What are the key factors to building and scaling a successful agency today? Rise25 recently spoke with 25 top agency leaders who shared their invaluable insights and strategies for agency growth. These industry veterans emphasized the importance of niching down to establish expertise, leveraging strategic partnerships to expand reach, and consistently delivering exceptional value to clients. They also highlighted the significance of building a strong team culture, investing in personal development, and staying adaptable in the face of evolving market trends. From innovative marketing techniques to effective client management practices, these agency owners provided a wealth of knowledge for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned professionals.
These leaders offer perspectives from experience in a diverse array of agencies, each with its unique focus and specialization— ranging from digital marketing powerhouses and branding experts to SEO specialists and content creation studios. The featured agencies offer a wide spectrum of services, including web design and development, social media management, influencer marketing, public relations, and data-driven advertising campaigns. Some agencies cater to specific industries, such as healthcare, finance, or e-commerce, while others provide comprehensive solutions across various sectors. This collection of agency leaders represents a cross-section of the industry, offering readers a broad perspective on the multifaceted world of agency ownership and management.
Rania Robinson, Quiet Storm
Rania Robinson, CEO & Partner at Quiet Storm, emphasized the importance of a leadership mindset by highlighting three key aspects. She first advised against taking success for granted, encouraging agency owners to continually assess their businesses, even when things are going well. Secondly, Rania stressed the need for persistence during challenging periods, noting that success often comes with steadfast determination and consistent effort. Lastly, she underscored the importance of maintaining faith and positivity, especially amid relentless industry changes and ongoing challenges.
Quiet Storm, led by Rania and originally founded by her husband, Trevor Robinson, stands out as a creative agency pioneering a unique approach to film work within the advertising industry. Specializing in TV advertising and film production, Quiet Storm primarily serves fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands, focusing on grocery brands and direct consumer products, including travel, leisure, and technology. Renowned for their globally recognized work for Haribo, Quiet Storm has made a mark by producing and directing memorable advertising campaigns, including those aired in the US market. Founded in 1995, the agency’s unconventional business model, driven by creativity and a holistic approach to marketing communications, continues to set it apart in an industry marked by constant change and evolving client needs.
Learn more: Rania Robinson on LinkedIn, Quiet Storm
Phil Treagus-Evans, Giraffe Social
According to Phil Treagus-Evans, Managing Director at Giraffe Social, one of the key tips for running a thriving agency is to prioritize finding the right people. He emphasizes the importance of this aspect by likening an agency to a recruitment company, where the quality of the team directly impacts the agency’s success. Phil highlights the significance of not rushing the hiring process and advises against filling the position unless certain about the fit. He underscores the costly repercussions of hiring the wrong person, stressing that restarting the recruitment process is preferable to risking a misaligned hire.
Giraffe Social, founded almost 12 years ago, specializes in social media marketing services. The agency caters to ambitious brands worldwide, offering a comprehensive range of services within the social media realm, including influencer marketing, paid media, content creation, and community management. Unlike many agencies, Giraffe Social prides itself on its industry-agnostic approach, enabling it to collaborate with diverse brands across various sectors. The agency’s unique name stems from its desire to establish a memorable brand associated with an animal, with the giraffe symbolizing reach and employing a distinctive orange color palette for branding purposes. Through a combination of expertise, a strong company culture, and a commitment to hiring the right talent, Giraffe Social has built a reputation as a leading player in the competitive social media agency landscape.
Learn more: Phil Treagus-Evans on LinkedIn, Giraffe Social
Chris Raulf, Boulder SEO Marketing
International SEO expert Chris Raulf, Founder & President of Boulder SEO Marketing, emphasizes the need for passion and a hands-on approach when running a successful agency. He likens the agency to a baby, requiring constant care and attention. While passion is crucial, he also highlights the necessity of strategic decision-making and letting go of certain aspects to facilitate growth. Chris underscores the need to hire the right talent, provide proper education, and make tough decisions for the company’s benefit, even when they are emotionally challenging.
Boulder SEO Marketing, initially a local SEO company in Boulder, quickly expanded internationally and now serves clients worldwide. Chris’s extensive experience, predating Google’s inception, has shaped the agency’s approach to specializing in SEO strategies that incorporate AI advancements, allowing them to outperform major websites like Wikipedia. With a team of about 20 professionals, Boulder SEO Marketing maintains its boutique agency feel while catering to clients globally. Their ideal clients are those with existing websites looking to improve their rankings, particularly those already performing on search engine result pages but seeking further optimization.
