The Agency Growth Podcast

[Cold open [Google is testing bigger Local Services Ads.] ends at 06:23.] More clients won’t fix an agency that can’t handle the ones it already has. In this episode, we lay out seven steps for growing an agency. We also talk about deciding what kind of agency you actually want to run. That decision affects the services you sell and the clients you take on. We share how onboarding became such a bottleneck that we stopped taking new clients for months. Clients had already called us out for being too busy growing to deliver the monthly service. They were right, and we had to fix it. We also get into why adding clients and hiring more people eventually stops being enough. Increasing revenue per client matters, but selling an extra service you can’t confidently deliver can cost you the relationship. These are lessons from building our own agency, including the parts we’re still figuring out. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Google tests bigger Local Services Ads article: https://searchengineland.com/google-tests-bigger-local-services-ads-491531 ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

[Cold open [ChatGPT shopping fees and profit margins.] ends at 06:55.] The money in your agency’s bank account isn’t all yours to spend. This week, we walk through how we manage finances at Evergrow and how that system has changed as we’ve grown. We cover collecting payments, keeping business and personal money separate, and getting an accountant before your books become a mess. We also explain how we adapted Profit First to give payroll, operating expenses, savings, and profit their own accounts. Those boundaries help us decide whether we can afford a new tool or hire without treating every dollar as available money. Then there’s paying ourselves. We’ve gone from taking home $12,000 each in a busy month to less than $1,000 in winter. We talk about what changed and why your personal income shouldn’t swing with your agency’s seasons. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: ChatGPT 5.6 has transformed Shopping mode: https://www.tryprofound.com/blog/chatgpt-5.6-shopping-transformation#smaller-merchants-must-integrate-through-shopify-to-combat-this Reddit post shared by Jake: https://www.reddit.com/r/agency/comments/1wavilk/agency_owners_how_do_you_manage_your_finances/?solution=d6ced175b39ca535d6ced175b39ca535&js_challenge=1&jsc_token=2824be10929bdc604753c70a67a1c3311f738478fbc50c003b1beb425da34512&jsc_orig_r= Agencies Need the Profit First™ System (ft. Mike Michalowicz): https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/episodes/agencies-need-the-profit-first-system-ft-mike-michalowicz-150 The Tax Strategies Most Agency Owners Never Consider (ft. Emily Bowie): https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/episodes/the-tax-strategies-most-agency-owners-never-consider-ft-emily-bowie-w-thorne-advisors-222 ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

[Cold open [Reacting to California's ban on addictive social media features.] ends at 06:20.] In this episode, we break down what actually happens when you land (or think about landing) a client that might be too big for your agency to handle. A lot of agency owners mistake the overall valuation of a client's business with the actual scope of work required. When you rush to take on massive accounts without the labor capacity to back it up, you end up compromising quality, burning out your team, or neglecting your existing clients. Real agency growth comes down to calculating your actual labor hours, not chasing big numbers for vanity. We share our own stumbles, from turning down a 30-hour-a-week overflow contract early on to managing a franchise deal that eventually made up 35% of our monthly revenue. Relying on one account to fund half of your payroll creates massive operational risk if that revenue suddenly disappears or gets moved in-house. We talk through how taking on deals outside your limits can do irreversible damage to your reputation and pull you away from your core niche. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/agencynewbies/comments/1w8p20q/i_think_im_getting_into_something_big/?solution=27c5927fd8eeb84b27c5927fd8eeb84b&js_challenge=1&jsc_token=2824be10929bdc604753c70a67a1c33147878f6fa90addb71bae1db8a88a12a6&jsc_orig_r= ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

[Cold open [The Problem With ChatGPT Ads.] ends at 07:03.] Your agency already has a brand voice, even if you’ve never defined it. We learned this when a team member published the first Evergrow blog post that Cody or Jake didn’t write. The article was solid, but it didn’t sound like us. That exposed a problem many agency owners eventually face: once content and client communication move beyond the founders, the team needs more direction than “keep it casual.” In this episode, we talk about defining a voice around your clients, company values, and the way your team actually communicates. We also explain why reviewing work together matters, especially when you’re training newer employees. The goal isn’t to make everyone sound identical, but to give them clear boundaries and room to contribute. We also break down how objective writing standards can make editing less subjective. If your agency is delegating content, emails, or social media, this is the groundwork that keeps the brand consistent as the team grows. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Article: Data Reveals ChatGPT Ads Not Performing https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/417528/data-reveals-chatgpt-ads-not-performing.html ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

In this episode, we talk about why the right .com can be worth pursuing as your agency grows. It will not instantly bring in more leads, but it can change how established and credible your business feels. That matters when you are building a real company instead of chasing short-term revenue. We walk through how to find the owner of a taken domain, determine what it may actually be worth, and complete the purchase without hiring a broker. The most important part is deciding what you are willing to pay before the negotiation starts. Cody also shares how he bought a domain listed for a few thousand dollars for just $230. It is a good reminder that an asking price is only an asking price, and that domain acquisition could become another useful service your agency offers clients. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Inside the Castello Brothers Smoothie Move Into Fractional Ownership of Domain Names Article: https://www.dnjournal.com/articles/2026/smoothie/doma.htm Book recommendation: "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss How to get in touch with the domain owner? lookup.icann.org Premium domain negotiating toolbox: Estibot.com Escrow.com ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact