The Agency Uplift Podcast

Ep 19: Building an Agency with Pods, People, and Paid Ads, with Parker Kump of Tuff Media

• Episode 19

🔑 Key Takeaways

  • Parker’s agency journey started with Facebook Ads and a beer with the founder of BrĂĽMate.
  • Being good at media buying doesn’t make you ready to run an agency—operations, hiring, and leadership are critical.
  • Building the right team was the biggest unlock: hiring smarter people, building pods, and using strengths-based org design.
  • The shift from freelancer to agency took nearly two years and required serious rethinking of roles and SOPs.
  • Creative is now the most powerful performance lever—media buying alone can’t scale brands anymore.
  • Tuff Media operates using a pod system to maximize quality, communication, and client satisfaction.
  • Success came from creating systems for growth—particularly paid acquisition with strong creative hooks.
  • Parker emphasizes focusing on “what works” (70%), adjacent opportunities (20%), and innovation (10%)—inspired by Google’s strategy.
  • Great agency culture and strong client relationships reduce churn and increase retention.

    Instagram: @parker_kump
    LinkedIn: Parker Kump
    Agency Instagram: @tuffmedia_mktg
    Website: www.tuffmedia.ca

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