Agency Intensive

Richard Hill
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Richard Hill, CEO and Founder of eComOne and SEO Traffic Lab, chats to agency owners with fire in their belly, processes at their core and people in their hearts. Learn from people who are fiercely resilient and ambitious. Listen to their challenges, wins and their journey to find out what adds the magic to their agency.  Released once a month, these podcast episodes will be truly transparent and take you inside the busy minds of some of the biggest players in the industry.

  1. MAR 3

    E19: Anthony Barone - From Working in Pubs and Nightclubs to Scaling an International SEO Powerhouse

    “Ego Is the Enemy” Welcome to another episode of eCom@One with Richard Hill! In today’s conversation, Richard Hill sits down with Anthony Barone, co-founder of Studio Hawk and the driving force behind their UK expansion. Anthony Barone shares the remarkable journey of going from a career in hospitality to scaling Studio Hawk from a small Australian team into an international SEO powerhouse with offices in Melbourne, Sydney, London, and Atlanta. You’ll hear candid stories about rapid growth, building a company culture across continents, and why niche focus has been their biggest lever in sales and partnerships. Anthony Barone also opens up about the role of AI and large language models in the changing SEO landscape—and why mastering the fundamentals is now more important than ever. Whether you’re running an agency, building your own team, or just curious about the intersection of search, growth, and technology, this episode is packed with hard-won lessons, real-world advice, and a glimpse into what’s next for Studio Hawk. Let’s dive in! 00:00 "Falling Into SEO Career" 05:23 "Building Studiohawk From Scratch" 09:26 Scaling Sales for SEO Success 11:48 "Power of Specialism in Events" 14:03 Shoreditch Cool Commerce Event 17:45 "Building Networks Through Events" 23:12 "Advice for UK Agencies Expanding" 23:55 "Preparation for US Expansion" 26:56 "Planning International Business Expansion" 30:12 "Follow Core Values Intentionally" 35:25 "SEO Opportunities in the AI Era" 38:26 Navigating Marketing Challenges Efficiently 39:55 Shopify, Universal Protocol, Ads Update 43:22 "Ego Is the Enemy" Recommendation

    45 min

  2. FEB 4

    E18: Mads Singer - From Founder Led Chaos to Scalable SEO Agency

    In this episode of Agency Intensive, Richard Hill sits down with Mads Singer, agency trainer and management consultant who's helped hundreds of teams move from founder-led delivery to repeatable, scalable operations. Mads breaks down why most brilliant SEOs stay stuck at the same revenue level year after year, what the "superhero syndrome" really costs your business, and the exact hiring sequence that prevents you from becoming the bottleneck. He explains the four business buckets every agency needs to master, why you should pick ONE marketing channel and go deep, and how to build repeatable SEO processes that scale. The conversation covers the three critical growth stages where most agencies get stuck (0-10, 10-25, and 25-50+ people), why writing SOPs yourself is killing your time, and how to hire specialists instead of trying to clone yourself. Mads shares real examples, including the roofing SEO who 3x'd his business in 12 months by going to industry events, and breaks down what it really takes to build a sellable, scalable agency. If you're a talented SEO stuck in delivery or an agency owner trying to break through revenue plateaus, this episode gives you the exact steps to scale without burning out. Listen to the full episode now, and don't forget to hit subscribe. **Topics Covered** 00:00 Introduction 02:07 Why talented SEOs struggle to scale 03:13 Mads' background: From IBM to agency consulting 07:03 The four business buckets: Sales, marketing, operations, finance 08:04 The superhero syndrome killing your growth 13:38 Finding your ONE marketing channel 18:05 The roofing SEO case study: 3x growth in 12 months 20:36 Sponsor: Aristo Sourcing 21:38 Key hires for scaling from 5 to 20+ people 24:30 Building culture with your first hires 28:24 SOPs: What the gurus get wrong 34:34 Leadership challenges scaling £1M to £5M 35:05 Three growth stages where agencies get stuck 46:31 Starting an SEO agency from scratch today 47:19 The ONE process framework 50:02 Breaking down processes for specialization 51:40 Hiring specialists vs. cloning yourself 53:26 Book recommendation: First, Break All the Rules 54:14 Where to find Mads Singer

    55 min

  3. JAN 5

    E17: Aaron Hutchinson - Stop Pitching, Start Closing: The Four Conversations Framework for Agency Sales

    From wasted pitch decks to strategic conversations that close. Aaron Hutchinson reveals the Win Without Pitching methodology that's helping agencies stop gambling on low-probability pitches and start winning profitable clients through expert positioning instead of endless presentations. Aaron Hutchinson is a sales consultant and trainer specializing in the Win Without Pitching methodology for creative agencies and professional services firms. Based in the UK, Aaron helps agency owners and their teams move from reactive order-taking to strategic expert positioning through the Four Conversations framework. After years as Managing Director of a creative agency, Aaron founded The Hutch Consultancy to address the industry's most persistent challenge: winning new business profitably without wasting resources on futile pitches. This podcast episode is relevant to you if you're an agency owner struggling with new business, tired of losing pitches you spent days preparing for, finding it difficult to have confident pricing conversations, or trying to hire and train salespeople who can sell expertise rather than just deliverables. Find out why your pitch win rate is probably lower than you think, what the "three years from now" question unlocks in sales conversations, and why presenting three options beats a single proposal every time. Aaron reveals the frameworks that separate expert agencies from vendor agencies, introduces RAB (Revenue Above Budget) as the metric that actually matters, and explains why 25,000 UK agencies are competing in a market more crowded than McDonald's locations. If you're serious about transforming your agency's sales process or finally cracking the code on profitable new business without soul-destroying pitch work, this episode delivers practical, immediately actionable frameworks. Topics Covered: 00:00 - Introduction: The agency world's oldest question 02:28 - What challenges are agencies facing with sales and new business? 04:18 - Why there are 25,000+ agencies in the UK (more than McDonald's!) 07:22 - The two-year email: How long-term positioning pays off 09:32 - Why pitching is gambling (and the real win rates you're facing) 12:44 - What is Win Without Pitching and why does it work? 14:06 - The Four Conversations framework explained 19:50 - The magic question: "We're having coffee three years from now..." 24:58 - Expert vs Vendor: The doctor analogy 28:08 - Pricing conversations: Why money talks are so uncomfortable 31:42 - The secret to avoiding awkward "we don't have that budget" moments 33:19 - The power of options: Why three is the magic number 38:18 - RAB: Revenue Above Budget explained 42:02 - Staying resilient in agency sales: Avoiding soul-destroying work 45:25 - Conversations not presentations: Why we don't use decks anymore 47:45 - Book recommendation: The Four Conversations by Blair Enns

