How Michael Maximoff Scaled Belkins to $15M: Retention, Pricing & Profitability

Michael Maximoff co-founded Belkins, a $15M/year appointment-setting agency that’s grown into one of the most efficient and well-run ops in the space. Alongside the agency, Michael also helped launch Folderly, a SaaS product born out of Belkins' internal needs.

In this episode, Michael shares why retention is the real growth lever for agencies, how to build a comp structure that drives accountability, and why the dream of 50% profit margins is mostly a myth. He also breaks down what most agency founders get wrong when trying to launch a product and what he'd do differently today.

### *Topics we cover in this episode:*
- Why retention and not acquisition, is what actually scales agencies
- How to structure account manager compensation for maximum LTV
- Why smaller agencies struggle more with client churn
- The myth of 50% profit margins—and what’s realistic instead
- Building a calm, profitable agency vs. chasing top-line growth
- What to know before launching a SaaS product from your agency
- Why your internal tools might be your best product idea
- How to think about equity, ownership, and hiring a “#2” early

### *Perfect for:*
- Agency founders looking to improve retention and margins
- Entrepreneurs considering the leap from services to software
- SaaS builders who want to avoid common product spin-out mistakes
- Operators thinking long-term about structure, incentives, and scale

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders reshaping B2B SaaS and marketing!

### *Connect with Michael:*
- *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-maximoff/
- *Belkins:* https://belkins.io/
- *From Zero to Agency Hero Newsletter:* https://www.fromzerotoagencyhero.com/

### *Connect with me:*
- *LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/
- *Website:* https://www.project33.io/
- *Podcast:* https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH

### *Chapters*

00:00 Introduction and Michael’s Background
01:10 Why Retention is the #1 Metric for Agencies
03:00 The Revenue-Sharing Model for Account Managers
06:15 Aligning Incentives with Client Success
08:30 Building an Ownership Culture in Account Management
11:10 Setting North Star Metrics and Client KPIs
14:00 The Myth of 50% Profit Margins
16:30 Why Small Agencies Struggle with Churn
20:00 How to Build a Calm, Profitable Agency
23:00 Scaling from $1M to $5M: The Key Levers
26:00 Finding and Growing Your #2 Operator
28:00 What to Know Before Spinning Out a SaaS Product
31:00 The Mistake Most Founders Make When Building Products
33:00 Building Tools Your Agency Can’t Live Without
35:00 Why Most SaaS Companies Don’t Make Real Money
36:30 Final Thoughts and Michael’s Newsletter

#linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #contentmarketing #ecommerce #shopify #personalbranding
#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbrandingcoach #linkedin #founderledmarketing #saas #b2bmarketing #aiagents #salesautomation #outboundsales #contentmarketing #growthstrategy

Тэги:

#b2b_marketing #demand_gen #demand_generation #content_marketing #personal_branding #founder_branding #video_marketing #finn_thormeier #project_33 #project33 #inbound_marketing #linkedin #linkedin_marketing #content_tips #b2b_content_marketing #linkedin_content #linkedin_tips #b2b_video #content_for_b2b_companies #founder-led_marketing #LinkedIn_Agency #LinkedIn_Ads_Agency #linkedin_video #founder_led_growth #personal_branding_agency #saas #b2b_software #B2B_SaaS

Скачать видео