Community Highlights: Meet David Richardson of R Squared Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Richardson.

Hi David, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been working in the marketing agency world for the last seven of my 12-year career. Back in April, I left one of the top B2B branding agencies I had helped build up for four years as the Vice President of Client Services. The CEO of one of the agency’s clients approached me with an offer to join his company and grow it as I had done with agency. After talking over the opportunity with my wife, we decided to take a leap of faith and see where it would take us. It didn’t take us very far. After 90 days, we ended up parting ways with the company and were challenged with the tough question of “What is next?” I knew I always wanted to start my own business but like most business owners, you never know when the right time is to do it. I leaned on my amazing network to figure out what to do next and the encouragement I got from so many people to start my own company was overwhelming. I was so humbled. I went on a walk one night to just clear my head and think through everything that was going on. It was the longest walk I had taken in a long time. I remember thinking through all the scenarios and how I could make this work and how much fun it could be. By the time I got back to my house, I had my business plan, my website, and my list of people to call all built out in my head. The next day, I built my Growth Consulting business. In just four months, we have four amazing retainer clients and a bunch of projects in the pipeline. The company has taken off like a rocket ship! We even had to hire some help with all the work we have going on today.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been like a rocket ship. Everything is rattling and shaking inside the cockpit (I think that is what they call it) but you are so excited to be going to the moon. Sometimes things work out just like you plan and sometimes you have to pull out the duct tape to fix it. The toughest part was when our first company said, “this all sounds great! Can you put together the Master Services Agreement and send it over so we can get started?” Talk about getting a crash course in legal documents. Thank god for Google! One of the things that have been easier than I had thought was the fact that you could work out of your house with no disadvantages. With COVID, it was completely acceptable to do calls with clients from your dining room table because everyone was doing it. I didn’t have to run out and try to find an office somewhere.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
R Squared Group is a growth consulting firm that specializes in B2B brands and Creative Agencies. I specialize in scaling businesses fast by differentiating their brand, building scalable revenue models, launching new products/services, developing marketing and sales teams, and implementing a growth culture throughout an entire organization. For B2B companies, I normally play the role of a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer that helps bridge the gap between the Marketing and Sales team. For creative agencies, I normally play the role of a Fractional Chief Revenue Officer that helps grow profits and streamline operations.

What sets me apart from other consultants is a couple of things. First, my background is in marketing and sales which allows me to speak the language of both departments. It means I can wear both sets of shoes and understand what challenges they go through daily so that we can build new tools and processes for each team. Second, I have a deep Rolodex of marketing and advertising resources that are brought in whenever it is necessary. This allows brands to get the consulting and the execution if that is what they need. Third, I am best known as a leader in the B2B marketing space. I have done speaking engagements and was recently named one of the “Top 150 B2B Marketers” by Rubicly.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I love the competition of a business. The little guys trying to take over the big guys. The big guys trying to fend off the little guys. We all have the same tools at our disposal and it’s a lot of fun to figure out which ones to use for each situation. That being said, what matters most to me is that my clients feel that they have gotten value from working with me. I want them to come back to me in a year and say, “You have completely changed my business for the better.” As of today, I think that all of my clients would say that about working with me and I couldn’t be happier about it. They have been amazing clients!!

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.rsquaredgroup.com