Growing Your Agency with Ed Leake

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Aaron Young I've got the absolute pleasure of introducing Ed Leake . Ed, it's been a pleasure having you here. I'm saying that before you've said a word, so hopefully 20 minutes from now, I’ll still have the same opinion, which I’m sure I will. So, why don’t you let us know a little bit about who you are and what you do?

Ed Leake: Quick intro, I’m Ed Leake. I’ve been in the industry since late 2010. I run an agency, a software product, a training product, and I have Agency Forge, my agency mentoring community. Most people know me because of God Tier Ads, my framework. I’m 41, and I live in Scotland in the UK, on the side of a mountain.

Aaron Young: I ran a quick poll on my channel about how much digital agencies and freelancers earn. It came back that 78% earn less than $5,000 a month. I believe you have some amazing teaching around your agency, Agency Forge. Let’s talk about why traditional ad agencies are dying or why most freelancers and agencies never reach sustainable success.

Ed Leake: Where do you start with that question? There are two key components: lifestyle versus entrepreneurial. You mentioned that 75% earn less than 5k a month, which is okay if your long-term goal is to make enough to pay yourself 60 or 100 grand a year. That’s perfectly fine. But the entrepreneurial path is about building a business, hiring people, and putting a process in place. People get stuck not knowing which way to go.

Aaron Young: Right.

Ed Leake: And sitting in the lifestyle component, freelancing sounds less risky. The entrepreneurial path means hiring people, which isn’t for everyone. If you’re on the lifestyle path, typically you’re doing the work. In contrast, the entrepreneurial path involves building a business where others do the work. It’s a big step and can be quite risky.

Aaron Young: My editor will make us look at least five years younger in this video.

Ed Leake: Great, he’ll have to get rid of all of me! I often say traditional agencies are dying, which is a bit hyperbolic but true. Ad platforms are automating us away, and AI is getting better at stripping out tasks that were previously managed by people. If you’re just pushing buttons, you won’t have much to do soon. I made this mistake with my agency. We were too broad, saying we were Google Ads specialists, but there’s nothing special about that. Now, you need to niche down and control more than just ads to become integral to a business.

Aaron Young: Yeah.

Ed Leake: We should talk about more than just Google Ads but other components like e-commerce and lead generation that make you essential to your client’s business. It’s not just about doing one thing; it’s about having multiple specializations that drive the best outcomes.

Aaron Young: One thing I’d like to pick up on is personality. A lot of people see ideas from different experts and think, “That’s the way to do it.” But it’s really about what you enjoy and what you’re best at. I got into Google Ads because we started our own business and couldn’t afford an agency. So, when I pitched to clients, I always spoke about the real-world results.

Ed Leake: Absolutely. You don’t have to do YouTube like Aaron and me. You can still be super specialized and successful as a freelancer without hiring anyone. It’s all about being honest with yourself about your risk appetite and what kind of work you enjoy doing.

Aaron Young: That’s right. You need to decide if you enjoy "being on the tools" or growing a business, those are two very different paths that dictate who you hire and what kind of clients you attract.

Ed Leake: Exactly.

Aaron Young: Let’s talk about freelancers trying to sign more clients. What strategies would you recommend? Should they niche down, use freelancing sites, or do cold outreach?

Ed Leake: Here’s a practical solution I got from Mike Jones , a LinkedIn guru. Treat your LinkedIn profile like a landing page. Your profile should call out a specific pain point and direct visitors to one action. Everything should align—your profile image, banner, job postings, and featured section—all pointing to a call to action that addresses a pain point. It’s not about talking to everyone; it’s about talking to a specific audience and providing something valuable like a white paper, case study, or checklist.

Aaron Young: That’s great. My first clients were other villa resorts because we were getting a 50% direct booking rate through Google Ads, compared to the industry average of 15%. That success led to referrals and eventually allowed us to branch out into other industries. You start niche and let success open doors.

Ed Leake: Exactly. People worry about being specific, but the world’s a big place. Being specific simplifies things, allowing you to really tailor your approach and build expertise in a particular industry.

Aaron Young: Yeah.

Ed Leake: And you don’t have to limit yourself. You can expand later, but initially, get specific. Clients will choose you because you’re speaking directly to them, not just as a generalist Google Ads manager.

Aaron Young: Right.

Ed Leake: I always say, what can we say that no one else can say? Instead of “we’re the best,” use specific stats like “we reduced acquisition costs by 57%.” It’s more credible and powerful.

Aaron Young: Totally agree. Let’s talk about workflows. As a freelancer growing your business, what workflows did you put in place to keep your sanity?

Ed Leake: I don’t overwork accounts. Early on, I felt like I had to constantly tweak things, but clients don’t care about the change history; they care about results. I use a simple tool—Addie Volvo—but you can do it in a spreadsheet. Track spend, KPIs, and account health with a traffic light system. If the account is doing well, leave it alone.

Aaron Young: Exactly. Google Ads has great dashboards now; you can do a three-minute check and see if things are tracking well.

Ed Leake: Yes, exactly. Simplify and prioritize based on performance, not gut feeling. And be honest with clients; if things are working, no need to mess with them constantly.

Aaron Young: How did you build authority with clients, especially when you weren’t making changes in the account?

Ed Leake: If a client is checking the account, something’s wrong. It usually means they’re not seeing enough leads or sales, so you need to up your game. Beyond Google Ads, you should manage landing pages, lead quality, offline conversions, and more. You need to be integral to their business, not just a Google Ads manager.

Aaron Young: Got it.

Ed Leake: If a client is micromanaging you, they’re not a good fit. Set boundaries and find the right clients who trust your expertise.

Aaron Young: Let’s shift to intermediate freelancers considering moving to an agency setup. What advice do you have on quality control when hiring?

Ed Leake: Hiring is difficult. I’ve made mistakes too, but one thing that helps is using simple tools like speed reports—a quick update on what’s good, what’s bad, and what’s being done about it. It keeps communication open without micromanaging. An operations dashboard can also help track key metrics, communication, and client sentiment at a glance.

Aaron Young: So you’re creating a clear process for them to follow and ensuring they understand the client relationship aspect as well.

Ed Leake: Yes, exactly. If you’re hiring someone experienced, you don’t micromanage, but you set clear expectations on how you do things. If they’re less experienced, be prepared to train them and have the right support systems in place.

Aaron Young: That’s a great point.

Ed Leake: Your first hire should be someone who can genuinely take work off your plate, not just a cheap junior who needs hand-holding. Save and invest in someone who adds real value to your operations.

Aaron Young: Final question: the last two years have been disruptive with AI, automation, and regulations. How are you adapting to these changes?

Ed Leake: Nobody knows what the future holds. AI isn’t good enough yet to replace us entirely, but it’s great for simple tasks like generating ad copy or automating reports. Don’t let the long-term unknowns consume you. Focus on staying adaptable and outsourcing specialized tasks like tracking and compliance to experts if you can. It’s all about leveraging tools and expertise to maintain your edge.

Aaron Young: That’s great advice. Thanks for joining us, Ed. All your details will be in the description below for anyone interested in Agency Forge or learning more about what you do.

Ed Leake: Thanks, Aaron. It’s been a pleasure.

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