Making its second consecutive appearance on the Inc. 5000, the destination marketing agency Awestruck has had a three-year growth rate close to 3,000 percent. Co-founders and coCEOs Ryan Sprance and Dave Marcy, who have been friends for more than 25 years, say a big reason for that success has been their close alignment as business partners. They share the same business instincts but bring different experiences and skill sets to the table.
Marcy has a more extensive history in advertising sales, while Sprance has a deeper background in corporate structure and operations.
"We teach each other every day, which lends to the strength of this organization" Marcy says. "At the same time, we're great friends, and we make each other laugh constantly. We have to enjoy what we're doing if we expect to succeed."
The other major factor in the rapid growth of this Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based agency has been the continuing evolution of both its capabilities and its workforce.
Unyielding innovation
Since buying out a third partner at the end of 2023, Marcy and Sprance have begun expanding the business into new directions. "This past year, we have definitely focused on product expansion and adding more things to our list of core services," Sprance says.
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