Agency Business #57: Building an agency that stays close to the work, with Something Different
Feb 9, 2026
Tommy Henvey, co-founder and CCO who leads creative strategy and studio production, and Patti McConnell, co-founder and managing partner who shapes their flexible studio model. They talk about a studio approach that expands and contracts around client needs. They cover pitching chemistry, disciplined scoping to protect margins, cautious new-business investment, rising security and transparency demands, and prioritizing creative fulfillment over pure scale.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Make New Business A Team Effort
- Allocate business development as a shared agency responsibility and set aside 10–20% of time for prospecting.
- Leadership should own more of the outreach with clear P&L allocations for new business and events.
Scope By Deliverables, Not Hours
- Scope every client engagement with deliverables and project paths rather than purely hourly estimates.
- Back into staffing needs after valuing the work so you protect margin and allocate people efficiently.
Take Strategic Low-Margin Bets
- Take smaller, strategic bets on clients you want even if near-term margin is low, but always cover hours and essentials.
- Model follow-on work when pricing sprint deliveries to ensure Q1 or future pipeline support.