Agency Excellence Podcast
How do you scale a marketing agency past 7 figures and keep clients for 5+ years without chasing trends or outside funding? In this episode, Chris sits down with Dimple Thacker, multi-award winning founder of Synergy Marketing, one of the first social media agencies in the U.S. Her journey from Friendster to building an AI-driven creative powerhouse is packed with lessons on lean growth, client retention, and staying ahead of tech shifts. Whether you’re an agency founder, solopreneur, or marketer embracing AI, you’ll leave with strategies to build a business that lasts. 🔑 Key Insights...
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Want to learn how to scale past 7-figures while keeping growth sustainable? In this episode, Chris sits down with Ryan Caracciolo, Founder & President of Riza, a business growth agency helping healthcare and legal brands grow through transparent, measurable marketing and sales-aligned systems. Ryan shares the unfiltered truth about scaling an agency, from finding the right clients to building a team that thrives under accountability. If you’ve ever struggled with client fit, sales enablement, or leveraging AI without losing quality—this episode is for you. 🔑 Key Insights from This...
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Ever struggle with scaling your service-based business while maintaining authentic relationships? Discover how relationship-driven strategies can catapult your agency to new heights and help you form impactful partnerships. In this insightful video, Carol Chenkin, the illustrious founder of CLC Enterprises, shares her profound experience in marketing powerhouses like AT&T and American Express. We dive deep into how purpose-driven entrepreneurs can leverage partnership selling, storytelling, and AI-powered strategies to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. Get ready to transform your...
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What happens when a web designer gets sidelined by eye surgery—and accidentally discovers a six-figure opportunity? In this episode, we sit down with Adam Satkunananthan, founder of Ankit Designs, a Canadian web agency trusted by over 150 clients. Adam shares how a forced month off work turned into a $55,000 launch pad for a people-first agency without chasing hype or using slick sales tactics. He also unpacks the exact moment they 8x’d a nonprofit’s donations (from $1M to $8M), why niching down saved his business, and how charging $50K per website isn’t crazy when you serve the right...
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In this episode, Valerie Chan—founder and CEO of Platf4orm PR—breaks down how she scaled her boutique PR agency to 7 figures by helping startups land on the biggest stages (TED, SXSW, NASDAQ), attract acquisition offers, and navigate PR in the AI era. From starting out as a lawyer to advising legal-tech startups on strategic visibility, Valerie reveals how niching down, building authority in the right rooms, and focusing on high-leverage strategy over tactics led to explosive, sustainable growth. Whether you run an agency, startup, or B2B business—this conversation is a roadmap for...
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🎧 From SaaS Founder to CRO Powerhouse: How Sahil Patel Rebuilt an Agency Into a Scalable, Tech-Enabled Beast In this episode, we sit down with Sahil Patel, CEO of Spiralize—an Atlanta-based CRO engine working with brands like CrowdStrike and Gusto. Sahil didn’t start the company—but he transformed it. Discover how he turned a boutique conversion rate optimization agency into a 185-person productized service company, blending software, AB test data crawling, and enterprise-grade execution. Whether you’re running an agency, scaling a SaaS company, or looking to offer a differentiated...
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🎯 How Do You Scale an SEO Agency in the Age of AI? In this episode, we sit down with Chris Raulf, founder of Boulder SEO Marketing, a 15-year-old agency that’s grown from local clients to a global footprint—powered by smart positioning, AI-assisted strategies, and a unique methodology called Micro SEO Strategies. Chris reveals what most SEO experts still don’t understand about Google's algorithm, how to balance operations vs. growth, and why AI is turning traditional SEO on its head. Whether you’re an agency founder, content strategist, or just tired of SEO guesswork, this episode...
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What if you could scale a remote branding agency to 7 figures—with no office, no client delivery, and SOPs doing all the heavy lifting? In this episode, we sit down with John D Saunders, founder of 5Four Digital and creator of the Weekly SOP newsletter. John shares how he grew a fully remote, purpose-driven web and branding studio into a 7-figure agency by mastering consistency, delegation, and systematization. From working solo to building an international team, John breaks down the exact playbook behind scaling without burnout—leveraging AI, documentation, and niche focus. If you're...
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Sean Dollinger, the CEO of LQR House (NASDAQ: LQR), is building one of the most innovative alcohol e-commerce empires—and he’s doing it with elite SEO, wellness branding, and strategic IPOs. In this episode, Sean shares how he built a tequila brand that beats Wikipedia in Google rankings, partnered with high-retention DTC startups, and took not one but two companies public. He also breaks down how wellness is at the core of everything—even spirits—and why performance, brand stickiness, and profit-first thinking are the future of e-commerce. 🔑 Key Insights from This Episode: 💡 Why...
info_outlineWhat if you could scale a remote branding agency to 7 figures—with no office, no client delivery, and SOPs doing all the heavy lifting?
In this episode, we sit down with John D Saunders, founder of 5Four Digital and creator of the Weekly SOP newsletter. John shares how he grew a fully remote, purpose-driven web and branding studio into a 7-figure agency by mastering consistency, delegation, and systematization. From working solo to building an international team, John breaks down the exact playbook behind scaling without burnout—leveraging AI, documentation, and niche focus.
If you're building a service business, digital agency, or looking to free yourself from day-to-day client work, this conversation is packed with systems, mindset, and tactical gold.
🔑 Key Insights from This Episode:
🧠 Why SOPs Are the Foundation of Scale How to remove yourself from client delivery without sacrificing quality—and keep your team aligned asynchronously across time zones.
🛠️ Using AI to Build a Living Agency Playbook The exact workflow John uses to turn internal know-how into AI-powered operating procedures anyone on the team can follow.
🌍 How to Hire Remote Talent—Ethically and Profitably John’s philosophy for hiring globally at above-market rates while maintaining high agency margins.
💼 From Freelance Projects to Premium Clients Why specializing in SaaS and startup branding allowed 5Four to charge more, grow faster, and operate more efficiently.
🚀 Why Delegating Sales Might Be the Hardest (and Most Important) Step John’s transition from solo closer to building a scalable sales engine—without losing the personal touch.
📚 Resources & Links:
🔗 Connect with John: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johndavidsaunders/
🔗 Check out 5Four Digital: http://www.5fourdigital.com/
👍 Like, comment, and subscribe if you're building a business around systems, scale, and freedom.