Agency to Product Startups

Flatiron Communications is a New York City-based PR and digital media agency founded by Peter Himler in 2015 after leaving Burson-Marsteller. The agency helps emerging and established companies capitalize on communication technologies, digital marketing, and content strategies. Operating with a lean team of four contractors paid $100-150/hour, Peter runs the business on retainer fees ranging from $7,500-$12,500 per month with six-month initial contracts, serving clients including AIG Private Client Group, Indiegogo, HSN, and various startups.

Ray Edwards is a bestselling author and communication strategist who transitioned from freelance copywriting to building a scalable online education business. His 2015 revenue reached $678,000, with a single course launch generating $400,000 in one month through his email list and affiliate partnerships. He commands $150,000+ fees for copywriting projects and is launching a new book with a free+shipping model to drive course sales.

James Hickey built an internet marketing consulting business serving 6-8 retail and local service clients at $750-$5,000/month, then scaled into a digital course business in 2011 after his mentor suggested he train people nationally. The 12-module course with 45-50 training videos has enrolled approximately 300 people, generating significant revenue through a tiered funnel of $295 digital products, $1,000 group coaching, and $2,000 one-on-one coaching.

Working Backwards, LLC is a consulting firm founded by Bill Carr and Colin Breyer, co-authors of the book 'Working Backwards.' The firm helps growth-stage and public companies implement Amazon's proven management practices and innovation processes, including single-threaded leadership, the PRFAQ process for product development, disagree-and-commit culture, and input/output metrics. The company synthesizes 15+ years of experience from Amazon (1999-2014), where Carr was VP of Digital Media overseeing Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios.

Brendan Schaub transitioned from UFC fighter to stand-up comedian to podcast entrepreneur. After 6 years building Showtime's podcast division from zero to 600k subscribers, he left to start Thick Boy Studios in December 2022, bringing 7 shows including 'Fighter and the Kid' and 'The Shop Show'. A year in, he's rebuilt to ~160-170k subscribers and focuses on audio metrics over YouTube vanity metrics.

ContentPros was a productized content generation service founded by Tommy Joiner. After roughly a year of operation, Tommy decided to exit the business and part ways with his business partner, sharing insights about the exit process on a podcast follow-up appearance.

AdBadger is a software product created by Michael Erikson, who previously built Search Scientists, a six-figure services business. The product represents a transition from services to software, allowing Erikson to scale his business model beyond hourly consulting work.

Jack Butcher built an agency focused on visualizing complex concepts into digestible graphics, but found the service model unsustainable. He productized his expertise into digital courses—including one on design and another on productization—reaching $800K-$1M ARR in 18 months by leveraging organic content marketing on social media. His success demonstrates the power of converting a service-based skill into scalable digital products with strong distribution channels.