Inside the Mind of a Private Equity Buyer
What buyers wantPODCASTS
Agency Futures
Podcasts
Two shows, one focus: helping agency founders make sharper decisions about growth, value and exit. Agency Principals brings candid conversations with people who have built, bought and sold agencies. The Exit Playbook is a practical, step-by-step guide to selling your agency well.
THE INTERVIEWS
Agency Principals
Candid conversations with the people who have built, bought and sold agencies. Doug and Simon sit down with founders, buyers and operators to unpack where agency value really comes from, what buyers actually look for, and what the journey feels like from the inside.
THE GUIDE
Exit Playbook
A practical, step-by-step video guide to selling your agency well. Each episode takes one part of the journey, from the question of whether you are ready, through valuation, buyers and deal structures, and explains it in plain terms.
The questions agency owners actually ask
Short answers from the people who run the deals. Pick a topic.
Treat Your Business As A Client
Building value
My Job Is Not to Be the Front Anymore
Building value
Hire Slow. Fire Fast
Building value
Saying No to the Wrong Money
What buyers want
The Deal Is Not The Destination
What buyers want
What's Special About Your Agency?
Selling up
If Opportunity Knocks, You'll Be Ready
Selling up
What Does Selling An Agency Actually Feel Like From the Inside?
Life after the deal
We Don't Sell Technology, We Solve Problems With It
AI and the model
Selling Doesn't Always Mean Leaving?
Selling up
All Roads Lead to That Person
What buyers want
Is Your Lack of M&A Experience Costing You $$$?
What buyers want
M&A Activity to Cure Your Burnout
Life after the deal
Why Culture is Your Number One M&A Filter
What buyers want
Profit Will Set You Free
Building value
Finding the Right Partnership Isn't Just About The Money
What buyers want
Late Preparation Will Cost You $$$
Selling up
What Are The Hybrid Roles?
AI and the model
Being Sale Ready Is More Important Than You Think
Selling up
How Long Does It Take to Prepare My Agency For Sale?
Selling up
The Trojan Horse That Wins New Business
Building value
No One Will Buy My Agency
Selling up
What Is the Role of the Agencies Now?
AI and the model
Stop Using Team Size as a KPI
Building value
When Is The Right Time to Sell?
Selling up
Culture Vs Finance?
Building value
Embracing Failure for Success
Paul Hughes, Rothco
Life after the deal
What's Your Life After The Sale?
Selling up
Match Fit Vs Market Timing
Selling up
Focus on Input
Paul Hughes, Rothco
Life after the deal
Stop Waiting for a Holdco to Call
What buyers want
Believe in Possibilities
Paul Hughes, Rothco
Life after the deal
Why This Agency’s First Acquisition Was an AR Studio
Life after the deal
Is Now The Best Time To Sell Your Agency?
Selling up
AI Can Do Average
AI and the model
Why Your Agency Isn't Growing (And What To Do About It)
Building value
Persuasion Vs Participation
Building value
THE PLAYBOOK
The Match-Fit Playbook
Agency M&A, from growth to exit. The practical guide to building agency value and navigating a sale on your terms, drawn from the deals we advise on.