Agency Hackers

When Glen Duncan worked as the chief operating officer for a digital product agency, he attended meetings he would refer to as “the gunfight”. “I came in with something that could save us 20 hours of admin a week – a clear win. But it didn’t even make the sprint.” At first, he felt like his suggestion was too good an opportunity to miss. After all, when you work in operations, everything feels urgent – especially something with such a clear, quantifiable impact. Then Glen had a realisation: “Not everything gets solved. And that’s OK. That’s strategy.” In this session, Glen will explain what it really means to “choose inefficiency” – and why letting a few wins fall by the wayside can actually help you deliver bigger, better outcomes. You’ll learn how to identify your highest-value work, protect your energy, and shift your mindset from fixing everything to leading with focus. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/a2B1Zl6wSV-8DPXbGQLwjg 88377242085

KPIs are met, the marketing contact is happy – by all accounts the campaign is a success. Until someone from the client’s sales team joins the debrief and says: "This wasn’t what we needed." For Darcie Thompson-Fields, client services director at B2B events agency Chief Nation, this kind of scenario kept cropping up – she knew something had to change. But what? Her team were following briefs to the letter, and the problem wasn’t in the delivery. Darcie realised that while the briefs weren’t broken, they also weren’t going deep enough. If you’re tired of briefs that don’t quite hit the mark, post-campaign surprises, or constantly realigning mid-project, this session is for you. Darcie will share the practical, step-by-step structure she uses to get clients aligned from day one – even when they’re siloed, vague, or too busy to talk. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/kZiNLPSJSiOMOsVT9_MdgQ 83677036508

“Can you do AI?” If your clients aren’t already asking you this question, they soon will be. So when they do inevitably ask the question, what should you say? Or more importantly, what should you show them? For Andy Nicol, managing director of Sputnik Digital, these questions proved to be a turning point for his agency. Despite there being no guaranteed return, Andy decided to take the plunge and build AI prototypes – without a brief or a budget. “We knew it was possible, and we wanted to be able to show clients what we could do – not just talk about it,” he says. “Sometimes the best way to move things forward is to just build something and see where it takes you. And it's here to stay. When we’re designing anything now, we always think about where AI can fit in.” In this session, Andy will share how his team tackled the “Do you do AI?” question by jumping in feet first. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/lTnODMEtQ5yPaV782Q23lA 83852022072

Marketing a creative agency can be a challenging task. Join other new business leaders for an afternoon of talks and inspiration.How are you sourcing leads, growing your reputation, and keeping your pipeline brimming? Get inspired by live case studies from inside other agencies.ev_4783156

Big clients are exciting, but what happens to the smaller ones that still keep your studio ticking? At Huddle Creative, Nicole Posner is working on how to balance both. “We’re still taking on £15k–£20k projects, but only if there’s a clear reason - like future opportunities to grow the account - or if it’s creatively exciting,” she says. “And we’ve become much more granular in how we scope them.” It’s a shift that’s working. The agency recently landed a six-figure dream brand project after a single intro call, off the back of creative work for Marketing Week’s Mini MBA brand with Mark Ritson. But while Huddle is now catching more of these white whales on a regular basis, they haven’t walked away from the smaller stuff. In fact, they’ve had to get laser-focused on managing that balance. If you’re scaling up and struggling to manage the mix, this session will show you how to make both ends of the spectrum work. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/jMG4_pOQQfSTM92OAJlybA 86361441685

Scams are everywhere, and they’re getting harder to spot. From phishing emails to fake invoices, it’s easy to fall for a scam if you’re not paying attention. Ralph Harrison, sales and marketing director at Cubit Technology – and Agency Hackers’ Recommended Partner for all things IT – wants to show the industry how to spot the warning signs before it’s too late. “Trust is good, but not from an IT perspective,” he warns. “If a house gets burgled, the first thing the owner does is install better locks and alarms. Don't wait to be hacked, prevent it. Make your business a harder target and they'll focus on the easier ones.” In this session, Ralph will take you through practical tips and show you how to turn every member of your team into a ‘human firewall’ against scams. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/bs_bsj1aTDikYl6-6iTtHg 87694743328

