In episode 142, I sit down with Amy Maxwell, founder and creative director of Maxwell Design, to talk about the real tension small creative shops face: how do you grow without sacrificing the craft that made you successful in the first place?

We dig into what it looks like to evolve from “hands-on designer” to “agency leader,” how to protect quality as you add capacity, and how to make smart choices about clients, process, and scope so growth doesn’t turn into chaos. If you want to scale with intention (and still love the work), this one’s for you.

Key Bytes • Scaling doesn’t have to mean sacrificing creative quality • Your process is what protects the craft as you grow • “Better clients” often solves what “more clients” can’t • You can stay hands-on without being the bottleneck • The right constraints create consistency, not limitation • Hiring should reduce friction, not add management drag • Clear scope and boundaries prevent quiet burnout

Chapters 00:00 Intro: scaling without losing the craft 02:10 Amy’s origin story and building Maxwell Design 06:20 The “stay small” choice and what it protects 11:05 When growth starts to strain quality (warning signs) 16:10 Processes that keep creative standards high 22:30 Team structure: support roles vs creative roles 28:40 Client fit, boundaries, and saying “no” earlier 34:15 Staying fulfilled while the business grows 40:20 Rapid-fire questions and wrap-up

Amy—Creative Director + Founder of Maxwell Design—has spent the last two decades helping businesses look their best. She’s an award-winning designer with a knack for reading minds and creating delightful visual experiences. Her solution-focused approach makes her someone you’ll want in any room. And her small (but mighty) team comes with some major design chops.

Contact Amy on LinkedIn or on their website.

THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY IGNITION. START YOUR FREE 14 DAY TRIAL ignitionapp.info/agencybytes-trial Use Code OUTSIGHT25 to save 50% off!

In episode 141, I sit down with Melissa and Meredith, the hosts of the Agency Darlings podcast and longtime agency operators, to unpack why so many agency owners feel burned out, stuck, or disillusioned by the traditional agency growth advice that’s been circulating for decades.

We talk candidly about the “bro playbook” — hustle culture, ego-driven leadership, top-down decision making, and growth at all costs — and why it often leads to unhealthy teams, poor margins, and miserable owners. Melissa and Meredith share what they’ve learned from years inside agencies about what actually drives sustainable growth: emotional intelligence, clear communication, strong operations, and leadership that prioritizes people alongside profit.

This episode is a refreshing, grounded look at agency leadership through a more human lens — one that challenges outdated norms and offers agency owners permission to build businesses that align with who they actually are.

Key Bytes

• Why the traditional agency “bro playbook” is failing modern agencies • The hidden cost of hustle culture on owners and teams • How emotional intelligence impacts agency growth and retention • What healthier leadership looks like inside agencies • Redefining success beyond revenue and headcount

Chapters

00:00 Why the traditional agency playbook feels broken 05:12 The origins of hustle culture in agencies 11:04 Masculine-driven leadership norms and their impact 17:32 Emotional intelligence as a growth lever 23:58 Building healthier agency cultures 30:41 Operator-led leadership vs. ego-led leadership 37:10 Sustainable growth without burnout 43:26 Redefining success as an agency owner 49:12 Advice for owners ready to do things differently

Each with over 15 years of experience in the agency space and deep-rooted connections within the industry, Melissa and Meredith bring actionable insights, expert advice, and candid conversations that challenge the conventional, masculine-driven approaches to agency growth.

Contact Meredith & Melissa:

www.agencydarlings.com

https://bit.ly/MWDarlings

https://waverlyave.com

https://instagram.com/waverlyave.co

https://www.lecheile.co/contact

https://www.instagram.com/lecheile.co/

In episode 140, I sit down with Michael Janda—agency founder, bestselling author, and one of the most respected voices helping creatives master the business side of creativity. Michael built and sold Riser, worked with giants like Disney and Google, and later led creative teams at Fox before dedicating his career to teaching creatives how to price, position, and run their businesses without burning out.

We dig into the mental and operational “growing up” that every creative eventually faces: getting past portfolio thinking, charging confidently, understanding value, eliminating chaos, and building a more peaceful (and profitable) creative life. Michael’s straight-talk wisdom hits every agency owner exactly where they need it—no fluff, no ego, just clarity.

