What if your entire go-to-market strategy had to change overnight?

In this episode, you’ll hear how Ryan Davis, co-founder of People First, pivoted from political influencer marketing to public health campaigns at the height of the pandemic—and used that momentum to scale a thriving agency.

Ryan breaks down how they won high-budget clients, built strong referral pipelines through white-label partnerships, and used newsletters and case studies to close million-dollar deals—without chasing every shiny object.

If you’ve been trying to figure out how to pivot, position, or power up your agency or service-based business, you don’t want to miss this conversation.

Keypoints & Chapter Markers

00:00 – Launching a business… right before the world shut down
04:00 – Finding a “blue ocean” in an overlooked niche
08:13 – Turning case studies into real campaigns
14:35 – The long sales cycle and building trust through newsletters
20:04 – How AI is changing the agency model (and hiring)

Want to connect with Ryan?

People First:
https://peoplefirst.cc/

Influencer Impact:

https://people1st.substack.com/

The Month In Digital:

https://monthindigital.substack.com/

Available on all platforms:

Spotify

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About The Hosts:

• Tim & Cindy Dodd are the Co-founders of PEMA, based out of Miami, FL. Connect with Tim and Cindy: Instagram

About PEMA:

PEMA is a Inc 5000 Outbound Marketing Agency specializing in Enterprise Sales & Appointment Setting. With over 7-years and 1,000+ clients served in the industry, PEMA is the leading agency for cold outreach appointments & systems. Learn more about PEMA here:www.pema.io/discover