Agency Founder Support
– From Someone Who Gets It.
I didn’t have a fairytale exit. I did get all of the lessons.
Let me share them and help you build an agency that you’re proud of.
“Paddy is knowledgeable, patient and a great listener. The last two of those qualities in particular are rare in the agency world. If you’re looking for someone who can give you advice on how to grow but also how to manage the things that tend to break when you do grow, you should 100% work with Paddy.”
Luke Cope, Co-founder, Bottled Imagination
I’m betting that these sound familiar:
Finding time to work on the business, not in it
Your best laid plans to work on strategy can be derailed very quickly when a client calls saying that they are unhappy, or a team member decides to leave.
Always having too much or too little team capacity
Even if you do strike that perfect balance between team capacity and the amount of client work that you have, it never lasts for long!
You just need two more clients and you’re fine
I used to think this was just my own agency. But I’ve seen it many times since then and understand why the feeling of “we just need two more retainers” can feel neverending.
You don’t know what you don’t know
You think that you’re doing a good job and you try to gauge things by speaking to other agencies. But you struggle to know for sure and feel like you’re missing something.
You can’t just “let go” of client work
You have a great team, but they’re still reliant on you to help them with day-to-day projects. Not to mention that clients expect your involvement too.
Okay, how does this actually look in reality?
Strategic Input
- Developing some strategic roadmaps that guide growth
- Defining clear KPIs and measurable goals
- Facilitating focused, action-driven workshops
Building Momentum
- Ongoing 1:1s and board-level conversations
- Driving accountability to keep you on track
- Getting out of the agency whirlwind
Having Your Back
- A confidential, experienced sounding board
- A trusted advisor with your best interests at heart
- Empathy grounded in lived agency experience
This may sound corny, but if I had to summarise what I actually do
- it’s being there for you.
Why me?
Since exiting my own agency in 2024, I’ve quietly worked my way into this whole “agency advisory” space and it scared me a little. There are a LOT of great advisors out there who have scaled and sold their agencies, walking off into the sunset and now they will show you how to do it
I’m not that advisor.
My exit was messy. After 10 years of running an agency, my mental health was in a bad place and I needed a change in my life. I took
the decision to leave my own agency and I’m thankful that I had a co-founder who took over and enabled me to step away.
My exit wasn’t a dream come true. I actually don’t really like to call it an exit and I didn’t celebrate it. I can’t promise you that dream.
I’m promising you trust, support and advice from someone who knows how hard running an agency is.
I’m promising you the experience of someone who can help you avoid the problems that led to the exit that I needed, but didn’t really want.
“Paddy’s guidance was especially valuable as we went through some important stages of growth. He helped us fine-tune our targets, making sure we were focused on the right goals. One of the highlights was a half-day strategy workshop he ran with us, which helped us dig into our goals and develop clear steps for the future. The direction we gained from that session continues to guide us to this day.”
Areej Abu Ali, Founder, Women in Tech SEO
What I actually do
You’re probably familiar with a few other ways of describing what I do:
- Board member or advisor.
- Non Exec Director (or NED).
- Coach.
- Mentor.
- Operations
- Sales
- Marketing
- Delivery
- Culture
- Emotions
- Ego
- Ambition
- Stress
- Productivity
Basically, I don’t see myself as working with your agency.
I see myself as working with the human being behind an agency.
James Hayward-Browne,
Co-founder, Bottled Imagination
Who I work best with
- Owners and founders
- C-Suite and directors
- Senior management teams
If you’re one of the above, that’s a good start.
To be more specific, here are some attributes of clients I currently work with where we’ve built a strong relationship and work effectively together, enabling me to add real value and effect change in their agency.
Some current and previous clients
My services and pricing
- Bespoke, one-to-one monthly coaching (most popular).
- Group coaching with a small group of agency founders.
Here is the detail
on each one...
OPTION 1
Strategy-led coaching
and roadmap.
IDEAL FOR
Founders or co-founders of agencies who have grown well, but are starting to hit some challenges or blockers, or simply want someone to help map out what the next stage of growth looks like.