Key Bytes • Why creatives struggle with pricing — and how to fix it • The mindset shift from freelancer to business owner • How Michael positioned his agency to win massive clients • The surprising relationship between process, profit, and peace • What creatives get wrong about value • Why “portfolio thinking” holds owners back • How to build a business that supports your life, not the other way around

Chapters 00:01 Welcome + Michael’s background and agency journey 04:12 From creative chaos to building processes that scale 09:45 Why pricing is emotional—and how to make it objective 14:30 Portfolio vs. business owner mindset 19:58 Finding ideal clients and positioning that works 25:21 How Michael sold his agency and what he learned 31:44 The psychology of creative profitability 38:10 Achieving peace of mind as an owner 44:22 Michael’s advice for creatives who feel “stuck”

Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, agency founder, and bestselling author.

He built the creative agency Riser with clients like Disney, Google, Warner Bros., and ABC, then sold the business after 13 successful years. Before that, he served as a creative director at Fox. Michael

is the author of Burn Your Portfolio and The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing. Today, he shares practical, no-fluff strategies to help creative professionals master business, pricing, and growth.

Connect with Michael through his Community, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Website, or explore his Courses.

In episode 139, I sit down with Melanie Chandruang, founder of WeConsult and a strategic operations partner for creative agencies. Melanie has spent the last seven years helping agencies tighten up their financials, streamline workflows, and build stronger leadership teams—while also navigating two maternity leaves, a cross-country move, and re-entering the industry in one of its toughest seasons.

We dig into how she rebuilt WeConsult after stepping away to have kids, what’s changed in the agency landscape since 2023, and why she’s now staying higher-level as a fractional ops leader instead of getting buried in implementation. Melanie breaks down what healthy leadership actually looks like, why so many founders remain the bottleneck even after hiring “senior” people, and how clear ownership, scorecards, and trust change everything.

We also get tactical: what she looks for first in the financials, the operational metrics that matter most, and why agencies without documented processes are struggling the most with AI adoption. We wrap by talking about leading through uncertainty, avoiding burnout, and the simple practice Melanie uses to remind herself of the value she’s creating—plus her very 90s go-to karaoke song.

Key Bytes • Clean financials and clear reporting are the true foundation of scalable ops • Workflow ownership matters — if it’s nobody’s job, it’s nobody’s job • Founders stay bottlenecks when leadership has no autonomy or scorecards • Agencies with documented systems adopt AI faster (and with fewer messes) • Strong leadership = trust, clarity, and shared problem-solving • Self-care and boundaries are essential for sustainable agency ownership

Chapters 00:01 Intro and how Melanie rebuilt WeConsult after kids and a cross-country move 02:48 Stepping away from client work, losing momentum, and clawing back into a changed industry 05:36 Why Melanie now stays high-level and pushes implementation to internal teams and automation 07:42 Founders as bottlenecks and what a truly strong leadership team looks like 11:15 Ego, scale, and the operational shifts required for owners to get out of the way 15:36 Where Melanie starts operationally: financials, workflows, and clear ownership 18:07 The agency financial metrics that actually matter (profitability, cash, utilization, and more) 22:03 Why documented systems are the key to successful AI adoption (and how messy it gets without them) 26:00 Leading through uncertainty, rebuilding a business, and protecting your own wellbeing 28:38 AI note-takers, imposter syndrome, and Melanie’s “value” practice 31:36 Melanie’s 90s karaoke pick and where to learn more about WeConsult

Melanie Chandruang is the Founder of WeConsult and a Strategic Operations Partner for creative agencies. With over 15 years in the industry, she helps agency owners boost profits, streamline operations, and move big initiatives forward so they can focus on growth and what matters most.

Connect with Melanie on their website.

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In episode 138, I sit down with Jordan Snider, co-founder and CTO of Token Creative Services, to break down the real impact of integrating Ignition App into their agency operations. Jordan shares how Token went from scattered proposals, manual invoices, and nearly $40k in aging AR to a streamlined, single-system workflow that clients actually appreciated.

We dig into the operational before/after: centralized proposals and agreements, automated billing, faster close rates, clearer scope definition, easier upsells and renewals, and the elimination of unbilled “mystery hours.” Jordan also talks about forecasting clarity — and why dashboards that tie proposals, renewals, and revenue projections together are a game changer for decision-making.

This episode is a grounded look at what happens when an agency stops tolerating a duct-taped sales and billing process and finally upgrades the operational spine of the business.

