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Melanie Sommer, Initium Marketing

How Melanie Stopped Letting Her Clients Run Her Business — and 2X'd Her Revenue

Melanie Sommer's business was being run by her clients. She couldn't articulate what she did, proposals took forever because every one started from scratch, and she was being courted for CMO roles with one foot already out the door. She wasn't even searching for help — she didn't know agency coaching existed until she found Jesse on LinkedIn. After working together, she doubled her annual revenue, sent three proposals for her exact ideal service and landed all three, and went from chaos and overwhelm to a clear vision she's excited about.

 
Interview with:

Melanie Sommer
Owner
Initium Marketing
Company Size: 
Niche: Marketing Consulting for Startups and Entrepreneurs

Services:
​​​​​​​
Brand Launch, Business Building, Storytelling, Marketing Consulting

2x

Annual revenue year over year

3

Ideal-fit proposals sent back to back — all three accepted

3.5x

Revenue growth in comparable end-of-year period after working together
My business was being run by my clients. I was at their mercy. Whatever they needed is what I was doing. I felt chaotic, turbulent, disconnected.

BEFORE using the Leverage for Growth Method:

Melanie's business was being run by her clients — she was at their mercy, doing whatever they needed instead of the work she was best at or wanted to do.
She couldn't articulate what she actually did — which made every sales conversation, every proposal, and every prospect interaction an uphill battle.
Every proposal felt like starting from scratch — no repeatable process, costing her significant time and leaving money on the table.
She was being courted for CMO roles during the great resignation and kept one foot out the door — unable to fully commit to her own agency while the exit was always visible.
She was on the verge of giving up entirely — questioning whether running her own agency was worth it when corporate offered stability and a clear role.

AFTER using the Leverage for Growth Method:

Melanie doubled her annual revenue — and in a comparable end-of-year period, saw 3.5x growth over the prior year.
She went from "I don't know, what do you want to do?" to "This is what I do, this is how it works, this is how much it costs — let's do it."
She streamlined her proposal process into something repeatable — no more starting from scratch, no more leaving money on the table.
She sent three proposals for her exact ideal service — and all three were accepted.
She turned off her LinkedIn job search, went all in on her agency, and replaced worry and overwhelm with a vision she's excited about.

Melanie on Going From Chaos to Clarity — and Doubling Revenue

Melanie shares how she went from chaos and uncertainty — with her business run by her clients, one foot out the door toward corporate, and no ability to articulate what she actually did — to doubling her revenue, landing three ideal-fit proposals in a row, and gaining the clarity and confidence to go all in on her agency. She describes the program as a personal trainer for your agency business — someone who gives you the plan, the accountability, and the push to stop trying to figure it out alone.

Results

Before working with Jesse, Melanie's agency felt chaotic. She couldn't say what she did. Her business was dictated by whatever clients needed. Every proposal was built from scratch. She was being recruited for CMO roles and seriously considered walking away from her agency altogether — keeping one foot out the door on LinkedIn because she thought that was how she'd meet prospects. It was the wrong kind of prospects. She wasn't even looking for help. She didn't know agency-specific coaching existed until Jesse appeared on her LinkedIn feed. Something about the approach — structured, systematic, agency-focused — spoke to exactly what she needed. She describes it as project management on steroids for an agency. Jesse helped her get to the root of the problem. Together they mapped out what she actually wanted to do, identified what she was best at, and built a process around it so she could deliver at scale. She went from "I don't know, what do you want to do?" to "this is what I do, this is how it works, this is how much it costs — let's do it." He helped her price based on value instead of guesswork. And he held her accountable to going all in — including the moment he asked her directly: are you going to turn off your LinkedIn job search? She did. The results came fast. Melanie's annual revenue doubled. In a comparable end-of-year period, revenue was 3.5 times higher. She became more productive, more focused when working, and gained back time in her day. She got clarity not just on what she wanted to do, but on what she didn't want to be doing anymore — and the confidence to say no to both. The turning point was when she sent three proposals for the exact type of work she and Jesse had identified as her sweet spot — and all three were accepted. The chaotic, disconnected feeling was gone. In its place: a clear vision and genuine excitement for what's ahead.
If you're going to be an entrepreneur, you're doing it so that you have time to do the things you want to do in life, not just at the desk. I've gotten more time, more clarity, and more money.
Jesse's program is a personal trainer for your agency business. You need a plan, you need goals, so that you can thrive. Stop trying to do it yourself.
—  15 MINUTES. NO OBLIGATION.

15 MINUTES TO SEE WHAT'S ACTUALLY HOLDING YOUR AGENCY BACK

You've seen the method. You've seen the results. The strategy call is where we diagnose your specific situation in 15 minutes and recommend the right path forward. There’s no obligation. We only accept clients we can genuinely help—if it's not the right fit, we'll tell you.
Not Ready to Talk Yet? Access The Agency Owner's Guide to Freedom
A leverage-first agency redesign system helping established marketing agency owners build founder-independent businesses. Founded by Jesse P. Gilmore in 2019.
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