Designing an Agency for Resilience - Hamid Ghanadan - Marketing Agency Power Hour - Episode # 041
In this episode of Marketing Agency Power Hour, host Cal Wilder sits down with Hamid Ghanadan, Founder and CEO of the Linus Group, to explore what it really takes to build a focused, resilient marketing agency, especially when serving highly technical industries like life sciences and healthcare.
Hamid shares how understanding the psychology of technical buyers creates more impact than leading with features alone, why combining factual accuracy with emotional storytelling drives real behavior change, and how a bold agency pivot in 2019 set Linus Group up for long-term sustainability. The conversation dives into the courage to cut profitable but non-differentiated services, asking clients hard questions, building multidisciplinary teams, and developing the financial discipline needed to navigate uncertainty and change.
Takeaways
- Understanding customer psychology, especially for technical buyers, creates more effective marketing than product-led messaging alone.
- Data drives decisions only when paired with emotional relevance and real human stakes.
- Cutting services you’re merely “good at” can sharpen positioning, improve profitability, and strengthen long-term resilience.
- Asking uncomfortable questions of clients and teams uncovers problems you can actually solve.
- Financial clarity comes from focusing on balance sheet, cash flow, and forward-looking projections, not just P&L.
- Building an agency around unique ability, multidisciplinary talent, and scenario planning prepares leaders for constant change.
Connect with Hamid:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hghanadan/
- Company Website: https://thelinusgroup.com/
- Personal Website: https://about.me/HamidGhanadan
- NEW Book - Not Buying It: The Art of Selling to Scientists, Doctors and Other Professional Skeptics: https://a.co/d/bA6mxrI
- Persuading Scientists: Marketing to the World’s Most Skeptical Audience Book: https://www.amazon.com/Persuading-Scientists-Marketing-Skeptical-Audience-ebook/dp/B07MZCPPTB
- Catalytic Experiences: Persuading Scientists and Clinicians with Effective Digital Marketing Book: https://www.amazon.com/Catalytic-Experiences-Persuading-Scientists-Clinicians/dp/0997523700
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