Agency Darlings

In this episode we're breaking down the three decisions that define what your business actually is next year — what you charge, what you keep, and what you let in — plus the calendar for each, because every one of them has a runway and they all run out December 31.

What to Expect in This Episode:

• How to time a January rate increase so it lands as a conversation instead of an ultimatum
• The importance of knowing profit per client, not just revenue per client
• Which offerings to sunset, which to launch, and why both belong on your Q4 list
• The qualifying questions that make saying no to the wrong client dramatically easier

Actionable Takeaways:

Decide your rate increase in October and communicate it in November — a 90-day runway is for the client, not for you. December is too late; half your clients are on vacation and the other half are closing their own year.

Give clients two options instead of one number: the new rate, or keep their current number and adjust the scope. The ones who take the scope option are often the ones who would have left.

Go account by account on profit, not revenue. In most agency books two to four accounts are running at or below break-even while everything else subsidizes them — and you'll find them within twenty minutes of looking honestly.

Write your go/no-go criteria down before the next opportunity arrives. If you're winning a third or more of what you pursue, get pickier. If you're winning under one in five, the problem isn't your pitch — it's your positioning.

About Your Hosts:

Melissa Lohrer is the Founder of Waverly Ave Consulting, a Growth Consultancy for indie agencies. She partners with agency owners to create seven-figure growth through strategic repositioning, modern revenue models, and relationship-based sales. See her website and connect with Melissa on LinkedIn.

Meredith Fennessy Witts is the Founder of Le Chéile, the go-to finance and strategy consultancy for creative agencies scaling beyond seven figures. She helps creative founders clarify their cash flow, restructure niche offers and pricing, and ensure they're running a profitable business... mindfully. See her website and connect with Meredith on LinkedIn.

What's the one decision you've been putting off? Tell us — we might cover it.

Reach out to us about this episode or other ideas on LinkedIn or [email protected].

Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

There's a particular type of lead that does more damage to your confidence than any other: the price shopper. They're not looking for expertise. They're not prioritizing outcomes. They're laser-focused on getting the lowest number, and the conversation they drag you into can leave you questioning everything about your business.

In this episode, Melissa and Meredith unpack one of the most frustrating parts of running an agency: the sales call that was doomed from the start. The one where the prospect has no budget, no clarity on their goals, and is really just shopping around to see what's out there.

The data backs up what you're feeling. Over 60% of early-stage agency calls are informational, not transactional. And buyers who ask for pricing before discussing goals are two times less likely to convert. That's a lot of time and energy poured into conversations that were never going anywhere.

If you've ever wondered...

1. Why do I keep getting on calls that go nowhere?
2. How do I stop attracting leads who only care about price?
3. What should my website contact form actually ask?
4. How do I handle it when a prospect tries to drive my price down?

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copper is the CRM that helps agencies attract more clients, streamline communication, and deliver projects effortlessly. Exclusive to listeners of the podcast, Copper is offering 15% off any annual plan with promo code AGENCYDARLINGS at copper.com/agency

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Pre-Show: Revisiting Your Business Model and Energy Audit Where Melissa and Meredith are putting their energy right now Why auditing your business model regularly keeps you from getting stuck The question every founder should ask before taking on new work

(00:08:51) Intro: The Sales Call That Was Doomed from the Start The call where the prospect has no budget, no goals, and no intention of closing Why these calls do more damage than just wasting your time How to recognize the pattern before you invest another hour

(00:10:07) What Makes a Price Shopper Different from a Real Lead The key distinction between buyers and price shoppers What it sounds like when someone is shopping vs. genuinely evaluating Why "we're talking to a few other agencies" is a red flag worth paying attention to

(00:14:03) When Price Is the Focus, You Already Have Your Answer Why defending your pricing on a sales call is a losing position The mindset shift from justifying your rates to qualifying your leads What Melissa means by "that is your conclusion based on a very small set of people"

(00:17:02) Standing Your Ground: The Procurement Story The client who was told she was "the most expensive by far" and held her number What happens when you back up your pricing with outcomes instead of flinching Why procurement conversations are the ultimate test of your positioning

