#354 - How Fery Kaszoni Grew An $8,000,000/yr Agency in 4 Years
Jan 20, 2025
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Fery Kaszoni, the founder of Search Intelligence, shares his journey of rapidly growing a digital PR agency to nearly $8 million in just four years. He discusses embracing chaos as a growth strategy and the role of innovation in scaling operations. Fery delves into the importance of fostering a strong team culture and the lessons learned from past challenges, including toxic environments and hiring missteps. He emphasizes the significance of authenticity in client relationships and how personal experiences shape his approach to risk-taking and success.
Fery Kaszoni attributes his agency's rapid success to embracing chaos as a growth strategy while carefully managing financial risks.
The agency's shift to focus exclusively on digital PR allowed for integrating technology and automation to enhance operational efficiency.
Refining hiring practices and cultivating a positive company culture became essential in sustaining growth amidst challenges faced during rapid expansion.
Deep dives
Aggressive Growth and Its Challenges
The guest discusses the remarkable trajectory of his agency, which achieved over $8 million in revenue within four years by embracing intentional chaos in their growth strategy. Despite this aggressive expansion, he openly admits to the inherent risks involved, such as relying on a no-contract policy that necessitates careful cash management. The challenge of scaling has even led to significant workforce changes, including the difficult decision to let go of 15 employees due to cultural issues that arose during rapid growth. His leadership approach centers around fostering a playful, experimental environment while managing the heavy responsibility of supporting nearly 100 staff.
Digital PR's Specialization and Automation
The transition into digital PR was a significant turning point for the agency, focusing solely on this service after initially offering a wider array of SEO-related work. By committing fully to digital PR, the agency aimed to leverage automation and cutting-edge technology to streamline processes while maintaining quality. The host emphasizes the importance of having structured systems in place to manage multiple client campaigns simultaneously, highlighting their investment in in-house software development as a key component of their success. This technological integration allows the agency to efficiently manage complex workflows, thereby reducing the margin for error and enhancing overall productivity.
Navigating the Hiring Landscape
The guest reflects on the evolution of their hiring practices, emphasizing the need for clearly defined expectations and stringent KPIs for all team members. Initially struggling with subpar hiring decisions during growth spurts, the agency refined its recruitment process to actively filter for talent and drive performance. The introduction of competency-based tests prior to final interviews ensures that only the most qualified candidates move forward, a lesson learned from past failures. This strategic shift is positioned as essential for sustaining the growth and maintaining a strong company culture, especially in such a fast-paced environment.
Managing Company Culture
The conversation highlights the integral role of company culture in sustaining growth, particularly after facing a 'toxic' environment that necessitated drastic personnel changes. The guest emphasizes the importance of setting a tone of respect and accountability to cultivate an environment where team members feel supported. Measures such as clearly defined communication standards and swift disciplinary actions are discussed as crucial to maintaining a positive workplace atmosphere. This proactive approach to culture is regarded not only as beneficial for employee morale but also as a fundamental aspect of enabling long-term success.
Work-Life Balance and Personal Success
Despite the agency's success, the guest admits to grappling with work-life balance, often prioritizing business demands over family time. The discussion reveals a recognition of the sacrifices made in pursuit of aggressive growth and revenue targets, including time spent away from loved ones. He expresses a commitment to eventually rectify this imbalance, aiming to enjoy quality time with his family without the cloud of work responsibilities. Ultimately, success is defined not solely by financial achievements but also by genuine contributions to the well-being of others and maintaining personal integrity.
In this episode, we dive deep with Fery, founder of Search Intelligence, about building a fast-growing digital PR agency from scratch.
From embracing chaos as a growth strategy to developing enterprise-level software solutions, Fery shares candid insights about the challenges and triumphs of scaling to nearly 100 staff and 7 figures in revenue in just 3-4 years. ____________________________________________ Host: Mark Webster Guest: Fery Kaszoni
