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/

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)

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:

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

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)

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

Sean’s Links:

🔗 Sean Lang on LinkedIn
🌐 Agency Uplift Skool Group
🛒 Social Commerce Club

Key Takeaways:

• Sean's former agency scaled past $1M in revenue using a podcast, despite a weak sales team.
• The podcast evolved from unfocused content to a strategic lead generation tool for direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands.
• Niche focus was crucial—targeting DTC brands and shifting to a clear, ICP-driven podcast strategy.
• The podcast became a “lead warmer,” building trust and authority before any sales conversation.
• Switching to a singular host (Jordan West) and a 3-episode weekly cadence led to major growth.
• Over 600 episodes have been published, contributing to over $3M in attributable revenue and many high-level opportunities.
• Podcasts built for ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) can generate leads, referrals, talent, and partnerships.
• Start scrappy—focus on relevance over production quality.
• Launch with 10 episodes to encourage binging and establish authority.
• Use existing relationships and clients for initial guest outreach.
• Tools like Riverside and Buzzsprout can simplify editing and hosting.
• Strategic podcasting is a teachable and repeatable framework available through Sean’s coaching.

agencyuplift.co/ppf – Learn more about the Podcast Pipeline Framework

Sean’s Links:

🔗 Sean Lang on LinkedIn
🌐 Agency Uplift Skool Group
🛒 Social Commerce Club

Key Takeaways

• Brad launched Sidekick Fundraising to serve small nonprofits often priced out of traditional agency support.
• Sidekick offers a lower-cost, hands-on alternative by working with clients rather than doing everything for them.
• Brad is building his agency fully in public via LinkedIn, engaging community feedback at every step.
• “Nail it before you scale it” is guiding his approach—focusing on quality, process, and long-term sustainability.
• Core values are shaping everything from hiring to client experience—even in week one.
• He’s fully booked with 10 clients just five days after launch, proving the power of community-driven growth.
• His Done-With-You model helps nonprofits build internal capacity while getting expert support and guidance.

Check out Brad's agency here:

https://sidekickfundraising.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)

Key Takeaways

• Casandra transitioned from VA to operations consultant by solving problems and scaling alongside businesses.
• Agencies often mistake urgency for growth; slowing down is often essential for sustainable scaling.
• Common agency pain points include lack of operational structure, burnout, and perfectionism masked as high standards.
• When onboarding becomes overwhelming, raising rates and delaying start dates can maintain service quality.
• Strong operations begin with understanding both yourself and your team emotionally and strategically.
• Hiring from Facebook groups—especially for entry-level roles—is highly effective when paired with solid filtering systems.
• Casandra built a custom talent database to streamline recruitment and keep top candidates warm.
• The agency business is “people all the way down”; emotional regulation and empathy are essential leadership tools.

Check out Casandra's agency here:

https://www.handledoc.com/

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

Sean’s Links:

🔗 Sean Lang on LinkedIn
🌐 Agency Uplift Skool Group
🛒 Social Commerce Club

🔑 Key Takeaways

• The biggest mistake agency owners make is becoming the bottleneck by doing everything themselves.
• Not all tasks are equal—your time has varying value depending on the leverage of the task.
• Low-leverage tasks (e.g., email, social media DMs) drain time and should be delegated or outsourced.
• High-leverage tasks (e.g., sales, strategy, partnerships) drive long-term growth and need focused time.
• A structured system like the Task Assessment Matrix helps identify and offload low-value work.
• Delegating starts with documenting tasks and creating SOPs using tools like video walkthroughs and transcripts.
• Time audits should be done quarterly to maintain alignment with high-leverage priorities.

🛠 Tools Mentioned

• Task Assessment Matrix (worksheet to categorize task value and frequency)
• Task Optimization Advisor GPT
• Transcript to SOP GPT
• Sean’s SOP Loom Recording Method
• Calendar Review for Time Tracking

🔗 Guest Links Mentioned

• Download the free system resources: https://agencyuplift.co (look for the top banner link)

Sean’s Links:

🔗 Sean Lang on LinkedIn
🌐 Agency Uplift Skool Group
🛒 Social Commerce Club