#43: Building a lasting independent agency, with Venables Bell & Partners’ Paul Venables

Welcome to Agency Business.

This week, Olivia and Brian interview Paul Venables, founder and chairman of Venables Bell & Partners, the independent San Francisco agency known for its work with Audi, Chipotle, and Intel.

Paul shares how “doing right by people” became both a cultural mantra and a competitive business strategy that’s guided VB&P’s decisions for nearly 25 years of independence. He explains how the team evaluates client fit, and why growth for its own sake is a “false choice.”

The group also explores San Francisco’s creative scene, VB&P’s approach to AI-driven production, and how the agency is training every art director to work fluently with generative tools.

In News of the Week:

• Stagwell takes a 35% stake in Real Clear Politics and 12 other media sites, raising questions about ad agencies investing in news.
• Havas’ Q3 growth and hints at a potential Dentsu collaboration
• Publicis' Q3 growth.

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Reach Out

Agency Business features agency CEOs and financial decision-makers alongside third party experts including agency pitch consultants. We are always accepting pitches, and are particularly interested in hearing from women and leaders of color.

📬 Pitch a guest or inquire about sponsorships:

📩 Brian at [e-mail]

📩 Olivia at [e-mail]

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