Most business owners are playing the wrong game.
They're chasing every lead, saying yes to everyone with a pulse, and wondering why they're stuck on a hamster wheel.
I spent 4 years learning what actually builds a business that scales. Not the typical "get more clients" advice you see everywhere. The intangible stuff nobody talks about.
Here's what I discovered...
1. Treat your team like equity partners
Every quarter, I sit with each team member and ask: "What are your goals? Personal, professional, etc.
When people feel like they're growing personally, financially, and professionally, they don't just work for you. They build with you.
Our first hire was an executive assistant in 2022. 2nd was a junior writer. They’re now our Ops Manager and Creative Director. That doesn't happen by accident.
2. Network without calculating ROI
I've flown across the country for events where I didn't sign a single client that day. But a year later? Three referrals from one conversation.
Join masterminds. Fly to events. Take your clients golfing. The ROI isn't immediate, but it's inevitable.
Every single networking investment has returned 10x within 18 months. Without exception.
3. Build a brand people want to be part of
Everyone on our team gets a Birdhouse hat. We just dropped custom jackets with patches. Our Slack has bird emojis. My credit card has Blue Eyes White Dragon on it.
Sounds silly but our job posts get 1,000+ applications and our retention is 90%+.
People don't just want to work with an agency. They want to be part of something that feels alive.
4. Live your brand everywhere
I wear the hat. I use bird GIFs in our client Slacks. I post about birds I see in public and call them "paid actors."
Living your brand isn't cringe. It's how you become unforgettable.
5. Become THE guy in your space
When someone in my masterminds needs Twitter help, they tag me. When their colleague asks about LinkedIn, my name comes up first.
Not because I'm the only option. Because I've made it impossible to think about X and LinkedIn without thinking about The Birdhouse.
If you do SEO, become THE SEO guy for DTC. If you do cold email, become THE guy for info businesses.
6. Refer out more than you sign
We get dozens of leads monthly. We sign 1-2.
The rest? I refer them to other agencies who are better fits for their needs.
This sounds crazy until you realize those referrals turn into your best evangelists AND build relationships with other agency owners who send you perfect-fit clients.
Consult, don't sell. Even if it means walking away from money today.
7. Do the unscalable things
I still personally onboard every new client. I still set up their profiles myself. I still send them SOPs and resources for stuff we don't even specialize in.
We're not trying to sign 100 clients. We're trying to be so good that our 20 clients never want to leave.
White glove service isn't scalable. But neither is 90%+ retention without it.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
Marcos
