Let’s clear the air: you’re not too small. You’re too underestimated.
If I had a dollar for every founder who told me, “We’re probably too small for you,” I wouldn’t need to run an agency. But I do. And I do it because small, scrappy brands still outmaneuver the giants. The next billion-dollar brand doesn’t start in a boardroom. It starts with a spark—usually from someone crazy enough to believe they can build something better, smarter, or faster than what’s out there now.
The idea that only big budgets deserve big thinking? That’s the most dangerous myth in marketing. And it’s killing momentum before it ever gets a chance to build.
YOUR SIZE ISN’T THE PROBLEM. PLAYING SMALL IS.
Here’s a little secret from inside the agency world. The best work doesn’t come from the Fortune 500s. It comes from founders who are hungry. The ones who lose sleep thinking about growth. The ones who won’t stop until they win.
Some of our favorite campaigns weren’t built for companies with a CMO and a $5 million ad budget. They were built for teams of two with a crystal-clear vision and the nerve to chase it.
These are the brands that grow fast. Because they don’t think like small businesses. They think like challengers. And they move like it too.
SIDE HUSTLES BUILT EMPIRES
Airbnb. Spanx. Glossier. Gymshark. These didn’t start as powerhouse brands. They started as side hustles. Dorm room experiments. Kitchen table ideas.
Now they dominate.
What made the difference? Not funding. Not headcount. Not timing. Vision. They knew what they were building and believed in it enough to bring in people who could help them scale. Before they were “ready.”
That’s the playbook. Think bigger than your resources. Find partners who see the long game. Then go.
GREAT AGENCIES DON’T JUST WORK WITH GIANTS
If an agency only works with massive clients, they’re not growth experts. They’re caretakers. They’re optimizing what already exists.
But real growth partners? We look for vision. We look for momentum. We look for founders who are ready to break things and build smarter.
That’s why we built our model around agility. We can plug in, scale with you, pivot when needed, and stack wins fast.
So no, you’re not too small. If anything, this is the perfect time to partner with a team who knows how to build the plane while flying it.
THE MYTH OF “READINESS” COSTS YOU MORE THAN YOU THINK
When founders tell themselves they’re not ready for a great agency, here’s what usually happens next:
They cobble together freelancers who don’t speak the same language.
They guess at strategy and waste ad spend on channels that don’t convert.
They lose precious time figuring out what a seasoned team could’ve mapped in a week.
You don’t need to wait until your business plateaus to get help. In fact, that’s the worst time. By then, the market has passed you by.
The best time to lock in strategy is early. Before the big spend. Before the rebrand. Before the product launch. That’s how you avoid expensive mistakes and move with real confidence.
THINK BIG. START SMART. SCALE FAST.
This isn’t about prestige. It’s about pace. Thinking big is not a luxury. It’s the only way to build a brand that lasts.
If you’re building something real, you don’t need permission to bring in pros. You need alignment. You need a team that sees the same mountain and knows how to get you up it.
Let the corporations stay bloated and slow. You’re building something lean, sharp, and unforgettable.
THREE MOVES FOR FOUNDERS WHO THINK THEY’RE TOO SMALL
- Start with vision, not just revenue
If your product solves a real problem, your market is clear, and your mission makes sense, you’re not too small. You’re early-stage. That’s exactly when great partners bring the most value. - Work with people who know how to scale scrappy
Look for partners who’ve grown brands from five figures to seven. They know how to operate without the fluff, prioritize what matters, and move fast. - Prioritize clarity over spend
Before you dump money into paid ads, invest in messaging, positioning, and brand identity. That foundation multiplies every dollar you spend after.
Big thinking isn’t reserved for big companies. It’s reserved for bold ones.
And bold beats big. Every single time.
CEO & Founder Erik Huberman launched Hawke Media in 2014 with a mission to make great marketing accessible to all businesses. As Your Outsourced CMO®, Hawke Media has helped scale thousands of brands with its flexible and data-driven marketing solutions, making it one of the fastest-growing marketing consultancy agencies in the United States.
