Episodes

  • Mapping and Leveraging Your Agency Ecosystem | EP28

    Mapping and Leveraging Your Agency Ecosystem | EP28
    Feb 24 2026

    If your ideal client asked for a recommendation today, would your agency's name come up?

    Today, we break down ecosystems, what they are, what they aren't, and how they compound over time when you intentionally design them. We explain why positioning and service offerings are not the same as an ecosystem, and how depth inside the right one creates pricing power, referrals, and defensibility.

    We also unpack:

    Infrastructure ecosystems and why going deeper than the industry matters

    Why regulated verticals create stronger competitive moats

    The power of institutional referral ecosystems and gatekeepers

    How intersection ecosystems (platform + vertical) accelerate growth

    How to diagnose ecosystem misalignment inside your agency

    Whether you should go deeper or expand into an adjacent ecosystem

    If you want lower customer acquisition costs, stronger referrals, and a real competitive advantage, start by mapping your ecosystem intentionally.

    Key takeaways today:

    📌 An ecosystem is where your agency is known, not just what you do.

    📌 Depth inside a defined ecosystem compounds trust and referrals.

    📌 Regulated verticals often create defensible positioning advantages.

    📌 Institutional gatekeepers can control access to your ICP.

    📌 Intersection ecosystems reinforce momentum from multiple directions.

    📌 Misalignment between desired ICP and actual ecosystem slows growth.

    📌 Agencies must choose to go deeper or expand adjacent, not both at once.

    📺 Watch us on YouTube

    ====================

    Peter Kang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkang34/

    Sei-Wook Kim 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/
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    27 mins
  • Agency Profit Deep Dive: Gross Margin, Sales & Marketing, and EBITDA | EP27

    Agency Profit Deep Dive: Gross Margin, Sales & Marketing, and EBITDA | EP27
    Feb 17 2026

    Gross margin determines how much freedom your agency really has. If that number is weak, everything else becomes harder.

    Today, we break down gross margin, gross profit, and EBITDA and explain what healthy agency financials actually look like. We show why gross margin is the true funding source of your business and how low gross margin quietly limits growth.

    We also unpack:

    Why 50 percent plus gross margin should be the starting target

    What a healthy sales and marketing allocation looks like

    Why 35 percent EBITDA can actually be a warning sign

    The common myth of "we invested in growth"

    If you want more freedom, better capital allocation decisions, and a stronger long-term agency, start by getting gross margin right.

    Key takeaways today:

    📌 Gross margin is the funding source for growth and experimentation.

    📌 50 percent plus gross margin creates flexibility and strategic optionality.

    📌 Healthy agencies target 20 to 30 percent EBITDA.

    📌 High EBITDA can signal underinvestment in growth.

    📌 Revenue growth without margin discipline leads to long-term erosion.

    📌 Sales and marketing must be measured over longer time horizons.

    📺 Watch us on YouTube

    ====================

    Peter Kang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkang34/

    Sei-Wook Kim 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/
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    30 mins
  • Why Peter Wrote a Book on Holding Companies | EP24

    Why Peter Wrote a Book on Holding Companies | EP24
    Jan 26 2026
    In this special episode, host Sei-Wook Kim interviews Barrel Holdings co-founder Peter Kang about his new book, The HoldCo Guide: How Entrepreneurs Structure and Build a Holding Company That Lasts. Peter shares the organic journey that led him to write the book, from scaling a single agency to building a multi-agency holding company, and why no existing resource fully addressed the topic. He breaks down the core concepts every entrepreneur should understand: the spectrum between capital allocator and operational HoldCos, the critical balance of centralization vs. decentralization, and the financial metrics that truly drive compounding growth. Whether you're running one business or several, this conversation offers a practical look at how to think strategically about profits, structure, and lasting value. Key Moments 1. The organic origin story behind The HoldCo Guide and why Peter decided to write it. 2. Defining the two major types of holding companies: capital allocators vs. operational HoldCos. 3. Where Barrel Holdings fits on the HoldCo spectrum and how its approach has evolved. 4. The delicate balance of centralization vs. decentralization in a holding company structure. 5. Sector-specific HoldCos: advantages, risks, and how Barrel navigates concentration. 6. The crucial financial metrics for HoldCos: free cash flow, ROIC, and MOIC. 7. Why governance, compensation, and tax planning are non-negotiable chapters in the book. Real Talk Takeaways 1. Writing a book doesn't have to start as a grand plan; it can grow organically from sharing what you're learning in real time. 2. Holding companies aren't one-size-fits-all; most exist on a spectrum between pure capital allocation and hands-on operations. 3. Centralize only what creates leverage (like finance and governance); decentralize operations and customer-facing decisions. 4. Sector specialization can deepen operational expertise but also increases exposure to industry downturns. 5. Free cash flow is the lifeblood of a HoldCo; without it, you can't fuel the compounding flywheel. 6. Governance might sound dry, but it's essentially the "design manual" for how your holding company works. 7. Even single-business owners can apply HoldCo principles to strategically reinvest profits and drive growth. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: Interviewing Peter on His New Book, The HoldCo Guide 04:03 – The Two Major Types of Holding Companies: Capital Allocator vs. Operational 07:45 – Where Barrel Holdings Sits on the HoldCo Spectrum 09:12 – Centralization vs. Decentralization: What to Control and What to Delegate 11:52 – Sector-Specific HoldCos: Pros, Cons, and Barrel's Position 14:41 – The Financial Metrics That Matter: Free Cash Flow, ROIC, and MOIC 17:50 – Why Governance, Compensation, and Tax Structure Deserved Deep Dives 20:51 – Who the Book Is For and Where to Find It Notable Quotes "The big insight from this book is this definition of HoldCo's, the two different major types. One being the capital allocator HoldCo, and the other is what I'm calling the operational HoldCo." — Peter Kang on the core framework of holding companies. "Free cash flow becomes a very important number because if you can convert a higher percentage of your EBITDA to free cash flow, you have more to compound." — Peter Kang on the essential metric for HoldCo growth. "Centralization versus decentralization is a huge theme. What do you intentionally centralize at the HoldCo, and what do you deliberately try not to manage centrally?" — Sei-Wook Kim on structuring a holding company for scale. "One failing work stream can sink the entire relationship, no matter how well others perform. Clients evaluate your agency as a whole." — Sei-Wook Kim on the importance of aligned operations across a portfolio. Links & Resources Peter Kang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkang34/ Sei-Wook Kim 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/
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    23 mins