Key Bytes • Token’s breaking point was nearly $40k in aging AR — a clear sign the proposal and billing process was broken. • Clients were confused by multiple proposal versions, scattered contracts, and manual payments; consolidating everything through Ignition simplified the entire client experience. • The biggest financial lift came from capturing previously unbilled variable hours and out-of-scope work. • Automated reminders and stored payment methods dramatically reduced AR and manual follow-up. • Forecasting became easier with visible open proposals, renewal pipelines, and year-over-year revenue projections. • Simplifying the tech stack cut both software cost and constant integration maintenance. • Ignition enabled Token to shift from hourly pricing to value-driven retainers because operations finally supported it. • Jordan’s advice: delaying this overhaul guarantees regret — proactively fixing it avoids the forced crisis moment.

Chapters 00:00 Intro and why Token’s Ignition story matters 02:05 Token’s early days and “brute force” agency ops 03:10 The $40k AR wake-up call 05:10 What was broken in their proposal + onboarding workflow 06:55 Client reactions after switching to Ignition 07:50 Close rates, renewals, and handling scope creep 09:40 Capturing unbilled work and shrinking AR 11:55 Forecasting and metrics that changed decision-making 14:00 Simplifying the tech stack and ditching integrations 16:40 How clarity improved both scope and service delivery 23:40 Productizing services and shifting to retainers 25:05 Jordan’s advice for agencies resisting the overhaul 26:50 Rapid fire and wrap-up

Jordan Snider is the Co-Founder and CTOof Token Creative Services, a full-service digital marketing and creative agency based in Kitchener-Waterloo. With a background in full-stack software engineering, Jordan bridges the gap between technical development and creative marketing. He has contributed personal reflections to platforms supporting victims of family violence, discussing the unique stressors faced by newcomers and the importance of community support systems.

His work reflects a blend of technical precision and a commitment to social impact, aligning with Token Creative’s mission to support businesses making positive environmental or social changes.

Connect with Jordan on their website, or learn more about Ignition here.

In episode 137, I sit down with Jennifer Spire, Partner and CEO of Preston Spire — a 75-year-old agency that’s somehow still pushing boundaries while many newer shops flame out. Jennifer shares how she modernized a legacy company without losing the cultural DNA that kept it alive for three-quarters of a century. We get into leadership transitions, building a values-driven agency, navigating generational shifts in talent, and how she’s shaping the next era of a Midwest powerhouse.

Key Bytes • The hidden advantages legacy agencies have but often ignore • Why values act as a competitive moat — but only if they’re enforced • How Jennifer leads change without blowing up culture • The reality of modernizing 75-year-old processes • Where agencies underestimate the work of staying relevant

Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:20 What it means to run a 75-year-old agency today 05:05 How Jennifer modernized Preston Spier without breaking it 09:40 The cultural DNA that actually drives retention 13:55 Why “values” only matter when leaders enforce them 17:48 Leadership evolution: from partner to CEO 21:30 What younger talent expects from an established shop 25:18 Staying relevant in a fast-changing industry 29:55 How Preston Spire balances legacy and innovation 33:42 Advice Jennifer wishes she had earlier 38:10 Closing thoughts

Jennifer Spire is partner and CEO at Preston Spire, an Ad Age Best Place to Work and Midwest Small Agency of the Year. She is an accomplished agency leader with over 25 years of experience in both consumer and B2B marketing for just about every industry out there. At Preston Spire, Jennifer has played the leading role in reshaping the framework that defines the agency, focused on a strong vision, values and purpose. She has been a speaker at dozens of local and national conferences, has authored articles and thought pieces on various marketing subjects, and has been a board member of several nonprofit organizations. Jennifer was an east coast native before calling Minneapolis home. She was an NCGA gymnast and a gymnastics coach, who also had advertising in her blood, thanks to her grandfather being one of the founding fathers of Madison Avenue.

Contact Jennifer on LinkedIn or the Preston Spire website.

In episode 136, I sit down with JP Holecka, founder and CEO of Power Shifter Digital, a Vancouver-based agency leading the shift toward AI-driven digital products and content creation. With over 30 years of experience in design, film, and technology, JP has guided multiple teams through successful AI rollouts—transforming workflows, scaling creativity, and redefining how digital agencies deliver value.

