#92: How He Built a 7-Figure Agency With Nothing but LinkedIn and Then Burned It Down
When I started the Agency Up With podcast, my goal was to go past the highlight reel and dig into what actually builds a strong agency: clear foundations, better decisions, and the courage to scale on purpose. One of the most fascinating conversations I’ve had recently was with Justin Oberman, founder of Oberman & Partners, whose journey is a masterclass in rebuilding from scratch and discovering counterintuitive paths to growth.
Justin isn’t your typical agency founder. He blends advertising expertise, direct response mastery, and personal branding in ways most agency owners overlook. But the most compelling lesson isn’t his resume, it’s how he navigated failure, leveraged self publicity, and built a profitable business without chasing conventional “growth hacks.”
The Cost of Following the Playbook
Justin’s story starts in familiar territory: he was working at a traditional ad agency when COVID struck, abruptly halting his career trajectory. Faced with uncertainty and a tough personal ultimatum from his wife, he decided to start his own agency in the middle of the pandemic. He began with LinkedIn as his sole marketing channel, writing and sharing insights daily, without strategy or expectation. Within a short time, he amassed a following of 10,000 people and landed his first clients all through authenticity and consistent public presence.
The key takeaway here is that most agency owners overcomplicate growth. We chase networking events, conferences, brand consultants, or social media formulas. Justin’s path demonstrates that action + visibility = opportunity, even in turbulent times.
From Burnout to a New Direction
After three years, the agency hit seven figures, producing TV commercials and full campaigns. But Justin burned out. The business operations, client demands, and relentless content cycle weren’t sustainable. Here’s where the counterintuitive lesson comes in: instead of doubling down or selling more services, he shut down the agency entirely.
This pause allowed him to pivot into a completely different model, ghostwriting and self publicity for executives. Instead of chasing traditional marketing channels, he helped clients craft attention grabbing narratives, leveraging showmanship, storytelling, and human psychology to attract opportunities naturally.
The Power of Self Publicity
One of the most provocative lessons from Justin is that personal branding alone is not enough. It’s not about curated content or perfect brand pillars, it’s about self publicizing yourself. Justin uses a Hollywood era publicist philosophy: create stunts, manufacture news, and build a “garden that attracts butterflies” instead of chasing them.
For agency owners, this translates into a few actionable ideas:
Start building in public: Share your opinions, lessons, and experiments consistently.
Focus on your “domains of genius”: Identify your passions, your revenue-generating skills, and your personal development interests. Let these intersect in unique ways.
Leverage showmanship: Small, consistent signals like a signature visual element or phrase can make you memorable.
Community over algorithm: Collaborate with peers, cross promote, and engage authentically to create loyal followers.
Experiment relentlessly: Test ideas in public, measure impact, and iterate. Your personal brand emerges from what works, not from a planning session.
Philosophy Meets Marketing
What sets Justin apart is the intellectual rigor he brings to the craft. He views advertising and personal branding through a philosophical lens, applying lessons from Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, and Marshall McLuhan to guide his clients. His approach teaches agency owners that strategy isn’t only about tactics, it’s about thinking differently, understanding human behavior, and using that insight to create influence.
For example, Justin’s newsletter initially called The Unforgettable Newsletter evolved into Ober Thinking, where he explores philosophy, AI, and advertising. This thought leadership doesn’t just attract clients; it positions him as a curator of ideas, building authority organically.
Step by Step Framework for Agency Owners
Here’s how I’ve distilled Justin’s insights into a practical workflow for agency growth:
Audit Your Current Story: Identify your current narrative, your agency, your work, your struggles, and your wins.
Define Your Domains of Genius: List 3–5 areas where you excel, are passionate, or are improving yourself.
Build Public Content Around That Story: Share opinions, experiments, and lessons learned. Don’t worry about perfection.
Create Memorable Signals: Develop signature elements (visuals, catchphrases, formats) that make your content recognizable.
Engage With a Community: Connect with peers, clients, and influencers. Amplify each other’s content to build authentic visibility.
Iterate and Refine: Track responses, adjust, and evolve the story over time. Let your brand emerge naturally.
Leverage Showmanship for Influence: Craft stunts, announcements, or campaigns that attract attention without relying on paid media alone.
The Takeaway
The ultimate lesson from Justin’s journey is this: agency growth isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing differently. Build visibility, craft influence, and let self publicity do the heavy lifting. Your story, executed with consistency and creativity, becomes the engine for both credibility and revenue.
For agency owners stuck in the grind of service delivery and formulaic content, this approach is a game changer. It’s a reminder that sometimes the best path forward is the one you create yourself, rooted in your genius, your philosophy, and your willingness to put yourself in the public eye.
If you want to go deeper, you can run the full version at agencyuplift.co/mini.Even if you never book a call, the clarity alone is worth it.
