Learn from a $6M niche agency founder
Corey Quinn
Founder, Deep Specialization™
Tim Brown, CEO of Hook Agency, niched down from generalist contractor work to roofers with 5-15 employees, growing to $6M in annual revenue. Here's how.
"We're a-get-sh*t-done workhorse agency. We're not sitting around wasting a bunch of their money and time on fluff.” – Tim Brown
(🎙️ listen now)
Tim has a no-frills approach to the agency he’s been building for the past seven years.
And you know what? It works.
With 29 employees and on track to driving 6 million in annual revenue in 2024, Tim’s agency, Hook, is a masterclass in a hyper-verticalized business.
Starting out as more of a generalist, Tim first niched down in 2021 to only serve contractors, moving finally to target only roofers between five and 15 employees. Now that’s not only highly specific, but also a great example of positioning for success.
We discuss company leadership, his founder story, thought leadership, and how he is looking to bring back an element of entertainment into content marketing in the roofing niche.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to really hone in on niching down or for anyone thinking about building their own agency full-time.
We cover in this episode:
What drove Tim to start his own agency.
How Tim has grown the agency to a seven-figure business with close to 100 clients.
How to snowball verticalized clients.
How to differentiate your offering when your buyer isn’t the most knowledgeable in marketing.
Actionable key takeaways for agency founders:
A good time to fully leap into your side hustle is when your side job surpasses your salary.
Find mentors and people who can teach you to uplevel your business, whether that’s sales or marketing, or operations.
Don’t look at revenue over profit when making verticalization decisions for the long run.
Educate your industry not just for leads but to push it forward.
🎧 Listen to the episode now:
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Best,
CQ
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Frequently Asked Questions
How did Tim Brown's agency, Hook, become so specialized?
By narrowing focus in stages, starting as a generalist, then niching down in 2021 to serve only contractors, and eventually focusing exclusively on roofers with 5 to 15 employees, an extremely specific positioning.
What results has this level of specialization produced for Hook?
29 employees and a trajectory toward $6 million in annual revenue in 2024, with close to 100 clients, built entirely around this hyper-verticalized approach.
What does Tim mean by describing Hook as a "get-sh*t-done workhorse agency"?
A no-frills approach focused on delivering real results rather than spending client time and money on fluff, a philosophy that's shaped the agency's culture and positioning throughout its growth.
How should verticalization decisions be evaluated for the long run?
By looking at profit rather than just revenue. Chasing top-line growth without considering profitability can lead to verticalization decisions that don't actually hold up over time.
What's a signal that it's time to fully commit to a side hustle as a full-time business?
When the side job's income surpasses the salary from the primary job, a practical benchmark for knowing when the shift is financially justified rather than premature.
About Corey Quinn
Founder, Deep Specialization™
Corey helps founder-led agencies scale through Deep Specialization™ and programmatic M&A. Former CMO of Scorpion ($20M to $200M). Author of "Anyone, Not Everyone."
