StoryBrand Certified Agency vs Certified Guide
Two Good Ways to Hire StoryBrand Help, and How to Choose Between Them
An honest look from an independent Guide, including when an agency is the better fit for your business.
TL;DR
- There are two ways to hire StoryBrand-trained help. A StoryBrand Certified Guide is an independent marketer certified by StoryBrand. A StoryBrand Certified Agency is a marketing firm whose team has been through StoryBrand's training.
- Both use the same framework. The difference is in who does your work, how the team is put together and how the relationship runs.
- I chose to stay an independent Guide. I do the messaging and StoryBrand SEO myself, and I bring in other Guides who specialize in what I don't do, like pay-per-click.
- Sometimes an agency is the right call. If you need an office, a boardroom or one company that does everything in-house, hire an agency.
- Whichever you choose, ask one question first: who will actually do my work, and how long have they been doing this work?
On this page
- What's the difference between a Certified Guide and a Certified Agency?
- Why I chose to stay an independent Guide
- How independent Guides work together
- What I've seen on the agency side
- When a Certified Agency is the better choice
- Certified Guide vs Certified Agency, side by side
- Questions to ask either one before you hire
- Frequently asked questions
What's the Difference Between a Certified Guide and a Certified Agency?
A StoryBrand Certified Guide is an individual marketer trained and certified by StoryBrand. A StoryBrand Certified Agency is a marketing firm that StoryBrand has certified as a whole team. Both are listed in the StoryBrand directory at Marketing Made Simple, and both use the framework from Building a StoryBrand.
StoryBrand describes Guides as "independent marketers trained, licensed and coached by the team behind Building a StoryBrand." To apply, a marketer needs more than two years of marketing experience. After certification, StoryBrand keeps reviewing a Guide's client work.
Certified Agencies are firms with a staff. StoryBrand has just announced an updated version of the agency program. StoryBrand's agency page now reads, "StoryBrand trains and certifies everyone on your team." One license covers up to 12 people, and new hires learn the framework when they join. The program is limited to 50 agencies.
So the framework is the same either way. What changes is the shape of the relationship:
- With a Guide, you usually work directly with the certified person. Most Guides run small businesses of their own and bring in partners for work outside their specialty.
- With an agency, you work with a team under one roof. A senior strategist may lead the account, while other staff members handle design, writing, ads or social media.
Neither one is better in every case. The right choice depends on what your business needs and how you like to work.
Why I Chose to Stay an Independent Guide
Before StoryWorks, I spent 30 years in ministry. For most of those years I managed people: hundreds of volunteers, plus paid staff and part-time staff. I learned a lot about leading teams. I also learned what I enjoy most, and running a large staff wasn't the answer.
When I started StoryWorks, I wanted to work independently and spend my days doing the work I love. For me, that work is messaging and StoryBrand SEO.
"I take the framework and I apply it to messaging and to StoryBrand SEO. That's become my niche, and that's the area that I'm really good at."
Every StoryBrand Guide takes the same framework and applies the framework to a specialty. Some Guides focus on copywriting. Some build sales funnels. Some run ads. My focus is helping owners get clear on what they offer, then making sure the right people find that message on Google and in AI search.
I enjoy the work because every client is a different puzzle. One business has a clear message and a website nobody visits. Another gets traffic, but the visitors leave confused. I get to dig in, find out why the marketing isn't working and fix the problem.
If you hire StoryWorks, you work with me. I handle the strategy, the problem-solving and the SEO myself.
How Independent Guides Work Together
Staying independent doesn't mean doing everything alone. When a project needs something I don't do best, I hand that piece to someone who does.
Pay-per-click advertising is a good example. I build websites and run local SEO, and I love that work. Sometimes a client needs extra traffic during a busy season, or while SEO is still building. I don't run pay-per-click ads myself, so I bring in other StoryBrand Guides whose entire business is pay-per-click. You get someone who does ads every day, and the ads use the same message we built together.
Being a Guide also means belonging to a community. A while back I was asked to coach Monat Global, a billion-dollar company based in Miami. After the first meeting, I knew the scale of the company was bigger than anything I had worked with. So I brought in another StoryBrand Guide who had worked with companies that size, and we ran the meetings together.
That's one of the real benefits of hiring a Guide. You get one person's expertise, plus a network of people who have already solved the problem you're facing. If I can't solve something, I can usually find the person who can.
What I've Seen on the Agency Side
Here is my honest take, based on what I've seen over the years. This is my experience in general, not a comment on any one agency, and many agencies do excellent work.
An agency has to hire the best person the agency can afford. When a firm has a payroll to meet, the firm fills each role based on the work coming in and what the budget allows. Sometimes that means hiring people fresh out of college with little real-world experience. They aren't bad at their jobs. They are early in their careers, so they haven't yet made the mistakes, or learned from the mistakes, that experienced people have.
I've seen the budget side of this firsthand. Local agencies have contacted me to ask what I would charge to do SEO or web design work for them. When I shared my rates, the amount they pay for that work turned out to be about a third of what I charge. That isn't a criticism of the agencies. A payroll has limits. But that gap shows why the person on your account may be whoever the agency could afford, not necessarily the most experienced person available.
Independent Guides are usually further along. When I bring in a partner, I'm choosing from people who are out there doing the work right now, in the area where they thrive. They've made the mistakes and learned from them, and they work with clients they enjoy.
Under the earlier agency program, not everyone at a Certified Agency was always certified. In the past, I've seen agencies where one or two key people held the certification and guided the work, while newer staff hadn't been through the training yet. StoryBrand's new agency program is built to change that by training the whole team. Even so, a certificate tells you someone learned the framework. A certificate doesn't tell you how many years that person has spent doing the work.