    49 min

  4. 12/03/2025

    E16: Angelo Zanetti - Building Software That Actually Works

    From necessity to 20 years of building software that adapts to businesses, not the other way around. Angelo Zanetti co-founded Elemental during the dot-com crash and turned it into a Cape Town powerhouse that refuses to compromise on quality, security, or in-office culture. Angelo Zanetti Angelo Zanetti is the co-founder and co-CEO of Elemental, a web and software development agency based in Cape Town, South Africa. With over 20 years of hands-on experience, Angelo has built a lean team of 25 specialists who focus on creating bespoke software solutions that truly fit how businesses operate, rather than forcing businesses to adapt to off-the-shelf tools. This podcast episode is relevant to you if you're building software products, running a development agency, scoping MVPs, or trying to understand why that vibe-coded prototype isn't production-ready. Find out why founders bloat their MVPs with non-core features, what happens when someone hands Angelo a Replit prototype with no brakes, and why Elemental's entire team works in-office five days a week in an increasingly remote world. Angelo shares the realities of digital transformation, the security nightmares hiding in AI-generated code, and why great SEO has driven their lead generation for two decades. If you're serious about building software that scales or positioning your agency to stand out, this episode delivers practical, battle-tested advice. Topics Covered: 1:07 - How Angelo got into the agency world out of necessity during the dot-com crash 2:25 - Meeting Richard in a Harry Potter-esque location overlooking King's Cross 4:18 - The current setup: 25 people, lean and mean in Cape Town 5:26 - Why COVID was actually good for Elemental's business 6:59 - The advantage of having strong technical backgrounds as co-founders 8:05 - How SEO has been their secret weapon for lead generation 9:51 - Doing exceptional work leads to referrals and repeat business 10:38 - The mistake of trying to be everything to everyone 11:16 - MVPs and the patterns Angelo sees when founders first approach them 12:33 - Why founders jam-pack MVPs with nice-to-have features 14:04 - The "build it and they will come" fallacy 15:55 - Walking through the Change Cars project: competing with Autotrader 18:55 - How the market tells you what features to build next 21:22 - Philosophy: software should adapt to the business, not the other way around 25:18 - Why off-the-shelf tools force businesses into broken workflows 28:21 - The commercial model: discovery, build, then ongoing support and maintenance 32:01 - Why Elemental keeps everyone in-office five days a week 36:06 - The advantages: culture, collaboration, mentoring, and quality control 38:53 - The major challenge: hiring in a world that wants remote work 42:18 - How Angelo stays connected to the technical side without writing code anymore 43:18 - The reality of vibe coding: it looks good but has no brakes 46:32 - Security nightmares in AI-generated prototypes 48:07 - Using AI tools like Copilot and Cursor responsibly 50:58 - Building SEO calculators with vibe coding versus proper development 52:18 - Advice for agencies looking to scale: stop being too generalist 55:23 - Positioning yourself as a specialist and marketing to that niche 57:24 - Book recommendation: $100,000,000 Offers by Alex Hormozi Learn more about scaling your agency at eComOne.com

    58 min

  5. 10/13/2025

    E15: Mikey Emery - Scaling to 120+ Staff, Investing in AI & Why A Decision is Better Than No Decision

    From a ski slope conversation to 120+ staff. That's the journey of Impression, one of the UK's fastest-growing performance marketing agencies. Mikey Emery started in a server room with three co-founders and built an agency that's broken through every glass ceiling—staying profitable, debt-free, and people-first the entire way. Mikey Emery Mikey Emery is the Commercial Director and co-owner of Impression, a performance marketing agency with offices in Nottingham, London, and Manchester. After joining the founders in 2014, Mikey has been instrumental in scaling the business from 4 people to over 120 staff while maintaining a relentless focus on automation, AI, and client-centric delivery. This podcast episode is relevant to you if you're navigating agency growth, struggling with team structure, or wondering how to invest in automation without losing the human touch. Find out how Impression restructured from channel-based teams to client-centric pods, why they paused client billing during COVID (and grew 50% anyway), and what it really takes to launch into the US market as a UK agency. Mikey shares the honest truths about leadership evolution, making decisions even when you're not sure, and why learning from pitch losses has driven more change than celebrating wins. If you're serious about scaling your agency while keeping culture intact, this episode is packed with real, usable lessons. Topics Covered: 1:34 - How Mikey got into the agency world (and why his e-commerce business failed) 3:37 - From bedroom freelancers to first office in 2014 4:46 - Growing from 4 people to 120+ staff across three UK offices 6:22 - The step changes that pushed through growth glass ceilings 8:00 - Why moving into an office space was a pivotal moment 10:18 - Winning seven-figure accounts that changed the trajectory 12:24 - How servicing bigger clients is less operationally complex than you think 14:13 - Splitting time as Commercial Director across growth, marketing, and client services 15:54 - Using data and forecasting to stay 95% accurate on the next 4 months 18:55 - Leadership evolution: from impatient decision-maker to trusting the team 21:22 - Why "a decision is better than no decision" became his guiding principle 23:22 - The agency's approach to AI and automation (it's been core for 10 years) 26:32 - Launching their proprietary AI content production tool 29:19 - Investing in full-time developers and data scientists to build tech in-house 32:16 - The US expansion: why every state is its own country 34:24 - Going from UK-based clients marketing in the US to building a proper US presence 36:02 - Setting up offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Miami 40:14 - The biggest challenge: COVID and the decision to pause client billing 43:52 - Why they chose not to furlough staff and how it paid off 46:59 - The importance of having a war chest of cash reserves 47:58 - What's on the roadmap: US growth, AI acceleration, and restructuring into pods 49:41 - Moving from 20+ people on accounts to lean, client-centric pod structures 52:40 - One piece of advice: Make a decision, even if it's wrong 53:47 - Why failures drive more change than successes 54:26 - Book recommendation: The Good Company by Arthur Blank

