The Growth Equation – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Too many business owners treat marketing as a last-minute afterthought, but my guest today, Anna Kennedy, is here to change that. As the Founder and Creative Director of Kennedy Studio, Anna is obsessed with driving bold ideas into the world without the "smoke and mirrors" often found in the agency world. In this episode, we talk about the reality of scaling an external marketing team and the discipline required to maintain a lean, high-performing operation. Anna shares her 18+ years of insights into PR and creative strategy, explaining why she values being "in the trenches" with her clients. We explore the transition from founder to CEO, the importance of financial forecasting, and why Anna believes in being part of the client’s journey rather than just a vendor. You'll learn why "if you build it, they will come" is a dangerous myth and how to strategise for long-term success. It’s a conversation about focus, energy, and making marketing actually worth it.

Meet Anna Kennedy Founder and Creative Director Anna Kennedy saw a massive gap in the market: too many agencies full of buzzwords and bloated promises... and not enough that actually cared. Anna started Kennedy Studio to change that. To be the kind of team she wished more businesses had access to: hands-on, ego-free, and obsessed with making brands thrive. With 18+ years in sales, marketing, PR and creative strategy, Anna brings both the experience and the energy to drive bold ideas into the world—with a team beside her that brings them to life. No smoke. No mirrors. Just a woman on a mission to make marketing feel easy, exciting and actually worth it.

Connect with Anna:

• Kennedy Studio Website: kennedystudio.au
• Connect with Anna on LinkedIn: Anna Kennedy
• Follow Kennedy Studio on Instagram: @kennedystudio

I’ve been in the business game for a long time, but my chat with Matt Remphrey from Parallax was a masterclass in the "niche paradox." Matt has steered his creative agency through 24 years of evolution, but the real magic happened when he stopped trying to be everything to everyone. In this episode, we dive deep into how Parallax pivoted from a generalist branding studio to a specialist powerhouse in the wine and drinks industry. Matt shares how narrowing his focus actually allowed him to expand his services—moving beyond labels into brand strategy, e-commerce, and trade activations.

We tackle the big fear most entrepreneurs have: that niching down closes doors. Matt proves the opposite is true, explaining how deep sector expertise unlocks higher-value clients and bigger budgets that generalists simply can’t access. We also discuss the practicalities of longevity, from navigating 25 years of economic cycles through geographic diversification to using AI as a "first draft" tool for research and tenders. Whether you're feeling the "fear of saying no" or looking to stay relevant in a shifting market, Matt’s journey offers a blueprint for building a resilient, expert-led business.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

✅ How niching into the wine industry transformed Parallax from a generalist shop to a strategic partner.

✅ Why specialization simplifies client acquisition and reduces competition.

✅ Practical strategies for navigating economic downturns through geographic expansion.

✅ How to integrate AI to shortcut research and creative processes without losing quality.

✅Lessons in leadership: managing team motivations and staying relevant over two decades.

Connect with Matt:

• Website: www.parallaxdesign.com.au
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parallaxdesign
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/building-drinks-brands

This episode of The Growth Equation features Simon John Phillips, a true veteran who has been building Shopify brands since 2011. Working across the full e-commerce spectrum as a brand owner, agency operator, coach, 3PL founder, and fractional exec, Simon has spent 14 years inside the evolution of social-driven e-com. That experience now powers The Ecommerce Accelerator 5.0, a real-time operating system for brands serious about scaling.

Despite his deep expertise, Simon shares a powerful and honest story about the realities of entrepreneurship. His experience moves from early success in e-commerce to the hard reality of hitting rock bottom, then finding renewed focus and direction through the support of true mentorship and a clearer mindset.

Simon openly describes the challenges he faced, including the emotional impact of failure and how important it is to learn how to recover. He explores how second chances come from a genuine willingness to reflect, learn, and rebuild. The conversation highlights why having the right mentors—people who understand both business struggles and personal challenges—is crucial in staying grounded during difficult times.

The conversation goes beyond business mechanics to explore themes of personal growth, resilience, and honesty when facing setbacks. Simon also discusses his business approach with The E-Commerce Accelerator and how that reflects his commitment to transparency and meaningful work.

Simon’s story isn't just about hope. It’s about resilience. It provides the realistic insight and clarity you need to stop spinning your wheels and start moving forward.

