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In episode 143, I dig into one of the most underestimated risks in agency ownership: the legal blind spots that quietly cost agencies millions over time.

From contracts and scope creep to client disputes, IP ownership, and liability exposure, we unpack where agencies unknowingly put themselves at risk — and why most don’t realize it until it’s too late.

This conversation is a must-listen for agency owners who want to protect what they’ve built, reduce unnecessary exposure, and stop treating legal as an afterthought instead of a growth safeguard.

Key Bytes

• Most agencies don’t realize their biggest legal risks until a problem hits

• Poor contracts quietly drain profit long before lawsuits happen

• Scope creep is as much a legal issue as it is a pricing issue

• IP ownership mistakes can create long-term client and valuation problems

• Proactive legal structure is a growth advantage, not a cost center

Chapters

00:00 Why legal blind spots are so common in agencies

04:15 The contracts agencies rely on (and why they fall short)

10:20 Scope creep as a legal and financial issue

18:05 IP ownership mistakes that come back years later

26:40 Client disputes: where agencies expose themselves

34:10 Risk vs. fear: what actually matters legally

42:00 Simple fixes agency owners can make now

50:10 How legal hygiene protects valuation and exit

56:30 Final thoughts & wrap-up

Sharon Toerek is Founder of Toerek Law (doing business in the agency world as Legal + Creative), where she focuses her national law practice on helping advertising, marketing, communications and creative agencies protect their assets and turn their ideas into revenue.

Sharon provides proactive, strategic counsel to communications, marketing, advertising, digital and creative agencies on legal and business issues they face continually in their work, including:

• agency-client relationships, including agency service contracts

• agency-freelancer and agency strategic alliance relationship management

• trademark and copyright protection, enforcement and licensing

• influencer marketing negotiations and content marketing legal compliance

• advertising regulatory compliance

• AI policy and risk management for agencies

Sharon is an approved participant on the 4A's Legal Consultants Panel, and a member of the 4A’s Expert Network. She has also served as President of the American Ad Federation (AAF) Cleveland and has been elected to AAF Cleveland’s Hall of Fame.

In addition to her Firm’s work representing U.S. independent agencies, Sharon

• Created the Legal + Creative Agency Protection System, a comprehensive legal education and legal toolkit for marketing, ad and creative services agencies

• Created and hosted over 300 episodes of the agency-focused podcast The Innovative Agency, a podcast about innovation and trends in the marketing agency world

• Presents sessions on agency-critical legal topics to independent agency networks, to private agency audiences, and at industry conferences including INBOUND, Content Marketing World, MAICON, the Build a Better Agency Summit, Own It Summit, Mirren New York, and PRSA Counselors Academy.

Contact Sharon:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharontoerek/

https://legalandcreative.com/

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In episode 142, I sit down with Amy Maxwell, founder and creative director of Maxwell Design, to talk about the real tension small creative shops face: how do you grow without sacrificing the craft that made you successful in the first place?

We dig into what it looks like to evolve from “hands-on designer” to “agency leader,” how to protect quality as you add capacity, and how to make smart choices about clients, process, and scope so growth doesn’t turn into chaos. If you want to scale with intention (and still love the work), this one’s for you.

Key Bytes

• Scaling doesn’t have to mean sacrificing creative quality

• Your process is what protects the craft as you grow

• “Better clients” often solves what “more clients” can’t

• You can stay hands-on without being the bottleneck

• The right constraints create consistency, not limitation

• Hiring should reduce friction, not add management drag

• Clear scope and boundaries prevent quiet burnout

Chapters

00:00 Intro: scaling without losing the craft

02:10 Amy’s origin story and building Maxwell Design

06:20 The “stay small” choice and what it protects

11:05 When growth starts to strain quality (warning signs)

