Agencies That Build

Brett Snyder is the founder and CEO of Knucklepuck. Brett built Knucklepuck with a holistic digital philosophy, assembling a team of experts in SEO, Paid Media, Content Marketing, and Web Development that is uniquely positioned to adapt to clients’ evolving business needs.   Discussion Points: What myth or bogus strategy do you want to bust?  1:53 How did you get into this business? 5:56 Tell us m...

JC Grubbs founder and CEO of Tandem, formerly known as DevMynd. Tandem is an end-to-end product development and innovation firm with services including business strategy, user research, UX/UI design, product management, software development, hardware design, and managed services.   Discussion Points: What myth or bogus strategy do you want to bust?  2:42 How do you generate the leads? 9:20 What ar...

Haley Stracher is the CEO of Iris Design Collaborative, and an expert designer and marketing strategist. With more than 8 years of experience in graphic design and UI/UX, she has led creative teams at major publications and companies including the Chicago Tribune, American Osteopathic Association, and the University of Florida.   Discussion Points: What myth or bogus strategy do you want to bust? ...

Bob Armbrister is the President and CEO of SPARK Business Works. Bob has led SPARK to serve hundreds of clients using a business-first approach to custom software. He leans on his experience as CIO at a national construction management firm to implement "The SPARK Way" – an approach of practical innovation that helps business leaders build tech that gets adopted (and brings ROI). Discussion Points...

Managing Partner at Lift Digital Marketing, a Full-Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in generating leads for businesses.  Discussion Points: What myth or bogus strategy do you want to bust? (Myth 1) 1:44 What type of marketing services that you offer that do not require long-term agreements and How do you define your success metrics? 3:30 (Myth 2) 12:22 How does your billing model work...

Tamara is the Owner and Head of Operations at Studio Simpatico. Simpatico is a creative agency based out of Manhattan, providing a variety of services from user experience (UX) design & research, branding and identity, to mobile and web design, WordPress development and maintenance, and packaging/print collateral.    Discussion Points: What myth or bogus strategy do you want to bust? 1:25 What typ...

Co-CEO at Atomic Object, where he works at the intersection of business and technology. Michael’s firm helps clients to research, identify, and create the right software products to suit their unique business needs. Atomic Object designs and builds web, desktop, mobile and embedded software products for clients ranging from Large scale businesses to SMEs and Startups, in diverse markets spanning a...

Founder, CEO, and Chief Strategist for Alpha/Echo Agency, is a boutique marketing firm that helps exceptional companies grow, launch, and build. Alpha/Echo Agency is a group of smartisans—an unagency, fighting the good fight against unawesome work.    Discussion Points: What myth or bogus strategy do you want to bust? 1:39 What type of work agencies don't think that they can do for themselves? 4:1...

Michael Lavista is the Founder and CEO of Caxy Interactive, a web design and development firm in Chicago specializing in User Experience and Agile-driven software and technology development. Caxy Interactive loves helping clients break new ground, find new customers, and engage the ones they already have in unexpected ways.   Takeaways  A proposal should not be to convince, it should be to confirm...

Ran Craycraft is the managing partner at Wildebeest, Wildebeest is a boutique tech & innovation partner for the world's most innovative brands. Wildebeest specializes in innovation, idea generation, and rapid prototyping.   Takeaways    Having a large firm does not imply that you will do more creative work or devote more time to your clients. When you are trying to address problems with clients, m...

Mike Stone is the Co Founder at The Gnar Company, a development company that builds robust products designed for the long haul. They try to turn wild ideas into incredible digital experiences.     Takeaways    Working with offshore agencies has a number of advantages, the most important of which is cost. Using clickable prototypes to allow clients to experience the application can be really benefi...

Ross Patrick is the Creative Director and Founder of XtraBold Agency. XtraBold is a digital marketing and strategy agency that helps brands create exceptional customer experiences, from branding and packaging to digital moments that connect with people on an emotional level. Takeaways Cultural references and knowledge are probably more important than book smarts to do the right thing for the clien...

