The AgencyHabits Podcast
Go behind the scenes of real agency businesses. The AgencyHabits Podcast shares ideas, lessons, and experiments from across Barrel Holdings - home to a growing portfolio of specialized agencies and over two decades of insights. We share them all here, hoping you'll test, tweak, and find what works best for your agency.
Episodes
How Agencies Demonstrate Expertise Through Building a Proof Library | Ep 37
Agency case studies, client references, and proof assets are some of the most underutilized growth tools inside agencies. Today, we break down the three components of proof and why they are much more than sales collateral. Done well, proof becomes a strategic asset that strengthens positioning, improves business development, supports marketing, helps partnerships, and makes your agency's experti
Shifting From an Agency-Centric Mindset | Ep 36
Client-centricity, positioning, and agency growth all start with understanding the customer more deeply. In this episode, we break down why most agencies default to an inside-out perspective and how that impacts everything from service offerings and pricing to marketing, client communication, and culture. Today, we cover: 📌 Why agencies build offerings around capabilities instead of client out
What Isn't Going to Change in the Next Ten Years | Ep 35
AI is changing agencies fast. But the bigger question agency owners should ask is: what will never change? Today, we break down six timeless principles that will still define successful agencies over the next decade, even as AI reshapes delivery, operations, hiring, and client expectations. Using a framework inspired by Jeff Bezos, we explore the fundamentals that agency owners should continue inv
Positioning: The Stake in the Ground | Ep 34
Agency positioning is one of the most misunderstood parts of building a service business. Most agencies can describe what they do, but very few can clearly explain why a client should choose them over another agency. Today, we break down the four-part positioning framework we use to evaluate agencies: Category Wedge Provable differentiators Why now We explain why most positioning fai
Why Most Agency Marketing Doesn't Work [REPLAY]
Agency marketing, lead generation, and brand building often feel inconsistent because they are approached reactively instead of as a long-term system. We're bringing back this episode because it breaks down how to think about agency marketing as a compounding investment, not a short-term tactic. In this episode, we cover: Why reactive marketing leads to inconsistent pipeline How to think a
How to Turn Client Work Into Long-Term Growth [REPLAY]
Agency growth, client retention, and referrals all come down to how you think about your engagements. We're bringing back this episode because it introduces the concept of engagement yield, and how the best agencies turn every client into a compounding asset. In this episode, we break down: Why revenue is only part of the value of a client The four drivers of engagement yield: proof, lever
9 Risks That Can Kill Your Agency [REPLAY]
Agency risk, founder burnout, cash flow, and client concentration are some of the biggest threats to staying in business. We're bringing back this episode because it breaks down how to think about agency risk management, business continuity, and long-term survival using a simple framework. In this episode, we cover: How to use a risk matrix (likelihood vs impact) Founder burnout and partne
The 6 Levers of Agency Profitability [REPLAY]
Agency profitability comes down to a few key levers, but most agencies don't manage them intentionally. We're bringing back this episode because it breaks down the six levers that directly impact agency profitability, gross margin, utilization, and delivery efficiency, and how they work together. In this episode, we cover: Why pricing and scoping determine margin before work even starts Ho
The Only Metrics Your Agency Actually Needs [REPLAY]
Your dashboard is full, but it's not helping you make better decisions. We're bringing back this episode because it covers one of the most important (and often misunderstood) areas of running an agency: how to think about metrics. In this conversation, we break down how we track performance across our agency portfolio, and why a smaller, more focused set of metrics leads to better decisions.
