Darren Magarro is the President and Founder of DSM Group, a full-service digital marketing, advertising, and public relations agency based in Northern NJ. He founded DSM Group in 2007 in order to create a full-service marketing agency that puts clients first. He was trained in media strategy and buying during his 7+ years working at many big New York agencies for clients such as Toyota Motor Sales, Verizon Wireless, Boston Beer, and Puma.
DSM is the fastest-growing marketing agency in New Jersey, with a 96% client retention rate, and has proven year after year to be the top full-service marketing agency in the NJ/NYC area.
In this episode, we go beyond sales strategies and growth tactics and cover what legacy we want to leave behind as agency founders. Darren Magarro understands that no business is more important than getting to know the people behind the business and finding that balance between work and life. He also shared some valuable insights on the importance of focusing on building relationships first instead of sales or growth, what people love about working in DSM, and his irrational love for sports teams.
This Cast Covers:
- How Darren walked out of the old agency he was working in and decided to start his own 15 years ago (1:40)
- Where Darren got his competitive spirit from being obsessed with sports since 12 years old (05:02)
- How to have good relationships with clients even if you’re not a natural sales guy (06:58)
- Finding a balance between being a founder, brand ambassador, and a good husband and father to his wife and kids I've had an awakening to finding balance (09:08)
- What kind of legacy are you leaving when you exit this life? (12:17)
- An eye-opening experience Darren had that led him to reconsider how to run his company and treat the people around him (16:39)
- Most people nowadays are taking lesser offers at companies where they feel more invested in relationally and why people made a conscious decision to stay in DSM even if they are not necessarily the highest-paying agency (21:49)
- Why Darren started Homage as his way of giving back (29:21)
- Where DSM mostly attributes a lot of success and growth to (34:36)
- Is it a challenge to not have a niche or are there also lots of benefits to not being limited to a specific niche? (36:55)
- Areas of improvement Darren and DSM would like to focus on moving forward into 2022 (39:23)