Ep. 053: Life After Selling a Marketing Agency w/ Dave Makin
- colin2951
- Aug 4
- 5 min read
Ep. 053: Life After Selling a Des Moines Marketing Agency (A Conversation with Dave Makin)
Have you ever wondered what life is like after you’ve successfully grown and sold your Des Moines marketing agency? The common perception is one of relaxation, golf courses, and endless free time. But as we learned on the latest episode of the Rhymes with Odd Podcast, the reality is far more nuanced, personal, and driven by a continued passion for entrepreneurship.
Our latest episode features a candid conversation with Dave Makin, founder of the prominent Des Moines agency Nexus 6. Dave sat down with host Ryan Snaadt to share his fascinating journey, from his nomadic upbringing and a detour into photocopier sales to building a highly creative agency and eventually navigating the complex emotional and practical landscape of exiting his business.
If you’re a Des Moines business owner contemplating your long-term exit strategy, a marketer curious about the fractional CMO model, or simply an entrepreneur interested in the evolution of the industry, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and relatable wisdom.
The Journey to Nexus 6: Sales, Stories, and the Blade Runner Connection
Dave Makin’s path to becoming an Iowa marketing leader was anything but linear. Born in England, Dave's family moved frequently, living in Canada, Seattle, and even Hawaii before eventually settling in Des Moines, Iowa. This diverse upbringing gave him a unique, observational perspective on people and cultures that would later inform his approach to business.
Despite earning a degree in marketing, Dave’s first professional foray was in sales, an experience he considers invaluable to his later success. "People really don't buy things based on facts or logic," Dave shared with Ryan Snaadt. "It's all emotionally based. There has to be an emotional connection."
He realized that the best way to create this connection was through compelling stories. This insight, combined with his self-admitted inability to be a "good employee" due to his opinionated nature, led him to founding his own agency in 2016.
The choice of name, Nexus 6, was a subtle nod to his love for science fiction and a deeper metaphor for his business philosophy. In the film Blade Runner, Nexus 6 replicants were the perfect, indistinguishable blend of human-like technology and artificial intelligence. This, Dave felt, was the ideal model for a modern marketing agency: leveraging cutting-edge technology to perfectly tell and deliver the authentic, human story of a brand.
The Decision to Sell: When "eccentric owner" Is No Longer the Right Hat
For eight years, Nexus 6 flourished. The team grew to over ten employees, and the agency built a reputation in the Des Moines market for its focus on storytelling, video production, and integrated digital strategies. Dave's initial goal was the flexibility to be present for his young daughter. But as the company scaled, he found himself facing the paradox that traps many founders.
"I got to a point where I was running the business and I wasn't really doing what I kind of wanted to do in the beginning," Dave reflected. "I wasn't creating anymore. I was just making sure that the business operations kind of go... they referred to me as ‘The Eccentric Business Owner’."
This loss of connection to his favorite part of the process—the "outlandish concepts" and high-level creative strategy—coupled with the administrative burden of managing a growing team, led to the difficult realization that he needed to change direction. He wasn't the right "hat" for the CEO role anymore.
An Amicable Exit: How to Sell a Business and Keep Your Friends
The business exit strategy for a founder is often portrayed as a complex, contentious legal battle filled with endless paperwork and non-compete agreements. Dave's experience was a refreshingly different case study.
"I always say that money changes everything for people. As soon as you start introducing money, people start going a little weird," Dave told Ryan Snaadt.
In this instance, Dave was able to facilitate a friendly acquisition with his longtime business partner and friend, Phil. The transition was simplified because of their existing mutual trust. The deal was amicable and focused on continuity for the existing Nexus 6 clients and staff. Dave was able to retain a select handful of clients he truly enjoyed working with, creating a seamless pivot for both parties.
This story highlights that successful acquisitions in the Iowa business landscape don't always require a team of private equity lawyers; a foundation of trust, shared values, and clear communication can create a win-win transition.
Life as a Fractional CMO and "Poorly Paid Intern" Manager
So, what is the "life after selling" that Dave is living today? He has embraced the growing demand for Fractional Chief Marketing Officers in Des Moines.
"For a while, it was strictly fractional CMO—kind of a full-time, part-time job," Dave explained. "Multiple different clients, all kind of working as their Chief Marketing Officer on a part-time basis."
This model allows him to focus purely on high-level strategy and visionary storytelling without being bogged down by day-to-day administrative tasks. But Dave's real secret weapon in this new chapter is his integration of Generative AI in marketing.
Dave approaches tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other AI systems as a "very poorly paid intern."
"It's enabled me to do so much more that would take a whole team of people to do... while still focusing on the strategy," Dave said. From creating detailed visual storyboards in minutes to streamlining video editing, AI has given him the scale and creative freedom he craved when he was managing a team of ten. This shift shows how savvy marketing consultants are leveraging new technology to remain highly competitive and efficient.
The Nostalgia Check: What is Missed and What is Not
When Ryan Snaadt asked about the best and worst parts of life on the other side of an acquisition, Dave offered a surprisingly introspective answer. The irony was not lost on him. Eight years ago, he yearned for a "proper office and staff." Seven years into it, he wished he was "just me again."
Today, the best part is the simplicity and autonomy of working from his home office, with the focus solely on his own work. What does he miss? Not the burden of being an employer, but the team.
"I miss the team," Dave shared, a sentiment many successful founders would relate to. "They were like a second family there... I miss hanging out with them."
Final Thoughts for the Des Moines Business Community
Dave Makin's story on the Rhymes with Odd Podcast is a compelling narrative of entrepreneurial evolution. It’s a must-listen for anyone in the Iowa business ecosystem who wants to understand the personal and professional shifts that come with starting, scaling, and ultimately selling an agency.
It serves as a reminder that the path to success isn't just about the final number on the sale; it's about aligning your daily work with your passion, recognizing when your role needs to change, and prioritizing the relationships built along the way.
Listen to the full episode of the Rhymes with Odd Podcast with Dave Makin on your favorite streaming platform, and follow Ryan Snaadt for more conversations with industry leaders shaping the future of business and marketing in Des Moines.
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