THAT MOMENT - the secret to driving efficiency and growth. Presented by Supo.

Saying no to millions. Building something real instead - Alex Holliman, Climbing Trees & Oliver Zenglein, The Boutique Agency

Most agency founders never talk about the clients they turned down. The money they left on the table. The moment they realised that winning the pitch and living with the decision were two completely different things. Alex Holliman and Oliver Zenglein talk about it constantly. They met through agency networks - the kind of spaces where people go when they need to process things they can't say in normal business settings. They're both in performance marketing. They're both in different countries. And they're both building agencies that look radically different from what the industry expects. Alex spent his entire career in agencies. Three of the top five media agencies in London. A startup that grew to £25 million before he left. At 35, he thought: if I don't do this now, I work for someone else forever. So he started Climbing Trees 15 years ago. Performance marketing. SEO. Paid media. Ethical from the beginning, but it took him years to realise that ethics wasn't a marketing angle - it was the actual strategy. Oliver took a different route to the same place. He was a touring musician in a ska-reggae band for years. Then he joined windeln.de as CMO from the very start - watched it scale, watched it prepare for IPO, felt Goldman Sachs money change the pressure in the room. When he realised the IPO timeline wasn't compatible with having a family and staying sane, he left. Founded The Boutique Agency in Munich in 2015. Performance marketing. SEA. The same discipline, different country. What they discovered - independently, then together - is that turning away business is harder than taking it. Alex has turned down approximately £1 million worth of pitches over three years. Gambling clients. Fast fashion. Fossil fuel companies. Industries they didn't want to amplify. Oliver has a code of ethics that excludes entire sectors, regardless of financial pressure. About Supo: Supo provides people-first intelligence software for professional services firms, helping businesses maximize profit and motivate their people through powerful, AI-enabled business intelligence dashboards. By connecting over 500+ platforms and providing real-time data analysis, Supo helps firms make better data-driven decisions about their profit, projects, and people. For more information about Supo: ⁠ [https://www.supo.co.uk/]www.supo.co.uk [http://www.supo.co.uk/] About Climbing Trees: Climbing Trees is a performance ads and SEO agency based in Colchester, Essex, driven to ethically deliver results for companies that will shape the future world. Founded by Alex Holliman in 2010, Climbing Trees specialises in data-driven growth for B2B organisations, e-commerce brands, and purpose-led organisations including Greenpeace and Olympus Cameras. As a B Corp certified agency with the King's Award for Sustainable Business, Climbing Trees integrates sustainability into every decision - from who they work with to how they measure impact. Their methodology seamlessly combines performance discipline with ethical practice, proving that growth and good can coexist. For more information about Climbing Trees: www.climbingtrees.com [http://www.climbingtrees.com/] About The Boutique Agency: The Boutique Agency is an award-winning performance marketing agency based in Munich, founded by Oliver Zenglein in 2015. Specialising in SEA, SEO, and paid social, The Boutique Agency helps B2B, e-commerce, travel, and purpose-driven organisations achieve profitable and sustainable growth. With a team of over 40 specialists, The Boutique Agency is B Corp certified and operates with core values of passion, transparency, appreciation, and responsibility. They've established a code of ethics that guides which clients and industries they'll work with, demonstrating that performance marketing and purpose-driven business aren't mutually exclusive. For more information about The Boutique Agency: www.the-boutique-agency.de [http://www.the-boutique-agency.de/]

You either make money or make a difference. The lie everyone believes. - Clare Sweeney, Keepace Consulting

There's a lie we've all been told. You either make money or make a difference. Pick one. Clare Sweeney spent years living that false choice until she couldn't anymore. For years, Clare worked in commercial - CRM, FMCG, brand development. Senior Client Services Director. She was good at it. But in 2012, a friend's son was given a life-limiting diagnosis. Medical companies weren't interested. The disease didn't fit the commercial model. So Clare volunteered for a year to help set up a charity. That year changed everything. When she returned to agency, she couldn't feel the same way. She didn't care whether FMCG organizations were selling more products at inflated prices. She wanted impact. And she realised: the lie wasn't true. Profit and purpose aren't enemies. They multiply. Clare founded Keepace Consulting - a crossover practice connecting commercial skills with charity sector impact. She's proof the boundaries are artificial. That commercial marketing transforms how charities raise income. That partnerships between sectors don't compete - they compound. But here's what made the real difference: at age ten, Clare had a moment of clarity. She suddenly realised adults weren't operating from some higher plane of certainty. They were just big kids - still making it up and winging it every single day. No magic age where you suddenly know your stuff. Just people, improvising, doing their best. That insight removed the fear of not being qualified enough. It gave her permission to build something that didn't fit into either category neatly. This episode tackles the false choice keeping both sectors separated and struggling. It's about why commercial skills look different in a charity boardroom, not worse. Why efficiency isn't a dirty word in the not-for-profit space. Why connection, not loyalty, drives giving. About Supo: Supo provides people-first intelligence software for professional services firms, helping businesses maximize profit and motivate their people through powerful, AI-enabled business intelligence dashboards. By connecting over 500+ platforms and providing real-time data analysis, Supo helps firms make better data-driven decisions about their profit, projects, and people. For more information about Supo: ⁠ [https://www.supo.co.uk/]www.supo.co.uk [http://www.supo.co.uk/] About Keepace Consulting: Keepace Consulting is a cross-sector fundraising consultancy founded by Clare Sweeney. Specialising in connecting commercial expertise with charity and heritage sectors, Keepace works with organisations across culture, heritage, music and social impact to build sustainable income models that honour mission whilst respecting commercial discipline. With 25+ years spanning both worlds, Clare brings proven strategies in legacy fundraising and corporate partnerships. She lightens the load and adds passion and creativity to fundraising - her infectious energy and nurturing approach help fundraisers maximise their potential. Keepace exists to prove that profit and purpose multiply. For more information about Keepace Consulting: https://www.keepaceconsults.com/ [https://www.keepaceconsults.com/] Ready to discover why the choice between profit and purpose is a lie - and what happens when you stop believing it? This episode is about why the best work happens when sectors stop pretending they're enemies.