(00:24:10) Quote of the Day: Know Your Worth and Then Add Tax The Bethenny Frankel quote every agency founder needs to hear Why nobody should work for free, and that includes your time on bad sales calls What "people do pay 300k for branding" really means for your pricing confidence

(00:27:39) Stats: Why Pre-Qualifying Leads Changes Everything Over 60% of early-stage agency calls are informational, not transactional Buyers who ask for pricing before discussing goals are 2x less likely to convert Agencies that pre-qualify leads see up to 40% higher close rates

(00:29:16) Symptoms You're Dealing with Too Many Price Shoppers Long sales cycles that never close and why your pipeline looks full but nothing converts Feeling exhausted by sales conversations you used to enjoy Clients who sign on and start nickel-and-diming from day one

(00:35:45) Your Website Form Is Your First Line of Defense Why "tell us about your project" is the worst contact form question The real questions your form should ask to filter out the wrong leads Why a longer form turning people away is a feature, not a bug

(00:43:02) What to Ask on Your Contact Form to Filter the Right Leads Specific questions that reveal intent, readiness, and budget alignment Why asking "are you the decision maker?" saves you months of follow-up How six minutes on a form can save you an hour on a dead-end call

(00:51:18) Packaging Offers Around Problems, Not Services Why leading with deliverables instead of outcomes attracts the wrong buyers How reframing your offer suite changes who reaches out to you The shift from "what does it cost" conversations to "can you solve this" conversations

(00:57:59) Stop Giving Away Strategy on Intro Calls Where the line is between being helpful and doing free consulting Why sharing too much on a first call trains prospects to expect strategy for free How to keep discovery calls focused on their problem, not your playbook

(01:01:38) Scripts for Handling Price Shoppers on the Call Sharing your ranges early and getting their reaction live Exactly what to say when pricing is clearly their only focus How to refer someone out with confidence and without burning a bridge

(01:05:02) The Reflection Audit: Where Are You Spending Your Time? The one question that reveals whether your sales process needs a reset Why the answer is almost never to lower your prices How to shift from defending your pricing to attracting buyers who value outcomes

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

1. Episode 013: Ghosts, Maybes, and Wins: Your Pipeline Playbook
2. Episode 026: A Step-by-Step Sales Process for Agencies
3. Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community
4. Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

1. Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com
2. Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co
3. Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact
4. Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

Most agencies are obsessed with finding new leads. They're spending time and money on cold outreach, networking, and lead gen tactics, all while ignoring the goldmine sitting in their inbox: past conversations that never closed.

In this episode, Melissa and Meredith tackle one of the most underrated skills in business development: the art of the follow-up. Spoiler: "just checking in" isn't a strategy. It's a signal that you've already lost the thread.

The stats are damning. According to HubSpot's 2024 sales data, 80% of B2B deals require at least five follow-ups to close. Yet 44% of sellers stop after just one attempt. That gap is where deals go to die.

If you've ever wondered...

1. Why am I not closing leads I had great conversations with?
2. How do I follow up without sounding desperate or salesy?
3. What's the difference between persistence and being annoying?
4. Is there a magic email that actually gets responses?

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copper is the CRM that helps agencies attract more clients, streamline communication, and deliver projects effortlessly. Exclusive to listeners of the podcast, Copper is offering 15% off any annual plan with promo code AGENCYDARLINGS at copper.com/agency

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Intro and the 120% Problem

1. Michelle Obama's advice on showing up at 120% as a woman and person of color
2. Why agency owners carry extra weight in every interaction
3. Setting the tone for intentionality in business development

(00:07:43) The Five-Minute Journal Approach to Intentionality

1. How morning journaling shifted Melissa's approach to follow-ups
2. The power of writing down who you want to connect with
3. Why intention creates momentum in your pipeline

(00:14:08) Why Agencies Leave Money on the Table with Past Leads

1. The goldmine sitting in your inbox that you're ignoring
2. Why warm leads are more valuable than cold outreach
3. The real reason most agencies don't close deals they should win

(00:17:14) The Barbara Corcoran Philosophy on Persistence

1. "Every successful deal I've ever done came from following up when other people gave up"
2. What clients actually think when you don't follow up
3. The difference between desperate and persistent