Learn more: Chris Raulf on LinkedIn, Boulder SEO Marketing
Adam Draper, Gladiator Law Marketing
Adam Draper, CEO of Gladiator Law Marketing, suggests that embracing volatility is essential for the success and growth of any agency. Understanding that the industry landscape can change rapidly, particularly with technological advancements like AI and shifting market dynamics, is crucial for agency owners. Adam emphasizes the importance of continual innovation and adaptation. He compares current strategies to historical business survival tactics, highlighting the need for both intellectual property innovation and a solid physical foundation to withstand competition.
Founded by Adam and his sister Lisa, Gladiator Law Marketing specializes in digital marketing exclusively for law firms, focusing primarily on consumer-facing practices such as personal injury, criminal defense, family law, and estate planning. Established in Kentucky, the agency maintains a national approach. It limits client intake per location and practice area to ensure exclusivity and tailored service. With a core specialty in search engine optimization (SEO), Gladiator Law Marketing helps law firms capitalize on online visibility, particularly for clients seeking legal services for the first time, thereby expanding their reach and client base.
Learn more: Adam Draper on LinkedIn, Gladiator Law Marketing
Lauren Stevenson, Aisle 8
For Lauren Stevenson, Co-founder & Director of Aisle 8 in London, running a successful agency comes with challenges. She emphasizes that the difficulties lie primarily with managing people and acquiring clients. Building a team requires emotional investment and financial commitment, as founders become responsible not just for the business but also for the livelihoods and career growth of their employees. Additionally, attracting and retaining clients amidst stiff competition demands aligning with the agency’s culture and finding projects that resonate with the team and the target audience. Lauren acknowledges that these challenges revolve around people, a domain she initially entered because of her passion for human connections.
Aisle 8, established 10 years ago, initially focused on fashion but has since expanded to cover fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands across various sectors, including automotive, food, drink, and interiors. With a team of 25 professionals, the agency offers integrated services ranging from traditional public relations to affiliates, paid media, influencer partnerships, events, copywriting, and brand ambassador campaigns. Lauren’s journey into the agency world began with a passion for marketing and public relations, which she pursued through university and early work experiences. After stints at boutique and larger agencies, as well as an in-house role at Harrods, she co-founded Aisle 8 in 2014, driven by the desire to regain the entrepreneurial excitement of building brands and businesses.
Learn more: Lauren Stevenson on LinkedIn, Aisle 8
Jackson Reinsfield, ConsultMyApp
A fundamental tip for operating a successful agency, as stated by Jackson Reinsfield, Head of Marketing at ConsultMyApp, is to gain a thorough understanding of the challenges faced by clients. It involves tailoring your marketing efforts to address different segments of your customer base and ensuring that your product or service effectively solves their issues. Additionally, Jackson emphasizes the importance of having a strategy for obtaining and showcasing case studies. These case studies serve as vital evidence of the agency’s capabilities and successes, thus highlighting the value it provides to clients.
ConsultMyApp, founded by Jackson and his team, is a prominent digital marketing agency specializing in mobile and app marketing. Their services cover a wide range of areas, including paid user acquisition, search engine optimization, multichannel engagement campaigns, push notification strategies, and email marketing. With expertise in App Store optimization and data analytics, they help clients optimize their apps and make data-driven decisions. Moreover, ConsultMyApp offers creative and design services to enhance clients’ digital presence and engages in app growth consulting to assist businesses in achieving their goals effectively. From startups to enterprise companies like General Motors and Virgin, ConsultMyApp caters to a diverse clientele, leveraging tailored strategies to drive success in the competitive app market.
Learn more: Jackson Reinsfield on LinkedIn, ConsultMyApp
Kevin A. Neilson, Gravitate One
Kevin A. Neilson, Owner of Gravitate One, says agency owners should prioritize balancing providing value to clients with respecting their business decisions. He highlights the challenge of delivering excellent results while clients may make unwise choices impacting budgets or operations. Kevin emphasizes the importance of client selection, opting to cap the number of clients to ensure they align with the agency’s ethos and understanding of business dynamics.
