Big Growth is the no-BS podcast for digital agency founders. Hosted by industry insiders, we challenge conventional wisdom on agency growth, operations, and mindset. No cookie-cutter advice, no hype - just bold, polarising insights to help Meta, Klaviyo, SEO, Creative and B2B agency owners scale beyond themselves. Get ready for raw, unfiltered conversations that question everything from work-life balance to the obsession with scalability. If you’re tired of the usual advice, Big Growth Show is the podcast that speaks your language.
From a 50-people agency to 9... using AI (ft. Hosun Chung and Fernando Cao)
In this episode, we sit down with Fernando Cao and Hosun Chung the founders of Revenue Flow to unpack what an “AI-native agency” actually looks like behind the scenes. hey break down how they scaled to 50 employees and 150+ clients, why they intentionally rebuilt the company into a lean 9-person operation, and how AI agents, workflows, and automation are transforming sales, content, operations, and go-to-market strategy. Powered by Big Growth Group. https://www.biggrowthgroup.com/ Hosts: Romans Ivanovs, Kristina RadevaGuests: Fernando Cao, Hosun Chung
26 Feb 2026
Building an AI-native agency: $356K MRR. 70% Margin. 0% Team Churn. (ft Mike Kolev)
In this episode, Mike Kolev (CEO & co-owner of Carbon Box Media) breaks how they actually scale an agency without the founder being glued to delivery. Also how they rebuilt systems fast, hired people who can think, and used AI where it actually matters. If you run an agency and want learn how to use AI to create real leverage this is is definitely for you.We cover:AIHiring high performance talentLeadershipTeamSpeed of executionMike Kolev:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihajlokolev/Romans Ivanovs:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjivanovs/
Powered by Big Growth Group. https://www.biggrowthgroup.com/
25 Nov 2025
Why small agencies will win in the next 5 years (ft Jonathan Smith)
A lot of agency founders still believe they need to scale to $10M+, hire 80+ people, or chase a $1M EBITDA target before anyone will ever buy their business.Jonathan Smith — founder of Catch (acquired via a private-equity backed deal) and Managing Partner at Draft Partners says that’s complete nonsense.In this episode, we break down why the next 5 years belong to small, specialised, profitable agencies, not bloated teams chasing vanity scale. We go deep on:– The myth of “you need $1M EBITDA to exit”– Why buyers prefer lean, niche, high-margin shops– How founders trap themselves in the treadmill of delivery– How AI is making 10-person teams more powerful than 100-person teams– How to design an agency you can eventually step out of (and sell)If you’re an agency owner thinking about growth, scale, or a future exit — this conversation will save you years of pain.Powered by Big Growth Group.https://www.biggrowthgroup.com/Connect with: Jonathan Smith: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrsmith/
Romans Ivanovs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjivanovs/
7 Nov 2025
The 2026 Agency Sales Psychology Playbook (ft. James Guérin)
He's responsible for 200% growth YoY inside multiple agencies. Currently a Chief Commercial Office and Board Director at Embryo. James Guérin is on the Big Growth Show.This is THE FIRST time we’ve properly gone deep on the commercial side of agency leadership. And trust me, James delivers the blueprint.🎙️We unpack:
- A must-do shift moving from founder-led to team-led sales
- Weekly non-negotiables for outbound & relationship building
- The 80/20 psychology rule of commercial success
- What it really takes to win large clients
- Red flags in pitch decks and sales processConnect with James Guérin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-guerin/Romans Ivanovs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjivanovs/Brought to you by Big Growth Group
https://www.biggrowthgroup.com
3 Oct 2025
Inside the UK’s Most Exclusive Life Coach (ft Michael Serwa)
Michael Serwa is the UK’s highest-paid life coach, working exclusively with high-calibre clients including billionaires, royalty and FTSE-listed CEOs. Known for his “no-BS” approach, he built his practice entirely through one-to-one work.He is the author of From Good to Amazing and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including GQ, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, BBC, and Sky. In this episode, we dive deep into what it really takes to operate at the highest level.We cover:
How he wen from retail manager to coaching billionaires
How moving to Myafair made his business
Why he refuses to work with clients who don’t meet his standards
What the most successful people he’s coached have in common
Michael’s take on self-worth, arrogance and elite performance
Advice for anyone playing below their level
🔗 Connect with: Michael Serwa: / mserwa Romans Ivanovs: / rjivanovs Brought to you by Big Growth Group.
15 Aug 2025
From $38M launch to total chaos to an Elite Agency
Uncover hidden opportunities in your agency's ops, AI, leadership and margins. https://www.biggrowthgroup.com/In this episode, Joshua Behr (Founder & CEO of AMB Interactive, a Klaviyo Elite Partner agency) shares the raw truth behind fast growth, burnout, and what it really takes to build a sustainable, high-retention agency.We dive into: ✅ The $38M viral launch that changed everything ✅ Why “Grow Slow or Die” became his operating philosophy ✅ Building long-term client relationships that actually last ✅ Managing teams at 200MPH — without crashing ✅ Strategy vs. design vs. copy in 2025 and beyond ✅ The future of retention marketing in the AI age This one's for agency founders, operators, and anyone scaling under pressure.Brought to you by Big Growth Group.
