Agency

Dain Walker

In 2018, I was broke, 200k in debt, and working an unfulfilling job. I started a content creation agency and scaled it from 1 freelancer to a team of 30+ in just 4 short years. Now I run Australia’s fastest-growing agency: rivyl. As a guy who runs an agency working with global brands and celebrities, I decided to start interviewing people who take Agency over their lives. To unpack what entrepreneurs do to get ahead in business and life. My goal is to unearth the tactics, mindset, and motives that make high performers tick so you can get a leg up and take Agency with whatever you’re doing.

  1. 4 days ago

    #128 - Navigating The 2026 Economy: Your Wealth Preservation Strategy | Scott Kuru

    Ready to build wealth, generate passive income, and achieve financial freedom in 2026? Stop waiting for the system to save you. In this episode, property investing expert Scott Kuru (Co-founder of Freedom Property Investors) reveals the exact strategies you can use to grow your net worth.The reality is that relying on the traditional path won't save you anymore. If you want true financial independence, you need a highly strategic, data-driven plan to reach your $3 to $5 million "Freedom Number".We bypass the generic financial advice and dive straight into the hardcore, unfiltered reality of wealth creation. Forget about taking crazy risks, jumping on the latest trend, or trying to copy Elon Musk, this episode is about the highly effective, and guaranteed strategy to build multi-generational wealth.In this episode, we break down:The 5-Step Wealth Strategy: The exact blueprint to build true wealth, starting with securing your income.The Property Tax Shield: How to legally and strategically leverage brand-new property to maximise your returns and keep the taxman out of your pocket.The Old vs. New Property Trap: Why holding an old property could drain you of $300–$600 a week, while new properties cost just $50–$150 to hold."Live Like A Monk": The mindset required to get rid of your bad debt, cancel unnecessary subscriptions, and find an extra $50,000 hiding in your household budget.The Leverage Playbook: How to beat the minimum repayment delusion, negotiate with banks, and use "safe debt" to multiply your returns without risking your family's future.Book Rivyl in for a free 30-minute call, here: http://l.rivyl.com/JUPbkj Level up your agency with Wix Studio today: https://www.wix.com/studio 00:00 - Introduction 07:00 - From Sleeping on a Couch to Multi-Millionaire 14:50 - The May Budget & The Squeeze on Small Business 20:33 - Your $3 to $5 Million "Freedom Number" Explained 24:47 - The Hidden AI Data Center Crisis 36:50 - Why You Should Never Copy Elon Musk in Business 43:09 - The 5-Step Formula to Escape the System 49:30 - How to Ask for a Pay Raise (And Actually Get It) 56:26 - "Live Like a Monk": The War on Your Expenses 59:51 - How to Eliminate Your Bad Debt 01:15:50 - Using "Safe Debt" to Multiply Your Wealth 01:26:16 - Old vs. New Property: The Ultimate Tax Loophole

