Welcome to the Agency Health Podcast, where we dig deeper into key agency topics – the what, why, and how – mining actionable insights to help build a better firm.

In this episode, Arlen chats with Corey Quinn to unpack the strategic foundations behind escaping founder-led sales, specializing deeply in a niche, and building predictable, scalable agency growth. Corey breaks down the discipline of vertical focus, the power of gift-based outreach, and why trust-driven marketing is becoming even more essential.

About Our Guest — Corey Quinn:
Corey Quinn is an agency advisor and author of Anyone, Not Everyone. With more than 18 years driving revenue for agencies, Corey is best known for helping scale Scorpion from $20M to $200M as CMO.

Corey works directly with agency founders to help them escape founder-led sales, specialize intelligently, and build repeatable systems for revenue growth. His framework blends deep strategic focus, vertical specialization, and trust-driven outbound.

Key Takeaways:

• Founder-Led Sales Don’t Scale — Systems Do
  Corey calls it out straight: most agencies stall because the founder is still the engine behind every sale. It’s not sustainable. The real growth starts when you stop being the closer and start building the system that closes. (06:10)
• “Niche or Die” Isn’t Just a Catchphrase
  When you’re trying to serve everyone, you blend into the noise. Corey reminds us that owning a niche isn’t limiting—it’s liberating. The more specific your audience and problem, the easier it is for clients to find you and say “that’s us.” (11:35)
• Clarity Beats Complexity
  Forget chasing every new marketing trend or channel. Agencies win when their message is so clear it feels like mind reading. Corey says the best marketing isn’t louder—it’s sharper. (17:50)
• Document. Delegate. Detach.
  The founder’s job isn’t to hustle forever—it’s to design a sales machine that others can run. Write it down. Automate what you can. Train people to own parts of the journey so the business runs even when you’re not in the room. (23:40)
• Warm Beats Cold, Every Time
  Corey’s stance on outreach is simple: don’t spray, don’t pray. Start conversations that actually make sense—comment, share insight, connect genuinely. People buy from people who show up with value, not desperation. (31:25)
• From Rainmaker to Architect
  This is the real mindset leap. Stop being the one who pulls every deal from thin air and start being the one who designs the structure that keeps deals flowing—without you doing the pulling. (38:45)
• Data Informs, Humans Decide
  Automation is incredible, but it's not a replacement for judgment. Corey points out that the best agencies use data to filter, not to decide. You still need to read between the lines—to know when a “lead” is actually a real opportunity. (42:20)
• Final Thought
  Corey leaves us with this: growth doesn’t come from doing more—it comes from doing less, on purpose. The agencies that win are the ones that focus, build, and execute with clarity

References

• Corey Quinn on LinkedIn
• Book Title: Anyone, Not Everyone: A Proven System to Escape Founder‑Led Sales
• Official Book Page

Struggling with new business or want a sounding board for your strategy? Book a 15-minute chat with me — I'd be happy to be your thinking partner and help you gain clarity or spark new ideas.

Have questions, feedback, or guest suggestions for the show? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out at podcast@agency.partners

Stay connected and keep learning: Subscribe to our newsletter
or follow Arlen on LinkedIn

Welcome to the Agency Health Podcast, where we dig deeper into key agency topics – the what, why, and how – mining actionable insights to help build a better firm.

In this episode, Arlen chats with Mark O’Brien and Jake Goldman about the evolving realities of agency new business, marketing, and the strategic shifts agencies need to thrive in the next 2–3 years. From the dominance of LinkedIn to the increasing role of multi-channel content and human-centric strategies, this conversation is packed with practical perspective for agency leaders and marketers.

About Our Guests
Jake founded 10up in 2011 and grew it to over 300 people, serving clients like Salesforce, Hilton, Harvard, Disney and in 2023 merged with Fueled, where he continues to serve as a partner and vocal advocate for open platforms.

Mark is CEO of Newfangled, a consultancy that helps agencies build effective new business systems. Newfangled has been sharing their expertise for 3 decades through their newsletter, blog and speaking and has helped hundreds of agency clients reach their market.

