Why This Founder Never Pitched, Never Networked - And Still Built a Marketing Agency

Описание: Adam Stewart, founder of Waves the Agency, joins Focus on Founders for a brutally honest conversation about what it really takes to build a marketing agency - without pitching, cold outreach, or traditional networking.

Adam didn’t set out to start a business. He fell into social media at 17, built relationships before he understood their value, and quietly created an agency powered by collaboration, community, and trust - not funnels or sales scripts.

In this episode, Adam breaks down the parts of agency life most founders don’t talk about.

We cover:
Why Adam removed his own name from his agency - and why it was necessary
How Waves grew without ever pitching a single client
Why most networking events feel empty (and what actually works instead)
The hidden downside of personal-brand-led businesses
Why founders struggle to say no and when it finally becomes possible
The biggest mistake brands make on social media: posting without community
Why time freedom, not money, is the real end goal
How collaboration replaced competition in Adam’s business model

You’ll also hear how:
Early freelance work with media brands shaped his entire career
COVID accelerated the agency faster than any strategy ever could
One relationship changed the trajectory of Waves almost overnight
Most founders massively underestimate the long-term value of genuine connections

🎧 Focus on Founders goes beyond surface-level success - exploring how businesses actually work behind the scenes.

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Guest: Adam Stewart - Founder, Waves the Agency
Host: Matthew Adams

With thanks to our podcast sponsor: dussl.

dussl is a Glasgow-based skincare brand built around high-performing, multi-tasking products, with a core focus on what makes the biggest difference to our skin health: UV protection. This is simplified skincare for all. Minimal effort. Maximum results. dussl’s Founder, Fraser, is also part of the Focus on Founders community.

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