The Deep Specialization Podcast

"We've operated in over 30 states in Europe, Mexico and Canada. The Cannabis Creative Group has absolutely taken off like wildfire."  – Dan Serard, VP of Sales and Marketing for Cannabis Creative Group  Let’s take a deep dive into a vertical that certainly is anything but dull. This week's guest, Dan Serard is a trailblazer in cannabis marketing and has stories to tell in setting up agency services for cannabis companies. As the VP of Sales and Marketing for Cannabis Creative Group, Dan was invited to set up the vertical by Champ, a full service agency founded back in 2008. While the parent agency offers everything from branding, website design, social media, search engine optimization, paid advertising, and social media, CCG saw an opportunity to specialize in the weed industry. Why cannabis? In addition to the co-founders sharing a passion for the industry, cannabis was about to be legalized in the state of Massachusetts. So they called up Dan, and the rest is history.Between legislations and stringent restrictions to even perception, cannabis isn’t a simple vertical for agencies to master. This week, Dan and Corey discuss everything from carving out a vertical for a highly regulated product, dreaming up a standalone event brand for industry networking, and the building blocks that made CGC the success that it is today. Here’s what we cover in this episode: Starting the cannabis vertical at an agency. The quirks of the industry and navigating restrictions. How CCG grows through thought leaderships, partnerships, trade shows, and more. Building community for long-term success. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: GTM skills, even from a different industry, is a great skill set for sales leaders. Try to find spaces where you can show up first to gain an unfair advantage. Be active at industry associations; it’s a space not all agencies play in. Be the connector between clients and prospects at industry events to build community. The resources mentioned in this episode are: Connect with Dan on LinkedIn Here Check out Cannabis Creative Here 👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.  

Episode: 8 Chapter Eight of Anyone, Not Everyone outlines a four-step process for developing a distinctive vertical positioning, ensuring your agency stands out in the marketplace. It involves identifying key attributes that your vertical clients desire, plotting these attributes to find your unique "white space," and crafting a vertical positioning statement that encapsulates your agency’s distinct place in the client’s perception. This strategic positioning is not a static tagline but a dynamic, buyer-focused guide for your agency’s messaging and differentiation in the market. Reminder that this is a chapter in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.  If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.

"The average small business uses over three dozen different pieces of software to run different aspects of their business."  – Jeff Tomlin, Co-Founder & CMO of Vendasta If you had to summarize Vendasta’s marketplace for small and medium sized agencies, it would be, in Jeff’s words, “Business in a box”.  Vendasta gives 80k+ agencies a full-stack platform to rebrand and resell online services to local business clients, granting them the scalability of a SaaS recurring revenue model. Simplifying operations, the company lets agencies acquire, retain, expand and manage clients all in one place, removing many of the pain points agencies face as they’re looking to grow their business. Jeff joins The Deep Specialization Podcast to share his 17-year founder journey, going from building solutions for the media vertical and reputation management software to shaping up what Vendasta is known for today: a central online growth hub for agencies. Jeff and Corey dive into topics like finding product fit, building Vendasta, successes and failures, as well as invaluable leadership lessons accumulated along the way. Here’s what we cover in this episode: Vendasta’s 17-year journey and Jeff’s background. Typical inefficiencies in running a small business tech stack at an agency. The audacious goal Jeff’s team is working towards. Differentiation and positioning. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: If you’re offering solutions, building a suite can 3x retention rates. As you grow, be mindful of your growing tech stack and how to manage it. Embrace agility as a young organization, and don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t get caught up in the minutia of operations, build workflows with tech, instead. The resources mentioned in this episode are: Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn Here Check out Vendasta Here 👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities.Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.  

Episode: 7 Chapter Seven of Anyone, Not Everyone advises on the importance of understanding your competition in the chosen vertical market, with 90% of marketers reporting positive outcomes from such research. It suggests balancing competitive analysis with a focus on clients, emphasizing that overconcentration on competitors may lead to reactive, non-client-focused decisions. This chapter guides readers through a three-step process to identify, research, and document findings on competitors to better position and market their agency services effectively. Reminder that this is a chapter in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales. If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.

