Agency Hour

Alex Steele
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Grow your agency to $1-$10M+/year with proven growth tactics. We ask top agency owners what's currently working for them, and we share it with you, 100% free.

  1. 11/03/2025

    The End of Clicks: Why ‘Answer Engines’ Convert 10x Better Than Search

    Jason Hu, founder and CEO of NexAd, joins to unpack the next generation of advertising: ad placements inside AI chatbots (think DeepAI, Character.ai, Liner) and fully automated ad ops via AI agents. We cover why chatbots behave like “answer engines” (higher intent than search), how conversation context supercharges targeting while preserving privacy via embeddings, and the real-world impact for agencies—automated onboarding, creative generation, campaign setup/management, and client comms. Jason also reflects on TikTok’s ad scale, the AI “bubble” vs. dot-com era, and the infrastructure (GPUs, energy) behind this wave. If you run paid media or build media products, this is your map of what’s coming—and how to benefit first. GuestJason Hu — Founder & CEO, NexAd: https://www.nex.ad/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qitian-hu/X: https://x.com/onjas_6 Key Takeaways Answer Engines = Higher Intent: Chatbots compress “search → click → compare” into a single answer flow; ad units embedded in that context convert.Contextual Targeting Without PII: Using embeddings preserves privacy while capturing ultra-specific intent (“car broke down at X & Y in SF”).AI as Staff: Treat agents as virtual employees for 80–90% of repetitive work—onboarding, creatives, campaign builds, budget iteration, reporting.Cost & Speed Gains: Agencies Jason works with report up to ~95% reduction in operational cost with better or equal performance.The Infra Is Real: This isn’t just software—GPUs, data centers, and energy provisioning are the new constraints (and opportunities).Ad Market Expands (Not Shrinks): Like the shift to social/search, AI ads are likely to grow the pie by improving the product.Timestamps 00:00 – Why “Answer Engines” Beat Search — Chatbots return the answer, not just links; intent is off the charts. 02:00 – Ad Inventory Inside Chatbots — Live on major bots; conversation history enables precise, moment-of-need targeting. 06:00 – Privacy Approach — No raw chat storage; use of embeddings/anonymized intent signals. 08:30 – Workflow Automation for Agencies — AI as “virtual employees” for research, creative, campaign setup, budget iteration, reporting, and even client comms. 13:30 – Why Jason Picked Ads (TikTok lens) — The sheer scale of digital ads and how AI is changing it. 18:00 – Agencies vs. Platforms — It’s a partnership: platforms still chase advertiser performance and feedback. 22:30 – Is AI a Bubble? Lessons from Dot-Com — Revenue reality, who bears risk, and why utility outlives valuation cycles. 28:00 – The Physical World of AI — Data centers, GPUs, and energy constraints; macro tailwinds from infra build-out. 33:30 – Case Studies & Ops Impact — Small ecom wins; agencies cutting ~95% of ops costs with NexAd’s agents. 37:00 – How to Try It + Closing — nex.ad and direct email. SponsorOpal — the spend platform built for performance marketers: https://opalspend.com/

