The Ugly Secrets to Scaling an Agency

Hey,

A couple of years ago, my agency went from zero to $2M in annual revenue.

Then I sold it.

Not because of some secret hack. Not because I got lucky. And definitely not because I followed whatever “growth playbook” was trending at the time.

It happened because of five principles that still work today.

1) Stand for something or get lost in the noise

We focused on creative, performance, and writing. Everyone else was busy overcomplicating “brand” with fluff.

It is much easier to stand out when you actually stand for something.

2) Get there first

1. We were running post-purchase surveys before they were popular.

2. We used user-generated content before it even had a name.

3. We were the first agency to test Triple Whale.

By the time competitors caught on, we had already moved ahead.

3) Do the work no one wants to do

Most agencies ignored the messy, unsexy stuff. We leaned in.

✔️ Whitelisting
✔️ Landing pages
✔️ Creator sourcing, scripting, and production

The harder the work, the fewer people doing it. That is why it worked better.

4) Build partnerships that actually move the needle

Instead of cold-pitching brands, we built relationships with:

• Shopify Plus

• Okendo

• Consultants and rollups

They referred us business. We helped their clients. Everybody won.

5) Hire the best and pay them accordingly

We did not cut corners on talent.

✔️ We made expensive hires.
✔️ We gave top talent what they actually wanted.

It hurt the bank account at first. The results were worth it ten times over.

Scaling an agency is not easy. Selling one is even harder.

But if you focus on the right things, not just what is trendy, you will build something that lasts.

If you are trying to grow your agency the right way, let’s chat.

Reply with “GROWTH” or book a call here.

Book A Call With Me

Tim

PS: I’m holding an event March 5th on “How To Add $100K MRR To Your Agency In 2025 With LinkedIn Inbound”.

It’s 100% Free, and I’d love to see you there. (Join Here)