“Nine times out of ten, when a client brings me in, it’s because they’ve reached their wits’ end with someone - but when I dive in, they’ve actually done nothing about it.” This is what Rhian Peebles, founder of HR consultancy, The Sitch, faces on a regular basis. “It isn’t about being reactive,” Rhian explains. “It’s about creating regular habits that make performance conversations normal and part and parcel of the job - not just something you do when someone’s in trouble.” Rhian has developed a framework for proactive people management, built around their practical rituals and smart accountability. If you’re looking at ways to make your performance management more proactive within your agency, look no further. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/_pU8mmUrT4aCn2ZdWf225Q 85436388161

This summer, join fellow members of The Agency Collective for a special evening at one of the UK’s most iconic venues: the House of Lords Terrace overlooking the Thames. We’ll be showcasing fresh insights gathered from conversations across our membership, giving you a clear picture of how agencies are performing and helping you benchmark your own progress.Expect an evening of great conversation, good company, and a chance to connect face-to-face with other agency leaders. Whether you want to swap ideas, share challenges, or simply enjoy the view with a drink in hand, this event is all about connection and conversation.Here’s what to expect:A presentation of insights from our membershipA relaxed, sociable evening with fellow agency leadersInformal chats about agency life, challenges and winsDrinks and views from the exclusive House of Lords terraceThe chance to continue the evening in a local pub*This is a member-only event for The Agency Collective and included as part of your membership. Spaces are limited to one person per agency*Location: House of Lords Terrace, Houses of ParliamentTime: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm (with the option to head for drinks afterwards)Please Note: You'll need to bring a valid ID to enter the Houses of Parliament.Come for the company, stay for the conversations. Let’s celebrate summer together.

Late payments are nothing new – but the real issue? Most agencies set themselves up to fail from the start. Whether it’s risky payment terms, over-reliance on project completion, or failing to build a cash buffer, Rory Spence has seen too many agencies flirting with financial chaos. "We’ve seen agencies agree to 50% on completion – and then act surprised when they don’t get paid," says Rory, head of commercial at The Wow Company. "More than one in ten agencies only have a month’s overheads in the bank. That’s incredibly high risk." In this session, Rory will lift the lid on how the smartest agencies are managing their money – and how to put payment structures, pricing models, and planning processes in place before cash flow becomes a crisis. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/k_cxQix_TByaaKXUwLyclA 89325662046

It’s one thing to keep your clients happy. It's another to grow those relationships and drive more revenue from the work you’re already doing. For many agencies, account growth is left to chance. But for Helen Knight, founder of Creative Business Brain, it’s all about growing your confidence, habits, and thinking in order to create intentional, consistent account growth. “Most people just aren’t shown how to do the growth side of things,” Helen explains. “And it’s really normal, so people shouldn’t feel bad about it. She believes sales doesn’t need to feel forced or unnatural - in fact, the best account growth “isn’t about selling at all”. As Helen says, “It’s actually all about listening.” doesn’t even feel like selling. In this session, Helen will guide us through the practical mindset shifts and behaviours that help creative teams stop waiting for growth and start creating it - one conversation at a time. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/nI98VGdmSGSQyzzYDHqCWQ 87518609738

After 12 years, Charlotte’s agency was suddenly at the brink of going under. As she focused on commercial recovery, personal stresses led her to self-reflect and she soon realised she was unknowingly letting fear and stress drive decisions - reacting to situations rather than leading. What followed was a complete shift in Charlotte’s perspective, which trickled down into how she led her team and ran her business. She found that working on her mindset – a concept she’d once thought of as “woolly” – was making a tangible impact both personally and professionally. She was able to steer Ice Blue Sky out of crisis and back onto stable ground. Charlotte became a calmer, more resilient leader – a shift that played a key role in stabilising and scaling the agency. Whether you’re looking to scale or simply want to build a team that’s resilient, collaborative and cool under pressure, this session will give you practical tools to lead with clarity. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/rHiosiU8TrG6_RU51CknVQ 83649561063

