In episode 111 of Agency Bytes, I sit down with Corey Quinn—agency growth expert, author of Anyone, Not Everyone, and the guy who helped scale Scorpion from $20M to $150M. We unpack what it really means to specialize as an agency and why empathy might just be your most overlooked growth lever.
Corey shares how moving from generalist to deep specialization can unlock operational efficiency, stronger positioning, and a hell of a lot more revenue. We also dig into outbound sales strategies (including the power of gifting!), how to expand into multiple verticals without becoming a generalist again, and what the future of agency specialization looks like in an AI-driven world.
If you’ve ever worried about niching down “too far,” this conversation will flip that fear on its head.
Key Bytes
• Corey Quinn emphasizes the importance of deep specialization for agency growth. • Empathy is crucial for understanding clients' specific problems. • Transitioning from inbound to outbound sales requires a strategic approach. • The generalist trap can lead to operational inefficiencies and client loss. • Building trust through industry engagement is key to agency success. • Agencies should consider adjacent verticals for expansion. • Creative teams may need variety to stay engaged in specialized markets. • The tools used in marketing may change, but the outcomes remain constant. • Agencies should focus on solving real-world business problems for clients. • Founders can explore new verticals once they achieve a certain market share.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Agency Growth and Specialization 01:11 Corey's Journey in the Agency World 03:02 Scaling Scorpion: From 20M to 150M 07:15 The Shift to Outbound Sales Strategies 11:44 Deep Specialization: Breaking the Generalist Trap 12:10 Empathy in Agency Specialization 19:10 Building Trust Through Industry Engagement 21:10 Expanding into New Verticals 25:17 Addressing Fears of Niching Down 27:42 Future Trends in Agency Specialization
Corey Quinn has over 18 years in the agency space, including as Scorpion's CMO, where he helped grow revenue from $20M to $150M in 6 years. His bestselling book: "Anyone, Not Everyone: a Proven System for Agencies to Escape Founder-Led Sales" has been endorsed by Aaron Ross, John Ruhlin, Dr. Benjamin Hardy, Marcel Petitpas, and many others.
Today, his company helps digital agencies become the go-to choice within a vertical market with his Deep Specialization Methodology.
Popular Podcasts
NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal
Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com