16:10 Processes that keep creative standards high

22:30 Team structure: support roles vs creative roles

28:40 Client fit, boundaries, and saying “no” earlier

34:15 Staying fulfilled while the business grows

40:20 Rapid-fire questions and wrap-up

Amy—Creative Director + Founder of Maxwell Design—has spent the last two decades helping businesses look their best. She’s an award-winning designer with a knack for reading minds and creating delightful visual experiences. Her solution-focused approach makes her someone you’ll want in any room. And her small (but mighty) team comes with some major design chops.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwelldesignco/

http://maxwelldesignco.com/

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In episode 141, I sit down with Melissa and Meredith, the hosts of the Agency Darlings podcast and longtime agency operators, to unpack why so many agency owners feel burned out, stuck, or disillusioned by the traditional agency growth advice that’s been circulating for decades.

We talk candidly about the “bro playbook” — hustle culture, ego-driven leadership, top-down decision making, and growth at all costs — and why it often leads to unhealthy teams, poor margins, and miserable owners. Melissa and Meredith share what they’ve learned from years inside agencies about what actually drives sustainable growth: emotional intelligence, clear communication, strong operations, and leadership that prioritizes people alongside profit.

This episode is a refreshing, grounded look at agency leadership through a more human lens — one that challenges outdated norms and offers agency owners permission to build businesses that align with who they actually are.

Key Bytes

• Why the traditional agency “bro playbook” is failing modern agencies• The hidden cost of hustle culture on owners and teams• How emotional intelligence impacts agency growth and retention• What healthier leadership looks like inside agencies• Redefining success beyond revenue and headcount

Chapters

00:00 Why the traditional agency playbook feels broken05:12 The origins of hustle culture in agencies11:04 Masculine-driven leadership norms and their impact17:32 Emotional intelligence as a growth lever23:58 Building healthier agency cultures30:41 Operator-led leadership vs. ego-led leadership37:10 Sustainable growth without burnout43:26 Redefining success as an agency owner49:12 Advice for owners ready to do things differently

Each with over 15 years of experience in the agency space and deep-rooted connections within the industry, Melissa and Meredith bring actionable insights, expert advice, and candid conversations that challenge the conventional, masculine-driven approaches to agency growth.

Contact Meredith & Melissa:www.agencydarlings.comhttps://bit.ly/MWDarlingshttps://waverlyave.comhttps://instagram.com/waverlyave.cohttps://www.lecheile.co/contacthttps://www.instagram.com/lecheile.co/

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In episode 140, I sit down with Michael Janda—agency founder, bestselling author, and one of the most respected voices helping creatives master the business side of creativity. Michael built and sold Riser, worked with giants like Disney and Google, and later led creative teams at Fox before dedicating his career to teaching creatives how to price, position, and run their businesses without burning out.

We dig into the mental and operational “growing up” that every creative eventually faces: getting past portfolio thinking, charging confidently, understanding value, eliminating chaos, and building a more peaceful (and profitable) creative life. Michael’s straight-talk wisdom hits every agency owner exactly where they need it—no fluff, no ego, just clarity.

Key Bytes

• Why creatives struggle with pricing — and how to fix it

• The mindset shift from freelancer to business owner

• How Michael positioned his agency to win massive clients

• The surprising relationship between process, profit, and peace

• What creatives get wrong about value

• Why “portfolio thinking” holds owners back

• How to build a business that supports your life, not the other way around

Chapters

00:01 Welcome + Michael’s background and agency journey

04:12 From creative chaos to building processes that scale

09:45 Why pricing is emotional—and how to make it objective

14:30 Portfolio vs. business owner mindset

19:58 Finding ideal clients and positioning that works

25:21 How Michael sold his agency and what he learned

31:44 The psychology of creative profitability

38:10 Achieving peace of mind as an owner

44:22 Michael’s advice for creatives who feel “stuck”

Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, agency founder, and bestselling author.

He built the creative agency Riser with clients like Disney, Google, Warner Bros., and ABC, then sold the business after 13 successful years. Before that, he served as a creative director at Fox. Michael

is the author of Burn Your Portfolio and The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing. Today, he shares practical, no-fluff strategies to help creative professionals master business, pricing, and growth.

