Hello and welcome to the agnc—a platform where Sam and Antonio share their experiences of running a multi-million-pound agency directly with fellow agency founders.

The agnc stands for agency growth, network and community which encapsulates our long term vision of this platform.

Sign up for our bimonthly newsletter, The Agency Architect, where we share stories, insights, new podcast episodes, and the knowledge we wish we'd had when we first started our agency.

We also run a podcast called The Agency Founders, discussing relevant topics for agency founders and interviewing other agency founders about their experiences.

Links to both of these can be found below

These are insights and stories directly from the trenches from one agency owner to another.

About NOVOS

NOVOS was born in March 2019. We’d had 12 months previously operating as statement.digital (a spin off from our mens accessories website statement accessories). March 2019 we hired our first full time employee, rebranded and got our first office.

From there our journey exploded. We offered SEO for eCommerce brands, a growing industry that was accelerated by the COVID pandemic. Within the space of 3 years we’d grown to a team of 40, a trend which saw us hire 2 members of staff a month consistently for 14 months in a row. Relevant blog here > https://theagnc.co.uk/p/do-you-really-need-to-hire-someone

From day one we wanted to sell our business, we achieved this in 2021 when we sold the agency to the staff in an employee ownership trust model (EOT). Relevant blog here > https://theagnc.co.uk/p/my-ultimate-guide-to-employee-ownership-with-trust-eot

In 2024 we embarked on NOVOS 2.0 with a new business strategy, rebrand and focus for our agency for the next few years. Relevant blog here > https://theagnc.co.uk/p/how-to-define-a-strategy-for-your-agency

Sam Hurley

Right after graduating from university, I joined an SEO agency as the founder's first full-time employee. During this time, I learned a lot about running an agency—and what not to do—as the team expanded to 12 people before ultimately collapsing. The founder sold the remaining client contracts to another agency, and I transitioned along with the clients. A few months into this new role, I hired Antonio onto my team, marking the first time we met. I had no idea then that he would become my future business partner, and that the challenges of that agency's decline would prove invaluable for us. Afterward, we went our separate ways. I took an in-house position leading MADE.com’s international SEO. From this hands-on, performance-driven eCommerce SEO experience, NOVOS was born.

In 2022, I invested in The Living House, an interior design studio, acquiring a 20% stake. Through the agnc, I share my experiences supporting this smaller operation to provide a perspective on a startup that operates like an agency. You can read more about this investment here.

I write most of the content for the website and newsletter.

You can follow me on LinkedIn here> https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-hurley/

Antonio Wedral

I graduated with a degree in marketing and straight away joined an SEO agency in London, where Sam hired me. Here I learned a lot about the importance of SEO as a channel in the whole marketing mix for brands, and the different facets of SEO. I then went to join the Gentleman’s Journal magazine as their Head of Digital and oversaw a large online transformation with the declining print sales. Here I learned a lot about running a business but also managing multiple agencies, and realised they could be so much better. This wide performance-focused experience led to us launching NOVOS, to be the best organic growth agency for eCommerce brands.

I manage the podcast and upcoming future endeavours as we look to expand the agnc offering.

You can follow me on LinkedIn here> https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniowedral/