Fast 50: Crux KC relies on offerings, its culture to deliver two-year average revenue growth of 88.4%

This is one of four profiles of a company on this year's Fast 50. Check out the related stories below to learn about the other three.

Crux KC

When Crux KC moved into its new headquarters in spring 2022, it thought the 7,300-square-foot space would accommodate growth for at least two to three years. But the Kansas City-based marketing agency started bursting at the seams after a year. 

It added 30 net new employees in two years and now employs 49. It’s expanding into the space next door, bringing the square footage to more than 13,000. It’s enough to double its headcount, and that’s exactly what Crux KC plans.

Founded in 2016, Crux KC describes itself as the “un-agency.” Think of it as an affordable hybrid of an in-house marketing department and a traditional ad agency, CEO and founder Melea McRae said.

A key differentiator, she said, is Crux KC provides a fractional chief marketing officer (CMO) plus a team of subject-matter experts. That CMO sits in on strategy meetings to understand the company’s vision and business goals and help the team achieve them. It’s an “in-it-with-you mindset,” she said.

The agency also has built momentum through its multiple awards, including being a Top 10 Small Business with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Those honors build exposure, which has helped land local legacy brands as clients, McRae said.

By 2021, Crux KC needed capital to leap to its next growth goals. That investment came from former Mobank CEO Grant Burcham, funding the office buildout and additional hires.

He also introduced McRae to Ethan Whitehill, now Crux KC’s president and chief creative officer. That intro has been a “home run,” she said. Whitehill has a robust network and helped build out the right team. His marketing acumen also adds magical touches to storytelling for clients.

“(Grant has) introduced us to a lot of potential clients, and that is business we have landed. We get that Grant Burcham endorsement out of the gate, which definitely helps,” McRae said. 

Whitehill said Burcham also sits on Crux KC’s advisory board and brings insight into how to scale, spot warning signs and look around the corner. 

“Unlike his peers in the banking industry, he always put culture first,” Whitehill said. “He completely gets and respects that we’re building culture, not just a company.”