In this episode of Please Advise…, 8AM Creative founder Sam Kimelman sits down with Eric Brown and Nora DiNuzzo, the powerhouse duo behind the consulting firm Blood, Sweat, and Tears. This one’s for agency founders and leaders who are tired of vague growth hacks and looking for real, hard-won advice on scaling smarter—not just bigger.

We dig into the biggest hurdles agencies face, from over reliance on a single client to undervaluing creative work, and how having the wrong strategy (or no strategy at all) can keep you stuck. Eric and Nora break down the different growth modes—stabilize, sustain, scale, or sell—and why knowing which one you’re in changes everything.

The conversation doesn’t shy away from the deeper stuff either: the role of founders as storytellers, the emotional drivers behind decision-making, and how AI is reshaping marketing and creativity—for better or worse.

If you’re building an agency, running a business, or just trying to keep up with the evolving marketing world, this episode is packed with sharp insights, practical advice, and the occasional tough love.

👉 Key Topics Discussed:
 • The risks of client concentration (and how to avoid them)
 • Strategy vs. tactics: why most agencies get it backwards
 • How to value and price creative work appropriately
 • When to stabilize, sustain, scale—or sell
 • The real role of founders in growth
 • AI’s growing role in content creation (and its limitations)
 • Why authenticity is still the most valuable brand currency