Most founders stumble to $1M.
They chase clients, match competitor pricing, and wake up with an agency that’s busy but brittle.
This week’s solo episode breaks down the three roads to $1M and the tradeoffs that come with each:
1️⃣ The Volume Lane: $2 – 4K retainers, 20 – 40 clients. Easy to sell, brutal to manage.
2️⃣ The Balanced Lane: $5 – 8K retainers, 10 – 17 clients. Strong margins, manageable ops.
3️⃣ The Flagship Lane: $10 – 30K retainers, 3 – 9 clients. White glove service, high risk if one leaves.
Most agencies drift into a lane by accident. I show you how to pick intentionally based on your team’s capacity, positioning, and operational maturity.
The Fix:
• Map your revenue goal → clients needed → ops load.
• Audit your systems. Could they handle 40 clients or 4 premium ones?
• Choose your lane, then design the team and pricing around it (not the other way around).
Prefer audio? Catch the full episode on Apple | LISTEN HERE | Spotify | LISTEN HERE |
If this resonated, run the free Agency Growth Diagnostic (5 min). We’ll map your biggest constraint and your first fix for free: https://www.agencyuplift.co/mini
– Sean
P.S. The wildest part? Most “premium” agencies don’t have premium operations. I explain why system depth, not sales skill, determines who stays in the flagship lane.