Product + personality. That's what wins pitches! - Lennon Kelly, M3

They pitched against ten other agencies for West Midlands Metro. They beat Midlands and national agencies for MG Motor UK. And they did it all from Shropshire and Birmingham. Lennon Kelly helped make that happen - and he had Coca-Cola, Unilever and Nokia on his CV when he chose to do it. Lennon Kelly is Client Services Director at M3, a West Midlands agency that's grown from £4 million to over £6.5 million, expanding to Manchester, Dubai, Cardiff and Bristol. But when Lennon joined in 2019, M3 was already punching above its weight with global brands like MG and Harley-Davidson on the roster. What he saw wasn't a regional limitation - he saw a unique proposition that others had missed. Most people assume you need to be in London to work at the highest level. Lennon spent his formative years proving that wrong. At 28, just a year into agency life, he was put in boardrooms with Unilever. He worked on Nokia's 2310 relaunch. He got exposure to GSK's medical research alongside Aquafresh campaigns. And Coca-Cola - the biggest brand in the world - taught him something he's never forgotten: the responsibility is huge, and it makes you push yourself. But here's what Lennon discovered working with those global brands: there's a lot of people in higher positions who fail upwards. You're a small part in a very big machine. You don't necessarily get the recognition. And whilst the fringe benefits were great - Premier League games, golf championships, seeing your work wrapped around his dad's Everton burger - he wanted to make more of a difference. So when M3 showed him their vision, he bet his career on it. Regional talent. World-class training from people who'd left London in their 30s for families and houses, bringing that expertise back to the Midlands. And a team that cared enough about hiring him to send what felt like a cast of thousands to the interview. The MG Motor UK pitch happened over Zoom during Covid. Lennon hates Zoom pitches - you don't get the one-on-one, you don't get the theatre. But they went big anyway. Two separate creative teams. Care packages sent to the client. Rehearsed to the hill. Paid campaigns targeting them with reinforcing messages. Product plus personality. And the feedback? "We could feel you in the room over Zoom." Now M3 is going through B Corp certification - a laborious process that's unpicked every seam of the business. But it's given them a platform for accelerated growth that wouldn't have been possible without changing the culture, not just the processes. The vision Lennon heard in those first few months? It's being realised. About Supo: Supo provides people-first intelligence software for professional services firms, helping businesses maximize profit and motivate their people through powerful, AI-enabled business intelligence dashboards. By connecting over 500+ platforms and providing real-time data analysis, Supo helps firms make better data-driven decisions about their profit, projects, and people. For more information about Supo: ⁠ [https://www.supo.co.uk/]www.supo.co.uk [http://www.supo.co.uk/] About M3: M3 is a fully integrated agency based in the West Midlands with offices in Manchester, Dubai, Cardiff and Bristol. Specialising in automotive, travel, leisure and tourism sectors, M3 has grown from £4 million to over £6.5 million by proving that regional location doesn't limit global ambition. With clients including MG Motor UK, West Midlands Metro, and Aston Villa, M3 combines world-class creative talent with the insight and connection that comes from being outside the London bubble. Currently pursuing B Corp certification, M3 is committed to sustainable growth, local communities, and building a culture where people can deliver their best work. For more information about M3: https://www.m3.agency/ [https://www.m3.agency/]