Anthony Armendariz is the Partner, Head of Design at Funsize. Funsize is a digital service and product design agency that works with inspiring design and engineering teams to uncover opportunities, evolve popular products, bring new businesses to market, and prepare for the future.   Takeaways Enterprise design work is more about understanding people and maturity levels and way less about the actu...

Jeremy Durant is the Business Principal at Bop Design, a marketing communications agency dedicated to assisting companies and organizations in developing their brand through effective design and integrated marketing systems. Takeaways In terms of development, cost, and quality, working with outsourced companies is beneficial. It's as simple as taking those cost savings and passing them along to yo...

Nancy Lyons is the Co-founder and CEO of Clockwork, a Minneapolis-based design and development agency of thinkers and doers. They transform businesses by uniting people, processes, and technology around business solutions.      Takeaways Starting as an agency at present, data is your best friend. With Market analysis and research, you can accurately determine your strengths by figuring out where y...

Erin Young is the Founder & Principal Consultant at Slide UX, a family-run business that specializes in UX. They help clients establish great user experiences, utilizing the best UX design practices that include integrated business strategy, user research, UI design, and cross-functional collaboration. They’ve been named one of the best UX agencies five years in a row.  Takeaways The real value of...

Jeff Archibald is the Managing Director of Paper Leaf, a full-stack website, app, and software development firm. Their products have received awards and accolades, and they are also recognized as one of Canada’s top firms by Strategy Magazine and Clutch.   Takeaways As an Agency Owner, you need to step out of roles that are not strategic and uses your time productively. It is difficult, but you ha...

Mark Baldino is the Co-founder of Fuzzy Math, a user experience design, strategy, and innovation firm that solves difficult problems with a human-centered design approach and has helped establish design practices for upstart businesses and Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, and GE Healthcare. Takeaways If a resource is comfortable with working remotely then as an agency you should allow th...

JD Graffam is the Founder and CEO at Simple Focus, a UX-focused digital product, and interaction design agency. They help their clients grow by increasing conversion rates, reducing friction, and telling stories. JD Graffam is a recognized user experience expert, author, speaker, and writer. A Serial entrepreneur, he also owns 10+ profitable businesses besides Simple Focus.   Takeaways As a busine...

Peter Kang is the Co-Founder and CEO at Barrel, helping brands scale and optimize their threat to consumer experiences while developing meaningful connections with their customers.   Takeaways: One of the essential aspects of great company culture is shared language. Having a unified communication helps everyone be on the same page. A great way to develop a shared language is by reading books toge...

Bill Whitebone is the Principal at Advance Velocity, providing businesses with the expertise and capacity needed to take them to the next level. They partner with their clients from start to finish, focusing on their client’s needs while producing new ideas, developing effective strategies, and designing high quality and scalable solutions.   Takeaways: The key to your team’s success in finding cl...

Angel Lacret is the Founder & Chief of Product Development at Cobuild Lab, a software development company that specializes in solving logistics and productivity problems, custom software solutions, and artificial intelligence.   Takeaways: “The hardest part about being remote [before COVID-19] is how you communicate trust and present yourself as a serious company with clients.” ~Angel Being isolat...

Jamie Anderson is the CEO at Emergent Software, an award-winning custom software development company that provides high-quality custom software development, website development & design, mobile & web application development, and more. They value employee development, small business, and client partnerships over sales.   Takeaways: “As companies get bigger often they try to do more and more things....

Garrett Ross is the Co-founder of Mobelux, a leading software design & development agency that offers services including UX, Design, Development and Strategy. They design, build, and brand award‑winning mobile apps and modern web platforms.   Takeaways: “Internal leadership should be natural and organic. The company as a whole is a living organism. How to enable people is to make them feel like th...

Mark Rickmeier is the CEO of Table XI, a UX design and custom software development firm with experience in mobile apps, building integrated web applications, and custom digital experiences. They value community, strategy, and finding solutions with an experimental mindset.   Takeaways: Adopting an experimental mindset in your agency allows your team to have the flexibility to try new things. The i...