Who We Are
Brian Kessman
Founder & Principal Consultant
Lodestar Agency Consulting
Brian Kessman specializes in helping agencies build the commercial model that makes new pricing models actually work. His advisory work spans independent agencies and multinational networks navigating the transition from labor-based economics to outcome-led commercial models, with a focus on positioning strategy, solution design and productization, value-aligned pricing and revenue models, and AI-aligned operating model design.
His clients have doubled ideal-client revenue through repositioning, lifted retainer deal sizes 50% by productizing around outcomes, and unlocked $600K–$1.5M in new annual revenue from pricing changes alone.
Brian developed the Agency Value Model—the four-lever diagnostic framework at the center of his practice—and the Solution-Based Monetization System, a structured approach to aligning pricing with impact rather than effort. He is the author of The Agency Value Model, the definitive guide to agency business model transformation published by VoxComm, the global alliance of communications agencies associations, featuring case studies from eight leading firms including VCCP, FIG, 72andSunny, and Monks. His writing has also been published in MarTech and WARC.
Before founding Lodestar, Brian held leadership roles at independent agencies and within global networks in New York and Los Angeles. He is an inaugural member of the 4A's Expert Network and speaks regularly for leading industry associations including the 4A's, VoxComm, EACA, Mirren, AMIN Worldwide, Worldcom, PR Council, MAGNET, Worldwide Partners, and TAAN.
Tim Williams
Founding Partner of Ignition Consulting Group
Lodestar Business Partner
Tim is an ad industry veteran and a noted author and presenter for major industry associations and business conferences worldwide on the topics of positioning, pricing strategy, and business models. As a career marketing professional, Tim’s seminars and keynote presentations have taken him literally around the world, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, India, and Australia/New Zealand.
He is author of several books on business strategy, the latest of which is Positioning for Professionals: How Professional Knowledge Firms Can Differentiate Their Way to Success. His first book, "Take a Stand for Your Brand" was ranked by Amazon as one of the top ten books on brand building. His booklet “Defining the Agency Brand,” published by the American Association of Advertising Agencies is regarded as the standard in business strategy for agencies.
As a consultant, Tim has worked with hundreds of firms ranging from mid-size independents to multinational networks. Before forming Ignition, Tim led several independent agencies after having worked for global agencies in New York and elsewhere.