Michael Maximoff co-founded Belkins, a $15M/year appointment-setting agency that’s grown into one of the most efficient and well-run ops in the space. Alongside the agency, Michael also helped launch Folderly, a SaaS product born out of Belkins' internal needs.In this episode, Michael shares why retention is the real growth lever for agencies, how to build a comp structure that drives accountability, and why the dream of 50% profit margins is mostly a myth. He also breaks down what most agency founders get wrong when trying to launch a product and what he'd do differently today.Topics we cover in this episode:- Why retention and not acquisition, is what actually scales agencies- How to structure account manager compensation for maximum LTV- Why smaller agencies struggle more with client churn- The myth of 50% profit margins—and what’s realistic instead- Building a calm, profitable agency vs. chasing top-line growth- What to know before launching a SaaS product from your agency- Why your internal tools might be your best product idea- How to think about equity, ownership, and hiring a “#2” earlyTopics that we are covering in this episode:- The biggest growth levers behind scaling to $3M ARR- How Frank dominated LinkedIn to drive early traction- Why founder-led marketing works—but why it isn’t enough long-term- How AI agents and automation are reshaping outbound sales- Why Salesforge launched multiple products in parallel instead of a single brand- The playbook for building an ecosystem of SaaS tools- Scaling from 3 founders to 40 employees in 12 months- The right way to transition from founder-led growth to scalable marketingPerfect for:- Agency founders looking to improve retention and margins- Entrepreneurs considering the leap from services to software- SaaS builders who want to avoid common product spin-out mistakes- Operators thinking long-term about structure, incentives, and scaleDon't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!Connect with Michael:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff/- Belkins: https://belkins.io/- From Zero to Agency Hero Newsletter: https://www.fromzerotoagencyhero.com/Connect with me:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/ - Website: https://www.project33.io/ - Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH Chapters00:00 Introduction and Michael’s Background01:10 Why Retention is the #1 Metric for Agencies03:00 The Revenue-Sharing Model for Account Managers06:15 Aligning Incentives with Client Success08:30 Building an Ownership Culture in Account Management11:10 Setting North Star Metrics and Client KPIs14:00 The Myth of 50% Profit Margins16:30 Why Small Agencies Struggle with Churn20:00 How to Build a Calm, Profitable Agency23:00 Scaling from $1M to $5M: The Key Levers26:00 Finding and Growing Your #2 Operator28:00 What to Know Before Spinning Out a SaaS Product31:00 The Mistake Most Founders Make When Building Products33:00 Building Tools Your Agency Can’t Live Without35:00 Why Most SaaS Companies Don’t Make Real Money36:30 Final Thoughts and Michael’s Newsletter#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #contentmarketing #growthstrategy

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