Agency SpotlightMay 18, 2026

Expert to Know: P. Blake Renda

What's the backstory behind starting or joining your agency?

I started Dragon Horse Agency out of a mix of frustration and conviction that there had to be a better way to serve clients than the basic marketing practices. Coming from an institutional investment background in technology and media with a deep understanding of business and marketing, I knew there was a better way, a new approach.

After years as an investment professional, executive, and a client of traditional marketing agencies, I became increasingly frustrated with the typical agency experience—fragmented strategy, weak accountability, and a lack of true business-minded partnership. Those disappointments pushed me to design a different kind of firm, one that would think like an owner and a fiduciary to brands, not just another vendor.

In 2015, I began sketching out what would become Dragon Horse Agency—literally at a kitchen table—mapping a model that fused rigorous business strategy with creative marketing and brand-building under one roof. I knew that to bring this to life, I needed a partner whose strengths complemented my background in growth, finance, and operations.

That is when I approached Julie W. Koester. I was impressed by her track record as founding chairwoman of the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, where she helped raise roughly $ 40 million and saw the museum through to its opening after an 11‑year effort. She also brought deep experience as a researcher and communicator, including doctoral work in public health at Columbia University and more than two decades as a professional researcher and copywriter. When I shared the idea for Dragon Horse Agency, she was immediately interested.

From there, our partnership began in a very hands-on, entrepreneurial way: we sat down with notebook paper and drafted our initial business plans for Dragon Horse and its sister ventures, defining a disruptive, integrated model from day one. Our early operations were scrappy and close-quarters, but that phase cemented a shared culture of resilience, humor, and a client-first ethos that still defines the firm. As Dragon Horse gained momentum, Julie and I formalized our roles as co-founders and, ultimately, co-CEOs—blending my growth and investment background with her strategic, creative, and research-driven approach to build what is now a multi-award-winning, AI-forward agency serving clients from local organizations to global enterprises.

What was your first entrepreneurial moment?

Selling food, snacks, and drinks out of my high school dorm room to fellow students at our boarding prep school.

How do you define success today?

To quote Sir Winston Churchill, "Success is not final, Failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts."

What are the most energizing moments in your work?

Collaboration, Deep analysis, Execution, Overcoming adversity, Sharing in the results.

Describe your typical daily routine.

I rise early, review several online business papers, and scan email. I am in the office from 8:30-6:00 pm almost daily. After work, I like to go for a run, then in the evening I review late-night business news, engage with Asian business channels, and review the day ahead while sitting with my three adopted dogs.

Any personal rituals or habits that contribute to your success?

The ability to see the opportunity or challenge, the discipline to take action, and the stamina to see it through.

How does your agency differentiate itself from competitors?

Dragon Horse Agency was the first, or one of the first, marketing agencies to lead with business strategy first. Effectively, we believe we created a new industry of Business Marketing Services (BMS), in which our innovative DragonONE platform was the first platform and the first company to integrate a comprehensive business strategy into a full-service marketing platform.

What core principles and values guide your agency?

Ubuntu, "I am because we are."

What's your approach to hiring and building a team?

Everything we do is centered around a culture of Ubuntu, " I am because we are," and collaboration. Our organization takes direction from leadership but operates as a circle where everyone has an opinion, everyone takes responsibility, and everyone shares in the successes and failures.

What types of clients or projects do you say no to?

From day one, Dragon Horse Agency has vetted our prospects as much, if not more, than they screen us. We want to understand the company and the team as comprehensively as possible. We want to understand their OKRs and KPIs. We want to understand their level of professionalism and integrity. We have and do turn down opportunities. As Steve Jobs, the late founder of Apple, once said... It's ok to say NO, and, in fact, probably better more times than not.

What marketing or industry trends do you think are overhyped?

Everyone believes social media influencers are "the thing," and everyone believes a post or their content should be more viral. We believe there are influencers who have a place, but more often than not, they over hype themselves and their value. Also we lean into smart content, smart meaning elevating the consumer, respecting the consumer, and sharing in a more positive aspect of their lives and understanding their time is valuable.

What do you predict for the industry in the next 5-10 years?

I believe that most of the "influencers" will eventually fade away. Currently, this phenomenon is prominent among 'Foodies' and similar groups, akin to the early days of Yelp! when everyone assumed the role of a "critic." Consumers increasingly seek authenticity, respect, and products that genuinely enhance their lives. Overall, marketing will become more efficient and innovative through technological advancements such as AI; however, the human element will continue to be indispensable. We observe the marketing industry progressively adopting DHA's visionary model, which was introduced over a decade ago. Presently, firms such as Accenture, McKinsey, Deloitte, PwC, and others—originally core business consultancies—are integrating marketing strategies and aligning with our model.

What advice would you give someone starting an agency today?

Commit to exceptional... every day, every week, and every year, and the rest will follow.

What's your agency's pricing philosophy?

DHA's an innovator in this regard as well; we offer a variety of packaged solutions and customized solutions.

How do you balance growth with sustainability?

Carefully.

What are the essential software tools your agency relies on?

Too many to list.

Remote, hybrid, or in-office — what works for your team and why?

From day one we've been hybrid and the comes from my years of working in Silcon Valley back in the early 1990s- 2000s and seeing how those visionary enterprises had already adopted this structure very successfully.

What's a belief you hold about the industry that most would disagree with?

This AI overtaking the industry. Although AI is a valuable tool, contemporary marketing is highly complex, involving technical, data-driven, and technological elements. AI chat systems are unable to successfully manage the full scope of an average marketing day, which includes pitching to a firm with over 50 employees, executing strategic plans, selecting appropriate technology stacks, retraining staff, managing change, and overseeing the rollout. At DHA, we pride ourselves on being AI Aviators, which enhances our expertise and end product.

What do clients often misunderstand about agency work?

They tend to still believe it's like the "Mad Men" days. There is still a stigma and underappreciation for what agencies provide and the complexity of today's digital world. Just as we coined the term Prompt Aviator for our AI Dragons, we are also using the title of Marketing Engineer, as that is exactly what they do, i.e., analyzing, creating, building, etc.