Summary

In this episode, Sean Lang sits down with Andrei Stoica, founder of Stoica, to explore the realities of building and running a digital agency. Andrei shares his journey from freelancing with his brother to scaling an agency serving global B2B tech clients. He opens up about the challenges of building trust as an Eastern European agency working with U.S. companies, the importance of honesty and focus in service offerings, and the personal transformation from freelancer to CEO. From leveraging referrals and free resources to building culture, setting boundaries with clients, and learning to accept help, Andrei highlights the lessons he’s learned in a decade of agency ownership.

Key Takeaways

• Building trust starts with giving value first, even before money changes hands.
  
  
• U.S. clients are often easier to work with but require overcoming cultural trust barriers.
  
  
• Eastern Europe has strong technical talent due to education systems and English fluency.
  
  
• Agency owners should focus on strengths instead of trying to do everything.
  
  
• Clients often ask for tactics, but agencies must redirect to strategy to avoid poor results.
  
  
• Higher-paying clients are often more committed and easier to satisfy.
  
  
• Saying "no" to bad-fit clients is critical for long-term sustainability.
  
  
• Shifting from freelancer to CEO requires mindset growth, not just tactical skills.
  
  
• Accepting mentorship, therapy, and help from others accelerates growth.
  
  
• Agency success isn’t just revenue, it’s building culture and partnerships.

Check out Oliver's agency here:

Stoica

https://www.agencyuplift.co/email

Agency Uplift - Free Stuff to Scale Your Agency:

https://www.agencyuplift.co/sop (I saved $20K/mo using this system)