Episode Description
At 13, Maddie Thompson cold-messaged 150 fashion brands, got one reply, flew to Calgary with her mom, and spent three years having her designs manufactured and sold in stores before she could drive. That same willingness to do the obvious thing everyone else overthinks is exactly how she scaled Mad Social Agency to 30 people and 120 clients in six years with no degree, no investors, and no roadmap.
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Connect with Maddie Thompson
Website: https://bit.ly/3RZzzOB
YouTube: https://bit.ly/4dWgNiC
Instagram: https://bit.ly/4uQ4HyO
Facebook: https://bit.ly/4uF6G8V
TikTok: https://bit.ly/4ua4Zz8
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4u7U60I
Timestamps
00:00 Intro of Show
01:30 - Always an entrepreneur
03:07 - Getting a fashion internship at 13
04:25 - From architecture school to social media
05:03 - Hiring friends: The biggest mistake
07:33 - Work-life balance vs. integration
09:14 - Co-authoring a book with an 18-year-old
10:01 - What she looks for when hiring
11:41 - Curiosity and humility on the team
13:41 - 30 people, 120 clients in 6 years
13:57 - How they get new clients
15:16 - Firing the bottom 10% of customers
16:24 - Long-term vision for the agency
18:28 - How she thinks about equity
19:52 - Employees first, company second
21:57 - Deflect credit, absorb blame
23:42 - Fire fast: No exceptions
24:22 - How she handles underperformers
25:30 - The biggest limiting factor to growth
26:52 - Mad Academy: How they train new hires
28:05 - No business background: Self-taught
28:40 - Working with her boyfriend
31:39 - Kids vs. business: Honest take
33:16 - Where the drive came from
34:08 - Soccer, rugby, and being competitive
34:51 - Hobbies outside of work
35:51 - How AI runs their entire operation
37:54 - Was she a good student?
38:55 - Next 12-18 months: Laser focus
40:16 - Where to find Maddie Thompson
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