Gravitate One, established in 2008, takes a relationship-oriented approach to serve a diverse clientele locally and nationally, including international collaborations. With a maximum of 50 managed clients, the agency focuses on tailored experiences across various industries, from legal services to retail and software. Specializing in SEO initially, Gravitate One expanded its services to encompass SEO, Google Ads management, social media marketing, email marketing, and digital design. They prioritize ongoing client relationships while offering one-off design services, balancing recurring revenue with project-based work. Kevin underscores the agency’s commitment to revenue management, likening it to a football team’s need for both offensive and defensive strategies, advocating for a holistic approach to financial management.
Learn more: Kevin A. Neilson on LinkedIn, Gravitate One
Matt Frost, Elite Digital Ltd
Matt Frost, Owner of Elite Digital Ltd., emphasizes the importance of identifying a niche and truly understanding the audience; this is a top tip for newer agency owners. He suggests that focusing on a specific audience allows agencies to address their needs more effectively, leading to authentic solutions that stand out in the industry. Matt highlights the significance of going beyond superficial demographics and delving into the audience’s pain points to provide tailored services that bring genuine value.
Elite Digital Ltd. was established by Matt Frost and two American partners as part of a larger business. Initially, it focused on serving professional clients associated with the WordPress theme company Themeco. Over time, Elite Digital evolved into its own entity, specializing in web design and development, particularly WordPress-based solutions. While their primary clientele consists of other agencies seeking white-label design and development services, they also cater to clients worldwide, demonstrating their flexibility and expertise in meeting various digital needs.
Learn more: Matt Frost on LinkedIn, Elite Digital Ltd.
Shira Abel, Hunter & Bard
Shira Abel, CEO of Hunter & Bard, believes it is vital to recognize and meet the unique challenges that clients, especially those in the deep tech sector, encounter. She suggests that many of these organizations struggle to reach their target audience of engineers and scientists, who often aren’t easily accessible online. Instead of traditional digital marketing methods, such as display ads or social media, Shira’s agency excels in alternative strategies like event marketing, direct mail, and highly targeted email campaigns. By recognizing the necessity for specialized approaches, Hunter & Bard positions itself as an expert in engaging hard-to-reach audiences and offering tailored solutions to its clients’ needs.
Hunter & Bard, a B2B agency, specializes in serving engineering, science-driven, and fintech organizations. With a focus on complex solutions requiring deeper understanding, the agency offers services such as account-based marketing (ABM), web development, branding, content marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). One of Hunter & Bard’s key strengths is their extensive experience in product-led growth (PLG) strategies, where design and messaging play critical roles in engaging target audiences. Their history includes multiple awards for design and messaging, reflecting their commitment to excellence in delivering tailored solutions to their clients’ unique challenges.
Learn more: Shira Abel on LinkedIn, Hunter & Bard
Nick Kringas, ApricotLaw
Running a successful agency, especially in a competitive field like digital marketing, comes with its own set of challenges, according to ApricotLaw CEO Nick Kringas. Nick emphasizes the importance of focusing on niche markets, as it allows agencies to deeply understand their audience’s pain points and deliver tailored solutions. However, finding new clients remains a significant hurdle, particularly for newer agencies. In a saturated market, standing out amidst the noise and proving value beyond just the service offered is essential. This often involves overcoming the challenge of competing on price and instead focusing on delivering unique value propositions that resonate with clients.
Founded by Nick Kringas, ApricotLaw specializes in digital marketing for law firms, focusing on SEO, organic ranking, and PPC management. In addition to serving personal injury law firms nationwide, the agency also assists clients with family law and other legal matters. ApricotLaw takes pride in offering exclusive services to its clients, aiming to help them grow their firms and achieve a high return on investment. Nick’s journey into the legal space began with his experimentation with SEO while running a family restaurant, eventually leading to the establishment of ApricotLaw. The agency’s success lies in its ability to help law firms compete against larger competitors with unlimited marketing budgets, providing strategic marketing solutions that allow them to punch above their weight class in the digital landscape.
