Episode Summary
This episode features Josiah Bussing, founder of Mountaintop Web Design, a nearly full-service digital agency focused on aligning businesses with their customers through search-driven marketing.
Josiah shares how he went from hand-coding websites in college to running an agency, all while staying grounded in ethical marketing, intentional growth, and client-first thinking.
Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode:
- The hiring mindset shift that helped Josiah build a strong, self-driven team
- How to maintain quality and culture as you scale
- Why recurring revenue and consistent delivery systems are key to long-term growth
Agency Info
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Company: Mountaintop Web Design
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Guest: Josiah Bussing
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Year Started: 2013
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Employees: 1-10
I told all of my sales leads at that point that I’m not taking any more customers after this day because we’re having a baby…That backfired miserably
Josiah Bussing
Key Takeaways
Hire for character, not just skill
Josiah doesn’t follow the traditional hiring script. Instead, he uses unconventional questions to uncover whether someone is a cultural fit—like asking about the best mistake they’ve made.
“If someone can’t admit failure or show growth, they’re not going to thrive in a growth-focused agency.”
Scale with systems, not hustle
In the early days, Josiah was working two full-time jobs: one for his employer, and one building websites at night. But to build something sustainable, he had to shift from doing it all to building a team that could do it better.Key strategy: break down your own responsibilities, create repeatable processes, and train others to own outcomes.
Culture is built on continuous improvement
One of Josiah’s core values is doing the right thing for the client—even when it’s hard. That mindset now permeates his team, creating a culture where questioning the status quo is encouraged.“We’re always asking: how do we get better results for our clients? Nothing is off-limits.”
Vacations are the test of true leadership
Josiah’s goal? Take a two-week (or even four-week) vacation where the business doesn’t miss a beat.This isn’t just about time off—it’s a powerful benchmark for how well your agency runs without you.
Show Notes
- Mentioned Book: The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni
- Recommended Listen: Unmanaged by Jack Skeels (episode reference)
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