    39 min

  2. 10/15/2025

    How to Nuke Copycats, Build a Creator Flywheel & Turn One Channel Into Millions

    Win on one channel—not eight. Oliver Brocato, Founder & CEO of Bustem, breaks down how to weaponize creator flywheels, pressure platforms to remove fakes, and turn an authentic personal brand into millions in pipeline. After scaling Tabs, the viral “sex chocolate,” through a creator-led content engine, Oliver faced counterfeits, stolen ads, and fake listings firsthand. Those challenges inspired Bustem, a pay-per-takedown service that helps brands find, document, and remove scammers across Amazon, Shopify, paid social, and beyond. We get into: When one great acquisition channel beats eight mediocre onesThe DMCA → platform → host/registrar → payments → Google delist escalation ladderWhy marketplaces aren’t incentivized to protect you… until you push themHow to build a creator swarm (hundreds of daily posts) without buying followersThe personal brand flywheel that drives inbound deal flow for B2BTime-Stamps 00:00 — “You only need to win on one channel.” Why focus beats “be everywhere.”00:38 — Who is Oliver; why he built Bustem for e-com brands getting ripped off. 02:00 — From fidget spinners at 14 → Tabs → AI side projects → Bustem. 03:40 — The problem: stolen ads, dupe sites, fake marketplace listings. 07:03 — Case studies: why ingestibles/supplements get hit hardest; safety risk. 08:40 — How platforms actually work: Brand Registry, Transparency, APEX/arbitration; malicious takedowns and proof. 10:45 — When platforms stall: escalate to hosts, registrars, processors, and Google. 12:05 — Tabs’ creator flywheel: hundreds of branded accounts, 1–3 posts/day each. 14:30 — Compensation: small retainers + performance; Discord of thousands of clippers. 18:00 — When paid ads (Meta/Google/CTV) are the better, durable path vs clipping. 21:00 — The obvious growth lever founders ignore: hire proven sellers with your ICP. 22:06 — Bustem growth stack: SDR/appointments, Meta, cold email, LinkedIn. 23:05 — Personal brand playbook: be loud, be consistent, own a micro-niche. 25:00 — “Be the house, not the affiliate.” Turning audience into your own B2B offer. Guest Oliver Brocato — Founder & CEO, Bustem X/Twitter: https://x.com/oliver__b1 Sponsor Opal — the spend platform built for performance marketers. - https://opalspend.com/

    27 min

  3. 10/07/2025

    Podcasts to Profit: Using Podcasts to Build New Client Pipeline

    From jobless in 2020 to building a profitable podcast-first agency, Ben Albert (Real Business Connections) breaks down how a simple local show became a national lead engine for high-ticket clients—without paid ads. We cover booking bigger guests with social proof, repurposing every episode for long-tail ROI, and why treating your show like a public diary compounds trust, reach, and revenue. What You’ll Learn Podcast → Pipeline: Turning conversations into high-ticket retainers (and why trust beats clicks).Guest Booking System: “Nominate” > referrals > name-drop social proof to land bigger guests.Repurposing Flywheel: Full episode → trailer → shorts → graphics → show notes → blog.Community-Led Growth: Using a free community to nurture, then upsell to a paid inner circle.Positioning Shift: Ditching low-ticket services to sell premium, recurring podcast ops.Diary-Style Content: Publish the journey, not just the highlight reel—compound returns over time.Key Takeaways A podcast is a networking, brand, and content system—not just a media product.High-ticket > high volume: One right client can beat a thousand tiny offers.Stack social proof: press mentions, past guest list, reviews, testimonials—do all of it.Consistency compounds: Evergreen episodes keep working long after release.Guest Ben Albert — Real Business Connections: https://realbusinessconnections.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realbenalbert/ Resources Mentioned Ben’s community: https://WeAllGrowTogether.comSponsor — Opal (spend platform for performance marketers): https://www.opalspend.com/

