Melissa Rosenthal is the Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp, a fully customizable app that is helping to make the world more productive. Melissa joined ClickUp’s team in October of 2020 and leads the agency’s marketing and branding efforts.Previously, Melissa was the CRO and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Creative Strategy at Cheddar. She has been named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” Business Insider’s “30 Most Creative People in Advertising Under 30,” and Digiday's "Changemakers." Melissa also led BuzzFeed's global creative team responsible for creating branded content for advertisers and was a key contributor to the advertising model’s early success.In this episode…Every company has a logo, mission statement, and advertising strategy. So, amid the torrent of content that consumers face daily, how do you make your brand stand out?Marketing expert Melissa Rosenthal says you’re not building a brand for the next three years — you’re building a brand for the next 20. Because of this, there are many areas you need to focus on, including social media, billboards, videos, and more. But according to Melissa, one aspect is more important than everything else: making the brand feel human.In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Melissa Rosenthal, the Chief Creative Officer at ClickUp, to discuss her strategies for building a strong brand. Melissa talks about her tried-and-true social media tactics, the culture of the creative department at ClickUp, and how she developed her marketing strategy. Stay tuned.

Andrew Dymski is the Co-founder of ZenPilot. ZenPilot has helped over 2,000 agencies streamline their operations and scale their businesses using proven systems and processes. ZenPilot’s clients benefit from a comprehensive library of pre-built ClickUp templates, agency-specific training, and certification programs.Andrew has over a decade of experience helping businesses and agencies grow. In addition to his work at ZenPilot, Andrew is the Co-founder of GuavaBox, which helps B2B tech and SaaS companies build a better growth strategy. Previously, he worked as the Digital Media Strategist for Deeter Gallaher Group and the Director of Growth for ReturnLogic.In this episode…Are you trying to grow your agency but feel too disorganized, overwhelmed, or inconsistent to make any progress? Do you wish there was an easier way to streamline your processes?ZenPilot offers a better option. Everything they do is focused on clarifying your agency’s processes so you can focus on growing your business. With their help, you can have a clearer picture of what’s on your team’s plate, how much work you’re doing for each of your clients, and the various ways your team delivers those services — all through the user-friendly ClickUp platform. So, how does the process work?In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Andrew Dymski, his business partner at ZenPilot, to discuss the agency’s recent rebranding and valuable client services. Andrew and Gray talk about ZenPilot’s blueprint and implementation processes, why they chose ClickUp as their preferred project management tool, and the current open positions on the agency’s team.

Justin Christianson is the Co-founder and President of Conversion Fanatics, a customer-centric CRO agency. His team helps e-commerce and SaaS companies better understand their visitors' on-site behavior, likes, and dislikes to increase conversion results and get a better return on advertising. The agency’s clients, including Burt's Bees, Renew Life, Paleovalley, and more, have increased conversions and marketing performance by 30% to 1850% due to their services.Justin is a digital marketing veteran with a strong emphasis on implementation and optimization. His book, Conversion Fanatic: How To Double Your Customers, Sales and Profits with A/B Testing, is a #1 best-seller on Amazon. Justin is also an Official Member of the Forbes Agency Council.In this episode…Many businesses are so focused on driving traffic to their website that they forget one key element: how to actually make the sale. Once someone is on your webpage, how do you get them to buy your product?That’s Justin Christianson’s sweet spot. His agency, Conversion Fanatics, focuses on improving conversion rates for businesses by understanding what makes consumers tick. Justin and his team recognize that changing even just one button can increase website leads by 15% or more. So, how does Conversion Fanatics' CRO magic work?In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Justin Christianson, the Co-founder and President of Conversion Fanatics, to discuss how to improve your website’s CRO. Justin explains the services that Conversion Fanatics offers, the process he uses to onboard new clients, and how his agency’s website utilizes key CRO strategies.