(00:24:54) The Statistics That Should Wake You Up

1. 80% of B2B deals require at least five follow-ups to close
2. 44% of sellers stop after just one attempt
3. McKinsey data: 74.6% of B2B sales take four or more months

(00:33:35) What You're Doing Wrong with Follow-Ups

1. Why "just checking in" makes you look insecure
2. The problem with "bumping this to the top of your inbox"
3. How vague questions put the burden on your prospect

(00:37:54) The Three-Part Formula That Actually Works

1. Relevance: Reference something specific from your conversation
2. Add Value: Share something new that helps them
3. Clear Next Step: End with a yes-or-no question

(00:43:34) Cadence and Timing for Your Follow-Up Strategy

1. Initial phase: touchpoint every five to seven days
2. Long-term: five to seven total touches over 90-180 days
3. When to speed up and when to space out

(00:46:56) The Kill Email That Always Gets a Response

1. The email that works nine times out of ten
2. Why giving them an easy out creates urgency
3. How removing pressure gets people to finally respond

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

1. Episode 13: Ghosts, Maybes, and Wins: Your Pipeline Playbook
2. Episode 34: Ghosting Happens. Here's How to Bring the Right Leads Back.
3. Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community
4. Sign up for our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

1. Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com
2. Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co
3. Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact
4. Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

Over the past decade, Lauryn Warnick has quietly built Villain Branding into a trusted partner for high-growth B2B companies navigating moments where brand decisions carry real weight, scale, complexity, leadership alignment, and pressure. In the past two years, she's doubled Villain's revenue, putting the firm in the rare 2% of women-owned businesses to cross the seven-figure threshold.

But that growth didn't come from doing more. It came from doing less, and from making a painful identity shift that most founders avoid talking about.

If you've ever wondered...

1. How do I know when it's time to stop being a practitioner and start being a CEO?
2. What does it actually look like to scale past a million without burning out?
3. How do I invest in my business when those investments hurt my personal income?
4. When is the right time to rebrand, and what problem should it actually solve?

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copper is the CRM that helps agencies attract more clients, streamline communication, and deliver projects effortlessly. Exclusive to listeners of the podcast, Copper is offering 15% off any annual plan with promo code AGENCYDARLINGS at copper.com/agency

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Lauryn Warnick

1. Villain Branding's journey to seven figures and the 2% of women-owned businesses
2. Why Melissa considers Lauryn one of her best collaborators
3. The importance of finding advisors who don't have anything to prove

(00:05:59) The Three Eras of Building an Agency

1. Freelancer era: saying yes to everything, everything feels urgent
2. Collective era: pulling in talented peers, still not quite the leader
3. Consultancy era: running an actual business with systems and accountability
4. Why "era-ing" your 10-year business isn't silly, it's necessary

(00:11:38) The Identity Shift from Strategist to CEO

1. Why your career identity might be holding your agency back
2. The difference between starting a business in your 20s versus your 30s and 40s
3. "I never want to be in the room where I'm the smartest person"
4. Building systems that make it impossible to slip back into day-to-day work

(00:21:50) From Scarcity to Right: The Mindset Shift

1. Moving from "more, more" to "right, right"
2. Being confident saying who you're NOT for anymore
3. The temptation to grow the way you're "supposed to" vs. what's right for your business
4. Why "do no harm" matters as you scale

(00:31:36) Building Trust in Yourself as a Founder

1. The pressure of having your husband quit his job to work in your business
2. Imposter syndrome around calling yourself a CEO
3. Why thinking about what you'd do if it didn't work out actually builds confidence
4. Listening to external validation when internal belief is shaky

(00:39:19) The Rebrand: When Your Brand Lags Behind Your Business

1. How to know when a rebrand is actually necessary (not just "everyone else is doing it")
2. When your audience shifts but your story hasn't caught up
3. The workarounds that signal your brand isn't working anymore
4. Why your brand has to be bigger than you when you're selling to enterprise

(00:46:30) Investing in Your Business When It Hurts

1. The reality: you probably made more money before you hit a million
2. Year one investment: operations and systems (not sexy, but crucial)
3. Year two focus: revenue generation after the foundation is built
4. What to do when your first investment doesn't pan out

(00:56:50) What Villain Wants to Be Known For

1. Making brand useful at scale, measurable, embedded in business, not theoretical
2. Brand as operational leverage, not just a marketing thing
3. Why agencies need to tie their work to ROI (especially now with AI)
4. "Less is more. Do a thing really well, then get rid of the rest."

