Smart Agency Masterclass Podcast with Jason Swenk
Bi-weekly interviews, strategy, and advice for building your marketing agency the smart way.
The popular agency podcast has just turned 10 years old and covers everything from starting a successful agency to selling your agency.
#1 Agency Leadership Podcast. Check Out Our Past Guests.
Most Agencies Don’t Last 10 Years — This One Made it Over 75 with Jennifer Spire | Ep #849
How are the new technologies and tools shaping the future of agencies? How can you create an agency that outlasts trends? When you’ve been around for 75 years in the ad world, you’ve seen it all, from Mad Men, media buying by fax, the rise of the internet, and now, AI. Today’s featured guest runs an agency that has been doing full-service marketing since 1950. What’s impressive isn’t just their longevity but also how they’ve stayed relevant and human in a business that changes faster than a TikTok trend.
Why Agency Leaders Should Coach, Not Manage with Kriston Sellier | Ep #844
What do you do when your career takes an unexpected left turn? And how do you know when it’s time to stop hustling like a freelancer and start leading like a CEO? Today’s featured guest found herself in that situation and made the bold choice to go from career misstep to becoming an agency owner. She'll dive into what it really takes to go from a one-woman shop in a basement with dial-up internet to leading a team with vision, systems, and staying power. From handwritten letters that landed a 15% close rate, to breaking free from client dependency, to leveraging AI without losing the human touch, she shares the hard-earned lessons every agency owner needs to hear.
Why the Middle Layer of Your Agency Org Chart May Not Survive AI with Jennifer Bagley | Ep #841
Are you still thinking of AI as just “ChatGPT with a better prompt”? Or maybe you’ve played around with Zapier automations and thought, yeah, that’s good enough. Today's featured guest knows that the agencies pulling ahead right now are building full-on AI agent networks that replace routine tasks, streamline data pipelines, and give their teams superpowers. She’s re-engineering her agency around AI and will talk about where she finds top-tier talent and why you don’t need to code to lead your agency into the future.
How to Use AI to Add $200K in Profit Without Adding Headcount | Ep #815
We’ve been talking about AI on this podcast for years — not just as the next shiny tool, but as the biggest shift agencies will face this decade. Yet most agencies still haven’t done more than dabble. Meanwhile, their competitors (or even their clients) are using AI to move faster, make sharper decisions, and drive results that leave everyone else scrambling to catch up. If you’re still on the sidelines, you’re already behind.
Today’s guest is clear about the game-changing role of AI in the agency world. He argues it’s not just about making your shop more efficient — it’s about driving better client results, delivering faster, deeper insights, and adding to your bottom line.
Why Going ‘Niche or Die’ Paid Off Big for Daniel Moscovitch | Ep #810
Ever thought about niching down, then bailed because it sounded too painful? Or maybe you tried, but ditched it when things got awkward? Today’s guest proves why sticking it out is worth the initial pain — not just to find your niche, but to find the perfect business partner too.
Meet Daniel Moscovitch, founder of Flooring Pros Marketing, a digital marketing agency focused on helping established flooring businesses throughout the US & Canada cement their position as the best in their market. He started as a generalist - doing SEO for pretty much anyone with a website and a pulse. However, unsatisfied staying just another “me too” shop competing on price and freebies he doubled down on a single, very specific industry.
Building a $30M Agency with the Right KPIs, AI Hacks & Client Moves with Chris Dreyer | Ep #808
Ever wonder what separates a $1M agency from a $30M agency? It’s not just better SEO or more employees. It’s how you run the business behind the scenes. We sat down with today’s featured guest to dig into what’s powered his insane growth from barely crossing seven figures back when we first met… to now staring down $35–40 million in pure service revenue and got some great advice on the evolution of his role as CEO, his new-found love for podcasting, and all kind of golden nuggets for agency urrently in the “no man’s land”.
How to Create a Digital Brain for Your Agency and Scale Smarter with Shawn Johnston | Ep #807
How does a print designer become the founder of a thriving strategic web agency? Spoiler: It wasn’t all smooth sailing. But this agency founder figured out how to stop being the bottleneck, leverage systems and AI, and make his agency way more profitable along the way. It all began by creating a digital brain for his agency.
What Happened After Brent Weaver Sold UGURUS? The Truth About Life Post-Exit | Ep #805
What really happens after you sell your agency? Brent Weaver, founder of UGURUS, knows firsthand — and it wasn’t the beach-and-cocktails story most agency owners imagine. In this second half of our conversation, Brent opens up about what really happens after you sell a business, why his team stuck around (when they had every reason to bolt), navigating the shift from entrepreneur to executive within a corporate machine. He also lays down a fresh perspective on where agencies are headed in the AI era — and why human advantage is still your biggest asset.
If you missed Part One, go back — it sets the emotional stage. This one dives into the raw aftermath.
Why Delegating AI Could Be the Fastest Way to Kill Your Agency with Brandon Na | Ep #801
Is your agency falling behind in the AI revolution—while competitors pull ahead? If you’ve handed off AI adaptation to your team and progress still feels sluggish, you’re not alone.
The uncomfortable truth? Delegating AI could be the biggest threat to your agency’s future.
Today’s guest, Brandon Na, has seen firsthand how agencies rise—or fall—in the face of disruption. From early SEO days to the AI era, he’s learned what it really takes to lead through change. And it starts with not outsourcing the future.
Many employees feel more fear than excitement about AI—worried it could signal the end of their careers. Instead, agency owners should be very involved in this process and actively try to identify team members who are excited to learn about AI and already experiment with it on their own time. The agencies that will thrive aren't the ones that delegate AI innovation down the chain of command but the ones that build transformation strategies around those natural innovators.
Brandon Na is the founder of Seattle Organic SEO, as well as a venture capital pro and acting CMO. His path into agency life started with a simple desire to never have to do cold sales. So instead, he hacked his way into visibility through SEO. This path took Brandon to South Korea, where he helped scale an education company by 1,400%. He eventually returned to the U.S., launched his agency, and dominated the search rankings in a matter of months—all from a handshake mentorship deal with a guy exiting the space.
Are You Treating AI as Mission-Critical — Or Just Dabbling in It? With Paolo Vidali | Ep #793
AI isn’t coming for your agency—it’s already here. And if you haven’t set clear guidelines for how your team (and your clients) engage with it, you’re already behind. In this episode, one agency founder shares how he went from AI skeptic to strategic adopter—rewriting his workflows, client communications, and pricing strategy to future-proof his business.
Join us as we explore how to move beyond simply offering AI-enhanced services—and start leveraging AI to boost profitability, streamline operations, and establish your agency as a leader in this new era.
About the Show
The popular agency podcast has been around since 2014 and covers everything from starting a successful agency to selling your agency. What makes this podcast a must-listen is Swenk’s background as the founder and CEO of an agency for over a decade. Swenk brings his own experience to the table, besides the expertise of his guests. He mostly covers topics that help growing agencies scale to the next level.
YOUR HOST
JASON SWENK
Smart Agency Masterclass
Jason is a family man who also happens to have created a couple big marketing agencies, helped thousands of agency owners, and had a big agency exit too.