    1hr 38min

  2. 8 May

    #121 - The Digital Mind: Have We Outsourced Human Intelligence? | Jeremy Tang

    The search landscape has fractured, and chasing shiny AI Optimisation trends is a guaranteed path to obscurity. Programmatic SEO authority Jeremy Tang dismantles the myth that ChatGPT requires a new playbook, exposing how AI engines essentially run hyper-fast Google searches using it as the Master Index for information retrieval.Jeremy rips apart standard marketing, proving why fighting industry giants for the top 2% of "head terms" is a complete waste of time. Instead, he reveals the hidden mechanics of the "Query Fan Out" and how to "content momentum." By publishing up to 50 pieces of long-tail content a month, you can beat crawl budget limits and force the algorithm to notice you. Plus, he uncovers the uncontested "outer rim" search paths your customers actually use.Whether you suffer from the "direct traffic" glitch hiding your true AI visitors, or you want to dominate the hidden 98% of online search, this episode breaks down the exact mechanics to conquer your market.Book Rivyl in for a free 30-minute call, here: http://l.rivyl.com/JUPbkjLevel up your agency with Wix Studio today: https://www.wix.com/studio (00:00) - Introduction(02:36) - The Three Phases of Search & Why Systems Hallucinate(09:12) - How Search Engines Actually Operate(13:35) - The "Query Fan Out" Effect Explained(15:13) - The September 10th Update: 100 Results to 10(25:42) - The Reddit Traffic Illusion(33:16) - The 2.3% Trap: Why Fighting for Core Keywords is Bankrupting You(58:00) - Targeting "White Space": How to Steal Uncontested Traffic(01:02:15) - The Content Momentum Rule: Why Volume Beats Perfection(01:11:47) - The Algorithmic Echo Chamber & The Danger to Independent Thought(01:28:11) - The 2,000-Page "Crawl Budget" Stress Test(01:32:37) - The 1,000-Keyword Blueprint for Hyper-Scaled Traffic(01:37:52) - The Analytics Glitch Hiding Your Most Valuable Visitors(01:54:26) - Can You Actually Compete Without Paying for Ads?(02:03:12) - Uncovering the "Outer Rim" With 30 Customer Interviews

    2h 13m

  3. 24 Apr

    #119 - The Brutal Truth About Scaling The Diary Of A CEO | Grace Miller

    Grace Miller, Head of Experimentation and Failure for Steven Bartlett and The Diary Of A CEO gives the honest truths and secrets of how Steven Bartlett’s business empire was created. Grace talks to us on stripping away the "paper walls" and fake industry rules about production that hold brands back. In an unfiltered conversation, Grace explains how true longevity comes from the raw honesty of ruthless experimentation and challenging the status quo, not conforming to aesthetic assumptions. Is failure really the key to success? Book Rivyl in for a free 30-minute call, here: http://l.rivyl.com/JUPbkj Level up your agency with Wix Studio today: https://www.wix.com/studio (00:00) Trailer (01:55) Introduction. The Early Days of DOAC (09:14) Defining the "A-Player" & The Culture Test (13:20) The Power of Polite Disagreement (29:44) Reframing Failure (48:27) Hacking YouTube (54:43) Tearing Down "Paper Walls" (01:00:24) Untraining Your Staff to Force Innovation (01:02:19) Building a Culture of Recognition (01:22:18) Podcasts, Why You Must Delete Bad Episodes (01:28:09) The Art of Hosting, Knowing When to Shut Up (01:51:03) What "High Agency" Actually Means

