Ad Age A-List executives give advice on building successful agencies

It can be a long road to the Ad Age Agency A-List, with twists and turns and mistakes along the way. But those surprises and setbacks can provide valuable learning experiences in building a successful agency. We asked this year’s winners—with the benefit of hindsight—to tell us what advice they would have given themselves starting out if they could, and to share a photo from their early years in the business. Jeff Benjamin, global chief creative officer, Tombras I’d probably tell myself to go find the bar from “Star Wars.” I had a co-worker once who chided me about the team we were putting together. He was like, “Jeff, you’re assembling the bar from Star Wars—what are you doing?!” And at first, I thought, “I guess we are kind of random and weird and don’t belong.” But here’s the thing: every time I’ve been part of something truly special—where we’re creating work that feels magical, work no one’s ever seen before, work that the whole world (not just ad people) can’t stop talking about—I look around and think, “Hey y’all, we’re in the bar from ‘Star Wars.’” And this is exactly where I’d want to be. Hannes Ciatti, founder and chief creative officer, Alto I wish I had realized sooner in my career that the best things happen when you do the things that scare you the most. Tara Fray, partner and head of strategy, Alto I didn’t really see myself as a leader when I was younger because I didn’t fit the mold. I’d go back and tell myself there’s no one way to lead—real impact comes from showing up as yourself. Omid Farhang, founder and CEO, Majority If it’s not too cocky for me to say, I wouldn’t do anything different. Unlike most agency founders who essentially are burned out working at a holding company and then decide to start an agency, our agency really started with an idea and that idea is in our name, Majority. The idea is that our industry or the average agency in America is about 20% people of color, so what if we flipped the minority to the majority based on the premise that diversity is a competitive advantage for creating work that lands in culture? We launched in 2021 amid what felt like a corporate awakening regarding systemic racism. And we naively thought that we were building what might be the first of many. And four years later, DEI has become a coded racial slur, so I feel like what we represent is more rebellious and imperative than it was the day we started. And that comes as a huge surprise to me, but it also strengthens our resolve about what we’re doing. Sandy Greenberg, founder, Terri & Sandy If the door doesn’t open, find a window—or knock down the wall. Mark Gross, co-founder, co-chief creative officer, Highdive We would tell ourselves that there’s gonna be highs and lows, and it’s extremely important to celebrate the highs and enjoy every win—big or small. But whatever you do, don’t let a win go by without taking a minute to pat yourself on the back. And don’t dwell on the low— learn from them and recognize that some things are out of your control. Anomaly co-founder Carl Johnson To be as uncompromising about talent selection as I am about the idea the agency is built on. Jeff McCrory, chief strategy officer, Mischief @ No Fixed Address Kindness is not a weakness. For a long part of my career, I thought you had to be all competitive and driven and aggressive. No, the more decent you are to people, chances are the better off you’re going to be. And, honestly, it’s just a better way to live. Geoff McHenry, executive strategy director, 72andSunny As a marketer, the pandemic taught me that the one rule in this game is to always keep your pivot foot strong. If you know how to pivot, if you know how to change, then you’re always going to be on top. Steven Panariello, CEO of BBH USA Bet on your team and invest in the right talent. Winning agencies don’t just fill roles—they build for the future. Be the agency you’re becoming today. It pays off quickly. Ed Rogers, managing partner, Alto Keep your favorite colleagues and clients close, if you’re fortunate you’ll get to work with both again and again. P.S. growing a beard will help, you look like a child without one. Sam Shepherd, chief creative officer, Uncommon Dear Young Sam, Despite what anyone says, web banners and flash skills are NOT the future of advertising. And frosted tips are cool again, stay strong dog. Love, Old Sam Kern Schireson, chairman-CEO, Known This is a big idea that challenges long-held norms in a massive industry. That means it won’t happen easily or quickly, but it will happen. Enjoy every minute and don’t lose sight of the incredible privilege it is to create something special with people you love. Peyton Sutton, president, Terri & Sandy: I’d tell my younger self to trust your gut and act on it fast. No second guessing because of fear of failure or what others think. There is so much power and fulfillment that will come when you unapologetically listen to your intuition. See all of Ad Age’s 2025 Agency A-List winners here

Ad Age A-List executives give advice on building successful agencies

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