In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing and advertising, agency leaders must navigate a complex web of challenges while striving for success. Rise 25 interviewed 17 top agency leaders to uncover their invaluable insights, strategies, and experiences gained from running thriving agencies. These industry veterans shared a wealth of advice — emphasizing the importance of building authentic client relationships, fostering a positive company culture, embracing adaptability, and focusing on measurable results. They also shed light on persistent challenges, such as talent acquisition and retention, sustaining growth beyond project-based work, and staying ahead of rapidly changing digital marketing trends.
The article features a diverse array of agencies, each with its unique specializations and target markets. From full-service marketing powerhouses to boutique firms focused on thought leadership and digital experiences, these agencies cater to a wide range of industries and client needs. Some specialize in SEO and paid advertising, while others excel in branding, PR, and integrated marketing strategies. The featured agencies serve clients ranging from small businesses and individual practices to major enterprises and publicly traded companies — demonstrating the breadth of expertise and adaptability required to thrive in today’s competitive agency landscape.
Robert Royer, Building Brands Marketing
Robert Royer, President and Founder of Building Brands Marketing, offers two key tips for running a successful agency. First, he stresses the importance of genuinely caring about clients and their needs, which sets an agency apart in a crowded and unregulated industry. Second, Robert advises agency executives to prioritize building scalable processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs) from the outset — rather than getting caught up in day-to-day tasks. This approach enables easier training and hiring as the agency grows. Robert also highlights the significance of proactive communication with clients, especially regarding technical services, to maintain high client retention rates and ensure clients know about ongoing work and improvements.
Building Brands Marketing, founded by Robert in 2018, has grown from a one-person consulting agency to a full-service marketing firm with over two dozen employees. The agency specializes in a wide range of services, including web development, graphic design, production, SEO, SEM, social ads, and full-funnel strategy development. Robert’s expertise lies in SEO and high-level strategy development. Building Brands Marketing primarily caters to small businesses, focusing on three key industries: doctors, home services, and lawyers. Their ideal clients are typically individual practices or small businesses operating in one to three markets, with annual revenues of a million dollars or more.
Learn more: Robert Royer on LinkedIn, Building Brands Marketing
Chase Neely, Leverage Brands
Chase Neely, President of Leverage Brands, advises agency owners to focus on core activities that drive results for their businesses. He recommends embracing a “boring” approach of consistently executing proven strategies for the agency’s growth, reserving creativity and experimentation for client work. Chase highlights the importance of disciplined execution to build a sustainable agency that aligns with the owner’s desired lifestyle. However, he acknowledges that staying current with rapidly evolving digital marketing trends remains a significant challenge, emphasizing the need for measurable, repeatable, and actionable testing methods to drive continuous improvement.
Leverage Brands, co-founded by Chase in 2018, specializes in helping thought leaders and experts monetize their knowledge through digital platforms. The agency’s history dates back to 2012, when Chase and his team collaborated with an author management company. Leverage Brands focuses on developing comprehensive digital marketing strategies, including email marketing, SEO blogging, and online course development. They have a proven track record of growing their client’s online presence, with notable successes such as expanding an email list from 18,000 to 373,000 subscribers. The agency primarily serves thought leaders, authors, and individuals with significant expertise, aiming to amplify their message and reach a broader audience.
Learn more: Chase Neely on LinkedIn, Leverage Brands
David Mink, Avalaunch Media
David Mink, CEO of Avalaunch Media, stresses the importance of adaptability and talent cultivation for running a successful agency. He uses a surfing analogy to illustrate the need to constantly catch the next wave, whether it’s responding to client needs or industry trends. David advises agency leaders to be willing to expand and adjust their services as opportunities arise. Additionally, he highlights the significance of creating a positive work culture that attracts top talent, recognizing that the agency’s success ultimately depends on the skills and dedication of its employees.
