From Freelancer to Digital Agency Founder: Dave Benton’s Journey
On this episode of What It Takes, Jamie Seeker interviews Dave Benton, a remarkable example of someone who went from freelancer to digital agency founder. Today, he leads Metajive, a world-class agency known for creating digital experiences for brands like Nike, Red Bull, Google, and HP.
But Dave’s journey didn’t begin with big clients—it began with a placeholder website and a lot of hustle.
✅ Internal Link Opportunity: Learn more about previous guests on What It Takes who also built agencies from scratch.
💡 How a Freelancer Became a Digital Agency Founder
Dave never set out to become a business owner. His agency, Metajive, started as a college portfolio site. After moving to San Francisco, he found contract work instead of full-time jobs—and that opened the door to entrepreneurship.
From there, it was a slow, steady journey filled with missteps, learning curves, and breakthroughs.
“Every major transformation in my business started as a crisis. The key was deciding to rebuild, not retreat.”
📈 Building Relationships, Not Just a Client List
A major part of Dave’s journey from freelancer to digital agency founder was rooted in long-term relationships. He explains that the biggest clients don’t come from pitches—they come from trust.
“Big brands don’t just hire agencies—they hire people they trust.”
Dave has secured multi-year retainers with Fortune 500 clients thanks to people he worked with 5, 10, even 15 years earlier.
✅ Internal Link Opportunity: How to build client trust in creative industries
⚙️ Scaling the Business While Staying Creative
As Metajive grew, Dave faced the challenge many founders do—balancing creative work with business operations. He shares how empowering a strong team and investing in project management allowed him to maintain both innovation and stability.
“Innovation isn’t about keeping up—it’s about leading the way.”
He also reflects on how the team adapted during the rise of AI, exploring how new tools could unlock better results for their clients.
🔄 Rebuilding After Setbacks
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In 2015, Metajive lost its largest client (over 50% of business)
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In 2020, during COVID, they lost 75% of annual revenue in 3 weeks
Each time, Dave and his team rebuilt—faster and stronger.
“Every business will hit rock bottom at some point. The ones that survive are the ones willing to rebuild.”
✅ Internal Link Opportunity: Resilience tips for entrepreneurs
🔑 What It Takes to Be a Business Owner
In closing, Dave offered one of the most powerful lessons of the episode:
“It takes the willingness to be 100% accountable.”
For him, being a successful business owner means taking full responsibility—for clients, team, finances, and every outcome.
✅ Internal Link Opportunity: Explore more leadership lessons from entrepreneurs
🌐 Connect with Dave & Metajive:
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Website: metajive.com
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Instagram: @metajivedesign
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LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/metajive
📣 Don’t Miss the Full Episode:
🎧 Listen now to hear Dave Benton’s full journey from freelancer to digital agency founder.
