Before the revenue, systems, and scale, there was a lot of trial and error. In this episode, Kyle Sulerud and Drew Carrell break down the early years of building an agency, including the failed ideas, scattered niches, and lack of predictability that kept the business from scaling at first.They walk through the different models they tested, from junk removal marketing and legal Google Ads to affiliate offers, life coaches, and outsourced CMO work, and explain why none of it worked long term.This conversation is an honest look at what early agency life actually looks like before systems, A-players, and leverage exist. If you’re building an agency, selling leads, or trying to find a model that scales without burning you out, this episode will feel very familiar.

https://thatagencygroup.com

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00:00 – Introduction: Setting up the episode and the journey

04:03 – Attempt 1: Why Kyle's junk removal marketing idea didn’t scale

17:22 – Drew's early affiliate experiments and lessons from coaching scams

26:20 – Tony Robbins/Dean Graziosi affiliate saga: what went wrong

37:25 – Kyle tried and failed to niche down with Google Ads for lawyers

45:29 – Drew's minimal success reaching out to coaches and hypnotherapists

56:03 – How Kyle tested a local video + ads partnership model

01:08:00 – Drew's fractional CMO misadventure

01:19:02 – Early AdLeg years and key lessons about niching and clients

This episode of That Agency Show covers the journey of starting a career as a freelancer, detailing the progression from low-paying gigs and unprofitable businesses to finally cracking the $10,000/month barrier.

https://thatagencygroup.com

https://usejuiced.com

Key Sections:

00:00 Opening teaser and episode setup

01:50 Kyle: Early life, college, and chasing passion vs career

07:24 Starting first business: foreclosure maintenance

11:13 First business struggles and ultimate failure

16:38 Pivot to junk removal with a used U-Haul

17:23 Marketing to find junk removal customers

18:47 Juggling full-time job, school, and the business

19:16 Going all-in: quitting the call center

21:18 Mastering Google Ads during the winter slowdown

24:13 Fiverr gig: $5 ad setups and first Google Ads offers

29:50 First recurring fee client and realizing the value of recurring income

34:04 Hiring a VA to help scale, first team member

38:12 Upgrading to experienced VA from the Philippines (still with the company today)

42:48 Big milestones: $480 and $4,000 clients

48:56 Selling junk removal to focus on Google Ads

53:03 Using Facebook Ads to grow a community and generate leads

58:12 Stabilizing at $10,000/month and key learnings

01:00:19 Transition from freelancer to agency: hiring for client support

01:01:05 Evolving the offer and niching down (Kyle & Drew)

01:02:05 Drew: personal journey, early work experience, and discovering marketing

01:13:25 Early affiliate mistakes, quitting, outreach, first clients

01:25:41 Delivery challenges, COVID wins, joining AdLeg

01:33:47 Tragedy leads Drew to fully focus on AdLeg

The founders of Leadzolo, Kyle Sulerud and Drew Carrell, share their full journey of how they built their hybrid agency to over $25 million in revenue in four years. They pull back the curtain on the challenges of scaling an eight-figure digital agency, the simplicity of their model, and how they built a business that allows them to take time off and pursue the lifestyles they love, from traveling the world to running ultra marathons.

https://thatagencygroup.com

https://usejuiced.com

In this episode, we cover:

0:00 - Introduction: A $25 Million Agency Doing $1M/Month in Revenue

0:20 - Learning the Agency World the Hard Way (Warrior Forum Advice)

1:11 - Scaling from Freelancer to an 8-Figure Agency

2:10 - The Founders' North Dakota Trip and the Full Leadzolo Story

3:09 - The Problem with Masterminds and Courses Run by Non-Operators

4:33 - The Truth About Profitability and Revenue Peaks (Up to $1.7M in a Month)

5:10 - Why "Learning on Somebody Else's Dime" is a Huge Disservice

6:12 - Who This Show is For: From Freelancers to $1M/Month Agency Owners

7:11 - What to Expect: The Entire Agency Journey Mapped Out

8:33 - The Problem with Short Agency Podcasts and the Need for Deep Content

9:19 - Starting with the End in Mind: Our Hybrid Agency Model and Proprietary Software

10:40 - Our Promise: No Gatekeeping Content or Selling Information

11:59 - Engage With Us to Drive Future Episodes

12:53 - Join Our Free Agency Community: ThatAgencyGroup.com

14:55 - The Current Model: Simple, Not Complicated

15:46 - The Hybrid Agency Model Explained (Pay-Per-Lead vs. Retainer)

17:01 - How Our Software Monetizes More Leads and Solves Client Pain Points

19:45 - 16 Team Members Managing 450 Active Clients

20:18 - The Complexity of the Old Retainer-Only Agency Model (20 Clients with 16 Staff)

21:46 - Why Our Agency is Hands-Off and Automated

22:57 - The High Cost of Client Communication and Unnecessary Complexity

23:49 - Selling the Result: The Ultimate Benefit of Pay-Per-Lead

24:55 - Why We Don't Use SOPs for Intelligent Team Members

27:39 - The Guru's Take: "If you need SOPs, you have shitty team members"

28:10 - Tracking the Right KPIs (Including Hourly for $20k/Day Ad Spend)

30:00 - Hiring Problem-Solvers Over SOP-Followers

31:36 - Grant Cardone and Real-Time KPI Tracking

32:53 - Why We Run a Virtual Agency

34:39 - The Expense and Feasibility of an In-Person Office

35:08 - Drew's Traveling Lifestyle (8 Cities in 6 Weeks)

36:19 - Keynote Speaking and Live Lead Calls on Stage

42:19 - How Leadzolo Provided Drew's Dream Lifestyle

42:43 - Kyle's Lifestyle: Family Man, Running, and Backpacking in Minnesota

44:27 - Focusing on High-Level Projects and Not Talking to Clients

47:20 - Kyle's Passion: Building and Scaling an Agency

48:43 - Creating a Simple Business That Allows You to Do the Things You Love

50:33 - Next Episode: Starting as Freelancers