Are you struggling to make tough business decisions without second-guessing yourself? You’re not alone; many creatives struggle with balancing human connection with data-driven clarity.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Bill Coletti to discuss the interplay between fear and data in entrepreneurship, especially during pivotal decision-making moments. Bill is the founder of Kith.co and SCT Leadership, a seasoned entrepreneur, strategist, and author of Critical Moments. With decades of experience navigating global political campaigns and leading reputation management for brands like Target and American Airlines, Bill now dedicates his expertise to helping founders evolve into CEOs.

Listen in to learn why basic understanding of financials is essential as a mindset shift when evolving from freelancer to CEO. You will also learn in detail the emotional and psychological challenges that come with leadership, hiring, and entrepreneurship.

Key Questions:

• [01:27] How has fear—especially self-doubt—shaped your entrepreneurial journey?
• [04:42] Were there moments when data helped you manage or even intensify your fears?
• [09:39] How can creatives, who often dislike data, still use it effectively without sacrificing their creative edge?
• [19:11] How have you helped people to see where fear or logic is their guiding financial decision-maker?
• [22:00] What’s the worst possible outcome of your next big decision, and are you okay with it?
• [34:20] What if you stopped judging your emotions and started observing them instead?

What You’ll Discover:

• [02:02] Bill’s internal fears during early entrepreneurship, including impostor syndrome and leaving the safety of a big firm.
• [04:55] How data became essential when he planned to exit his company, transitioning from a practitioner to a high-level operator.
• [07:39] The importance of not losing sight of humanity when relying on data, because numbers impact people.
• [09:57] How to keep communication simple and tie data directly to vision and execution as a data-averse creative.
• [11:36] The danger of creatives who ignore financials and how it turns businesses into hobbies.
• [13:50] The two major revenue inflection points—$300K and $1M—and what changes at each level.
• [17:28] Understanding what parts of financial management you can outsource and what parts you must still understand.
• [19:53] How a scarcity mindset can paralyze even a well-capitalized business from investing in growth.
• [23:53] How founders often double down on bad decisions to protect their ego, and how to break that pattern.
• [27:42] Why smooth sailing might not be teaching you anything and how challenges can become fuel for evolution.
• [31:08] How visualizing future success can re-energize your present and dissolve fear-based hesitation.
• [32:46] Understand why emotional self-awareness—not just strategy—is at the heart of great leadership.
• [34:42] How combining self-exploration with professional competence creates a balanced, effective leader.

Connect with Bill:

• Website
• LinkedIn

Are you one of those entrepreneurs that obsess over routines like cold plunges, journaling hacks, and early morning rituals hoping to unlock clarity and energy? These surface-level habits aren’t the key to running a thriving agency, mastering foundational leadership principles is.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I discuss four foundational leadership principles that drive better decision-making and sustainable agency growth. I explain the power of prioritizing needle-moving work, having constraints, using long-term vision to guide daily decisions, and having consistency over intensity.

Don’t miss this episode to learn more about why boring but repeatable actions build real muscle in your business systems than shortcuts!

Key Questions:

• [03:15] What problem are you solving now and is your current to-do list aligned with that?
• [04:23] What constraints could you create to protect your focus and eliminate constant pivots?
• [11:44] Are you showing up consistently in your business, or just chasing intensity every once in a while?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:07] Four basic principles that radically improve how you show up, make decisions, and grow your agency with intention.
• [01:32] Focus. Why doing less—but doing it better—is the true marker of successful CEOs and business leaders.
• [04:23] Constraints are a superpower. How applying constraints can prevent distractions and shiny object syndrome.
• [09:00] Use long-term vision to guide daily decisions. Clarity on destination helps filter decisions and avoid distractions.
• [11:44] Consistency over intensity. Business growth is built on reliable, repeatable systems—not short bursts of effort.
• [13:50] The importance of doing unsexy, repetitive tasks that most people ignore—true results lie in boring but crucial work.
• [16:32] Understand that real leadership isn't about hacks—it's about showing up daily with clarity, constraint, and discipline.

Is revenue growth the dangerous illusion that could be silently sabotaging your agency? While many agency owners celebrate high revenue, few realize that without healthy profit margins and sustainable cash flow, their business could be bleeding money.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, we discuss how agencies become revenue-rich but profit-poor. We explain why mispriced services, long client payment terms, and unchecked operational costs quietly destroy profits.

Don’t miss this episode to learn more about why running an agency requires smart, sustainable business models that go beyond vanity metrics like revenue!

Key Questions:

• [01:36] What numbers actually matter to you if you want a healthy business, not just a busy one?
• [06:12] Could firing your biggest client actually be the smartest financial move?
• [10:28] Are you truly calculating all costs—including hires and subcontractors—before taking on new work?
• [11:40] Are you scaling your agency with a flawed business model that drains your resources instead of fueling growth?
• [13:20] Are your projects silently killing your profit by dragging on too long?
• [17:55] Do you know your minimum acceptable gross profit margin before taking on work?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:36] A breakdown of which financial metrics actually matter to build a stable, sustainable agency that supports your lifestyle.
• [02:48] Darren’s experience analyzing backend agency numbers and realizing just how misleading high revenue figures can be.
• [05:10] Example of an agency that lost money working for their biggest client—until a pricing overhaul doubled their profit in a year.
• [07:14] How rate sheets and blended rates are frequently miscalculated, which can lead to long-term damage.
• [08:38] The importance of saying no, pricing confidently, and understanding all cost implications before chasing more revenue.
• [11:40] The dangers of scaling with the wrong business model and what metrics show financial health.
• [13:03] How delivery delays can destroy project profitability and why throughput is the metric you might be missing.
• [14:29] How early visibility into negative cash flow lets you take smart action, like securing leads or re-aligning sales efforts.
• [15:43] Why chasing big revenue deals without evaluating the backend costs can quickly backfire.
• [17:55] How to assess whether your delivery model is built for growth, margin, or something unsustainable.