Avalaunch Media, founded in 2012, has grown from an SEO-focused agency to a full-service marketing powerhouse with approximately 50 employees. The company’s roots in e-commerce, stemming from the founders’ experience with a custom mattress company, have shaped its expertise in various sectors, including personal injury law, direct selling, software, healthcare, and financial services. While SEO remains a core offering, Avalaunch has expanded its services to include paid advertising across multiple platforms, web design and development, marketing automation, and social media management. David and his partners have successfully transformed their agency from a small consultancy to a versatile marketing firm capable of handling diverse client needs.
Learn more: David Mink on LinkedIn, Avalaunch Media
Kevin Pike, Rank Fuse Digital Marketing
Kevin Pike, President of Rank Fuse Digital Marketing, advises aspiring agency owners to say yes to everything and figure it out along the way, especially in the early stages. He emphasizes the importance of hustle and hard work, sometimes even pulling all-nighters to get the job done. Kevin acknowledges that this approach may not suit everyone, but it was crucial to his success in building his agency from the ground up. He also stresses the need to learn how to price services appropriately, as undervaluing work can lead to break-even or unprofitable projects.
Founded by Kevin in 2015 and based in Overland Park, Kansas, Rank Fuse Digital Marketing specializes in SEO, paid search, and website development, with in-house teams for content writing and paid media management. Rank Fuse serves a diverse clientele, from small business owners who need guidance on basic digital marketing concepts to larger companies with in-house marketing teams seeking technical SEO expertise. Kevin’s agency has been recognized on the Inc. 500’s list of fastest-growing companies, and it has helped clients achieve significant results, such as a 655% increase in enrollment form submissions for Johnson County Community College.
Learn more: Kevin Pike on LinkedIn, Rank Fuse Digital Marketing
Rusty Shelton, Zilker Media
Rusty Shelton, Founder and Chairman of Zilker Media, emphasizes building a compelling company culture to run a successful agency. Rusty believes this is important because it attracts and keeps talented employees, especially when competing with larger agencies. He advises agencies to “fire themselves” from tasks they don’t excel at and instead concentrate on their strengths. Rusty notes that finding and retaining talent is his biggest challenge because his boutique agency competes with global companies for employees.
Zilker Media, a full-service marketing and PR agency in Austin, Texas, specializes in helping companies build trust with their audiences by leveraging thought leadership from company leaders. They do this by increasing the visibility of company leaders through PR and other means. Zilker Media’s ideal clients are those in industries where businesses tend to look and act alike, like banking or finance. They help these companies differentiate themselves by positioning their leaders for the “right kind of PR” and awards.
Learn more: Rusty Shelton on LinkedIn, Zilker Media
Toni Dandrea, Media Bridge Advertising
Toni Dandrea, CMO/President & Partner at Media Bridge Advertising, says every successful agency needs structure and accountability. She recommends implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), which Media Bridge adopted in 2017, to establish clear core values, goals, and processes. Toni advises against overprocessing, instead focusing on creating a positive client experience, especially during the critical first 100 days. She also highlights the ongoing recruitment challenge, stressing the importance of networking and maintaining a robust pipeline of top-tier talent.
Media Bridge Advertising, founded in 2010, has grown to become the fifth-largest women-owned company in the Twin Cities. The agency specializes in health and medical technology, serving clients from pre-FDA approval startups to publicly traded companies. Toni notes that Media Bridge has evolved beyond its origins in media buying and planning to offer a full range of integrated services, including data analytics, strategy, in-house creative, and event activation. The agency prides itself on meeting clients wherever they are in their growth journey and maintaining strong relationships based on shared values.
Learn more: Toni Dandrea on LinkedIn, Media Bridge Advertising
Kyle Duford, The Brand Leader
Kyle Duford, President of The Brand Leader, stresses the importance of listening to clients while having the courage to share expertise they may lack. He highlights a significant challenge agencies face: sustaining growth beyond project-based work. According to Kyle, simply acquiring more clients isn’t enough; agencies must find ways to generate monthly recurring revenue (MRR) to ensure long-term sustainability and scalability.
Celebrating 25 years in business, The Brand Leader is a full-service advertising, branding, and design agency with offices in New York City and Greenville, South Carolina. Kyle describes the agency’s primary focus as implementing brand-first strategies that impact various touchpoints to acquire, retain, and grow businesses and their customers. The Brand Leader works across diverse verticals, including travel and tourism, medical, tech, FinTech, outdoor, and active lifestyle brands, with spirits being its top category. With a quarter-century of experience, the agency has adapted to the ever-changing digital landscape while staying committed to effective branding and client success.
Learn more: Kyle Duford on LinkedIn, The Brand Leader
Brian Phillips, The Basement
Brian Phillips, Founder and Director of The Basement, believes collaboration is critical to running a thriving agency. He advises leaders to hire talented people and trust them to do their jobs. Brian also finds that building relationships and ensuring revenue growth are persistent challenges. As his agency is based in Indianapolis, he is always looking for new opportunities and partnerships to expand the agency’s reach.
The Basement began in 2007 as a production company partnered with ad agencies to create high-quality digital experiences for consumers. Around 2012, Brian saw a void in the market for agencies that could effectively drive and measure consumer engagement. In response, he expanded The Basement to become a full-service integrated agency focused on data and building measurable relationships between brands and consumers across the entire consumer journey. The agency specializes in various services, including media, PR, creative, mobile apps, and Salesforce offerings.
Learn more: Brian Phillips on LinkedIn, The Basement
Amanda Cecconi, Punching Nun Group
Amanda Cecconi, Founder and CEO of Punching Nun Group, advises aspiring agency owners to gain experience in their chosen field, determine their strengths, and build a strong network before launching their venture. She believes understanding the market, identifying a niche, and providing specialized services tailored to a specific customer segment are crucial for success. Amanda acknowledges that finding and retaining the right people, especially those with a strong work ethic and the ability to thrive in a virtual environment, is an ongoing challenge.
Inspired by her experiences working with nuns in the healthcare industry, Amanda founded Punching Nun Group nearly 15 years ago to offer marketing support and tactical implementation for healthcare companies. The agency, which Amanda describes as an “outsourced marketing department,” provides a wide range of services to clients ranging from startups to billion-dollar companies. With a deep understanding of the healthcare market and a commitment to servant leadership, Amanda and her team have helped over 180 companies achieve their marketing goals.
Learn more: Amanda Cecconi on LinkedIn, Punching Nun Group
Emma Davis, Working Planet Marketing Group
Emma Davis, CEO of Working Planet Marketing Group, advises agency leaders to focus on demonstrating tangible financial results for clients. She stresses the importance of partnering with clients to set meaningful goals that align with their overall business objectives rather than just hitting arbitrary marketing metrics. Emma notes that even when clients initially request simple metrics like leads or website traffic, they will eventually scrutinize how their marketing investments translate into profitability and measurable returns. To ensure long-term success and prevent client churn, agencies must be prepared to show how their work directly impacts the client’s bottom line.
Working Planet Marketing Group, founded in 2003, specializes in quantitative digital marketing with a focus on improving paid advertising programs. Emma’s agency takes a unique approach by utilizing clients’ deep financial data to drive growth while managing their overall financial picture. The company prefers to work with clients with ambitious growth goals, aiming to expand 5-10 times their current size. Working Planet’s sweet spot is online services and software-as-a-service businesses, where they can leverage predictive models to manage payback periods and foster long-term, large-scale growth. This data-driven approach allows them to help clients attract investors and navigate the challenges of scaling profitably.