    29 min

  4. 09/29/2025

    Building a $3M Agency: How $6K in X Ads Drove $400K in Revenue

    In this episode of The Agency Hour, we sit down with Brad Smith, longtime agency owner and marketing innovator, to unpack how he scaled a $3M business by focusing on relationship-driven marketing, patient growth strategies, and systems that actually work. Brad shares his wild journey from running a health and fitness business to pivoting into digital marketing after a life-changing accident. He breaks down his unique ad strategy on X (Twitter) that helped one client turn $3,600 in ad spend into $3M in annual revenue—all without sending a single click to a landing page. We also dive into: Why most agencies fail at follow-up (and how to fix it)How to run hyper-effective profile visit ads that build trust before sellingThe magic of combining organic content with paid amplificationThe patience required to build lasting brand equityThe power of staying focused instead of chasing shiny objectsLessons from scaling YouTube, X, and referrals into million-dollar channelsKey Takeaways Follow-up is everything. It now takes an average of 24 touches across 3 platforms before someone buys.Ads aren’t for selling upfront. Brad uses ads to drive profile visits, not clicks, building long-term trust through organic content.Be ready to pivot. Brad’s agency started after a devastating accident forced him to rethink his future.Content compounds. Eight years, 900+ YouTube videos, and $1M+ ARR later—consistency pays off.Focus wins. Agencies get stuck by chasing too many services. The winners get known for one thing.Links & Resources Guest: Brad Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hylthlink/ Brad’s Agency: AutomationLinks.com Sponsor: Opal – Spend management for performance marketing teams: https://www.opalspend.com/

    59 min

  5. 09/23/2025

    Bootstrapping a Pay-Per-Lead Agency: Why Difficult Clients Are Your Secret Weapon for Long-Term Growth

    In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Kennedy, CEO of Astrafuse, a performance-based lead generation agency specializing in the home improvement space. Chris shares the story of how he and four co-founders bootstrapped their company after being laid off just weeks before Christmas 2023, and why they all took pay cuts to chase equity and build something of their own. What You'll Learn: How Astrafuse landed major clients through simple LinkedIn outreach and organic contentThe power of building a visible personal brand (even with zero followers)Their hybrid model combining web leads and phone calls for home improvement companiesHow they built a marketplace to resell excess leadsBalancing CTO and CEO roles as a technical founderUsing podcasting to build trust and credibility over timeWhy consistent content creation is still the best growth strategy in 2025Key Takeaways: "Just show that you have a pulse - be a real person by consistently posting. It doesn't have to be elaborate, just be consistent because people will research you." Our best buyers came from doing outreach on LinkedIn, and bigger clients often have more friction upfront, but once you smooth that out, everything else flows. Guest: Christopher Kennedy, CEO of Astrafuse Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chkennedy/ Sponsor Opal — spend management for performance marketersGet the ad-spend + back-office stack built for agencies: https://www.opalspend.com/  This episode is brought to you by Opal, the spend management platform built for performance marketing teams. Learn more at opalspend.com.

    1h 4m

  6. 09/15/2025

    Neuromarketing: The 100% Success Rate That Could Render Traditional Marketing Obsolete

