Balancing biz dev and ownership, scaling w/ partnerships, and hiring for soft skills - Adam Yaeger

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Adam Yaeger built Llama Lead Gen from solo freelancer to 17-person embedded growth agency over eight years. In this episode, he breaks down what actually drove that growth — and what didn't.

We get into why he put branding on the back burner early (and why that was the right call), the hiring mistake that cost him a client relationship, and why soft skills matter more in the age of AI, not less. On the biz dev side, Adam shares what's worked for Llama Lead Gen — SEO, Clutch, referrals — and why cold outreach mostly didn't. Plus a few partnership stories, including what happens when white labeling goes sideways.

We also dig into GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and why Reddit has quietly become one of the more interesting paid channels for B2B.
What we cover:

-Growing from solo to 17 people over eight years
-Why branding can wait — and when it can't
-How Llama Lead Gen gets new business: SEO, Clutch, and referrals
-Partnership wins and one memorable miss
-Balancing client delivery with sales when you're the only BD
-Managing seasonality: when to push, when to pull back 

Resources Mentioned

Llama Lead Gen: https://www.llamaleadgen.com/
— Marketing budgeting and PPC calculators available on the site

Lead Gen in the Wild Podcast: Available on Spotify, Apple, and wherever you listen