Welcome to Agency Business.

This week, Olivia and Brian talk with Tombras president Dooley Tombras, who leads one of the industry’s few scaled, family-owned independent agencies. Dooley explains why Tombras built its full-service model by zigging against industry convention, how independence enables long-term investment in AI and first-party data, and why today’s consolidation cycle is pushing top talent toward indies.

He also discusses the agency’s hub-and-spoke staffing strategy, what “independence with scale” looks like across Knoxville, New York, Atlanta, and Buenos Aires, and why cultural stability at the top helps Tombras maintain an 83% new-business win rate.

In News of the Week:

The episode also features a brief mention of Olivia's new subscription PR model offering agencies a weekly hour of senior strategic thinking. For details, email olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com.

Subscribe to the Agency Business newsletter for episode notes and analysis. It’s free and drops every Monday.

Reach Out

Agency Business features agency CEOs and financial decision-makers alongside third party experts including agency pitch consultants. We are always accepting pitches, and are particularly interested in hearing from women and leaders of color.

📬 Pitch a guest or inquire about sponsorships:

📩 Brian at brian@madisonandwall.com

📩 Olivia at olivia@fusionfrontmedia.com

Follow Madison and Wall and FusionFront Media on LinkedIn for updates.

Explore Our Other Podcasts:

📊 The Madison and Wall Podcast – Brian opens up about his latest work — plus crucial economic, financial, and industry trends.

🎬 Screen & Sponsor – Olivia & VaynerMedia's Jessie Holder explore how brands are shaping Hollywood.

Turntable spinning, YouTube trending, and should I stay or should I go viral?

UNLIMITED SUPPLY with Digital Music News

Robert Kyncl's Warner Renewal Details

The AI-powered Podcast Player