Learn more: Nick Kringas on LinkedIn, ApricotLaw
Tracy Marlowe, Creative Noggin
Tracy Marlowe, CEO and Owner of Creative Noggin, emphasizes hiring smart, passionate individuals who take pride in their work. “Always hire people that are smarter than you,” she advises, crediting this approach as crucial to the agency’s success. Tracy notes that staying on top of the latest technologies and trends is a constant challenge. With numerous emerging trends, discerning which are worth investing in and which are fleeting fads requires keen judgment and ongoing education. She emphasizes the need to guide clients wisely, especially when they face budget constraints and the temptation to adopt every new buzzworthy technology.
Founded in 2001, Creative Noggin is a full-service marketing, branding, and advertising agency known for its work with purpose-driven brands and service-based industries. Tracy explains that the agency excels in brand development and redevelopment, catering to a diverse clientele, including not-for-profits like the American Cancer Society, healthcare systems, travel and tourism sectors, and government entities like the City of San Antonio. The agency’s strength lies in helping clients with niche markets and limited budgets reach their target audiences effectively, particularly in solving specific problems through strategic marketing efforts.
Learn more: Tracy Marlowe on LinkedIn, Creative Noggin
John Dunning, Human Design
When it comes to running a successful agency, John Dunning, President of Human Design, says it’s important to understand that you are running a business. He explains that while creativity is the output, the work must follow fundamental business principles. Agencies that fail to adhere to these principles are more likely to struggle during market downturns. John highlights the necessity of maintaining high-quality work and aligning the talent within the agency to unlock their full potential. He notes that even though this might mean higher costs, the resulting quality is worth it, enabling the agency to produce exceptional work consistently.
Human Design, founded 11 years ago, is a leading agency in Colorado’s Front Range known for its traditional strategic creative work and advanced expertise in campaign measurement and tracking. John shares that the agency has continuously invested in staying relevant, merging strategic and creative elements to serve a diverse clientele. This includes major brands like Land O’Lakes, Purina, Converse, Transport, Equivatus, and Nike, as well as emerging tech companies seeking impactful storytelling. The agency prides itself on balancing work with established brands and innovative newcomers, ensuring they remain at the forefront of the industry.
Learn more: John Dunning on LinkedIn, Human Design
Bob Heid, We Are Kymera
Based on his experience running an agency, Bob Heid, Principal Owner of We Are Kymera, suggests that the key to a flourishing agency lies in the quality of its hires. Bob emphasizes the importance of taking time during the hiring process to find the right people. He proposes utilizing pre-employment tests, including the Myers-Briggs test, to assess candidates’ critical thinking capabilities. This approach helps ensure the team is composed of intelligent and capable individuals. Bob also highlights the importance of empowering these hires, allowing them to guide the agency with their expertise. Additionally, he notes that one of the biggest challenges in running an agency is maintaining consistency, as business levels can be highly cyclical.
We Are Kymera is an omni-channel marketing agency offering a wide range of services, including print, mail, digital marketing, web development, and social media. Bob’s journey with the agency began in 2004 when he bought a print and mail company. As digital marketing started to dominate, he acquired a web design and development company, followed by a branding and design company, T Creative. This amalgamation of three successful companies formed Kymera. The agency primarily serves early-stage and turnaround franchise organizations, focusing on the health and wellness sector. Bob and his team enjoy the dynamic nature of their work and the diverse range of clients they serve.
Learn more: Bob Heid on LinkedIn, We Are Kymera
Melanie Davidson, Scream Agency
What’s the most important element of an excelling agency? “Your team, 100% hands down,” Scream Agency President Melanie Davidson asserts. She says the collective effort of team members is pivotal to the success of any project or client relationship. Whether managing a small or large team, Melanie stresses the significance of each member’s contribution toward the greater good, ensuring everyone has a voice in organizational decisions. This team-oriented strategy helps overcome the multitude of challenges agencies face, including tight deadlines and high client expectations.
Scream Agency, a full-service creative and marketing agency, has been a powerhouse in brand storytelling for 25 years. Founded by Laura Letterman and now led by Melanie, the agency prides itself on its mantra, “Be seen. Be heard. Be good.” Being a certified B Corp for six years, Scream Agency is committed to high environmental and social responsibility standards. Serving a diverse range of clients, including foundations, non-profits, and for-profits, the agency offers services ranging from brand and logo redesign to digital marketing and media planning. Melanie and her team are selective, ensuring their values align with their clients to produce exceptional work and maintain a passion for their projects.
