Agency Alchemy
Delve into the dynamic world of modern advertising agencies.
Episodes
What happens when Hollywood filmmaking collides with the agency world? Rick Wayne, Executive Creative Director at Brand Imagination Group, joins Agency Alchemy to explore why the traditional agency model is struggling to keep pace with modern creativity and what might replace it.
Drawing on his background as a filmmaker and director, Rick discusses the growing convergence of advertising and entertainment, why cinematic work is abou...
What if the problem with the agency model isn’t whether an agency is independent or owned by a holding company, but the shape of the agency itself?
Dana Hork, Founder and CEO of Beers with Friends, joins Agency Alchemy to explain why her “microagency” operates with just two full-time employees, builds bespoke teams of fractional specialists around individual client problems and uses tightly constrained five-day cr...
Brands are under more pressure than ever to react to culture, move faster, and justify every marketing dollar, but speed doesn't have to come at the expense of long-term brand building.
On this episode of Agency Alchemy, we're joined by Evan Gettinger, Principal at CBX, to unpack the difference between branding and marketing, why the strongest client relationships are built on honesty instead of polish, and how agencies can stay st...
The economics of the agency business are changing, and according to David Dweck, President of Go Fish Digital, agencies that cling to the models that made them successful in the past may be the ones most at risk.
In this episode of Agency Alchemy, David joins to explore the price compression reshaping the industry, why labor arbitrage is losing relevance and how agencies can better align their commercial models with the actual busi...
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What happens when advertising leaves the screen and has to prove itself in the real world?
James Robinson, Global Chief Creative Officer at Momentum, joins us to explore why experiential marketing is “advertising without a net,” and why brands can no longer rely on visibility, targeting or clever messaging alone to create meaningful...
Design has never been more accessible, but accessibility does not automatically create quality, distinction or meaningful human connection.
In this episode of Agency Alchemy, Justine Allan, Managing Director of Pearlfisher North America, joins us to explore why strategy remains the essential foundation of great design and why discernment, judgment and experience may become even more valuable as AI transf...
For years, brands have treated social media as a numbers game, chasing trends, algorithms, and endless streams of content. Blake Heal, Founder and CEO of Conscious Minds, believes that era is coming to an end.
In this episode, Blake explains why social is reclaiming its role as the primary platform for brand building, where culture, storytelling, and memorable moments matter more than posting volume. He ...
Ryan Stern, CEO and Co-Founder of Collectively, joins us to discuss how creator marketing evolved from an experimental channel into a core business function. Ryan explains why brands are increasingly adopting creator agency of record models, how marketing teams must break down traditional silos, and why managing creator relationships requires a fundamentally different approach than managing media channels.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup arrives in North America, soccer is entering a new era of cultural relevance across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. But what separates the clubs, brands, and sponsors that become part of the culture from those that simply buy visibility?
On this episode of Agency Alchemy, we sit down with Malcolm Buick, Chief Creative Officer at Athletics, the brand innovation studio wo...
On this episode of Agency Alchemy, we sit down with Justin Tobin, Founder and President of Gather, to explore why the traditional agency model is being challenged by a new generation of more agile, action-oriented organizations. Drawing on his experience leading global digital strategy at American Express during the rise of social media and mobile, Justin shares the frustrations that inspired Gather’s creation a...
On this episode of Agency Alchemy, we sit down with Rob Cherof, Founder and President of Rocket Camp, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of agency talent, mentorship, and creativity in an AI-driven industry.
Drawing from decades of experience at some of advertising’s most iconic agencies — and his work developing young professionals through the 4A’s Institute for Advanced Advertising Studies — ...
On this episode of Agency Alchemy, we’re joined by Talia Arnold, Managing Partner at Exverus by Brainlabs, to unpack how the agency has navigated growth without losing the culture that made it successful in the first place.
Talia shares the founding philosophy behind Exverus, why Brainlabs felt like the right acquisition partner, and how both organizations aligned around shared values including str...
As agency networks rethink how—and where—they operate, the traditional “London-first” model is starting to show its cracks.
On this episode of Agency Alchemy, Pete Coates, Managing Director of Omnicom Media Newcastle, breaks down what it really takes to build a modern agency footprint from the ground up—and why regional expansion today isn’t about geography, it’s...
In this episode of Agency Alchemy, we sit down with Justin Barnes, Executive Creative Director at VERSUS, to explore the fast-evolving intersection of brand storytelling and entertainment. From major collaborations with global players like Volkswagen and The Walt Disney Company to large-scale experiential and mixed-media campaigns, VERSUS is operating at the forefront of a new creative paradigm.
At the center of that shift is a con...
What if the most powerful marketing isn’t an ad at all—but the experience itself? On this episode, Josh Lane (COO) and Matt Ferebee (CCO) of FerebeeLane unpack how they’ve built their agency by flipping the traditional model on its head. Instead of starting with campaigns, they start with narrative—embedding brand thinking into everything from architecture and service training to textiles and guest interacti...
What does it take to build a nationally competitive agency from Portland, Maine — and keep it independent for 33 years?
On this episode of Agency Alchemy, Leeann Leahy, CEO of VIA, joins us to talk about ambition, employee ownership, AI as a “silent engine,” and why independence isn’t just a structure — it’s a strategic advantage.
Leeann shares how she st...
Private equity has reshaped agency land—but the story is more nuanced than headlines about roll-ups and margin pressure.
On this episode of Agency Alchemy, Scott Shamberg, CEO + President of Mile Marker, joins us to unpack what private equity actually gets right about the agency business—and where it sometimes misses the mark. Drawing on his experience inside holding companies and now leading...
What actually defines great creative — and why has so much modern advertising lost its way?
In this episode of Agency Alchemy, we sit down with Ellis Verdi, co-founder of DeVito/Verdi, to unpack nearly 40 years of independent agency leadership, creative conviction, and cultural impact.
Ellis argues that while platforms, formats, and technologies continue to evolve, the core DNA of ...
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