    In this episode, we're joined by Yara Abaza, founder of YA Graphix, a neuromarketing agency. Yara evolved from a solo freelance designer into the creator of Instinct Intelligence, a proprietary neuromarketing system currently being clinically tested at the University of Toronto. Yara discusses the emerging field of neuromarketing, which is projected to grow significantly in the coming years. She explains how her agency utilizes neuroscience technology, including EEG brainwave data, eye tracking, and biometric feedback, to help brands optimize their marketing strategies with a 100% success rate in segmentation, targeting, and positioning. The conversation also covers her journey in building the agency, the challenges of managing a remote team, and the importance of networking and follow-up in landing high-profile clients like Google. Guest Yara Abaza — Founder & CEO, YA Graphix (Neuromarketing Agency) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaraabaza/ Website: https://www.yagraphix.com/ (YA Graphix) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yagraphix/ (Instagram) Press/Newsroom: https://pressroom.prlog.org/yagraphix/ (pressroom.prlog.org) Research (Academia): A Comprehensive Neuromarketing Study… via Instinct Intelligence™ — https://www.academia.edu/143546098 (Academia) Sponsor Opal — spend management for performance marketers Get the ad-spend + back-office stack built for agencies: https://www.opalspend.com/  Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open: “Neuromarketing will grow to $2.62B…” (industry momentum & bold claims)00:22 — Host intro + welcome to Yara / YA Graphix01:16 — What is neuromarketing vs. “the algorithm”? EEG, eye tracking, biometrics explained03:32 — The origin story: design → marketing → why neuromarketing04:45 — Inside Instinct Intelligence™: octagon model & eight consumer categories06:10 — Running a study: ICP selection, stimuli, devices, data integration08:05 — Evidence & differentiation: case studies, university collaboration, publishing results10:12 — Operations: team makeup, contractors, global time zones12:00 — Pricing levers: sample size, scope, confidentiality, retainers14:05 — Biz dev: in-person networking, cold outreach, and the follow-up habit16:20 — Founder life: long hours, family reactions, choosing your city19:00 — What’s next: more trials, more research, productizing IPKey Takeaways Yara’s path: freelance designer → traditional marketing → neuromarketing agency founder.What neuromarketing actually measures (EEG, eye tracking, biometrics) and how that differs from social algorithms.How Instinct Intelligence™ works (octagonal scale, eight consumer drivers/categories) and how trials are run with ICP-matched participants.Building IP inside an agency: partnering on studies, creating case-study proof, and using evidence to speed sales cycles.Remote research teams, recruiting participants, and the pricing knobs that change study size/scope.The reality of founder hours, perseverance, and choosing cities (Denver, NYC, Austin) for network and operations. Resources & references mentioned YA Graphix (Neuromarketing agency): https://www.yagraphix.com/ (YA Graphix)Instinct Intelligence™ overview (brand channels): https://www.instagram.com/yagraphix/ (Instagram)Recent study by Yara Abaza (Academia.edu): https://www.academia.edu/143546098 (Academia)Neuromarketing & EEG — recent scholarly overviews:A systematic review on EEG-based Neuromarketing (2024): https://braininformatics.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40708-024-00229-8 (SpringerOpen)Technological advancements & opportunities in Neuromarketing (2020): https://braininformatics.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40708-020-00109-x (SpringerOpen)Notable Quotes “We decode the subconscious—EEG and biometrics tell us what surveys can’t.”“Instinct Intelligence™ lets us measure competitors on an emotional scale, not just clicks.”“Case studies + clinical-style trials are our sales engine.”

    25 min

  7. 09/09/2025

    Building a B2B Growth Agency: AI Tools, Attribution Models, and Audience-Centric Strategies

    Jennifer Mancusi, Co-Founder & CEO of Growgetter, joins Agency Hour to share how she transitioned from CRO at Voxpopme to running her own B2B growth agency. We dig into the realities of founder life, the hidden weight of sales, and why customer-centric marketing always wins. Jennifer also breaks down the right way to use AI (restructure and repurpose your own ideas—don’t replace them), how referrals and one great content download built her client base, and why disciplined CRM habits keep pipeline honest. This episode is packed with actionable insights for agency leaders, marketers, and founders who want to scale smarter. Guest Jennifer Mancusi — Co-Founder & CEO at Growgetter Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-mancusi/ Sponsor This episode is brought to you by Opal — spend management for performance teams. Timestamps 00:00 – Why yesterday’s tactics won’t win today; AI in marketing01:00 – What Growgetter does & who they serve02:30 – From CRO to founder: admin shock & commitment shift06:10 – The selling reality of agency life09:00 – CRM discipline & pipeline honesty12:30 – Landing the first clients: referrals + one content download15:30 – Balancing client work with your own marketing18:30 – Podcasting’s compounding effects21:00 – Rapid change cycles: AI, Google updates, shifting trends23:00 – Using AI: research, restructure, repurpose27:00 – Targeting evolution: demographics → behaviors & intent31:00 – Lululemon’s “Ocean” persona & customer-first strategy35:00 – Timeless principle: start with the customer, channels follow38:00 – What’s next: educating the market & building communityKey Takeaways Marketing playbooks transfer, but tactics must evolve.The founder’s #1 job is selling—clients, talent, and retention.Use AI daily for research, restructuring, and repurposing.Referrals + niche focus = the first wave of clients.CRM discipline and pipeline honesty are non-negotiable.Deep customer personas win over demographic targeting.Balancing client delivery with your own brand marketing is hard—but critical.Links & Resources Growgetter: https://www.growgetter.io/ Jennifer Mancusi (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-mancusi/ Voxpopme: https://www.voxpopme.com/ Opal (sponsor): https://opal.com Guy Kawasaki: https://guykawasaki.com/ Andy Crestodina (Orbit Media): https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/author/andy/ David Ogilvy Bio: https://www.ogilvy.com/people/david-ogilvy Quotes “If you’re not using AI tools, you’re doing something wrong.”“Measure meticulously so you can experiment freely.”“Delivery seemed like the hard part—turns out selling is the founder’s real job.”“Start with your own source content. Use AI to restructure and maximize it.”

