Kanahoma Turns 18 (Months)

Inside The Wild Ride & What’s To Come

It’s crazy to think, but May marks Kanahoma’s 18th month in operation. 

We launched in 2020 with a simple idea to build a better agency for education. 

At the time, my wife was pregnant with our first child and I was running the business alone out of a spare bedroom in our San Diego home. 

But since that simple founding, things have been anything but simple.

18 Months Of Ups & Downs

Growth opportunities came quick and we had to learn on our feet as we figured out what to pursue, what to pass on, and how to deliver on the promises we made to the partners we brought on board. 

Along the way, I’ve stumbled, been humbled, and have learned a tremendous amount about myself and the challenges it takes to grow a business. 

Today, Kanahoma is home to 15 full-time employees, managing over $10 million in marketing spend, and supporting a dozen organizations - ranging from large D1 public universities to small, private faith-based institutions, K-12 educators, and more. 

And we’re proud to offer what we believe is an industry-leading benefits package, including a fully remote, largely asynchronous work environment; covering 100% of health insurance premiums; as well as a 401k that vests day 1 and annual student loan repayment.

We’ve been able to provide such a package thanks in no-small-part to the fact that our growth has been 100% organic, allowing us to avoid the crowded conference scene and only engage with inbound interest from folks intentionally seeking out our services. 

But for as great as those accomplishments have been, it hasn’t always been easy, and in fact it’s often been down right hard.

Lessons From The Bumps In The Road

Here are just a few of the lessons that stand out as I step back and reflect on a year and a half in business: 

1. We’re Building The Plane While We’re Flying It
   From process and procedure to systems and operations, we are very much building this business mid-stream while we scale. And while that can be invigorating, it also can be tremendously challenging and we’ve had to intentionally pump the breaks as we grow to ensure we are putting in place the foundation we need to deliver for those we serve. 

2. Saying No Is Often More Powerful Than Saying Yes
   Who we are is defined by who we serve and how we serve them. I’ve had to learn the hard way that not all opportunities are the right opportunities. Whether it’s partner-fit or scope creep, there’s a lot of warning signs to watch out for that I clearly blew right past in our early months. I’ve gotten a lot better, but it’s a muscle I’m still building up.  

3. It Doesn’t Get Easier, It Just Evolves
   While we’ve managed to address and solve problems as they arise, I’m learning that when you run a growing business the problems don’t get easier, the landscape just evolves. Old problems are replaced with new challenges as quickly as the old ones are solved for. 

4. Stability Comes From Finding Our Sea Legs
   Early on, I thought if we just solved for a few more items we’d reach some semblance of steady state. But what I’ve learned is that scaling a business can feel inherently unstable, so it's more about finding our sea legs as leaders and learning how to lead from the front of a rapidly evolving environment. 

5. I Can’t Take Care Of Others, If I Don’t Take Care Of Myself
   Finally, and perhaps most obvious for those of you who have built your own teams or businesses before, I’ve had to learn the hard reality that I can’t take care of anyone else unless I take care of myself first.
   
   Between growing Kanahoma and juggling being a new Father, I definitely burned the candle at both ends, at one point ending up in the ER from a combination of stress and exhaustion. It was a tough lesson learned, but an important one, as it’s gotten me to slow down and get focused on the things that matter most. 

The Road Ahead

So what’s next for Kanahoma? 

The truth is, I don’t entirely know. 

We’re focused first-and-foremost on delivering on the promises we’ve made to our partners. 

Beyond that, we’re trying to ride the wave of opportunity and learn everything we can as we grow. 

I believe our thesis is sound, that there is room in our industry for a new performance marketing agency that operates at the crossroads of beautiful brand creative and effective direct response. 

But I also know that life can change in an instant. 

So rather than marking this milestone with grand projections, I’d rather take a moment for self reflection and express my deep and sincere gratitude for each and every one of you. 

It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to be able to build this business, to serve such incredible partners, and to be a part of such a sincerely kind, talented, and persistent team. 

It truly has been a wild ride. 

Here’s to hoping we’re just getting started.

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About the Author
Seth is the founder and CEO of Kanahoma, a San Diego-based education marketing agency. We offer full-service marketing support for higher education, K-12, education technology, and more.

You can learn more about who we are and what we do at www.Kanahoma.com.