"The higher that gross margin is, the more optionality you have to make deliberate decisions about your agency."  – Marcel Petitpas, Co-Founder & CEO of Parakeeto Agency founders are often incredible visionaries when it comes to their core competency, but financials are rarely something they enjoy or excel at (pun intended). Between billable hours, shifting client scopes, clients scaling up or down, time-tracking, and pass-through costs, it’s no easy feat, either. In that vein, today’s guest has seen seven-figure agencies being run fully out of spreadsheets (and he’s here to change that). Marcel Petitpas, agency financials guru (and Co-founder of Parakeeto) is here to break down the ABCs of agency profitability.  Marcel’s shop, Parakeeto, is a consultancy and SaaS company that comes in to help agencies pass the next growth threshold at the point where they need more structured data operations to run financials and profitability, but aren’t quite at the level where they can buy enterprise software or hire internal teams to manage all of it. Corey and Marcel sit down to break down what a profitable agency is made out of. Agency founders, if there is one episode to earmark for invaluable financial planning advice, this one’s it.  Here’s what we cover in this episode: Marcel’s agency growth services from consulting to technology solutions. Typical financial and growth challenges agency owners face and how to solve for them. Why agency founders feel like there’s no profit even if they’re busier than ever. Using data and metrics as a guide to answer the important questions as a founder. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: You need a tighter feedback loop on company financials so you can course correct quicker. Even custom in-house financial tools can end up costing agencies six figures to maintain; be careful of hidden costs. When you control your profitability, you can become a lot more deliberate about growing your agency. Why productizing services is good for the financial health of an agency. The resources mentioned in this episode are: Connect with Marcel on LinkedIn Here Check out Parakeeto & their free resources Here  👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Episode: 6   Chapter Six of Anyone, Not Everyone stresses the significance of deeply understanding the needs, desires, and fears of your target vertical market to create marketing that resonates and stands out amidst the noise. It guides readers on conducting buyer journey client interviews, a method superior to assumptions or surface-level market research, for crafting highly relevant and impactful marketing messages that echo the specific context and challenges of the vertical buyers. Reminder that this is a chapter in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.  If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.

"The two challenges that we see with most agencies are that they don't have a clear growth strategy nor the resources to execute it. "  – Eric Brown, Co-Founder at Blood Sweat & Tears Most agencies initially grow through founder-led sales and tapping into leads in your network, but what is the next step? Where do agencies typically get stuck and how can they break through? There are no better people to answer these questions than today’s guests Nora DiNuzzo and Eric Brown, Co-Founders of the agency growth consultancy Blood Sweat & Tears. Between the two, Nora and Eric have decades of experience in agency business development as well as in-house growth roles. Now, they run a successful shop helping agency leaders set and implement growth strategies. Nora and Eric join the show to discuss their approach to agency growth, and how all agency leaders should set foundational growth strategies to inform their tactics. Perhaps counterintuitively, boiling down growth is much less about your lead generation approach and more about who you are as an agency, how you show up, and whether your audience perceives you to be an authentic player in the space. But how do you actually take what you learn from theory into practice? Listen in to learn just how.  Here’s what we cover in this episode: The Blood Sweat & Tears approach to agency growth. Hair-on-fire growth challenges agencies face. The surprising thing weighing down agencies. Hint: It’s not the clients! How your brand and persona comes into play when driving growth. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Selling to your network will dry out eventually, you need a growth strategy for the next phase. Foundational strategies always triumph over tactical growth initiatives. When you’ve figured out who you are, growth becomes natural. Get outside perspective when you’re stuck on growth. The resources mentioned in this episode are: Connect with Nora on Linkedin Here Connect with Eric on Linkedin Here Check out Blood Sweat & Tears Here 👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Episode: 5   Chapter Five of Anyone, Not Everyone introduces a four-step process for selecting the ideal vertical market for your agency, including gathering client data, identifying potential verticals, scoring them based on qualitative and quantitative factors, and finally, validating the market to ensure it can meet your business growth goals. This systematic approach serves as both an investment and insurance policy against the costly error of choosing an unsuitable vertical, emphasizing that your personal enjoyment of the vertical and alignment with your agency’s vision are crucial for success. Reminder that this is a chapter in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.  If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy. This episode was produced by Reignite Media.

