Becoming an agency CEO
At 17, Jonathan Leafe was on tour with a successful band—learning teamwork, resilience, and the power of consistency. Years later, he built a $3M digital agency with 40 people, doing everything from creative to project management—until one mentor told him:
“You’ve got to let go to grow.”
That advice changed everything.
He stepped back, trusted others, and focused on sales—the area where he could drive the most impact. Now, he's sharing how letting go, hiring based on values, and building a strong leadership team helped scale his business.
By 2017, Jonathan had grown his business to a team of 40, achieving a $3 million turnover focused on e-commerce, development, and digital marketing. Early on, he had to educate clients on digital marketing, likening it to PR but online. Starting as a one-person operation, he handled everything from creative work to project management, often juggling multiple roles. Over time, as the business grew, he began delegating responsibilities, bringing in experts better suited for specific tasks, which allowed the company to thrive.
A key turning point came from advice a mentor gave him: "You’ve got to let go to grow." Jonathan embraced this, relinquishing control of creative work, project management, and operations to focus on sales, which he considered critical. Letting go of tasks and trusting others became his formula for scaling the business successfully.
It's often much easier to hire individuals who already align with your values rather than bringing someone on board and trying to impose those values later. This is especially true in today's world of remote and hybrid work, where traditional office norms have evolved significantly.
To grow your business, building a strong leadership team is essential. This team will be the driving force behind your business’s progress, guiding it into the future and shaping its success. With the right people in leadership roles, you can scale your business from its current size to whatever heights you envision.
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