Smart Agency Masterclass With Jason Swenk: Podcast For Digital Marketing Agencies

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Is churn currently a problem with your agency clients? Are you aware of the reasons they decide to leave? It may be time to think hard about your onboarding process, client communication, and generally the ways you’re ensuring client satisfaction. The difference often comes down to positioning: are you operating as a trusted advisor or simply completing tasks? Today's special guest knows that agencies that prioritize client satisfaction, embrace accountability, and focus on becoming trusted advisors rather than mere task completers are the ones that create truly loyal clients. As our Agency Scale Specialist, Darby Copenhaver, has closely observed the growth trajectories of numerous mastermind members and constantly communicates with them in their journeys. In this conversation, he and Jason get into the importance of strong communication and transparent onboarding processes to combat buyer's remorse a

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Do you invest in training high-potential employees to grow into leadership roles—or do you prefer to hire seasoned pros from the start? There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to building a great team, but today’s featured guest has a clear philosophy: when it comes to agency growth, he prefers to develop A-players from within. For him, building the bench is just as important as building the business. Hamlet Azarian is the founder and CEO of Azarian Growth Agency, an agency that works with mid-market venture-backed startups helping them build their go-to-market strategies. He discusses his agency’s "build them up" strategy, focusing on continual learning and curiosity through an academy, webinars, and internships, rather than solely hiring seasoned professionals. He’ll address the common agency challenge of talent retention, noting that positive experiences can still lead to future referrals and positive

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training How are you positioning your services as essential rather than optional, and accurately measuring growth and profitability to sustain long-term success? How are you measuring your agency’s growth and profitability? Today’s featured guests unpack how they scaled their PR shop past the million-dollar mark in under four years — and their journey offers valuable insights that any agency owner can apply immediately. Learn why they prefer growing the agency as partners, as opposed to sticking to being solopreneurs, how they’ve been tracking their growth, and how to over-communicate with clients openly so that choosing you is the easiest decision. Caitlin Copple and Holly Conti are the co-partners of Full Swing PR, an agency that offers senior-level PR services to help amplify clients’ story or cause and takes pride in creating authentic, lasting relationships with clients. They discuss their unique partnersh

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Ever thought about niching down, then bailed because it sounded too painful? Or maybe you tried, but ditched it when things got awkward? Today’s guest proves why sticking it out is worth the initial pain — not just to find your niche, but to find the perfect business partner too. Meet Daniel Moscovitch, founder of Flooring Pros Marketing, a digital marketing agency focused on helping established flooring businesses throughout the US & Canada cement their position as the best in their market. He started as a generalist - doing SEO for pretty much anyone with a website and a pulse. However, unsatisfied staying just another “me too” shop competing on price and freebies he doubled down on a single, very specific industry. If you’re thinking “That sounds brutally hard…” you’re right. And that’s exactly why his story is worth paying attention to. In this episode, we’ll discuss: Moving beyond simple SE

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Let’s get real. If you’re stacking your agency’s foundation on $20/month AI tools, congrats—you’re in the honeymoon phase. But don’t confuse cheap for stable. This ain’t gonna last. We’re in the Uber moment of AI. Remember those $3 rides in 2015? Promo codes flying like candy? Everyone thought, “This is amazing.” Then BOOM—same ride today costs $30, and you don’t blink. Why? Because they normalized the spend. AI is doing the same damn thing right now. The Calm Before the Price Surge I was chatting with an agency owner the other week—four-person team doing the work of twenty. She’s saving close to $800K in salary using AI. Impressive? Hell yeah. But also? Fragile. Because when AI replaces two full-time employees, it’s not going to stay cheaper than lunch forever. These platforms are buying loyalty today so they can raise rates tomorrow. And when they do, the agencies who built real systems will survive whi

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Ever wonder what separates a $1M agency from a $30M agency? It’s not just better SEO or more employees. It’s how you run the business behind the scenes. We sat down with today’s featured guest to dig into what’s powered his insane growth from barely crossing seven figures back when we first met… to now staring down $35–$40 million in pure service revenue. He’s sharing some great advice on the evolution of his role as CEO, his new-found love for podcasting, and all kinds of golden nuggets for agency currently in the “no man’s land”. Chris Dreyer is the CEO of Rankings.io, a law firm marketing services agency that delivers exceptional results for attorneys without compromising on customer service. He’ll discuss his agency's substantial growth from under a million to over $30 million in revenue, his reliance on data and key performance indicators (KPIs), the transformative role of AI in various aspects of hi

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training How does a print designer become the founder of a thriving strategic web agency? Spoiler: It wasn’t all smooth sailing. But this agency founder figured out how to stop being the bottleneck, leverage systems and AI, and make his agency way more profitable along the way. It all began by creating a digital brain for his agency. In this episode, Shawn Johnston, owner of Forge and Smith, a Vancouver-based agency shares how he’s been building bespoke WordPress sites for 13+ years. He’ll share his story—and some seriously smart tips for agency owners looking to scale and create more freedom in their agency. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why documenting your processes is key to scaling How to use AI to build a “digital brain” for your agency How to step out of day-to-day work and empower your team Tips for focusing your team on high-value, strategic work Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radi

