The Power of Value-First Sales: How David Black Flipped the Agency Script

David Black didn’t just leave a job—he reclaimed his freedom. What began as a bold leap away from corporate constraints evolved into Ready Set Search, a performance marketing agency helping underdog brands punch above their weight. In this edition of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur Spotlight series, David shares how crossing $20K MRR turned imposter syndrome into confidence, why giving away value early built lasting client trust, and the mindset shift that unlocked real growth. From bootstrapping to building momentum, his story is proof that clarity, control, and success all begin with a single decision to bet on yourself.

Hi, David Black! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?

Who we serve:

At Ready Set Search, we help grow two kinds of ambitious clients:

• VC-backed startups (pre-Series C) that need to scale quickly while maintaining efficient customer acquisition costs

• Local service-based businesses across the U.S., including HVAC, legal, medical, and home services, looking to dominate their local markets through digital

We partner with underdog brands with bold visions—and help them compete like industry giants.

How we serve them:

We build and execute performance marketing strategies that drive real, measurable results. Our approach includes:

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) designed to attract high-intent traffic that converts

• SEM optimized to stretch every dollar and maximize ROAS

• Paid Social that combines strong creative with sharp targeting to drive pipeline

• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) to help our clients show up in AI-generated search results, positioning them for the future of discovery

Every campaign is custom. Every dollar is accountable. Every strategy is built to scale.

The impact we make:

We help our clients transform marketing into a growth driver.

• We fuel visibility, lead volume, and revenue growth

• We turn local businesses into household names and help startups become market leaders

• We free founders and operators to focus on product and operations while we handle acquisition

Our work creates momentum, opens doors, and drives outcomes that matter.

Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.

In the early days, even though I was working on my business full-time, it still felt like I was playing dress-up. I had the website, the pitch, the late nights—but deep down, I knew I hadn't earned the title yet.

That shifted the first month I crossed $20,000 in monthly recurring revenue. It wasn’t just the number—it was the validation. I realized I wasn't just hustling for clients anymore. I had built real momentum.

More importantly, I had proof—proof that my sales process worked, that I could deliver results, and that I had the marketing chops to build something bigger than myself. That was the moment I stopped calling it a side hustle in disguise and started treating it like a real company. From there, everything changed—my mindset, my confidence, and my ambition.

Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.

I was crushing it at my previous job, delivering results and hitting goals, but it didn’t matter. Advancement came with strings attached. I was told I’d have to relocate to move up. My schedule wasn’t mine anymore. The freedom to choose how I worked or where I worked had vanished.

That’s when it hit me: I was living on someone else’s terms. Even though I was performing, I wasn’t in control. And I realized I wasn’t willing to trade autonomy for a title.

That friction sparked something deeper. I didn’t just want more flexibility. I wanted the freedom to build, to experiment, to fail forward, and to create something that reflected my own values and vision. That clarity made the leap feel less risky and more necessary.

Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?

Ahrefs has been a total game-changer for my business. It’s one of those tools no serious SEO should be without. It gives me deep visibility into a company’s backlink profile, keyword rankings, and overall search health in a way that’s both powerful and efficient.

The real value is in how much ground it helps me cover—fast. From technical audits to competitive analysis to content gap research, it compresses hours of manual work into a few clicks. That speed and clarity let me deliver insights to clients faster, act on data quicker, and stay a step ahead in strategy.

We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.

In the early days of my company, one of the biggest lessons we learned was the importance of building a deep network of trusted partners. A lot of our clients came to us without any internal marketing, development, or design resources. That created bottlenecks. We’d be ready to move fast, but we were constantly slowed down by things outside our control.

The pivot came when we stopped trying to solve everything in-house and started proactively forming strong relationships with complementary service providers. By surrounding ourselves with great developers, designers, and CRM consultants, we could offer fast, reliable recommendations that kept momentum high.

It taught me that growth isn’t just about what you do—it’s also about who you can bring to the table when your clients need more than just one solution.

What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?

We flipped the traditional sales process by giving away real value before a contract was ever signed. Most agencies hold back during the pitch—offering vague proposals or cookie-cutter audits. We did the opposite. We’d dive deep into a prospect’s digital presence, run a mini audit, identify gaps, and outline key opportunities they could act on immediately. No fluff, no gatekeeping—just useful insight.

That upfront value built trust fast. It showed we knew our craft, and more importantly, that we were already invested in helping them grow. Clients felt like we were on their team from day one, which made choosing us feel like a natural next step.

It wasn’t the most scalable strategy at first, but it led to stronger close rates, longer client relationships, and positioned us as strategic partners—not just a line item.

What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?

You don’t need to have it all figured out to start. There will always be a million things you could do, and it’s easy to get stuck in planning, forecasting, or overthinking every possible outcome.

The truth is, clarity comes from execution. The faster you start testing, failing, and iterating, the faster you learn what actually works. Don’t aim for perfect—aim for progress. Launch scrappy, get feedback, and evolve. That’s how momentum is built.

Want to dive deeper into David's work? Check out the links below!

• Visit Ready Set Search's website: readysetsearchllc.com