When More than a Little Knowledge Can Be Dangerous
The Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast
Release Date: 07/30/2018
The Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast
Sharon Toerek is the Owner and Founder of Toerek Law, where she dedicates her practice to advising independent marketing and creative services agencies on protecting and monetizing their intellectual capital. A marketing law attorney with extensive experience in copyright, trademark, and content protection, Sharon offers strategic counsel on licensing, brand protection, social media, and advertising compliance. She is a sought-after speaker at top industry events, including INBOUND, Content Marketing World, and MAGNET Global Agency Network, empowering professionals to recognize legal risks and...
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Jason Mitchell is the CEO and Co-founder of Movement Strategy, a forward-thinking social media marketing agency that began in his college dorm room. With expertise in emerging technologies and social platform trends, Jason guides his agency in leading social-centric branding initiatives for high-profile clients such as Netflix, Amazon, and Warner Brothers. Standout projects include branding for Yellowjackets and The Boys for Amazon Studios and the innovative launch of Looney Tunes on TikTok. Jason’s thought leadership extends to writing for prestigious publications such as Adweek and Ad Age,...
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Luke Komiskey is the Founder and CEO of DataDrive, a consulting firm specializing in managed analytic services. With over a decade of experience, Luke has played a pivotal role in making data analytics more accessible to various businesses. Under his leadership, DataDrive has evolved into a global team of professionals supporting over 150 organizations, including healthcare, public education, manufacturing, and software. Luke’s approach emphasizes transforming data into actionable insights, helping organizations make faster and more informed decisions. His passion for simplifying complex...
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Jon Tsourakis is the Co-owner, President, and Chief Revenue Officer at Oyova, an agency offering integrated digital solutions such as app development, web design, and marketing to create efficient processes for company growth. Jon is a serial entrepreneur and marketing strategist whose continual study of brand identity, business communications, buyer behavior, sales conversion, and various digital marketing techniques keeps him astute to industry standards. His resumé includes executive positions with digital agencies including Innersight dZine Studio, REVOLT, and the Digital Mastermind...
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Matthew Connor, Founder and CEO of CyberLynx, began his programming career at 12 years old while working as a coder for his father’s company. His passion led him to develop his own company, which focuses on offering premium IT services and protecting growing businesses from ransomware. CyberLynx, previously known as Your IT Department, continues to provide cybersecurity and professional IT and support services for expanding companies. In February 2023, Matthew launched The Cyber Business Podcast, where he features founders and entrepreneurs sharing inspiring stories. Matthew is on a...
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Kevin Hourigan is the President of Spinutech, a full-service website design and digital marketing agency dedicated to developing customized and data-driven digital marketing solutions. Before merging his business with his current business partner, Kevin founded Bayshore Solutions, which he operated for over two decades. He’s been an active YPO member for over 12 years and serves as its Digital Marketing and Media Network Forum Officer. In 2023, Kevin launched The Growth Fire Podcast, a business growth-focused medium where top business leaders share their experiences and insights. When...
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Jon Morris is the Founder and CEO of Ramsay Innovations, which helps businesses quickly scale through financial education and strategic funds allocations. In September, Jon founded Fiscal Advocate, which specializes in helping marketing communication firms manage their finances, gain business insights, and grow revenue. Before joining Ramsay Innovations, Jon founded Rise Interactive, a full-service internet marketing agency — growing it from a $10,000 bootstrap business to one of the largest independent digital agencies. Jon is also an Advisor for Fiscal Advocate and was previously an...
info_outlineThe Marketing Agency Leadership Podcast
Jon Tsourakis is the Co-owner, President, and Chief Revenue Officer at Oyova, an agency offering integrated digital solutions such as app development, web design, and marketing to create efficient processes for company growth. Jon is a serial entrepreneur and marketing strategist whose continual study of brand identity, business communications, buyer behavior, sales conversion, and various digital marketing techniques keeps him astute to industry standards. His resumé includes executive positions with digital agencies including Innersight dZine Studio, REVOLT, and the Digital Mastermind...
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Vic Drabicky is the Founder and CEO of January Digital, a digital marketing agency and consulting firm focused on luxury, retail, and beauty. January Digital is dedicated to comprehensive digital planning and execution, encompassing paid search, paid social, programmatic media buying, and SEO. With a wealth of industry experience exceeding two decades, Vic has previously worked with renowned brands such as Nike, Neiman Marcus, Staples, and Michael Kors.
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Michael Boychuk is the CCO and Co-founder of Little Hands of Stone, a creative agency and Ad Age Small Agency Newcomer of 2020. Michael has nearly 30 years of industry experience, working for notable firms like WongDoody, SK+G Advertising, and Leo Burnett. Before LHoS, Michael helped build Amazon’s D1 internal creative agency as the North American Executive Creative Director. He leveraged his talents and leadership expertise to spearhead four Super Bowl campaigns and the rebranding that shifted Amazon’s identity toward the globally-recognized standalone smile. Michael also helped launch...
info_outlineJeff Katz is CEO of Definition 6, a 20-year-old content marketing and digital agency working with a high-profile, household-brand-name client list. D6 creates content and the technology that allows brands to deliver and measure the effectiveness of those messages and has won both treasured client recognitions and a plethora of EMMYs, ADDYs, TELLYs, and WEBBYs.
Jeff joined D6 in 2000 as president and chief operating officer and oversaw the cultural and functional integration of acquisitions. Jeff feels that one of his company’s advantages is that it can, not only provide creative content (as can many of the larger agencies), but also designs and builds the technology to deliver that content.
What does a company do when it wants to expand its offerings? Many companies, wanting to “do more things,” develop the requisite skills inhouse.
A more dramatic way to increase skills is to buy companies that do what you want your company wants to be able to do: a move that brings both advantages (the company may bring its talent and its customers} and risks (Will the new company be a cultural and business “fit”?) D6 took private equity in 2009 in order to acquire companies with skilled services that would broaden its offerings.
In an effort to smooth operations, Jeff brought new and old employees together so they could learn everything about how the business operated. He discovered that more than a little knowledge was dangerous. Once a specialist in one area of the business learned about the operations of a different functional area, that “newly enlightened” individual would often try to take on the work that was totally unrelated to his or her position. Jeff realized this kind of “cross-training” diluted the strengths acquisitions brought to his company and that functional separation was necessary, so that, when certain skills were needed, people would “call in the experts.”
D6 currently employs 120 artists, musicians, strategists, software developers/architects/analysts, composers, and writers . . . and, unlike many companies, welcomes back the :boomerangs” —past employees who want to come back to D6.
As CEO since 2014, Jeff has refined the company’s focus and is currently working on projects that he feels will change its customer’s industries.
Jeff can be reached at the company’s website at: Definition6.com. by email at: [email protected], or on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram.