The Deep Specialization™ Podcast

Product-Led vs. Sales-Led Growth: Which model is right for your agency? In this episode, Corey breaks down the key differences between product-led growth (PLG) and sales-led growth (SLG) for agencies. Learn how each approach impacts scaling, client acquisition, and long-term success—and why specialization is the secret to standing out in a crowded market. Whether you're building self-serve so...

In this episode, Corey Quinn is joined by Sara Hardwick, Community Relationship Specialist at the Giftology Group, to discuss the powerful principles from John Ruhlin's new book, "Beyond Giftology." Sara shares insights on building strategic relationships that drive business growth and how to create systems that turn connections into powerful referral sources. Episode Highlights: Th...

Are you constantly putting out fires in your agency instead of strategically growing it? In this episode of the Deep Specialization podcast, Corey Quinn welcomes Karl Sakas, known as "the agency therapist" who helps agency owners work less, earn more, and reward their best team members. Karl discusses his new book, "Calm the Chaos: 10 Ways to Run a Better Agency," which offers...

In this episode of Deep Specialization , host Corey Quinn sits down with Ned McPherson, Chief Growth Officer at Power Digital and founder of Endrock Growth and Analytics. Ned shares how he turned a side hustle into a 120-employee agency, scaled it organically through conversion rate optimization (CRO), and sold it to a private equity-backed firm in just four years.  Discover the secrets to his rap...

Struggling to scale your agency and get ahead of your competition? In this episode, Corey welcomes Jacob Baadsgaard, Founder and CEO of Disruptive Advertising and Disruptive University, to break down his strategies for building and scaling a high-performing marketing agency. Jake shares how a strong sales strategy, smarter hiring practices, and a greater focus on clients helped Disruptive Advertis...

In this episode, Corey chats with Brandon Wheeler, Founder/President at Marketing Six, about how he helped build Scorpion into a dominant force in legal marketing before stepping away to forge his own path. Brandon shares the lessons he learned scaling a niche agency, the challenges of hiring and leading a sales team, and the strategies that drive long-term client relationships. He also opens up a...

Sick of burning out with little growth to show for it? In this episode, Corey welcomes Steve Guberman, an agency coach and Founder of Agency Outsight, to find out what it takes to build and scale a sustainable, thriving agency without burning out. Steve shares wisdom from his journey through the agency world and the hard-earned lessons that shaped his approach to leadership, specialization, and lo...

In this episode, Corey chats with Stephen Reinstein, Founder & CEO of Market Muscles, about how he scaled his niche web design agency to serve 700+ martial arts and dance studios. Stephen reveals how he built a customer-centric product tailored to his industry and the strategies behind his success—from leveraging trade shows and joint ventures to hiring for empathy and creating a standout sale...

Over the years, The Deep Specialization TM Podcast has featured incredible guests and groundbreaking strategies that have helped thousands of agency owners niche down, specialize, and scale their businesses. Today, we’re showcasing the best of the best—the 3 most popular episodes of all time! These episodes deeply resonated with our audience, delivering timeless insights and actionable advice for...

In this episode, Corey speaks with Todd Taskey, an investment banker with over 20 years of experience specializing in agency M&A transactions. Todd shares invaluable insights about how modern agency transactions work and why vertical specialization can lead to better valuations and opportunities. Episode Highlights: Why traditional "exit and earn-out" deals are being replaced How ver...

Struggling to scale your vertically positioned digital marketing agency? Finding it hard to stand out in a crowded market and attract premium clients? There’s a better way to grow your business - and it starts with building a strong foundation of leadership, culture, and strategy. Join Corey Quinn as he sits down with Jason Hennessey, renowned SEO expert and Founder/CEO of Hennessey Digital, to un...

Feeling invisible in your agency’s market? Settling for revenue that’s merely “good enough”? Sadly, too many agencies are operating at the lowest level of revenue certainty, but not for long… In this episode, Corey reveals the Deep Specialization™  Maturity Model - a diagnostic tool and roadmap helping agency owners like you understand where they are, where they could be, and what it takes to beco...

Are your agency's sales presentations putting prospects to sleep? Tired of competing on features, case studies, and pricing? There's a better way to win clients and command premium rates - and it starts with mastering the art of strategic storytelling. Join us as Corey welcomes Philipp Humm, Founder of Power of Storytelling and 2x bestselling author, who has helped agencies like yours tr...

How do you turn decades of passion into a thriving business that dominates a niche? In this episode, Corey sits down with Cris Rodriguez, Founder and Visionary of Grow Pro Agency, to unpack her transformation from martial artist school owner to digital marketing powerhouse. Serving over 450 martial arts schools across the U.S., Cris reveals how her agency carved out a competitive edge through witt...

How can narrowing your focus open the door to big opportunities? In this episode, Corey unpacks the transformative power of specialization and why choosing the right vertical market is key to agency success. He shares a simple 3-step framework to identify the perfect niche: tapping into your expertise, following your genuine interests, and analyzing the market for growth potential. Along the way,...

What does it take to turn a side hustle into a thriving agency serving some of the biggest names in publishing? In this episode, Corey chats with Alex Strathdee, founder of Advanced Amazon Ads, who started with a simple goal: sell more books. Fast forward, and Alex now manages millions in ad spend, helping nonfiction authors like Mike Michalowicz and Dan Sullivan grow their influence. But Alex isn...

"You have to think about the exit from day one.” – Ronik Patel,  Founder of UnlimitedWP. If you’ve ever dreamt of selling your agency, look no further than this episode. Excitingly, we have another two-time guest on, as Corey welcomes back Ronik Patel to discuss his recent success in getting his company, UnlimitedWP acquired by E2M. And, if the latter sounds familiar, it’s because its founder...

"The commitment to specialization gives clarity and perspective, leading to higher conversion rates and client trust." – Vlad Mkrtumyan, CEO of Restoration Inbound Today’s guest may have started as a general agency founder, but since niching down and taking a vertical approach, his team has helped one of their client’s achieve an increase of over $1M in new revenue. Meet Vlad Mkrtumyan,...

"The audiences of niche podcasts are so much more engaged than some of these really big shows.” – Angie Trueblood, Founder of The Podwize Group Our guest’s founding moment might have originated by chance, but what followed was pure talent, and certainly, a knack for sales and pitching. Meet Angie Trueblood, Founder of The Podwize Group, a company that connects business owners and podcast host...

"We get new clients by showcasing the wins that we do have and the return on investment that brands are getting.” – David Glaza , Founder/CEO of DIGITS Agency Retail media is a $54B a year industry, so as a niche, it’s extremely lucrative. Today’s guest saw an opportunity after fourteen years working at Target, and never looked back. This week, we welcome David Glaza to the show. He is the fo...

Episode: 17 Chapter Seventeen of Anyone, Not Everyone encourages agency owners to embark on their journey towards vertical market specialization, emphasizing that existing clients are likely to remain supportive during this transition. It clarifies that specializing in a vertical market is not a magical solution but a strategic step that requires solid business fundamentals and can serve as a foun...

"One of the things that we do best across all of our product categories is talk to niche audiences.” – Josslynne Welch, President at Litzky Public Relations Public relations is a fast-moving industry, yet today’s guest has successfully stayed ahead of the news cycle for close to three decades. Meet Josslynne Welch; Today, she sits at the helm of the communications agency Litzky Public Relatio...

Episode: 16 Chapter Sixteen of Anyone, Not Everyone outlines the importance of the agency founder in leading the transition to vertical market specialization, emphasizing that early successes can be achieved with the existing team. It advises agency owners to deeply understand their chosen vertical market, embodying the values and knowledge that will inspire and guide the team. The chapter also de...

While we’ve had troves of agency founders on this show, today’s guest brings a unique spin to the typical genesis story. Peter Kang, Co-Founder of Barrel Holdings, started out running a website agency some 20   years ago.  Today, the business has evolved into a sprawling portfolio of agencies, all homegrown under a single holding company umbrella. How did all this come to be? Looking back, Peter’s...

Episode: 15 Chapter Fifteen of Anyone, Not Everyone discusses the significance of being on the "day one list" of vendors that buyers consider without prior research, achieved mainly through colleague recommendations, past experiences, and vendor websites. It emphasizes the importance of building a strong reputation within a vertical market community, akin to integrating into a village, t...