David Rodnitzky is the founder of Agentic Shift, a consulting firm that advises marketing agency founders who are considering or actively conducting a sale of their agency business.In 2008, David launched 3Q Digital, a performance marketing agency. Over the next 15 years, he scaled the business to over 300 employees and more than $60 million annual revenue.David sold 3Q to Harte Hanks in 2015, led a management buyout of the business in 2018, sold the agency to two private equity firms - Erie Street and PSP Capital - in 2019, and worked with his private equity sponsors to sell 3Q to DEPT (a Carlyle Group Company) in 2022.

Most agency founders are focused on growing their agency, not selling it. Then it happens. The founder starts to get calls from suitors. A large agency who lost a big client to the founder's agency suddenly wants to know if she'd consider selling her business. An investment banker reaches out promising that he can get the founder millions of dollars if she lets him represent the agency to potential acquirers. A private equity investor pitches the founder on a roll-up strategy to combine the founder's business with other agencies to create an industry juggernaut.

The agency founder is completely unprepared for these discussions. Should she even consider selling? Should she hire an investment banker? How much should the sales price be? How does she compare different offers? Should she get buy-in from the team? Will clients be OK with a sale?

Founders who navigate these concerns properly might hit the jackpot-life-changing money, happy clients, happy team members, and peace of mind. Founders who do not may end up regretting passing on a sale as the biggest mistake of their life.

Selling Your Marketing Agency puts you-the agency founder-on a level playing field, even if this is the first and only time you sell your agency, and it gives you the benefit of hindsight from other founders who've already sold theirs.