Agency Darlings

Too many agencies think discounting is good customer service. They're missing the bigger picture. Every time you slash your prices to "make a deal work," you're not just losing money, you're systematically undermining your own value proposition and teaching clients that your original pricing was negotiable all along. This isn't about being difficult; it's about running a business that respects its own expertise.

Melissa and Meredith break down the brutal math behind discounting and why that "harmless" 20% discount means you need to double your volume just to hit the same profit levels. But the real impact isn't financial—it's psychological. When you discount, you're essentially signaling that your work isn't worth what you initially charged, and clients pick up on that uncertainty faster than you think.

The agency world has normalized this race to the bottom, but smart agencies are doing something different. Instead of cutting prices, they're adding value, restructuring payment plans, and positioning themselves as premium partners who stand behind their pricing. While everyone else fights for scraps with discount strategies, the agencies who refuse to play that game are attracting clients who actually want to invest in results.

If you've ever wondered why clients keep pushing for lower prices, question your expertise, or treat your proposals like starting points for negotiation, this episode will show you exactly how discounting culture created those problems, and what to do instead.

If you've ever wondered...

• How much profit am I losing due to “small” discounts?

• What message am I sending clients when I lower my rates?

• What would change if I stopped slashing prices and started adding value?

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Metricool | Get 30 days free on any Premium plan at https://metricool.com/darlings with code DARLINGS

Chapters:

(00:00:00) The Real Cost of Being "Flexible" With Pricing 

(00:07:08) Why Discounting Trains Clients to Delay and Negotiate 

(00:13:56) The Math That'll Make You Stop Discounting Forever 

(00:18:47) Profit Margin Erosion and Brand Perception Damage 

(00:22:21) Smart Alternatives to Slashing Your Prices 

(00:27:04) Payment Plans vs Price Cuts 

(00:34:00) Standing Your Ground Without Losing Good Clients

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

The business guidance over the last few years has felt like someone telling you to sit quietly and wait for rescue. That's not the energy we're bringing, darling. While others are dwelling on how challenging things have been, the agencies absolutely flourishing right now have discovered something powerful: they're not building their empire for someday - they're building it for today. In this empowering conversation, Melissa and Meredith share what it really takes to create a resilient agency that thrives. They're celebrating the end of the "waiting for perfect conditions" era and inviting agency owners to step into a bold new approach that honors exactly where you are right now.

Welcome back to Season 4! After a summer hiatus filled with major life changes - moves, surgery, and business milestones - Melissa and Meredith return with a bold declaration: resilience isn't just a buzzword, it's the foundation of every agency that will survive the next decade. This season opener sets the tone for what's ahead with an honest conversation about building anti-fragile agencies that thrive in uncertainty.

If you've ever wondered...

• How your agency can flourish instead of just surviving

• How certain agencies seem to dance through economic challenges while others struggle

• Whether you're meant to embrace the ever-evolving nature of agency life

...this one's for you.

What to expect in this episode:

• Why waiting for "normal" business conditions is the riskiest strategy of all

• The mindset shift that separates thriving agencies from struggling ones

• How to reframe business ups and downs as intelligence, not failure

• The uncomfortable truth about whether you're suited for agency life

• Practical strategies for building businesses that get stronger during uncertainty

• Why the last five years might be the new normal (and why that's good news)

• How to use resistance and pushback as innovation opportunities

• The difference between surviving change and designing for it

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Why Resilience Matters in Agency Life

(00:06:32) Shifting from Hustle to Sustainability

(00:14:08) Lessons from Setbacks and Failures

(00:22:47) Practical Tools to Reframe Challenges

(00:31:55) Building a Community of Support

(00:40:10) Final Takeaways and Daily Practices

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

This episode is sponsored by Metricool. Get 30 days free of any Premium plan with code: Darlings and at Metricool.com/Darlings.

In this season finale of Agency Darlings, Melissa and Meredith sit down to talk about one of the most critical topics for agency founders: pricing with confidence.

They share mindset shifts and practical strategies to help you own your value, set better rates, and navigate tough pricing conversations. Whether you’re raising rates, launching a new offer, or dealing with price-sensitive prospects, this episode will give you the tools to approach pricing without second-guessing yourself.