    56 min

  6. 08/26/2025

    E14: Adrienn Major — Ditching Retainers: How POD LDN Redefines Post-Production

    Retainers? Contracts? Slow approvals? Forget it. Adrienn Major is breaking every rule of the traditional agency model with POD LDN — a global post-production powerhouse built on flexibility, speed, and trust. No retainers. No big contracts. Just on-demand creative firepower that scales up or down instantly. From managing 80 in-house artists and 1,500 freelancers, to building AI tools and automation into her workflows, Adrienn shows what it really takes to stay lean, reactive, and cashflow smart in a chaotic industry. This episode is a masterclass in running a modern creative business — from scaling teams globally to rethinking pricing models, leadership, diversity, and the role of AI in post-production. Adrienn Major Founder of POD LDN, Adrienn shares her journey from growing up in Hungary to building one of the most agile post-production companies in the world. She explains how ditching retainers and complex pricing in favor of flat day rates created speed and trust with clients, and how a massive freelance pool gives POD the flexibility to handle anything from VFX to CGI on demand. She also opens up about leadership in a male-dominated industry, why agencies need to embrace automation and AI (including creating an AI version of herself), and the surprising lessons she’s taken from The Wolf of Wall Street. Whether you’re scaling an agency, exploring automation, or looking for inspiration on building flexible business models, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Listen to the full episode now and learn how to scale without burning cash or slowing down. Topics Covered 00:08 — Introduction: Meet Adrienn Major and POD LDN 01:32 — Adrienn’s journey from Hungary to launching her own company 05:29 — Scaling POD: 80 in-house artists + 1,500 freelancers worldwide 08:31 — Why traditional agencies struggle with reactivity (and how POD solved it) 09:55 — Building a business without retainers or long contracts 12:09 — Flat-rate pricing: £290 per artist per day, £40/hour for smaller tasks 15:16 — How POD helps agencies, in-house teams, and post houses scale flexibly 18:45 — The advantage of tapping into global talent pools 21:41 — Managing a decentralized, international team day-to-day 24:34 — Reinventing workflows: morning check-ins, gamification, and agile leadership 25:25 — How AI and automation power POD’s operations (from onboarding to project setup) 28:52 — Creating an AI version of Adrienn for onboarding and training 32:31 — The future of AI in creative work: threats, opportunities, and collaboration 36:41 — Keeping pace with fast-moving AI tools and platforms 37:11 — Diversity in agencies: challenges and the need for male allies 40:19 — Scaling lessons: staying flexible, keeping overheads low, and cashflow smart 43:16 — Book recommendation: The Way of the Wolf by Jordan Belfort 44:57 — How to connect with Adrienn and learn more about POD LDN

    45 min
  7. E13: Jason Hennessey - Scaling Smart: The Journey from Freelance SEO to International Agency

    08/03/2025

    E13: Jason Hennessey - Scaling Smart: The Journey from Freelance SEO to International Agency

