Agency Business #20: Acadia CEO Jared Belsky on Growth, Ethics, and the Mid-Market
9 snips
May 5, 2025 Jared Belsky, CEO and co-founder of Acadia, discusses his journey from leading 360i to founding a mid-market agency focused on operational efficiency and client trust. He criticizes principal-based media buying as harmful to client relationships, advocating for transparency. Jared shares insights on navigating industry challenges, including Publicis’ high employee churn and the implications for talent retention. The conversation also touches on recent trends in sports marketing acquisitions and the shift towards project-based agency-client engagements.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Acadia's Humble Beginnings
- Jared Belsky co-founded Acadia with a simple PowerPoint and coffee shop meeting, focusing on mid-market clients.
- They rolled up smaller agencies and emphasize operational efficiency and diverse services.
Low Turnover Drives Success
- Acadia targets a single-digit unwanted turnover rate of 9% to ensure client retention and profitability.
- Keeping employee turnover low is foundational to agency success.
Build Diverse Global Hubs
- Build geographically diverse teams including Atlanta, US-wide, and hubs in Europe and India to balance costs and talent.
- Avoid calling international teams "offshore" and instead invest fully in local communities.
