Are you one of those entrepreneurs that obsess over routines like cold plunges, journaling hacks, and early morning rituals hoping to unlock clarity and energy? These surface-level habits aren’t the key to running a thriving agency, mastering foundational leadership principles is.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I discuss four foundational leadership principles that drive better decision-making and sustainable agency growth. I explain the power of prioritizing needle-moving work, having constraints, using long-term vision to guide daily decisions, and having consistency over intensity.

Don’t miss this episode to learn more about why boring but repeatable actions build real muscle in your business systems than shortcuts!

Key Questions:

• [03:15] What problem are you solving now and is your current to-do list aligned with that?
• [04:23] What constraints could you create to protect your focus and eliminate constant pivots?
• [11:44] Are you showing up consistently in your business, or just chasing intensity every once in a while?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:07] Four basic principles that radically improve how you show up, make decisions, and grow your agency with intention.
• [01:32] Focus. Why doing less—but doing it better—is the true marker of successful CEOs and business leaders.
• [04:23] Constraints are a superpower. How applying constraints can prevent distractions and shiny object syndrome.
• [09:00] Use long-term vision to guide daily decisions. Clarity on destination helps filter decisions and avoid distractions.
• [11:44] Consistency over intensity. Business growth is built on reliable, repeatable systems—not short bursts of effort.
• [13:50] The importance of doing unsexy, repetitive tasks that most people ignore—true results lie in boring but crucial work.
• [16:32] Understand that real leadership isn't about hacks—it's about showing up daily with clarity, constraint, and discipline.

Is revenue growth the dangerous illusion that could be silently sabotaging your agency? While many agency owners celebrate high revenue, few realize that without healthy profit margins and sustainable cash flow, their business could be bleeding money.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, we discuss how agencies become revenue-rich but profit-poor. We explain why mispriced services, long client payment terms, and unchecked operational costs quietly destroy profits.

Don’t miss this episode to learn more about why running an agency requires smart, sustainable business models that go beyond vanity metrics like revenue!

Key Questions:

• [01:36] What numbers actually matter to you if you want a healthy business, not just a busy one?
• [06:12] Could firing your biggest client actually be the smartest financial move?
• [10:28] Are you truly calculating all costs—including hires and subcontractors—before taking on new work?
• [11:40] Are you scaling your agency with a flawed business model that drains your resources instead of fueling growth?
• [13:20] Are your projects silently killing your profit by dragging on too long?
• [17:55] Do you know your minimum acceptable gross profit margin before taking on work?

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:36] A breakdown of which financial metrics actually matter to build a stable, sustainable agency that supports your lifestyle.
• [02:48] Darren’s experience analyzing backend agency numbers and realizing just how misleading high revenue figures can be.
• [05:10] Example of an agency that lost money working for their biggest client—until a pricing overhaul doubled their profit in a year.
• [07:14] How rate sheets and blended rates are frequently miscalculated, which can lead to long-term damage.
• [08:38] The importance of saying no, pricing confidently, and understanding all cost implications before chasing more revenue.
• [11:40] The dangers of scaling with the wrong business model and what metrics show financial health.
• [13:03] How delivery delays can destroy project profitability and why throughput is the metric you might be missing.
• [14:29] How early visibility into negative cash flow lets you take smart action, like securing leads or re-aligning sales efforts.
• [15:43] Why chasing big revenue deals without evaluating the backend costs can quickly backfire.
• [17:55] How to assess whether your delivery model is built for growth, margin, or something unsustainable.

Are you in the messy middle of growth, struggling to scale sustainably, or just craving more freedom without dropping balls?

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Taylor Frame, co-owner and CRO of Best Practice Media, to discuss everything from systems building and team autonomy to the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. He opens up about what it takes to scale a successful digital agency from launching over 100 e-commerce brands to six-figure months to building a team of 30+ full-time staff.

Listen in to learn the importance of time tracking, SOPs, and team delegation for service-based agency owners. You will also learn the importance of surrounding yourself with business-minded peers who understand your struggles.

Key Questions:

• [01:18] How was your journey through Best Practice Media, and how was it different from your first agency?
• [09:55] What does grit actually look like when the results don’t match the effort, and clients still walk away?
• [17:00] What do you do when you feel like you're in the "swamp" of business, when nothing is going right, and you're getting hit left and right?
• [22:45] Do you run your agency by the numbers — and if not, how can embracing metrics give you clarity?
• [32:02] If you could go back to when you were earning $20K/month as a freelancer, what advice would you give yourself?”

What You’ll Discover:

• [01:33] How Taylor “accidentally” became an agency owner and why systems and infrastructure are non-negotiable for true growth.
• [05:03] How self-limiting beliefs around systems can become your ceiling and hold everyone back.
• [08:03] How to use the 1-3-1 model to train your team to bring you clear problems, multiple solutions, and a recommended decision.
• [10:20] The mental toughness required to run a service business, even when clients leave despite strong results.
• [14:22] How separating business success from personal worth can be essential to staying sane and grounded as a founder.
• [17:36] The mindset and tactical frameworks needed to get you off the trenches of difficulty and stabilize your agency.
• [20:58] The importance of building a culture of systems to protect your team’s bandwidth and prevent burnout.
• [23:11] The three sets of numbers Best Practice Media uses: P&L for fiscal health, client health scores, and team bandwidth tracking.
• [28:15] How to define success from the client’s perspective to stay aligned and measure the right outcomes.
• [29:50] How Taylor’s agency is investing in AI to remove repetitive tasks from the team's plates, enabling them to become strategic thinkers.
• [32:14] The power of documenting everything with SOPs and always working to get things off your plate.
• [35:18] The importance of surrounding yourself with other business owners who understand your struggles.

Connect with Taylor:

• Website
• LinkedIn