Memoirs of an 'Agency Killer'

Many people ask me why I started a business.

For me, the answer has always been simple: I spent the better part of two decades climbing the agency ladder and advising some of the world’s top brands — Disney, Pepsi, Unilever, Samsung, HBO — on how to address nearly every business problem they faced through digital means.

Then, one day while I was teaching, it dawned on me: whether you’re Disney, or you’re just a regular Joe with a dream, you physically click on the same exact buttons to launch, say, a digital marketing campaign. (Disney just puts far more 000s at the end of its budget number.) So I had to ask myself:

Doesn’t this mean that ‘success’ is necessarily democratic?

Does technology enable us to level the playing field, and be slaves to our passions rather than a dissociative boss? I believe so strongly that it does, that I quit my job and started a business. I bet my livelihood on it!

My goal is now to bring that global, big-brand experience to the little guy. To EVERY little guy. Because you can live, and raise a family, and comfortably retire, on a salary that is built around your talents and not a corporate empire.

To make my business work, I carefully selected a just-in-time resource strategy. Today, I employ a small army of contractors in web development, graphic design, email, search and more. I call it the “agency killer” because it’s lean, efficient, and highly results-oriented. None of my clients pay a single cent for a resource they don’t immediately and actively need.

Suffice it to say, I was tickled to see the recent article in The Economist titled, “Meet the New Boss" about modern-day business management. In it, the lauded British magazine argues that technology is changing the boundaries, accountabilities, and purposes of firms, resulting in a fundamental shift in the role of the CEO.

Today’s CEO has to be creative, nimble, and skilled in agile collaboration more than an effective capital asset manager. I am excited for this shift because it is perfectly aligned with my business, my goals for my clients, my entire raison d’etre. And who wouldn’t love a little reassurance from The Economist?