Max Ziervogel, founder and Head of Marketing at Levogel Marketing, believes strongly in the importance of human connection, despite the digital age’s focus on trends, metrics and algorithms. It is not of overnight success or viral campaigns, but of resilience, reinvention and a deep commitment to authenticity in marketing.
“I have been in marketing for my whole life, studied it – worked it – lived it and still do,” Max says with matter-of-fact clarity. “From a young age I was always in a marketing world; my grandparents owned one of the first ‘big’ agencies in South Africa, it’s one of those things in my DNA.”
From Burnout to Breakthrough
Before founding Levogel Marketing, Max had spent years inside the corporate machinery of advertising and brand management.
“I have always been quite a workaholic, work comes first it’s what makes me, me,” he admits. Yet the same drive that fueled his professional rise also led to a breaking point.
“Fast forward to burnout, nervous system failure, and a whole lot more — I had no choice but to stop. My life changed and I started doing Max for the first time,” he recalls.
Out of that moment of stillness came Levogel Marketing, born not from a business plan but from a need to reclaim purpose. “I took that step in doing what I always wanted to if it failed, I didn’t mind. I needed to live one thing that was what I was dreaming about at night… my own agency providing clients the love, attention and relationships they deserve.”
No bureaucratic “traffic departments” or over-engineered processes. Just Max, a vision and a commitment to giving brands an experience grounded in truth and partnership.
Levogel Marketing offers a comprehensive suite of services, from marketing consultation and strategy development to social media management, content creation, brand development and website design all tailored to help businesses build strong identities and achieve sustainable growth.
Redefining What Marketing Should Feel Like
Like many entrepreneurs, Max Ziervogel’s first steps were uncertain. “I went into this so wrong, I went in being safe. I did what I thought everyone wanted… my biggest mistake,” he reflects. But in rediscovering his creative instincts, he rebuilt Levogel on one simple premise: authenticity over aesthetics.
“I have one mission: find clients who want to explore, learn and teach and give a chance to do marketing, social media and everything in between a chance and an opportunity.”
Unlike most agencies, Levogel doesn’t believe in cookie-cutter packages. “I often get asked the same question, ‘well what are your packages?’ and I never wanted a package and set fee, because every client I have is different,” he explains. “I’m not going to give a Corolla X experience at Mercedes prices.”
This flexible, empathy-driven model has become Levogel’s signature. It’s not about being the biggest, it’s about being the most real.
The Name Behind the Brand
Levogel’s name is a story of its own, one rooted in family and serendipity. “My WhatsApp group with my parents and partner is Levogel Wings,” Max shares. “We wanted to plan a day for chicken wings. Well, fast forward years later and that WhatsApp group is the most used on my phone and we became the Levogels – Le Roux & Ziervogel combined.”
That playful beginning evolved into something much deeper, a shared vision for a legacy of creativity and impact. “He has Levogel (finance) and I have Levogel Marketing, one day we have an empire of businesses and a legacy to leave.”
Then came the colour orange now inseparable from Levogel’s identity.
“All of a sudden 2025 came along and orange was showing up in my life in more ways than I was comfortable with,” he says. From sneakers to signage, orange became a symbol of energy and renewal. “It was something me, something I had to do and something I love. I will probably need to make some tweaks soon, but I can promise one thing orange it will be.”
Lessons from Leadership
Running a digital agency solo comes with daily challenges. “Every day is a challenge, but every day is a lesson,” Max reflects. “I am a perfectionist… but it’s hard and the challenge is either something you learn to love or you have to accept defeat.”
His greatest lesson? “Be Honest. Be Simple. Be You. Without these, you are never going to be ok.”
That ethos shapes not just his client relationships but his entire business philosophy. “To start. Just start. That was the risk,” he says. “The salary I left behind… the unknown of what will be in my bank account this month. But that risk was the hardest, because I left a very nice title and salary slip behind. But leaving that behind gave me the chance to be me.”
Ironically, for someone in digital marketing, Max doesn’t chase trends. “I can’t even stay on top of my emails never mind this some days,” he jokes. “If my PA (ChatGPT) doesn’t inform me like he does every morning, I would probably be living in 2020.”
Yet his philosophy toward technology is refreshingly grounded. “I’m not one for chasing trends they die too fast. I live with authenticity, truth and connection,” he explains. “If a client is happy to get that and not always the trend that lasts five hours, then I’m the one.”
Still, Sundays are sacred, set aside for learning. “I allocate my Sundays to learning and ensuring I know what changes are there and I love some of them,” he says. “But I’m not going to worry more than I do for a trend and update.”
The Future of Marketing: Back to Real
For Max, the future of the industry is not about automation or AI supremacy; it’s about realness.
“I think the industry is heading into a space where the pendulum is swinging back toward realness,” he observes. “For years, digital marketing has been about polishing the perfect post, the perfect campaign, the perfect aesthetic. But I believe what will really shape the future is the return of human connection: content and brands that feel genuine, imperfect and grounded in actual relationships.”
Levogel’s culture is built on care, not control. “What I look for in my team is simple: people who care. Skill can be taught, but care, curiosity and that spark of wanting to go the extra mile, that’s gold.”
He wants his team to thrive in an atmosphere of honesty and freedom. “We don’t sugarcoat things; we tell the truth, even if it’s messy,” he says. “We give each other freedom to try, fail and then create something better.”
Burnout culture is something he never wants to replicate. “I don’t ever want to give an experience of that agency culture that makes your cortisol high and your will to live low.”
Client Relationships that Last
Max approaches clients as collaborators. “I build relationships by treating clients as partners, not transactions,” he explains. “I take time to understand who they are and what matters to them, because once trust is there everything else flows.”
Consistency, he believes, is what builds loyalty. “In a fast-paced world it’s the consistency that counts: showing up, delivering before they ask, and making them feel supported.”
Looking Ahead: Purpose Over Size
Max Ziervogel has no desire to build a sprawling agency. “My goal for the agency is to build something small, sharp, and meaningful,” he says. “I don’t want to be the biggest, I want to be the one people trust when they are tired of fluff and want truth, creativity, and work that actually makes a difference.”
His leadership philosophy is disarmingly simple: create a space where people can do their best work without losing themselves. “A place where chaos and creativity can live together, where clients feel looked after, and where the team feels proud of what we are building.”
And as for his personal mission? “For myself, the goal is to stay honest, to keep learning, keep experimenting, and never lose the love for the work. If I can look back and see that I built brands, people, and relationships that mattered, that will be success.”
