Most agency founders eventually hit the same quiet crossroads. 

The work is good, the clients are happy, and you’re far from “struggling.” But the pipeline isn’t behaving the way it used to. 

Deals feel slower. Opportunities feel thinner. You catch yourself refreshing your inbox like the universe owes you an apology.

A few moments usually give it away:
 • You see 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 and know they won’t get you to the next stage
 • You watch 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐩 𝐮𝐩 offering everything and blending you into the noise
 • You catch yourself 𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 just to keep the deal moving

Those forces hit at the same time. More competition, more noise, and fewer dependable paths to demand. 

If you don’t have a strong, deliberate way to create inbound or outbound interest, you end up relying on whatever comes your way. That’s when the ceiling appears. 

You know you can grow, but the path isn’t obvious anymore.


Most people think the answer is more tactics. 

More content, more channels, more anything. They want a shiny SOP. 

But tactics don’t fix the structural reason a pipeline thins out. 


The real issue is that 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 across the business. 

It’s not creating clarity. It’s not giving your buyer a reason to choose you. It’s not steering your team’s decisions. 

And without that, you stay dependent on luck.


This is where my work fits. And no, it’s not the part where I pretend there’s a magic template that fixes everything. 

I help agency founders rebuild the foundation so their business creates its own demand instead of waiting for it. 

Not by giving them a sexier tagline or a shinier message, but by tightening positioning in a way that touches everything: the audience you pursue, the problem you solve, the solution you deliver, and the systems your team runs without you hovering.


When it clicks, you feel it fast:
 • Your pipeline steadies because people finally understand why you’re the obvious choice 
 • Sales cycles shorten because your offer stops trying to be everything to everyone 
 • The business stops leaning on you for every decision and starts moving forward on its own


The Dynamic Agency OS is a coaching program that helps founders break out of dependency mode and build a business that stands on its own two feet. 

If you’re tired of gambling your growth on referrals and trying to differentiate in a saturated market, reach out. 

There’s a far cleaner way to build the next stage of your agency.

Chris DuBois

Our new site is live! 

I wanted to kick the year off with new branding because, well, I did the previous version myself. 

It worked fine for getting my business going, but it lacked character. It definitely didn't fully reflect me. 

This version is way closer to the mark. 

Huge shoutout to Chris LaFay from Classic City Consulting for the design and Niranjan Reddy's team at hermitcrabs: advanced HubSpot CMS development & design agency for the dev. 

There are still some pages that need to move over to the new design, and I need better pictures of myself, but I'm a fan of shipping. 

Happy Friday!

Helping marketing agencies gain control of their pipeline | Positioning + Marketing Engines for Sub-$1M Shops

To get more clients from LinkedIn, stop trying to find clients on LinkedIn.

Most agencies are using LinkedIn completely wrong.

They treat it like a discovery channel, pushing their offers and wondering why no one is buying.

Listen here, bucko:

LinkedIn is not a discovery channel; it's for trust-building.

People don't come here to find a solution to their problem. They go to Google, Reddit, or ask their peers.

Then, when someone says "you should check out [PERSON or COMPANY]," they check out your LinkedIn profile.

They scroll your feed to see if you know what you’re talking about. They look for value, for insights, for proof that you understand their world.

If you're only focused on selling, you're skipping the most important step.

Think of your go-to-market strategy in three stages:

Discovery: This happens on channels where people are actively searching for solutions.

Trust-Building: This is LinkedIn's job. Your content, comments, and conversations build credibility over time.

Conversion: This is the natural result of the trust you've built.


Stop trying to be discovered here.

Start creating the content people need to see to build trust.


Special note to the dissenters: Yes, people CAN find you on LinkedIn. And, yes, if you run ads or promote posts, you can bypass the algorithm.

I’m saying, based on how people normally use LinkedIn, it’s a trust-building channel where they follow people they know. Not where they go to find solutions.

#agencymarketing #agencyGTM

PS - This concept was thought and delivered by me in a client meeting, then turned into content by Gia.

Link below to check them out.

Definition of insanity:

Doing the same thing & expecting different results.

Don’t go crazy in 2026 hoping your marketing strategy (built on old advice, random hot takes & LinkedIn gurus) will deliver better results this year.

Instead, join me & 11 other speakers (who just started new roles as Speakers at this year’s DemandShift Summit) as we share the new perspectives you need in each of our specific areas of marketing.

You’ll walk away with the playbooks you need for key channels & tactics to make your 2026 marketing strategy deliver better results than last year.

