The Secret to Running an Agency for 30 Years Without Wanting to Walk Away with Arne Hurty | Ep #930

Arne Hurty is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of BayCreative, a San Francisco Bay Area B2B technology marketing agency he has been running for 30 years. What started as a $500 illustration job has grown into a full-service agency serving brands like Cisco and ServiceNow — with Arne's son and daughter now working alongside him. In this episode, Arne and Jason dig into what actually sustains an agency owner over three decades: two partner buyouts, a full pivot to remote work, and a philosophy of building the agency around life rather than the other way around. KEY TAKEAWAYS: The pursuit of quality is a bottomless pit — and that's why it works. If work feels boring, you're just not looking at it enough. Design your agency around your life from the beginning, not the other way around. Going virtual wasn't a crisis for Arne — it was a natural next step. Plan every business partner transition before you need it. Get the valuation method and exit terms in writing now. Let family earn their seat. Don't create a role to justify hiring them — let capability do the justifying. . . 00:00 Introduction to Bay Creative and Arne Hurty 01:56 The Journey of Starting an Agency 06:05 Navigating Changes in the Industry 12:10 Designing an Agency for Lifestyle 12:17 Introduction to e2m Solutions 13:22 The Benefits of a Strategic Partnership 19:39 The Future of Remote Work and Agency Dynamics . . Thanks for watching and if you liked this video, subscribe so you don't miss anything! Your comments mean a lot, so make sure you let us know what you think. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. In 1999 he launched his first digital agency growing it to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of amazing growth, his agency was acquired in 2012. Since then he has co-founded and has grown another 8-figure agency. He also runs a unique consultancy helping marketing agencies grow, scale, and enjoy running their agency by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale, and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 20,000 agencies in 42 countries meet or exceed their business goals. He generously shares it all as a speaker, podcaster, and author. He has been featured as an expert in top media publications such as Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Plus, he currently hosts the top agency podcast: The Smart Agency Master Class. Jason is dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners. His mission is to be the resource he wishes he had as an agency owner. Would you like to learn how to accelerate your agency growth? https://www.agencymastery360.com/trai...