Community: https://morecreativeacademy.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/morejanda

YouTube: https://youtube.com/morejanda

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/morejanda

Website: https://michaeljanda.com

Courses: https://morejanda.teachable.com

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Ep 139 – Melanie Chandruang, We Consult – Agency Ops that Actually Scale: Financials, Workflows, and AI That Works

In episode 139, I sit down with Melanie Chandruang, founder of WeConsult and a strategic operations partner for creative agencies. Melanie has spent the last seven years helping agencies tighten up their financials, streamline workflows, and build stronger leadership teams—while also navigating two maternity leaves, a cross-country move, and re-entering the industry in one of its toughest seasons.

We dig into how she rebuilt WeConsult after stepping away to have kids, what’s changed in the agency landscape since 2023, and why she’s now staying higher-level as a fractional ops leader instead of getting buried in implementation. Melanie breaks down what healthy leadership actually looks like, why so many founders remain the bottleneck even after hiring “senior” people, and how clear ownership, scorecards, and trust change everything.

We also get tactical: what she looks for first in the financials, the operational metrics that matter most, and why agencies without documented processes are struggling the most with AI adoption. We wrap by talking about leading through uncertainty, avoiding burnout, and the simple practice Melanie uses to remind herself of the value she’s creating—plus her very 90s go-to karaoke song.

Key Bytes
• Clean financials and clear reporting are the true foundation of scalable ops

• Workflow ownership matters — if it’s nobody’s job, it’s nobody’s job

• Founders stay bottlenecks when leadership has no autonomy or scorecards

• Agencies with documented systems adopt AI faster (and with fewer messes)

• Strong leadership = trust, clarity, and shared problem-solving

• Self-care and boundaries are essential for sustainable agency ownership

Chapters

00:01 Intro and how Melanie rebuilt WeConsult after kids and a cross-country move

02:48 Stepping away from client work, losing momentum, and clawing back into a changed industry

05:36 Why Melanie now stays high-level and pushes implementation to internal teams and automation

07:42 Founders as bottlenecks and what a truly strong leadership team looks like

11:15 Ego, scale, and the operational shifts required for owners to get out of the way

15:36 Where Melanie starts operationally: financials, workflows, and clear ownership

18:07 The agency financial metrics that actually matter (profitability, cash, utilization, and more)

22:03 Why documented systems are the key to successful AI adoption (and how messy it gets without them)

26:00 Leading through uncertainty, rebuilding a business, and protecting your own wellbeing

28:38 AI note-takers, imposter syndrome, and Melanie’s “value” practice

31:36 Melanie’s 90s karaoke pick and where to learn more about WeConsult

Melanie Chandruang is the Founder of WeConsult and a Strategic Operations Partner for creative agencies. With over 15 years in the industry, she helps agency owners boost profits, streamline operations, and move big initiatives forward so they can focus on growth and what matters most.

https://weconsult.io/

In episode 132, I talk with Leah Leaves, founder of Alderaan Operations Solutions, where she helps remote digital agencies grow without the grind. Known for her no-fluff, systems-first approach, Leah and her team embed expert operations managers directly into agencies to break bottlenecks, reduce burnout, and build businesses that can scale without the founder in every decision.

We dig into what causes owners to become the bottleneck, the difference between goals, systems, and team accountability, and how every agency—no matter the size—can start building a foundation that prevents burnout and supports growth. Leah also shares how to identify when it’s time to bring in an operator, how to delegate effectively, and why even the best creative agencies need structure to thrive. We wrap by exploring how AI fits into internal operations and why every agency needs an AI Ops roadmap, even if it’s just six months ahead.

Key Bytes

• Burnout often begins with unclear goals and missing systems; clarity is the antidote.

• Leah outlines four agency owner archetypes—the Trusting Optimist, Firefighting Founder, Reluctant Gatekeeper, and Visionary Leader—and how operators help each evolve.

