Claim OwnershipSmall But Mighty Agency: How to Grow Your Agency
Subscribed: 8Played: 115
Subscribe
© 2026 Small But Mighty Agency: How to Grow Your Agency
Description
If you want to grow an agency to seven figures and beyond without working more hours in your business, tune in.
I know your time is valuable, so I keep it practical and help you work smarter, not harder, in every episode.
I'm your host, Audrey Joy Kwan. I know what it takes to build an agency—including supporting an agency owner in selling and exiting, and consulting for 200-person agencies—because I've done it.
My team and I have coached and consulted with over 150 agency owners and have been behind the scenes of multiple seven-figure agencies.
All this to say, join us on the Small But Mighty Agency podcast to grow an agency with real-world experience and practical tips that help you to work less and earn more while leading with integrity.
Let's go!
145 Episodes
Reverse
We talk a lot about niching in the agency world. Pick an industry. Go deep. Specialize. But in today’s market, industry alone isn’t enough — and many capable agencies can feel that, even if they can’t quite name why. Execution is easier to buy. Capability is everywhere. And “great work” doesn’t help clients feel confident when the stakes are higher. What cuts through now is being clear about the outcome you’re willing to stand behind. In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency podcast, we...
What does your agency need to be known for in order to stay relevant as the market keeps shifting? In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency podcast, we explore the strategic shifts quietly shaping how agencies build momentum right now—and what it actually takes to future-proof your agency without chasing every new trend. This isn’t about services, channels, or keeping up appearances. It’s about clarity—specifically, clarity around the outcomes your work creates, and how that clarity cha...
How do you know when your agency has outgrown its brand and what actually happens when you decide to change it after 17 years? Today’s episode gives you a rare behind-the-scenes look at a rebrand most agency owners never get to witness. My guest, Kim Atkinson, co-founder and COO of Foundery, recently led her agency through a full transformation after nearly two decades of being known as “Ontario SEO.” What started as a small, local SEO shop evolved into an international, full-serv...
There’s a stage in agency growth that looks successful on the outside but feels limiting on the inside. You’re delivering great work, clients are happy, and your reputation is solid… yet you’re still underpriced, overextended, and not seen as the strategic partner you know you are. This silent slowdown has a name: the value gap and most agencies stay in it far longer than they realize. In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency Podcast, we unpack why this happens and how it ties dir...
Most agency owners say their business grows through referrals. But when you ask what their referral system looks like things go quiet. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Referrals feel earned, but if they’re happening by chance, you’re leaving your growth to luck. In this episode of Small But Mighty Agency, we’re talking about how to stop waiting for referrals to “just happen” and start designing them through something I call your Strategic Partnership Squad. Here’s what w...
If trust still feels like an abstract concept in your business — something you earn, but not something you’ve designed — this episode is for you. We’re breaking down five specific ways smart agencies are turning trust into a system they can scale, not just a sentiment they hope for. When I look at the agencies that are landing clients faster, keeping them longer, and growing with more ease, they all have one thing in common: They’ve transformed trust from a soft skill into a structural advant...
Raising prices when the market feels shaky? It sounds risky, right? I’ve been there. A few years ago, I was staring down one of the toughest decisions in our agency. Costs were rising. Salaries were climbing. And the market felt anything but stable. The easy move would have been to freeze prices and hope things worked out. But that would have put the entire business at risk. So we raised prices. And clients said yes. Not because it was comfortable, but because we leaned on a few key levers th...
If you’ve ever tried to build systems in your agency, this episode is going to blow your mind in the best way. Because what if the real problem isn’t the tools you’re using or the fact that you “just need to make time” for it? What if the reason systems don’t stick... is because you’re the wrong person to be building them? This week, I’m joined by David Jenyns, entrepreneur, author of Systemology and his brand new book Systems Champion. We dig into the uncomfortable truth about why systems fa...
From one-off brand shoots to a seven-figure agency on a subscription model, here’s how it happened. What if brand shoots weren’t just one-off projects, but the foundation of a scalable business model? In this episode, you’ll hear how one agency transformed brand shoots into a subscription-based system and built a seven-figure agency along the way. By creating a model where clients receive fresh, strategic visuals quarter after quarter, anywhere in the world, they’ve proven that creativity and...
