How We Scaled Past $1M Without a Strong Sales Team (Using a Strategic Podcast)
I’m going to walk you through the exact system my previous agency built that scaled us past $1M revenue with a very weak (some might argue non-existent) sales team. Spoiler alert: we did it with a podcast. But not just any podcast. I'm going to show you what made our podcast different from the majority out there, including maybe the one you're running at your agency.
The Strategic Podcast Framework
This is about creating a strategic podcast. No fancy production, just scrappy and consistent. We interviewed people directly in our niche and turned those conversations into long relationships, referrals, and ultimately deals.
Let me tell you, this isn't just an idea. This is something we did and continue to do. And it works.
Our Agency Story: From Unfocused to $3M in Attributed Revenue
We started our agency (Upgrowth Commerce) in 2018. Jordan West and I didn't have a playbook. We didn't really know what to do, so we just started producing content. Posts on Instagram, the odd LinkedIn piece, occasional YouTube videos. There was no real strategy, no cohesion. We were just creating content for anyone with a pulse, and we weren't niched down as an agency.
Looking back, starting our podcast was definitely a key lever to our success. We launched it in 2019 without any real strategy. We just knew we needed content and thought a podcast would be an episodic content machine that would always create content for us.
The Early Days: Unfocused and Broad
We called our podcast "Secrets to Scaling." Super broad. At first, it was Jordan and me just riffing on marketing tips for small businesses. The content was really unfocused.
When we started bringing on guests, we invited basically anyone with a business. Our very first guest? The former owner of the NHL team, the Vancouver Canucks. Why? We honestly didn't know. We just thought it would be cool. It was a cool way to start a podcast, but the opportunity was wasted because we didn't have a strategy.
The Pivot That Changed Everything
Then COVID happened. We realized all our thriving clients were direct-to-consumer brands. So we niched down to DTC brands, and we thought we should probably niche the podcast down too.
We pivoted from "Secrets to Scaling" to "Secrets to Scaling Your E-commerce Brand." Suddenly we had consistent focus on who we were talking to and what we were talking about. We moved to a single host model (Jordan) to make content more consistent and committed to three episodes per week.
The Results Were Incredible
Our sales team (ineffective as they were) highlighted that the podcast was the golden goose. It was always feeding them warm leads. We realized our outreach strategy wasn't to sell people anything but to bring them on the podcast.
The podcast built deep relationships with Jordan, the founder and host. This made it much easier for our sales team to introduce and close deals afterward because there was already a relationship built. It was a built-in lead warmer that worked incredibly well.
That first year after we pivoted, we doubled revenue as a result. The sales team wasn't doing the selling. The podcast was selling everything.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Here's the breakdown of our podcast success:
Started in 2019, still going today
Over 600 episodes produced
Nearly 1 million listens (but these are niche listens from our ICP only)
Roughly $3M+ attributed through guests, referrals from guests, or sponsorship deals
Built tremendous authority for Jordan in the DTC marketing space
Our current agency, Social Commerce Club, works with nine and ten-figure brands. I fully believe this wouldn't have been possible without the podcast elevating us to that level.
Beyond direct revenue, it drove:
Pre-qualified leads
Website traffic
Referrals
Newsletter signups
Webinar attendees
Top-tier agency talent (people listened before applying)
Your Strategic Podcast Framework
If you're thinking about doing this for your agency, here's exactly how to start:
1. Start Scrappy, Think Strategic
This is not about being Joe Rogan or Chris Williamson. We're focused on building strategic relationships with people who can become clients, partners, or power referrers.
Golden Rule: If they're not your ICP, you're not inviting them on the podcast. Every single episode should be content your ICP wants to listen to.
We're not going for high numbers of downloads. We're going for relevance and specificity. This podcast is for building relationships with your ICP, both one-to-one in interviews and with your listeners.
2. Define Your Foundation
First, clarify your podcast purpose. Don't worry about gear or specifics yet. Start with why:
Why are we starting this podcast?
Who is our audience? (Your ICP, not everyone)
What's the purpose? (Go deep with your ICP, build relationships)
You should already know your ICP as an agency, so tailor your podcast to them:
What do they complain about?
What are they aspiring to?
What resonates with them?
What are their values, viewpoints, and frustrations?
Make your goal clear. Is it to nurture your audience? Build authority? Generate leads? The answer can be all of it. A strategically set up and run podcast will do all of these things.
3. Make It Real and Relevant
Pick a relevant name: Don't go clever, go clear. My podcast is "Agency Uplift" because it's for agencies looking to level up. Our previous podcast was "Secrets to Scaling Your E-commerce Brand" because it called out e-commerce brands directly. If you're not an e-commerce brand, you probably won't think it's interesting. That's the point. We want to filter that out.
Center around pain points: Your podcast should be centered around topics directly connected to your ICP's pain points and aspirations. Don't talk about anything else. Don't talk about things they don't care about. You want them hooked.
4. Create Your Format and Schedule
Predefined format: I stick with 30-minute interviews and shorter solo authority-building episodes (like this one) that are 15-20 minutes. Keep them snackable and super tactical. Let's call them "snack-tical." (That was a dumb joke and I regret nothing.)
Consistent cadence: Minimum one episode per week, but ideal momentum is two or more. When we looked at our engagement and lead flow, it always increased when we went from two to three episodes per week. Shocking, right? More volume equals more engaged audience.
5. Launch Smart
Front-load 10 episodes: Pre-record 10 episodes before launch. People want to binge. If they hear one episode and it's good, they want more. If they check and find more content, they'll become much more endeared to your podcast. They'll create habits around it and add it to their Spotify favorites.
How many times have you looked for another episode only to realize the creators only did three episodes back in 2022? There's a graveyard of podcasts out there. Don't contribute to it.
6. Master Your Outreach
Your podcast will be kept alive by your ICP. They're listening, but they're not necessarily listening to you. They're listening to themselves and other ICPs you're inviting onto the podcast.
Start with relationships:
Current clients and existing relationships for easy conversations upfront
Past clients (if the relationship ended well) to reconnect and potentially reopen opportunities
Power referral partners who know lots of people in your space
Ask referral partners: "I'm starting a podcast specifically for [ICP]. Can you connect me with five to 10 [ICPs] you know who would be great guests?"
7. Keep the Tech Simple
Don't focus too much on tech and infrastructure. Start dead simple:
Recording: I use Riverside (super easy with AI editing tools)
Hosting: Buzzsprout (syndicates to all platforms with dynamic content insertion)
Music: Use royalty-free catalogs or generate with AI (I'm a professional musician and I used AI because I didn't want friction)
You can run this three ways:
Solo: Handle everything yourself (outreach, interviews, editing, posting, follow-ups)
You + Assistant: You host and handle relationships, they handle outreach, booking, editing, and posting
You + Assistant + Sales: Once your process is solid, add sales staff for outreach and nurturing while you focus on building trust and relationships
This Is All You Need
Everything I've covered is literally all you need to start your strategic podcast. I've given you the step-by-step process and ground rules. This is the same framework I coach agencies on to start their own strategic podcasts.
The bottom line? A strategic podcast focused on your ICP can transform your agency. It worked for us, and it can work for you too.