People trust people, not logos - Stef Lait, Sphere of Influence

Agencies spend millions on paid media every year, yet the most powerful channel they have often sits unused. Not a platform. Not an ad format. But the people at the top of the business. Founder-led and executive-led influence isn't about becoming a creator. It's about trust, credibility, and showing up where decisions are made. Stef Lait is Founding Director at Sphere of Influence, a human-first, insights-led B2B influencer marketing agency. She spent 10+ years working in PR, social media, and influencer marketing at OST before taking the plunge to launch her own practice. And in that decade, she watched influence shift from being a transactional relationship with external creators to something that comes from within - employee advocates, founder-led advocacy, people who represent the brand because they are the brand. But here's what Stef kept seeing: some agencies doing it brilliantly, founders building genuine trust and visibility. And many others ignoring the opportunity entirely, treating influence as something you outsource rather than something you embody. The Edelman Trust Barometer has shown for years that brand trust continues to diminish. Voices matter more. People don't trust logos. They trust people. They trust faces. So why aren't more agency founders stepping up? Stef asks the uncomfortable question: what are you afraid of? If you want your teams to step outside their comfort zones and take risks, you need to be willing to do the same. Lead by example. Get upfront. Especially in the beginning when you're not a well-known brand yet, having someone who is the face of your agency isn't optional - it's essential. This episode tackles the tension every agency leader faces: how do you build founder-led influence when it feels unnatural, uncomfortable, or simply not "who you are"? And what's the cost of staying invisible when business is happening in DMs, on LinkedIn, and in conversations you're not part of? About Supo: Supo provides people-first intelligence software for professional services firms, helping businesses maximise profit and motivate their people through powerful, AI-enabled business intelligence dashboards. By connecting over 500+ platforms and providing real-time data analysis, Supo helps firms make better data-driven decisions about their profit, projects, and people. For more information about Supo: ⁠www.supo.co.uk [https://www.supo.co.uk/] About Sphere of Influence: Sphere of Influence is a human-first, insights-led B2B influencer marketing agency. Born out of a love for meeting new people, collaboration, and making real, measurable impact for businesses, Sphere helps brands and agencies explore or scale their B2B influencer marketing efforts while managing risks. After 15+ years working both brand-side and agency-side in PR, social media, and influencer marketing, Stef Lait launched Sphere to solve the resource and budget challenges businesses face when exploring emerging marketing sectors. Whether you're dipping your toe in influencer waters or ready to scale your campaign, Sphere manages the entire process from beginning to end - strategically, authentically, and with measurable results. For more information about Sphere of Influence: https://www.sphereofinfluence.org/ [https://www.sphereofinfluence.org/] Ready to discover why the most powerful channel you have isn't a platform - it's you? This episode isn't about becoming a creator. It's about leading by example and showing up where trust is built.

"AI is not a technology challenge. It's a people challenge" - Jonathan Healey, IDHL

Some careers are built by starting companies. Others are built by staying, evolving, and taking responsibility when it matters. Jonathan Healey has led through acquisition, growth, and reinvention - and at each stage, his role has changed. This episode is about the moments that forced him to redefine himself. Jonathan Healey is Group Technology Director at IDHL, a role he stepped into after being MD for over a decade. But his journey started far from Yorkshire boardrooms. He began in South Africa during Y2K, driving 10,000 miles in seven weeks installing servers for a bank, trying to avoid millennium chaos. He worked on what was then the southern hemisphere's largest consumer portal - 2 million subscribers, 400,000 daily active mailboxes. Facebook didn't exist yet. Gmail didn't exist yet. And somehow, he ended up leading that dev team. Then in 2007, Jonathan and his wife made a decision that changed everything. They met some South Africans at a leadership conference in Germany who said they were moving to the UK to start a church. Jonathan and his wife thought: we'd love to do that. Five days in a bed and breakfast in York, suitcases in hand, starting their lives over. He was 28. They built a church community before he built a business. He joined an agency straight away - had to eat - and 18 years later, he's still with that organisation, though it's evolved and changed dramatically. There's a correlation between risk and faith that runs through Jonathan's story. Leaving security in South Africa to start a church in Yorkshire. Staying when the founder sold the business and becoming MD of a loss-making agency at 33. Stepping away from MD after a decade to focus on AI and technology strategy when most people would cling to the familiar role. Each moment required faith - not religious faith exclusively, but faith that the bigger goal, the bigger reward, the bigger outcome was worth the leap. Now as Group Technology Director, Jonathan leads technology strategy and AI innovation across IDHL. And his central conviction? The whole AI thing is not a technology challenge. It's a people challenge. Tools matter. But democratising knowledge, building culture, understanding that humans will use technology more than ever - that's what determines whether AI becomes opportunity or distraction. This episode tackles the uncomfortable question every agency leader faces: when do you stay and evolve, and when do you leave? And what does it cost to redefine yourself when you've spent years mastering one role? About Supo: Supo provides people-first intelligence software for professional services firms, helping businesses maximise profit and motivate their people through powerful, AI-enabled business intelligence dashboards. By connecting over 500+ platforms and providing real-time data analysis, Supo helps firms make better data-driven decisions about their profit, projects, and people. For more information about Supo: ⁠www.supo.co.uk [https://www.supo.co.uk/] About IDHL: IDHL partners with organisations where growth is complex and marketing carries real commercial weight. For 25 years, they've helped brands decide what to prioritise, where to invest, and how to connect demand, experience, and conversion into systems built for growth. Through IDHL Labs, their technology incubator, they test and apply AI and automation in real-world conditions - developing tools with clear guardrails so work becomes more efficient and performance improves in measurable ways. The focus stays on commercials and continuous improvement: results you can see, measure, and sustain. For more information about IDHL: https://www.idhlagency.com/ [https://www.idhlagency.com/]