<![CDATA[Agency Principals]]>Conversations on building and realising agency value. The Agency Principals Podcast is for independent agency founders who want honest conversations about the long game — from early ambition through growth ceilings, valuation, and the question every founder eventually faces: what do I actually want the future to look like? Hosted by Simon Morgan and Doug Baxter of Agency Futures, each episode brings in founders, buyers, and investors who've been through it.

]]>www.agencyfutures.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Fri, 17 Apr 2026 23:09:53 GMTMon, 30 Mar 2026 06:36:07 GMT60Simon Morgan & Doug Baxter<p>Conversations on building and realising agency value. The Agency Principals Podcast is for independent agency founders who want honest conversations about the long game — from early ambition through growth ceilings, valuation, and the question every founder eventually faces: what do I actually want the future to look like? Hosted by Simon Morgan and Doug Baxter of Agency Futures, each episode brings in founders, buyers, and investors who've been through it.</p>episodicSimon Morgan & Doug Baxtersimon@agencyfutures.comno<![CDATA[Agency Principals Podcast | EP03 | On Specialism and Thought Leadership]]>The conversation explores the journey of Nourish, a specialist food, beverage, and agriculture agency, focusing on demand generation, thought leadership, specialization, business development, and agency growth through M&A. Joanne McArthur, the founder and CEO, shares insights on building a successful agency model and seeking a growth partner through M&A.

Takeaways

  • Inbound marketing and demand generation are key for agency growth
  • Thought leadership and content strategy contribute to agency positioning and growth
  • Specialization and culture play a significant role in agency success
  • Adding value and refining business development engine are crucial for agency growth
  • Seeking a growth partner through M&A requires careful consideration and staff involvement

Chapters

  • 00:00 Demand Generation and Inbound Marketing
  • 09:30 Thought Leadership and Content Strategy
  • 14:49 Relentless List and Business Development
]]>2c7ad3c5-9790-42e6-be98-573a65a2e4cdFri, 10 Apr 2026 00:09:43 GMT<p>The conversation explores the journey of Nourish, a specialist food, beverage, and agriculture agency, focusing on demand generation, thought leadership, specialization, business development, and agency growth through M&amp;A. Joanne McArthur, the founder and CEO, shares insights on building a successful agency model and seeking a growth partner through M&amp;A.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Inbound marketing and demand generation are key for agency growth</li><li>Thought leadership and content strategy contribute to agency positioning and growth</li><li>Specialization and culture play a significant role in agency success</li><li>Adding value and refining business development engine are crucial for agency growth</li><li>Seeking a growth partner through M&amp;A requires careful consideration and staff involvement</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 Demand Generation and Inbound Marketing</li><li>09:30 Thought Leadership and Content Strategy</li><li>14:49 Relentless List and Business Development</li></ul>no00:19:3513Agency Principals Podcast | EP03 | On Specialism and Thought Leadershipfull<![CDATA[Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 02 | The buy-to-build founder]]>

Stephen Brown has built Fuse Create into one of Canada's leading independent agencies over 23 years — doubled the business in five years, expanded into the US market, and walked away from two serious acquisition conversations along the way. In this episode, Doug Baxter sits down with Stephen to explore the buy-to-build strategy he's now pursuing, why independence is a spirit rather than a status, and what it actually felt like to say no to a deal when everything on paper said yes. A candid conversation about growth, leadership, and building something worth being proud of.

]]>e8222be8-2e64-4a24-b9b6-f41a1828639dMon, 30 Mar 2026 07:58:37 GMT<p></p><hr /><p>Stephen Brown has built Fuse Create into one of Canada's leading independent agencies over 23 years — doubled the business in five years, expanded into the US market, and walked away from two serious acquisition conversations along the way. In this episode, Doug Baxter sits down with Stephen to explore the buy-to-build strategy he's now pursuing, why independence is a spirit rather than a status, and what it actually felt like to say no to a deal when everything on paper said yes. A candid conversation about growth, leadership, and building something worth being proud of.</p>no00:29:36Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 02 | The buy-to-build founderfull<![CDATA[Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 01 | What are Agency buyers looking for today?]]>Most agency founders spend years building something valuable without ever stopping to ask what buyers are actually looking for. In this opening episode, Simon Morgan and Doug Baxter lay out the landscape - why the holdco era is fading, what private equity and strategic acquirers really want, and how AI is reshaping every conversation around agency value. They walk through five key drivers that buyers examine when assessing an agency: financial health, founder dependency, client portfolio, positioning, and forward momentum. Honest, practical, and a good place to start if you're thinking about the long game.

In this podcast we reference what match-fit agencies look like. Here is the reference to this. https://agencyfutures.com/insights/how-do-you-know-if-your-agency-is-match-fit

]]>57a4cddd-3c0d-48a7-9fca-605e570a6789Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:44:33 GMT<p>Most agency founders spend years building something valuable without ever stopping to ask what buyers are actually looking for. In this opening episode, Simon Morgan and Doug Baxter lay out the landscape - why the holdco era is fading, what private equity and strategic acquirers really want, and how AI is reshaping every conversation around agency value. They walk through five key drivers that buyers examine when assessing an agency: financial health, founder dependency, client portfolio, positioning, and forward momentum. Honest, practical, and a good place to start if you're thinking about the long game.</p><p></p><p>In this podcast we reference what match-fit agencies look like. Here is the reference to this. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://agencyfutures.com/insights/how-do-you-know-if-your-agency-is-match-fit" target="_blank">https://agencyfutures.com/insights/how-do-you-know-if-your-agency-is-match-fit</a></p>no00:31:33Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 01 | What are Agency buyers looking for today?full