Your Agency's ICP: Defining Who You're Built to Serve | EP 33
Your ICP isn't just who you target. It determines your sales cycle, your margins, and the quality of your clients. And most agencies get it completely wrong. Today, we break down the 5 dimensions of a real ICP and how to use them to improve your positioning, pipeline quality, and delivery. We also cover: Why "anyone with budget" is not an ICP How to avoid bad-fit clients (even if they have
How to Scale Business Development Beyond the Founder | EP 32
You can't scale your agency because everything still runs through you. And until that changes, no hire is going to fix it. In this episode, we break down why hiring a salesperson rarely works, and why business development in an agency isn't one role, it's actually five distinct functions. Most founders are juggling all of them at once: • Marketing & awareness • Partnerships • Outbound • Sales
Service Offering: What You Actually Sell vs. What You Think You Sell | EP 31
Most agencies think their service offering is just a list of capabilities. Branding, web, SEO, paid media. But that's not what clients are actually buying. A real service offering is the structure of the client relationship, how someone starts working with you, how the engagement expands, and how value compounds over time. In this episode, we break down the anatomy of a strong service offering
A Deep Dive into Agency Working Capital | EP30
Most agency owners obsess over revenue, margins, and utilization, but the thing that determines whether your agency feels financially strong or constantly stressed is working capital. Working capital is the timing gap between when you pay your team and when clients pay you. Two agencies can have the exact same P&L, same revenue, same profit, and still have wildly different cash realities dependi
The Importance of Leadership Offsites | EP29
Leadership offsites aren't a quarterly review. They're where your leadership team has the conversations you keep avoiding — and leaves with decisions you can actually execute. In this episode, we share the leadership offsite structure we've repeated and refined over years: how to prep the team, keep the agenda focused, and create an artifact that drives real follow-through. We also break down th
Mapping and Leveraging Your Agency Ecosystem | EP28
If your ideal client asked for a recommendation today, would your agency's name come up? Today, we break down ecosystems, what they are, what they aren't, and how they compound over time when you intentionally design them. We explain why positioning and service offerings are not the same as an ecosystem, and how depth inside the right one creates pricing power, referrals, and defensibility. We
Agency Profit Deep Dive: Gross Margin, Sales & Marketing, and EBITDA | EP27
Gross margin determines how much freedom your agency really has. If that number is weak, everything else becomes harder. Today, we break down gross margin, gross profit, and EBITDA and explain what healthy agency financials actually look like. We show why gross margin is the true funding source of your business and how low gross margin quietly limits growth. We also unpack: Why 50 percent plus
How Agencies Should Actually Use Data | EP26
Most agencies already collect plenty of data, but very few use it well. Instead of clarity, leaders end up with dashboards, noise, and gut decisions. In this episode, we share a practical way to use data to make better agency decisions without overwhelming your team or building complex reporting. Data is not about more reports. It is about recognizing patterns that help you make clearer, faster
Turning Every New Client Opportunity Into an Agency's Compounding Asset | EP25
Most agencies treat client work as a series of one-off transactions. But the most successful firms treat every engagement as an investment that compounds over time. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei Wook Kim introduce the concept of engagement yield: the tangible and intangible value that extends far beyond the invoice. They break down the four components of engagement yield; proof, levera
Why Peter Wrote a Book on Holding Companies | EP24
In this special episode, host Sei-Wook Kim interviews Barrel Holdings co-founder Peter Kang about his new book, The HoldCo Guide: How Entrepreneurs Structure and Build a Holding Company That Lasts. Peter shares the organic journey that led him to write the book, from scaling a single agency to building a multi-agency holding company, and why no existing resource fully addressed the topic. He break
Breaking Down Agency Employee Compensation | EP23
Compensation is more than just a number. It's a strategic tool for attracting, retaining, and motivating talent. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim unpack the full spectrum of employee compensation in an agency setting. They start by acknowledging that while pay is crucial, it's not the only factor. Culture, management, challenging work, and company trajectory all play vital roles.
