Quick agency founder story

    CQ

    Corey Quinn

    Founder, Deep Specialization™

    Deep specialists lean in when the going is lean

    A quick story about a Deep Specialist agency founder.

     Nicole Mahoney is the Founder and CEO of Break the Ice Media.

    • She started her agency in 2009 as a generalist

    • After 3 years, she was overwhelmed, so she narrowed her focus on Travel and Tourism ("T&T")

    • Found the T&T industry was not being talked about enough in the media

    • Dedicated herself to fixing that and started an interview-style podcast for T&T

    • During the pandemic, when travel screeched to a halt, she:

      • Leaned in

      • Provided her T&T clients and colleagues with content, research, and platforms to connect

      • Did not lose any employees or suffered any dips during that time

    • Became known throughout the industry

    • Acquired a T&T company

    • Wrote a book for the T&T industry

    • Sponsored original research for the T&T

    • Broke all-time revenue and profit records in 2023 and will grow 75% in 2024!

     

    Nicole is an example of an agency owner who is what I call a Deep Specialist. More on this next week!

     

    Have a great weekend!

     

    CQ

     

    PS I will post her interview on the podcast in a few weeks. You won't want to miss this one!

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    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."

    “Is this a good fit for my agency?”

    I partner with founders who want to build something meaningful, not just a busier agency, but a stronger, more scalable business.

    You’re likely a strong fit if:

    • You’re generating $1M–$20M+ annually
    • You want to lead your market, not blend into it
    • You’re thinking about long-term scale, not short-term tactics
    • You want a growth engine that doesn’t rely on you
    • You value clarity over complexity
    • You’re open to advanced growth levers, including acquisitions
    Anyone Not Everyone Book Cover

    Escape Founder-Led Sales With My Free Book

    My bestselling book Anyone Not Everyone reveals the positioning and outbound system that helps founder-led agencies create predictable, scalable growth.

    Endorsed by Aaron Ross, Alan Dibb, Dr. Benjamin Hardy, and many other top thinkers in the agency world.

    ★★★★★
    Over 100 5-star Amazon reviews