20 Years, 20 Lessons: How a Leap of Faith Built a Professional Services Growth Firm

I started RSW/US in 2005 with no clients, three young children, and a love of marketing, and sales.

Today we are the #1 outsourced new business firm in the country.

I’ve learned a lot over the years…about running a business, about myself, and about the value of great employees and clients.

Here are 20 insights I’ve gleaned from the past 20 years that might prove of help/value to you.

Thanks to all our clients, our employees, and my family for making this one great ride!

20 Years, 20 Lessons: How a Leap of Faith Built a Professional Services Growth Firm

1. Sometimes you just have to go for it and hope for the best

I believed in this business when I started it 20 years ago.

I had three young kids and figured if it didn’t work out, I could always find my way into another job.

Here I am, 20 years later with a 32, 30, and 27 year “child”. If you believe in it, you have to go for it!

2. Thought leadership built this business before thought leadership was a thing.

I always was and still am a huge proponent of “giving it away”.

If you’re afraid to give away your ideas, no one will see you and you’ll go nowhere.

And if you don’t create valued content, you’ll just look like everyone else.

20 years ago, nobody was doing much of anything in the world of value-added content. We were trailblazers and we didn’t even know it!

3. Good guys may not finish first, but they don’t have to finish last.

I’m a big believer in treating people the same way you’d want to be treated.

And I am not interested in steamrolling my way to the top.

I think employees, clients, and prospects all recognize that. I may not be in first place, but I’m certainly not in last.

4. Sticking true to our values shields us from much of the noise.

We have a very solid set of Core Values that we live by every day at RSW/US.

There’s a lot of garbage out there in the marketplace, and a lot of people that run amuck with over-promises and false claims.

The high-road has always been the best road for us.

5. History repeats. First there was Flat Iron. Today it’s (name your AI platform).

When I first started RSW I felt like I was competing with a bunch of used car salespeople.

Flat Iron, a NY-based firm, hired ex-actors because they sounded good on the phone.

Today, it’s all the same. Still feels like the used car world I encountered in 2005…only difference is it’s not actors, it’s AI.

6. There are definable buckets. personality profile 101 for agency owners.

Over the years, I have seen that while every leadership team is different, personalities often fall into a few familiar categories:

• High energy and sales engaged

• Barely paying attention and needing constant reminders

• Hard-nosed and always questioning

• Passive and always needing a push

It keeps things interesting and challenging, that’s for sure.

7. Persistence, politeness, and potpourri are the keys to success.

Yelling, telling, and selling doesn’t work these days.

Our people have to be polite, persistent, and they need to use a wide range of platforms to succeed in breaking through to the prospects our clients want to meet with.

It isn’t easy anymore and one-trick ponies (e.g., email-only or LinkedIn-only) aren’t the way to go.

We have to hit prospects in as many places as we can.

8. When the walls go up, the team has to respond.

The world we operate in has changed a lot over the last 20 years.

Back then, you could pick up the phone or send an email and not worry much about filters, blocks, or crowded inboxes.

Investing in the business has been the best way to stay ahead of the curve.

Not being tied to one platform or one tool, and staying flexible, has proven to be the smartest approach.

9. Balance, calm, and a recognition that you can only control so much, brings peace.

Being a small business owner in a changing economy can feel like a constant roller coaster.

If I let everything worry me, I would not last very long.

I will admit that my faith grounds me and keeps me focused. It helps smooth out the bumps and keep things in perspective.

10. Business books can bring value. I wish I wasn’t so proud two decades ago.

I used to think I didn’t need peer groups or outside input.

Looking back, I wish I had opened myself up to more outside perspective earlier.

Today, our team is going through a structured operating system process, and getting out of my own head has been both liberating and energizing for the business.

11. Mentors come in many forms, but you need them

While I never had formal CEO groups early on, I did have business friends who acted as mentors.

Most people who start small businesses face similar challenges. Having someone to talk things through with matters, even if that someone is just one person.

Find that person and use that sounding board.

12. Surrounding yourself with great people makes all the difference

Finding great, loyal talent is not easy. But when you do, it changes everything.

Smart, dedicated, fun, and hardworking people make the workday better and the business stronger.

13. Move faster on tough people decisions

In the early days, I held on to underperformers for too long.

I believe in second chances. But I have learned that if the second chance does not work, the third or fourth probably will not either.

If a change is needed, make the change.

14. Proactive outreach still works, despite what the platforms say

Despite what many claim, proactive outreach still works.

The key is blending calls, emails, and some limited social outreach.

Another key is being polite and persistent, not aggressive.

15. Direct mail still works

We have used direct mail as part of our outreach mix for many years.

It’s still a very effective way to enter a prospect’s world in a less cluttered environment.

We continue to see real meetings come from it, and prospects often remember the piece when we connect with them later.

16. Email can work when it is done well

Email works when it is managed with intention and discipline.

That means smart messaging, reasonable frequency, relevant content, and strong list hygiene.

When email is treated as a system and not a blast tool, it can be a very effective part of business development.

17. The phone is still incredibly powerful

The majority of the meetings we set still come from phone outreach.

When it is used correctly and combined with other channels, the phone remains one of the most direct and effective ways to start real conversations with decision makers.

18. This has been a roller coaster of love

Despite the ups and downs of running RSW/US, I genuinely love the work and the people we do it with.

Our team and our clients are what make all of this worth it.

19. I would not trade it for anything

As much of a risk as it was to start this business, the experience has been incredible.

The freedom, the friendships, the support of my family, and the opportunities along the way have made the last 20 years more rewarding than I ever expected.

20. It is not about reinventing. It is about evolving

Looking ahead, I know we have to keep evolving and staying a step ahead for our employees and our clients.

We do not need to reinvent everything.

We do need to pay close attention to changes in the market and the opportunities they create, and stay ahead of them.

Thanks for 20 great years. Here’s to the next 20.