Episode Summary
In this episode, Russel sits down with Mario Medina, co-founder of Madison/Miles Media, to unpack the story of how a music career laid the foundation for a standout B2B marketing agency. From creating content in both print and digital formats to building a long-lasting business partnership, Mario shares hard-earned lessons, laugh-out-loud anecdotes, and grounded insight into building a values-driven agency.
Episode Highlights
- From Stage to Strategy: How Mario’s touring band days taught him the hustle, creative leadership, and discipline needed to build an agency.
- The Birth of a Partnership: The serendipitous meeting with co-founder Adam Weiss, and how their contrasting strengths became a business advantage.
- From Print to Digital: The evolution of Madison/Miles Media from a magazine publisher to a HubSpot-savvy digital agency and the growing pains that came with it.
- Positioning That Resonates: Why they stopped using “content marketing” in their messaging and what actually resonates with mid-market B2B clients.
- Culture That Clicks: The role humor, “dad jokes,” and creative freedom play in building a motivated, collaborative team.
Agency Info
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Company: Madison/Miles Media
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Guest: Mario Medina
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Year Started: 2010
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Employees: 11-25
It was a ridiculous effort on my end to say, ‘You need to work the way I work.’ The truth is we’re better because we don’t.
Mario Medina
Key Takeaways
The Right Partner Changes Everything
Business compatibility isn’t about similarity, it’s about complementary strengths. Mario emphasizes how his introversion and process-focused mindset paired perfectly with Adam’s outgoing, relationship-driven approach. Their mutual respect and clearly divided roles helped them weather bumps without friction.
Positioning Must Match Market Maturity
What you call yourself matters less than what your clients understand. Despite identifying as a content marketing agency, Mario realized their target clients didn’t resonate with the term. Madison/Miles shifted to “content-driven digital agency” and focused on problems clients actually want to solve, like increasing site traffic or accelerating long sales cycles.
Print Isn’t Dead, It’s Premium
For associations and niche audiences, print still holds power. Mario explains that while digital is now their core service, print still plays a critical role in perception, retention, and value for specific clients, especially associations whose members still rank magazines as a top benefit.
Scaling Requires Letting Go and Leaning In
To grow, leaders must trust others and develop operational depth. From building process frameworks to hiring specialists in SEO and PPC, Mario shares how scaling required him to shift from doing to empowering.
Culture Is Built, Not Bought
Fun isn’t a distraction, it’s a core feature of team identity. From daily dad joke competitions to collaborative silliness in standups, Madison/Miles fosters a lighthearted but high-performing culture. It’s not just tolerated, it’s nurtured.
Show Notes
Resources Mentioned:
- Traction by Gino Wickman — Influenced the founders’ clarity around their roles and structure
- Stoicism (philosophy) — Helped Mario focus on self-awareness in conflict resolution
- m3magazines.com – Custom magazine publishing for associations
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