When Heather Murray first explored AI agents, she hit a wall. This wasn’t because she couldn’t build one, but because she realised she simply didn’t want to. “I'm non-technical. I do not want to learn how to build agents. I've tried, and it's way too hard. I've got no interest in JavaScript or APIs,” says Heather, founder of AI for Non-Techies (the clue is in the name). And crucially, she didn’t need to. While there’s a whole world out there full of custom GPTs, Zapier integrations, and stitched-together workflows, Heather argues that sometimes, simple is better. In this session, Heather will show you how she’s working with AI agents in a way that’s fast, accessible, and effective - no coding, no dev tools, no drama. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/yICyAQUUTmOK3rNhwwDTew 85901033500

In a saturated agency market, with declining spend and diminishing returns, it’s easy to fill LinkedIn with the kind of content you think clients want to consume - instead of tuning into what they actually want and need. Fiona Proudler, managing director of Orb Group, is here to deliver a wake-up call: none of it matters unless you’ve earned the right to sit at your client’s table. “Too many agencies pay lip service to understanding their clients, and take them for granted,” she says. “If you don’t fully invest in them as an individual, their brand and their business, you don’t deserve their work. It’s that simple.” This session will challenge you to get back to basics of the agency world, and how to put the client first in everything you do. Come ready to question your assumptions, sharpen your approach, and rediscover what it truly means to serve. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/a8sjjCiwRiqcu7g3spqHng 82416473508

In the rush to grow fast, win big, and shout the loudest, most agencies forget one crucial thing: if nobody wants to buy what you’re selling – now or in the future – what’s the point? That’s where Anna Stone comes in. With over 20 years navigating the commercial guts of agencies from founder-led startups to global players like Ogilvy, she’s here to reframe the conversation around growth. Less about vanity metrics. More about value. In this online session, Anna will help you get clear on what really drives agency buyability. This is a no-BS guide to sharpening your story, targeting the right people, and finally answering the question: “Why would anyone choose you?” https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/AFXWctdKTRC9DT4z0gzmYg 89277023276

Neurodiversity in agencies isn’t a niche concern anymore; it’s a widespread reality. And yet, many agencies still treat it as a challenge to manage, rather than an opportunity to embrace. “I thought my agency was disproportionate,” says Nick Silverstone, the Fractional MD. “But then I started talking to other people and thought, ‘Crikey, this is across the board.’” Having led a team where neurodiversity is common - and then realised it’s actually the industry norm - Nick has been building a panel of trainers, coaches, and HR professionals to help others do better. This session will unpack the misconceptions, mislabels, and missed opportunities that surround neurodiversity in creative work. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/-ApvjTlTQIq1BbIgw7dK0w 86226133694

Winning creative work in Saudi Arabia isn’t about booking the six-and-a-half hour flight and hoping for the best. It’s about understanding a region that’s rewriting the rules, and showing up with a message that lands. Pete Fergusson has been there. One of his agencies was appointed the creative agency for the bid for the 2034 World Cup. Now, he’s launching the Saudi Agency Network — a way for agencies to access serious opportunities in Saudi without burning through £100k just to open an office. But what are the main differences between agency work in the UK, compared to work in Saudi Arabia? In this session, Pete will share what it really takes to win work in Saudi. He’ll cover cultural expectations, regional rivalries, and how to stand out in a place that’s investing fast and thinking big. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/TbaQeIdsRXiZcsnEW411lA 86274754790

One of the hardest parts of growing an agency? Making everything work together. Today, agencies have lots of problems – and often they stem from missing or broken processes.Agency Growth Summit is an afternoon where you can learn from – and be inspired by – agency leaders who are committed to growing their agencies so they scale.You can hear how other agencies are creating processes that work for them – and getting people (even creative people!) to stick to them.You’ll also get to talk confidentially about your business with people who know what it’s like to walk in your shoes… because they’re currently doing it.You can hear how other businesses are creating processes that work for them – and getting people (even creative people!) to stick to them.Join us at Agency Growth Summit to find the inspiration you need to take you where you want to go.