• Delegation isn’t dumping tasks; it’s empowering your team with context and ownership.

• Documenting the “why” behind your systems drives consistency and accountability.

• Operators create the scaffolding for scale—allowing founders to focus on vision, not firefighting.

• Every agency, regardless of size, benefits from an AI Ops roadmap to guide internal efficiency.

• Start with what you already have—processes, checklists, or recurring workflows—and build from there.

• Systems don’t kill creativity; they protect it by removing chaos and decision fatigue.

Chapters

00:00 Intro and welcome with guest Leah Leaves, founder of Alderaan Operations Solutions

02:00 The Star Wars origin of “Alderaan” and Leah’s path from journalism to operations

05:30 From creative to systems thinker: finding flow in operations

08:00 How unclear goals and missing systems cause bottlenecks

10:00 Guardrails vs. micromanagement: empowering the team without overengineering

13:00 The burnout cycle and why delegation is a creative act

15:00 The four types of agency owners and their operational challenges

20:00 Shifting from bottleneck to visionary: the operator’s role in scaling

23:30 Why every agency needs an AI ops roadmap

26:30 Putting “robots” in the org chart and making automation work

29:00 Low-hanging AI wins: onboarding, recruiting, and workflow automation

32:00 Rapid-fire Q&A: distilling systems, theme songs, and unexpected client wins

34:45 Closing thoughts and where to find Leah

Leah Leaves is the Founder of Alderaan Operations Solutions, where she helps remote digital marketing agencies grow without the grind. Known for her no-fluff, systems-first approach, she and her team embed expert Operations Managers directly into agencies to break bottlenecks, reduce burnout, and build businesses that can scale without the founder in every decision.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/1eah1eaves/

https://alderaanenterprise.com/

http://agencyownerquiz.com/

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In episode 072, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Peleg Top, a talented artist and spiritual director, to tackle a topic every creative professional faces: overcoming creative burnout. If you’ve ever felt drained or stuck in your creative journey, this episode is for you.

Peleg and I go way back—over 20 years—and in this conversation, he opens up about his transformative journey from agency owner to guiding others through burnout and into spiritual alignment. Peleg’s insights on the importance of self-love, shifting from a fear-based mindset to one of abundance, and saying "no" more often are powerful reminders for anyone in the creative field.

We dive deep into recognizing and transforming toxic beliefs and discuss the fascinating role that plant medicine plays in his work. This episode is packed with wisdom for agency owners and creatives looking to reconnect with their passion and purpose. Don’t miss it!

Key Takeaways

• Recognize the symptoms of burnout as an opportunity for self-examination and spiritual growth.
• Shift from a fear-based mindset to one of abundance and self-love.
• Identify and transform toxic beliefs that are holding you back.
• Say no more often and trust your intuition.
• Create a life and business that aligns with your values and allows you to express your creativity.

Bytes of Note

00:00 Introduction and Background
06:06 Recognizing Burnout and Seeking Spiritual Alignment
14:15 Shifting from Fear to Abundance
25:09 The Power of Saying No and Trusting Your Intuition
31:31 Creating a Life and Business Aligned with Your Values

Peleg Top is an artist, a trained spiritual director and a teacher who mentors accomplished creatives and agency owners who meet themselves at a crossroad. 

His background comes from being an agency owner himself. He ran a leading design and branding firm in Los Angeles for twenty years until he experienced his own spiritual crisis at the age of 40 and decided to shift direction, sell his agency and become a guide and a coach who teaches creatives how to reinvent themselves. 

Peleg is the creator of the "Creative High Growth" process, which teaches creatives to rediscover their creative free spirit and guides them to create a life of abundance and prosperity. 

A world traveler, trained chef, a DJ  and breath work facilitator, Peleg’s mission is to activate and bring more love into the world.  

Contact Peleg:

website: www.PelegTop.com

LinkedIn: @PelegTop

IG: @PelegTop

Free Sample: https://www.pelegtop.com/chg-sample