Matthew Strunk is the Founder and CEO of BitMoto, Strunk Media Group, and AutoSigma. Matthew created BitMoto as a digital marketing agency for automotive companies and dealerships. After selling cars at a dealership and doing freelance digital marketing work on the side, Matthew realized he could combine his two passions, and BitMoto was born.In 2015, Matthew founded Strunk Media Group as a spinoff from BitMoto. While BitMoto focuses on the automotive industry, the award-winning team at Strunk Media Group designs marketing strategies for a diverse range of industries. Most recently, Matthew also launched AutoSigma, an automotive technology company that gives dealerships the tools to streamline their marketing efforts and maximize their ROI.In this episode…After pouring your heart and soul into a business and finally seeing the fruits of your efforts, you may be excited to keep growing — or be experiencing burnout. If a larger company gives a tempting acquisition offer, how do you know if you should accept?Matthew Strunk has founded three agencies — and almost sold them on two different occasions. Through strategic planning, a clear focus, and a strong client acquisition method, he effectively built up his agencies, and these qualities made his businesses very attractive to larger companies. So, how did Matthew decide whether or not to stay with his businesses? What factors played a role in his decision?In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Matthew Strunk, the Founder and CEO of BitMoto, Strunk Media Group, and AutoSigma, to discuss the pros and cons of selling your agency. Matthew talks about the lessons he learned from almost selling his businesses twice, what he wished he knew before starting the process, and his strategies for preparing for an exit. Plus, Matthew shares his tried-and-true methods for client acquisition.

Lindsey Huettner is the Founder and CEO of The it Crowd, a full-service marketing agency. The it Crowd team is made up of experienced graphic designers, advertisers, business developers, social media experts, account managers, and more. Lindsey is a national marketing expert and regularly gives speeches and radio and TV interviews about marketing. She also delivers seminars in coordination with microloan programs to teach business ownership and help people climb out of poverty.A serial entrepreneur, Lindsey has previously founded and owned multiple other businesses. She turned a pet-sitting hobby into a 1,200-client empire and sold her 25,000-subscriber online “deal-a-day” website after just two years. From there, Lindsey purchased Krimson Klover, which she grew to two buzzworthy brick-and-mortar stores and a thriving e-commerce site. In 2014, she put her business acumen to work and founded The it Crowd, where she currently empowers businesses to succeed.In this episode…Do you want to improve your marketing, but are too busy running your business to make a difference? Are you looking for someone who can leverage key strategies to meet your agency’s goals?The team at The it Crowd is here to help. Lindsey Huettner designed the agency to be a complete marketing presence for any company. Whether you need a total marketing takeover or a booster for your internal marketing team, The it Crowd can fill the gaps.In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Lindsey Huettner, the Founder and CEO of The it Crowd, to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and marketing expertise. Lindsey talks about the inspiration behind The it Crowd, the employee benefits that make her agency stand out, and why charitable work is the key to her team’s success.

Troy Osinoff is a Co-founder of JUICE, an integrated digital marketing agency. JUICE specializes in results-driven growth strategy development, social advertising, search engine marketing, organic search ranking, and lead generation. Troy is also a Co-founder of Peachy, a company that ​​designs, develops, and optimizes scalable e-commerce experiences, and a General Partner of MAGIC Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund built by founders for founders. Previously, he was the Head of Customer Acquisition for BuzzFeed, the Director of Digital Marketing for Watsco, and more.Michael Lisovetsky is a Co-founder of JUICE and Peachy. As a serial entrepreneur, he has also co-founded businesses including Skylight, BuilderBuzz, and more. Alongside his business partner Troy, Michael recently became a General Partner for MAGIC Fund. Before starting JUICE, Michael was an Advisor for Covet, a full-service shipping company, and the Director of Growth for Common, a leading residential and coliving brand.In this episode…With all the agencies out there vying for the attention of potential clients, it takes a lot of work to stand out. So, what is the key to growing and scaling a thriving agency?Michael Lisovetksy and Troy Osinoff, Co-founders of JUICE, are so good at growing their own companies, they made a business out of helping other agencies grow. Within their agency, they are ultra-focused on implementing growth-based strategies and hiring the best talent to deliver amazing outcomes to their clients. Now they’re here to share the business procedures that have given them the best results.In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Michael Lisovetsky and Troy Osinoff, Co-founders of JUICE, to discuss their strategies for agency growth. They talk about the lessons they learned from other startups that helped them succeed, why growth motivates every business decision, and their goals for the culture and team at JUICE. Stay tuned.

