Journey Further
Leeds (HQ), London, Manchester, New York
Website: Journey Further
Founder: Robin Skidmore
Year founded: 2017
UK headcount: 100+
Locations: London, Manchester, New York
My purpose in life is to accelerate growth – both businesses and people.
Profile
Journey Further is Robin Skidmore’s second agency venture, having previously set up SEO agency Epiphany in 2005, in the early days of search. After growing Epiphany to over 160 staff worldwide, it was acquired by Jaywing in 2014 and fully integrated by 2020.
It was after taking some time out to focus on his family that Robin began to realise he wasn’t quite done. He had spent more than 10 years listening to client challenges at Epiphany and felt like the current agency model wasn’t designed to solve many of them. This time, he wanted to do it “bigger, better and faster” than before.
Journey Further launched in 2017 with a mission to break down traditional marketing silos and put bad agency practices “right”. In eight years, the Leeds-based performance marketing agency has grown from four people to about 170, with offices in Manchester, London and most recently, New York.
From the leafy suburbs of Leeds to the bustling metropolis of Manhattan, Robin has spent the past two years building Journey Further’s US agency. He knew, to do it properly he had to physically be there, and has since been trying to retrace and replicate what he has done in the UK.
Over this time, Journey Further has transitioned from being a local business to one with very much a global view. To match this growth, the agency has been expanding its leadership team with various senior hires over the past 12 months. This includes hiring its first chief technology officer at the start of 2025 – former Jellyfish executive, Ben Terry – who will spearhead Journey Further’s data and technology offering for clients.
A “relentless focus” on attracting and developing talent has been another key driver of growth to-date. Retention has been strong, too, with 96% of staff staying in the first five years.
Having been recognised as one of the UK’s fastest-growing private companies in the Sunday Times Hundred 2023, Journey Further is now looking to journey further into the future via institutional investment, which will allow it to launch into new markets and acquire new capabilities.