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

1. Episode 35: Become the CEO of Your Life with Amanda Goetz
2. Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community
3. Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Lauryn:

1. Villain Branding: villainbranding.com
2. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laurynwarnick
3. Instagram: instagram.com/lauryn.warnick

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

1. Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com
2. Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co
3. Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact
4. Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

Leadership is hard. Leading while running a business, managing a team of freelancers, and trying not to burn yourself out in the process? Even harder.

In this episode, Melissa and Meredith sit down with Steve Guberman, founder of Agency Outsight, former agency owner who scaled to 12 people before selling, and now an agency coach who's helped hundreds of founders navigate the messy middle of growth.

They get into the real stuff: How do you delegate without feeling like you're losing control? What does it actually look like to shift from doer to CEO? And what happens when your ego leads you to chase a "dream client" that nearly breaks your business?

If you've ever wondered...

1. How do I hold my team accountable without micromanaging?
2. What's the difference between being a kind boss and being a pushover?
3. How do I know if I'm ready to step into the CEO role, or if I even want to?
4. What do I do when one client is taking over my entire business?

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot Money is the personal finance app that helps you navigate your finances with confidence. Copilot Money was built for the Darlings. It's a beautifully designed app that lets you track every card, account, budget, investment, and net worth trend in one place. Use our code DARLINGS for a 2 month free trial and get yourself set up for your next level of personal growth today. Get two months free with promo code DARLINGS at copilot.money/darlings

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Intro & Meet Steve Guberman

1. From agency owner to coach helping hundreds of founders navigate the messy middle
2. The ego-driven belief that launches most agencies: "I can do it better"
3. Why designing and running a design business are two very different things

(00:05:11) Setting Expectations with Freelancers: The Lawful Way

1. The commitment-based approach to holding people accountable (without crossing legal lines)
2. Why clear expectations must come before accountability
3. The difference between empathy and being a doormat

(00:10:31) The Inner Conflict: Empathy vs. Running a Business

1. When "leading with empathy" turns into self-sabotage
2. Absorbing everyone else's failures because holding them accountable feels mean
3. The Brené Brown moment: "You can lead with empathy and still be a good boss"

(00:13:05) The Emotional Burden of Being Responsible for Others

1. "People are depending on me to eat. That's a heavy burden to carry."
2. The weight of being responsible for your team's rent, their kids' activities, their mental health
3. Why this pressure can feel crushing even when you're doing well

(00:19:21) CEO Is a Mindset, Not a Headcount

1. The founder-to-CEO identity shift (it takes at least a year, often longer)
2. Why you can be a CEO of a two-person agency
3. Being honest with yourself about what you actually want to build

(00:24:06) Steve's Agency Story: Winning the AOR That Changed Everything

1. The massive AOR that doubled his agency overnight
2. The ego that drove him to chase that client
3. The painful layoffs when it fell apart a year later

(00:36:11) The Delegation Chicken-and-Egg Problem

1. When you can't afford to delegate but can't afford not to
2. The thousand-dollar-an-hour rule for founder time
3. Getting out of a toxic client relationship without blowing everything up

(00:39:21) The Time-Tracking Exercise That Opens Founders' Eyes

1. Four highlighters: what to stop, start, delegate, and keep
2. Making delegation obvious instead of theoretical
3. Focus on the thousand-dollar-an-hour activities

(00:44:52) Final Thoughts: Intentionality and Courage in Leadership

1. The courage it takes to build the business you actually want
2. Why the hardest work isn't in scaling, it's in being honest with yourself
3. Real empathetic leadership: ask what they need, clear obstacles, hold them accountable

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

1. Episode 39: The High-Performance Hiring Method Every Agency Owner Needs with Natasha Golinksky
2. Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community
3. Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Steve Guberman:

1. Website: agencyoutsight.com
2. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/agencycoach
3. Instagram: instagram.com/mrgube

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

1. Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com
2. Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co
3. Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact
4. Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

We're seeing it everywhere: nearly every agency we work with is in the middle of a pivot right now or has pivoted in the past year. We're in a particular moment of needing to pivot, given what's happening in the world.