Key Insights:

AI and Multi-Channel Strategy Shift
Jake explains that AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity have changed how prospects research solutions. Agencies need to combine LinkedIn, industry-specific directories, and direct outreach in a unified way to demonstrate relevance to LLMs and connect with clients actively seeking expertise across channels. (07:35)

Human-Focused Multimedia Content
Mark highlights that AI helps broaden reach, but it’s the agency’s authentic voice and expertise that make an impact. Long-form video, podcasts, and well-crafted articles remain vital for establishing credibility and trust. (15:05)

Specialization Drives Growth
Both guests agree agencies grow more effectively by focusing on a clearly defined niche. Spreading resources too thin diminishes impact; targeted expertise helps agencies stay relevant as markets and technologies evolve. (18:20)

SEO Diminishes, LinkedIn’s Dominance
Mark shares how LinkedIn remains the primary platform where agencies foster real, professional connections. SEO and email still support outreach efforts, but meaningful engagement on LinkedIn drives the most consistent results for agencies focused on relationship-building. (22:00)

Investing in Teams and Innovation
Jake stresses that innovation starts internally. Agencies that empower their teams to experiment, learn, and adopt AI technologies thoughtfully deliver better work and will maintain a competitive edge. (36:25)

Agility in a Shifting Economy
Mark points out that success depends on quickly understanding and adapting to broad changes—from globalization to evolving AI capabilities and remote work patterns—rather than reacting after the fact. (42:45)

Final Thought
The future favors agencies that combine human insight with strategic focus and smart AI use. This blend isn’t optional; it’s the foundation of sustainable growth in today’s dynamic environment.

References:

• Jake Goldman on LinkedIn
• Mark O’Brien on LinkedIn

Struggling with new business or want a sounding board for your strategy? Book a 15-minute chat with me — I'd be happy to be your thinking partner and help you gain clarity or spark new ideas.

Have questions, feedback, or guest suggestions for the show? We’d love to hear from you! Reach out at podcast@agency.partners

Stay connected and keep learning: Subscribe to our newsletter
or follow Arlen on LinkedIn

Thanks for tuning in.

Welcome to the Agency Health Podcast, where we dig deeper into key agency topics – the what, why, and how – mining actionable insights to help build a better firm.

On this episode I’m joined by Aviral Mittal, Director of Marketing for rtCamp, an enterprise WordPress agency with clients like Penske Media, Aljazeera, and Cox Automotive. Avi is a college dropout who started his career in the non profit sector, moved to hospitality, and then embraced entrepreneurship starting his own events company, and now finds himself in tech.

Key Insights:

• Bias toward going live. Publish earlier to engage the market, learn faster, and build momentum; polish iteratively. (3:25)
• Recruit internally for marketing. Recruiting internal experts helps convert relevant experience into credible marketing. It can be easier to teach marketing than your unique expertise. (8:55)
• Lead with demonstrated expertise. Long-form guides and tangible demos make pre-sales conversations easier, establish expertise, and create goodwill when shared generously. (10:40)
• Divide and conquer. Content development often works best when marketing gives context (audience, voice, style, purpose), experts guide substance (outline, review/feedback), and writers draft the piece (13:50)
• Onboard with intensity; decide fit quickly. Start new hires right away on real work that gets published, and meet with them daily to understand what they’re doing; assess the match in weeks (not months) to respect both the person and the team. (17:40)
• Use content to project value outward. In-depth pieces that generously share expertise show up naturally in search and AI, support pre-sales, and underpin broader thought leadership efforts across the team. (20:10)
• Opportunity-based marketing. Use first-party data and CDPs to identify engaged accounts, segment precisely (exclusion rules matter), and tailor outreach by buyer-journey stage. (23:25)
• Use events for relationship nurturing. Favor smaller, curated events; do the pre-work, personalize outreach, and follow up promptly to extend conversations. (30:40)
• Choose a high-agency marketing leader. Give room (and expect them) to set strategy, define success, communicate progress, and align with sales as one demand team. (34:56)

References:

• Aviral on LinkedIn
• rtCamp’s Resources library

Don’t miss our next episode: a conversation on the future of agency new business with the founder of a 300-person agency and the CEO of a firm that has specialized in agency marketing for decades.

Are you facing a challenge with new business in your agency or would you like a sounding board for an aspect of your new business strategy? Book 15 minutes with me to talk about it. I’d be happy to be a thinking partner.

If you have questions or comments about this episode, a topic you’d like covered, or an agency owner or relevant expert we should invite as a guest, we’d like to hear from you! Email podcast@agency.partners

If you have questions or comments about this episode, a topic you’d like covered, or an agency owner or relevant expert we should invite as a guest, we’d like to hear from you! Email podcast@agency.partners

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch or follow Arlen on LinkedIn.

Thank you for listening!