

20:33 – Client Success Stories and ROI
• Logistics firm case study: $77K investment generated $1.2M in revenue.
• Importance of measurable ROI in digital marketing.
• Turning lessons into the START Planning framework and his book.

23:56 – Sharing His Process and Book
• Introduction to The Digital Marketing Success Plan.
• Free tools and resources available at thedmsp.com.
• Why Corey focuses on “helping, not selling.”

29:18 – Conclusion and Final Invitation
• Kevin highlights Corey’s authenticity and client-first approach.
• Corey’s reminder: every business needs a clear digital plan.
• Invitation to connect with Corey and build meaningful relationships.

Key Quotes
“Sometimes tough love is exactly what we need to get clarity.” — Corey Morris
“We had to let go of good work to focus on the best work.” — Corey Morris
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