Creative, Capital, and CPG - Thi Lam - Marketing Agency Power Hour - Episode #42
Thu Feb 05 2026
In this episode of Marketing Agency Power Hour, host Cal Wilder sits down with Thi Lam, Founder and Creative Director of Garnish Studios, to unpack what it really takes to build a focused, sustainable creative agency in the competitive world of food and beverage CPG.
Thi shares how his background as a CPG founder shaped Garnish Studios’ hyper-focused niche, why industry specialization beats offering “everything to everyone,” and how creative agencies can avoid the common traps of underpricing, scope creep, and burnout. The conversation spans agency positioning, tiered pricing models, hiring and talent development, financial lessons learned the hard way, and Thi’s long-term vision of building an interconnected ecosystem of production, branding, and original products.
Takeaways:
Niching by industry, not just service, creates clarity, credibility, and stronger long-term positioning.Early underpricing can pigeonhole agencies and limit future growth.Tiered pricing helps protect margins while speeding up client qualification.Creative work must balance “brain power” (strategy and perspective) with “manpower” (production execution).Hiring and investing in people earlier can unlock faster, healthier growth.Founders should hire bookkeeping and accounting support as early as possible to avoid costly mistakes.Long-term agency resilience comes from focus, discipline, and intentional expansion, not chasing every opportunity.Connect with Thi:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thiqlam/Website: http://www.garnishstudios.com
Ways to Tune In:
Transistor: https://marketingagencypowerhour.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19ECltpQuJWu6rfXlx98wT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/marketing-agency-power-hour/id1809205281 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/344bea8c-7897-4dfc-8cdc-f31a92514243 iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-marketing-agency-power-hou-272863996/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-agency-power-hour-6067409
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In this episode of Marketing Agency Power Hour, host Cal Wilder sits down with Thi Lam, Founder and Creative Director of Garnish Studios, to unpack what it really takes to build a focused, sustainable creative agency in the competitive world of food and beverage CPG. Thi shares how his background as a CPG founder shaped Garnish Studios’ hyper-focused niche, why industry specialization beats offering “everything to everyone,” and how creative agencies can avoid the common traps of underpricing, scope creep, and burnout. The conversation spans agency positioning, tiered pricing models, hiring and talent development, financial lessons learned the hard way, and Thi’s long-term vision of building an interconnected ecosystem of production, branding, and original products. Takeaways: Niching by industry, not just service, creates clarity, credibility, and stronger long-term positioning.Early underpricing can pigeonhole agencies and limit future growth.Tiered pricing helps protect margins while speeding up client qualification.Creative work must balance “brain power” (strategy and perspective) with “manpower” (production execution).Hiring and investing in people earlier can unlock faster, healthier growth.Founders should hire bookkeeping and accounting support as early as possible to avoid costly mistakes.Long-term agency resilience comes from focus, discipline, and intentional expansion, not chasing every opportunity.Connect with Thi: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thiqlam/Website: http://www.garnishstudios.com Ways to Tune In: Transistor: https://marketingagencypowerhour.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19ECltpQuJWu6rfXlx98wT Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/marketing-agency-power-hour/id1809205281 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/344bea8c-7897-4dfc-8cdc-f31a92514243 iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-marketing-agency-power-hou-272863996/ Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/marketing-agency-power-hour-6067409