16th December 2025
Luke McKelvey on vision, conviction, and adaptation
Episode 57
Luke McKelvey
CEO, MIRIMAR
Today’s guest is Luke McKelvey, Co-Founder and CEO of MIRIMAR – the creative company helping brands achieve cultural significance in a world where traditional advertising isn’t enough. And as of last week, ADWEEK’s newly minted small agency of the year for 2025.
Luke reflects on MIRIMAR’s early challenges, from launching ‘too soon’ in 2019 to navigating the pandemic. He also shares how conviction, focus, and a clear filtering system helped them find their footing with the right clients.
The conversation breaks down MIRIMAR’s ‘foundation and fame’ model – aligning brand and business, with smart talent partnerships that create impact without relying solely on paid media.
Packed with sharp thinking, honest lessons, and a healthy dose of optimism, this is a masterclass in building an agency you truly believe in.
HIGHLIGHTS:
[02:02] Navigating early challenges
[06:58] Ambition over status quo
[09:26] The power of clarity
[15:51] Foundation and fame
[17:58] Positioning as an entertainment agency
[26:17] New era of partnerships
[29:18] Aligning intent and incentives
[35:12] Doubling down on insight
[38:47] Why north stars matter
[41:21] Making work worth it
Previous episodes
The simplest path to profit
Episode 73
Marcel Petitpas
CEO, Parakeeto
The changing face of innovation
Episode 72
Enda King
Head of Innovation, Accenture
Evolving your core discipline
Episode 71
Jonathan Emmins
Founder and Global CEO, Amplify
From back office to boardroom
Episode 70
Greg Caplan
Co-Founder, Dovetail IT
Being a media indie in 2026
Episode 69
Jenny Biggam
Owner, the7stars
Thriving in the AI industrial revolution
Episode 68
Justin Billingsley
Co-Founder, Simbioniq
Growth in the ‘Goldilocks’ zone
Episode 67
Ben Rudman
Executive Director, MSQ
When a client CMO leads an agency
Episode 66
Zaid Al-Qassab
Global CEO, M+C Saatchi Group
Raising the bar for customer experience
Episode 65
Craig Elimeliah
CCO, Code and Theory
Showing up with a point of view
Episode 64
Sean McDonald
Global Chief Strategy Officer, Rethink
Redefining on-demand talent
Episode 63
Christine Olivas
Practice Director - Advertising & Brand Marketing, Toptal
How principles are good for business
Episode 62
Jared Belsky
CEO and Co-Founder, Acadia
Why Dentsu believes in agency brands
Episode 61
Beth Ann Kaminkow
CEO, Dentsu North America
A life more curious
Episode 60
Zoe Scaman
Founder, Bodacious
Inside Coke’s AI-powered Christmas campaign
Episode 59
PJ Pereira and Andrew O'Dell
Co-Founders, Pereira O’Dell and SILVERSIDE
Going deep on decision-making
Episode 58
Olivia Morley & Brian Wieser
Co-hosts, Agency Business
A rallying cry for brilliance
Episode 56
Richard Huntington
Former Chief Strategy Officer, Saatchi & Saatchi London
Why female ownership matters
Episode 55
Christy Hiler
CEO, Cornett
Excellence as usual
Episode 54
Tyler Turnbull
Global CEO, FCB
What’s in a name?
Episode 53
Zihla Salinas
CEO, Yes&
Culture, entertainment and commerce
Episode 52
Jarrod Moses
Global CEO, UEG
Unpacking the ‘Power of One’
Episode 51
Loren Grossman
Global CSO, Publicis Groupe
Comedy’s greatest ad agency
Episode 50
Haley Hunter
Co-founder, Party Land
Building modern legends
Episode 49
Jaime Robinson & Lisa Clunie
Co-founders, JOAN
Subscribe to
Believe in Better
Our regular newsletter helps your agency stand out and grow faster. Packed with new thought pieces and our latest podcast episodes.
"*" indicates required fields
Our regular newsletter helps your agency stand out and grow faster. Packed with new thought pieces and our latest podcast episodes.
