Topic hub # Scaling an agency and running it with generative AI: Alex Melen's talks and interviews Alex Melen co-founded SmartSites in 2011 with his brother Michael and grew it, without outside capital, to more than 400 employees and 1,000 clients and ten consecutive years on the Inc. 5000. He speaks to founders and agency owners about the unglamorous decisions behind that growth (hiring, pricing, retention, reputation and making yourself replaceable) and about how a 400-person agency actually uses generative AI day to day: where it saves hours, where it fails, and how to roll it out without wrecking quality. [Book Alex on this topic](https://www.alexmelen.com/contact/)[The signature talk](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#scaling) Signature talk Entrepreneurship ## From 0 to $35M: Scaling an Agency Without Outside Capital The unglamorous decisions behind growing SmartSites from two brothers to 400+ people: hiring, pricing, retention, reputation, and what still works when everyone else is chasing the next channel. **For:** Founders, agency owners, business conferences **Format:** Keynote · Fireside chat · Podcast Watch Video: [Scaling Agencies: What Still Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next @ Digital Marketing Europe Lisbon 2026 Lisbon, Portugal · Apr 16, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iShl3drGZSY) Video: [Building an Agency from 0 to $35M: Lessons Learned @ Digital Marketing Europe Lisbon 2026 Lisbon, Portugal · Apr 15, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRiz_kdIdKA) Video: [AI, Search, and the Future of Agencies Paramus, NJ · Sep 3, 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q95HVpGd26k) Key facts - Signature talks: From 0 to $35M: Scaling an Agency Without Outside Capital, and 10x Your Marketing Efficiency with Generative AI - Presented at Digital Marketing Europe Lisbon (2026), DigiMarCon World (2024), Auto Intel Summit (2024) and R3 (2023) - 40+ podcast interviews on agency growth, including An Agency Story, Future Fuzz, Drop The Mic and the Brizy Growth Marketing Podcast - SmartSites: Inc. 5000 ten years running (2017–2026), Adweek Fastest Growing Agencies (2020–2024) Other topics - [AI Search & Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)](https://www.alexmelen.com/topics/ai-search-geo/) - [ChatGPT Ads & Advertising Inside AI Answers](https://www.alexmelen.com/topics/chatgpt-ads/) - [Automotive Dealer Marketing: SEO, PPC, VLAs & AI Search](https://www.alexmelen.com/topics/automotive/) Talks and interviews ## 35 sessions on this topic. [All engagements](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#archive) - Apr 16, 2026 [Scaling Agencies: What Still Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next @ Digital Marketing Europe Lisbon 2026](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/scaling-agencies-what-still-works-what-doesnt-and-whats-next-digital-marketing-europe-lisbon-2026/) Transcript Lisbon, Portugal - Apr 15, 2026 [Building an Agency from 0 to $35M: Lessons Learned @ Digital Marketing Europe Lisbon 2026](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/building-an-agency-from-0-to-35m-lessons-learned-digital-marketing-europe-lisbon-2026/) Transcript Slides Lisbon, Portugal - Jan 28, 2026 [Venluto Podcast Learn from big leaders that are doing over $100M/yr in revenue. Featured speaker: Alex Melen.](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/venluto-podcast-learn-from-big-leaders/) Podcast Paramus, NJ - Dec 29, 2025 [A 13-Year-Old Founder Builds a 450-Person Agency – Smart Sites](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/a-13-year-old-founder-builds-a-450-person-agency-smart-sites/) Podcast Paramus, NJ - Sep 3, 2025 [AI, Search, and the Future of Agencies](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/ai-search-and-the-future-of-agencies-alex-melen/) Podcast Transcript Paramus, NJ - Jul 2, 2025 [How To Grow A Nine-figure Advertising And Marketing Agency](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-to-grow-a-nine-figure-advertising-and-marketing-agency-alex-melen/) Podcast Transcript Paramus, NJ - May 7, 2025 [Reputation, Retention, and ROI: The SmartSites Growth Formula](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/reputation-retention-and-roi-the-smartsites-growth-formula/) Podcast Paramus, NJ - Jan 10, 2025 [The Real Difference Between Good and GREAT Customer Service Experience @ Penji](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/the-real-difference-between-good-and-great-customer-service-experience-penji/) Podcast Video Paramus, NJ - Nov 12, 2024 [Building a Nimble Agency and Balancing AI Efficiency with Authenticity @ Drop The Mic with Jason Hunt (#214)](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/building-a-nimble-agency-balancing-ai-efficiency-authenticity-drop-the-mic/) Podcast Video Online - Oct 30, 2024 [10x Your Marketing Efficiency with Generative AI @ DigiMarCon World](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/10x-your-marketing-efficiency-with-generative-ai-alex-melen-digimarcon-world/) Transcript Slides Las Vegas, NV - Sep 19, 2024 [At 13 he started a business that grew to a million customers, now his agency has over 400 employees](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/at-13-he-started-a-business-that-grew-to-a-million-customers-now-his-agency-has-over-400-employees/) Podcast Transcript Paramus, NJ - Sep 5, 2024 [The Evolution of Customer Advocacy in a Digital World (Alex Melen)](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/the-evolution-of-customer-advocacy-in-a-digital-world-alex-melen/) Podcast Video Paramus, NJ - Apr 24, 2024 [10x Your Marketing Efficiency with Generative AI](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/10x-your-marketing-efficiency-with-generative-ai/) Video Slides Raleigh, NC - Mar 7, 2024 [Generative AI: Transforming Automotive Digital Marketing](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/generative-ai-transforming-automotive-digital-marketing/) Podcast Sandy, UT - Nov 17, 2023 [Using Generative AI to Build a More Efficient Company @ R3](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/using-generative-ai-to-build-a-more-efficient-company/) Video Slides Orlando, FL - Apr 26, 2023 [Leaders Talk Episode 16: Alex Melen](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/leaders-talk-episode-16-alex-melen/) Podcast Video Paramus, NJ - Apr 1, 2023 [How Alex Melen Scaled SmartSites by Leveraging the Changing Media Landscape to Deliver Competitive Advantage](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-alex-melen-scaled-smartsites-by-leveraging-the-changing-media-landscape-to-deliver-competitive-advantage/) Podcast Paramus, NJ - Nov 22, 2022 [Expert Tips To Take Your Business To The Next Level @Digital Web Solutions](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/expert-tips-to-take-your-business-to-the-next-level-digital-web-solutions/) Podcast Video Paramus, NJ - Sep 23, 2022 [How We Scaled Ecommerce Clients by 100%+ @ Meet Magento NYC 2022](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-we-scaled-ecommerce-clients-by-100-alex-melen/) Video New York City, NY - Aug 23, 2022 [How to Scale Ecommerce with Omni-Channel Marketing @ TES Affiliate Conference 2022](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-to-scale-ecommerce-with-omni-channel-marketing/) Video Prague, Czechia Showing the 20 most recent of 35. [See the full archive.](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#archive) Press and articles ## In print on this topic. [All press](https://www.alexmelen.com/press/) - Sep 25, 2026 [SmartSites Named One of NJBIZ's 2026 Best Places to Work in New Jersey](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-named-one-of-njbizs-2026-best-places-to-work-in-new-jersey/) - Aug 17, 2026 [SmartSites Ranks No. 89 on NJBIZ's 2026 Top 100 Privately Owned Companies](https://njbiz.com/njbiz-top-100-private-companies-2026/) - Aug 11, 2026 [SmartSites Makes the Inc. 5000 for the 10th Consecutive Year](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-makes-the-inc-5000-for-the-10th-consecutive-year/) - Apr 15, 2026 [15th Anniversary at SmartSites: Built by People, Driven by Results](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/15th-anniversary-at-smartsites-built-by-people-driven-by-results/) - Dec 22, 2025 Alex Melen Endorses Daniel Batty's Book "No Ego Policy" - Nov 24, 2025 [SEO tools pro Reviews SmartSites: "How to Build the Top SEO Agency"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvc9sCogpjc) - Aug 12, 2025 [SmartSites Celebrates 9 Consecutive Years on the Inc. 5000](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-did-it-again-we-celebrate-9-consecutive-years-on-the-inc-5000-list/) - Dec 18, 2024 [SmartSites Earns Spot on Adweek's 2024 Fastest Growing Agencies List](https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/234256/SmartSites-Earns-Spot-on-Adweeks-2024-Fastest-Growing-Agencies-List) - Oct 2, 2024 [SmartSites Rises to No. 105 on NJBIZ's 2024 Top 250 Privately Held Companies List](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-rises-to-no-105-on-njbizs-2024-top-250-privately-held-companies-list/) - Sep 3, 2024 [SmartSites Earns Spot on 2024 Inc. 5000 List for the Eighth Consecutive Year](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-earns-spot-on-2024-inc-5000-list-for-the-eighth-consecutive-year/) - Oct 31, 2023 [SmartSites Named to Adweek's Fastest Growing Agencies 2023](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-won-adweeks-fastest-growing-agencies-2023-award/) - Oct 4, 2023 [Alex Melen Named to Auto Remarketing's 40 Under 40: Industry for 2023](https://www.autoremarketing.com/ar/meet-the-40-under-40-industry-honorees-for-2023) Questions ## Frequently asked **How did SmartSites grow without outside funding?** By keeping retention and reputation ahead of new-business volume, hiring ahead of demand in the roles that compound, and reinvesting profit rather than raising capital; Alex covers the specific decisions, including the ones that failed, in the 0 to $35M talk. **What does Alex recommend for AI adoption inside a marketing team?** Start with the repetitive work (briefs, first drafts, QA, reporting), measure hours saved, keep a human owner on anything client-facing, and write down where the tools fail so the team stops re-discovering it. ## Want this topic in your program? Alex builds every session for the room. Send the event, audience and dates and he will come back with a proposed talk. [Check availability](https://www.alexmelen.com/contact/) [Speaker kit](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#kit) --- Source: https://www.alexmelen.com/topics/agency-scaling/ · Markdown version of this page for AI agents and LLMs. Site guide: https://www.alexmelen.com/llms.txt