No matter your team size or industry, I guarantee you’ll find a session (or 2) that will shift your thinking & help you build a better strategy for 2026.

Register for the free, 1-day virtual event right here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eSfqrqRM

Most agencies aren't doing enough.

Yeah, sucks up hear, but it's true.

The reason your campaign isn't making progress is that not enough people are seeing it.

I've got a friend publishing on LinkedIn, and I only see half of his content. 

AND I'VE HIT THE NOTIFICATION BELL.


One of my clients had a record-setting December.

That’s right, the quietest month of the year for nearly all B2B sales.

But here are the numbers that got them there:
1417 emails
322 personalized videos
500ish LinkedIn DMs

And that led to 24 sales calls and over $250k in new revenue.

Would everyone like the amount of required outreach to go down? Yes.

But, do we need the data from that outreach to know what to refine? Yes.

Too often, agencies fire off a LinkedIn post or send a handful of DMs, then wonder why nothing is happening.

I’m not a quantity-over-quality guy, but volume gives you data.

And that data informs your decisions.

Do we keep marketing on these channels?
Do we change the messaging?
Do we tweak the offer?

If you want to win in 2026, you need to ramp up your volume (without becoming spam).

And you need to keep selling. Even when delivery is busy. Keep selling.

Because sometimes, when you take your foot off the gas, the accelerator breaks.

#agencies #marketing

PS - Want some resources that could help? Join the Dynamic Agency Community, where we’ve got an ever-growing resource library for our members.

Most agencies are stuck in a weird loop.

You need more clients to grow, but more clients without better systems just means more chaos.

So you're constantly fixing fires instead of building something that actually works.

I'm speaking at the Scale Your Agency Summit (January 20-22, 2026) with about 20 other agency founders who've figured this out.

We're covering the two things that matter if you want to get off the referral treadmill:

Predictable sales: How to fill your calendar with qualified leads without begging for referrals or praying LinkedIn works this month.

Scalable systems: How to build a team and infrastructure that doesn't fall apart every time you take a day off.


I’m presenting on positioning to help you differentiate yourself from other agencies.

I’m partial to the topic.

Link to grab your free ticket is below.

'I always get annoyed when anybody calls me from a marketing agency.'

Exact words from a prospect to one of my clients.

We see so much junk in outreach on LinkedIn that I think everyone is put off by cold messages.

My advice: Don't defend your industry.

The temptation is to get defensive. To launch into your pitch about how you're "different."

DON'T.

That prospect doesn't trust the category of business you're in. You can't win their trust by defending it.

You have to join their side.

Here's the simple shift we worked on:

When you hear "I've had a bad experience..." 
    • Your Instinct: "Well, we're not like them. We do X, Y, and Z..." 
    • The Better Way: "I'm sorry to hear that. I've heard that a lot. Do you mind telling me what happened so I don't make the same mistakes?"

See the difference?

One is a sales pitch. The other is a conversation.

By asking them to share their story, you're not selling. You're listening. You're showing empathy. You're gathering intelligence on what they actually value.

You move from "annoying salesperson" to "potential ally."

And don’t just do it to sneak your pitch in. Do it because you’re learning what your target audience doesn’t like.

That’s sales gold.


Trust isn't built by telling people you're different. It's built by showing them. And it starts by listening.

Your positioning comes down to how people see you. If your outreach makes you sound like everyone, you're not doing it right. 

#agency #outreach

PS - This post was created from an actual client call by Gia AI. 

My thoughts. Gia’s assistance.

Most agencies get their positioning wrong. 

It's not your fault. 

It's that for some reason, people think "positioning" is as simple as changing the messaging on your site. 

"We help X with Y, without Z." 

That formula is great for the messaging component of your positioning, but it's only a piece. 

If your team isn't living out your company values...

If you're not making decisions based on your belief structure... 

If you're not holding a standard for the specific areas your customer cares about...

Then your positioning is wasted. 

Decide how you want to show up in the market and then live out the path that gets people to see you the way you want to be seen. 


If you want me to give you an honest break down your agency's positioning, shoot me a DM. No call required. 

#agency #positioning

PS - If you like the video, hit up Justin Vajko. He's the producer and nailed it.

Here’s a mindset shift that should be helpful for newer agencies. Maybe older ones, too.

You shouldn't be wondering if you can help someone.

You should be wondering if they have the problem you solve.

If you solve a specific problem, you get reps.
↳ The reps help you with pattern matching.
   ↳ The pattern matching helps you solve the problem faster.
      ↳ The faster you solve the problem, the more reps you can get.