    1hr 54min

  4. 17 Apr

    #118 - The "Founder's Trap": Why You Probably Shouldn't Be The CEO | Josh Sparks

    In this episode, we sit down with Josh Sparks, former CEO of Thom Browne New York, advisor for Deus Ex Machina, and ex-managing director for Anthropologie E-Commerce to decode the harsh realities of scaling a business. The skills and hustle required to launch a brand are rarely the same as those needed to sustain it, and most founders fall into the "Founder's Trap" by confusing ego with elite operational leadership. Josh unpacks the profound difference between building a true brand and just sticking a "label" on a product, why relying on discounts and performance marketing is a race to the bottom, and why sacrificing short-term profit for the illusion of growth will eventually bankrupt you. We explore his raw, vulnerable failure at Thrive, the "New Guy Rule" for auditing your own company, and why the real money is always made in the last 4% of execution. If you are a founder struggling to scale, feeling the crushing weight of imposter syndrome, or trying to transition into a true Chief Executive Officer, this masterclass provides the exact operating system you need to increase your enterprise value. The Founder's Playbook: • The Identity Shift: Why "mindset" crumbles under pressure, and why you must undergo a total identity shift to become the leader your company actually needs. • Brand vs. Label: The brutal truth about marketing: if you have to constantly bribe customers with discounts and paid ads, you don't have a brand, you have a label. • The Profit Delusion: Why using high-interest debt to mask a broken business model is fatal, and why rapid growth only amplifies your mistakes. • The "New Guy" Rule: The zero-based thinking framework used by elite retailers to creatively destroy and rebuild their own business models every 90 days. • The Final 4%: Why most founders abandon projects at 95%, and why the ultimate competitive advantage lies in executing the final 2-4%. (edited)  Book Rivyl in for a free 30-minute call, here: http://l.rivyl.com/JUPbkj Level up your agency with Wix Studio today: https://www.wix.com/studio (00:00:00) Introduction: The Evolution of a Founder to CEO (00:01:54) Why It's Never Been Harder to Build a Legacy Brand (00:04:45) Founder vs. CEO: The Paradox of Leadership (00:08:08) The "Founder's Trap": Identity Shift vs. Mindset (00:12:48) Recognizing the Symptoms of a Fragile Business (00:17:03) The Reality of Imposter Syndrome and Self-Doubt (00:24:46) Josh's Vulnerable Story: The Failure of "Thrive" (00:27:31) Why Most Business "Pivots" Are Just Hail Marys (00:31:43) The Venture Capital Secret: Why Failing is Valuable (00:35:50) Stop Deceiving Yourself: Hustle Does Not Equal Productivity (00:41:59) The 4% Rule: Why the Real Money is Made at 100% Execution (00:48:12) The Rainforest Metaphor: Growth, Maintenance, and Destruction (00:54:51) The "Antifragile" Strategy of Urban Outfitters (00:58:20) The Only Sustainable Rate of Growth is Organic Brand Demand (01:01:51) Brand vs. Label: The Brutal Truth About E-Commerce Valuations (01:07:40) Lifestyle Branding: The Deus Ex Machina Masterclass (01:13:59) How to Successfully Delegate and Create Executive Alignment (01:18:35) Creative Destruction: Firing Your Old Identity (01:22:02) The "New Guy Rule": How to Ruthlessly Audit Your Company (01:25:48) Why Scaling Fast Will Actually Destroy Your Business (01:31:23) Brand is Not Vanity: The Scaffolding of Enterprise Value (01:36:43) The Profit Delusion: Why Debt Can't Fix a Broken Business (01:45:31) Taking Agency: How to Step Into the CEO Role

    1hr 54min

  5. 10 Apr

    #117 - The Cost of Conviction: Building a Fashion Label With Purpose | Cathryn Wills

    In this episode, we sit down with Cathryn Wills to explore the profound personal and professional growth required to leave the corporate machine and build a legacy brand from scratch. After a 12-year career climbing to Managing Director of Mimco, Cathryn realised her success felt like "Groundhog Day." She walked away from it all to find true purpose.Cathryn breaks down the launch of Sans Beast, revealing why she ignored private equity advice and invested over $500,000 of her own money to maintain absolute agency over her brand's ethics. We dive deep into the mechanics of brand longevity, why chasing rapid hyper-growth is a trap that will destroy your company, and why building a brand with true value requires you to intentionally alienate the masses.If you are navigating a massive career transition, struggling with the "ego" of entrepreneurship, or trying to build a business rooted in uncompromising integrity, this masterclass is your ultimate blueprint.Book Rivyl in for a free 30-minute call, here: http://l.rivyl.com/JUPbkj Level up your agency with Wix Studio today: https://www.wix.com/studio (00:00:00) Introduction: Leaving the Corporate Machine for Purpose(00:01:49) The Founder Transition: Walking Away from the CEO Title(00:06:51) Conviction Over Cash: Why True Integrity Costs Money(00:09:27) Exposing "Ethical Washing" in the Leather Industry(00:14:34) The Loneliness of Entrepreneurship and Rebuilding Identity(00:18:12) Why a Clear Brand Purpose Cuts Through the Market(00:23:45) The Minimal Viable Audience: Why You MUST Alienate People(00:25:41) The Sustainability Myth and Radical Brand Transparency(00:31:24) Making Your First $1,000 Before Chasing Investment(00:36:11) Longevity vs. Hype: Why Rapid Scaling is Dangerous(00:44:17) Stop Chasing "Newness": The Importance of Signature Products(00:49:36) The Power of Saying NO to Customer Demands (Shoes & Expansion)(00:51:42) Why White-Labeling Products from Overseas Ruins Integrity(00:54:19) "Product is Queen": Mastering Raw Materials and Aesthetic Design(01:00:21) Treating Manufacturers as Community Partners, Not Vendors(01:02:45) Ground-Level Sourcing: Exploring Cactus Leather in Mexico(01:12:45) How Visual Storytelling and Model Selection Builds Community(01:23:42) Staying True to Your Brand's Identity in a Noisy Market(01:28:18) Why the "Digital Product Passport" Will Change E-Commerce(01:31:12) The Future of Retail: Purpose, Content, and Community Building(01:36:23) What "Taking Agency" Truly Means for a Purpose-Driven Founder

