Operationalizing and De-Risking Positioning, with Mike Grinberg

About this Episode In this episode of the Agency Profit Podcast, Marcel is joined by Mike Grinberg, founder of Proofpoint Marketing, to dig into one of the most misunderstood levers of agency success: positioning. Drawing on his experience helping boutique firms stand out against industry giants, Mike introduces a risk-based lens for positioning and shows why differentiation without de-risking often backfires. Together, he and Marcel unpack why many agencies grow “in spite of themselves” during boom times, only to stall when markets tighten, and how true positioning goes beyond messaging into operations, service design, and client experience. From Mike’s risk perception matrix to his framework for aligning functional, intellectual property, and promotional differentiation, this episode offers agency leaders a practical playbook for reducing buyer hesitation, escaping commoditization, and competing with confidence.