Learn more: Emma Davis on LinkedIn, Working Planet Marketing Group
Ricardo Casas, Fahrenheit Marketing
Ricardo Casas, CEO of Fahrenheit Marketing, shares two keys to running a successful agency: exceptional customer service and transparency. He stresses the importance of being readily available to clients, providing frequent updates, and maintaining honest communication. Ricardo notes that in the nebulous marketing field, it’s crucial to be upfront about what can and cannot be delivered — a practice that has been instrumental in Fahrenheit’s success and continued growth. He also highlights the challenge of misinformation in the industry, emphasizing the need to differentiate their agency through substance rather than facade.
Fahrenheit Marketing, founded in 2008, has evolved from serving smaller businesses to working with major enterprise clients such as PepsiCo, RJ Reynolds, and the Barbara Bush Foundation. The agency specializes in UI/UX design, conversion optimization, sponsored advertising, and, more recently, a renewed focus on search engine optimization. Ricardo’s approach involves prioritizing the depth of content and thought leadership to cement client brands in their respective spaces. Fahrenheit Marketing aims to provide world-class service without the typical big agency attitude, catering to clients seeking sustainable growth and brand building rather than quick fixes or “magic tricks.”
Learn more: Ricardo Casas on LinkedIn, Fahrenheit Marketing
Tyler Lane, Session Interactive
Tyler Lane, Founder & CEO of Session Interactive, stresses the value of building authentic relationships in running a successful agency. He believes in maintaining connections, as you never know when opportunities may arise. This approach has served Session Interactive well, with many of their leads coming from referrals and clients who continue to work with them as they move to new positions. Tyler also highlights the importance of balancing great rapport with performance-based results, aiming to develop strong relationships through delivering excellent service.
Session Interactive, founded about five and a half years ago, is a Denver-based digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, analytics, and paid media. Tyler’s background in SEO and analytics led him to create an agency that excels in these areas, addressing a gap he noticed in many agencies’ capabilities. The company focuses on immersing itself in clients’ businesses, providing comprehensive analytics services, and offering paid media solutions to supplement organic growth. Session Interactive works with single-service and multi-service clients, ranging from small businesses to large enterprise brands, tailoring its approach to each client’s unique needs.
Learn more: Tyler Lane on LinkedIn, Session Interactive
Chris Gittings, Cogent Connections
Chris Gittings, President of Cogent Connections, advises that organization and intentionality are essential for running a successful agency. The quantity and variety of tasks associated with marketing require careful tracking to avoid dropping the ball for clients. Chris acknowledges that the biggest challenge is staying on top of everything amidst the constant activity. He emphasizes the importance of taking immediate action on follow-ups and maintaining organization across client needs, networking relationships, and project management.
Established four years ago, Cogent Connections is a marketing agency specializing in business development programs. The agency focuses on helping companies build relationships with desired individuals, whether for investments, hires, partnerships, or clients. Chris’s expertise lies in LinkedIn, assisting clients with events, training on tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and maximizing the platform’s value. Cogent Connections takes pride in its thoughtful approach to relationship-building, tailoring strategies to help clients connect with their desired audience effectively.
Learn more: Chris Gittings on LinkedIn, Cogent Connections
Daniel Budai, Budai Media
Daniel Budai, CEO & Founder of Budai Media, advises agency owners to find a stable aspect of their industry that can withstand market fluctuations and trends. For Budai Media, this cornerstone has been email marketing, which has proven to be a reliable service over the years despite constant changes in the digital landscape. Daniel also highlights the importance of adaptability, suggesting that agencies must continually reinvent themselves, experiment with new ideas, and expand their service offerings to stay relevant in a changing environment. He notes that sales and lead generation are initial challenges, but as an agency grows, the focus shifts to hiring the right team members and effectively selling new services to clients.
Budai Media, founded in 2018, specializes in retention marketing for e-commerce brands, with a primary focus on North American businesses selling physical products. The agency’s core services include email and SMS marketing, which account for 80% of its offerings. Additionally, they provide ad creatives and Google Ads services to help their clients grow online. Daniel’s agency has experienced significant growth since its inception, generating over $50 million for more than 150 clients. Budai Media takes pride in delivering measurable results and boosting customer lifetime value for e-commerce businesses across various niches, from pet supplies to skincare products.