We talk about what it really takes to evolve your agency for the AI era, how to navigate the culture shift that comes with automation, and why embracing AI is less about replacing people and more about amplifying what they’re capable of.

KEY BYTES • AI isn’t replacing creativity—it’s amplifying it • True transformation starts with changing workflows, not job titles • The most successful AI rollouts start with internal adoption before client delivery • Leadership has to model curiosity and experimentation • Agencies that treat AI as a tool, not a threat, are finding their competitive edge

CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 02:01 JP’s background and the evolution of Power Shifter 06:32 The first AI experiments that changed everything 10:45 Getting team buy-in and overcoming initial skepticism 14:58 Building processes around AI rather than forcing it in |20:10 Human creativity in the age of automation 25:36 How AI has changed client expectations 31:12 Leadership lessons from scaling an AI-driven agency 36:45 The next frontier of digital work 40:30 JP’s advice for agency founders starting their AI journey 43:00 Rapid Fire Questions

JP Holecka is the founder and CEO of Power Shifter Digital, a Vancouver-based agency leading the shift toward AI-driven digital products and content creation. With over 30 years of experience in design, film, and technology, JP has guided multiple agencies through successful AI rollouts—transforming workflows, scaling creativity, and redefining how teams collaborate with generative tools.

Contact JP on the PowerShifter website or on LinkedIn.

In episode 135, I sit down with Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute and host of the Build a Better Agency podcast. Drew’s been in the business for over 30 years and has coached thousands of agencies on how to grow profitably, attract better clients, and actually enjoy the perks of ownership.

In this conversation, we unpack what the real job of an agency owner is — and how easy it is to get lost in the weeds doing everyone else’s. Drew shares how founders can move from day-to-day chaos to the higher-level work of vision, leadership, and building a pipeline that doesn’t depend on them. We also talk about the mental shift from “founder hustle” to “CEO clarity,” and what it really means to build an agency that serves your life, not the other way around.

Key Bytes • The three things only the owner can and should do • Why your agency’s profit tells the truth about your leadership • Building a self-sustaining pipeline that runs without you • How to structure your week around the owner’s actual job • The difference between running an agency and owning a business • What makes an agency truly “sellable” • Common traps that keep founders stuck in the weeds • How to get your time back without losing control

Chapters 00:00 Welcome and Drew’s background 04:12 The evolution from founder to true agency owner 09:45 What the “owner’s actual job” really is 14:58 Why agency profit is a mirror of leadership 20:17 Building systems and pipelines that aren’t you 26:04 The importance of clarity and delegation 31:42 Common mistakes that limit scalability 38:27 How to build an agency that can thrive without you 44:10 Preparing for eventual sale or succession 49:22 Drew’s advice for new and seasoned agency owners

Drew McLellan has worked in advertising for 30+ years and started his own agency, McLellan Marketing Group, in 1995 after a five-year stint at Y&R and still actively runs the agency. He spends the lion’s share of his time running Agency Management Institute (AMI), which he also co-owns/runs with his wife Danyel.

AMI serves thousands of small to mid-sized agencies (advertising, digital, marketing, media, and PR) every year, so they can increase their AGI, attract better clients and employees, mitigate the risks of being self-employed in such a volatile business, and best of all — let the agency owner actually enjoy the perks of agency ownership.

AMI is the only agency network that is run by an active agency owner. It offers:

• Public workshops for agency owners, leaders and account service staff

• Owner peer networks (like a Vistage group or 4A’s forums)

• Private coaching/consulting for agency owners

• Annual primary research with CMOs and client decision makers about their work with agencies

• The highly praised podcast Build A Better Agency

• The only conference built for small to mid-sized agencies – the Build A Better Agency Summit

Drew often appears in publications like Entrepreneur Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, AdAge, CNN, BusinessWeek, and many others. The Wall Street Journal calls him “one of 10 bloggers every entrepreneur should read.”

He’s also written several books, the most recent being Sell with Authority (January 2020). The latest book has garnered rave reviews and has been the guidebook for agency growth and business development in today’s world.

Drew also speaks at leading agency and marketing conferences like Inbound, Content Marketing World, and MAICON and is often cited in agency-centric content for his expertise in the industry.

When he’s not hanging out with clients or agency owners and their staff, Drew spends time with his wife, their blended family, and following his beloved Dodgers.

Learn more about Drew and AMI on their website.