In this episode of Marketing Agency Power Hour, Cal sits down with RJ Huebert, Founder of HBT Digital Consulting, to unpack what actually drives profitable growth for agencies and brands in today’s crowded marketplace.

RJ shares hard-earned insights on why most marketing underperforms, how weak positioning quietly kills conversions, and what it really takes to align brand, messaging, and customer psychology. The conversation dives into strategic clarity, the discipline of differentiation, and the leadership mindset required to build a brand that doesn’t just look good, but performs. If you’ve ever wondered why traffic doesn’t turn into revenue or why your message isn’t resonating the way it should, this episode delivers practical clarity and actionable insight.

Takeaways:

• Positioning Drives Performance: Marketing fails when positioning is vague. Clear differentiation and a defined value proposition are what turn attention into action and browsers into buyers.
• Clarity Beats Complexity: Overcomplicated messaging confuses customers and weakens trust. Simplifying your narrative and speaking directly to customer pain points dramatically increases conversion rates.
• Brand Is a Growth Lever, Not Decoration: Strong branding isn’t about aesthetics, it’s about building authority, consistency, and credibility that compounds over time.
• Alignment Between Strategy and Execution Matters: When brand, messaging, sales, and customer experience operate in silos, growth stalls. Integration creates momentum.
• Leadership Requires Strategic Discipline: The most successful founders and agency leaders make intentional decisions about who they serve, how they serve them, and what they refuse to do.
• Long-Term Growth Comes from Focus: Sustainable revenue doesn’t come from chasing trends, it comes from committing to a clear niche, refining messaging, and building systems that scale.

Connect with RJ:

• Twitter: https://x.com/rj_hbt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjhuebert/
• Website: https://hbtdigital.com

Ways to Tune In:

• Transistor: https://marketingagencypowerhour.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19ECltpQuJWu6rfXlx98wT
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/marketing-agency-power-hour/id1809205281
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/344bea8c-7897-4dfc-8cdc-f31a92514243
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-marketing-agency-power-hou-272863996/

Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-agency-power-hour-6067409

In this episode of Marketing Agency Power Hour, host Cal Wilder sits down with George Potts, agency leader and executive coach, to explore what it really means to lead with purpose while scaling teams, clients, and responsibility.

George shares thoughtful insights on how leadership changes as organizations grow, why self-awareness becomes more critical at scale, and how intentional leadership decisions shape culture, trust, and long-term performance. The conversation dives into personal growth, values-based leadership, navigating complexity, and the responsibility leaders carry as their influence expands.

Takeaways:

• Leadership must evolve as organizations scale. The skills and behaviors that work in early stages often break down as teams, complexity, and responsibility increase.
• Purpose becomes more critical during growth, not less. Clear values and intent help leaders and teams navigate uncertainty, change, and competing priorities.
• Self-awareness is a foundational leadership skill. Understanding personal blind spots, triggers, and strengths allows leaders to make better decisions at scale.
• Culture is shaped through everyday leadership actions. How leaders communicate, prioritize, and respond under pressure defines culture more than formal statements.
• Growth amplifies leadership gaps as much as strengths. Scaling exposes misalignment, unclear expectations, and weak systems that must be addressed early.
• Trust is built through consistency and clarity. Leaders earn trust by setting clear expectations and following through reliably over time.
• Sustainable success requires personal leadership growth. Organizations scale best when leaders intentionally develop alongside the business.

Connect with George:

• Twitter: https://x.com/GeorgePotts
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgewpotts/
• Website: http://www.fifthinfluence.com

Ways to Tune In:

• Transistor: https://marketingagencypowerhour.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19ECltpQuJWu6rfXlx98wT
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/marketing-agency-power-hour/id1809205281
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/344bea8c-7897-4dfc-8cdc-f31a92514243
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-marketing-agency-power-hou-272863996/

Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-agency-power-hour-6067409

In this episode of Marketing Agency Power Hour, host Cal Wilder sits down with James Colistra, branding expert and founder of Wonderfish, to break down why so much branding fails to deliver real business results and how agencies and founders can fix it.

James shares a candid look at the disconnect between aesthetics and performance, explaining why beautiful design without strategy rarely converts, how brand clarity impacts customer trust and revenue, and where agencies often miss the mark when positioning clients for growth. The conversation dives into aligning brand strategy with customer psychology, translating creative decisions into measurable outcomes, and building brands that scale beyond first impressions.

Takeaways:

• Branding must start with strategy, not aesthetics. Visual identity alone doesn’t create impact unless it’s grounded in clear positioning, audience understanding, and business objectives.
• Clarity drives conversion. Brands that clearly articulate who they serve, what problem they solve, and why they’re different remove friction and make buying decisions easier.
• Design should influence behavior, not just perception. Every creative choice should guide customer action, reinforce trust, and support measurable outcomes.
• Trying to appeal to everyone weakens resonance. Focused brands outperform broad ones by speaking directly to the needs and emotions of a defined audience.
• Agencies create real value when branding connects to revenue. The most effective branding work ties creative decisions back to growth, performance, and long-term business impact.
• Consistency compounds trust over time. Repeated, aligned messaging and visuals across every touchpoint strengthen recognition and credibility.
• Simplification is a competitive advantage. Strong brands eliminate excess, sharpen their message, and repeat it relentlessly to scale.

Connect with James:

• Twitter: https://x.com/jimjimma5?lang=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescolistra/
• Website: https://wonderfish.xyz/

Ways to Tune In:

• Transistor: https://marketingagencypowerhour.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19ECltpQuJWu6rfXlx98wT
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/marketing-agency-power-hour/id1809205281
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/344bea8c-7897-4dfc-8cdc-f31a92514243
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-marketing-agency-power-hou-272863996/
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-agency-power-hour-6067409