Lifestyle is a Plan

From Essex to Nashville - A regional agency going places with Lee Sturgess.

Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Lee Sturgess [www.linkedin.com/in/lee-sturgess-75a15239], founder of Polar [www.polar.agency]. Over more than a decade, Lee has reimagined what an agency can be. Not the conveyor belt model of endless projects, but a one-brand-at-a-time approach: deeply immersive, collaborative, and designed to create real commercial impact. That ethos has taken Polar into boardrooms in London, Nashville, Monaco, Dubai and Barcelona, partnering with founders, CEOs and marketing teams to transform brands at pivotal moments. Alongside leading Polar, Lee serves as a Non-Executive Director and advisor to a number of ambitious businesses. Whether guiding a SaaS product, shaping a luxury lifestyle brand or steering a global player through a rebrand, his role is to bring clarity, creative direction and a steady hand at key stages of growth. Lee Sturgess didn’t follow a traditional agency route. Fresh out of uni he made a choice, to build an agency over joining one. 13 years later Polar is an Essex based but internationally acclaimed branding studio, who really do things differently. On the pod today we’re flying the flag for Essex lifestyle agencies, and discussing how a change in model has improved profits by nearly 100%. You’ll discover: * Essex to the US - how Lee has carved out Polar’s international visibility * Strategies for emulating the creativity and standards of major hubs within a regional setting * The huge benefits a change in model can bring if you’re brave enough * How saying "no" and maintaining a demand-driven model can make an agency more sought after * How to step back and lead from the front, by empowering your team * Why you should look outside of the norm when it comes to networking * The importance of ignoring industry noise to keep laser focused on your ‘own lane’ * The most important piece of advice Lee would give to every founder Guest details Website: www.polar.agency [www.polar.agency] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lee-sturgess [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-sturgess-75a15239/] Podcast recommendations: Louis Theroux Podcast [https://open.spotify.com/show/7LuQv400JFzzlJrOuMukRj] Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at http://kellymolson.co.ukkellymolson.co.uk [http://kellymolson.co.uk] Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland stevefolland.com [https://stevefolland.com/]

Are we just busy fools, or are we actually making money? With Rich Brett.

Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by FinOps Advisor [https://www.agencyfinops.co.uk/] Rich Brett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-brett-36903590/]. After nearly a decade in agencies Rich took a leap into the world of advising after seeing first hand that agency owners needed someone to support them with FinOps. Much of his experience was gained at We Are Social, where he saw the business go from 50 to 150 people, leading a finance team of 6. Rich fills the gap between what accountants and NED's offer, but with a focus on aligning finance with operations to enable better decision making and sustainable growth. For the past 4 years he’s worked with owners from £300k up to £10m and improving commercial understanding and helping them look forward, not just backwards. Rich Brett and I connected over our shared message of building agencies sustainably. I really appreciate the simplified way he explains Revenue Recognition and FinOps, which makes it easy to understand the advantage of joining the dots between numbers and the data. This episode covers FinOps for lifestyle agencies, and why forecasting is the key to reducing stress and building a sustainable business. You’ll discover: * What FinOps is and why is it important * The FinOps advice is most impactful for agencies with 1–5 or 1-10 people * Why revenue recognition is important * The key to proactive forecasting * Rich’s Past, Present, Future" structure * Understanding rate card margins to ensure profitability Guest details Website: agencyfinops.co.uk [https://www.agencyfinops.co.uk/] Social: linkedin.com/in/rich-brett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-brett-36903590/] Rich has been a very busy man since we recorded this episode, launching The Missing Finance Course [https://learn.scoro.com] alongside Harv Nagra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/]. A completely free finance course built for EVERYONE working in agencies, consultancies and other types of professional services firms. Podcast recommendations: Athletico Mince [https://open.spotify.com/show/00U0NJ6FGep57SZQIJZ4Iy] Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at http://kellymolson.co.ukkellymolson.co.uk [http://kellymolson.co.uk] Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com [https://stevefolland.com/]