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Have you ever found yourself grinding endlessly, only to pause and think, “Is this really what I signed up for?” Maybe you started your business chasing freedom—only to end up feeling trapped by the very thing you built. It’s a common trap: the belief that working harder and enduring more pressure will eventually earn you the right to enjoy life after a big exit. But as today’s guest discovered, you don’t need to wait 10 more years to start living. What you really need is a clearer why, a stronger structure, and the right people around you—people who understand your vision and support your growth. Blake Denman is the president and founder of Rickety Roo, a remote agency specializing in SEO and paid search marketing. He’ll discuss his unconventional path into entrepreneurship, which was influenced by a personal injury, and the importance of designing your business and life around personal values, not ju

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What really happens after you sell your agency? Brent Weaver, founder of UGURUS, knows firsthand — and it wasn’t the beach-and-cocktails story most agency owners imagine. In this second half of our conversation, Brent opens up about what really happens after you sell a business, why his team stuck around (when they had every reason to bolt), navigating the shift from entrepreneur to executive within a corporate machine. He also lays down a fresh perspective on where agencies are headed in the AI era — and why human advantage is still your biggest asset. If you missed Part One, go back — it sets the emotional stage. This one dives into the raw aftermath. Brent Weaver is a veteran digital agency founder who scaled UGURUS, sold it not once, but twice, and is now charting a new course inside a larger ecosystem. But behind the polished LinkedIn update is a journey filled with doubt, identity shifts, and dee

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training 00:00 The "Poppi" acquisition and winning by being different 00:30 Brands need agencies to help them “stand out” 01:30 Agency's role: From vendor to transformation partner 02:00 Transformative client results through positioning 02:50 Five tactics for agencies to help clients win differently 04:10 The "Hell Yes" framework for brand building   Pepsi just dropped $2 billion to acquire Poppi. Let that sink in. A gut-health soda brand that didn’t even exist a decade ago is now a multibillion-dollar player — without some bloated VC war chest or Super Bowl ads. Why? Because they didn’t just sell a drink. They sold vitality without boredom. Just like Liquid Death isn’t selling water. They’re selling rebellion in a can. This matters to you because your agency clients are still playing the safe game. Bland branding. Forgettable messaging. Funnel tweaks and ad spend tricks. But the world doesn’t reward better. It re

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training How do you turn a $99 course, launched before it was even fully built, into a 7-figure coaching business? Today’s guest did just that. And he’s here to share why scrappier beats slick every time. If you’ve ever second-guessed launching messy, this episode will feel like validation. Brent Weaver is on the show talking about his start with UGURUS, the valuable learning that can come from starting before everything’s in place, and why what came after selling his business wasn’t exactly what he had expected. Today we kick off a two-parter with Brent Weaver, the founder of UGURUS, who went from building websites in high school to launching one of the most successful coaching programs for digital agency owners. If you've ever second-guessed your “build it as you go” approach — or wondered whether selling $99 courses online could ever turn into something real—this episode will feel like a shot of validation.

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What if one bad hire wrecked your agency? What if the red flag you're dismissing tanked your margins? Most agency owners learn these lessons the hard way. But you don’t have to. In this episode, Collin Slattery shares the red flags, hiring mistakes, and leadership shifts that helped him build an agency that’s not just growing—but growing sane. He’s here to share stories that can help you shortcut the pain and build smarter, sooner. From pricing hesitations to over-hiring juniors to waiting too long to fire a bad hire, he brings great insights about what not to do—and what to fix fast. At the end of the day, the goal isn’t just growth—it’s sane growth. Collin Slattery is the founder of Taikun Digital, an agency that primarily focuses on the e-commerce space, doing Facebook ads, Google ads, and creative landing pages for clients. He’ll share his scrappy beginnings, the mistakes that cost him (and taught

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Is your agency falling behind in the AI revolution—while competitors pull ahead? If you’ve handed off AI adaptation to your team and progress still feels sluggish, you’re not alone. The uncomfortable truth? Delegating AI could be the biggest threat to your agency’s future. Today’s guest, Brandon Na, has seen firsthand how agencies rise—or fall—in the face of disruption. From early SEO days to the AI era, he’s learned what it really takes to lead through change. And it starts with not outsourcing the future. Many employees feel more fear than excitement about AI—worried it could signal the end of their careers. Instead, agency owners should be very involved in this process and actively try to identify team members who are excited to learn about AI and already experiment with it on their own time. The agencies that will thrive aren't the ones that delegate AI innovation down the chain of command but the

