Episode Summary
In this episode of An Agency Story, host Russel Dubree sits down with Alex Realmuto, Founder & CEO of Rubix Agency, a growth marketing firm specializing in paid media and performance PR. Alex recounts his unconventional journey from merchandising at Target to the battlefront of the DTC mattress wars at Leesa, and finally, to founding Rubix after a dramatic corporate shake-up.
Episode Highlights:
- How Alex’s “sock guy” identity sparked his first entrepreneurial venture: Soul Socks.
- What it was like to be on the front lines of the “mattress wars” and scale Leesa to $150M in revenue.
- Why Rubix is betting big on performance PR as the future of e-commerce growth.
- Behind-the-scenes stories, including how the Rubix team got banned from WeWork.
- Honest takes on AI, imposter syndrome, and building a team of problem solvers.
Agency Info
-
Company: Rubix Agency
-
Guest: Alex Realmuto
-
Year Started: 2019
-
Employees: 11-25
Entrepreneurship isn’t about knowing it all. It’s about being curious enough to ask, ‘Is there a better way?
Alex Realmuto
Key Takeaways
Build Before You Scale
Alex’s early experience at Leesa taught him how to manage enormous ad budgets and rapidly scale a brand. But more importantly, it revealed the importance of foundational marketing metrics like blended CPA and sustainable growth planning. “Selling a mattress online is tough. You can’t show comfort through a Facebook ad.” That insight pushed Alex toward holistic marketing strategies that went beyond paid ads and leaned into affiliate, PR, and podcast sponsorships—years before they were mainstream.
Innovation is Key
Rubix is carving out a niche in what Alex calls “performance PR”…a refined approach to affiliate marketing that prioritizes high-impact media partnerships over sketchy traffic sources. By combining paid digital and editorially-driven affiliate tactics, Rubix is delivering strong ROAS in an era of platform volatility.
Systems Over Heroics
Transitioning from a solo consultant to a full-fledged agency meant replacing instinct with process. Rubix has implemented a data-first framework to ensure quality as they scale, without burning out.
Imposter Syndrome Never Really Goes Away
Despite his impressive resume, Alex shares that doubts still linger. “Was I just lucky during the mattress wars? I had to prove to myself the strategy works elsewhere” For entrepreneurs and agency owners, his transparency is a reminder that self-doubt is normal but not a reason to stop building.
Show Notes
Resources Mentioned:
Enjoy this Episode?
Subscribe to An Agency Story on your favorite podcast app for more real stories from agency owners. Loved what you heard? Leave a review or share this episode with someone building their agency from the ground up.