When you ask, “Can I help them?” you start looking for any opportunity.

You’re finding any possible thing you can do, and then trying to sell that.

When you ask, “Do they have this problem?” you start looking to see if they have those symptoms.

You go into a first call in true discovery mode, not sales mode.

And when you’ve confirmed they’re actually in need of a solution, you can confidently offer yours.

That’s half the battle in sales. And you’ve won it, just by focusing your skills.

Offer a solution, not a service.

#agencies #problemmarketing

PS - Did you know I have a weekly newsletter where I talk about stuff like this and provide frameworks to get it done? Link is in the comments.

Gene Lee, LSSBB, CSM, ITIL SO, SAFe PO/PM, ex-PMP

Strategic, results-driven leader with 15+ years’ experience spearheading Ai strategy & transformation, enterprise PMO functions and product management in complex, fast-paced environments. I specialize in aligning people, process, and technology with strategic objectives to deliver business transformation, measurable growth, and major cost savings. My track record includes generating 75-700X new revenue multiples, saving $3.3M in annual overhead costs, and optimizing product and project lifecycles for organizations ranging from startups to global enterprises.

I excel at building and motivating cross-functional teams, establishing governance and prioritization frameworks, Ai-enabled tools like LeanAgileGPT.com to elevate productivity, and navigating the unique challenges of digital health, fintech, and SaaS. My leadership style emphasizes the lean agile 5C framework: Customer-Centricity, Continuous Improvement, Collaboration, Coordination, Communication, and empowerment—partnering with executives and stakeholders to ensure business objectives drive project outcomes, not just deliverables.

To scale enterprises, I also created the Strategic Growth Accelerator System (SGAS), and StratAlign.io which operationalizes the balanced scorecard for C-Suite executives, their functional heads, and their teams.

Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP, Scrum Master, SAFe Product Owner/Manager, ITIL practitioner, and Ai for Product Management, I'm passionate about leveraging Ai/ML, Agile, Scrum, and SAFe to unlock innovation, accelerate time-to-market, and achieve strategic objectives.

I’m energized by cultures that value transformation, challenge the status quo, and empower teams. Always open to conversations about AI strategy & transformation, PMO leadership, product strategy, and complex change initiatives—connect if you want to build something game-changing together.

AI Consultant and Chief Lean Agile Evangelist

•	Owns the vision, strategy, execution, customer experience, and end-to-end lifecycle management for all product development, project management, digital marketing, web and mobile design and end to end software development lifecycle from requirements definition, design, build, test, and deployment
•	Responsible for definition of non/functional requirements including Voice of the Customer, data capture & analysis, design of UI/UX interfaces, and solutions including AI and digital automations
•	Develop ChatBots for website and social media messaging platforms (fb, WhatsApp, IG, Telegram) for clients
•	Design and implement Voice AI robots that take messages, book appointments, sends URL links, and places orders

Gene Lee

🔍 Open to Referrals | Director / Senior Director of Product & Platform
Earlier this month, I launched GoD1Golf.com—a digital product I built from scratch to solve a real-world problem in junior golf: fragmented development, rising costs, parent–athlete conflict, and a lack of ownership by young athletes.
>> What mattered most to me wasn’t golf.
>> It was the product discipline behind the build.

GoD1Golf required the same skills I’ve applied for years in enterprise environments:
 • Identifying a real, underserved user problem
 • Translating messy human behavior into structured journeys
 • Designing accountability loops and measurable outcomes
 • Balancing multiple stakeholders with competing incentives
 • Shipping a usable product—not a slide deck

>> I owned the full lifecycle:
 👉 Problem discovery & positioning
 👉 Product vision, roadmap, and scope
 👉 UX flows and user journeys
 👉 MVP build and iteration
 👉 Go-to-market launch (Product Hunt, content, messaging)
That same approach is what I’ve brought to:
 • Consumer finance & fintech platforms
 • CRM, onboarding, and lifecycle systems
 • Regulated, compliance-heavy environments
 • AI-enabled automation and decisioning products

>> I’m now open to referrals for:
 🔹 Director / Senior Director of Product
 🔹 Platform, Digital, or SaaS Product Leadership roles
 🔹 Consumer, B2B, or B2B2C products
 🔹 Hybrid or Remote
If you’re a:
 • Hiring manager building a platform
 • Executive looking for a product leader who can execute
 • Recruiter working on senior product roles
 • Founder who values systems over chaos
…I’d appreciate an introduction or conversation.
Building GoD1Golf reinforced something I’ve believed my whole career:
>>Great products aren’t about features—they’re about clarity, ownership, and execution.
Thanks in advance for any referrals or intros 🙏

Happy to share more context or walk through the product.
#ProductLeadership #Hiring #OpenToWork #Referrals #DirectorOfProduct #SaaS #0to1 #BuiltFromScratch #PlatformStrategy #GoD1Golf

Grinding on the range isn’t the same as getting better.

