How to Grow a Full-Service Agency Using Pod-Based Teams with Jesse Resnick

Jesse Resnick, co-founder of Ei Digital, joins Agency Journey to break down how he has built and scaled a full-service digital agency. Jesse shares his philosophy on pod-based team structures, the intersection of brand and performance marketing, financial discipline through accrual accounting, and why nurturing talent is one of the highest-leverage investments an agency leader can make.

The Pod-Based Agency Model

One of the defining features of Ei Digital’s approach is organizing teams into pods - small, cross-functional groups that own a client relationship end to end. Rather than passing work through a chain of departments (strategy to design to development to QA), a pod contains all the disciplines needed to deliver results for a client.

This structure reduces handoff friction, speeds up feedback loops, and gives each team member a clearer sense of ownership. When a new client comes on board, they are matched with a pod rather than scattered across the org chart. The pod gets to know the client’s business deeply, which leads to better strategic recommendations and faster execution.

Jesse notes that the pod model also makes scaling more predictable. When capacity fills up, you build another pod. Each pod operates semi-independently, so adding capacity does not introduce the coordination tax that traditional departmental structures create.

Where Brand and Performance Marketing Converge

Jesse sees a meaningful shift happening in the industry: brand marketing and performance marketing are no longer separate conversations. Clients increasingly want agencies that can think about long-term brand building and short-term acquisition in the same breath.

At Ei Digital, this means combining creative storytelling with data-driven media buying. The team thinks about how brand perception influences conversion rates and how performance data can inform brand strategy. Agencies that stay siloed in one discipline or the other are leaving value on the table - and leaving the door open for competitors who can connect both sides.

For agency owners evaluating their service mix, Jesse recommends looking at where brand and performance overlap in your current client work. Even if you specialize in one area, understanding the other gives you a more complete picture of how your work impacts business outcomes.

Financial Discipline and Accrual Accounting

One of the more tactical takeaways from the conversation is Jesse’s emphasis on accrual accounting. Many agencies run on cash-based accounting, which can mask profitability issues. Revenue shows up when invoices are paid, not when work is delivered, which creates a distorted view of how the business is actually performing.

Switching to accrual accounting means recognizing revenue and expenses when they are incurred, not when cash changes hands. This gives agency leaders a more accurate, real-time picture of margins, project profitability, and overall financial health. Jesse recommends tracking a handful of key metrics on a weekly basis - including revenue recognized, costs incurred, and EBITDA - so that trends are visible before they become problems.

The discipline of reviewing numbers weekly, rather than monthly or quarterly, forces better decision-making. If a project is running over budget, you see it in week two rather than after the invoice goes out. If a team is underutilized, the data tells you before it hits the bottom line.

Nurturing Talent as a Growth Strategy

Jesse is a strong advocate for developing people internally rather than defaulting to external hiring for every new capability. Building talent from within creates loyalty, preserves institutional knowledge, and often produces better results than bringing in someone who needs months to learn the business.

This means investing in mentorship, giving team members stretch assignments, and creating clear growth paths. When people see a future at the agency, retention improves - and retention is one of the most underrated drivers of profitability in the services business. Every departure costs time, money, and client continuity.

Jesse references Ray Dalio’s “Principles” as an influence on how he thinks about building teams and culture. The core idea is radical transparency - being honest about strengths, weaknesses, and expectations so that everyone can grow.

Resources Mentioned

• Jesse Resnick on LinkedIn
• Ei Digital - Jesse’s full-service digital agency
• “Principles” by Ray Dalio - Recommended reading on building teams and culture