    1hr 38min

  6. 27 Mar

    #115 - Your Audience Doesn't Want Your Ads Anymore | Nathan Perdriau

    Most founders are still playing a game that stopped working years ago.They think better targeting, better funnels, or more spend will fix their ads. But the reality is harsher, competition is higher than ever, algorithms are smarter than ever, and 99% of ads simply don’t work anymore.In this episode, Nathan breaks down the new playbook, why creative volume is replacing traditional strategy, how AI is reshaping content, and why the only real advantage left is building trust through brand, positioning, and human connection.This isn’t about tweaking your ads.It’s about rebuilding your entire growth strategy.Book Rivyl in for a free 30-minute call, here: http://l.rivyl.com/JUPbkj Level up your agency with Wix Studio today: https://www.wix.com/studio (00:00:00) Trailer (00:04:50) Arbitrage vs. Brand, Why Performance Marketing Changed (00:09:23) The AI UGC Threat, A $300M Run Rate in 5 Months (00:16:02) The Future of E-Commerce, All Human vs. All AI (00:20:02) The Trust Stack, Certainty, Credibility, and Connection (00:24:05) Applying B2B Sales Psychology to E-Commerce (00:27:35) How to Borrow Credibility When You Have None (00:35:28) Why You MUST Alienate Customers to Scale (00:42:01) Why Organic Content is the Ultimate Ad Strategy (00:46:22) Posting 12 Reels a Day, The High-Volume Playbook (00:54:39) The 4% Rule, Why Most of Your Ads Will Fail (01:01:34) Meta vs. Google, The Ultimate Omnichannel Strategy (01:16:56) Meta’s “Andromeda” Algorithm Explained (01:34:02) The “Concept” Framework, Angle, Offer, Persona (01:49:35) What Taking Agency Truly Means for Founders

    1hr 52min

  7. 27 Feb

    #111 - Steal these Frameworks that Billionaires Obsess Over | Nathan Chan

    In this episode, we sit down with Nathan Chan, the CEO of Foundr, to deconstruct the exact frameworks he has extracted from interviewing the world’s most successful billionaires, including Richard Branson, Tony Robbins, Gary Vee, and Seth Godin. Over the last 12 years, Nathan grew a global empire from his parents' basement, and today, he is sharing his 9 core principles for mastering leadership, scaling an audience, and navigating the psychological weight of entrepreneurship. We dive deep into the "Broken Window Theory" of management—why your company culture is defined entirely by the bad behavior you walk past. Nathan reveals his ultimate "Gatekeeper Protocol" for getting access to high-net-worth individuals, how to weaponize business adversity using the Pain + Reflection equation , and the exact 3-part matrix you need to cure "Shiny Object Syndrome". If you are struggling to hire A-players, feeling the exhaustion of the "Never Enough" virus, or wondering if you should give your best content away for free, this masterclass is your ultimate founder's blueprint. Book Rivyl in for a free 30-minute call, here: ⁠⁠http://l.rivyl.com/JUPbkj⁠⁠ Level up your agency with Wix Studio today: ⁠⁠https://www.wix.com/studio⁠⁠ 00:00:00) Introduction: Lessons From The World’s Top Founders (00:04:04) Leadership Advice: Why Great Leaders Build Great Teams (00:11:11) Hiring Secrets: The Real Cost of Bad Employees (00:15:07) Company Culture: Why Actions Matter More Than Words (00:35:35) Mindset Shifts: How to Weaponize Adversity & Setbacks (00:41:18) The "Never Enough" Virus: Overcoming Founder Burnout (00:49:26) Business Strategy: Building an Ecosystem vs. A Product (00:56:33) The "Broken Window" Theory of Leadership & Management (01:07:36) Marketing Strategy: Why Giving Content Away Creates Wealth (01:16:42) Productivity Hacks: Curing Entrepreneurial "Shiny Object Syndrome" (01:21:42) The 3-Part Framework for Making Profitable Business Decisions (01:25:20) Brand Building: Using Design as a Competitive Advantage (01:31:19) Networking Advice: How to Access High-Net-Worth Individuals (01:39:27) The Gatekeeper Strategy: Getting Past Executive Assistants (02:03:14) Scaling Secrets: Letting Go of Control to Grow Faster

