Building the 5th Largest B2B Tech Agency in the US: Walker Sands

In July 2012, I took on the opportunity of a lifetime and joined Walker Sands, a budding B2B marketing agency, in a Business Development role. With an initial team of just 16 members and a revenue stream of $1.5M, the potential for growth was enormous. And so began my ambitious journey, which over eight years would see me serve in various roles and culminate in my position as Vice President of Marketing.

Challenge:

Very early on, our strong leadership team identified that being the “Best B2B Marketing Agency in the World” was the goal, and we were on our way to achieving it. As a small team with limited resources, the challenge was to develop and implement a strategic plan that could align with this objective by expanding our offerings, client base, geographical footprint and brand standings in the industry. Fostering strong collaborations between key departments helped to ensure that marketing and sales worked in harmony with the organization, and became one of the functions we couldn’t operate without.

Strategy:

We set out early believing that in doing great marketing for Walker Sands, we’d in turn be trusted to do great marketing for others. Our approach was multi-fold but focused on building strong industry relationships and a solid content, outbound and events strategy. This coupled with innovative campaigns and a strong digital presence quickly built traction for Walker Sands. In 2019, I had the distinct pleasure of spearheading, in collaboration with my incredible team, the rebranding of Walker Sands. This rebrand better reflected the results delivered to clients and the company we’d become, ultimately setting the trajectory for the future.

As I ascended to Director of Marketing and eventually Vice President, I continued to focus on aligning marketing KPIs with business objectives and adjusting as needed to achieve our goals.

Results:

Over eight years, my strategic marketing efforts directly contributed to an 1200% increase in revenue, catapulting our earnings from $1.5M to $20M. In tandem, our team grew 800% in size, from 16 to 145 employees. These weren't just numbers; they were a testament to the power of strategic marketing, the right team, and relentless dedication.

Moreover, Walker Sands was recognized as the 5th largest B2B marketing agency in the country, a proud achievement that reflected our relentless pursuit of growth and excellence. The revenue from marketing programs consistently attributed to over 70% of our annual revenue.

Key Takeaways:

This experience instilled in me the belief that strategic marketing, when coupled with a passionate team, can truly transform businesses. My journey with Walker Sands set me up for my path of commitment to creating robust marketing strategies that align with business objectives, fostering an integrated marketing-sales environment, and, most importantly, building relationships based on trust and mutual growth.

Today, as a Fractional CMO, I bring these lessons and experiences to every client, applying the principles of strategic growth marketing, team development, and cross-functional collaboration to help businesses thrive and expand.