    39 min

  8. 09/02/2025

    $0 to $2M in 6 Months: Leveraging Media Buying and Strong Referral Networks

    In this Agency Hour episode, James Williams, founder of Traffic & Bridges, breaks down 14+ years in paid media: landing enterprise and state contracts, building a referral-only pipeline, and why most founders outsource the wrong things. James explains the extension agency model—becoming the execution partner for small/mid agencies that can’t staff every ad platform—and why over-communication beats over-promising. We dig into compounding focus, common hiring traps, when to outsource (and when not to), and the simple formula: deliver the goal + communicate clearly = more referrals. ⏱️ Chapter Timeline 00:00 — Cold open: “Stop chasing quick money—master one core skill.”00:40 — Host intro + guest setup: James Williams, Founder of Traffic & Bridges.01:05 — $2M in the first six months; big-brand pedigree (Chevron, Kaiser, Tropicana, state gov).03:20 — Career path: SDSU → agency internship → co-building to $100M sales.05:45 — Why contracts end & starting over with a leaner model.06:30 — Extension agency model: partnering with small/mid agencies for execution.08:15 — Referral engine > outbound; 80%+ sales via relationships.10:05 — Stop “outsourcing your superpower”; outsource your weaknesses.11:50 — Over-communication vs. over-promising; hitting pacing/performance goals.13:30 — Hiring mistakes: too late, wrong role, expectations mismatch.16:40 — Culture fit, standards, and “raising the bar” as a manager.20:00 — Building employee funnels alongside sales funnels.22:30 — Why focus compounds; the anti-shiny-object lesson.28:40 — Value first: over-deliver today, earn contracts tomorrow.29:30 — Wrap & takeaways.🔑 Key Takeaways Master one thing: Depth in a core skill compounds more than trend hopping.Be the extension, not the everything: Partner with agencies that need elite execution.Referrals are earned: Deliver the stated goal and over-communicate progress.Outsource your weaknesses, not your strengths: Protect your highest-leverage work.Hire with timing + standards: Don’t hire too late or too early; set clear performance bars.Operate on pacing/performance: In media buying, success = spend delivery or target performance—be transparent which you’re optimizing.💬 Notable Quotes “Stop chasing quick money. Become an expert in your one core area.” — James Williams“If you want to succeed in business, over-deliver and give value first.” — James Williams“Over-communication beats over-promising—every time.” — James Williams🧰 Playbook Mentioned Extension Agency Model: Sell to an agency once → execute across 5–10 of their clients.Two Goal Posts: Hit pacing or performance; set which one upfront and report honestly.Referral Flywheel: Relationships with media planners → they win contracts → send paid media to you.Hiring Rule: A great manager in the domain must manage specialists—otherwise the bar drifts down.🔗 Resources & Links Guest: trafficandbridges.comSponsor: Opal — spend management for performance marketers👤 Guest James Williams — Founder, Traffic & Bridges (media buying across placements, formats, and devices; audience targeting for awareness & sales).

    29 min
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Grow your agency to $1-$10M+/year with proven growth tactics. We ask top agency owners what's currently working for them, and we share it with you, 100% free.

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  • Creator
    Alex Steele
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Alex Steele