    2h 13m

  8. 13 Feb

    #109 - Debunking Myths About Your Brain From A Harvard Scientist | Tessa Forshaw

    In this episode, we sit down with Tessa Forshaw, a Cognitive Scientist and Lecturer at Stanford, to dismantle the biggest myths surrounding creativity and innovation. Tessa explains why the idea of being "Right Brained" or "Left Brained" is scientifically false  and reveals that creativity is not a personality trait, but a cognitive muscle that can be trained.We go deep on the biology of innovation: why your brain naturally resists new ideas to save metabolic energy , and how to use "Metacognition" (thinking about your thinking) to override these biological defaults. Tessa also breaks down the "Aerodynamics of Creativity"—a framework using Lift, Gravity, and Thrust to ensure your ideas don't just float away, but actually land.We also explore the dangerous comfort of AI, the risk of "Cognitive Atrophy" , and why the future belongs to those who can blend deep expertise with broad curiosity (The T-Shaped Person). This is a masterclass on the mechanics of the human mind and how to architect a business that innovates on command. (00:00:00) Trailer (00:01:21) The "Lone Genius" Myth (00:02:27) The "Mucker" Method: Edison’s Secret To Innovation (00:06:20) Debunking The "Right Brain vs. Left Brain" Theory (00:11:14) Why Your Brain Is Biologically Wired To Be Lazy (00:16:36) The Decline Of Creativity In Adulthood (00:23:07) The Aerodynamics Of Creativity: Lift, Gravity, Thrust (00:29:07) Exercises To Trigger Divergent Thinking (00:35:01) The Cognitive Biases That Kill Innovation (00:49:10) Cognitive Reframing: The Costco Analogy (00:56:52) The "Default Mode Network" And Why You Need To Wander (01:04:09) Designing Constraints For Creative Teams (01:12:33) Hiring For "T-Shaped" People With Obsessions (01:18:54) Metacognition: The Ultimate Leadership Skill (01:29:27) AI And The Risk Of "Cognitive Atrophy" (01:45:33) Why Relationships Predict Success More Than Intelligence (01:50:07) The Impact Of AI On Creative Variability Book Rivyl in for a free 30-minute call, here: http://l.rivyl.com/JUPbkj Level up your agency with Wix Studio today: https://www.wix.com/studio

    2hr 1min
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About

In 2018, I was broke, 200k in debt, and working an unfulfilling job. I started a content creation agency and scaled it from 1 freelancer to a team of 30+ in just 4 short years. Now I run Australia’s fastest-growing agency: rivyl. As a guy who runs an agency working with global brands and celebrities, I decided to start interviewing people who take Agency over their lives. To unpack what entrepreneurs do to get ahead in business and life. My goal is to unearth the tactics, mindset, and motives that make high performers tick so you can get a leg up and take Agency with whatever you’re doing.

Information

  • Creator
    Dain Walker
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    130
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dain Walker
  • Show Website
    Agency

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