An experienced pair of hands for agency leaders
Running an agency means juggling growth, clients, people and the numbers, often all at the same time.
Sometimes it helps to have someone by your side who’s been there before. I’ve spent more than twenty years inside agencies, including several years leading one with responsibility for growth, profitability and culture.
Today, I work with agency leaders as a sounding board, an advisor, or an extra pair of hands when something needs thinking through, shaping, or moving forward.
Where an experienced pair of hands can help
Most agencies reach similar moments as they grow.
Over the past twenty years working inside agencies, including several years at board level, I’ve seen many of these situations first-hand.
These are some of the moments where an experienced pair of hands can help:
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Sometimes pipeline looks busy but revenue isn’t moving the way it should. Sometimes the agency has simply outgrown the positioning or growth model that got it this far. A fresh perspective can help uncover what’s really going on and what the next move should be.
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The work might be strong, but the story has become blurry. Competitors start sounding similar, and it becomes harder for clients to see the difference. Refining the proposition often brings back confidence in how the agency presents itself.
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You can be winning work and delivering good projects while profitability quietly comes under pressure. Pricing, scope, utilisation and client mix all play a part. Taking a clear look at how and where the agency makes money often highlights where things need to change.
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As agencies grow, leadership teams can start pulling in different directions. Priorities compete, decisions slow down and progress stalls. Sometimes it helps to have someone independent in the room to help work through the issues and get back on track.
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Every agency has opportunities where the stakes feel higher than usual. A major pitch, a strategic client opportunity or a piece of work that could change the trajectory of the business. Having another experienced perspective involved can help sharpen the story and strengthen the pitch.
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Most agencies reach moments where something fundamental is shifting. A repositioning, a leadership transition, expanding capabilities or simply deciding what the next chapter should look like. These are the moments where it helps to step back and think clearly about the path ahead.
I’m not coming at this as a consultant. I’ve spent my career inside agencies dealing with these situations first-hand.
How I typically work
Every situation is different, but most engagements start the same way: with a conversation about what’s really going on.
Sometimes that leads to a short advisory piece of work, helping you think through a specific challenge. Sometimes it means working more closely with the leadership team or even taking the reins for a while.
In practice, my role usually falls into one of three areas:
Sounding board
A sounding board for agency leaders working through important decisions. This might involve helping clarify a situation, sense-checking thinking, or bringing an experienced perspective to leadership discussions.
Project support
Working alongside the team on a specific challenge, for example sharpening the agency proposition, preparing for a major pitch, or working through a strategic growth question.
Embedded leadership
For agencies that need experienced leadership, but not another full-time hire. I work in or alongside the team for a period of time, helping guide strategy, strengthen commercial discipline, or build the next phase of growth.
Need this kind of help?
Allow me to introduce myself
I’m Eoin Rodgers.
I’ve spent more than twenty years working inside agencies.
For much of that time, I worked at board level, including several years leading a B2B agency with responsibility for growth, profitability and culture. Earlier in my career, I built and led strategy, performance marketing and client services teams.
Along the way, I’ve dealt with many of the moments agencies go through: repositioning in a crowded market, building new capabilities, improving commercial discipline, navigating acquisitions and mergers, and helping leadership teams work through what comes next.
A few examples from my agency leadership experience:
Grew agency revenue from £4m to £5.5m in two years
Built a £1m new business pipeline targeting clearly defined ICPs
Led agency repositioning from generalist to specialist consultancy
Improved employee engagement, with eNPS increasing by +35 points
AGENCY ALLY is simply a way for me to bring that experience to other agency leaders: as a sounding board, an advisor, or an extra pair of hands when it helps.
Running an agency can be brilliant. It can also be complicated. Sometimes it helps to have someone alongside you who’s been through it before.
From my PoV
A few recent perspectives on what’s happening in agencies. And what it means for how they grow.
