What happens when you build an agency around trust instead of surveillance? Mark Scrivner sits down with Josh Miller, President of 5by5, a Nashville marketing agency that recently transitioned to 100% employee ownership. Josh traces his path from a near-dropout physics major to web developer at Paramore to co-founder and now president of 5by5, sharing the leadership lessons he picked up along the way — including an unforgettable story about integrity from his former boss, Hannah. He digs into why trust, not more analytics, has been 5by5's real competitive edge, how the agency prepared its team to become owners, and how AI is already showing up in their margins. This conversation covers agency leadership, employee ownership (ESOP) transitions, team trust-building, AI adoption in marketing, acquisition integration, and redefining what growth metrics actually matter.

Episode Highlights
00:00 – Welcome to The Spark, intro to guest Josh Miller, president of 5by5
02:20 – Josh's winding path into advertising and the agency world
07:34 – The Hannah story: a lesson in integrity from a mentor
12:07 – How stepping back from meetings pushed Josh into leadership
19:24 – Trust as 5by5's "cheat code" for running the business
23:12 – Inside 5by5's transition to employee ownership (ESOP)
33:00 – How AI is showing up in agency efficiency and margins
42:06 – Josh's vision for fixing what's broken in agency life

Learn More & Connect

Show Notes + Resources: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/
Connect With Josh Miller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmiller7/ | https://5by5agency.com/
Connect with Mark Scrivner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markscrivner | https://snapshot.agency/health
Our Sponsor - Snapshot: https://snapshot.agency/health

Snapshot Health | Behavioral Health Marketing Built for Growth and Impact

Snapshot Health is a strategic growth and marketing partner for behavioral health organizations nationwide. We help treatment centers, mental health providers, and recovery programs grow responsibly by aligning brand, digital strategy, and patient acquisition with clinical integrity and long-term outcomes. Our team specializes in performance-driven marketing for behavioral health, including SEO, paid media, branding, marketing strategy, website development, and admissions enablement. We focus on attracting the right patients, improving conversion, and building scalable systems that support sustainable growth. Snapshot Health brings deep expertise in compliance, ethics, and trust-based marketing. We partner closely with executive teams to drive predictable admissions growth while protecting reputation, mission, and quality of care.

Follow The Spark: https://creativeassembly.agency/ca-podcast/

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