How to Start a Marketing Agency with a Full-Time Job

Jes Schroeder joins the Agency Journey podcast to share her experience starting a marketing agency - Ideas Factory - while still working a full-time job at Red Tomato in Australia. Her story offers practical advice for anyone considering the side-hustle-to-agency path.

Balancing Two Worlds

Jes launched Ideas Factory in Colombia while working remotely for Red Tomato in Australia. Managing two roles across different time zones required careful planning and honest communication. She emphasizes that the key to making this work is maintaining strong performance in your primary role so your employer has no reason to question your commitment.

The reality is that running a side agency while working full-time demands long hours and serious energy management. Jes is upfront about the toll this can take and stresses the importance of being realistic about what you can handle.

Transparency with Your Employer

One of the most important decisions Jes made was being transparent with her employer about her side business. Rather than hiding it, she had an open conversation about what she was building. Because her work at Red Tomato remained excellent, her employer was supportive.

This approach protects the relationship and removes the stress of keeping secrets. If your employer finds out about a side venture through someone else, trust is broken. Proactive transparency is always the better path.

Building the Right Team

Jes quickly learned that she could not do everything herself. By identifying her own strengths and skill gaps, she was able to bring on team members and contractors who complemented her abilities. This allowed Ideas Factory to take on more clients and deliver better work without burning out the founder.

Building a team also meant learning how to manage budgets and client profitability. Jes shares how she balanced margins with service quality, making sure clients received great work while the agency remained financially healthy.

Lessons for Aspiring Agency Owners

Jes recommends that anyone considering starting an agency while employed should invest time in understanding project management tools and workflows early. She used tools like Asana to keep both roles organized and ensure nothing slipped through the cracks. Starting with a clear process - even a simple one - makes it much easier to scale when the time comes to go full-time with the agency.