Tired of Founder Bottlenecks? Try These Sellable Agency Systems

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July 13, 2025

On July 13, 2025

How one founder scaled past $150M in client revenue by building sellable agency systems that removed him from daily operations — and turned down 11 acquisition offers.

If you’re still the center of every decision in your agency, it’s not a leadership flaw — it’s a systems issue. In this episode, you’ll hear how StratDev founder Jordan Calderon built sellable agency systems that made his business scale faster, operate cleaner, and attract buyers without ever relying on him to stay at the center.

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How Sellable Agency Systems Create Freedom, Value, and Optionality

In this episode — Tired of Founder Bottlenecks? Try These Sellable Agency Systems — Dr. William Attaway sits down with Jordan Calderon, President of StratDev, a top 100 U.S. marketing firm that has generated over $150 million in tracked client revenue. Jordan has built and exited two companies, created scalable systems that run without him, and turned down 11 acquisition offers for StratDev.

Jordan shares how he built sellable agency systems by intentionally removing himself from founder-led bottlenecks. That meant creating SOPs his team could run without oversight, cleaning up accounting for acquirers, and investing in a culture that attracts and retains top talent. Whether you’re preparing for an exit or just want a business that doesn’t collapse without you, this conversation delivers real strategy — not theory.

For the Agency Founder Who’s Scaling with Intention

This episode is for the leader who:

Runs a 7+ figure agency but is still involved in too many day-to-day decisions
Is building toward exit, acquisition, or operational optionality
Wants to scale their team without sacrificing culture or performance
Feels the tension of leading high-stakes clients while developing internal systems
Is exploring how AI can improve team productivity — not replace it
Has outgrown hustle and is looking to lead with clarity, systems, and leverage

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

00:00 – Meet Jordan Calderon and his backstory from UC Santa Barbara
02:43 – His first dropshipping failures and the spark for entrepreneurship
05:44 – Building College Club and selling it to Greek House
07:56 – What makes a business actually sellable (that no one talks about)
11:07 – Learning marketing by staying up all night with YouTube
13:20 – Turning down 11 acquisition offers at 24 years old — and why
16:10 – Why firing fast protects your culture (and your margin)
18:05 – Building a team that actually stays — and performs
21:58 – Who StratDev serves and their sweet spot client profile
23:53 – The daily shower ritual that drives long-term leadership growth
28:30 – How Jordan is using AI to triple productivity for virtual assistants
31:15 – The future of agencies: operators, not just executors

How Sellable Agency Systems Eliminate Founder BottlenecksBooks Mentioned

How to Be a Capitalist Without Any Capital by Nathan Latka

Connect with Jordan

To learn more about Jordan’s companies, lessons, or current work, visitjordancalderon.me. You’ll find his business insights, personal blog, and social links — including his new project, My Virtual Desk.

Ready to Get Your Time Back Without Breaking Your Team?

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✔ Want to stop being the bottleneck in your agency? Book adiscovery call and get 30 minutes of strategic insight tailored to your agency

Want to Be a Guest on the Show?

If you’re a 7- or 8-figure agency owner with a story of growth, systems, or leadership evolution, we want to hear from you. Join past guests from top industry groups like Seven Figure Agency, Hite Committed Mastermind, Prospecting on Demand (POD) and GoHighLevel power users on a platform trusted by high-performing founders worldwide.

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About Dr. William Attaway:

Dr. William Attaway is a seasoned Executive Mindset and Leadership Coach who helps 6-, 7-, and 8-figure digital agency owners scale their businesses with clarity, systems, and confidence. With nearly 30 years of experience, he equips growth-driven entrepreneurs to build high-performing teams, implement scalable systems, and transition from freelancer to CEO.

He hosts the Catalytic Leadership™ Podcast—ranked in the Top 1.5% of podcasts globally (source: Listen Notes)—with a weekly reach of over 50,000. Each episode features elite agency owners and top digital entrepreneurs sharing what actually works when scaling a service-based business.

From leadership development and visionary thinking to mindset transformation and team optimization, Dr. Attaway empowers agency leaders to build a business that thrives without their constant oversight—and a team that flourishes under intentional, scalable leadership.