“Eventually, we stopped the shenanigans and got vertical."  –  Rob Murray, Founder and President of Intrigue Media

Some founding stories are more eccentric, and entertaining, than others, and today’s guest certainly has a tale to tell. While these days, the digital marketing agency Intrigue Media does over $5 million in annual revenue serving 110 clients and counting, its founder, Rob Murray started his business selling local out-of-home advertising all the way back in college.

While Rob started out as a local generalist, he ultimately, after some hits and glorious misses, narrowed his focus to select niches like HVAC and landscaping.

Rob joins Corey to not just share Intrigue Media’s journey, but also to dish out a hot take (or five!), served with a side of refreshing honesty.

For one, Rob doesn’t think that different niches are truly that different to serve; you just have to deeply understand business basics like revenue models and problem-solving. Pair that with honest service and the ethos of trying to do good, and you’re golden.

So tune in for a wealth of knowledge and actionable advice on topics like growth and retention, what not to do with sales, and moreover, the leadership principles that Rob lives by.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

• Rob’s crazy founding story from DOOH to verticalization.
• How showing up in the community and doing thought leadership sparked initial growth.
• Rob’s approach to marketing, sales, and business leadership.
• The challenges of hiring sales and how to incentivize them.

Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders:

• You have two ways to position your offering: vertical versus horizontal. 
• If you have the resources, you can grow quickly in the beginning by creating a sensation that your agency is everywhere. Think: parties, events, community, and lots of speaking.
• Don’t send sales into the market before you’re sure they get your business and you trust them to represent it.
• Try to uncover unconscious beliefs you hold about your business to break harmful patterns; journaling is great for this.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• Connect with Rob on LinkedIn Here
• Check out Intrigue Media Here

Books mentioned in this episode are: 

• Verne Harnish, Scaling Up 
• John C. Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership 
• Simon Sinek, Leaders Eat Last and Start With Why&nbs