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About the Agency

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When you’re juggling client work, proposals, and the pressure to grow — lead generation can feel like a full-time job. For the founder of Dragon Weaver Media Worldwide, Branko Boro, it was exactly that. Based in Ireland, this small but mighty digital marketing agency had built its business offering Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and B2B LinkedIn outreach. But despite years of experience and strong skills, they found themselves stuck in the same loop so many Upwork professionals face: too much time spent chasing leads, and not enough predictable results.‍

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Humble Beginnings‍

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The journey began not with a fully formed agency, but with a solo freelancer experimenting on Upwork back in 2016. Over time, as collaborations with other freelancers grew more frequent, the logical step was to formalize the structure into a small agency by 2018.

Though Upwork was the main source of clients, other lead gen methods were tested. LinkedIn, for example, seemed promising — but it quickly proved ineffective and even risky.

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LinkedIn didn’t work for me. It was a lot of effort… The same amount of effort on Upwork gave better results.

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So, the agency leaned into Upwork. But even there, things weren’t smooth. The market was becoming more competitive, bidding was more aggressive, and the agency constantly felt late to the game. Proposal timing became a key issue — responding too late often meant getting completely overlooked.

The manual grind was taking its toll. There was no consistent process, and lead generation became a cycle of feast or famine. When projects were in full swing, there was no time for finding new clients. When work dried up, so did the revenue pipeline.

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You’re either too busy with clients or you have none. Then you need to switch to lead generation again. It’s a magic cycle that’s hard to break.

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Hiring help to manage the process didn’t feel like an option — trusting a stranger with such a critical part of the business seemed too risky.‍

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Discovering GigRadar

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The turning point came through LinkedIn — not as a lead source this time, but through content. Branko stumbled upon a post by GigRadar’s CEO Vadym Ovcharenko that immediately clicked. He spoke about the importance of applying early on Upwork — a detail the agency had also observed firsthand.

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That was the hook. From there, curiosity led to research, and research led to a conversation with the GigRadar team. While the price initially seemed out of reach, GigRadar team worked with the agency to find a plan that made sense. But more than that, they offered hands-on support from day one — optimizing prompts, refining scanner setups, and helping deal with platform-related challenges.

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It was out of my range, but the team worked with me. The support was amazing. They even helped me deal with scammers. That’s what kept me here.

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Branko realized that speed wasn’t just a detail — it was a strategy. And with GigRadar’s help, they could automate the process, respond faster, and focus their energy where it mattered.

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A New Workflow with Strategic Bidding

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After onboarding, the difference was immediate. No longer chained to Upwork during every spare moment, the agency could confidently work on client projects — or even take weekends off — knowing that proposals were still being sent out in the background.

Setting up the system took time. It wasn’t just “plug and play.” With the help of the GigRadar team, it took a month of testing and adjusting to find the right prompts and narrow the targeting. But once that was dialed in, opportunities started appearing.

At the same time, the process helped the agency discover a new niche — one with fewer competitors and higher alignment with their offer. Though jobs in this area are less frequent, they’re much more relevant, and the competition is less aggressive, allowing the agency to stand out.

This niche clarity, paired with consistent bidding, marked a turning point in how the agency approached growth. They also became more strategic with Upwork connects — investing only in high-potential jobs that aligned with their ICP.

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Early Results, Future Potential

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Two to three months in, the agency had already seen promising results. Six clients were landed, one of which covered the full investment in GigRadar, and others held the potential for longer-term partnerships. The revenue generated — around $6,500 — is just the beginning, and Branko is optimistic that continued use will lead to sustainable scaling.

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What matters more than the immediate numbers is the structure GigRadar brought to the lead generation process. It gave the agency freedom, predictability, and time to think bigger.

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Now I can still work — or take the weekend off — and know I’m applying for jobs. That’s a real sense of relief.

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With the manual hustle removed, the founder is now focusing on agency expansion. The goal is clear: land more clients, onboard new collaborators, and grow Dragon Weaver Media into a stronger, more resilient operation.

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Final Thoughts & Advice to Others

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For other Upwork agency owners, the message is clear: don’t try to do it all alone. Even if you’ve written hundreds of proposals, or know how to use ChatGPT — a tool like GigRadar, combined with expert support, can completely change the game.

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You may think you can get the prompts right… but you do need help. Especially with scanners — otherwise you’ll waste budget on the wrong jobs.

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Branko recommends anyone on the fence to get on a call with the GigRadar team, ask questions, and let them help with setup. Whether you’re struggling with leads, overwhelmed by manual work, or ready to scale — GigRadar is built to support that journey.

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