💡 In this episode, we cover:

• Why underpricing hurts both your agency and the creative industry as a whole.
• The mindset shifts that unlock pricing confidence.
• 3 strategies to set and hold higher rates without flinching.
• How to handle objections like “Another agency charges half your rate.”
• The importance of rest and reflection for sustainable agency growth.

We’re also reflecting on what we’ve learned over three seasons of Agency Darlings and sharing why we’re taking a summer pause to recharge before coming back for Season 4.

✨ Quote of the Week:

“Don’t sit down and wait for opportunities to come. Get up and make them.” – Madam C.J. Walker

📚 Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Try Metricool free for 30 days at metricool.com/darlings with code DARLINGS
• Follow us on Instagram: @agencydarlings

👋 Let’s stay connected:

We’d love to hear what pricing strategies or mindset shifts you’re bringing into your agency this year. DM us or leave a review to let us know what you loved about this season.

This episode is sponsored by Metricool. Get 30 days free of any Premium plan with code: Darlings and at Metricool.com/Darlings.

In today’s episode, Melissa and Meredith are joined by Rebecca Sollinger, Chief Brand Officer at ARMRA and longtime brand leader with experience across powerhouse agencies like Droga5 and RoAndCo, as well as lifestyle brands like Sakara Life and Quiksilver. With a rare perspective from both sides of the agency-client table, Rebecca offers candid insight into what CMOs really want—and how the best agencies rise to meet the moment.

From brand building in a fast-moving world to taking smart creative risks, this episode is packed with honest reflections, strategic advice, and real-world guidance for boutique agencies trying to win (and retain) the right clients.

If you’ve ever wondered:

“Are my pitches actually working?”

“What do brand leaders really want from their agency partners?”

“How bold is too bold in a client relationship?”

This one’s for you.

What to expect in this episode:

💡 Rebecca’s journey from investment banking to building brands in both agency and in-house roles

💡 The two things every founder and marketer must align: vision and the P&L

💡 What today’s CMO role really demands—and how it’s evolved in the last decade

💡 Why agency founders often make the best partners

💡 The do’s and don’ts of pitching (seriously—stop screen sharing that whole deck)

💡 When to go bold, when to play it safe, and how to present both without losing your client’s trust

Actionable takeaways:

✔️ Clarify your agency’s vision—and stay grounded in what you do best

✔️ Ditch the ego: bring bold ideas, but be open to no’s

✔️ When pitching, share a pre-read and focus live calls on collaboration

✔️ Give clients two options: a solid foundation and a bold extension

✔️ If you're using AI, be transparent—smart CMOs expect it and welcome the efficiency

Real talk moments:

🗣️ “If you’re not watching your P&L, you’re not leading a brand—you’re just playing business.”

🗣️ “The best agencies act like true partners. They’re in the weeds with you.”

🗣️ “Don’t pitch me—talk to me. I want to solve a problem together.”

🗣️ “Bold ideas are great, but I also need to know what we’re risking.”

🗣️ “Brand building hasn’t changed—it’s still about emotional connection. But executing that clearly? That’s the challenge.”

Connect with Rebecca Sollinger:

🌐 Website: https://www.tryarmra.com

🔗 LinkedIn: Rebecca Sollinger

In today’s episode, Melissa and Meredith are joined by Shaina Anderson, founder of Hello Generalist, for a real talk on building effective teams through fractional support. With a deep background scaling startups like Yelp and Choose, Shaina offers a front-row view into the shifting workforce and how creative agency founders can build smarter, leaner teams—without compromising on talent. From understanding the rise of fractional roles to knowing when it’s time to hire full-time, this episode is packed with practical insights for founders navigating uncertain markets, limited budgets, and the ever-evolving talent landscape.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Should I hire full-time or fractional?”
• “What even is fractional, really?”
• “How do I build a high-performing team without burning cash?”
• This one’s for you.