According to the 2025 Agency Growth Benchmark report, over 60% of agencies between $500K and $3M in revenue undergo a positioning or offer reset every two to four years. And that's not surprising, because agencies at this stage need to level up every time they hit a new threshold. Pivoting doesn't need to be a sign of failure or that you did something wrong. It's a sign of outgrowing something. This worked for a while. It's not working anymore. Let's change it.

If you've ever wondered...

1. Why your agency feels stuck even though you're working harder than ever
2. How to reinvent your business without risking the revenue you've built
3. When a pivot is actually necessary versus just shiny object syndrome

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot Money | Get two months free with code DARLINGS at copilot.money/darlings

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Introduction & Year of the Fire Horse

(00:04:00) Why Every Agency Owner Is Pivoting Right Now

(00:10:00) Pivoting Isn't Failure, It's Outgrowing What Worked

(00:17:00) Signs You're Ready for a Pivot

(00:23:00) The Four Types of Agency Pivots

(00:33:00) How to Approach Change Without Burning It Down

(00:37:00) The "Rebuild From Day One" Exercise

(00:42:00) Testing Before You Commit

(00:45:00) Bringing Your Team Along for the Ride

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community

• Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

• Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

• Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact

• Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

You think you know what clients want. You've read the case studies, perfected your pitch deck, and rehearsed your differentiators. But what if you've been optimizing for the wrong things entirely?

This week, we're pulling back the curtain with Rachel Huff, founder of Victoire & Co, an agency search consultancy that helps client-side leaders find the right agency partners. Rachel has spent her career on both sides of the table: years agency-side understanding the realities of pitching and delivery, and now working directly with brands to find their ideal agency fit. She sees the patterns agencies don't have visibility into, including the gaps between what's pitched and what's needed, and what separates agencies that become long-term partners from those that get ghosted after the first meeting.

If you've ever wondered...

1. Why you keep losing pitches to agencies that seem less qualified
2. What clients actually discuss after you leave the room
3. How to stop wasting time on RFPs you were never going to win

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot | Get two months free with code DARLINGS at https://try.copilot.money/darlings

Chapters:

00:00:00) Welcome & Introduction

(00:03:18) Does Agency Size Actually Matter?

(00:07:12) Part Matchmaker, Part Therapist: Finding the Right Fit

(00:09:49) The Questions Every Agency Should Ask Before Pitching

(00:13:42) Stop Chasing Opportunities You Were Never Going to Win

(00:18:19) What Small Agencies Should Actually Lean Into

(00:21:38) Why Business Impact Beats Beautiful Slides Every Time

(00:25:23) The Biggest Shift in Client Expectations

(00:29:55) Who to Bring to the Pitch (And Why Titles Don't Matter)

(00:34:35) The Transparency Rule for Freelancer Teams

(00:39:02) Where Agency-Client Relationships Break Down

(00:47:29) RFPs as a Biz Dev Strategy: The Hard Truth

(00:55:12) Logos vs. Business Challenges: What Actually Wins

(00:58:46) Lightning Round: Pitch Mistakes That Cost You the Win

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community

• Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Rachel Huff:

• Victoire & Co: https://www.victoireco.com/

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

• Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

• Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact

• Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

A lot of agency owners think winning big clients is about fancy credential decks, bigger case studies, or the perfect pitch presentation. It's not. It's a psychology game, not a proposal game. And if you're stuck in the small budget, high-maintenance client cycle, it's rarely because your work isn't good enough—it's because of the energy you're bringing, the positioning you're claiming, and the decision patterns you're signaling (maybe unintentionally) that tell bigger clients you're built for smaller work.