1If you’re tired of feeling like growth only happens through more visibility, more cold outreach, and chasing leads, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air. I sat down with Dan Englander, founder of Sales Schema and author of Relationship Sales at Scale, to talk about how agency owners can grow through collaborative, trust-based relationships instead of transactional tactics. Both of us work in the agency space and believe that trust drives sustainable growth, but we approach it fro...
If you’re stuck between “too busy to stay small” and “not structured enough to scale,” this episode is built for you. Everyone talks about growing to seven figures but no one warns you about what happens in the messy middle between solo and sustainable. In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency podcast, I sit down with Carly Moir, Founder and CEO of White Canvas Design, to unpack what the messy middle of agency growth really looks like — and what it takes to move through it with intentio...
Specializing is scary. But focusing on one high-growth niche can take your agency to multiple seven figures without working harder. If committing to one niche feels risky, Erica’s story will show you what’s possible on the other side. This week, I’m joined by Erica Hakonson, CEO of Maven Collective Marketing, an agency that went all in on one niche: Microsoft Partners. And here’s the wild thing… Once they declared that focus, clients didn’t hesitate, they started saying: “How have we no...
A lot of agency owners want deeper community but quietly assume it doesn’t really exist. They’ve been in rooms where everyone’s guarded. Where conversations stay surface-level. Where “collaboration” is just a buzzword. That quiet belief—“it would be nice, but that kind of network probably isn’t out there”—can keep you stuck, going it alone. But I’ve seen what happens when the right people show up. And that’s exactly what this episode explores. In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency po...
You probably don’t need more leads. That might sound counterintuitive, especially when every sales post says the opposite. But what looks like a lead problem is usually something else: → A relationship problem → A misaligned positioning problem → A missing structure for managing trust You’ve got people in your orbit—clients, collaborators, past leads, curious followers. But if you’re not engaging those relationships intentionally? Your growth stays inconsistent. Your p...
Too many agency owners are building alone. But small doesn’t mean solo and solo isn’t sustainable. Small but mighty agencies weren’t built to go it alone. Yet so many agency owners are trying to do everything themselves: holding the vision, leading the team, delivering the work, and pushing for growth in a vacuum. That’s what “going solo” really looks like—juggling it all without strategic support, trusted peers, or collaborative momentum. And while it might feel efficient, it’s actually the ...
Being full-service almost broke her. Specializing gave her agency new life. For over 16 years, Arleigh Vasconcellos said yes. Yes to growth. Yes to more services. Yes to building a full-service agency that could handle it all. She grew her team, expanded her client base, and became known for delivering results across everything from PR to websites to events. But behind the scenes, she was on a treadmill she couldn’t get off. Burnout crept in. Boundaries blurred. And the joy that once fueled h...
Curious about adding a course to your agency model—but not sure if it’s worth it? As agency owners, we’re always looking for smarter ways to scale. Products. Templates. Digital assets. The idea is simple: take what you know, turn it into something scalable, and earn while you sleep. But here’s the nuance we don’t talk about enough: Courses don’t remove complexity. They shift it—from service delivery to audience building, funnel building, and volume marketing. That’s what I explored with Kwadw...
If you’ve ever wondered whether building your personal brand is worth the time or struggled to show up online in a way that feels real and strategic—this episode is for you. In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency, I sit down with Lauren Shirreffs, founder of Two Social and social media strategist to 250+ brands, to help you rethink how you show up online. Lauren’s personal brand has become a magnet for opportunities, and today, she’s sharing how you can build one that attracts r...
If you’re stuck in execution mode—constantly delivering but not getting paid for the strategic value you bring —it might be time to rethink how your agency is positioned. In this episode of Small But Mighty Agency, I’m joined by Sara Nay, CEO of Duct Tape Marketing, to talk about how agencies can shift from being seen as vendors to being valued as strategic partners who lead the marketing—not just execute it. We dig into what it really looks like to lead with strategy, how to price and packag...
Let’s talk about referrals—not as a bonus, but as a strategy. If you’ve been growing your agency through great work and word of mouth, but you’re starting to realize that waiting for referrals isn’t the same as designing for them… this episode is for you. Because the most successful Small But Mighty agencies don’t leave referrals to chance. They build referral-ready relationships and strategic partnerships—on purpose. Today, I’m breaking down what trust really looks like in action—and how cer...
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
It's the story of so many families. Kudos to Kara for doing business on her terms. #capacity #boundaries