The Agency Uplift Podcast
The Agency Uplift Podcast: Agency Scaling Strategies & Growth Tips
Unlock proven frameworks, AI‑powered workflows, and client acquisition blueprints to scale your digital agency from freelance to Fortune. Each week, host Sean Lang, co‑founder of Social Commerce Club and agency growth coach, sits down with a wide array of agency leaders—sharing battle‑tested tactics on profitability, processes, and people management.
Whether you’re aiming to double client retention, streamline operations, or boost ad ROI, you’ll walk away with actionable insights and playbooks you can implement today. New episodes every Monday and Wednesday, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
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Episodes
65 episodes
Ep 65: The Hidden Reason Your Agency Isn't Growing
Summary In this episode, Pasha Knish sits down with Sean Lang, founder of Agency Uplift, to unpack the fundamentals of scaling an agency. From defining company culture to structuring a smart hiring process, Sean shar...
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24:58
Ep 64: Why Referrals Nearly Broke My Agency, and How Systems Saved It | With Adam Paine of NUBRAND
Summary Sean Lang sits down with Adam Paine, founder and CEO of NUBRAND, to dive into the 16-year evolution of his performance marketing agency. Adam shares how he grew from building websites solo to running an 8-per...
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32:29
Ep 63: Inside the Current State of Agencies
SummarySean dives into anonymized insights from his treasure trove of agency diagnostics. He identifies the patterns that consistently stall growth, from profit leaks and bad hires to misaligned partners. This ...
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11:53
Ep 62: Scaling with Trust: Don Martelli on Growing PR Bunker
Summary In this episode, Sean Lang interviews Don Martelli, CEO of PR Bunker, about the realities of scaling an agency. Don explains the shift from being a hands-on PR professional to becoming a leader who empowers o...
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Episode 62
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27:49
Ep 61: How to Eliminate Chaos in Service Delivery
Summary In this solo episode, host Sean Lang tackles one of the most common challenges in agency life: chaotic service delivery. He explains why fire-fighting doesn’t scale, how to design an end-to-end process map, and t...
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9:17
Ep 60: From Google Interview to Agency CEO: David Feinman’s Story
Summary Sean Lang sits down with David Feinman, CEO of Viral Ideas, to unpack how he accidentally started an agency, survived the early chaotic years, and scaled into a 45+ person company serving hundreds of clients....
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Episode 60
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35:14
Ep 59: What Most Agencies Don't Want You to See
Summary In this solo episode, host Sean Lang pulls back the curtain on what agencies look like behind the polished front. Using an anonymous case study, Sean diagnoses the common struggles agencies face, lumpy sales,...
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Episode 59
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17:37
Ep.58: The Power of Saying “No” in Business with Alexis Young and Danielle McNeill of Definitely Real Agency
SummaryIn this episode, Sean Lang speaks with Alexis and Danielle, the duo behind Definitely Real. They unpack how their rebrand gave them clarity, the role community plays in their growth, and why knowing when to...
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Episode 58
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35:14
Ep 57: Turn Your Secret Sauce into Systems That Scale
Summary In this solo episode, host Sean Lang breaks down why your agency’s “secret sauce” can’t live only in your head. If you want to grow, exit, or simply stop being the bottleneck, you need to transfer your expert...
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Episode 57
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16:09
Ep 56: Strategy Over Tactics: Building Trust and Culture in Agencies | with Andrei Stoica of Stoica
SummaryIn this episode, Sean Lang sits down with Andrei Stoica, founder of Stoica, to explore the realities of building and running a digital agency. Andrei shares his journey from freelancing with his brother ...
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Episode 56
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33:31
Ep: 55 Why Most Agencies Build in Reverse (Throwback Episode)
Key TakeawaysMost agency founders start as specialists, not business builders.Many agencies begin by delivering services, then scramble to find clients and hire, without proper systems in place.Without found...
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Episode 55
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12:12
Ep 54: From Zero Marketing Experience to Agency Founder | with Oliver Optican of Optican Edge
TakeawaysStart building systems before you feel “ready.”Client outreach is a numbers game, persistence wins.Hiring for skills you don’t have accelerates growth.Alumni connect...
