Are you wondering about life after owning an agency? Get insights from guest Carl Smith on his experience on life after agency ownership—in the January 2025 episode of Agency Office Hours with Karl Sakas. Click below to jump directly to each Q&A segment in the video, or listen in the background like a podcast.
I interviewed special guest Carl Smith. He leads the Bureau of Digital, an amazing community for agencies that I’ve followed since 2014. We talked about life after agency owners, current trends across 1,000+ agencies, and whether the grass is greener:
- Introduction: Meet special guest Carl Smith from The Bureau. [starting at 1:04]
- Starting: “How did you get your first agency job?” [starting at 3:43]
- Founding: “Why did you start your agency?” [starting at 7:06]
- Running: “What did you like and not like about running your agency?” [starting at 9:14]
- Connecting: “How did you discover the Bureau as a community?” [starting at 11:12]
- New Roles: “What led to your buying the Bureau?” [starting at 20:31]
- Exiting: “How did you decide what to do with your agency?” [starting at 22:59]
- Selling Your Agency: Want to sell your agency in the next 1-10 years? –> Get instant access to the “Control (and Maximize) Your Agency Exit” training. [starting at 28:21]
- Agency Trends: “What trends does Carl Smith see at agencies today, across his seeing 1,000+ firms?” [starting at 31:11]
- AI & Your Agency: “What’s next in AI for your agency ops and services?” –> Join me at this Bureau event in San Francisco in August. [starting at 33:57]
- Exit Planning: “What should someone consider if they want to sell or close their agency?” [starting at 37:56]
- Client Work: “Should owners consult with clients outside the agency?” [starting at 45:47]
- Decisionmaking: “How can agency owners decide what to do next?” [starting at 47:25]
Top resources from the live event:
- The Pause Clause
- Worried about going on leave? Do a Stress Test (or two) first!
- Get a free copy of Karl’s agency Exit Plan template
- Someone asks to buy your agency. What should you do next?
- Industry Niching Led This Agency to 6X Growth… and from 7-Figures to 8-Figures in Revenue
