The 8 Figure Operator

Josh Cates is a lifelong entrepreneur, author, and nationally recognized growth strategist with more than 25 years of experience building companies and helping businesses achieve disciplined, scalable growth. As founder of Hero Marketing Agency, Josh built one of the home services industry's most respected strategy and marketing firms, partnering with growth-minded operators across the United States to drive clarity, profitability, and enterprise value. Under his leadership, Hero's rapid growth earned the company a place on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies.
Josh's perspective is rooted in experience, not theory. A 5X startup founder with three successful business exits, he has spent decades navigating the realities of entrepreneurship--from startups and scale to profitability and exit. He is also the author of "The Marketing Revolution," his first book challenging conventional thinking about how businesses approach marketing and growth. That experience shaped a core belief: marketing is not simply a vendor function--it is a leadership discipline. Marketing must connect directly to operations, financial performance, capacity, and the P&L. At Hero, their tagline captures that philosophy: "Market Like a Hero." It means rejecting vanity metrics and disconnected tactics in favor of accountability, transparency, and measurable business outcomes.
Josh's greatest passion in business is helping others unlock clarity in chaos. When you understand where your money is going, what's working, and what isn't--you gain control. And when you have control, you can scale with confidence. Currently, Josh lives in Texas with his wife and two daughters. He is committed to leading with integrity, investing in people, and helping the entrepreneurs he serves build not just a successful business, but a meaningful, well-lived life.