What to expect in this episode:

• How Shaina went from food trucks to running ops at venture-backed startups to founding Hello Generalist
• The difference between fractional, freelance, advisory, and full-time roles—and how to know what you actually need
• Why more businesses are turning to fractional support in today’s economic climate
• How to scope roles correctly (and avoid costly hiring mistakes)
• When it’s time to make the leap to full-time hires—and when it’s smarter not to
• Why the future of work is flexible, and what that means for growing agencies

Actionable takeaways:

• Don’t get stuck in “word soup.” Focus first on the problem you’re solving, then define the role.
• Use fractional roles to test and learn before committing to a full-time hire.
• Hiring methodically—whether part-time or full-time—is a learnable, repeatable process.
• Prioritize both values and skills when hiring. Culture and capability go hand in hand.
• Start small: use well-scoped projects to vet fractional partners before expanding the relationship.

Real talk moments:

• “Hiring is a skill—not a vibe.” Build a process and improve it over time.
• “Fractional doesn’t mean flaky.” These are embedded leaders—often with stronger resumes than you’d find on the full-time market.
• “Your business evolves—so should your team structure.” Don’t force full-time hires if you don’t have to.
• “Superstars with bad values tank your culture.” And no, it’s not worth it.
• “Don’t chase titles—chase solutions.” A generalist with the right attitude can be more powerful than a specialist in the wrong seat.

Connect with Shaina Anderson:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: hellogeneralist.com
• Substack: At Work by Shaina
• LinkedIn: Shaina Anderson
• Upcoming: Manual Override – a summer accelerator for independent professionals

Episode description:

In today’s episode, Melissa goes solo for a quick pep talk on the myth of "I'm bad at sales." She dives into how sales is a skill anyone can learn and how women, in particular, have natural strengths that make them amazing at sales. Melissa shares her own journey from hesitating to lead in business development to building a career in sales, while offering practical advice on how to approach sales calls in a way that focuses on listening, diagnosing problems, and building meaningful client relationships. This episode is full of actionable tips and stats to help you rethink sales and embrace your own potential to succeed in it.

What to expect in this episode:

• The myth of being "bad at sales" and why it’s just not true.
• How women’s natural problem-solving skills give them a competitive edge in sales.
• Melissa’s personal story of moving from hesitant to confident in business development.
• The importance of focusing on relationships, not selling, when connecting with potential clients.
• Why leading a sales call means listening more than pitching.
• How to create clarity in sales calls by focusing on the next step, not jumping straight to proposals.

Actionable takeaways:

• Shift your mindset from “I’m bad at sales” to “I’m getting better at solving problems.”
• Focus on building relationships by asking insightful questions and listening to understand client needs.
• Don’t rush into proposals—clarify the next step with the client first to avoid wasting time.
• Make your sales calls about diagnosing issues and providing solutions, not pushing a pitch.
• Remember that sales isn’t about convincing someone to buy; it’s about helping them make an informed decision.

Real talk moments:

• Stop thinking of yourself as "bad at sales." You’re already great at building relationships—you just need to shift your focus.
• Sales doesn’t have to be pushy or uncomfortable. It’s about listening, understanding, and providing value.
• Take the pressure off by reframing the sales process as a conversation where both sides are figuring out if it’s a good fit.
• Sales is about clarity: Ask the right questions to gauge interest, and don’t waste time on proposals if they’re not ready.

Episode Description:

In today’s episode, Melissa and Meredith sit down with Patrice Poltzer, founder and creator of My Story Pro, to explore how AI can help humanize storytelling and streamline the sales process for high-ticket clients. They dive into Patrice’s unique approach to AI, discussing how it’s not about automation for the sake of efficiency but about using AI to uncover deeper insights and better connect with your audience. From building meaningful relationships with clients to implementing AI-driven tools that enhance your sales strategy, Patrice shares actionable insights on how to embrace change, harness AI, and pivot in your business.

What to Expect in This Episode:

• How to use AI in creative ways to better understand your audience and tell impactful stories.
• Why Patrice’s transition from agency owner to AI tool creator was fueled by necessity, and how it aligns with her mission to humanize AI.
• The importance of understanding both human and AI capabilities to build deeper connections with clients.
• How to pivot your business when faced with unexpected challenges and use AI as a tool to streamline your processes.
• The rise of AI in creative fields, and why it’s crucial for agency owners to embrace it while staying authentic.