If you don’t have a plan, you’re just hitting balls.

GoD1Golf gives junior golfers a D1-style training plan — mental, physical, and strategic — all in one place.

🏌️‍♂️ We just launched on Product Hunt!
👉 Check us out & show support here:
https://lnkd.in/eJ_gVW3b

#JuniorGolfer #GolfTraining #PracticeSmart #CollegeGolfDream #D1Golf #ProductHuntLaunch #GoD1Golf

Is there a golf course owner in Florida who's looking to sell?

If so, please connect and DM me.

#golfcourseforsale #golfcourseowner
#golfclubforsale

One simple test for strategic alignment:

Ask three leaders what the top priority is.

If you get three different answers, execution will suffer — no matter how good the teams are.

Fixing that gap is where real leadership shows up.

No alternative text description for this image

I didn’t write about strategic alignment to build a brand.
I built tools because I was tired of watching it fail in practice.

After years leading Product and PMO at the Director level, I kept seeing the same pattern:

• Clear strategy on paper
• Talented teams doing the work
• Full roadmaps
• And outcomes that never quite matched the intent

That gap — between strategy and execution — is where organizations quietly lose millions in wasted spend and productivity.

That’s why I:
	•	Wrote The Aligned Organization to codify what actually works
	•	Built StratAlign.io to turn executive strategy into executable priorities
	•	Co-created LeanAgileGPT.com to help Product and PM leaders operate at a higher level

This isn’t side-project work for me.
It’s the same problem I solve inside organizations as a hands-on Director of PMO & Product.

I’m currently exploring hybrid Director-level opportunities where alignment isn’t a buzzword — it’s a requirement for execution.

If you know a leader or organization struggling with strategic misalignment, stalled delivery, or roadmap chaos,
I’d appreciate an introduction or referral.

#opentowork #strategicmisalignment #strategicexecution
#productmanagement

🚀 LAUNCH DAY: GoD1Golf.com is Live on Product Hunt
📅 Monday, January 12, 2026 (Mark Your Calendar)
After weeks of building, testing, and refining—we officially launched GoD1Golf.com today on Product Hunt.

GoD1Golf was built to solve a real problem in junior golf:
❌ Fragmented coaching
❌ Rising costs
❌ Parent–golfer conflict
❌ Golfers not taking ownership of their development

Instead of another swing app, we built a development operating system that helps junior golfers:
✅ Take ownership of their game
✅ Train with structure and accountability
✅ Align parents and coaches—without conflict

The Monday, 1/12 launch is about more than golf.
It’s about better systems for youth development.
🙏 How you can support on 1/12
If you believe in:
• Ownership over micromanagement
• Systems over guesswork
• Athletes learning how to think, not just swing

Please take 30 seconds to:
👉 Upvote GoD1Golf on Product Hunt
👉 Leave a quick comment (it helps more than you think)
🔗 Launch link:
https://lnkd.in/eZdUXi7e

Your support helps visibility, momentum, and ultimately helps us reach more families who need a better way.

Thank you to everyone who supported the build—today we ship 🚀
#ProductHunt #LaunchDay #GoD1Golf #FounderJourney #SportsTech #JuniorGolf #BuiltInPublic #SaaSLaunch #YouthSports

Open article: GoD1Golf.com Launch: The All-In-One Golf Performance App for Junior Golfers | Product Hunt by producthunt.com

GoD1Golf.com Launch: The All-In-One Golf Performance App for Junior Golfers | Product Hunt

The roles I’m best at usually start like this:

“We’re behind. Priorities are unclear. Leadership alignment is messy.”

That’s where calm execution, clear governance, and real alignment matter most.

It’s also where I do my best work as a Director of PMO & Product.

Open to referrals for hybrid Director-level roles.

taplio

The Battle

Chris DuBois

Gene Lee

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreChris DuBois's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreGene Lee's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Chris DuBois

Gene Lee

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Chris DuBois's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreGene Lee's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreChris DuBois's LinkedIn Performance