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What if scaling your agency wasn’t about adding clients—but building a community that fuels growth from within? During Covid lockdowns, today’s featured guest felt the need to turn his clients into a community, hosting events where they could get to know each other and build relationships. To this day, it remains one of the best changes he’s introduced at his agency. With a dedicated community, a focused niche, and a cap on the amount of clients the agency takes, he created a sense of exclusivity that turned his agency into a “category of one” business that continues to thrive. Join us as he unpacks how his agency journey began, how he accidentally ran into his exclusive niche, and the ways he found to turn clients into members. Oli Luke is the founder of Orange & Gray, a hearing healthcare marketing agency that’s not just thriving—it’s become a “category of one.” He shares how going ultra-niche, b

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Ever dreamed of building a $100 million agency, selling for a massive payday, and seeing your name in headlines? It sounds like the ultimate win. But what happens when that dream starts to crack under pressure? I’ve live through that and it fell apart fast. Not because we didn’t grow but because we skipped the hard stuff. The boring stuff. The stuff that no one talks about when you’re scaling fast. If you’re an agency owner chasing scale, considering a sale, or wondering if your current path is sustainable, this is the truth bomb you need. The Highs: Acquisitions, Headlines, and the $100M Mark Let’s start with the dream. A few years ago, I was part of an agency that had a bold plan: acquire successful agencies (each doing $1M+ in EBITDA), pay half in cash and half in equity, and build a powerhouse primed for an epic exit. And it worked… for a while. 10 agencies acquired Over $100M valuation $8M+ in

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training If you’re the visionary still stuck doing the work, you’re not scaling—you’re surviving. Joaby Parker knows that loop well. From launching his agency straight out of college to nearly burning out and walking away, his story is a masterclass in doing too much, too long. In this episode, you’ll hear how Joaby broke free from the grind, stopped bottlenecking his team, and built a business that scales without him. He shares his journey from founding his first agency right out of college to walking away and returning to agency life with a new approach and mindset. He reveals what caused his early plateau, why he left to work client-side, and how returning to the agency world taught him how to lead, grow, and eventually let go of the creative and account management roles that were holding him back. Joaby Parker is the founder and CEO of Cover 3 Growth Partners, a strategy-first agency based in Logan, Utah, f

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Most agency owners screw up their first sales hire. Why? Because they either hire the wrong person, or refuse to let go of control. Travis Hoechlin used to think building a sales team was a waste of time—until he realized he was the bottleneck. In this episode, you’ll hear how he went from solo closer to leading a performance-driven team that fuels his agency’s growth. Travis Hoechlin is the CEO of Rize Up Media, a marketing company specializing in law firm services. He shares insights into his journey from working at a large agency to starting his own and discusses the challenges of stepping out of a comfortable position and the motivations that ultimately led him and his business partner to take the leap into entrepreneurship. Travis also shared his experience building a top sales team, his logic behind hiring experienced seller instead of going for junior salespeople he could train, and how he keeps

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Ever build a business that “looked” successful—but left you feeling empty? Jeff Hilimire sure did and then he did something about it. In this episode, we unpack how he turned a successful agency career into a mission-driven movement—building purpose-led businesses, launching a global volunteer initiative, and writing books that challenge how we think about impact. Today’s featured guest always genuinely enjoyed agency life—something he quickly realized was the exception, not the norm. That realization led him to a mission: helping others discover greater meaning in their business journey. Whether it’s through his books, his leadership, or his venture that unites developers to build websites for nonprofits in just 24 hours, he is all about turning intention into action. We have the pleasure of welcoming back Jeff Hilimire, the podcast's very first guest, nearly eleven years ago. He shares what drives h

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Are you doing great work but still feel like your agency’s stuck in neutral? The truth is, talent alone doesn’t scale a business. In this episode our guest, Stephen Woessner—author, agency growth strategist, and founder of Predictive ROI—reveals why most agencies hit a ceiling... and how to break through with a smarter, more strategic approach. From developing a true methodology to showing up with content that teaches, we dive into what’s working now (and what’s not) when it comes to agency growth, client expectations, and scaling with intention. If you’ve ever relied a little too heavily on referrals, be unsure of your niche, or found yourself winging it without a real system—this one's for you. Tune in to learn how to enhance your agency's approach to attracting clients and scaling your business! Stephen Woessner is the founder of Predictive ROI, an agency that helps clients build predictable and rep

I’ve been paying an agency to run our Meta ads and for some time Meta itself has been reaching out to take over the account. Let that sink in. The same platform your agency relies on is actively trying to cut you out of the picture. The worst part? This is just one example of a much bigger shift. Big tech is building tools that create entire campaigns—copy, design, video, testing—without a human in sight. Your strategist? Replaced. Designer? Replaced. Copywriter? Gone. I get it. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it isn’t necessarily the end of agencies. It’s just the end of the ones that built their model on tasks. So what’s the future for agencies? Agencies Built on Tasks Are Already Obsolete Let’s get real: if you’re still selling deliverables, your agency’s already falling behind. What AI can’t replicate is leadership. At the end of the day clients want results and direction. Smart agencies are not selling tasks anymore. They're selling thinking. Here’s how they’re staying ahead: 1. Productize the Thinki