Are you one of those agencies that spend impulsively, based on gut feeling, or delay investments out of fear and uncertainty?

In this episode of the Agency Blueprint podcast, I explain how agency owners can use operational budgets as a growth tool instead of just a tracking sheet. I further explain how to structure budgets around multiple outcomes—flat (if nothing changes), trend-based (aligned with current growth trajectory), and goal or stretch budgets (aimed at ambitious targets).

Don't miss this episode to learn how to weigh investments using a risk-to-value calculus, prioritize based on ROI, and know when to greenlight or cut an initiative.

Key Questions:

• [00:33] Are you spending intentionally to grow your agency or just burning through cash without a clear ROI?
• [03:43] Are your budgets simply tracking expenses, or are they guiding your strategic decisions?
• [08:15] How do you prioritize which investments to make first when several opportunities compete for your resources?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:20] The concept of using multiple budget scenarios—flat, operational, goal, and stretch—to create a growth-ready plan.
• [02:02] The importance of aligning budgets with business trends rather than relying solely on past performance.
• [03:43] Understanding that budgets are not just for tracking, they are tools to guide decision-making and strategy.
• [04:50] The “risk-to-value calculus” to evaluate investments in people, tools, or new services.
• [06:40] The importance of setting clear timelines to measure whether an investment is working or if it should be cut.
• [08:15] How to prioritize competing investment opportunities by weighing ROI, time cost, and likelihood of success.
• [10:47] How to reverse-engineer growth goals into budgets by mapping revenue sources, retention rates, and hiring needs.

Is your smaller agency well-positioned to take bold creative risks, pitch innovative ideas, and form collaborative partnerships? The traditional full-service agency model is crumbling under the weight of overhead, fragmented expertise, and a lack of collaboration.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint podcast, I’m joined by Danielle Dufresne to discuss the changing landscape of creative agencies and how agencies can break free from outdated overhead-heavy structures. Dani is an Emmy Award–winning executive producer and The Aux Co founder. She has over 20 years of experience producing high-stakes campaigns for global brands like Nike and Hulu. She launched the Aux Co in 2017 to champion a new agency model, helping small and midsize shops grow smaller, collaborate better, and deliver bold, creative work without the overhead and burnout of the old huge conglomerate agency system.

Listen in to learn why the future of agencies lies in specialization, honesty, and early collaboration with production and strategy teams. You will also learn how agencies can thrive together, access bigger opportunities, and create lasting client relationships by embracing community over competition.

Key Questions:

• (05:23) Why do smaller agencies feel pressured to fake expertise, and what’s the smarter alternative?
• (08:06) Do you see other agencies as competitors or potential collaborators in your network?
• (14:00) If you can only deliver part of a client’s RFP, do you white-label partnerships or present them openly?
• [17:14] How can agencies leverage community and collaboration as a competitive advantage?

What You’ll Discover:

• (01:37) How low overhead enables small agencies to launch big ideas at a fraction of the cost of legacy holding companies.
• (03:47) The shift from the Mad Men era of limited media to today’s fragmented landscape of thousands of channels.
• (06:01) How small agencies can win bigger projects without faking expertise by being transparent and collaborative.
• (08:55) Why most agencies overestimate competition, when in fact collaboration can unlock greater opportunities.
• (09:54) Why agencies should stop competing for the same pie and instead lean into their unique strengths.
• (12:03) Why agencies should specialize instead of pretending to be experts in everything.
• (14:42) Dani on when to white-label partnerships versus openly presenting them as part of a network.
• (17:36) How bringing production into creative development earlier leads to stronger campaigns across every medium.
• [21:42] The power of community and collaboration as a competitive advantage in agency growth.
• [24:40] The importance of setting aside ego and instead focusing on making sure both clients and creatives are satisfied.
• [27:30] Why curiosity-driven questioning is essential for innovation, while “just get it to yes” feedback adds little value.

Connect with Danielle:

• Website
• LinkedIn

Do you treat profit as “what’s left over” after expenses instead of prioritizing it from the start? Having a profit-first mindset is the cornerstone of building a sustainable, scalable, and stress-free agency.

In this episode of the Agency Blueprint podcast, we dive deep into the profit-first mindset—a revolutionary approach for agency owners who want to generate consistent profitability. We discuss how to reverse engineer a profitable business model by focusing on intentional pricing, cost constraints, and smart resource allocation.

Listen in to learn more about how to stop running your agency like an exhausting job instead of a thriving business.

Key Questions:

• [01:22] How is “profit-first mindset” different from the way most agency owners view money?
• [05:17] What are the key elements of having a profitable agency model?
• [09:53] If you had to replace yourself in all the roles you currently cover, would your pricing model still hold up?
• [13:53] If a big client makes up 70% of your revenue, how do you protect your agency if they suddenly leave?
• [16:01] How long should you run at a deficit before making the hard decision to restructure or let team members go?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:45] Profit-first mindset – why setting aside profit immediately—not as an afterthought—is a game changer.
• [02:37] How most agencies operate without real financial constraints, leading to overspending and poor decision-making.
• [05:22] Why blended rates don’t accurately capture the true cost of delivery and why agencies miss key overhead factors.
• [07:52] A simple benchmark: if your agency isn’t hitting 25% profitability, your model is broken.
• [10:01] The hidden cost of agency owners filling different roles but only paying themselves for one.
• [13:17] The risks of scaling before fixing profitability, from debt to losing entire businesses when a big client leaves.
• [14:18] Two primary financial benchmarks every agency owner must track—gross profit and operational costs.
• [16:53] How to personally balance loyalty to your team with the financial realities of running a profitable business.