    Jason Hennessey’s entrepreneurial journey began when he shared his impressive results in e-commerce and affiliate marketing during a presentation. The audience—mostly lawyers—were so impressed that several approached him afterward, asking if he could help them achieve similar success. Though he hadn’t considered starting an agency before, he left the room that day with seven business cards and the beginnings of $30,000 per month in recurring revenue. That single, 45-minute presentation marked the start of his agency and set him on the path to building a thriving business. In today’s episode, Richard and Jason explore Jason’s journey from his early days as a self-taught SEO freelancer to building a global team of over 130 people. Along the way, you’ll hear insights on the power of niching down, the importance of agency culture, and how to transition from a lifestyle business to a scalable operation. Jason also shares advice on hiring key leadership roles, leveraging executive assistants to maximize impact, and integrating AI and innovation into agency processes. Topics Covered:  00:00 Scaling Agencies: Insights from Jason Hennessey 03:29 Leading Law SEO Agency Insights 08:30 Scaling Business by Hiring Experts 12:22 Documenting Time and Task Management 15:04 Hiring and Business Culture Insight 17:05 "Building a Team-First Culture" 19:59 Hackathon Innovation: HD Translate 25:24 Adapting SEO with AI Innovation 26:32 "Personal Branding for Agency Success" 29:45 "Book as Unique Selling Point" 33:01 Navigating Burnout and Business Challenges 36:29 Balancing Work and Personal Life 39:43 Email Management and Availability 43:07 "My Grandfather, My Greatest Mentor" 46:26 "Balancing Growth and Risk"

    49 min

  8. 07/06/2025

    E12: Nigel Davies - Don’t Bet Everything On One Client: Diversify Or Die

    Nigel shares his journey from scaling his London agency from three Founders to 25 staff and multi-million pound turnover, to ultimately watching it collapse. In this episode of eCom@One with Richard Hill, Richard interviews Nigel Davies, former WPP design veteran, Co-Founder of 300 Million Agency and now Solo Consultant at Pin Creative. He discusses the dangers of relying too heavily on one large client, the pitfalls of over-investing in admin roles too early and the lessons learned from rapid growth & hiring.  Nigel reflects on how agency work has evolved, the significance of having a physical office and the value of building long-term client relationships versus chasing short-term projects. Now thriving as an independent consultant, he emphasises clarity in branding, using even his 6,000-strong vinyl collection to explain branding simply.  The episode offers candid insights into the highs and lows of agency life and the importance of adaptability and brand clarity. Topics Covered 00:00 - How Nigel became a brand consultant after years of running an agency 04:20 – Formed a band as a playful bet, highlighting team camaraderie and creative bonding 08:18 – Launched his business by leveraging contacts, securing early clients and establishing credibility with a standout office in Exmouth Market 12:28 – Experienced profitable early growth with minimal advisors/admin. Scaling from 12 to 20 staff brought operational and managerial challenges 16:31 – Community workspaces enhance well-being and appeal to businesses by offering vibrant team and client hubs, more effective than remote setups 19:26 – Emphasises billing senior staff time to maintain profitability and quality; over-reliance on junior teams can lead to inefficiencies 22:21 – Monitoring utilisation rates across roles is essential for balancing workloads and maximising billable hours 25:09 – Long-term client relationships are key to stable business; balancing creative branding with routine delivery is an ongoing challenge 29:41 – High-value projects can stretch teams, drive profits, and spur financial growth 32:46 – Profitability is boosted by mixing project work with retainers and forming strategic partnerships (e.g., printing deals) 36:48 – Managed internal challenges with care, always prioritising team dynamics and relationships 37:46 – Running an agency requires resilience; Nigel left agency life for independent work but stayed in the branding space 41:11 – Staying personally connected to clients helps leaders remain attuned to real-world issues as teams grow 47:10 – Recommends "A Technique for Producing Ideas", a short, classic creativity guide by a New York ad professional

    49 min
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About

Richard Hill, CEO and Founder of eComOne and SEO Traffic Lab, chats to agency owners with fire in their belly, processes at their core and people in their hearts. Learn from people who are fiercely resilient and ambitious. Listen to their challenges, wins and their journey to find out what adds the magic to their agency.  Released once a month, these podcast episodes will be truly transparent and take you inside the busy minds of some of the biggest players in the industry.

Information

  • Creator
    Richard Hill
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2022 eComOne
  • Show Website
    Agency Intensive