Transitioning from freelancer to CEO

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What a year. I sat down with over 100 incredible agency owners—and the insights were unreal. From million-dollar breakthroughs to hard-earned lessons, these founders brought the real talk. In this special year-end episode, I'm sharing the top 5 interviews that stood out most.

To everyone who tuned in, shared an episode, or took action from something they heard—thank you. This show is for you, and because of you.

Here's to a smarter, stronger, more scalable 2026. Let's go.

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Sponsors and Resources

E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service.

AI, Efficiency & the Future of Digital Agencies | with Manish Dudharejia (E2M Solutions)

If you're running a digital agency and wondering how the hell you're supposed to keep up with AI, automation, and shifting client expectations—this one's for you.

Jason sits down with Manish Dudharejia, founder of E2M Solutions, one of the largest white-label partners for agencies, to break down where the real opportunities are—and what's about to get wiped out.

Spoiler: Agencies that don't embrace efficiency will get eaten alive.

Whether you're stuck in fulfillment hell or just trying to stay 3 steps ahead, this is a must-watch if you want to grow smarter, not grind harder.

From Freelancer to CEO: How Kriston Sellier Built a Scalable, Human-Centered Agency

Kriston Sellier, Founder of Id8, shares how she broke free from the freelancer grind, stopped being held hostage by a single client, and transformed into a confident CEO with systems, a team, and a business that no longer revolved around her.

We dig into the moment she realized she wasn't really running a business and how hiring a consultant changed everything (and brought in 25 new clients)

This isn't fluff. It's the real path from chaos to clarity—one that too many agency owners skip because they're stuck reacting.

From $1M to $40M: How Chris Dreyer Scaled His SEO Agency with One Counterintuitive Strategy

If you're an agency owner stuck managing chaos, wondering how the hell to grow without everything breaking—this is your blueprint.

I sat down with Chris Dreyer, CEO of Rankings.io, who scaled his agency from barely breaking 7 figures to nearing $40 million in pure service revenue.

And no, it wasn't because of some sexy funnel or overnight hack. It was because he doubled down on relationships.

Favorite line from Chris: "You mean to tell me it's not worth $500 to go shake hands with a $125K client?"

This isn't theory. It's what the top 1% of agencies are actually doing—and it's probably not what you're doing right now.

How to Build an Agency Team That Sticks & Clients Who Actually Respect You | Colin Hetherington

I sat down with Colin Hetherington, founder of Dublin's Common Good and co-founder of Zoo Digital (which scaled to $3M+ with less than 5% turnover). Colin's the real deal—he's built agencies people love working at and clients want to stay with.

You'll hear how Colin combined strategy, creativity, and technical execution to create an agency that stood out—and why focusing on team trust and clarity made all the difference.

Whether you're scaling or starting fresh, there's gold in this conversation on how to lead without burning out.

Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset?

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