27: Struggling With Niching? How Erik Olson Used SEO and Structure to Scale 3 Agencies

From civil engineer to multi-agency founder, Erik J. Olson shares how he built Array Digital, Rival Digital, and Crush Digital by focusing on niche verticals, systematization, and recurring revenue. In this episode, he breaks down how he de-risks niching, structures scalable operations, and preps for a $100M exit by building a PE-ready platform brand. Founders looking to scale with structure—or build something worth acquiring—will find playbook-worthy insights throughout.

Key Takeaways

• Pivoted from software development to digital marketing after discovering greater long-term value in recurring services.
  
• Built three niche-focused agencies with distinct brands to balance risk and maximize focus.
  
• Developed a repeatable playbook to launch new agencies: leader + niche + first customer.
  
• 91% of current revenue is recurring—key for private equity interest.
  
• Created Proxa Brands as the platform-level entity to unify and eventually exit the portfolio.
  
• Plans to grow via both organic launches and targeted acquisitions of $500K–$1M agencies.
  
• Implemented strong process automation (e.g., Asana templates, Zapier) to streamline onboarding and operations.
  
• Culture and post-sale leadership retention are essential in structuring for a PE-ready business.

Links & Resources

• Erik Olson
  
  • Email: erik@proxabrands.com
  • Instagram: @erik.j.olson

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