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Empower Media has been around for 40 years. Now, as Empower Ocean Media Group, it's the second-largest independent media agency in the U.S. with $1.5 billion in billings. That kind of growth doesn't happen by accident. Someone has to build the people system that makes it work. That someone is Elizabeth Amstutz.
Ellis Verdi has been running DeVito/Verdi for close to 40 years. In that time, the agency has been named best mid/small agency in the U.S. six times by the 4A’s. A record nobody has touched. And Ellis never built a marketing plan to get there. He’s still energized by the same thing that got them started: independence. Not independence as a corporate structure. Independence as a posture. The kind where you can lose an account and still walk into the next room knowing you’ll be fine.
Benjamin Gabe Nazario runs Offbeat Creative with four people. Full-timers. That's it. And they're producing video and social content for JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, Google, Samsung, and Disney. In this conversation with Adam Weil, Gabe walks through how a team that small competes at that level and why he chose this model after burning out trying to do everything himself.
Miles Marmo spent years managing creative, media, and PR agencies from the brand side at Mark Anthony Group. The pattern he kept seeing was the same at every scale. Beautiful creative work that had no real connection to whether the business was actually growing. Agencies would pitch big ideas, win awards, move on. Meanwhile the brand team was left trying to figure out if any of it moved the needle on shelf presence, trial, or retention. So he built Agency Squid to close that gap. Based in Minneapolis, Squid operates as a hybrid: part business consultancy, part creative agency.
Chris Do, Founder and CEO of The Futur, and Adam Weil start from a place a lot of agency owners will recognize. You can be “good with people” and still be an introvert. Chris explains introversion as energy management, then gets specific about how he built tolerance over time. Teaching used to wipe him out for a day and a half. Now he can teach twice in a day because he treated it like exposure therapy and reframed the discomfort as part of growth.
Logan Lyles spent an entire year running monthly webinars that resulted in fewer than ten sales calls and only one closed deal. Instead of abandoning webinars altogether, he rebuilt his approach from scratch and turned those same virtual events into his agency's second highest source of new leads. In this conversation with Adam Weil, Logan walks through what changed, why most B2B webinars struggle to generate real pipeline, and the specific system he uses now to book five times more sales calls than the industry average.
Recruitment marketing used to be simple. Post the role, pay the job board, hope the right person finds it. Shawn Kessler has been watching that whole system change for 25 years, and the last year has been the real shift. Candidates are starting to search differently, and AI is changing what gets surfaced first. That has big implications for agencies, because they sell the collective excellence of their people.
David C. Baker joins Adam Weil with a simple starting point: calm down, reset your expectations, and stop letting the loudest voices set your priorities. He’s seen plenty of industry “moats” come and go, and he puts AI in that same bucket. Real change, yes. A reason to spiral, no. What matters more is how leaders respond when the noise gets louder, and whether they stay focused on fundamentals instead of headlines.
Dan Mall, designer, agency founder, and one of the most transparent voices in the creative business space, joins Adam Weil to break down what it really takes to build an agency that is both profitable and calm. Dan shares why most agencies default to hourly pricing and how that choice quietly caps confidence, revenue, and leverage. Instead of treating pricing as a calculation tied to time, he reframes it as a strategic decision rooted in value, context, and expertise.
Tyler Pigott, Senior Director of Sales at StoryBrand and Co-Founder at Agency Builders, joins the Pixel Perfect Podcast for a candid conversation about what it really takes to scale an agency with intention. Tyler shares how founders can move from taking every opportunity that comes their way to building focused, repeatable sales systems that drive sustainable growth. Drawing on his experience leading sales teams and coaching agency owners, he breaks down how a clear ICP, a well-defined vision, and disciplined communication work together to create momentum that lasts.
Ivan Fernandes, a globally recognized marketing management consultant and M&A advisor, delivers a reality check on where agencies stand as AI, consolidation, and client sophistication collide. In this conversation with Adam Weil, Ivan argues that most agency leaders aren't asking the hard questions soon enough. They're waiting to see where things land instead of paying attention to the signals happening right now, from how consulting firms are carving out transformation work to how tech platforms are absorbing media budgets.
In this episode, Adam Weil sits down with Carl Smith, Owner of The Bureau, to unpack how the agency model is shifting as AI becomes deeply embedded in the work clients expect. Carl shares why he believes the traditional expertise model is reaching its limit. With clients now tapping into the same tools and information as agencies, the real value is no longer about knowing what can be done. It is about guiding clients toward what they should do and knowing where AI falls short.
In this episode, Adam Weil sits down with Peter Kang, Co-founder of Barrel Holdings, to unpack the disciplined habits and systems that scale agency businesses for the long term. Peter dives deep into the philosophy that transformed his single agency, Barrel, into a thriving portfolio of seven specialized firms. He shares the framework behind his "Agency Habits," emphasizing that sustainable growth isn’t about heroic, one-time fixes but rather small, consistent actions that compound over time.