Connect with Simon John Phillips

Facebook: facebook.com/simonjohnphillips

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjpnz/

Company Website: https://www.theecommerceaccelerator.com

IG: @simonjohnphillips

TikTok – @simonjohnphillips

Website: https://www.theecommerceaccelerator.com/

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Evolve To Grow: https://m.mtrbio.com/evolve-to-grow 

This episode of The Growth Equation features Chris Hogan, founder of MeMedia Marketing Agency, reflecting on over two decades of experience in the marketing industry. Chris shares a candid account of the realities that come with building and growing a business—ranging from the excitement of successful projects to the tough challenges of mental health struggles and burnout. He stresses the significance of focus in business, famously saying, “you can’t ride two horses with one ass,” highlighting the importance of clarity and prioritising what truly matters to avoid spreading yourself too thin.

Chris opens up about the difficult periods marked by overwork and feelings of being stuck in “infinite loops,” and how he found small but meaningful sparks of progress that helped him regain momentum and stay committed. The conversation explores the vital role that culture and purpose play as the true foundation for effective business strategy, rather than just being buzzwords.

He also shares practical insights on technology choices, particularly his preference for Shopify over WordPress when it comes to serious e-commerce growth. Furthermore, Chris discusses the origins of Wecom, a venture born from decades of hands-on experience in e-commerce and conversion optimisation.

This episode offers authentic and grounded reflections for entrepreneurs and small business owners. It provides valuable perspectives on resilience, the power of focus, and how aligning culture and values with business goals can lead to sustainable growth over time. It’s a refreshing and insightful listen for anyone navigating the complexities of business ownership.

Connect with Chris Hogan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishoges/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrishoges

Company Website: https://www.memedia.com.au/our-agency 

Chris Hogan’s Company Socials

https://www.instagram.com/wecomm.au/

https://www.facebook.com/wecomm.au

https://www.youtube.com/c/MeMediaAu

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Evolve To Grow: https://m.mtrbio.com/evolve-to-grow 

Connect with Lex Stanley:

Website: https://vastly.com.au 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vastlydigital

Instagram: https://instagram.com/vastlydigital

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Evolve To Grow: https://m.mtrbio.com/evolve-to-grow 

In this insightful episode, Tristan engages with Adrian Stewart, co-founder of Scale Messaging, to explore his entrepreneurial journey—from freelancing in Berlin to building a company that significantly enhances e-commerce conversion rates. Adrian shares the challenges and triumphs of growing a business from the ground up, emphasising the importance of strategic planning, adaptability, and understanding human behaviour in an ever-evolving digital landscape. As co-founder of Scale Messaging, a CRO agency specialising in elevating conversions through precise, customer-centric messaging, Adrian helps companies cut through noise, clarify their value, and create experiences that convert. Outside of work, he writes and makes music, fuelled by a deep interest in storytelling and the psychological forces behind why people do what they do.

Adrian discusses the complexities of managing a remote team spread across various time zones, emphasizing the need for effective communication and robust processes. He shares his experiences in leveraging AI to drive business growth, offering a glimpse into the future of e-commerce and the potential of technology to transform industries. The dialogue underscores the critical role of financial planning in sustaining business operations and achieving long-term success.

Beyond business, the episode touches on personal growth through travel and the pursuit of freedom and flexibility in life. Adrian reflects on how his global experiences have shaped his perspective and contributed to his professional development. The conversation is a testament to the power of embracing change and the value of aligning business goals with personal aspirations, offering listeners valuable insights into balancing work and life in a meaningful way.

Connect with Adrian Stewart:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianjstewart/ 

Website: www.scalemessaging.com 

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Evolve To Grow: https://m.mtrbio.com/evolve-to-grow 

Andrew Hatfield built Deepstar Strategic after 30 years across Dell, Red Hat, NetApp, and Portworx—moving from infrastructure engineering to product marketing. He's helped clients achieve 289% ARR growth and Fortune 500 exits by connecting Market-Product-Model-Channel fit.

In this episode, we cut through the GTM noise. Andrew breaks down why most B2B tech companies are stuck in feature-factory mode and how to shift to strategic maturity. We explore value-based outcomes over vanity ARR metrics, how lean remote teams can move fast without losing discipline, and why aligning product, marketing, and sales isn't optional—it's the difference between sustainable growth and quarterly chaos.

We cover practical diagnostics for bottlenecks, running experiments that actually test new GTM moves, and why leadership conviction matters when everyone else is chasing trends. For Australian SaaS and tech services businesses, this is about building defensible advantages and smart resource allocation—not trying to outspend Silicon Valley.

Connect with Andrew Hatfield

Company Website: https://www.deepstarstrategic.com/

LinkedIn @andrewhatfield and @deepstarstrategic

X @andrewhatfield and @deepstarstrat

Instagram @andrewhatfield

Facebook @hatfielda

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Evolve To Grow: https://m.mtrbio.com/evolve-to-grow 

This week on The Growth Equation, I caught up with Josh Berg from Hedgehog Marketing for a really down-to-earth conversation about what it’s actually like to run a marketing business these days. Josh shares the ups and downs of starting out with his sister, juggling a growing team when they were barely out of their twenties, and what happened when the fast growth train started to hit some bumps.

What’s refreshing about this chat is hearing how Josh moved away from the typical agency model to something more hands-on, where they work alongside businesses to help them get their own marketing sorted. It wasn’t an easy switch, and he talks openly about the fears and doubts around narrowing their focus, but it’s what’s helped them find solid ground.

We also talk about how clever use of AI and automation helps a small team get a lot done without the stress and scramble of making everything manual. And if you stick around, you’ll hear Josh’s hilarious story of how a $1.24 website idea turned into thousands of dollars worth of Uber Eats credit — pretty clever and a bit cheeky.

If you’re running a small business and want to get smarter at marketing without turning your life upside down, you’ll get plenty from this episode.

Connect with Josh Berg (Director at Hedgehog)

Company Website: https://www.hedgehogmarketing.com.au/team-members/josh-berg 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshberg1?originalSubdomain=au

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Evolve To Grow: https://m.mtrbio.com/evolve-to-grow 

Richard Chalmers from Tailored SEO brings a candid perspective on growing a digital agency far from the big-city marketing hubs. The journey started in music, swapped guitars for business books, and continued through agency roles and a pivotal move to Tasmania. With few marketing jobs available locally, Richard carved a niche—first as a side project, then as a full-time commitment when old options faded. Building Tailored SEO was never a straight line; setbacks like the COVID lockdown turned uncertainty into unexpected opportunity, showing that small teams can thrive with the right attitude and a willingness to experiment.

The episode explores time in established agencies, the importance of learning on the job, and how real specialisation emerged by necessity—responding to a market lacking digital talent and industry jobs. Staff training at Tailored SEO focuses on character and ambition over technical skills, creating a workplace where growth means developing people before processes. Listeners get practical stories about onboarding in high-speed bursts, shifting the agency brand to match new services, and using hands-on experiments to work out what SEO tactics really deliver. Brand awareness, AI, and automation all feature in the chat, along with lessons from risky digital experiments involving AI-generated content and keyword domains. The ups and downs—legal headaches, accounting costs, founder nerves, and the challenge of letting go—show up throughout, proving that learning, adapting, and embracing failure are essential for progress.

Richard recommends a multi-channel marketing approach and urges business owners to connect with peers, invest in practical education, and avoid the temptation to do everything alone. Supporting staff, trusting the process, and embracing experimentation set the stage for real, sustainable results. Free strategy sessions and more practical resources are available at tailoredseo.com.au, plus plenty of fresh updates across Tailored SEO’s social channels. For anyone chasing long-term growth, the episode is a window into the evolving landscape of Australian digital marketing and the mindset needed to make it work.

Connect with Richard Chalmers

Company Website: https://tailoredseo.com.au/our-team/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-chalmers/?originalSubdomain=au

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Evolve To Grow: https://m.mtrbio.com/evolve-to-grow 

In this episode, I have a fascinating conversation with Steve Mills, founder of Mills Motion and High Production Practice. Steve shares his entrepreneurial journey from freelancing and broad marketing services to carving out a highly specialised niche in the dental and cosmetic industries. What really stood out to me was how Steve and his team pivoted to a webinar-based model during the challenges of COVID—an innovative approach that not only kept their business afloat but also delivered exceptional value by educating prospective patients effectively.

We dive deep into the complexities of marketing in the medical space, the critical importance of compliance, and why performance marketing is so intense when a client’s time value tops $600 an hour. Steve also opens up about the limits they've hit with scaling geographically and how they’re exploring new verticals like hair transplants to break that ceiling.

Beyond business, the episode offers insights into how Steve balances entrepreneurship with homeschooling four kids, revealing the personal side of running a growing enterprise.

If you're looking for strategies that combine focus, compliance, and creative marketing systems—with a few real-world hurdles and wins—this episode is packed with valuable takeaways. You’ll find Steve’s unique blend of optimism and realism refreshing and inspiring.

For more from Steve, check out Mills Motion on YouTube or High Production Practice for their specialised dental marketing approach.

Connect with Stephen Mills

Company Website: https://millsmotion.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-j-mills/?originalSubdomain=au

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Evolve To Grow: https://m.mtrbio.com/evolve-to-grow