Actionable Takeaways:

• Using  AI to enhance your storytelling by using it to gather insights, analyze data, and help craft narratives that resonate with your audience.
• Use AI as a tool to amplify human creativity, not replace it. By integrating it into your workflow, you can spend more time on high-value tasks like relationship-building and strategy.
• When pivoting your business, don’t be afraid to experiment with AI-driven solutions, like building custom chatbots or integrating new tools to streamline processes.
• In business transitions, vulnerability can be a powerful catalyst for change. Patrice shares how her move to Portugal and the challenges that followed pushed her to evolve her business.
• Understand your clients' true needs by using AI to analyze psychographics, emotions, and patterns in customer behavior, ultimately creating a more personalized experience.

Real Talk Moments:

• Lean into change: Sometimes, hitting a tough point in business is exactly what you need to spark the next phase of growth. Patrice talks about how moving to Portugal with her family forced her to reinvent her business and embrace AI.
• AI is not the enemy: While many fear AI replacing jobs, Patrice argues that AI is a tool to empower creativity and elevate human input. It's all about using it to do the heavy lifting and leaving the nuanced, human aspects to the experts.
• Real business struggles: When things aren’t working, it’s time to pivot. Patrice’s honest story about experimenting with a failed digital product teaches us how to move on from what’s not serving us and try something new, without fear.
• Use AI to connect: Personal connection in business is crucial. Patrice emphasizes how engaging with AI allows you to go deeper into your client’s needs and desires, providing better, more meaningful solutions.
• Don't be afraid to test: Whether it's testing your sales pitch, your marketing messages, or your commitment level with clients, trying new things and testing them is essential for business evolution.

In today’s episode, Melissa and Meredith dive deep into the sales process for agencies, with a focus on attracting and closing high-ticket clients. They explore the key stages of building a structured, efficient sales process that helps you close deals faster and with more confidence. The episode covers everything from initial client engagement to sending proposals, avoiding ghosting, and nurturing long-term relationships that drive sustainable growth for your agency. Tune in to learn how to build a sales process that not only closes high-ticket clients but keeps them coming back for more.

What to expect in this episode:

• The importance of building a thoughtful sales process for high-ticket clients.
• How to engage potential leads before they even reach out and qualify them effectively.
• Best practices for personal connection and how to move potential leads through your sales pipeline.
• Why understanding timing is crucial to qualifying leads and ensuring you don’t waste time.
• Actionable strategies for handling sales calls, proposals, and follow-ups to close deals quicker.
• How to nurture long-term relationships with high-ticket clients for sustainable agency growth.

Actionable takeaways:

• Create a lead qualification form to gather important information upfront, saving time during calls and ensuring you only engage with the right leads.
• Set clear expectations for sales calls by controlling the agenda and focusing on understanding the client's needs.
• Use a structured follow-up process, such as a three-step email sequence, to keep the conversation moving and avoid chasing uninterested clients.
• Implement a discovery call process where the client does most of the talking, helping you position your offer as the solution to their challenges.
• Prioritize understanding your client's timeline and needs before sending a proposal to ensure it aligns with their goals and expectations.

Real talk moments:

• Qualify before you buy: You don’t need to chase leads who aren’t a good fit. Use forms and initial contact points to ensure that you’re investing time in high-value prospects, not wasting energy on low-budget clients.
• The power of personal connection: Building relationships before a sales call through content engagement and DMs sets you up for a smoother, more effective sales conversation.
• No proposal without timing: Don’t waste time crafting a proposal unless you understand the client’s timeline and commitment level. A proposal isn’t a guarantee—it’s just a tool to move the process forward.
• Don’t be afraid to test: Testing for commitment with small asks during the sales process (like setting another call or asking for a proposal) helps weed out clients who are “just not that into you.”
• Follow-up with purpose: Use follow-up sequences to gauge a prospect’s interest, but don't overdo it. If they’re not responding, move on to more promising leads.

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Connect with Us:

Follow us for more insights on agency growth strategies. You can find us on Instagram and LinkedIn. Join our Agency Advice Column here.

For all inquiries, contact us at [email protected]

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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. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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...in a mindful way. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

In today’s episode, Meredith and Melissa dive deep into the power of organic growth for agencies, emphasizing the importance of nurturing long-term client relationships over constantly chasing new business. They share their strategies for turning one-time projects into long-term partnerships and how retention can drive more stable revenue and higher profit margins. The episode covers offboarding strategies, communication templates, and how to identify expansion opportunities that clients actually want. Tune in to learn how organic growth can be the game-changer for your agency!

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What to Expect in This Episode:

• How to turn initial client projects into bigger, long-term brand partnerships.
• The importance of client retention for driving stability and higher profit margins.
• An offboarding strategy that ensures clients stay engaged beyond the initial project.
• Specific communication touchpoints to maintain client relevance between engagements.
• A systematic approach to identifying and presenting expansion opportunities that clients actually value.

Actionable Takeaways:

• Invest in client retention to reduce pressure on new business development, creating a more sustainable and profitable agency.
• When offboarding, don’t just hand off deliverables—make time for a meaningful handoff call to ensure clients feel supported.
• Implement a 90-day check-in post-launch to address any concerns and deepen the relationship.
• Use strategic data to stay involved in clients’ business, making sure your services are still aligned with their needs.
• Regularly assess how much revenue is coming from existing clients and adjust your focus to prioritize retention over acquisition.

Real Talk Moments:

• Client Retention is Key: Acquiring new clients is much more expensive than retaining existing ones. According to research, it’s 5-25 times more costly to acquire new customers than to keep the ones you have.
• The Power of Relationship-Based Sales: Rather than just focusing on the sale, focus on building a relationship that continues to evolve. When clients feel valued, they’re more likely to stay and refer others.
• Strategic Offboarding: Offboarding should be a strategic process that sets the stage for future collaboration. It’s the last impression you leave with clients, so make it count.

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Connect with Us:

Follow us for more insights on agency growth strategies. You can find us on Instagram and LinkedIn. Join our Agency Advice Column here.

For all inquiries, contact us at [email protected]

-

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. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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...in a mindful way. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

In this episode, Meredith and Melissa dig into the difference between “nice to have” offers and services your clients can’t live without. They break down what it really means to create painkiller positioning—offers that speak directly to urgent problems and drive faster, higher-converting sales. They also unpack why most agencies need to ditch custom scoping and start using tiered pricing to streamline sales, delivery, and growth.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly reinventing the wheel or struggling to sell work that should land—this one’s for you.

What to Expect in This Episode:

• How to move away from “maybe later” offers and sell with urgency
• What painkiller vs. vitamin positioning actually looks like (with real client examples)
• Why tiered pricing works—and how it improves conversions, retention, and client growth
• The psychology of value perception and how price anchoring boosts your average sale
• A 5-step roadmap for building or refining your offer tiers

Actionable Takeaways:

• Use tiered offers to let clients grow with you (and to protect your time)
• Anchor pricing with a high-ticket tier—even if few buy it, it adds value perception
• Align offers to urgent client problems, not abstract outcomes
• Stop custom-scoping every project—standardized tiers increase efficiency and clarity
• Build price gaps that feel meaningful (1.5x or more) between each tier

Real Talk Moments:

• Clients aren’t buying for vibes. They’re buying because they’re in pain—and they need help now.
• You can’t be firing on all cylinders every season. You need structure, or you’ll burn out.
• Founders stay stuck because they’re constantly reinventing scopes. Tiering solves that.
• If someone’s always negotiating you down, it’s a positioning issue—not a pricing one.

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Big thanks to Copper for making this podcast possible. We’ve partnered up with Copper to help creative agencies like yours take the stress out of lead generation and nurturing. If you’ve been feeling stuck in the cycle of trying to grow, our free Lead Nurturing Playbook is your solution. It’s about making connections feel natural and turning them into lasting relationships.

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Connect with Us:

Follow us for more insights on agency growth strategies. You can find us on Instagram and LinkedIn. Join our Agency Advice Column here.

For all inquiries, contact us at [email protected]

-

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. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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...in a mindful way. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Instagram.