In this episode, Lisa Paasche, Founder at EKTE Vision, breaks down the exact pivot she made in 2015 that transformed her agency from a low-margin link-building shop into a creative powerhouse landing coverage on BBC, The Guardian, CNN, and even The Tonight Show.
She shares why she made 40% of her team redundant to move forward, how she hired people with no industry experience on purpose, and what buyers like Omnicom are actually looking for when they acquire an agency.
Lisa and Austin also go deep on leadership, transparency, and what it really takes to build a team that stays. From open-book financials to involving staff in hiring decisions, Lisa’s approach to running a business is as unconventional as it is effective.
They also discuss the current AI opportunity in SEO, why Digital PR is more important than ever for LLM visibility, and the neuroscience behind why founders burn out and what to do about it.
Whether you are trying to grow your agency, prep for an exit, or just get out of your own way, this episode is packed with hard-won lessons from someone who has done it all, including a brief detour into stand-up comedy.
Book a free 1-hr session with Lisa Paasche: https://lisapaaschecoaching.youcanbook.me/
Takeaways:
- Shifting to creative Digital PR campaigns took Lisa's margin from 10% to 40%
- Making bold structural cuts is sometimes necessary before real growth begins
- Hiring for mindset and resilience outperforms hiring for experience
- Buyers want innovation, strong profits, and diversified client portfolios
- Radical financial transparency reduces team conflict and builds loyalty
- The AI era in SEO mirrors the early SEO opportunity of 2010
- Founders typically struggle from doing too much, not too little
- Calming your nervous system is the first step to solving business problems