If 2025 felt chaotic, exhausting, or fragile,
That wasn’t bad luck.
It was misaligned values showing up as broken systems.
In this episode, I laid out the six core values I’ve used to scale past 50 people and the moves I’d make to build a calmer, stronger 2026.
Not theory.
Operating standards.
Here they are brief, practical, and actionable:
1️⃣ Lead with leverage
If an action adds complexity instead of time, freedom, or growth, it’s a tax.
Audit your week. Eliminate, automate, or delegate one low-leverage task every week.
2️⃣ Ruthless clarity
Ambiguity kills momentum.
Define Q1 priorities, owners, and what will not happen. Then actually share it with your team.
3️⃣ Fix the foundation first
Don’t scale loose ICPs, blurry financials, or shaky delivery.
Stabilizing before you stack more weight or growth will snap the system.
4️⃣ Be the CEO, not the operator
The agency is the product. Not you.
List everything only you touch and start letting go deliberately, weekly.
5️⃣ Burnout is not a badge
Overwork isn’t commitment. It’s a system failure.
Protect deep work, cap meeting load, and build margin like you protect revenue.
6️⃣ Tell the truth even when it hurts
Run a real team audit. Ask: Would I hire this person again?
Avoiding the answer only makes the fix more painful later.
The Fix (start in Q1):
• Install a weekly CEO ritual to review money, scorecards, and priorities
• Turn repeated founder work into SOPs that keep you out of the weeds
• Reset expectations with your team clarity before consequences
Catch the full episode on Apple | LISTEN HERE | Spotify | LISTEN HERE |
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– Sean
P.S. Growth doesn’t break agencies. Scaling broken foundations does.