AGENCY OWNER. BIGGER DECISIONS.
Perspective for marketing and creative agency owners facing growth, margins, leadership or exit decisions.
GROWING AN AGENCY IS ONE THING. LEADING IT IS ANOTHER.
Experienced perspective for marketing and creative agency owners navigating people, profit, growth and their future.
I built and led Anvil Media for 22 years before its merger with Deksia in 2022. I know that a growing team, unpredictable client mix and the founder's own changing role often create harder questions than winning the next account.
We can work through the trade-offs in front of you without a generic framework or promises about outcomes: leadership, margins, positioning, succession and where you want the agency to take you.
BRING ME YOUR QUESTION ↗GROWTH IS ONLY GOOD IF YOU WANT THE BUSINESS IT CREATES.
Marketing and creative agency owners are often told to scale. The harder question is whether the next stage will make the agency healthier. A bigger client list can concentrate risk; another layer of management can create confusion; and a new service line can distract from the work that actually earns a margin.
After founding Anvil Media in 2000, I spent 22 years making real choices about people, clients, leadership and growth. In 2022, Anvil merged with Deksia. That is a relevant operating history, not a claim that every agency should pursue an acquisition or follow my decisions.
If you have been looking for a business coach for agency owners, my approach is more specific: independent founder advisory for the choice on your desk. We can question the assumptions behind an agency growth plan, not sell you a playbook or promise an exit.
THREE QUESTIONS AN AGENCY FOUNDER SHOULD BRING.
Which work is really profitable? Separate high revenue from strong contribution margin, and ask whether scope, client concentration or delivery capacity are distorting the picture.
What still depends on you? Identify where accounts, proposals, hiring or difficult conversations wait for your permission. See the founder-dependency advisory for a deeper way into that question.
What kind of agency do you want in three years? Owner-operated, leadership-led, partnered or positioned for a possible sale can each call for different decisions today. You do not have to arrive with a polished presentation; bring the trade-offs and the numbers you are comfortable discussing.
To understand my background, explore the Anvil lessons and my experience. To prepare a single decision, use the free decision worksheet.
GROWTH & MARGINS
Revenue quality, pricing, scope and which work is worth doing.
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Building management capacity and accountability as you grow.
FOUNDER BOTTLENECKS
Taking yourself out of every approval and escalation.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER
A leadership transition, partnership, sale or different work-life balance.
ONE DECISION OR AN ONGOING RHYTHM.
Start with a $750 standalone 90-minute session or ongoing $600/month advisory with one prepared 90-minute conversation and planning worksheet each month. Explore the format and terms.
PREPARE WITH A FREE DECISION BRIEF ↗