The Rize Podcast

Conversations with founders, agency owners, and productivity leaders on time tracking, deep work, and building profitable teams.

YouTube

Hosted by

Macgill Davis

Co-founder & CEO, Rize

November 8, 202645 minAI adoptionAI-native operationsproductized servicesservices pricingfounder lessons

How to Make a Company AI-Native: Michael Batko on the Three Systems to Build First

Making a company AI-native starts with three systems, according to Michael Batko: a shared company AI brain that holds context, a skills library so one person's workflow becomes everyone's, and a command center that shows what's running and how well. Michael spent eight years as CEO of Startmate, often called the Y Combinator of Australia, before founding Hourglass AI, which builds these systems inside other businesses. He explains why he kept it a service business, which companies make the best clients, why behavior change is harder than the technology, and how he prices audits, builds and ongoing support.

Michael Batko

Founder, Hourglass AI

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November 7, 202640 minagency operationsvalue perceptionAI adoptionagency pricingutilizationburnout

How Do Agencies Prove Their Value When Clients Have AI? Gary Magnone on Outcomes, Pricing and Burnout

Agencies prove their value by tying every piece of work to a client outcome and making the thinking behind it visible, says Gary Magnone. As clients start asking whether they could do the work themselves with AI, value perception matters almost as much as the value delivered. Gary, a fractional operations leader for digital marketing agencies, explains how he rolls out AI from the bottom up, why he optimizes for quality over efficiency, how he reads an agency's culture in his first weeks, and why pricing should be built around speed to outcome rather than hours.

Gary Magnone

Fractional Operations Leader, Digital Marketing Agencies

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November 6, 202640 minagency operationsdelegationexit planningagency valuationprofit marginsAI in agencies

What Should an Agency Owner Delegate First? Karl Sakas on Stepping Back, Selling and Getting Paid What Your Agency Is Worth

Agency owners should delegate in a set order, says Karl Sakas: specialist work first, then delivery leadership, then account leadership, and only then decide whether to keep doing strategy. Karl advises agency owners who want to sell, step back or shift their role, and in this episode he walks Macgill Davis through how he helps them get there. He covers the questions he asks before touching any process, his "firefighter to fire marshal" model for an owner's role, how acquirers actually value agencies, and the margin benchmarks he uses to spot a business leaking money.

Karl Sakas

Founder, Sakas & Company

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August 11, 202635 mincreative operationscpg marketingentrepreneurshipproductized servicesai in creative

Building a Repeatable Creative Studio: How Birdhill Delivers Monthly CPG Photography at Scale

Josh Carn-Saferstein, founder of Birdhill Studio, shares how he built a specialized monthly photography and stop-motion studio for CPG brands starting from a third bedroom during COVID. He breaks down the systems, software milestones, and focused service model that allow his small Denver team to deliver consistent, high-quality creative without scope creep. The conversation also covers buying out his co-founder, navigating AI in a craft-driven business, and the philosophy of 'falling forward' as an entrepreneur.

Josh Carn-Saferstein

Founder, Birdhill Studio

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August 11, 202631 minagency growthholding companyspecializationtalentprofitability

From Agency Operator to Holding Company: How Peter Kang Built a Portfolio of Specialized Digital Agencies

Peter Kang, co-founder of Barrel Holdings, shares how 18 years of running a digital agency led him to build a holding company that acquires and scales specialized marketing and e-commerce agencies. He breaks down the three eras of his entrepreneurial journey, the financial benchmarks he uses to evaluate acquisitions, and why talent development and specialization are the keys to building a profitable agency portfolio.

Peter Kang

Co-founder, Barrel Holdings

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May 8, 202637 minagency operationsprofitabilitytime tracking

Agency Profitability and Time Tracking with Ross Beyeler

Ross Beyeler joins Macgill Davis on The Rize Podcast to discuss agency operations, time tracking, client profitability, and pricing work with confidence.

Ross Beyeler

Founder, Growth Spark

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May 5, 202640 minAI operationsClickUpagenciesbusiness efficiencyautomation

AI Is Replacing Bad Processes, Not People

Yvonne 'Yvi' Heimann, CEO of AskYvi.com, joins Macgill Davis to explain why AI works best when it eliminates the admin tasks no one wants to do.

Yvonne 'Yvi' Heimann

CEO, AskYvi.com

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April 21, 202620 minaccountingAItax prepprofessional servicesCPA firms

AI Is Automating Accounting — But It's Not Replacing Accountants

Logan Graf, CPA and founder of a fully virtual accounting firm, joins Macgill Davis on what AI is changing inside accounting firms, from tax prep to pricing.

Logan Graf

CPA & Founder, Graf Tax Co.

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April 16, 202637 minagenciesAIagency operationsAI strategypricing

Most Agencies Are Failing at AI — Because They Have No System

Leah Leaves of Alderaan Operations Solutions joins Macgill Davis on why most agencies are fumbling AI adoption: no owner, no plan, and no infrastructure.

Leah Leaves

Founder & CEO, Alderaan Operations Solutions

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April 14, 202625 minagenciesAIdistributionagency growthoperations

How Smart Agencies Are Using AI to Scale (Without Losing Quality)

Chris DuBois of Dynamic Agency OS joins Macgill Davis on how agency operators use AI to scale distribution, tighten workflows, and build leaner teams.

Chris DuBois

Founder, Dynamic Agency OS

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April 9, 202631 minagenciesAIprofit marginspricingmicro agencies

How Agencies Increase Profit Margins with AI (2026 Guide)

Garrett Jestice, go-to-market advisor to Rize, joins Macgill Davis to break down how AI is reshaping agency profit margins, pricing, and team structure.

Garrett Jestice

Go-to-Market Advisor, Independent Consultant

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April 8, 202637 minagenciesAIoperationspricing

AI Is Breaking Agencies — Here's What Comes Next

Tessa Rolfe, founder of Agency Ops Co., joins Macgill Davis on how AI is reshaping agency operations and pricing, and what owners must do to stay competitive.

Tessa Rolfe

Founder, Agency Ops Co.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does Rize have a podcast?

Yes. The Rize Podcast features interviews with founders, agency owners, and productivity leaders on automatic time tracking, deep work, and building profitable teams. Watch episodes at rize.io/podcast or subscribe on YouTube.

What topics does the Rize Podcast cover?

The Rize Podcast covers time tracking best practices, agency profitability, AI's impact on professional services, remote team management, deep work strategies, and how teams use automatic time tracking to improve productivity and recover billable hours.

Who hosts the Rize Podcast?

The Rize Podcast is hosted by Macgill Davis, co-founder and CEO of Rize. Macgill interviews agency owners, startup founders, and productivity experts about how they manage their time and build profitable teams.

Where can I watch or listen to the Rize Podcast?

Episodes are available on the Rize website at rize.io/podcast with full video, transcripts, and show notes. You can also subscribe on YouTube at youtube.com/@rizeio for video episodes.

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