Annual Checkup: 9 Markers to Diagnose Your Agency's Health | EP22
Most agencies only seek help when something is broken. But by then, the problems are often systemic. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim shift the conversation from reactive fixes to proactive health. They introduce a holistic "annual checkup" framework, mapping nine critical agency functions to body parts and their vital signs: from positioning (vision) and client trust (heart rate
Evolving from Managing Projects to Growing Accounts | EP21
Growing from single-project engagements to managing multiple, concurrent work streams is a major turning point for any agency. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim unpack the structural shift required to turn this complexity into a sustainable competitive advantage. Drawing from their own hard-earned lessons at Barrel, they dissect the common pitfalls like team silos, client misalign
How Agencies Should Think About and Manage Risk | EP 20
In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim break down how agency owners should think about risk, not as isolated problems to react to, but as ongoing exposure that needs to be actively managed. Using a simple risk matrix, they explain how to prioritize risks based on likelihood and impact, and why high-impact risks deserve disproportionate attention. They then walk through nine of the most conse
Learning From Other Agency Owners | EP19
Great agencies are not built in isolation. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim explore the transformative power of community and peer learning for agency founders. The hosts share their personal journey from working in a silo to actively seeking mentorship and joining dedicated communities, revealing how these connections helped them avoid blind spots, gain crucial perspective, and accele
Why Agencies Rely on Referrals But Few Treat It as a System | EP18
Most agencies say they rely on referrals, but few treat them as a system. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dismantle the "hope-based" approach to referrals and lay out a strategic framework for building a consistent pipeline. Drawing from the book The Referral Code, they redefine referrals as a transfer of goodwill and share actionable tactics for intentional referral generation. Peter
The Six Levers of Profitable Client Engagements | EP17
Profitability is the lifeblood of any agency, yet it can feel elusive. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim move beyond surface-level tips to reveal the six fundamental levers that directly impact the bottom line of every project, retainer, and service program. They break down how pricing, staffing, engagement design, scope management, reusable IP, and automation all interlock to create or
Scaling Your Agency Beyond $2M | EP 16
In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dissect why agencies hit the $2M and what you can do to break through. They explain how founder-centric systems that work at a smaller scale become the primary constraint to growth, leading to breakdowns in client delivery, team management, and financial visibility. The hosts share actionable solutions, from improving onboarding and implementing debrief
How Agencies Can Be Better at Marketing Themselves | EP 15
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim tackle a common agency pitfall: treating marketing as a short-term, reactive effort only when leads dry up. They argue for a fundamental mindset shift, framing marketing as a long-term investment in reputation and awareness, similar to the compounding benefits of consistent exercise. Peter and Sei-Wook first outline the "basics" of agency marketin
[REPLAY] Why & How to Prune Your Client Roster for Agency Growth
Holding on to the wrong clients can stunt your agency's growth, drain your team's morale, and cripple your profitability. This statement holds value for agency owners who are overwhelmed by client demands, feel trapped by early, problematic clients, or are struggling to focus their service offerings for maximum impact. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim tackle the difficult but essential
[REPLAY] How Much Cash Should Your Agency Keep on Hand?
Profit on paper doesn't pay the bills. Learn the best practices for designing payment terms and invoicing cadences to create a smooth, predictable cash flow. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim tackle one of the most critical yet misunderstood aspects of running an agency: cash flow management. They break down the dangerous gap between your P&L's accrual-based profitability and the real m
[REPLAY] How Specialization Impacts Your Agency's Growth, Margins, and Valuation
Is your agency a "jack-of-all-trades, master of none"? In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dive deep into the transformative power of agency specialization. They break down the critical difference between internal specialization and external positioning, and reveal why narrowing your focus is the ultimate growth accelerator for agencies under $10M in revenue. Peter and Sei-Wook shar
[REPLAY] Are You Calculating Your Agency's Profits Correctly?
