Episode Summary
In this episode of An Agency Story, host Russel Dubree sits down with Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey, CEO of Nifty Method, a boutique agency blending experiential marketing, events, and strategic communications. Lindsay’s journey is anything but traditional, and her wit and wisdom shine as she opens up about the early days of freelancing, building her business around tax breaks and airline miles, and how the pandemic forced her agency to pivot—fast.
Episode Highlights:
- COVID Crisis & Reinvention: The story of saving a user conference mid-pandemic with global livestreams and executive filming sessions.
- Hybrid Is Here to Stay: How events have shifted and what “hybrid strategy” really means today.
- Rebranding Gone Wrong: How one branding misstep landed her in Harvard Business Review…as a cautionary tale.
Agency Info
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Company: Nifty Method Marketing & Events
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Guest: Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey
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Year Started: 2016
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Employees: 26-50
Most of us start an agency using someone else’s blueprint, but the real work is figuring out what you like, what you hate, and adapting from there.
Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey
Key Takeaways
Build Your Business on Purpose, Even if It Starts by Accident
Lindsay didn’t set out to start an agency. In fact, she admits she did it for the tax break and to cover childcare. But as her freelancing grew and referrals flowed in, she followed the momentum. Her advice? “Know what you’re hunting for, even if it’s airline miles or child care. It gives your business meaning.”
Adaptation Is More Valuable Than Ambition
The pandemic hit Nifty Method hard. With live events canceled overnight, Lindsay pivoted by leaning on their marketing expertise and virtual production know-how, producing a 10,000-person global user conference. The ability to adapt, quickly, is the most valuable skill an agency can have.
Reinvention Is a Business Model
From live events to hybrid strategy to hospitality, Nifty Method is evolving again, this time into a larger brand ecosystem. Lindsay’s move to Brenham, Texas (yes, home of Blue Bell ice cream) is part of that evolution.
You’re Not an Entrepreneur Because You Want To, You’re One Because You Have To Be
When offered executive roles elsewhere, Lindsay faced the question: should I shut the agency down? After soul-searching and wine-fueled heart-to-hearts, she realized: “I have no other choice. This is what makes me happy.”
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