How to Grow an Agency with a Smart YouTube Strategy, an Owner Mindset, and Intentional Leadership
Key Takeaways
- Build a YouTube channel around a specific niche where your expertise intersects with what your ideal clients are searching for
- Use tools like TubeBuddy for keyword research and maintain an AirTable database of content ideas to stay organized and consistent
- Dual-purpose your video content - use it for SEO traffic from new audiences and as educational material for existing clients
- Make the deliberate shift from identifying as a skilled marketer to thinking and operating as a business owner
- Invest in systems, processes, and templates that allow your team to execute without your constant involvement
- Decide early what type of leader you want to be and seek coaching or peer support to grow into that role
- Read 'Built to Sell' and build your agency with long-term value in mind, even if an exit is not the immediate plan
Gray MacKenzie sits down with Ali Schwanke, founder and CEO of Simple Strat, a Diamond HubSpot Solutions Partner and premium B2B content marketing agency. Ali is also the creator of HubSpot Hacks, the number-one unofficial YouTube channel for HubSpot tutorials with over 20,000 subscribers. In this conversation, they explore how Ali built a YouTube channel that drives her agency’s entire pipeline, the mindset shift from skilled marketer to effective business owner, and why intentional leadership matters more than most agency founders realize.
Building the HubSpot Hacks YouTube Channel
Ali launched Simple Strat in 2016, and the HubSpot Hacks YouTube channel grew out of a failed experiment. She had tried running a local HubSpot user group but struggled to get traction. Rather than give up on the concept, she decided to test creating video content instead - starting with simple Loom screen recordings that answered common HubSpot questions.
Early attempts used generic tags around “Midwest” and “marketing” that went nowhere. The breakthrough came when Ali started optimizing for the specific search terms her ideal clients were actually typing into YouTube. She adopted TubeBuddy for keyword research and began maintaining an AirTable database to organize content ideas, track performance, and plan future videos.
Once the channel started gaining traction, Ali doubled down. She invested in production quality, built out an editing team, and committed to publishing one video per week after a six-month ramp-up period. The channel now serves a dual purpose - it drives organic traffic from people searching for HubSpot help, and it functions as an educational resource for existing clients. For example, a video like “Five Things to Set Up Your HubSpot Portal” gets used in post-consultation workflows, reducing the team’s support burden while reinforcing Simple Strat’s authority.
From Marketer to Owner
One of the most candid parts of the conversation is Ali’s reflection on the identity shift required to go from being a great marketer to being a great agency owner. She describes a moment where she realized that her instinct to solve every problem personally was actually limiting the business. The skills that made her a strong individual contributor - jumping in, fixing things, having all the answers - were the same habits holding her team back from growing.
The shift involved investing in systems, processes, and standardized workflows that let the team execute independently. Ali built templates, brought on editing support, and deliberately stepped back from daily production decisions. The goal was to create an agency that could function and grow without her constant involvement in the work.
Ali is transparent that this is an ongoing process, not a one-time decision. She describes herself as idea-driven and people-driven, which means she has to actively manage her tendency to overwhelm the team with new initiatives. Learning to filter ideas through a strategic lens - rather than acting on every inspiration - has been one of the biggest growth areas for her as a leader.
Intentional Leadership Style
Ali makes a point that agency founders should decide what type of leader they want to be early and then build support around that decision. Different leaders bring different strengths - some are technical, some are charismatic, some are capital-driven. Knowing your type helps you hire for your gaps and avoid the frustration of trying to be something you are not.
She credits peer groups and coaching as essential resources for navigating this transition. Having other founders who understand the specific challenges of running an agency provides perspective that no amount of reading can replace.
Long-Term Vision and Building Value
Ali has read “Built to Sell” by John Warrillow twice and thinks about her agency through the lens of long-term value creation. She has set a seven-year timeline before reassessing the agency’s direction - whether that leads to a product spin-off, an acquisition, or private equity involvement. In the meantime, her focus is on building a brand and a business model that creates value for clients and team members, not just the owner.
Simple Strat’s approach validates itself in an unusual way - their clients consistently say that the way they found Simple Strat is the way they want their own customers to find them. The agency practices what it preaches, and that credibility gap closes faster than any pitch deck could.
Resources Mentioned
- Ali Schwanke on LinkedIn - Founder and CEO of Simple Strat
- Simple Strat - Diamond HubSpot Solutions Partner
- HubSpot Hacks YouTube Channel - The #1 unofficial HubSpot tutorial channel
- TubeBuddy - YouTube keyword research and optimization
- “Built to Sell” by John Warrillow
- “Work Less, Earn More” by Karl Sakas
- “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman