The Agency Uplift Podcast

Summary: Most agency owners have a profit clarity problem. The worst part: You can hit $1.5M+ in revenue while still flying completely blind. In this episode, I sit down with Eli Rubel to break down what’s actually holding agencies back and why most founders avoid the one thing that would fix it. Takeaways: The hidden reason most agencies feel “stuck” right after $1.5M Why piecing together bookkeepers, CFOs, and admins quietly kills your growth The uncomfortable truth behind 80% of agency p...

Summary: You don’t scale an agency by grinding harder. You scale by changing the game you’re playing. In this conversation, I break down with Jeremy Yang what actually shifts when you move from small clients to serious brands and why most agency owners never make that leap. Because the truth is Big clients don’t want what you think they want. Takeaways: The mindset shift that unlocks bigger, higher paying clients Why enterprise brands often don’t need massive ROAS to say yes The overlooked ...

Summary: Most agencies are obsessed with acquisition and it’s quietly killing their margins. In this episode, I sat down with Jordan Narducci to unpack why retention is the most ignored (and highest ROI) lever in your business and how he turned that insight into a fast growing agency after getting laid off the same week his child was born. Takeaways: Why retention has nothing to do with email & SMS (and what actually moves LTV) The pricing mistake that cost him multiple high value clien...

Summary: The problem isn’t your service, it’s that you can’t prove it works. If you’re stuck at $10K/month, this episode shows exactly why and how to break through without more clients. This is a live consultation with SEO expert Benas Leonavicius, who’s sitting on a goldmine but leaving massive growth on the table. Takeaways: Why not tracking ROI is silently capping your pricing (and authority) The simplest way to collect client data without tech, tools, or integrations How to turn “SEO se...

Summary: Most agencies don’t have an operations problem. They have a demand problem they’re trying to fix with busywork. If you’re stuck refining SOPs, tweaking delivery, and still struggling to bring in consistent clients, this episode will show you why. Takaways: The hidden reason most agencies stay stuck relying on referralsWhy “being full service” quietly destroys your positioningThe dangerous lie behind “we just need better systems”How to identify whether you have a supply or demand cons...

Summary: Most agencies don’t struggle because they can’t get clients. They struggle because they say yes to too many services, too many industries, and too many different problems. In this live consult episode, I sit down with Nick Desrocher, founder of GroClix, and we break down the real challenge early agencies face: simplifying the business so it can actually scale Takeaways: Why agencies often create chaos by offering too many services early on. The concept of a Soft ICP and how it hel...

Summary: Most agencies think the goal is higher ROAS. But sometimes the very metrics clients celebrate are the ones quietly killing their growth. In this episode, I sit down with Nikki Lindgren, founder of Pennock, to talk about what actually happens when agencies grow up from scrappy consultancy to a seven year boutique firm managing paid media, SEO, and affiliate programs for beauty brands. We unpack the messy realities of agency growth: difficult clients, revenue concentration risk, hiring...

Summary: Most agencies don’t fail because they can’t get clients. They fail because they never simplify enough to scale. If you’re stuck juggling fulfillment, sales, and operations and feel like growth is making things worse instead of better, this episode will hit home. Takeaways: Why niching down isn’t optional if you want predictable growth The “snowball effect” that makes sales easier the more specialized you become The hard truth about why hiring an operator won’t save you The framewo...

Summary: If you’re great at delivery but invisible in the market, this episode is for you. Too many agency owners hide behind operations. They build amazing systems but never build their own authority. In this conversation, I talk with Kelly Schuknecht about replacing her corporate income in just one year, building a team fast, firing fast, and learning that clarity beats perfection every time. This isn't a theory. It’s what actually happens in year one. Takeaways: The mistake almost every n...

Summary: Most agencies don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they scale chaos. In this episode, I sit down with T. Christian Helms, founder of Helms Workshop, to unpack how he rebuilt his agency after a near fatal health crisis and how that reset helped him land global brands like Disney, Harley Davidson, and Jack Daniel’s. This one is about agency scaling the hard way. Takeaways: Why most founders accidentally build agencies that depend entirely on them The one hire that al...

Summary: Most agencies don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they scale the wrong way, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons. In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Burch, founder of Tobie Group, to unpack what it really looks like to build a values driven agency that grows deliberately without hype, without fluff, and without backing yourself into a corner. Ryan didn’t start with a grand vision. He started with one freelance client. Six years later, he’s running a flexible...

Summary: Your agency can look “successful” on paper and still be one bad quarter away from collapse. In this episode, I sit down with Greg Shuey, a 14 year agency veteran who’s been through every version of agency pain: rapid growth, COVID whiplash, client churn, and the brutal transition from “easy revenue” to sustainable profit. Greg doesn’t sugarcoat it. He breaks down what actually happens when agencies scale too fast, why most founders misunderstand people management, and how one simple ...