"We went from generalist agency to performance marketing for franchises and renovations."  – Marty Menard, President of Giant Creative Finding success by niching down your agency focus surely isn’t a new story on this podcast, but there is a reason our guests on the show have found scalable growth through verticalization. And, each story comes with unique insights founders can tap into. This week, we’ll hear Marty Menard's journey into specialization. He is President and Chief Business Development Officer of Giant Creative, a data-driven performance marketing agency. Marty discusses his background in sales and marketing, the agency's shift towards focusing on specific verticals, and the challenges and opportunities of working in the franchise and renovation service industries. Marty shares anecdotes from Giant Creative's early days as a generalist agency, how they realized the benefits of specializing in performance marketing for franchise lead generation and renovations, and the success that followed. Most importantly, Corey and Marty dive into the notion of finding scalable success, how to do it, and what it means for growth.   Here’s what we cover in this episode: - Marty’s founder journey and the first five years of the agency. - Consumer insights and building around personas. - Rinse and repeat service models for a scalable niche. - Positioning a specialized agency and how to scale it.   Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - Be careful of the scalability of new service lines, they might end up eating your margins. - Invest in discovery when going after a new vertical, and ask if you can sell the same service over and over. - Once your niche is clear, you need to tackle agency positioning to attract the right crowd. - Utilization is important, but you don’t want to burn your best people out, protect them.   The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Marty on LinkedIn Here- Check out Martin’s company GIANT Creative Here👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities.Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Episode: 4 Chapter Four of Anyone, Not Everyone emphasizes the vital role of empathy in deep specialization, likening it to the caring aspect of good parenting, essential for the long-term success of an agency. By genuinely investing in clients' businesses and industries, and offering support especially in challenging times, an agency can significantly differentiate itself from competitors, build stronger relationships, and lay the groundwork for sustainable growth and success. Reminder that this is Chapter Four in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales. If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.     This episode was produced by Reignite Media.  

"What most people are trying to talk about when they talk about scale, but that's really leverage."– Greg Hickman, Founder of AltAgency Leverage is everything when it comes to growing a successful agency or service offering. And that’s exactly what today’s guest helps develop for his clients: Leverage to grow and develop their business to the level and direction they want to go. This week, welcome Greg Hickman on the show. He is an industry veteran and Founder of AltAgency, a consultancy that helps agencies, service providers, and freelancers drive growth without sacrificing their nights and weekends by packaging their expertise, installing systems for growth, and leveraging automation to save time. Greg is all about setting up systems, defining your core customer base, and productizing your offering to enable repeatable growth. What’s more, he’s throwing in a hot take or two on services (But you’ll have to listen in to learn more!). In this episode, Greg sits down with Corey to share his philosophy to helping agency owners, breaking down the common pitfalls and challenges riddling business owners and independent consultants alike. Here’s what we cover: - The evolution of Greg’s company, his founder journey, and how the offering has shifted over time. - The concept of affinity in verticalized businesses and why specialization wins. - Greg’s take on customized offering versus productized services. - Scaling through monetizing expertise, not just headcount. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - Scaling isn’t about arriving at a destination, it’s about having a continuum where you have room for growth. - You need to have affinity with the vertical you’re serving; empathy builds success. - Starting out, try different things to find your sweet spot, but then narrow it down. - Productizing services creates efficiencies, and efficiencies grow businesses. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Greg on Linkedin Here - Learn more about AltAgency Here  👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Episode 3 Chapter Three of Anyone, Not Everyone underlines the importance of careful and informed selection when choosing a vertical market to specialize in, warning that a hasty or ill-informed choice can lead to significant loss of time and potential revenue. It encourages agency founders to use their client history data to make an educated decision and highlights the characteristics of a desirable vertical, advising to start with a generalist approach before specializing to gain a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics. Reminder that this is Chapter Three in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.  If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.  This episode was produced by Reignite Media.

"Acquiring a service you want to offer helps your company leapfrog years of trial and error. " – Sam Shepler, Founder of Testimonial Hero We welcome back Sam Shepler, Founder of Testimonial Hero, a global video testimonial company that helps B2B SaaS companies close more deals through customer stories.  After a quick recap on what Testimonial Hero does (listen to episode 55 for part one), Corey and Sam get into the topic of acquisitions. Testimonial Hero recently acquired a company named Case Study Buddy that, just as the name suggests, provides written customer content like case studies.  Sam’s clients kept asking for case studies and written content as a service, and the fastest path to offering that at the level of quality Testimonial Hero’s clients expected was to acquire a shop that already knew the ropes.  Beyond the acquisition, Corey and Sam also cover topics like productizing services, sales process, and leadership lessons. Here’s what we discuss in this episode: Testimonial Hero’s latest acquisition of Case Study Buddy. The evolution from video-only to various forms of customer content. The various types of customer content Testimonial Hero offers. Agency sales challenges and how to navigate them. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Customer testimonials accelerate sales cycles because they build trust. Challenge your preconceived notions as a leader not to miss out on business opportunities. Successful M&A calls for the right timing, alignment, and mutual respect, so start building relationships early on. For mentorship, seek out advice from people at a level you want to reach next; people who are several years but not decades ahead of you. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Sam on Linkedin Here- Learn more about Testimonial Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.  

