An Agency Story

What does it really take to build an agency from scratch and keep it going for over a decade? In this episode, Ryan Stets of 232 Creative shares the unfiltered journey of evolving from freelancer to agency owner, navigating uncertainty, and adapting to constant industry change. You’ll walk away with practical insight on resilience, decision-making, and what it takes to grow without losing direction. 

Key Takeaways

• How handling re...

Great creative work doesn’t happen by accident, it’s built on fundamentals. In this episode, Cabell Harris shares decades of perspective on how the creative industry has evolved and what actually separates meaningful work from noise. 

Key Takeaways

•  The difference between real positioning and “parity” messaging 
•  A simple framework for thinking about audience, message, and effectiveness 
•  Why the best creatives are ultimately probl...

Building a better agency is about building people, culture, and meaningful impact. In this episode, Jennifer Mulchandani of Arlington Strategy shares a refreshingly honest perspective on hiring, leadership, and why a better practices might be to not aim to keep clients forever. 

Key Takeaways

• A strong, human-first environment can outperform higher salaries and reduce costly turnover 
• Growth from empowering clients, not making them...

In this episode, Tom Schwab of Interview Valet breaks down how to use podcasting as a focused, intentional channel to build authority and attract the right results. If you’ve ever wondered whether podcasting is worth your time, this will change how you think about it.

Key Takeaways

•  Why podcasting isn't a numbers game 
•  The difference between using podcasts as a megaphone vs. a magnet
•  How to choose the right podcasts to build...

Company: On Purpose Projects

Guest: Natasha Golinsky

Year Started: 2015

Employees: 1-10

 In this episode, Natasha Golinsky shares how a personal health crisis pulled her out of day-to-day operations and revealed a hard truth: the business didn’t actually need her to function. This conversation will challenge how you think about control, leadership, and the importance of building succession into your business.

Key Takeaways

•  Why found...

Company: Beyond Spots & Dots

Guest: Melanie Querry

Year Started: 2006

Employees: 11-25

Building an well run agency often relies on mastering fundamentals that many can easily overlook. In this episode, Melanie Querry shares how she built Beyond Spots & Dots by focusing on transparency, operational discipline, and intentional growth. 

Key Takeaways

•  Culture is preserved through clear processes, shared standards, and consistent...

Company: Neff

Guest: David Neff

Year Started: 1959

Employees: 11-25

What does it take to build an agency that lasts decades and still love it? In this episode, Russel Dubree sits down with David Neff, founder of Neff, to explore the mindset behind a long, successful agency career. From relentless hustle to building powerful media relationships, David shares how creativity, persistence, and finding the "sexy" in every client a...

Company: Stay Calm Industries

Guest: Evan Johnson

Year Started: 2013

Employees: 1-10

What do you do after losing your job at a coffee shop? If you’re Evan Johnson, you start a marketing agency the very next day. In this episode, Evan shares the unconventional story behind Stay Calm Industries, from landing his first clients as a barista to building a creative team and signing contracts in Iceland. It’s a candid conversation about leade...

Company: Legal + Creative

Guest: Sharon Toerek

Year Started: 2014

Employees: 1-10

In this episode, Sharon Toerek of Legal + Creative reframes how agency owners should think about legal. Instead of treating it like a sunk cost, she explains how contracts, IP, and insurance can actively protect margins, increase leverage, and even create new revenue streams.

If you’ve ever ignored a contract, overlooked your IP, or treated legal like a ne...

Company: Adsquire

Guest: Anthony Higman

Year Started: 2021

Employees: 1-10

What happens when a mailroom clerk discovers Google Ads and turns it into a multimillion-dollar advantage? In this episode, Anthony Higman shares his journey from corporate frustration to building Adsquire, a digital marketing agency for law firms. You’ll learn what it really takes to bet on yourself, build a high-performing team from scratch, and create mo...

Company: Ladybugz

Guest: Lysa Miller

Year Started: 2002

Employees: 11-25

What happens when a founder stops chasing growth and starts building with intention?

In this episode, Lysa Miller, Founder of Ladybugz, shares how she rebuilt her agency around simplicity, empathy, and clarity. From sprint-based web design to a mindset shift that changed everything, this conversation explores the invisible work behind building an agency you actuall...

Company: Briteweb

Guest: Jill de Chavez

Year Started: 2011

Employees: 11-25

What does it really feel like to go from employee to agency owner, especially when the pressure hits fast? In this episode, Jill de Chavez shares her journey of stepping into ownership at Briteweb and what it taught her about leadership, transparency, and building a people-first agency that aligns with values and numbers. 

Episode Highlights:

• Developing futur...

Company: Elysium Marketing Group

Guest: Elyse Lupin

Year Started: 2015

Employees: 11-25

Starting an agency is hard. Starting one with a baby at home is even harder. In this episode, Elyse Lupin, Founder of Elysium Marketing Group, shares the real story behind building a food and franchise agency through uncertainty, motherhood, and constant industry change.

Key Takeaways

• Why Elyse launched her agency with a nine-month-old
• The fear of ...

Company: Essjay

Guest: Sarah Patterson

Year Started: 2011

Employees: 1-10

Money clarity changes everything. In this episode, fractional CFO Sarah Patterson breaks down how agency owners can stop guessing and start making confident financial decisions using 7 simple, repeatable habits. You’ll learn how to turn financials into a practical tool for direction, focus, and smarter leadership.

Key Takeaways

• Why clean books alone aren’t...

Company: Help.Agency

Guest: John Balauat

Year Started: 2020

Employees: 11-25

Growth doesn’t usually fail because of effort, it fails because of friction. In this episode, Russel sits down with John Balauat of Help.Agency to unpack why forcing outcomes creates pressure, bad decisions, and stalled momentum, and how the discipline of reducing friction leads to clearer sales, better partnerships, and healthier agencies.

Key Takeaways

• Why...

Company: Brolik

Guest: Jason Brewer

Year Started: 2004

Employees: 11-25

You can never underestimate the ability to measure your business. In this episode, Russel sits down with Jason Brewer of Brolik to unpack what 22 years of agency ownership actually teaches you about predictable revenue, leadership, and long-term decision-making. 

Key Takeaways

• The mindset shift required to invest in growth before results show up
• How “being your ow...

Company: 30|90 Marketing

Guest: Rachel Ledet

Year Started: 2018

Employees: 1-10

Clarity in business doesn’t arrive all at once, it’s built through decisions, experience, and commitment. In this first ever "Where are they now?" episode, Russel reconnects with Rachel Ledet, Founder of 30|90 Marketing, to explore how her agency evolved over the past few years and what changed once she fully committed to a clear focus.

This episod...

Company: Smart Sites

Guest: Alex Melen

Year Started: 2011

Employees: 100+

What does it really take to build a large agency without chaos, investors, or burning out your team? In this episode, Alex Melen, Co-Founder of SmartSites, shares how starting a business at 13 shaped his long-term mindset and how disciplined measurement and intentional growth decisions helped SmartSites become a 450-person agency.

Key Takeaways

• Why agency growt...

Company: North Strett

Guest: Tom Conlon

Year Started: 2010

Employees: 1-10

In this episode, Russel sits down with Tom Conlin of North Street to unpack how an unexpectedly narrow offer became a mechanism for opening doors, reducing stress, and creating better opportunities across the business.

Key Takeaways

• How a narrowly defined offer can become a powerful door-opener for bigger work
• What it really means to “see the machinery of the b...