See links in the bio for newsletter and substack content on organic eCommerce growth.

My career began at a startup SEO agency, where I was the first in-house employee and helped scale it to a team of 10 (as much as a graduate can help, that is). The agency expanded its services too rapidly with an undersized team, which led to its decline. I gained exposure to various digital marketing channels, including managing the paid account for our second-largest client.

This agency was sold to another agency. Here, I learned the importance of connecting all elements of SEO into an overall strategy. I also saw firsthand how toxic culture and poor leadership can cause an agency to fail—an experience that shaped my career. The agency's reputation was so damaged that it had to rebrand. However, I met my current business partner, Antonio, during this time (Although we only worked together for about 6–8 months, he stuck around like a pungent smell you can't un-smell). Five years later, this agency's ethics were called into question when they directly copied our NOVOS proposition (I know!).

MADE.com
I moved in-house to MADE.com during its peak growth period. As the sole SEO managing all five markets, I inherited a declining channel after a failed A/B test on a major product category. Over two years, I generated over £20 million in non-brand growth. I also supported MADE through what was, at the time, the largest headless migration in Europe (as far as I’m aware).

Despite this success, I was offered only a £1,500 pay rise. After speaking with all the leading SEO agencies at the time, I knew there was a gap in the SEO market for this niche eCom knowledge.

NOVOS
After a failed attempt at launching a men's accessories website, Antonio and I pivoted to statement.digital. In March 2019 we rebranded to NOVOS and hired our first employee. By the end of this first year, NOVOS had grown to a team of 8. The following year, we doubled to 16, and the year after that, we reached 40.

In early 2022, Antonio and I sold NOVOS to our staff through an Employee Ownership model.

The Living House
In 2023, I invested in The Living House, an interior design studio. I own 20% and support the business's marketing and operations.

NOVOS 2.0
At the beginning of 2024, we launched NOVOS 2.0—a new strategy and direction for the agency. We're still focused on eCommerce but leaning more into our "Organic" expertise. The eCommerce industry is far too focused on short-term paid media for growth, and this is a problem we're aiming to solve with NOVOS 2.0.

If you have made it this far, well done

Samuel Hurley

Spencer Potesta

Psychotherapist, Company Builder, Author | Founder of Potesta Holdings Corporation & Social Capital Foundation

My background is in clinical and organizational psychology, dedicating time to psychotherapy for patients with severe anxiety and trauma disorders, while building and partnering with organizations in organizational psychology. The tools I use in therapy mirror those that help executives and organizations excel.

In psychotherapy, I run a private practice as a double-board certified psychotherapist in Illinois, offering specialized, evidence-based care for severe anxiety (like OCD) and trauma disorders (including dissociation). I dedicate a select few days per week to this transformative, client-centered work.

As CEO of Midsommer.org, I address clinical pain points—like limited access, high costs, and fragmentation—leading a pioneering mental health organization. We build a clinician-led holistic care model, revolutionizing psychotherapy with self-managing teams, comprehensive services, and ethical, insurance-based practices for affordability across states and specialties. We empower ethical clinicians to own teams as directors and co-owners (typically 10-12 grouped by region/specialty), creating sustainable foundations, better business outcomes, higher clinician satisfaction through collaboration, and dedicated client care. Achieved via aligned incentives and lock-step partnerships—not franchising—this forms a constellation of high-powered, human-centered teams. This bridges my passions of organizational psychology & psychotherapy, empowering resilience and impact for clinicians and clients.

In organizational psychology, I operate Social Capital Holdings, consulting Fortune 500/1000 firms on efficiency and performance. Now, I focus on engaged partnerships in businesses like Midsommer and others, strengthening systems, leadership, and operations.

While devoting time to psychotherapy a few days weekly and advancing ventures, my deepest passion is Social Capital Foundation. As President of this 501(c)(3) healthcare endowment, I tackle generational health needs, leveraging my success to innovate solutions benefiting practitioners and clients. We streamline operations to keep 100% of donations intact, supporting healthcare individuals and organizations.

Founder & Principal

Focused on scaling and rebuilding organizations

Service Lines:
-Organizational Consulting (Organizational Effectiveness & Development)
-Advising for startup organizations
-Turning around failing or distressed businesses
-Support Midsized to Largesized organizations becoming more effective and performative 
-Executive Coaching

*Coming 2023 the PPC Leader Academy focusing on providing straightforward ways for high performing leaders to increase performance and effectiveness. Academy is based on Psychotherapy & Organizational Psychology principles to help leaders break through internal and external barriers of success.

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The Battle

Samuel Hurley

Spencer R. Potesta

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