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Episode 54
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27:16
Ep 53: Why 90% of Ad Ideas Should Fail and How AI Helps You Find The 10% | with Brett Friedman of The Creative Strategy Agency
Takeaways:Claude’s “style” prompts let you analyze accounts through fresh lenses.You can simulate 100s of expert perspectives to improve creative ideation.Use Notion and Asana to build re...
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Episode 53
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37:59
Ep 52: When Dream Results Aren’t Enough: The Client Who Fired Us at 18x ROAS
Key TakeawaysIncredible results alone won’t guarantee client retention - relationships matter just as much.Onboarding is a trust-building foundation, not a formality.A clear scope of work protects both you a...
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Episode 52
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12:24
Ep 51: Why Client Communication Beats Killer ROAS | with Colby Flood of Brighter Click
TakeawaysAgencies must evolve beyond platform expertise to messaging and creative.Great client results can’t make up for poor communication.Hiring needs to go deeper than interviews—use t...
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Episode 51
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31:47
EPISODE 50! Ask Yourself THESE Questions in Order to Scale
This is the 50TH EPISODE of the Agency Uplift podcast - holy crap!To celebrate, I'm providing my mini diagnostic questions for you to ask yourself, reflect on, and gain huge insights from. If you want to run through them pers...
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Episode 50
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11:15
Ep 49: Everyone Is on the Sales Team: Agency Growth Lessons from Cody Wittick
Key TakeawaysCody started an agency for autonomy, impact, and leadership after working brand-side.Brand experience helps agencies better empathize with clients and avoid "echo chambers."Agencies must balance...
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Episode 49
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29:39
Ep 48: Why Your A-Player Hire Turned Out to Be a C-Player
✅ Key TakeawaysYour hires are underperforming due to lack of clear expectations, not lack of talentRole scorecards are essential for hiring, onboarding, and performance managementA scorecard includes: missio...
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Episode 48
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8:40
Ep 47: From Fired to $4M Leads: Phil Bacon on Building a Productized Agency
Key TakeawaysFired on a Friday, freelancing by Monday: Phil’s agency journey began after an unexpected dismissal.Early growth came from four key relationships—proof that nurturing a tight referral network ca...
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Episode 47
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33:47
Ep 46: 3 Incredibly Useful Tools to Help Scale Your Agency
Key TakeawaysLeverage AI to tame your inbox: Shortwave turns messy Gmail threads into chat-style summaries, drafts replies, and automates follow-ups.Collect social proof effortlessly: Senja’s one-click ...
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Episode 46
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11:10
Ep 45: From Acquisition Layoff to Agency Launch: Nick Svetlichny’s Future Tilt
Key TakeawaysNetworking momentum can make going solo feel “too easy” at first.Client experience often matters as much as raw performance.Nick’s 3-phase email framework: (1) flawless execution & list volu...
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Episode 45
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33:08
Ep 44: 3 Reasons Why Your Agency Will Never Hit $1M / Year
Key TakeawaysYour agency’s growth ceiling is usually internal, not market-driven.Reason #3: Implicit or vague core values create cultural drift and inconsistent delivery. Make them explicit and decisi...
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Episode 44
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13:27
Ep 43: From Scaling to Streamlining: Why Magnet Monster Trimmed Down to Power Up, with Weihan Britz
🎙️ Key TakeawaysWiehan transitioned from operations lead to CEO of Magnet Monster, one of Klaviyo’s few Master Elite partners.The agency recently shifted from scaling aggressively to running a leaner, more p...
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Episode 43
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31:44
Ep 42: What It Really Takes to Sell a Digital Agency (and Why Timing Is Everything), with Gene Sower
🎙️ Key TakeawaysGene started in e-commerce in the late '90s before transitioning to digital marketing.The book The E-Myth Revisited was a major turning point in shaping how he built his agency.Building an ...
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Episode 42
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33:27
Ep 41: Accidental Agency: How Referrals Sparked a Marketing Business , with Evgeniya Polikarpova
Key TakeawaysEvgenia’s agency journey started “by accident” through helping a friend with Facebook Ads, leading to word-of-mouth referrals.Her background includes agency and corporate marketing roles, giving her a strong fo...
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Episode 41
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31:36