Behind the Agency · Be a guest
Come tell the story behind your agency
Behind the Agency is an interview show for agency founders about what actually worked, what didn't, and what you'd do differently. It takes about an hour of your time across two calls. You leave with a full episode, plus clips and posts written for you to share.
It's a relaxed 30-minute call. Nothing on it is recorded for the show.
Why founders say yes
Most agency founders do very little of their own marketing
I hear the same thing on calls every week. The founder runs a marketing agency, or a dev shop, and does almost none of their own marketing. New clients come from referrals. The best work can't be shown, because it belongs to the client. And when they do sit down to post something, they're stuck on what to say.
An interview gets around all of that. You talk, I ask the questions, and you never have to write a word.
The stories come out the way you'd tell them to a friend over a beer. So you end up with an hour of your own thinking, in your own voice, that you can point people to for years. Prospects can watch it before a first call. Future hires can watch it before an interview.
So who's listening? Agency founders and leaders, plus the people around them: fractional executives, consultants, referral partners, and the clients who hire agencies. I'll be straight with you. This isn't a giant audience, and I won't pretend it is. But it's the room you'd want to be heard in, and the episode keeps working for you long after it airs.
What you get
About an hour of your time, and a lot to show for it
A full episode
On YouTube and on the Haus Advisors site, and streamed to LinkedIn.
Three to five clips
Short cuts from the conversation. They're yours to use anywhere you like.
A ready-to-post share kit
LinkedIn copy written in your voice, an email blurb for your list, and the best clip picked out for you.
Two calls, total
A 30-minute pre-interview and a one-hour recording. That's the whole ask.
Past guests
You'd be in good company
More than 70 founders and experts have been on the show. Here are three to start with.
Jason Hennessey
Hennessey Digital
$3M to $8M in one year, and what he stopped doing to get there.
Nick Damoulakis
Orases
26 years building Orases, and why he thinks AI is where the internet was in '94.
Joe Conway
Sold his dev shop for $24M
Now he's building the ops tool he wished he'd had while running it.
About the host
Who's asking the questions
I'm David Hoos. I run Haus Advisors, where I help agency founders build a new-business engine that runs without them.
I started Behind the Agency in 2024 and have talked with more than 70 founders and experts since. These conversations keep me sharp and keep my finger on the pulse of the agency space. I ask about the parts people usually skip, because that's where the useful stuff is.
How it works
Three steps, and none of them are homework
30 minutes
A pre-interview
We find the angle for your episode, and I get a feel for what you actually want to talk about. We also check your sound and picture while there's still time to fix anything. You'll pick a recording date at the end.
3 minutes
A short form
Your bio, a headshot, your links, and anything you'd like mentioned on air. The link comes to you by email after you book.
One hour
The recording
A few minutes of sound check, then 30 to 40 minutes of conversation. I always keep the time afterward to debrief. Please stay on when we stop recording, because it's usually the best part.
Who I'm looking for
Two kinds of guests
Agency founders and leaders
You have opinions about how this business works. And you'll share the parts that didn't go well, not just the highlight reel. The best episodes come from people who've thought about both.
Agency experts
You don't have to run an agency to belong here. Fractional executives and consultants fit, and so do the specialists founders hire. So do people who buy from agencies and can say what made them choose one. If you see patterns founders can't see from the inside, you're a fit.
What we'll talk about
The conversation follows the shape of your business
We'll cover who you serve and how you stand out, how you package and price the work, how you share what you know, the partners who send you business, and what you've stuck with or walked away from. It moves in roughly this order, so it builds instead of jumping around.
- How did you get started, and what did you think this business was going to be?
- When did it start working, and what was actually responsible?
- What was the first real ceiling you hit?
- When was the last time you were properly out, on a holiday or sick, and what did you come back to?
- What did you try, and what actually moved it?
- What are you still working on that isn't resolved yet?
Coming on as an expert? The same arc follows what you've seen across the agencies you work with, and we spend more time on the patterns you can see that they can't.
Common questions
The things guests usually ask
I'm not a natural on camera.
Is it live?
Can I talk about my business?
Do I need special equipment?
Is this a sales pitch in disguise?
Is anything off limits?
Where to listen
Have a listen before we talk
An episode or two will give you a feel for how the conversations go.
Book your pre-interview
Pick a time that works for you
We'll start with a relaxed 30-minute call. We'll find your angle there and pick a recording date together.
Already done the pre-interview? Book the recording.