StoryBrand makes a similar point on its own agency page: "When quality depends on who's on the account, clients notice." I agree. Whether you hire a Guide or an agency, find out who will be on your account.
When a Certified Agency Is the Better Choice
There are times when I'd tell a business owner to hire an agency instead of me. Here's a real example.
A couple of years ago, a large nonprofit was looking for help with its marketing. The leadership team needed to make some decisions in private before sharing them with the wider staff. For that reason, they wanted to work with a company that had its own office and a boardroom where they could meet away from their own building.
I work remotely, mostly from my home office. When a client wants to meet in person, I book a private room at the West Des Moines Library or the side room at the Caribou Coffee on Ingersoll. Those rooms work well for most meetings. For this nonprofit, they weren't enough. The nonprofit hired a local agency with an office and a boardroom, and that was the right decision for them.
An agency may also be the better choice when:
- You need a large team working at once, such as a full campaign across ads, social media, video and email, all launching at the same time.
- You want one company responsible for everything, with one contract and one invoice.
- You need an office and meeting space, for the reasons above or because your board expects one.
A Guide may be the better choice when:
- You want to work directly with the experienced person doing the strategy and the work.
- Your needs are specific, like a clear message, a website that converts or getting found in search.
- You want specialists brought in only when you need them, instead of paying for a full team all the time.
Certified Guide vs Certified Agency, Side by Side
| Independent Certified Guide | Certified Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Who certifies them | StoryBrand certifies the individual | StoryBrand certifies the agency and trains the team |
| Who does your work | Usually the certified Guide, plus partners for specialties | A team; ask who will lead your account and who will do the work |
| Team | One Guide, with other specialists brought in as needed | Staff under one roof |
| Office | Often remote; meetings at your office, online or in a booked room | Usually has an office and meeting space |
| Specialties | Each Guide has a niche; partners fill the gaps | Many services in-house |
| Pricing | Varies by Guide; ask for prices in writing | Varies by agency; ask for prices in writing |
| Best fit | Owners who want direct access to an experienced specialist | Organizations that need a full team, an office or one vendor for everything |
Program details are from StoryBrand's Certified Guide and Certified Agency pages as published in November 2026.
At StoryWorks, every price is published on one page. You can see each service and what each one costs on the pricing page before we ever talk.
Questions to Ask Either One Before You Hire
Use these questions with any Guide or agency, including me.
- Who will do my work, and how long have they been doing this work?
- Is the person leading my account StoryBrand certified? You can check any Guide's profile in the StoryBrand directory.
- What do you do yourself, and what do you hand off? Who are the partners, and how do they work with you?
- Do you do SEO, or only messaging? A clear website still has to be found. (I wrote about that in StoryBrand SEO.)
- Can I see work you've done for a business like mine, and can I talk to that client?
- What does a month look like? How often will we meet, and what reports will I get?
- What will you guarantee, and what won't you?
- What are the prices, in writing, and what happens if I want to stop?
A good Guide or agency will answer all eight without hesitating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a StoryBrand Certified Agency?
A StoryBrand Certified Agency is a marketing firm that StoryBrand has certified as a team. Under StoryBrand's updated agency program, every team member goes through StoryBrand's training, and new hires learn the framework when they join.
What is a StoryBrand Certified Guide?
A StoryBrand Certified Guide is an independent marketer who has been trained, licensed and certified by StoryBrand to use the StoryBrand framework with clients. Each Guide is listed in the StoryBrand directory at marketingmadesimple.com.
Is a StoryBrand Certified Agency better than a Guide?
Not automatically. Both use the same framework. An agency suits organizations that need a full team, an office or one company for everything. A Guide suits owners who want to work directly with an experienced specialist.
How do I find a StoryBrand Certified Agency or Guide?
Search the StoryBrand directory at marketingmadesimple.com. You can filter by service, such as website development, copywriting or a full-suite marketing agency, and read each provider's profile.
Does everyone at a StoryBrand Certified Agency have to be certified?
Under StoryBrand's updated agency program, StoryBrand says the training covers everyone on the team. Under the earlier program, I saw agencies where only one or two key people were certified. Whichever you hire, ask who will work on your account.
Is StoryWorks a StoryBrand Certified Agency?
No. StoryWorks is run by Tim Yates, an independent StoryBrand Certified Guide since 2020. Tim does the messaging and SEO work himself and brings in other Guides and specialists when a project needs them.
Can a StoryBrand Guide handle a large company?
Yes, often with help. When Tim coached Monat Global, a billion-dollar company based in Miami, he brought in a second StoryBrand Guide with experience at that scale, and they ran the meetings together.
Not Sure Which One You Need?
Tell me what you're working on, and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit. If an agency, or another Guide, would serve you better, I'll say so. The call is free, and the call isn't a pitch.
Want to see what working with me costs first? Every price is on the pricing page.
About the Author
Tim Yates is the founder of StoryWorks Marketing in Waukee, Iowa. He has been a Certified StoryBrand Guide since 2020 and is a StoryBrand Certified Coach and a Duct Tape Marketing Certified Fractional CMO. Before StoryWorks, he spent 30 years in ministry leading staff and volunteers. He has coached about 140 business owners through the StoryBrand framework, including breakout rooms on 20+ StoryBrand livestreams.
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Related reading: StoryBrand SEO · How Much Does It Cost to Hire a StoryBrand Guide? · StoryBrand Workshop · About Tim · Pricing