Agency profitability isn't always what it seems. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim break down how to really evaluate your agency's profit. The hosts also talks about why two agencies reporting the same margins can mean totally different things. They unpack the difference between EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) and SDE (Seller's Discretionary Earn
The 6 Types of Agency Buyers: Who They Are and What They Really Want | EP 14
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim break down the complex landscape of agency acquirers. They map out the six primary types of buyers, from individual entrepreneurs to massive strategic networks, explaining the distinct motivations, financial structures, and long-term goals for each. Peter and Sei-Wook provide a clear-eyed view of what it's like to sell to each buyer type, covering
How We Exited Our Agency Without Selling It | EP 13
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim pull back the curtain on one of their most significant career transitions: stepping away from the day-to-day leadership of their first agency, Barrel, without selling the business. They define this strategic move as a "role exit" which is a path less discussed but highly relevant for founder-led businesses. Peter and Sei-Wook share the multi-year
A Lightweight Agency Partnerships Program That Actually Works | EP 12
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dive into the practicalities of building a partnerships program for resource-constrained agencies. They argue that you don't need a dedicated partnerships team to start seeing significant benefits from strategic alliances. Peter and Sei-Wook outline a step-by-step, lightweight approach to identifying the right partners, from complementary agencies
Key Metrics for Agencies: What to Track for Better Decisions | EP 11
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim cut through the noise of data overload to share the essential metrics every agency should track. Moving beyond fancy dashboards, they break down the handful of key performance indicators (KPIs) that truly drive informed decision-making at their portfolio agencies under Barrel Holdings. Peter and Sei-Wook explain the critical difference between lag
Why Agencies Lose Clients (and How to Stop It) | EP 10
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dive deep into one of the most painful but inevitable aspects of running an agency: client churn. Drawing from decades of experience building and scaling agencies, they break down the most common reasons clients leave—from poor onboarding and missed deadlines to unresponsive communication and misaligned expectations. Peter and Sei-Wook share candi
How to Design Your Agency Org Chart for Sustainable Growth | EP 9
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim pull back the curtain on one of the most critical yet often overlooked aspects of scaling an agency: organizational design. Starting from their own early days as a flat, "all-hands-on-deck" team, they trace the evolution of their org chart at Barrel as they grew, specialized roles, and built departments. Peter and Sei-Wook discuss the telltale sig
Why & How to Prune Your Client Roster for Agency Growth | EP 8
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dive into one of the most challenging but necessary decisions agency leaders face: when and how to let go of clients. As agencies grow, not every client remains a good fit. Peter and Sei-Wook break down the key factors to consider when evaluating your client roster, from strategic alignment and profitability to relationship quality and payment beh
10 Essential Habits for Running a Successful Agency | EP 7
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dive into the core habits that have driven their agencies' success over the years. From structured team reviews and client communications to proactive outreach and financial discipline, they break down 10 essential routines (plus a few bonus ones) that help agencies improve continuously, stay aligned, and grow sustainably. Peter and Sei-Wook share
How Much Cash Should Your Agency Keep on Hand? | EP 6
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim talk about the critical yet often overlooked topic of cashflow management for agencies. They share lessons on balancing profitability with liquidity, designing client contracts to align cash inflows with outflows, and determining the right amount of cash reserves to weather uncertainties. From the pitfalls of 50/50 payment structures to the advant
How We'd Generate Leads If We Started Our Agency Today | EP 5
In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim take listeners on a journey back to their agency's origins, sharing hard-won insights about building a business from scratch with limited connections and resources. They explore the strategies that helped them jumpstart Barrel 19 years ago, from leveraging personal networks to building lasting client relationships that compound over time. The conv
How Specialization Impacts Your Agency's Growth, Margins, and Valuation | EP 4
In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dive deep into agency specialization and how narrowing focus has become a key driver of growth across their Barrel Holdings portfolio. From the evolution of Barrel's journey from generalist to CPG eCommerce specialists, to the strategic positioning of BX Studio as Webflow experts, they share practical insights on when and how to specialize. They explore
Are You Calculating Your Agency's Profits Correctly? | EP 3
In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim tackle one of the most confusing aspects of agency financials: how to properly calculate profitability. They break down the critical difference between SDE (Seller's Discretionary Earnings) and EBITDA, explaining why these metrics can paint vastly different pictures of the same business. Using concrete examples and spreadsheet walkthroughs, they demonst
Our Approach to Agency Acquisitions: Valuation Drivers and Deal Breakers | EP2
In this episode of Agency Habits, Peter Kang interviews Sei-Wook Kim on the inner workings of agency acquisitions and valuations at Barrel Holdings. They break down the exact criteria they use when evaluating whether to acquire an agency and explain the logic behind their valuation framework: what increases the price, what brings it down, and how seller goals shape the final deal. If you're buildi
The Barrel Holdings Origin Story: Building a Portfolio of Agencies | EP 1
In this inaugural episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim share the unfiltered origin story behind Barrel Holdings. From their humble beginnings building table-based websites in college to growing a multi-agency portfolio serving CPG brands, startups, and enterprise clients, this conversation charts nearly two decades of lessons in agency building, client service, and entrepreneurial evolution. They
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