Learn more: Melanie Davidson on LinkedIn, Scream Agency
Tom Sullivan, LEAD Marketing Agency
Tom Sullivan, President & Owner of Grand Rapids-based LEAD Marketing Agency, says grounding your agency in foundational marketing principles is vital for maintaining a successful agency. He advises against blindly following every new trend, whether it’s AI, SEO, or social media. Instead, Tom believes in understanding the client’s core needs and crafting strategies that align with those needs. He acknowledges the challenge of educating clients who might think they comprehend marketing due to its visibility but lack a deep understanding of strategic goals and execution. This constant need for education and clarification is an ongoing challenge for his agency.
Founded in 2008, LEAD Marketing Agency emerged during the transition from traditional to digital advertising. Tom explains that their name reflects their mission: identifying leads—potential customers interested in making a purchase—and directing clients’ marketing plans from the forefront. The agency specializes in creating tailored strategies for diverse clients, from restaurants needing foot traffic to law offices seeking online form fills. Despite the rapid evolution of marketing technology, LEAD has stayed true to its original philosophy, ensuring every tactic serves a clear, strategic purpose for its clients.
Learn more: Tom Sullivan on LinkedIn, LEAD Marketing Agency
Scott Baradell, Idea Grove
Scott Baradell, CEO of Idea Grove, believes that the cornerstone of running a successful agency is a deep passion for the business and a strong understanding of clients’ needs. Scott emphasizes that many agencies struggle with content quality and industry knowledge, particularly in complex fields like technology. He addresses this challenge by hiring former journalists capable of producing intelligent, well-crafted content. He stresses the importance of agencies evolving with market demands, citing Idea Grove’s focus on LinkedIn for B2B clients as an example. Scott’s approach emphasizes aligning content with client expertise and ensuring it resonates with their target audience.
Founded in 2005, Idea Grove has grown into a reputable PR and marketing agency specializing in the B2B tech and manufacturing sectors. Scott, who transitioned from a journalist to corporate PR and eventually to entrepreneurship, started Idea Grove to fill the gap he noticed in the quality of agency content. The agency excels at creating compelling content and leveraging platforms like LinkedIn to generate leads and enhance brand visibility. Idea Grove’s ideal clients are mid-sized companies with a proven track record and untapped potential in digital marketing. These clients benefit most from Scott’s strategic approach, which focuses on amplifying their success stories and leveraging their established reputation to drive further growth.
Learn more: Scott Baradell on LinkedIn, Idea Grove
Luigi Moccia, Calashock Commerce
According to Luigi Moccia, Founder and CEO of Calashock Commerce, meticulously managing scope and tracking resources is key to running a successful agency. He notes that one of the main challenges agencies face is scope creep, where clients request additional tweaks and changes after agreeing on the initial design. Luigi advises being strict about adhering to the original scope to avoid providing extra work for free. Another critical aspect is monitoring hours effectively, as agencies essentially sell time. Luigi explains that accurately allocating and tracking hours is crucial for profitability, considering the intangible nature of time and the variability in task completion times among different team members.
Calashock Commerce, founded and led by Luigi, has specialized in designing and developing e-commerce websites on the BigCommerce platform for over 14 years. The agency, based in the UK with a satellite office in Toronto, serves a global clientele with a team spread across Asia and Europe. Luigi’s team focuses on helping SMBs succeed online, particularly those in the B2B sector with annual revenues between five and twenty million pounds or dollars. Calashock strives to tailor the customer journey and enhance the functionality of e-commerce websites to help their clients stand out and grow, avoiding cookie-cutter solutions and focusing on customized, strategic improvements.
Learn more: Luigi Moccia on LinkedIn, Calashock Commerce
Derek Weber, GoBRANDGo!
If you can identify and leverage the “winning zone,” Derek Weber, President of GoBRANDGo!, says you’ll have a successful agency. This concept involves pinpointing what makes the agency unique and valuable to its target market, ensuring differentiation from competitors. Derek highlights that this strategy is essential not only for securing new business but also for retaining clients and achieving profitable growth. However, he acknowledges that the biggest challenge in running an agency is navigating the rapid pace of change in the industry. With 21 years of experience, Derek notes that agencies must refresh their business models every three to five years and completely reinvent themselves every decade to stay relevant and competitive.
