Most agency owners think the next hire will save them.
Less time in the weeds. Fewer fires. More freedom.
But as Tobi Chapman found out, more headcount often just means more headaches.
He built EverBoost from scratch, profitably scaling CPG brands through retention marketing (email, SMS, and direct mail). The growth was fast, the lessons faster.
Here’s what he discovered:
3️⃣ People's problems are process problems.
If your team’s stretched, it’s usually not a staffing issue, it’s a systems one.
2️⃣ Culture starts at the top.
You can’t outsource standards. If you haven’t done the work yourself, you can’t expect someone else to know what “good” looks like.
1️⃣ Slow growth beats fragile growth.
Sustainable agencies grow like stair steps. Build, plateau, fix, repeat. The shortcut is patience.
The Fix:
• Audit one core process this week. Ask: is this problem a headcount gap or a process gap?
• Don’t hand off work you can’t yet define. Clarity before delegation.
• Revisit your hiring filter, does it screen for standards, not just skills?
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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. Tobi’s take on why “headcount isn’t a badge of honor” is worth hearing in full.