One of the hardest parts of growing an agency? Making everything work together. Today, agencies have lots of problems – and often they stem from missing or broken processes.Agency Growth Summit is an afternoon where you can learn from – and be inspired by – agency leaders who are committed to growing their agencies so they scale.You can hear how other agencies are creating processes that work for them – and getting people (even creative people!) to stick to them.You’ll also get to talk confidentially about your business with people who know what it’s like to walk in your shoes… because they’re currently doing it.You can hear how other businesses are creating processes that work for them – and getting people (even creative people!) to stick to them.Join us at Agency Growth Summit to find the inspiration you need to take you where you want to go.

A strong pipeline can be just as dangerous as a weak one. It’s something Steve Parks, CEO of Convivio, is seeing play out in real time: "Agencies are finally seeing momentum – but they’re in headless chicken mode. Years of crisis have left them without the structure to handle demand, so founders are scrambling instead of leading." Instead of enjoying the rewards of growth, many leaders are stuck firefighting – they're being pulled into the weeds and unable to step back. This can leave them feeling overwhelmed with no time to think, no space to lead and no clear structure for growth. In this session Steve will explore how to structure your agency for stability, take advantage of global trends, and stop running your business in panic mode. A must-attend for any founder who wants to finish 2025 strong. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/v_fQHFTOQ2CZif1NZd1pXw 84386081674

There’s a big difference between delivering a pitch and actually connecting with your target audience. This interactive session with Alex Wright, Maddy Allen and Max “Hoppy” Hopkinson is designed to help you bring public speaking tools into your pitching process - so your ideas don’t just land, they resonate. Alex, Maddy and Max are all speaker coaches, presenters, and board members of The Keynote Club, a community and course platform that helps people become better speakers. “Public speaking is so critical to pitching,” says Alex, “and so it’s critical to the personal professional development journey of the people in agencies, too.” In this high-energy, interactive workshop, Alex, Maddy and Max will take you through real exercises, not just advice. They will be sharing breathing drills, and confidence-boosting techniques you can start using right away to improve your pitching. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/T56kwW3xSv2czWE8HQSOXw 89161339163

What happens when you stop treating LinkedIn like a tick-box task, and start using it as a serious growth channel? “We literally had the best Q1 we’ve ever had this year,” says Dan Knowlton, co-founder of creative agency Knowlton. “We hit 388% of our profit goals – and most of our business came, and still comes, through LinkedIn.” In this online session, Dan will pull back the curtain on how his team transformed their approach to LinkedIn – turning it from a spammy, low-impact channel into a high-performing client magnet. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/5MfmOhkJQ7q1fBZlMO7L5g 84823995484

“If something lands, we haven’t got a clue who’s gonna work on it.” Sound familiar? You’re not the only one staring down the barrel of over-capacity and second-guessing when to make your next hire. So, when is the right time to hire – and how do you do it without risking your bottom line? Sarah White, co-founder of Smile Digital Talent, sees this dilemma all the time, and in this session, she'll be on hand to help you find a better understanding of when, and how, you should make that next hire. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/VyLuFvjPQbG00OpSNCt2HQ 89477728853

More agencies are being pulled into international work, whether it's a client eyeing expansion or a pitch that spans multiple markets. But once you're beyond the UK, things get trickier fast: Who can you trust locally? How do you buy media or get reliable insight? How should you manage the brief without blowing the margin? It’s the kind of challenge Maddy Park deals with every day. As MD of NewCom Horizons, a Madrid-based agency that partners with independents across the world, Maddy helps UK agencies deliver when the brief goes beyond home turf. In this session, we’ll explore what it actually takes to operate internationally as an independent agency. From picking partners to managing margin, you’ll get a real-world look at the opportunities (and headaches) of going global. https://agencyhackers.zoom.us/meeting/register/zbtZB3mDRwOxPfmudQikFw 81993948138

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Leading an agency at 50+ headcount is a different game. The systems that got you here might not take you further – and the growing pains can be brutal.At Agency Alchemy, you’ll hear from agency leaders and ops directors who’ve navigated this shift. Discover the frameworks, strategies, and mindset shifts that help agencies scale smoothly – and connect with others who are transforming their businesses, just like you.This event is brought to you in partnership with Scoro.

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