GoBRANDGo! is a marketing firm specializing in mid-market industrial companies, including those in manufacturing, distribution, and specialty construction. Derek and his team excel at transforming traditionally sales-focused organizations into integrated sales and marketing entities. Their approach involves bolstering in-house marketing teams, developing effective go-to-market strategies, and leveraging existing databases of previous prospects to drive new campaigns. This focus on bridging the gap between sales and marketing has positioned GoBRANDGo! as a valuable partner for companies looking to enhance their market presence and achieve sustainable growth.
Learn more: Derek Weber on LinkedIn, GoBRANDGo!
Leanne Prewitt, Ervin & Smith
For Leanne Prewitt, President & CEO of Ervin & Smith, it’s imperative to lead with integrity and have a mission that inspires employees and clients. Leanne’s top tip for running a successful agency is to maintain a balance between business and brand strategy while focusing on impact. She believes success stems from positively influencing clients’ businesses and ensuring her team feels valued and motivated. Leanne also highlights the challenge of maintaining transparency without overwhelming her team, emphasizing the need to share information thoughtfully to avoid unnecessary burdens.
Ervin & Smith, founded in 1983 in Omaha, Nebraska, began as a direct mail company and has since evolved into a boutique consulting firm specializing in solving complex business problems. Under Leanne’s leadership, the agency has embraced a culture focused on personal and professional development, making it one of the best workplaces, according to Ad Age. With a diverse executive team offering deep expertise in various business areas, Ervin & Smith serves professional service firms by providing C-suite perspectives on media, business, and brand strategies. The agency’s commitment to culture and continuous improvement has resulted in exceptionally low voluntary turnover, reflecting its dedication to its clients and employees.
Learn more: Leanne Prewitt on LinkedIn, Ervin & Smith
Brant McNaughton, Ecce
Brant McNaughton, Founder of Ecce, advises that one crucial tip for running a successful agency is knowing when to say no. While Ecce takes on various challenges, Brant emphasizes the importance of not taking on projects outside their niche or expertise. This focus helps avoid wasted hours and resources, allowing them to be used more effectively on more aligned projects. Additionally, Brant highlights the significance of customer service, good project management, and having a self-funded model to avoid external financial pressures. Surrounding oneself with a capable team and maintaining a strong company culture, even in a hybrid work environment, are also key factors, he points out.
Ecce, a software development agency, specializes in creating custom software solutions. Founded 25 years ago as a web design agency, it shifted focus to application development about a decade ago. Ecce assists mature businesses from different sectors in extending the life and functionality of their existing software systems, ensuring cost-effectiveness. Their diverse client base includes telecom companies, the UK National Health Service, paint manufacturers, boat manufacturers, and more. The common thread among their clients is the need for tailored software solutions to optimize and streamline their operations, often resulting in significant returns on investment.
Learn more: Brant McNaughton on LinkedIn, Ecce
Ben Martin, Royal Flush Marketing
Ben Martin, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Royal Flush Marketing, encourages agency leaders to value their services confidently and challenge client briefs. He stresses the importance of understanding the true objectives behind client requests rather than simply following trends or accepting superficial needs. Ben recommends digging deeper to identify the root causes of client challenges, whether it’s website conversion issues, product positioning, or audience targeting. He also emphasizes the need for agency owners to develop new expertise in business management, finance, and leadership when transitioning from technical roles to running their agencies.
Royal Flush Marketing, founded just six months before the pandemic, specializes in food and beverage marketing but also works in sectors like car insurance. The agency offers a comprehensive “marketing machine” approach, encompassing brand strategy, digital advertising, website optimization, email marketing, and what they call “reviral marketing”—turning existing customers into brand ambassadors. Ben and his team focus on creating tailored marketing mixes for their clients, focusing on working only with clients where their marketing approach will be truly effective.
Learn more: Ben Martin on LinkedIn, Royal Flush Marketing
Tom Shipley, Agency Ventures Aggregator
Tom Shipley, Founder of Agency Ventures Aggregator, advises agency owners to conduct a deep dive into their business, understanding its strengths and weaknesses, especially if they’re considering selling in the future. He recommends implementing changes that a potential buyer might make, focusing on creating predictable revenue and scalable growth. Tom suggests that agencies can solve most business challenges through strategic acquisitions, whether it’s expanding services or improving operations. He stresses the importance of cultural alignment in acquisitions and advises agency owners to take a critical approach to evaluating their own culture.
