What does it take to build a business that works without you? For Jess Vassallo, founder of Evocative Media, the answer is grit, empathy, and a refusal to follow the rules.
In the latest episode of Beyond the Fold, Jess shares how she went from Executive Assistant to Founder of one of eCommerce's most respected performance agencies, and how she's built an agency that can thrive without her.
What stood out from her story?
- You don't need a roadmap, but you do need drive.
- Leading with empathy isn't weakness. It's strategy.
- The best agencies train their clients, not gatekeep.
- Build a business that doesn't need you, and be proud of that.
- Growth means nothing if you lose your values.
You don’t need a roadmap, but you do need drive.
Jess didn’t come from the agency world. Her first few years were marked by trial, error, and teaching herself everything from copywriting to paid media strategy. It was all a learning curve, but a drive to build something meaningful kept her going
Her early clients came through untraditional means (including conversations at the gym), and she pivoted from PR to performance as she followed the data. It wasn't polished, but it worked, because she kept showing up.
"If I wasn’t given the opportunity, I would create it."
Leading with empathy isn’t weakness. It’s strategy.
One of the most distinct things about Jess’s leadership style is her emphasis on empathy. It's not a soft skill to her; it's a strategic asset. She’s been told she’s too kind, too empathetic, too trusting. But those same values have helped her create an agency culture with low churn, strong results, and high team retention.
"Everything pivots around kindness."
In an industry that often prioritises speed and scale above all else, Jess’s people-first approach stands out. She cares deeply about how clients feel in the process, not just about the numbers at the end.
The best agencies train their clients, not gatekeep.
Evocative Media is known for its education-led approach. Jess believes that transparency builds trust and that educating clients on what you're doing (and why) makes the work better.
From custom onboarding workshops to live events like the eCommerce Growth Summit, everything they do is designed to empower clients, not keep them dependent. It’s part of the reason they land and keep lighthouse clients like Lorna Jane and Naked Harvest.
"Educating your client doesn’t make you redundant. It makes you better."
Build a business that doesn’t need you, and be proud of that.
Jess doesn’t run the day-to-day anymore. And she sees that as a sign of success, not detachment. The systems, team, and culture she built are what allow her to step away and trust that the quality holds.
"I went on holiday, and they didn’t call me once. And I loved that."
She still leads, mentors, and makes the big calls, but she doesn’t need to be involved in every Slack thread. That’s by design. Her business is built for longevity, not ego.
Growth means nothing if you lose your values.
Jess has had opportunities to grow fast, take on bigger clients, or scale with external investment, but she’s always prioritised alignment. The work, the team, and the clients need to reflect the kind of business she set out to build.
"I don't care about having the biggest agency. I care about doing meaningful work with good people."
For Jess, doing it differently isn't just a tagline. It's how she built something that lasts.
Listen to Jess's episode on Beyond the Fold for more on:
- Starting with no agency background
- Hiring for grit over polish
- Redefining performance culture
- Creating client experiences that feel good