In this episode, Adam Weil sits down with John Harris, President & CEO of Worldwide Partners, Inc., a global network of over 90 independent marketing agencies in 50+ countries. John shares his vantage point from working daily with agencies across continents and industries, offering a candid, optimistic view of the current agency landscape. They dive into what sets thriving agencies apart from those struggling to adapt, from having a crystal-clear positioning to maintaining an "always-on" marketing approach and investing consistently in their own brand.
In this episode, Adam Weil chats with Dave Miller, founder of Design Citizen, about how AI, shifting team dynamics, and burnout are reshaping the design industry. Dave looks back on the 2023-2024 tech layoffs that hit designers hard and AI's disruptive rise, and stresses the need for continuous learning and experimentation.
In this episode, Ross Clugston, former C-level exec at Design Bridge and Partners, gets real about building lean, purpose-driven agencies that cut the fluff and focus on what matters: bold ideas, strong relationships, and meaningful work.
In this podcast episode, Creative Director Dust LeBlanc of Locomotive discusses the evolving landscape of digital agencies, highlighting how AI tools have helped streamline strategy development and content creation. He shares insights on why smaller, agile agencies are becoming the future, as they can pivot quickly and collaborate efficiently. Dust also walks us through Locomotive's rapid website development for an electric RV startup, showcasing how a lean team adapted to tight deadlines and evolving brand elements. He emphasizes the importance of content in web design and how strategic partnerships with content-focused agencies enhance Locomotive’s capabilities.
In this episode of the Pixel Perfect Podcast, Adam Weil interviews Marcel Petitpas, CEO and co-founder of Parakeeto, about agency profitability. Marcel shares his journey from running a small agency in 2015-2016 with low margins in real estate virtual tours to founding Parakeeto to help agencies improve profitability. He explains that many agencies struggle due to outdated views treating profitability as solely a finance issue. Marcel highlights the importance of four key data sets: finance, people, project, and time tracking. Marcel concludes by emphasizing specialization, collaboration, and proper sequencing in profitability management.
This time, Adam chats with Karl Sakas, an executive coach who has worked with hundreds of agencies worldwide to help them grow without the stress. Karl shares straightforward tips on lead generation, effectively leveraging AI, and making events work for your agency. Whether you're scaling up or simply looking for ways to run things more smoothly, this episode is packed with practical advice.
Join Adam as he sits down with Jason Swenk, who turned his digital agency into a $30 million success. Jason opens up about the ups and downs of agency life, from starting out by accident to mastering the art of growth. He shares actionable strategies for scaling your business effectively, the importance of building a solid team, and some surprising lessons from his pilot training.
Join Adam Weil as he chats with Bill Kenney, CEO of Focus Lab, about the real-world magic of branding. They touch on everything from starting out in Georgia to nailing big-name clients, building a team that clicks, and how AI is shaking up the design scene. Bill brings a down-to-earth take on why branding isn't just business—it's personal.
Join Adam and Guillaume Hamon, CEO of REJOUICE, in an engaging conversation about changing the design industry. Hear about Guillaume's transition from finance to leading design efforts and how he's helped startups like Rivian and Oura Ring set industry standards. Explore REJOUICE's focus on quality, global talent, and a unique profit-sharing model.
Join the dynamic duo, Andy Boyden and Jerry Youngblutt, as they unveil their secret to success: the powerful "body and soul process." From their competitive art school days to revolutionizing the industry with their ROI-focused mindset, Andy and Jerry's journey is filled with triumphs, surprises, and game-changing insights.
Sun Yi discusses his exploration of personal branding and the shortcomings of conventional education. He highlights the power of self-learning and shares invaluable life lessons learned from his enemies. Sun Yi discusses the importance of self-awareness, motivation, and culture. He also tackles the misconception that selling oneself is solely a communication issue.
Join us as Adam talks with Stanley Hainsworth, a corporate trailblazer turned branding expert, as he shares his secrets to forging powerful emotional connections with consumers and explains why he believes acting is the ultimate training ground for building successful brands.
Join Adam as he meets with marketing expert Amy Balliet to explore her unique approach to marketing strategies for designers, her experience as a LinkedIn Instructor, and her valuable insights on how to bridge the gap between designers and marketers to produce exceptional work.
Get ready for an insightful conversation with Dava Guthmiller, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Noise 13. She'll share her experiences creating sustainable, diverse, and empathetic projects and her quest to make the invisible visible.
Are you ready to learn from one of the tech industry's top leaders? In this episode, Adam sits down with Rob Leonard. He explains why continuous learning and having a "beginner's mind-an open and curious approach-allows you to identify opportunities and stay ahead of the curve.
On this podcast episode, Adam sits down with Greg Bellinger, the founder of White Rabbit Group, to discuss the key elements of the company's success, such as building a human-centered culture, creating long-lasting partnerships, and developing a value proposition that aligns with the current world.
