John Doherty is an agency coach and the Founder of EditorNinja, a leading content editing service that has edited over 14 million words, as well as the Founder of Credo, a marketplace connecting businesses with vetted SEO and digital marketing partners. He is a serial digital entrepreneur with a track record of building and scaling service businesses, including selling both Credo and EditorNinja, and has helped agencies generate over $50 million in trackable revenue and $250 million in leads.
About the Episode
Many agency owners believe their biggest problem is lead generation. But what if that’s not the real bottleneck? In this episode, Tyler Lane hosts John Doherty, founder, multi-time agency builder, and now agency growth coach, to unpack the hard truths behind scaling service businesses. John shares lessons from building and selling Credo and EditorNinja, overcoming burnout, and stepping into coaching full-time. Together, they explore pricing mistakes, margin compression, founder psychology, brand building in the AI era, and why most agencies don’t have a lead problem — they have a clarity and confidence problem.
Key Moments
John’s Entrepreneurial Evolution
- From leading SEO at Zillow to building and selling Credo and EditorNinja [1:43], [5:33].
Burnout and Reinvention
- How burnout forced John to rethink his identity and transition into coaching [6:24], [10:27].
The “More Leads” Myth
- Why most agencies think they need leads — but actually have deeper structural issues [13:16], [15:12].
The Margin Killers
- How underpricing, overdelivering, and overcompensating teams compress profits [16:06].
When More Clients Make Things Worse
- The reason some agencies go out of business faster with every new client they sign [18:08].
Doubling Rates With Confidence
- Why nearly every agency can double its pricing and improve profitability [14:16], [16:52].
Visibility Over Volume
- Why agencies don’t have a lead problem — they have a visibility and positioning problem [24:28].
Winning in the AI Era
- How personal brand, video, and LLM visibility drive modern agency growth [27:41], [29:03].
Mastering One Channel First
- Why you only need one well-built acquisition channel to reach $20–50K/month [31:08], [32:25].
Strategy Meets Psychology
- Balancing performance, rapport, and founder mindset to unlock sustainable growth [40:15], [21:39].
Top Insights
- Double your rates and charge based on value – Pricing according to the results you create, rather than arbitrary hourly caps, instantly improves margins and long-term sustainability.
- Track your numbers weekly, not annually – Reviewing leads, revenue, and profitability every week builds clarity, reduces fear, and enables faster, smarter decisions.
- Focus on one acquisition channel and master it – Committing to a single platform until it consistently performs prevents distraction and creates predictable growth.
- Build visibility through personal brand and video – Showing your face, voice, and expertise builds trust faster and differentiates you in an AI-driven, commoditized market.
- Simplify your offers and narrow your niche – Clearly defining who you serve and what you do best increases confidence, improves close rates, and strengthens profitability.
Notable Quotes
- “I firmly believe that every agency can double their rates and they’re going to be a better business.”
- “If you double your rates and you lose 20% of your clients, you’re still up 30%, and you’re doing less work and making more money.”
- “But here’s the thing, you’re not going to find a channel. You have to create a channel that works for you.”
- “Start and then do more and then get better and then do more and then get better.”
- “I’m half strategist, half therapist.”
Resources
Industry Experts
- Tyler Lane on LinkedIn
- John Doherty: Website | Coaching | LinkedIn | Instagram
- Dan Martell
- Alex Hormozi
- Sam Gaudet on LinkedIn
Companies and Organizations
Tools and Platforms
Books
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- You Were Born Rich: Now You Can Discover and Develop Those Riches by Bob Proctor
- The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level―A Transformative Guide to Overcoming Fears and False Beliefs for Personal Growth and Success by Gay Hendricks
- The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
Fix the Real Bottlenecks in Your Agency
If you think your agency’s biggest problem is leads, you might be missing the deeper issue. Pricing, positioning, visibility, and founder mindset often determine whether you scale sustainably or stay stuck. At Session Interactive, we understand what it takes to build profitable, performance-driven growth — because we live it every day. Let us help you identify the real constraints holding your business back and build a strategy that actually compounds.
For more conversations on agency growth, performance marketing, and building businesses that last, subscribe to the Built to Convert podcast. Ready to simplify, scale, and increase your margins? Contact Session Interactive to start building smarter.
