Key Takeaways:

• Kristan’s sales journey started in B2C weight loss products before transitioning to B2B SaaS and founding Sales Subs.
• Grit and resourcefulness were the key drivers of his success in startups and sales.
• Sales Subs helps businesses scale their outbound sales efforts with a subscription-based model.
• Cold outreach success today hinges on personalization and thoughtful messaging, not automation alone.
• Building community and networking are critical, even for introverted founders.
• Effective outreach on LinkedIn includes connecting through mutual connections and starting genuine conversations.
• Agencies must be flexible and iterate on their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) as market needs shift.
• AI and automation tools are useful for structuring sales processes, but strategy and human customization remain essential.
• Language and directness in outreach dramatically improve engagement rates, with Sales Subs achieving up to 90% open rates in cold emails.

Check out Kristan's agency here:

https://www.salessubs.com/

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Key Takeaways

• Avoid controlling clients' media buying accounts; always ensure client ownership.
• Don’t blindly give clients what they want—focus on identifying what they truly need.
• Never "fake it till you make it"; prioritize honesty and transparency with clients.
• Growth at all costs is risky; focus on sustainable, profitable growth.
• Contracts are essential to protect your agency and ensure clear expectations.
• Learn to say no to poor-fit clients to avoid long-term headaches.
• Hiring cheap freelancers can work, but ensure cultural fit and alignment.
• Lack of processes leads to chaos; document and refine standard operating procedures.
• Scaling does not automatically mean hiring; optimize your current team and systems first.
• Long hours are sometimes unavoidable but should not be standard practice; build sustainable work models.

Agency Uplift - Free Stuff to Scale Your Agency:

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Key Takeaways:

• Peter began his journey in web design at a young age, later founding Barrel with his college friend Se Wook.
• The early years of Barrel involved learning through trial and error and bootstrapping the agency.
• A focus on specialization and strategic decision-making fueled sustainable growth after an initial period of distraction from side projects.
• Barrel Holdings was born out of the idea of owning multiple agency businesses without day-to-day management.
• Peter’s team now manages a portfolio of seven agencies, with an emphasis on focus, systems, and strong leadership.
• A defined culture and clear characteristics for hiring have helped the agency group scale effectively.
• Agencies seeking acquisition by Barrel Holdings should show specialization (either by platform or industry), sound business development systems, operational processes, and strong internal leadership.
• Agencies often struggle by failing to see their business as an interconnected system, chasing quick fixes like outbound leads without fixing foundational problems.
• Peter shares ongoing lessons and insights for agency operators at Agency Habits and his Agency Journey newsletter.

Website: barrel-holdings.com

Writing and resources: agencyhabits.com

Personal site: peterkang.com

Get the Growth Spotlight Vault for free and start turning casual client convo's into referrals:
https://www.agencyuplift.co/vault

Agency Uplift - Free Stuff to Scale Your Agency:

https://www.agencyuplift.co/sop (I saved $20K/mo using this system)