Episode Summary
Many agency owners spend years operating in crisis mode without realizing it. In this episode of An Agency Story, Kelly Gordon, Founder of Dapper Codes, shares what it really looks like to move beyond survival and start leading with intent. Her story isn’t about overnight clarity…it’s about the long grind, the identity shifts, and the cost of staying in hard mode longer than you think.
Episode Highlights
- Growing up without financial security and how that shaped her drive
- The danger of being “good at hustling” and why it can become detrimental
- How positioning evolved in her business over nearly a decade
- The moment purpose finally became part of the equation
Agency Info
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Company: Dapper Codes
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Guest: Kelly Gordon
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Year Started: 2007
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Employees: 1-10
It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t have a choice.
Kelly Gordon
Key Takeaways
Survival Mode Feels Normal Long After It Stops Serving You
Kelly talks about how operating in reaction mode becomes automatic, and most owners don’t realize how much it limits their decisions until much later.
Working Hard Doesn’t Guarantee Progress
She shares how years of nonstop effort kept the business alive, but not necessarily moving forward in a meaningful or strategic direction.
Positioning Clarity Comes Through Time and Repetition
Rather than a single breakthrough moment, her messaging evolved over nearly a decade of testing, refining, and responding to what actually worked.
Saying Yes to Everything Creates Hidden Cost
Early on, she took on any service someone would pay for, but learned that selling what you can do isn’t the same as selling what you should do.
Purpose Shows Up After Stability, Not Before
The shift from survival to vision didn’t happen through inspiration — it happened when there was finally enough financial and mental space to think ahead.
Show Notes
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