In this episode of E-Coffee with Experts, our host Ranmay chats with Justin Cook, President of Internet Marketing & Development at 9thCo, to learn how he accidentally found his way into SEO, grew a small side hustle into a serious agency, and eventually became the go-to partner for some of the biggest names in business.

We get into the real stuff: what it takes to grow past that dreaded agency plateau, why chasing one-off projects isn’t sustainable, and how switching to a retainer model gave Justin’s team the breathing room to actually scale.

He also dives into the nitty-gritty of modern SEO, why he’s betting big on headless CMS and composable architecture, and how AI is speeding up development without cutting corners.

If you're running a marketing agency, scaling a team, or just deep into SEO and tech, this one’s packed with honest advice, real-world experience, and plenty of inspiration.

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In this episode, we discuss:

00:00 - 01:30: Introduction

01:30 - 03:40: From Side Hustle to Full-Time Agency

03:40 - 04:50: The Merger That Changed Everything

04:50 - 05:40: Challenges of Merging Agencies

05:40 - 06:50: Breaking the Growth Plateau with Retainers

06:50 - 08:10: Why They’re Going All-In on Headless CMS

08:10 - 10:40: AI’s Real Impact on Development

10:40 - 13:25: The Wild Fortune 500 Client Story

13:25 - 14:00: Reflections on That Career-Defining Win

14:00 - 15:12: Rapid Fire: Google Searches & Ice Hockey

15:12 - 15:32: Final Thoughts

https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincook/

https://www.9thco.com/

Website: https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digiwebsol

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dws_global/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-web-solutions.