From Side Project to Scalable Service: How Dialog Helps Busy Founders Become Thought Leaders with Video
How Dialog went from a side hustle to a scalable video service, helping busy B2B founders break out of their tight circles and build trust on LinkedIn.
The following was an interview between entrepreneur Maiko Sakai and Dialog's founder Justin Vajko.
Q1: I'd love you to share the backstory of starting DIALOG. What were you doing before & what led you to start this venture?
Before starting Dialog, I spent years doing website design and graphic design as a side project while working for others. I was the solo marketer for a $4 million nonprofit and later for a $60 million B2B manufacturer, helping them grow to $90 million in three years. In 2018, I took the leap and launched Dialog full-time, initially offering a range of marketing services like branding, email marketing, social media, and web design.
What really led to the pivot in 2022 was a remote video project I did for the number one broker in LA. We did a 30-minute remote interview and turned his answers into short social media clips. Despite the video being far from perfect, it received thousands of views—far more than his usual listing videos. That’s when I realized there’s a huge opportunity for well-known entrepreneurs who want to expand their presence but don’t have the time or desire to make high-end video content. This was the turning point where Dialog became focused on remote video marketing.
Q2: This blog series is all about sharing unique niche businesses I find within my network. Keeping this in mind, I'd love you to describe what problem DIALOG solves in your own words.
Dialog solves the problem for entrepreneurs who are well-known within their tight circles but want to expand their reach. Most of these people are busy B2B founders who know the importance of video content but don’t have the time to plan, script, or prepare for it.
Our service removes the friction by meeting with them just once a month for an hour. We prepare the topics, conduct a live interview-style conversation, and turn their answers into short, under-90-second clips for LinkedIn and social media. We take care of the entire process—from recording to editing to publishing—so they only need to show up and share their expertise.
Q3: I'll be honest. Most of the time when founders talk about what their business does, it goes over my head. How did you discover it to be a viable niche?
It took me a while to discover this niche. Initially, I was doing all kinds of marketing work for different types of clients. But after reading John Warlow’s book Built to Sell, I realized I needed a productized, scalable service.
The breakthrough came when I did that first remote video interview for the LA real estate broker. His engagement skyrocketed, even though the video quality wasn’t amazing and he wasn’t the best on camera. I saw firsthand that the demand was there for entrepreneurs who wanted to be more visible without putting in the time and effort video production usually requires. That’s when I knew I had something viable.
Q4: It would be amiss not to mention how DIALOG's website seamlessly highlights its niche and makes it all about its customers. Because it's impressive, I'd like you to use this space to brag all about it. Go!
What we’re really proud of with Dialog is how easy we make it for B2B founders to see how we solve their problem. The website clearly outlines our process: we take busy entrepreneurs who want to be thought leaders on LinkedIn but don’t have the time to create content, and we give them a friction-free way to do so. We handle everything—from topic prep to recording to publishing—and the site focuses on showcasing how that saves them time and removes the stress of video production. We’ve streamlined everything to be all about their convenience and results.
Q5: I always say discovering your profitable niche isn't a linear process. Too many business owners avoid the necessary & occasionally painful work because they are impatient. Do you have any stories that can inspire them to keep going at it?
Absolutely. For me, it took nearly five years to find my niche. I was doing a little bit of everything for everyone—websites, branding, social media, you name it. It felt like I was constantly casting a wide net and hoping something would stick. But I kept my eyes on the goal of finding a scalable service that I could be known for.
It wasn’t until that remote video project in 2022 that I realized short-form video content was the niche. I had to be patient and open to the process, and it’s the same for anyone—your niche will reveal itself, but it might take time. And just because you’ve found a niche doesn’t mean you have to say no to all other work—you can still take on projects outside your niche as needed, but having that focus builds momentum.
Q6: You came up with a formula that helps thought leaders stay consistent with their social media presence. Any customer success stories you want to share?
One of my favorite success stories is a VC firm founder, Lenore. She was already well-known within her small circles, speaking at events and beloved by her clients. But she wasn’t active on LinkedIn. We started working with her to create short-form video content through our monthly interview process. The result? Her LinkedIn engagement took off, leading to booked-out events and real sales-qualified leads.
For example, before working with us, she had an event that had to be canceled due to lack of interest. After we promoted the same event with just one video we created together, it was fully booked. That’s the kind of impact we aim to have for all our clients—consistent, meaningful engagement that drives results.
Q7: What's next for DIALOG? Also, what's next for you?
What’s next for Dialog is to keep refining the model. We’ve been troubleshooting it for two years, and now it’s solid—especially with the shift to a monthly model where we handle everything from writing posts to publishing content.
Next, we’re focused on scaling. The goal is to equip 10,000 B2B founders to share their voice on LinkedIn. That’s the big, audacious goal we’re working toward. As for me personally, I’m excited about growing our team and continuing to build something that frees entrepreneurs to focus on what they do best while we take care of the rest.
About Justin
Justin is a marketing nerd. His gateway drug was in middle school when he and his buddies would make up brand names and draw logos for fun. He graduated with a B.A. in Graphic Design from UW Eau Claire. He then cut his teeth leading the marketing for a $4 million non-profit, moving them into the digital age with new channels and systems. He joined a $60M healthcare manufacturer as marketing team of 1, helping grow them to $90M in three years. Justin became a full-time marketing entrepreneur in 2018. He now enables founders to grow their pipeline and thought leadership through social media videos. Follow him on Linkedin here.