Agency Ventures Aggregator specializes in the government sector, particularly in economic development and policy changes for state, local, and federal agencies. This niche is considered recession-resilient due to its three-to five-year contracts and AI-resilient because of its complex, human-centric nature. The business focuses on marketing to constituents and larger enterprises, employing similar strategies for both government policy and brand communication. Tom’s business journey began 25 years ago with e-commerce platforms and evolved through various acquisitions and exits, including a successful venture in the beauty industry that generated over a billion dollars in revenue. Currently, Tom is actively acquiring agencies and launching new platforms to acquire both brands and agencies.
Learn more: Tom Shipley on LinkedIn, Tom Shipley
Meg Scarborough, Megawatt Content
Meg Scarborough, Founder and CEO of Megawatt Content, shares that one of the key strategies for running a successful agency is to prepare for downturns during periods of prosperity. Meg stresses the importance of making smart decisions regarding cash reserves, client diversification, and process optimization during prosperous times. She highlights the common mistake of neglecting these preparations during good times, which makes it challenging to adjust during downturns. Another significant challenge she faces is balancing client work with high-level business management, ensuring continuous monitoring of the agency’s health indicators.
Megawatt Content, founded in 2015 and officially established as an agency in 2020, specializes in content marketing for B2B tech companies. Meg’s agency excels at working with deep tech sectors, including cybersecurity, data tools, developer tools, and AI applied to security. Megawatt Content provides comprehensive content strategy, production, and analytics services, focusing on high-level brand awareness, sales enablement, and customer success content. The agency primarily serves Series B and public companies, offering a full lifecycle approach to content marketing to ensure continuous improvement and alignment with client goals.
Learn more: Meg Scarborough on LinkedIn, Megawatt Content
Victor Huynh, Ready Artwork
Victor Huynh, CEO & Head of Digital Strategy at Ready Artwork, underscores the necessity of commitment for running a successful agency. He shares numerous rough patches over the past 20 years where the temptation to walk away was strong. However, the drive to solve problems and figure things out kept him going. Victor also highlights the importance of continuous learning, especially in areas like HR, accounting, and cash flow projections, which were unexpected but crucial aspects of managing the agency.
Ready Artwork began as a small design and branding agency 20 years ago, primarily focusing on print work. Over time, as the print market became less profitable, Victor and his partner Emily transitioned the agency towards web development. They recognized a gap in the market between IT-driven websites and those created by classically trained graphic designers. Ready Artwork created a niche by employing a part-time engineer and capitalizing on their design expertise. Today, the agency offers a holistic approach to digital marketing, integrating content strategy, SEO, and advertising from the outset of any project. Their primary clientele now consists of B2B companies, and the agency prides itself on building long-term marketing partnerships.
Learn more: Victor Huynh on LinkedIn, Ready Artwork
Brandon Gilbert and Jacob Tilem, Slice Sports Management
Brandon Gilbert and Jacob Tilem, Co-founders of Slice Sports Management, offer a critical tip for running a successful agency: staying organized. According to Brandon, it’s essential to maintain a well-structured outreach method, which they developed over time through experience. He emphasizes tracking all brand interactions and keeping a comprehensive pipeline, often using shared tools like Google Excel sheets. This system helps them manage their outreach efficiently, ensuring they know what deals are in progress and who handles which tasks. Jacob adds that while staying organized is a significant challenge, especially for him, it is vital for maintaining the agency’s success and staying on course even when the going gets tough.
Slice Sports Management emerged from their shared passion and experiences as college students at Syracuse University. Both have long been motivated to succeed in the sports industry, seeing the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) opportunity as a way to bridge college athletes with brands. Slice specializes in connecting college athletes and athlete influencers with brands through exclusive and non-exclusive contracts. They focus on athletes with strong social media followings and high engagement rates, seeking those with both high athletic status and significant online influence. Their clients range from top-tier recruits to influencers who may not play sports competitively anymore but have amassed large, engaged audiences on social media.
Learn more: Brandon Gilbert on LinkedIn, Jacob Tilem on LinkedIn, Slice Sports Management