Kevin Dunn is the Manager of Education with HubSpot Academy. Kevin leads the professor groups responsible for partner and developer education. He also owns the Agency Partner Certification course and educates people about agency growth and success.In addition to this, Kevin is a public speaker who delivers presentations at HubSpot’s INBOUND conference and agency events across the globe. Kevin also hosts the Agency Unfiltered podcast, where he discusses agency operations and growth with agency owners.In this episode…HubSpot has marketing, sales, and service software to help your business grow without compromise. But as an agency owner, there are multiple software companies vying for your attention. So, what sets HubSpot apart?Kevin Dunn, the Manager of Education with HubSpot Academy, would say it’s the education component. The company’s built-in training helps agency partners know how to build integrations, price and package new services, and so much more. In a world of people who claim to be experts — why not learn from the best?In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Kevin Dunn, the Manager of Education with HubSpot Academy, to discuss the educational opportunities available through HubSpot. Kevin talks about where he sees agency owners succeeding and struggling in 2021, HubSpot’s unique infrastructure for creators, and the new initiatives coming to HubSpot in the coming year. Stay tuned.

Andrew Hong is the CEO and Co-founder of Tobe Agency. Tobe Agency helps brands produce creative content that enables them to attract and convert new audiences. The team at Tobe Agency creates videos, podcasts, blog posts, and downloadables that build awareness, build audiences, improve conversions, and produce more revenue. Andrew Hong has over a decade of experience in the marketing sphere. Before creating Tobe Agency, Andrew was the Chief Marketing Officer for American Interbanc Mortgage, Vice President of Seashine Capital Management, and the Brand and Marketing Manager for DJ Tech Pro the Americas.In this episode…It seems like there are a million different ways to reach out to your audience. Of course, some mediums are better than others. How can starting a podcast grow your audience and help your agency find its niche?Andrew Hong, Co-founder and CEO of Tobe Agency, has helped hundreds of agencies leverage podcasting to reach more clients. Podcasting can feel more personal than blog posts and puts the human element back into your communications. Whether you’re trying to increase brand awareness, build a connection with current clients, or communicate within an agency, a podcast can help. In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Andrew Hong, CEO and Co-founder of Tobe Agency, to discuss the benefits of starting a podcast for your agency. Andrew talks about how to clarify the purpose of your podcast, the various benefits of each podcast format, and how SEO plays a role.

Brandon Ward is an Agency Advisor for ZenPilot. ZenPilot helps agencies streamline operations and scale their businesses using proven systems and processes. As an Agency Advisor, Brandon helps agencies leverage ZenPilot’s solutions for their specific needs.After studying marketing at Marshall University, Brandon held marketing roles at several start-up companies and was the CEO of a growing CBD business called Lifted Innovations. In 2019, he created his own agency, Advisory Cure, before joining the team at ZenPilot.In this episode…Owning a digital agency is no easy task. Some agencies are generating off-the-charts sales and need a path for scaling the company. Others are waiting to get organized before their business can take off. Either way, ZenPilot can help.ZenPilot is designed to help agencies streamline their processes so they can offer quality services to every client and boost sales. As a previous agency owner, Brandon Ward knows that it can be difficult to achieve success without a great system. That’s why he implemented ClickUp from ZenPilot for his own agency — and eventually joined the ZenPilot team.In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Brandon Ward, an Agency Advisor at ZenPilot, to discuss the importance of mapping out the systems within your company. Brandon talks about what he learned from his mistakes as a former agency owner, how he got connected with ZenPilot, and what excites him about the company’s future. Stay tuned.

Josh Elkin is the Founder of Linkflow, a link building service backed by a holistic SEO strategy that gives clients high-quality links to drive and convert traffic into revenue. The agency uses keyword-rich anchor text to create editorial links that are relevant to its clients’ businesses.Josh has five years of digital marketing and entrepreneurship experience. After earning his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Josh founded his first company, Inbound River, in 2015. Two years later he founded Linkflow, which he originally named Bestcoast Marketing.In this episode…Are you having trouble consistently building backlinks for your website? Is your current strategy failing to drive traffic the way you planned?Linkflow has a team of SEO experts ready to help. After finding its niche as an agency, Linkflow now specializes in building quality editorial links that drive and convert traffic into revenue. With a holistic SEO strategy and an updated business model, the team helps clients across the B2B SaaS and e-commerce spaces build their businesses. In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray MacKenzie is joined by Josh Elkin, the Founder of Linkflow, to discuss his agency’s business strategies. Together, they talk about how Josh found a niche for Linkflow, the types of clients he targets, and the five monumental lessons he learned during the agency’s evolution. Stay tuned.