Learn more: Daniel Budai on LinkedIn, Budai Media
Winn Hardin, Tech B2B Marketing
Winn Hardin, Managing Director of Tech B2B Marketing, offers two key tips for running a successful agency. First, he stresses the importance of thoroughly understanding how each client goes to market across all channels, including their current operations, IT systems, and customer persona groups. Second, Winn advises carefully managing the pace of change for clients, ensuring that improvements are implemented iteratively without disrupting the organization. He notes that overwhelming clients with more leads than they can handle is counterproductive, emphasizing the need to align marketing efforts with their capacity to respond effectively.
Founded by Winn in 1996, Tech B2B Marketing has grown into a boutique agency with a staff of around 25, including several engineers. The agency specializes in serving technology markets, focusing on manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence, and energy sectors. Winn highlights that one of their key value propositions is their deep industry knowledge, which eliminates the need for clients to explain their technology or markets. Tech B2B Marketing prides itself on applying metrics to all marketing activities, with a strong emphasis on digital channels and lead generation, while also providing branding and visibility services tailored to each client’s needs.
Learn more: Winn Hardin on LinkedIn, Tech B2B Marketing
Jennifer Thompson, Webspark Media
Jennifer Thompson, CEO and Owner of Webspark Media, advocates for a balanced approach to running a successful agency. She stresses the critical need for flexibility and adaptability, urging agency leaders to be ready to pivot in response to changing market conditions and client needs. However, Jennifer cautions that this flexibility must be anchored in a robust internal structure. She notes that while having standard operating procedures (SOPs) is crucial, remaining stagnant can hinder growth. Conversely, frequent pivots without a stable foundation can lead to chaos. Jennifer also highlights the importance of building genuine connections and relationships outside of strictly business-oriented groups, which has significantly contributed to Webspark Media’s growth through referral partnerships.
Webspark Media, now in its eleventh year of operation, has evolved from a traditional paid advertising agency into a comprehensive growth partner for businesses, particularly in the medical field. The agency’s journey reflects its ability to adapt and expand its services in response to client needs. Webspark Media’s offerings now include a specialized call center with virtual front desk agents, development of internal sales systems and processes, organic outreach strategies, automated follow-up systems, and AI integration. Additionally, the agency assists with staffing solutions and provides strategic guidance on branding and business structure. Jennifer and her team at Webspark Media pride themselves on taking a holistic approach to helping medical practices and other businesses in the medical industry capture leads effectively, grow their ROI, and scale their operations.
Learn more: Jennifer Thompson on LinkedIn, Webspark Media
Nathan Hirsch
Nathan Hirsch, Co-founder of AccountsBalance, EcomBalance, TrioSEO, and Outsource School, emphasizes the importance of hiring skilled operators from day one when running a successful agency. He advises entrepreneurs to recruit experienced professionals who can manage the day-to-day operations, thus allowing owners to focus on high-level strategy and growth. Nathan explains that this approach enables businesses to scale in areas where the founders may lack expertise. He also highlights the significance of incentivizing operators with profit-sharing arrangements to align their interests with the company’s success.
Nathan’s portfolio of agencies includes TrioSEO, an SEO agency, and bookkeeping services like EcomBalance for e-commerce sellers and AccountsBalance for marketing agencies. These businesses were built on the principle of hiring expert operators to run each venture. For instance, AccountsBalance leverages the expertise of Shelly, a controller with 30 years of experience in bookkeeping. Nathan’s approach to agency management focuses on supporting these operators with hiring, marketing, and preventing burnout while maintaining a hands-off approach to daily operations. This strategy has allowed Nathan and his partners to build and manage multiple successful agencies simultaneously.
Learn more: Nathan Hirsch on LinkedIn, AccountsBalance, EcomBalance, TrioSEO, Outsource School