The Agency Profit Podcast

About this Episode In this episode of the Agency Profit Podcast, Carson Pierce is joined by Sean Harris, Director of Customer Experience at Function Point, to explore the challenges and emerging trends shaping the agency industry, drawing on insights from the 2026 Creative Industry Trends Report. Together, they unpack why agencies are struggling with declining revenue, overservicing, inaccurate time tracking, and shrinking profit margins, even as technology makes teams more efficient. Sean shares key findings from the report, including why many agencies lack visibility into their own profitability, how small client requests quietly eat into margins, and why AI adoption isn’t always translating into better financial results. From the growing shift toward value-based pricing to the importance of reliable data, stronger processes, and more accurate forecasting, this episode offers practical insights to help agency owners improve profitability, make smarter decisions, and build more resilient businesses in an uncertain market.

About this Episode In this episode of the Agency Profit Podcast, Carson Pierce is joined by Dr. Jeremy Weisz, longtime podcaster and co-founder of Rise25, to explore how agencies can use podcasting as a relationship-building and business development tool rather than simply chasing downloads and subscribers. Drawing from nearly two decades of podcasting experience, Jeremy explains why the real value of a B2B podcast comes from intentionally connecting with potential clients, referral partners, strategic partners, and industry leaders while creating something valuable for them in return. Together, Carson and Jeremy unpack how to choose the right guests, build social proof, create conversations people are proud to share, and turn interviews into opportunities for learning and stronger relationships. From Jeremy’s Dream 200 approach to his five-step framework for generating ROI from a podcast, this episode offers agency leaders a practical way to rethink podcasting as a system for building meaningful relationships that can support long-term business growth.

About this Episode In this episode of the Agency Profit Podcast, Kristen Kelly is joined by Marcel Petitpas and Carson Pierce to explore what the future of agencies looks like in the age of AI and why the line between service businesses and SaaS companies is quickly disappearing. Drawing from Marcel’s experience building a technology-enabled service business, working alongside SaaS companies, and incubating AI-first startups, the team breaks down why agencies may have a bigger advantage than they realize if they can pair their hard-earned expertise with technology. Together, they unpack Marcel’s “four MVPs” framework: minimum viable problem, point of view, process, and product, and explore how agencies can use the value equation to deliver better outcomes faster, more efficiently, and with less friction for clients. From moving beyond time-and-materials pricing and avoiding costly product side quests to embracing AI, sharpening specialization, and building more flexible business models, this episode offers a practical framework for turning years of agency experience into a competitive advantage and building a more valuable, resilient agency for the future.

About this Episode In this episode of the Agency Profit Podcast, Carson Pierce is joined by agency growth consultant Eric Brown, co-founder of Blood, Sweat & Tears, to explore one of the most overlooked levers in agency growth: treating new business as a real, repeatable function rather than something left to chance. Drawing from over 20 years advising agencies on growth, Eric breaks down the first principles of building a scalable pipeline, starting with strategy, positioning, and messaging before any tactics are chosen. Together, he and Carson unpack why most pipeline problems stem not from a lack of effort, but from founders never having built growth as a true discipline within their agency. From his four-pillar framework to his diagnostic-first Vitals assessment and his reframing of growth around enterprise value, this episode offers a practical framework for building a healthier, more predictable agency, by fixing the strategy before chasing the numbers.

About this Episode In this episode of the Agency Profit Podcast, Carson Pierce is joined by Elizabeth Thorn, Head of Marketing at Toggl, to explore how agencies can move beyond basic time tracking and use better operational data to make smarter business decisions. Drawing from her experience running an SEO and digital marketing agency, Elizabeth explains how accurate time data can help agency leaders uncover profit leakage, improve project estimates, manage team capacity, and identify burnout before it affects performance. Together, Carson and Elizabeth discuss the difference between being busy and being profitable, the hidden cost of context switching, the importance of setting realistic utilization targets, and why agencies can build accountability without relying on employee surveillance. The conversation offers practical insights into using historical time data to improve forecasting, resource planning, profitability, and long-term agency performance.