In this inaugural episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim share the unfiltered origin story behind Barrel Holdings. From their humble beginnings building table-based websites in college to growing a multi-agency portfolio serving CPG brands, startups, and enterprise clients, this conversation charts nearly two decades of lessons in agency building, client service, and entrepreneurial evolution.

They walk us through key inflection points: like quitting Wall Street, bootstrapping through Craigslist hires, launching Barrel, and ultimately spinning off multiple high-performing specialized agencies. 

You’ll also get a behind-the-scenes look at their first acquisition and why they’ve committed to a long-term, compounding approach to holding company success.

Key Moments
1. How a student club and side hustle led to a full-time agency career
2. What triggered the shift from full-service to eComm & Shopify specialization
3. Why spinning off legacy clients into Vaulted Oak became a lightbulb moment
4. The strategic difference between launching vs. acquiring agencies
5. How handing off CEO roles created operational leverage and personal peace
6. Their investment thesis: small, durable, cash-flowing specialist agencies
7. Why “focus” is the most underrated agency growth strategy

Real Talk Takeaways
1. Cash flow is the new growth. The best agency is a durable one.
2. Don’t cling to legacy clients, spin them off and build anew.
3. Leadership handoff works...if you prepare for it years in advance.
4. Platform plays (Shopify, Webflow) can be major growth engines.
5. A great operator is your biggest unlock post-acquisition.

Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Agency Habits
00:35 – How Peter & Wook started freelancing in college
02:40 – Quitting Lehman to go full-time with Barrel
05:00 – The iPad-era boom and scaling through partnerships
07:09 – Betting early on Shopify & selling themes
09:30 – Launching Vaulted Oak to support legacy clients
12:00 – Webflow’s rise & the BX Studio playbook
16:41 – Spinning up Bolster and appointing Barrel’s new CEO
21:00 – Their first acquisition: the story of Catalog
26:00 – Inside the Barrel Holdings portfolio strategy
35:00 – Why long-term cashflow matters more than quick exits
37:56 – Building community and future plans for Agency Habits

Notable Quotes
“The power of focus became crystal clear the moment we handed off CEO to someone who could give 100%.”
“We weren’t tired or burnt out after 18 years. We wanted to go deeper.”
“If the structure is right, the business runs better. Period.”

Links & Resources
Peter Kang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkang34/
Sei-Wook on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seiwookkim/
AgencyHabits Website: https://www.agencyhabits.com/
AgencyHabits on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agencyhabits/
Barrel Holdings Website: https://www.barrel-holdings.com/
Barrel Holdings LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barrel-holdings/