25 Jul 2025
How They Built One of the Best Email Agencies in eCom (ft No Limit Email team)
No Limit Email became one of the most respected agencies in eCom. In this episode of the Big Growth Show, we sit down with the powerhouse trio behind No Limit Email – Michael, Jerry and Josh – a retention marketing agency that's scaled to serve over 200+ brands including Unilever and Carnival Snacks. Starting with zero knowledge of email, no systems, and pure obsession, they built one of the most operationally sound and culture-driven agencies in the retention space. What we cover:
How they scaled from scratch to a global client base
The extreme culture and hiring process behind their team
Running a business as a couple
Systems, SOPs and building an agency that runs without you
The hard truths about pricing, burnout, and team management
How they’re using AI to scale without breaking quality
Why obsession beats talent when building a business
🔗 Connect with:Michael Galvin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ecom-michael-galvin/
Geraldine Cortes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerri-cortes/
Josh Tray: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-tay/
Note: Since recording this episode, Josh Tray has moved on from No Limit Email. His insights in this episode remain incredibly valuable.🎤 Hosted by Romans Ivanovs from the Big Growth Show: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjivanovs/Brought to you by Big Growth Group.At BGG we help digital agencies install the infrastructure to scale delivery, remove founder-dependency, and run a financially healthy agency. Book your strategy call: https://www.biggrowthgroup.com/strategy-call
26 Jun 2025
The anatomy of a content-first agency model (ft Joe Gannon)
Joe Gannon discusses building a content marketing agency, team structure, content frameworks, and optimizing for leads versus followers in an interview with Romans Ivanovs.
6 Jun 2025
How To Scale Your Agency Smarter (ft George Kapernaros)
George Kapernaros discusses the operational and mental shifts required to rebuild a rapidly growing CRM agency, while Romans Ivanovs hosts this interview.
22 May 2025
€1M EBITDA & 40 staff: How I built & sold a top Dutch PR agency (Wouter Glaser)
Wouter Glaser discusses building and selling his Dutch PR agency, Glasnost, to Romans Ivanovs, revealing strategies for scaling, leadership, and achieving a successful exit in this interview.
1 May 2025
Beyond $1M: scaling strategy, leadership and M&A (with Simon Penson part 2)
Simon Penson, a B2B founder, discusses scaling an agency beyond $1 million, hiring leadership, and M&A strategies with Romans Ivanovs in this interview.
9 Apr 2025
The CEO trap: more power, more chaos (with Wiehan Britz)
Wiehan Britz, CEO, discusses his transition from COO to CEO, revealing the system failures and valuable lessons that shaped Magnet Monster's operations in this interview.
9 Mar 2025
Mindset Over Marketing: How Agencies Actually Hit $1M with Nigel Thomas
Nigel Thomas shares mindset shifts that help marketing agencies overcome operational hurdles and achieve $1 million in revenue, interviewed by Romans Ivanovs.
31 Jan 2025
How misaligned finances and your psychology are KILLING your agency (with Valentin Kuznetcov)
Financial consultant Valentin Kuznetcov reveals to host Romans Ivanovs how agencies sabotage their growth by prioritizing revenue over profit, leading to unsustainable scaling and burnout in this interview.
6 Jan 2025
From working for Gary Vee to selling his agency to Ryan Serhant at 24 y.o. with Calvin Hamilton
Calvin Hamilton recounts his experiences working for Gary Vee, building and selling his agency to Ryan Serhant at a young age, and transitioning to SaaS in this interview with host Romans Ivanovs.
18 Nov 2024
Behind the Operations of a Global Marketing Agency with Ryan McNamara (Rise at Seven)
Ryan McNamara, Head of Operations at Rise at Seven, discusses the operational strategies that enable a global marketing agency to scale successfully, emphasizing culture, accountability, and team resilience in an interview with Roman Ivanovs and Kristina Radeva.
20 Oct 2024
How Traditional Growth Advice Is Failing Your Agency with Simon Penson
Simon Penson discusses why conventional growth strategies often fail agencies, drawing from his experience building and selling his agency for £30M+, in an interview with Romans Ivanovs and Kristina Radeva.
19 Oct 2024
Building a 0.1% Klaviyo Email Agency with Adam Kitchen
Adam Kitchen, co-founder of Magnet Monster, discusses building a successful Klaviyo email agency and developing a strong personal brand in an interview.
Who has been a guest on Big Growth
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Joe Gannon
George Kapernaros
Wouter Glaser
Simon Penson
Wiehan Britz
Podcast Authority Score: 20 / 100
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