🔑 Key Takeaways

• Dmitry runs two agencies: AdTribe (for DTC brands) and Haven (white-label media buying for agencies).
• Haven uses the same team and processes as AdTribe, but exclusively services agencies to avoid direct client headaches.
• The white-label model sacrifices margin for long-term retention and stability.
• Operational scaling is the biggest challenge, especially as they approach 100+ managed accounts.
• Communication, not performance, is often the main source of churn—especially with direct clients.
• Dmitry bootstrapped his agency journey from freelancer to a team of 10+ in less than a year.
• Early mistakes included hiring full-time staff too quickly without predictable revenue.
• Media buyers are compensated via base + account-based bonuses to balance security and performance.
• Strong client relationships and proactive communication systems are more critical than just results.
• Investing in personal brand and LinkedIn content is something Dmitry wishes he had started earlier.

Check out Dmitry's agencies here:

Haven

Adtribe

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Sean’s Links:

🔗 Sean Lang on LinkedIn
🌐 Agency Uplift Skool Group
🛒 Social Commerce Club

Key Takeaways:

• Grant started GrantBot after honing his automation skills as the first employee at Hampton, optimizing workflows to scale small teams.
• Before finding his groove in agency life, he tried launching a sports betting hedge fund and a SaaS AI writing tool — both learning experiences that led him to his current model.
• GrantBot focuses on creating “10x employees” by automating repetitive work so teams can focus on creative problem-solving.
• Client experience is just as crucial as results; automation plays a key role in improving communication and delivery quality.
• Early-stage agencies often underestimate the time it takes to define a strong, scalable service offering.
• Grant emphasized the need for agency owners to find mentors or advisors who can fast-track learning and help avoid common pitfalls.
• Most of GrantBot’s work involves deep workflow assessments for marketing agencies, streamlining CRMs, onboarding, project management, and invoicing.
• ClickUp is a core tool for GrantBot — Grant highlighted its project management power when configured correctly.
• Many automations are simple but powerful — like using Slack notifications to speed up action when deals move stages in a CRM.
• Automation success is tied to strong foundational processes; AI and automation won’t fix broken systems.
• Grant is building a remote-first culture, focusing on collaboration and connection across time zones.
• Core values and team culture are a growing focus at GrantBot, as the team scales rapidly from 2 to 8 in the first year.

Check out Grant's agency here:

https://www.grantbot.co/

Get the Growth Spotlight Vault for free and start turning casual client convo's into referrals:
https://www.agencyuplift.co/vault

Sean’s Links:

🔗 Sean Lang on LinkedIn
🌐 Agency Uplift Skool Group
🛒 Social Commerce Club

Key Takeaways

• SEO Army is a white-label SEO agency helping other agencies expand their SEO offerings.
• They specialize in content-based SEO, backlinking, technical on-page fixes, and SEO audits.
• Content remains time-consuming even with AI; brand tone and formatting still require human oversight.
• SEO Army has worked across a wide range of industries including legal, SaaS, medical, and travel.
• Sully transitioned from a startup VP to launching his agency, initially called Writer Army, in 2016.
• The first major client milestone—producing high-volume content—validated going full-time.
• Focusing on a specific ICP (Ideal Client Profile) was key to scaling and escaping operational chaos.
• Many agency owners delay choosing a niche due to the fear of turning away business, but it’s necessary for clarity and growth.
• SOPs (standard operating procedures) and systems are critical—adding team members without them leads to inefficiency.
• Agencies often mistake “being busy” for needing to hire more people instead of first streamlining operations.
• Hiring should be a last resort—start by auditing time use, optimizing processes, and leveraging automation.
• SEO Army uses AI for keyword research, competitor analysis, and content outlines—but not to write the content itself.
• Their backlink strategy is built around high-quality PR opportunities, local SEO, and real editorial outreach—not link farms.
• SEO Army offers fully white-labeled SEO solutions, including free branded audits and case study support to help agencies close deals.

Check out Sully's agency here:
https://seoarmy.co/

Get the Growth Spotlight Vault for free and start turning casual client convo's into referrals:
https://www.agencyuplift.co/vault

Sean’s Links:

🔗 Sean Lang on LinkedIn
🌐 Agency Uplift Skool Group
🛒 Social Commerce Club