This Agency 2X’d Revenue and Built a Self-Running Team

The Challenge: Rapid Growth, But the Founders Were Stuck

Allegra Poschmann and her co-founder launched Pact to serve direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands with a boutique, high-quality approach. Their prior experience as sought-after freelancers gave them a powerful reputation in the Shopify ecosystem, and demand grew quickly.

But growth brought new problems: the founders were stuck in client delivery, pricing was still based on their solo-consulting days, and the team’s processes couldn’t keep up with the pace. Allegra shared:

“Revenue was growing, but it felt unsustainable. We were still too involved in day-to-day work, and the team couldn’t scale without us.”

Allegra and her team tried to solve the issues internally through meetings and brainstorming. But after months of frustration, one senior team member noted what everyone had started to suspect: no amount of internal brainstorming would untangle these issues alone.

That realization led them to look for an outside partner.

The Solution: A Roadmap to Sustainable Growth and Freedom

Allegra asked her head of operations to identify consultants who specialized in agencies. Karl Sakas stood out.

Pact began by working with Karl through what’s now known as the Agency Growth Diagnostic, followed by executive advisory as they implemented the roadmap. Together, they tackled pricing, service design, and team development, giving Pact the tools to grow without relying so heavily on the founders.

Allegra shared:

“We wanted a partner, not someone who’d pontificate for an hour and send a bill. Karl was proactive, a good steward of our budget, and held us accountable—sometimes more than we liked!”

At the time, Pact’s pricing still reflected their roots as sought-after freelancers. Karl guided them through a strategic shift to pricing that better reflected their value, and coached the team on how to communicate those changes. Clients responded positively, reinforcing the agency’s elevated positioning.

They also clarified their service offerings and moved from being seen as implementers to being seen as strategic growth partners. Clearer packaging made it easier to sell, staff, and scale.

Internally, Karl helped develop leadership beyond the founders. A senior team member stepped into an expanded operations role, allowing the business to run more independently, including during a co-founder’s parental leave.

Finally, Karl coached the team on setting healthier boundaries. By introducing “good friction” with clients—pushing back where needed and parting ways with poor-fit accounts—Pact repositioned itself as a high-impact agency built for long-term success.

The Results: A Stronger Team, Higher Profits, and Founder Freedom

Through coaching, Allegra and her leadership team gained the confidence and clarity to focus on what really mattered—moving from a reactive agency to an intentional business with long-term stability.

Within a year, Pact achieved 100% revenue growth. But the results went far beyond doubling revenue:

• The team took greater ownership of delivery, reducing day-to-day founder involvement
• The agency built a healthier, more scalable model with fewer founder bottlenecks
• Compensation rose across the board, including the addition of half-day Fridays
• The agency attracted multiple acquisition offers (which Pact confidently declined)

Allegra observed how Karl helped them up-level the entire team:

“Karl gave us permission to expect excellence from everyone. That mindset shift has made all the difference.”

Pact’s foundation became dramatically stronger, freeing the founders to focus on growth initiatives instead of getting dragged into daily fires. Several years later, Pact continues to grow on the path they built with Karl’s guidance, and is adapting to capitalize on new opportunities.

Ready to Build a Founder-Optional Agency?

If you want to grow profitably and gain the freedom to step back from day-to-day work, let’s talk.

This kind of clarity doesn’t happen by accident.

If you’re ready for experienced outside perspective—and want support from someone who’s guided hundreds of agencies through complex, high-leverage decisions—reach out. We open a few new client slots each quarter, and we’ll start with a short conversation to see if it’s the right fit on both sides.