From Political Studies to Marketing Maven: Maria’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Most marketing agency founders don’t start in marketing.

Maria Kathopoulis started in political science.

Before becoming Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of UNTMD Media, Maria studied political and international studies in the United States. A corporate or diplomatic career was the plan.

Entrepreneurship had other ideas.

After moving to Australia, she co-founded a football (soccer) training app with her husband, a former professional player who competed across Europe. Like most early-stage founders, they outsourced digital marketing.

It cost them between $50,000 and $150,000.

What they didn’t get was clarity.

The $150K Wake-Up Call

Frustrated, Maria did what most founders eventually have to do — she took control.

She opened Meta Ads Manager herself.

“I knew the cost per acquisition we needed to be profitable. Once I had control of the metrics, the results improved immediately.”

That decision changed everything.

The app grew to 180,000 subscribers in its first year. Investors took notice. Referrals followed. Other businesses started asking for help.

What began as problem-solving became a new career.

Building a Performance-First Agency

UNTMD Media didn’t launch with fanfare. For the first three years, Maria didn’t even have a website. Growth came through referrals and results.

Today, UNTMD is a 25-person performance marketing team operating across Australia and the Philippines. Maria has helped scale brands like EAORON and EZZ to eight-figure revenues, leading strategy across paid media, SEO, web, PR, communications and performance campaigns.

But the philosophy hasn’t changed.

Performance first.

That means:

• Clear revenue targets
• Defined cost-per-acquisition benchmarks
• Fast iteration when channels shift
• Hard conversations when strategies aren’t working

Maria believes too many founders chase branding before building predictable revenue. Her approach is different: stabilise acquisition first. Build a reliable funnel. Then reinvest into brand and long-term positioning.

The Reality of Scaling

Running a performance-based agency is high pressure.

There are platform changes. Algorithm shifts. Seasonal spikes like Black Friday. Clients who want immediate results. Late nights. Hard financial conversations.

Growth isn’t smooth. It’s managed.

UNTMD has delivered six-figure sales days for clients — but those outcomes come from preparation, testing, database building and commercial discipline.

Maria’s advice for founders is direct:

Stay close to your numbers.
Embrace the journey.
Don’t outsource responsibility for growth.

Marketing isn’t magic.

It’s metrics, momentum, and the willingness to pivot when the landscape changes.