

Clients First’s north star is to do nothing less than increase their clients’ value. More specifically, they believe at their core that marketing and communications increase brand value, which in turn increases enterprise value.
Jeff and John have seen this done at the highest of levels. They have collectively led global marketing and communications teams for seven Global 50 and current or former Fortune 500 companies. They've also served as journalists, Washington lobbyists, agency leaders and private equity advisors.
They have also built an international network of experienced practitioners to help them execute on behalf of their clients. They call it the Clients First Network. Members are both trusted from past lives and battle-tested. They have also all passed the beer test.
Build and protect your brand's standing in the marketplace.
Amplify your message and expand your reach.
Connect with your most important stakeholders.
Navigate challenges with confidence and clarity.


We have spent most of our careers on the client side, leading global marketing and communications teams. We have worked across industries, including technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, manufacturing and professional services. There is no major consumer or vertical industry in which Jeff and John or members of their network do not have experience.
After leading marketing and communications for multiple companies, we kept seeing the same problem: most agencies don't understand what it's really like on the client side. They deliver beautiful creative or clever campaigns, but they don't truly grasp the business pressures, the internal dynamics or the ROI requirements that CMOs and communications leaders face every day. Not only that, but too many agency leaders disappear after the initial business pitch, leaving the day-to-day to junior staffers. We wanted to create an agency where all clients get experienced support and counsel – each and every day.
This question is why we built the agency around brand value and enterprise value. Simply put, we believe that – effectively executed – marketing and communications build brand value through tangible outcomes: driving reputation, accelerating growth, engaging people and managing crisis. The first three enable a company to go on offense. The fourth is about playing defense when necessary. While it is logical to assume that brand value represents a healthy chunk of enterprise value, Forbes has put a number on it: 19.5%. That is real money. Ultimately, that is real value.
Three things set us apart:
1. Client-Side DNA
We're not former account executives or creative directors. We're former CMOs and communications leaders who ran global teams.
2. The Network Model
We don't carry the overhead of a traditional agency, so you're not paying for fancy offices or layers of account management.
3. The Brand Value Accelerator Series™
We've codified everything we've learned into proprietary playbooks that ensure consistent excellence across all 13 of our service areas.