The ones that are know exactly how their business works. Which clients make them money. What projects don't. Where capacity is. What the next three months actually look like. That clarity is what makes sustainable growth achievable - and profitable.
I work with founders and senior leaders of marketing agencies to build the operational foundations that make that possible.
Scope absorbed rather than reset. Extra amends answered with a 'just get it done'. Retainers drifting beyond what was agreed, without the invoice to match.
Forecasts built on assumed timelines rather than delivery reality. Milestones that slip quietly. Month-end surprises that shouldn't have been surprises at all.
Processes that exist on paper but not in practice. Templates nobody uses. Handovers that happen quickly because the client is ready, not because the brief is complete.
Finance and delivery talking about different numbers. Account teams optimising for client happiness. No single view of what's profitable, what's at risk, and what needs attention.
Most operational improvement starts by looking at what's broken. I start somewhere different - by designing where you want to get to. Then measuring the gap. Then building the route.
The work follows five stages. Each has a defined output and a natural end point. You decide how far you go.
I also work with agency COOs and ops leaders through a separate advisory model.
Full details and prices on the Services page.
It's easy to look at acceptable gross margin and assume things are broadly fine. But the cost of reactive delivery - last-minute freelance days, projects drifting past their profitable window, work that should have been charged for but wasn't - is already in your P&L. It's just not visible until someone looks properly.
When the right operational foundations are in place, even targeted ones, the impact shows up quickly
typical monthly margin recovery on £250–300k revenue; without adding headcount
reduction in variable delivery costs once operational changes are in place
to see impact in the numbers for most agencies
so decisions get made without everything flowing through one person
The same thinking you'll find in the articles - on profitable delivery, capacity planning, and the operational habits that protect margin - in your inbox. Previous editions available on the sign-up page.
[Their] dedication to developing and implementing best-practice processes significantly improved efficiency and effectiveness across multiple areas of the business
Kate plays a critical role in keeping operations and programmes running smoothly, efficiently and effectively. It is easy to take this for granted - because you know that Kate is at the controls and you have complete trust in her abilities
Working with Kate has been a genuinely valuable experience; her recommendations were both practical and insightful. The process gave us a clearer view of our operations and a solid foundation to start making real improvements
Most agency ops leaders spend their whole day in conversation. The resourcing clash on Thursday, the project that's out of scope and now unprofitable, the new starter whose laptop still hasn't arrived, the month's revenue forecast that needs a reality check.
Agencies are good at diagnosis. You walk into a client's business and within a few conversations, you can see it.
For many of us, today marks the unofficial start of the summer holidays. The day when school finishes, the kids are home, and somehow your days aren't quite yours in the same way they are during term time.
Every agency has a version of this story.
Most founders know, somewhere, that something needs to change.