This episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast welcomes Harv Nagra, host of The Handbook podcast and Head of Brand Communications at Scoro, to unpack a hard truth many agency owners overlook: growth stalls when operational maturity can't keep up with success.

Harv draws from his own agency experience to explain why chaos, burnout, and shrinking margins are often symptoms of broken systems, not broken strategy. He breaks down the five pillars of operational excellence, the stages agencies move through as they grow, and the exact moments when "winging it" stops working.

If your agency feels busy but brittle or profitable but fragile, this conversation will help you spot the blind spots, install structure without killing creativity, and build an agency that can scale sustainably.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why most agencies struggle to scale due to immature operations, not sales or pipeline issues

• The five essential pillars of agency operational maturity

• How to assess your strengths and gaps

• Why chaos behind the scenes can lead to lost talent and hinder healthy growth

• The key stages of operational maturity, from "Chaotic Era" to "Innovation Era"

• Real-life examples of how documenting processes and building a central handbook can transform your agency

• When and why even small agencies should invest in operations expertise

• How forward-looking data can help agencies make proactive, profitable decisions

Bio

Harv Nagra is an operations consultant, former in-house Ops Director at a pan-European design and marketing consultancy, and currently Head of Brand Communications at Scoro – the work management platform for professional services businesses.

With a background that spans marketing, technology, and operations, Harv helps service-based businesses mature by optimising how they work – across people, process, and technology and data. He's led large-scale change programmes, implemented end-to-end tech ecosystems, and supported leadership teams in building more scalable, profitable operations.

Harv is especially passionate about helping businesses understand what operational maturity looks like at every stage of growth – and how to get there without burning teams out. His approach is grounded in experience, shaped by both success stories and the real-world challenges that come with transformation.

He's also the host of The Handbook: The Agency Operations Podcast, where he interviews operators and subject matter experts to unpack the systems, tools, and behaviours that drive performance behind the scenes.

Originally from Vancouver and now based in London, Harv brings a practical, no-nonsense lens to operations – and a strong belief that ops should be a strategic advantage, not just a support function.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.harvnagra.com/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scoro-software/

• The Operations Podcast: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/