Making the leap from a stable full-time job to starting your own marketing agency sounds like the ultimate dream – being your own boss, setting your own rates, choosing your clients. But here's what most people don't talk about: the transition is brutal, and agency life is nothing like having a job. The sleepless nights wondering if you'll make payroll, the feast-or-famine cycle that becomes your new normal, the crushing weight of being responsible for everything from client delivery to keeping the lights on. One day, you're celebrating landing a dream client, the next you're dealing with scope creep that's eating your profit margins alive. The mental shift from employee to entrepreneur isn't just challenging – it's a complete rewiring of how you think about work, money, and success.
Today's guest knows this reality all too well. Jeff Tormey is the founder of SEO Guru Atlanta, LLC and Bariatric Audience, where he's built a thriving digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and lead generation for the bariatric surgery industry. But his journey to agency ownership wasn't the smooth success story you might expect. Jeff made the bold decision to leave his secure full-time position to strike out on his own, and he's here to share the unfiltered truth about what that transition really looks like – the good, the bad, and everything they don't tell you in the entrepreneurship books.
Social Pulse Podcast host Mike Allton asked Jeff Tormey about:
⭐ The Financial Reality Check - Understanding the true financial implications of leaving steady employment, including the feast-or-famine cycle and how to prepare for income uncertainty.
⭐ The Mental Game of Agency Ownership - Strategies for managing the psychological shift from employee to entrepreneur and dealing with the isolation and pressure that comes with being responsible for everything.
⭐ Building Systems vs. Creating a Job - Practical approaches to structuring your agency from day one to ensure you're building a scalable business rather than just an expensive position for yourself.
Learn more about Jeff Tormey
Connect with Jeff Tormey on LinkedIn
Resources & Brands mentioned in this episode
SEO Guru Atlanta, LLC
Bariatric Audience
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Show Notes & Transcript: https://www.agorapulse.com/blog/podcasts/agency-edition/the-brutal-truth-about-leaving-your-job-to-start-an-agency-what-i-wish-someone-had-told-me
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Produced and Hosted by Mike Allton, Chief Storyteller at Agorapulse. If you’re interested in being featured on an upcoming episode, reach out to Mike.