The Digital Agency Growth Podcast

Most agencies never crack eight figures. Mark Orttung helped one grow to $130M—by breaking every "safe" rule.

In this episode, we dive into what agency owners at the $1–5M mark can actually do to punch past the common growth ceilings.

The most important shift?

He stopped selling to job titles—and started selling to buyers with something to prove.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: Why agencies need a rethink

00:36 – Mark’s background:...

In this episode of the Digital Agency Growth podcast, I’m joined once again by agency advisor Karl Sakas. Karl breaks down the philosophy and practice behind his new book Calm the Chaos—a leadership guide for agency owners who want to scale smart, delegate more, and reclaim time. We also explore his writing process, the parallels between art collecting and running an agency, and how to think clearly when chaos hits your business.

⏱️...

Today, I talk to Todd Gagne—tech founder, startup mentor, and the guy who accidentally dropped a viral bomb on Substack after a weekend rabbit hole about GLP-1 drugs. We talk about why these weight-loss medications might be as transformative as the air conditioner, what this means for advertising, and why the next few years could upend how we think about consumer behavior, even in B2B.

⏱️ Timestamps

[00:00] – Todd’s background and st...

Join Dan Englander and Jared Gibson, co-founder of Outworks, as they dive into the future of B2B marketing and explain why personal branding is the most powerful growth engine for CEOs and founders.

Discover why cold outreach is no longer enough, how authentic LinkedIn content can drive long-term trust and authority, and how busy executives can make content creation part of their routine. Jared also shares hands-on tactics for lever...

In this solo episode, Dan shares an evolved perspective on outbound strategies for boutique agency owners. Reflecting on lessons from the "Right Words to the Right People" workshop and client campaigns since, this episode offers a practical, human-centered approach to outbound that respects your time and builds real pipeline—without sacrificing trust or burning bridges.

⏱️ Time-Stamped Breakdown

00:00 – Why outbound often f...

Are your agency's services stuck in a tangle of complexity and custom work? In this episode, Dan Englander sits down with Chris DuBois—founder of Dynamic Agency OS and creator of the Snap Offer framework—to explore how agencies can simplify their offers, build authority, and grow through repetition, not reinvention.

Chris shares how he went from infantry officer to agency CEO and ultimately to coach, helping firms move away fro...

How do you grow a digital agency without getting stuck in feast-or-famine cycles or boxed in by a single niche?

In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander sits down with Erik J. Olson, CEO of Proxa and the force behind three specialized agencies under one umbrella. Erik walks us through his unconventional journey from civil engineering to coding in bookstores to building a portfolio of agencies with one goal...

What separates the agencies that consistently get referrals from those that don’t? According to Audrey Kwan, it comes down to trust equity.

In this conversation, Dan Englander talks with Audrey consultant, community builder, and founder of Agency Together about how agencies can get off the feast-or-famine sales rollercoaster by building strategic partnerships, clarifying their niche, and focusing on relationships that compound over ...

In this episode, Dan Englander welcomes back Nick Petroski of Promethean Research for a high-signal, data-backed deep dive into the state of the digital agency industry in 2025. From agency size trends to the truth about AI integration, Nick reveals what the numbers really say.

Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments eve...

What do you do when referrals dry up and the market gets shaky?

In this solo episode, Dan Englander breaks down the key takeaways from his recent workshop: Implementing a Business Development System That Stands Up to Uncertainty.

You’ll learn:

• Why reactive sales keeps you stuck in volatility
• How to shift to a proactive system that builds momentum
• The 3 mindset shifts every agency needs for consistent growth
• A practical KPI framework ...

We're bringing back one of our most valuable episodes  a conversation that’s just as relevant today as when it first aired. 

The agency world has seen plenty of change in recent years. But with that change comes opportunity — for evolution, adaptation, and leadership. In this episode, Drew McLellan joins us to talk about the current state of the agency landscape in 2024, the importance of thought leadership, and how to build re...

In a world of economic uncertainty, shrinking budgets, and longer sales cycles, how do smart agencies continue to grow? 

Jon Tsourakis, Co-Founder of Oyova, reveals how embracing discomfort, staying authentic, and focusing on fundamentals can transform your agency’s performance even in the hardest times. 

Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get...

Are retainers the future of agency growth?

In this episode, David Brecount — CEO and co-founder of US Digital Partners — returns to share how his agency survived and thrived over 23 years by doing the opposite of what most agencies chase: consistency over chaos, long-term strategy over shiny tactics, and relationships over quick wins.

Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this tra...

In this special episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, we’re featuring Dan Englander's recent guest appearance on the Revenue Rehab podcast with Brandi Starr.

Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.

Dan, founder of Sales Schema and host of this show...

Many agencies focus heavily on new business, chasing logos and cold leads—while the biggest growth opportunity is already in front of them. In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander is joined by Matt Pensinger, founder of Accelerate Advisors and former EVP at Jack Morton, to talk about how agencies can stop leaving money on the table and start expanding inside existing accounts.

Watch our latest video train...

As an agency owner or marketer, keeping up with rapid changes in SEO and AI can feel like chasing a moving target. In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brandon Leibowitz, founder of SEO Optimizers, joins Dan to share practical advice on evolving SEO strategies, leveraging AI without sacrificing creativity, and scaling an agency that stands the test of time. 

Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of You...

As an agency owner or B2B service provider, navigating today’s rapidly shifting buyer behavior can feel challenging. In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander joins Nikki Rausch on The Sales Maven Podcast for a dynamic conversation on the trust recession and how businesses can adapt to succeed in 2025 and beyond.

Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During thi...

As an agency owner, it’s easy to focus on lead generation and ignore what happens after someone enters your funnel. But neglecting the middle of the funnel could be the biggest mistake that's costing you clients. Brandi Starr, COO at Tegrita and host of the Revenue Rehab podcast, joins us this week to share how agencies can fix this common gap and build stronger sales pipelines.

With over 20 years of experience working with B2B...

As an agency owner, have you ever stopped doing something that used to work — even though you knew it was effective? You’re not alone. In this solo episode, Dan Englander, CEO of Sales Schema, shares hard truths about why agencies unintentionally sabotage their own growth, from drifting away from proven processes to falling into the trap of over-optimizing for “buyers” instead of building real relationships.

Dan combines some of his...