The Digital Agency Growth Podcast

Sales Schema
  • 4.9 (31)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Digital Agency Growth Podcast

Rated in the top 3% by ListenNotes and going strong for nearly 300 episodes since 2018, The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is dedicated to helping marketing agency owners and executives build stronger firms so they can grow, get acquired, or enjoy more peace of mind.  Hosted by agency veteran and Sales Schema CEO Dan Englander, each episode features interviews with successful agency founders, industry experts, and business strategists who share insights on client acquisition, team building, offering optimization, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth models.  

  1. Karl Sakas on Scaling Smart and Reclaiming Your Time

    14H AGO

    Karl Sakas on Scaling Smart and Reclaiming Your Time

    In this episode of the Digital Agency Growth podcast, I’m joined once again by agency advisor Karl Sakas. Karl breaks down the philosophy and practice behind his new book Calm the Chaos—a leadership guide for agency owners who want to scale smart, delegate more, and reclaim time. We also explore his writing process, the parallels between art collecting and running an agency, and how to think clearly when chaos hits your business. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome back Karl Sakas + Intro to Calm the Chaos01:09 – Why leadership is the key to scaling a lifestyle agency02:22 – Karl’s writing process05:30 – Blog posts vs. books: Why books matter for positioning07:45 – AI’s role in writing and idea development08:31 – Art collecting vs. agency leadership: Taste vs. discernment13:32 – The tipping point: You can’t be the answer person forever16:13 – The bottleneck around delegation and how to fix it21:50 – What causes chaos in an agency?24:50 – Strong pipeline = better client filtering29:27 – How to delegate growth and not abdicate responsibility34:48 – Should you build demand gen internally or hire it out?37:21 – The M&A market and how to think about valuation and exit41:51 – The real drivers behind agency exits: Age, tuition, and burnout🔗 Book a strategy call with Dan: https://salesschema.com/work-with-us/ 🎙 More episodes of the Digital Agency Growth Podcast: salesschema.com/podcast 🎁 Get a free chapter of Karl’s book: bit.ly/karl-dag

    46 min
  2. From Ozempic to Ad Strategy: Todd Gagne on GLP-1’s Ripple Effects

    JUL 2

    From Ozempic to Ad Strategy: Todd Gagne on GLP-1’s Ripple Effects

    Today, I talk to Todd Gagne—tech founder, startup mentor, and the guy who accidentally dropped a viral bomb on Substack after a weekend rabbit hole about GLP-1 drugs. We talk about why these weight-loss medications might be as transformative as the air conditioner, what this means for advertising, and why the next few years could upend how we think about consumer behavior, even in B2B. ⏱️ Timestamps [00:00] – Todd’s background and startup school origins [01:20] – How a Substack detour into GLP-1 changed everything [03:33] – What GLP-1 drugs do, how they work, and why they matter [05:28] – The "air conditioner moment" analogy and downstream societal effects [07:14] – Grocery, alcohol, and aviation: second-order impacts [10:04] – What fills the lifestyle gap? [11:46] – The hidden threat to advertising: fewer impulses, fewer clicks [13:52] – Are your most impulsive ad converters vanishing? [15:15] – Even B2B isn’t safe from this shift [17:22] – Safety data, supply constraints, and the future scale of adoption [19:25] – Could insurance companies lead the charge on GLP-1 coverage? [21:15] – Could 50% of ad strategies go obsolete? [22:23] – Where to follow Todd and dig deeper 📢 Key Topics: GLP-1’s societal and psychological impactWhy this isn’t just about weight loss—it’s about impulse controlSecond- and third-order effects on brands, industries, and cultureHow marketing strategies may need to evolve in a post-GLP-1 worldLinks & Resources: Visit: https://salesschema.com/work-with-us/ 🔗 Learn more about Todd→ https://wildfirelabs.io/

    20 min
  3. Building Personal Brands That Actually Drive Leads

    JUN 25

    Building Personal Brands That Actually Drive Leads

    Join Dan Englander and Jared Gibson, co-founder of Outworks, as they dive into the future of B2B marketing and explain why personal branding is the most powerful growth engine for CEOs and founders. Discover why cold outreach is no longer enough, how authentic LinkedIn content can drive long-term trust and authority, and how busy executives can make content creation part of their routine. Jared also shares hands-on tactics for leveraging video and interviews, working smarter with teams, and setting realistic goals for lead generation through personal brands. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro & welcoming Jared  01:51 – Jared’s background & launching Outworks  06:43 – Why traditional outbound no longer works  12:46 – How content & algorithms have changed on LinkedIn  18:51 – The importance of knowing your Total Addressable Market  23:35 – Making content creation a lifestyle  29:49 – What ROI looks like on LinkedIn  33:50 – Getting clients comfortable on video  35:21 – Using client interviews for content  37:21 – Jared’s partner program and new service launchTags Links & Resources: Visit: https://salesschema.com 🔗 Learn more about Jared→ https://www.outworks.io/

    41 min
  4. Dan Englander on Trust-Based Outbound in 2025

    JUN 18

    Dan Englander on Trust-Based Outbound in 2025

    In this solo episode, Dan shares an evolved perspective on outbound strategies for boutique agency owners. Reflecting on lessons from the "Right Words to the Right People" workshop and client campaigns since, this episode offers a practical, human-centered approach to outbound that respects your time and builds real pipeline—without sacrificing trust or burning bridges. ⏱️ Time-Stamped Breakdown 00:00 – Why outbound often fails for boutique agencies 02:20 – Why small wins in copy drive big results 04:39 – The unique control and feedback loop outbound provides 06:57 – Why most agency outbound tactics are broken from the jump 09:21 – Enter the "trust recession" and how to sell like a human, not a marketer 11:39 – How to define ideal client profiles (ICPs) the right way 14:01 – The six key ingredients of effective outbound copy 14:10 – Tribe-based kinship 15:12 – Deep understanding and insider language 16:21 – Show, don’t tell authority cues 18:38 – Timeliness and aligning with the calendar 21:01 – Pattern interrupts that keep it horizontal, not hokey 22:32 – De-risking the ask and giving people an easy yes 23:20 – How to scale relevance without fake personalization 25:43 – Outbound channels: why simpler may be smarter 28:04 – Systems thinking: time blocking, trust, and the ops question 30:21 – The real definition of “sales work” (hint: it’s not just calls) 32:43 – Supporting your new business person (or yourself) to succeed 🔑 Key Takeaways Stop chasing MQLs, start building trust. Reframe outbound as a relationship-building engine.Nail your ICPs. Think in cocktail-party terms: how would your ideal client introduce themselves?Leverage the six trust-building ingredients in every campaign for relevance, resonance, and results.Outbound isn’t about spray and pray—it's about proactive control. Test fast, learn faster, and grow smarter.Build for sustainability. Your system should run even when you’re swamped with client work.📌 Mentioned Resources saleschema.com – Request a consultation and learn how to implement this system

    36 min
  5. Chris DuBois - How to Craft Agency Offers That Work in 2025

    JUN 10

    Chris DuBois - How to Craft Agency Offers That Work in 2025

    Are your agency's services stuck in a tangle of complexity and custom work? In this episode, Dan Englander sits down with Chris DuBois—founder of Dynamic Agency OS and creator of the Snap Offer framework—to explore how agencies can simplify their offers, build authority, and grow through repetition, not reinvention. Chris shares how he went from infantry officer to agency CEO and ultimately to coach, helping firms move away from scattered messaging and toward a productized, high-trust, high-clarity model. You’ll learn how to evaluate your market positioning, why most agencies document broken systems too early, and how to create offers that cut through the noise. If you're a boutique agency looking to reduce churn, build repeatable value, and earn more without more complexity—this one's for you. 🔑 Topics covered: The one-problem, one-solution modelThe PRISM framework for evaluating a marketWhy clarity is a sales multiplierThe Snap Offer system (and why it outperforms lead magnets)Why the real bottleneck is attention—not operationsLinks & Resources: 🔗 Learn more about Chris → https://dynamicagencyos.com/Visit: https://salesschema.com