In today's episode, we break down the psychology that separates boutique agencies who get overlooked from the ones who get chosen and trusted by enterprise companies. Big clients buy certainty. They're buying confidence. They're buying clarity. They're not buying deliverables.

If you've ever wondered...

1. Why you keep attracting small, executional, needy clients even though you're capable of bigger, strategic work
2. How to position yourself as a strategic partner instead of an execution arm
3. What signals you're sending that keep bigger clients from seeing you as their solution
4. How to shift your energy, pricing, and sales process to attract higher-quality relationships

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot | Get two months free with code DARLINGS at https://try.copilot.money/darlings

Copper | Get 15% off any annual plan with code AGENCYDARLINGS at copper.com/agency

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Why Winning Big Clients Isn't About Better Decks or More Case Studies

(00:09:40) The Data: What Big Clients Actually Buy (Spoiler: Not Deliverables)

(00:14:33) Small Energy vs. Big Energy: How You're Signaling Your Size

(00:28:29) The Three Value Perception Levels (And Why You're Stuck in Level One)

(00:36:27) The Authority Transfer Effect: Reducing Cognitive Load in the First 10 Minutes

(00:39:09) The Paradox of Big Clients: The Less You Need Them, The More They Want You

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community

• Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

• Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

• Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact

• Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

Most agency founders have been charging the same rates since 2021. You've given your team raises. Your costs have gone up. The economy has shifted. But your pricing? Still stuck at that number you picked three years ago based on vibes and what you saw other agencies charging.

Today, we're handing you the formula to stop pricing emotionally and start pricing strategically. We break down the 2x multiplier that creates your absolute floor, the 10x principle that unlocks your ceiling, and the three consecutive yeses that signal you're leaving money on the table.

If you've ever wondered...

1. How to price confidently without just guessing what the market will bear
2. When it's time to raise your rates (and by how much)
3. Why you keep saying yes to projects that drain you financially
4. What your pricing should actually be based on instead of competitor research

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot | Get two months free with code DARLINGS at https://try.copilot.money/darlings

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Why Pricing Emotionally Is Costing You Money

(00:09:40) The Pricing Sweet Spot Formula: Your 2x Base Price

(00:26:13) How to Calculate Your Maximum Price (Outcomes Over Outputs)

(00:37:01) The Three Consecutive Yeses Rule

(00:45:25) When and How Often to Raise Your Rates

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community

• Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

• Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

• Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact

• Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

How to actually enjoy the money your agency is making without guilt, chaos, or burnout. That's the conversation Melissa and Meredith are having today, darling—because too many successful founders are still living like freelancers.

You're hitting revenue goals. You're paying contractors, employees, covering taxes and expenses. But you're not paying yourself what you're worth. You're taking tiny distributions when cash flow is good and feeling guilty about everything in between. And if we're being honest? You wouldn't accept the job you have on paper—with that salary—from anyone else.

In this episode, we break down the founder treat rule, the profit threshold bonus system, and percentage-based strategies that remove the guilt from paying yourself. Because your joy matters. Your wellbeing matters. And your lifestyle matters just as much as your agency's bottom line.

If you've ever wondered...

• Why you're hitting all your revenue goals but your personal lifestyle hasn't changed

• How to pay yourself consistently without feeling guilty or putting the business at risk

• What baseline salary you should actually be taking as an agency founder

• When it's financially safe to take bonuses without accidentally putting yourself in the red next month

• How to create guilt-free spending that fuels your leadership instead of depleting it

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot | Get two months free with code DARLINGS at https://try.copilot.money/darlings

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Why Founders Struggle to Pay Themselves What They're Worth

(00:03:15) The Founder Treat Rule: Recurring Guilt-Free Joy

(00:08:12) Stats That Prove Founder Compensation Drives Business Success

(00:09:11) Creating a Base Salary + Bonus Structure That Works

(00:14:00) The Profit Threshold Rule for Guilt-Free Distributions

(00:18:00) Percentage-Based Systems That Normalize Founder Pay

(00:21:00) Creating Your "Fun Account" and Treating Yourself Intentionally

(00:24:20) Why Your Joy Matters for Business Expansion

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community

• Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

• Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

• Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact

• Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co