Episode 2 Chapter Two of Anyone, Not Everyone outlines six compelling benefits of becoming a vertical market specialist, drawing on the real-world transition and success of marketing agency Gorilla 76, which honed its focus on industrial manufacturing clients.  The chapter highlights how specialization simplifies sales and marketing, improves sales confidence through deep industry knowledge, removes friction from the buying process by becoming an insider, makes agencies extraordinary by developing nuanced expertise, scales business through systematization, and accelerates word-of-mouth referrals within the networked ecosystem of a vertical market. Reminder that this is Chapter Two in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.  If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy. This episode was produced by Reignite Media.

"We’ve chosen to focus. And that focus is powerful. It delivers value to the end customer. – Ron Callis Jr., CEO of One Firefly Ron Callis Jr., is the Chief Executive Officer of One Firefly, an award-winning marketing agency that has consistently ranked in the INC 5000 list for its impressive growth. With a laser focus on the custom integration, security, and clean tech industries, Ron brings invaluable insights into scaling a business through the power of specialization and dedicated team development. Here's what we discuss in today's episode: Ron’s journey from being a tech contributor within the custom integration space, to becoming a successful marketing agency CEO within this vertical. How Ron escaped founder-led sales  The role of education and industry events in building credibility and trust. How One Firefly achieved consistent year-over-year revenue growth and maintained positive net profit One Firefly's approach to maintaining client relations and loyalty through specialization, dedication, and empathy. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Establishing a sales playbook to ensure knowledge transfer and scalability. Adopting business philosophies that promote team unity and client satisfaction. Prioritizing hiring practices that align with the agency's culture and values. Cultivating leadership skills that foster both personal and company growth. As agency founders, embracing change  and investing in people—for both team members and clients—is at the heart of creating a thriving, sustainable company. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Ron on Linkedin Here - Check out One Firefly Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Episode: Introduction  The Introduction of Anyone, Not Everyone sets the stage by emphasizing the significance of niche marketing for businesses. It explains how focusing on specific audiences rather than a broad market can lead to more meaningful engagement, efficient use of resources, and ultimately, greater success.  Episode: 1  Chapter One of Anyone, Not Everyone illustrates the pitfalls of generalist agencies that stretch themselves thin by saying yes to too many types of clients, leading to stress and lack of progress toward growth goals. It contrasts this with the benefits of focusing on best-fit clients, who bring profitability, satisfaction, and are a natural fit for the agency's unique strengths, advocating for vertical specialization as the key to standing out and securing sustainable growth in a competitive market. Reminder that this is Chapter One in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.   If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.  This episode was produced by Reignite Media.

"Our philosophy at Digital Mastermind, an agency leadership group, is that a rising tide lifts all boats." –– Jon Tsourakis, Owner, Digital Mastermind Group The agency landscape is extremely competitive across most verticals - some might prefer to gatekeep insights around best practices and growth levers to maintain an edge. That’s not the case at all for today’s guest, Jon Tsourakis.  Jon is a long-time agency owner, entrepreneur, and a steadfast believer in the power of peer knowledge. As the owner of an agency leadership group, Jon knows that the secret sauce to success is sharing what works, what doesn’t, and how to navigate typical agency scaling challenges. Jon joins The Deep Specialization Podcast to share everything he’s learned as an agency owner and while running the Digital Mastermind Group. This peer leadership association brings over a hundred agency owners together for support, learning, and knowledge-sharing. Having run an agency since 2009, Jon knows a thing (or ten!) about running shop. His agency, Oyova, works with companies that earn between 2-50 million in revenue and offer web development and digital marketing services. So what’s Jon’s secret to agency success? Get comfortable with being uncomfortable, stretch your limits, and do it within a carefully selected niche. Here are the topics Jon and Corey cover in this episode: The benefits of peer groups like Digital Mastermind. Typical challenges agency leaders face from toxic employees to verticalization challenges. Jon’s journey as a website agency founder and major milestones. Jon’s approach to outbound and inbound, as well as the secrets to unlocking client budgets. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Smaller agencies can make faster bets on innovation, and larger agencies can learn from that. There’s power in sharing what works for your agency and what doesn’t; rising tides lift all boats. You can scale talent through partnerships, it doesn’t always need to be through hiring. People can sniff AI outreach a mile away, so make sure you write with intention. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Jon on Linkedin Here- Learn about Digital Mastermind Here- Check out Jon’s firm Oyova Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

"All 14 of our clients got the product. We got them onboarded and they all loved it and paid a fee to use it, which was incredible." Robin Alex, Founder of HighLevel. Usually, it takes a long while for a B2B software product to find traction. That wasn’t the case for today’s guest, who by luck and brilliant vision found success from the get-go. A lifelong entrepreneur, Robin joins The Deep Specialization Podcast to share his founding story, going from building companies in his dorm room to a successful exit. While his early career days were spent working for a few startups, Robin quickly realized that his technical and IT skills could be turned into services, and he started offering advertising and consulting help to small businesses. What started as a phone call with his soon-to-be co-founders quickly evolved into a product seeing immediate success, and today, HighLevel, a company that empowers businesses to grow their businesses by generating reviews from their customers, managing their listings across 80+ sites on the web. Robin and Corey discuss how HighLevel skyrocketed to 60,000 customers in just five years. Remarkably, Robin and his co-founders conducted onboarding calls personally well up until the 10K customer milestone, gathering feedback and insights that turned the company into a flywheel of growth, attracting a sizable outside investment in 2021. Here’s what we cover in this episode: Founding story and selling to an entire room at Mastermind as a launchpad. What an immediate product-market fit looks like. Scaling a company to 60K customers, and bootstrapping much of the success. Taking 60M from a minority investor. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Be nimble with your sales efforts during the early days, and adjust your pitch as you go. Networking through authentically helping others is the best way to build lasting business relationships. Onboarding calls give you valuable insights to better define your ICP, sales process, and product. Convey a culture of service where customers truly feel like they are taken care off, and you’ll win. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Robin on Linkedin Here- Check out Robin’s firm HighLevel Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

"Unlike other professions, there's a helping atmosphere in law. They're always networking and talking with each other." Brendan Chard, Founder of The Modern Firm. And, it was those initial referrals that got Brendan into many of the local attorney firms in Ann Arbor some 20 years ago. Born into a family of lawyers, you could say that the legal vertical is in our guest’s blood, and he almost went to law school himself.  But destiny had other things in mind: Brendan somewhat accidentally founded his agency, The Modern Firm, while still in college, and has been running it successfully for over 20 years. Now that’s a story worth telling on the Deep Specialization Podcast! Brendan and Corey dive into the long journey of The Modern Firm, how it has grown from a one-man show into a 17-person strong team that still mostly grows through referrals and inbound leads, and all the management and agency leadership advice Brendan has accumulated along the way. Here’s what we cover in this episode: - How Brendan got into building websites for the legal vertical. - Going from a one-man show to a team and learning to let go and delegate. - How Brendan’s firm acquires repeat business and why lawyers are a special breed of buyers. - Positioning your business tightly to drive inbound. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - High-performing teams have leaders who also think of the career development of their teams. - Being great at storytelling can be a great differentiation for a website agency. - When you’re high on inbound leads, sales is more about connecting and assessing the fit. - If you’re hiring for content and marketing, you need to look for deep vertical knowledge in the candidates. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Brendan on Linkedin Here - Check out Brendan’s firm Here 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

"You have to go slow to go fast." Damon Burton, Founder and President of SEO National. It’s not only a catchy saying, it’s true in many facets of building a verticalized business. And who better to dive into the long-tail of agency building than a founder who’s built a seven-figure business over 17 years?  Damon joins the show to recount his founding journey from the beginning, which wasn’t devoid of twists, turns, and even FTC raids (although, it wasn’t his business that got raided!).  What’s unique about Damon’s company today is that it boasts over 80 clients across varied verticals: travel, software, hospitality, medical, professional sports, and more. So it’s not our usual VGTM episode. But, starting out, it was a gradual growth story.  Tune in to hear how Damon went from delivering landing page designs to building a fully-bloomed business on the side, and how the company evolved from a one-man show to an agency with solid processes and systems involving a mix of offshoring and local talent.   Here’s what Corey and Damon cover in this episode: - How Damon built his seven-figure business from a side hustle, and without paid advertising! - Transitioning from a hands-on leadership role to onboarding a COO. - The kind of challenges come with different phases of scaling an agency. - Why Damon did not niche down. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - Don’t be afraid to walk away from toxic people and situations; values persist, success follows. - If you haven’t proven your value yet, find business models that are win-wins for both prospects and your bottom line. - Recognize when it’s time to delegate as a founder so you don’t jeopardize performance. - Document your company processes from day one to prepare for the day you need to hire more people and onboard them.   The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Damon on Linkedin Here- Get Damon’s SEO Book Outrank Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.