    45 min
  6. Erik J. Olson on Why Most Agencies Plateau and How to Build One That Grows Predictably

    JUN 3

    Erik J. Olson on Why Most Agencies Plateau and How to Build One That Grows Predictably

    How do you grow a digital agency without getting stuck in feast-or-famine cycles or boxed in by a single niche? In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander sits down with Erik J. Olson, CEO of Proxa and the force behind three specialized agencies under one umbrella. Erik walks us through his unconventional journey from civil engineering to coding in bookstores to building a portfolio of agencies with one goal: a $100M private equity exit. You’ll learn: Why Erik spun off agencies instead of pivoting oneHow to identify “hall of fame” clients without over-complicating the dataWhat it really takes to hire (and keep) a performing salespersonHow AI is standardizing  execution and what agency leaders should focus on insteadWhy niching isn’t risky, avoiding it isWe also dig into Erik’s sales frameworks, lessons from failed hires, and what it means to evolve from entrepreneur to operator. Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge  CONNECT WITH ERIK J. OLSON: LinkedIn Array Digital Rival Digital Crush Digital CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER: LinkedIn Sales Schema

    1h 4m
  7. Audrey Kwan on How Micro Agencies Win Big: Niching, Community & the Power of Strategic Partnerships

    MAY 27

    Audrey Kwan on How Micro Agencies Win Big: Niching, Community & the Power of Strategic Partnerships

    What separates the agencies that consistently get referrals from those that don’t? According to Audrey Kwan, it comes down to trust equity. In this conversation, Dan Englander talks with Audrey consultant, community builder, and founder of Agency Together about how agencies can get off the feast-or-famine sales rollercoaster by building strategic partnerships, clarifying their niche, and focusing on relationships that compound over time. Topics covered: Why “referral-ready” relationships are built on consistency, not chanceThe ROI of niching for insight, credibility, and collaborationHow small agencies can thrive without growing headcountWhat’s extending sales cycles and how trust shortens them“Growth projects” that drive visibility and long-term differentiationWhy clarity beats diversification, and how to evaluate your niche strategy with SWOT + PESTLEAudrey also shares her “Trust Equity Scorecard,” a free tool that helps agency leaders assess how well-positioned they are to grow through relationships. 🔗 Get the scorecard: agencytogether.com/scorecard 🎧 Subscribe to The Digital Agency Growth Podcast for more conversations like this, where we cut through gimmicks and focus on what actually drives growth in complex-service businesses. Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge  CONNECT WITH AUDREY KWAN: LinkedIn Agency Together Audrey Joy Kwan CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER: LinkedIn Sales Schema

    42 min
  8. From Chaos to Clarity: How Top Agencies Are Planning for Uncertainty

    MAY 20

    From Chaos to Clarity: How Top Agencies Are Planning for Uncertainty

    In this episode, Dan Englander welcomes back Nick Petroski of Promethean Research for a high-signal, data-backed deep dive into the state of the digital agency industry in 2025. From agency size trends to the truth about AI integration, Nick reveals what the numbers really say. Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach. They cover: Why sub-10-person agencies are disappearingThe true impact (and limits) of AI in agency operationsWhat’s driving the contractor surge—and what it means for marginsWhy specialization isn’t optional anymore (and how to actually do it right)How GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic could disrupt agency-adjacent marketsWhat top-performing agencies are doing differentlyIf you're an agency founder navigating a changing market, this episode is your strategic cheat sheet. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways! Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge  CONNECT WITH NICK PETROSKI: LinkedIn Promethean Research Download Nick’s latest research report here: prometheanresearch.com CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER: LinkedIn Sales Schema

    40 min
See All (264)

4.9
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

Rated in the top 3% by ListenNotes and going strong for nearly 300 episodes since 2018, The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is dedicated to helping marketing agency owners and executives build stronger firms so they can grow, get acquired, or enjoy more peace of mind.  Hosted by agency veteran and Sales Schema CEO Dan Englander, each episode features interviews with successful agency founders, industry experts, and business strategists who share insights on client acquisition, team building, offering optimization, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth models.  

Information

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada