Chris LaFay: How to Run a $1M Agency Built on Relationships скачать в хорошем качестве

Chris LaFay: How to Run a $1M Agency Built on Relationships

In this conversation, Chris LaFay (Founder, Classic City Consulting) shares a decade of hard-won lessons on staying profitable, avoiding bloat, and building an agency that lasts. We dig into “one-glass focus,” why not niching can still be strategic, when to pass on work, partnerships without finders fees, pricing and retainers, and the KPI that quietly compounds new business: intentional outreach. In this episode, you’ll learn Why “one glass” focus beats scattered growth Project variety vs. “niching down” (and how to niche by systems, not industry) The comparison trap: learning from peers without copy-pasting their playbook When referral partnerships work without commissions—and when they don’t The 4 R’s growth engine: Retain → Reactivate → Referral → Recruit (new) Don’t hire on a hope: catching operational bloat before it sinks margins Pricing, retainers, and the “help agencies look great” strategy The single KPI Chris tracks in good seasons: weekly intentional check-ins How to handle sunk costs with a “fans-first” lens (Savannah Bananas inspo) Mentorship as a cheat code for clarity and decisive action Chapters 00:00 Intro 09:04 One-Glass Focus: creator energy, momentum, and why projects stay interesting 11:29 Project Variety is greater than Burnout: why new client problems keep the work fresh 14:15 Do You Need a Niche? Niching by WordPress/Shopify & repeatable frameworks 15:32 Peer Comparison Without Copy-Paste: learning from others, keeping identity 18:44 Outreach over Everything: how early agencies stall without consistent relationship-building 25:24 Partnerships Sans Finder Fees: when passing leads is the value (and exceptions) 31:10 Adding Value to Your Agency Network: beyond referrals; community & support 32:17 Risk You’re Glad You Took: the hiring lesson that reshaped the business 37:51 Silencing the Inner Critic: external processing & mentor mirrors 41:22 Most Valuable KPI: weekly intentional reach-outs (and why they compound) 46:55 Action Taker You Admire: David Feldman & decisive leadership 51:49 Sunk Costs & When to Quit: “fans-first” filter + staying lean on OPEX Connect with Chris Chris LaFay, Founder – Classic City Consulting Website: https://classiccity.com LinkedIn:   / chris-lafay   Connect with Brian Web: https://brianondrako.com LinkedIn:   / brianondrako   If you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn to “un-suck” at sales, one newsletter at a time. 📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.beehii... agency pricing, agency profitability, staying lean, operational bloat, WordPress agency, Shopify builds, retainers vs projects, referral partnerships, finders fees, client retention, reactivation strategy, outreach KPI, mentorship for founders, comparison trap, sunk cost fallacy, Savannah Bananas fans-first, margins over revenue, don’t hire on a hope, website projects process, sales for service businesses