A different kind of successful exit, with Claire Hutchings

Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Claire Hutchings. Claire worked in independent boutique and global networked agencies for almost 20 years. She also built her own business, Chime Agency to help agencies with the one challenge they all face - their own marketing. Chime Agency produced game changing research into agency marketing and supported more than 40 agencies grow their businesses. Claire now combines her business knowledge from building Chime Agency with her experience working with agencies as a The Agency Adventure Guide. She specialises in supporting independent agency owners and leaders to make great decisions and get the best out of their businesses. Claire is passionate about mental health and supporting women in the industry, she therefore loves working with female and minority founders plus those with limited previous agency experience who want to scale successful businesses while maintaining a work-life balance. Claire Hutchings and I met in 2021 when I called on Chime Agency’s brilliance to help me create my agency's ‘hero moment’ - an annual benchmarking report that sat at the heart of our marketing strategy. On the pod today we’re talking about the mental health toll of agency ownership and her successful exit from Chime as a positive alternative to traditional and often disappointing, agency sales. You’ll discover: * The mental health toll of agency ownership * How to combat creating the ‘owners show’ * What an alternative successful exit could look like * The importance of a well-managed wind-down * Why building a support network around you is vital Guest details Website:www.agency-adventure.com/who-we-are [https://www.agency-adventure.com/who-we-are] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/claire-hutchings [https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-hutchings/] Podcast recommendations: Grab a paintbrush and book an art class instead! Agency Exits [https://www.waterstones.com/book/agency-exits/ali-newton-temperley//9781068263705] - Ali Newton-Temperley Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at http://kellymolson.co.ukkellymolson.co.uk [http://kellymolson.co.uk] Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com [www.stevefolland.com]

How to make services so easy to buy, the sales process becomes self-service, with Joe Daniels

Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Buyability expert Joe Daniels. Joe's helped dozens of agency owners and consultants package up their services into an offer that practically sells itself. His "buyability" model presents a new way of winning work, not by selling harder, but by making it easier to buy. Joe Daniels and I share the opinion that positioning doesn’t need to be difficult, and that agencies should put their prices on their websites. It also appears we both spend a significant amount of time on LinkedIn. Joe’s on a mission to help founders win work by making it easier to buy from them - something he calls Buyabilty. * Your agency background * The positioning dilemma - why is this so friggin’ hard for agencies? * What is Buyability? And what is your Buyability Framework? * Self-service - what’s changed that now makes this so important? * Who’s doing this well? * What are the benefits of this approach to often smaller lifestyle agencies? * What’s next for you and Interim? * Podcast recommendation - something that keeps you creatively inspired that our agency audience would find valuable. You’ll discover: * The positioning dilemma - why it's still so hard for agencies * What Buyability actually means * Self-service purchases - why is this so important? * Why we should all put our prices on our websites * Who’s doing ‘Buyability’ well * The benefits of this approach to often smaller lifestyle agencies Guest details Website: joedaniels.co [https://joedaniels.co/] Social: linkedin.com/in/uptojoegood [https://linkedin.com/in/uptojoegood] Newsletter: bemorebuyable.com [https://bemorebuyable.com/] Podcast recommendations: Off Menu Podcast [https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/] Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at http://kellymolson.co.ukkellymolson.co.uk [http://kellymolson.co.uk] Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com [www.stevefolland.com]

Building a "career returner" agency model, with Carys Dorritt

Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Carys Dorritt, founder of The Polka, a team of marketing experts helping expertise-led businesses become the go-to. Carys founded The Polka to help organisations use smart marketing to create meaningful connections with their audience. With 20+ years experience in marketing, digital and communications she recognised the challenges and frustrations marketing folks feel when they simply don't have enough hours in the day. I’m talking to Carys Dorritt today, founder of The Polka, a team of marketing experts helping expertise-led businesses become the go-to. What I love about this episode is that Carys created something she needed but couldn’t find herself. You’ll hear how and why she’s developed a "career returner" agency model, and created a workplace where career returners can really thrive. You’ll discover: 1. How to build a "career returner" agency model 2. The importance of flexibility and work-life balance in agency-life 3. Creating a culture of confidence 4. Key Pros / Cons to this approach 5. Advice to agencies looking to create a workplace for career returners to thrive Guest details Website: www.thepolka.co.uk [https://www.thepolka.co.uk/] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carysdorritt [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carysdorritt/] Podcast recommendations: The Rest is Entertainment [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-entertainment/id1718287198] Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at http://kellymolson.co.ukkellymolson.co.uk [http://kellymolson.co.uk] Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com [WWW.stevefolland.com]