£1,500-£2,000
per month.
WHAT WE’LL DO
- A deep dive session in month 1 to identify priorities and opportunities to hit your goals.
- Create a 3-6 month strategic roadmap.
- Meet at least twice a month to execute the roadmap.
- Ad-hoc calls and emails as needed when inevitable problems crop up.
- Adjustment of strategy every 6 months.
OPTION 2
Strategy-led coaching, roadmap and hands-on accountability
IDEAL FOR
As above, but also founders who are struggling to get out of the whirlwind that agency life naturally pulls you towards. You are fire fighting, being pulled into client work and not working on the business.
£2,500-£3,000
per month.
WHAT WE’LL DO
-
Everything in option 1, plus:
Weekly 20-30 minute one-on-ones. - Help with task and project prioritisation.
- Helping you start to handover projects and tasks to your team.
OPTION 3
Group coaching for
agency founders
IDEAL FOR
Founders and co-founders who may not quite have the budget for bespoke coaching, but recognise the value of sharing challenges with like-minded founders and working through problems as a group.
£500
per month, per founder
WHAT WE’LL DO
- A one-to-one kick-off call with each founder to discuss key challenges and priorities.
- Two group calls per month, each covering a key challenge identified by the group.
- Each call will be a combination of presentation, discussion and open Q&A.
- Quarterly face to face breakfast, lunch or dinner in London.
- Private one-to-one email support.
Select an option below for more details on each one...
“Working with Paddy has been one of the best decisions Jess and I ever made at Part Three Digital.
Having access to guidance and hands on support from someone who has navigated almost every challenge an agency can has been invaluable for the growth of our agency and I couldn’t recommend him enough to any agency leaders.
Paddy helped us with the ‘whirlwind’ of agency life and kept us strategically focused on our long term goals.
It is brilliant to have someone to keep you accountable and focused on the business.
Most importantly, working with Paddy has been so enjoyable! Jess and I benefited so much personally
from our sessions and always looked forward to them.”
“Working with Paddy has been one of the best decisions Jess and I ever made at Part Three Digital.
Having access to guidance and hands on support from someone who has navigated almost every challenge an agency can has been invaluable for the growth of our agency and I couldn’t recommend him enough to any agency leaders.
Paddy helped us with the ‘whirlwind’ of agency life and kept us strategically focused on our long term goals.
It is brilliant to have someone to keep you accountable and focused on the business.
Most importantly, working with Paddy has been so enjoyable! Jess and I benefited so much personally
from our sessions and always looked forward to them.”
FAQs
How long are your contract terms?
I don’t ask for long contracts because I back myself to do a good job
Instead, I work on a rolling monthly basis, meaning that you’re not making a long-term financial commitment and can end our time working together at any time with a month’s notice.
How does confidentiality work between clients?
I don’t ask for long contracts because I back myself to do a good job
Instead, I work on a rolling monthly basis, meaning that you’re not making a long-term financial commitment and can end our time working together at any time with a month’s notice.
Do you work with senior management teams/non-founders too?
I don’t ask for long contracts because I back myself to do a good job
Instead, I work on a rolling monthly basis, meaning that you’re not making a long-term financial commitment and can end our time working together at any time with a month’s notice.
Would you consider becoming a formal board member with equity?
I don’t ask for long contracts because I back myself to do a good job
Instead, I work on a rolling monthly basis, meaning that you’re not making a long-term financial commitment and can end our time working together at any time with a month’s notice.
Do you only work on a retainer basis? Or do you offer one-off projects?
I don’t ask for long contracts because I back myself to do a good job
Instead, I work on a rolling monthly basis, meaning that you’re not making a long-term financial commitment and can end our time working together at any time with a month’s notice.
How much time do I get?
I don’t ask for long contracts because I back myself to do a good job
Instead, I work on a rolling monthly basis, meaning that you’re not making a long-term financial commitment and can end our time working together at any time with a month’s notice.