The Handbook: The Operations Podcast

Are performance reviews a waste of time—or your agency’s secret weapon?

Too often, agencies treat performance management as a checkbox exercise, bogged down with vague feedback and awkward salary conversations. But Zoe Elizabeth Blogg, Operations Director at Reboot Online, has built a system that actually works. 

From structured performance reviews to proactive (quarterly!) salary reviews, Zoe’s created a process that keeps teams engaged, managers confident, and top talent sticking around—all in a fully remote, four-day workweek agency.

In this conversation, Zoe breaks down how to make performance management meaningful and scalable.

Here’s what we dive into:

• Why performance reviews fail—and how to make them useful (without the admin burden)
• Why Reboot runs salary reviews four times a year—without turning them into negotiation battles
• The key to training new managers so they lead with confidence, not confusion
• How Reboot creates equally rewarding career growth paths for both individual contributors and managers.

Plus, Zoe shares impressive details on her line manager playbook, and structured career pathways.

Follow Zoe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoeelizabethblogg/

Visit Reboot’s website: https://www.rebootonline.com/us/

Follow Zoe on TikTok: @fractionalzo

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Your agency’s operations can either fuel creativity, or kill it.

And you can focus on the big picture that drives real financial impact, or get stuck in the weeds.

Preston Chandler, WPP’s Global Practice Lead of Strategic Operations has a point of view, and the experience to prove it. In fact, Preston’s role at WPP is all about advising agencies in the group on how they can operate in a better, smarter, and more strategic way.

In this conversation, Preston shares how agencies can design their operations to be smarter, leaner, and more effective, without slowing down creativity.

Whether you're fine-tuning your structure or scaling innovation, this conversation will challenge you to think about how your agency is run—and how to take it to the next level.

Here’s what we dive into:

• Why your agency model (not just your talent) defines your success
• How governance can empower teams instead of creating roadblocks
• The ideal team structure to boost efficiency and collaboration
• Smarter ways of working—moving beyond outdated processes
• Why continuous improvement (not just annual reviews) is the key to long-term growth

Plus, Preston shares insights on AI’s impact on agencies, the pitfalls of hierarchy, and how to make change stick.

Follow Preston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonchandler/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

We’ve all had those moments, we land that huge new client – first comes the elation for winning the mandate that will transform our fortunes, and then the mild panic at how we’re going to deliver.

There’s also times when what we do is simply just not that well understood across the organization – there might only be one internal expert, which creates a significant amount of risk for the business if they were to leave.

That’s where assessing – and improving – your business capability maturity becomes critical.

The good news? A business capability maturity model gives you a steer on how you can go from ‘figuring it out’, to something that’s a solid part of your agency’s remit and expertise, then to true innovation – through the prism of people, process, technology and information.

In this episode, we’re chatting with Mike Della Porta – an award-winning tech and operations leader who’s been a COO, CTO, and CIO at one of the top independent marketing agencies in the US. Mike shares practical advice and lessons for agencies looking to scale sustainably.

Here’s what we dive into:

• What each stage of business capability maturity looks like and what to consider at each 
• Using tech and tools to scale smarter
• How to get buy-in from your leadership team if they don’t understand the value of ops
• How ops roles can become billable and provide value to clients

Follow Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-della-porta/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

This year, Gen Z are due to make up over a quarter of the workforce – a huge proportion. But both the negative headlines and moaning around the watercooler have commenced. Claims of entitlement, laziness, and unreasonable expectations abound. 

But is any of it true? And is their approach to work really that detrimental to an efficient workplace? 

In this episode, Harv speaks with Isobel Camier, founder of Camier Communications and a training consultant with 15 years of experience in PR and communications. Drawing on her commissioned research into Gen Z in the workplace, Isobel debunks stereotypes and offers actionable strategies for creating a thriving, inclusive environment.

Here’s what Isobel shares in this episode:

• Why values matter: Gen Z is big on purpose and ethics, and their focus on these can help create a more open and accountable workplace.
• Balancing work and mental health: Flexible working and offering mental health resources can help prevent burnout.
• Clear career growth pathways: When you set clear expectations and actually deliver on training promises, it keeps people motivated and excited about their work.
• Technology’s role in engagement: Gen Z’s digital skills are a big asset—embrace AI, tidy up clunky workflows, and let them help your team work smarter.
• Diversity and inclusion: Creating a culture where differences are celebrated and everyone’s voice is heard isn’t just good for Gen Z—it’s good for everyone.
• The power of recognition: Giving regular, meaningful feedback (both the good and the constructive) builds trust and makes the team feel valued and motivated.

Isobel also highlights how open dialogue and listening to employees’ lived experiences can transform workplace culture, making agencies not only better for Gen Z but for everyone.

If you want to attract and retain the best talent in a competitive market, tune in to learn how agency and operational leaders can bridge generational gaps, align workplace practices with modern values, and create a culture that fosters collaboration and success.

View a video summary and get a copy of Isobel’s Gen Z research report on her website

Follow Isobel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isobelcamier/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

In a tight market, sales become a big concern. Relying on repeat business or referrals no longer cuts it, you have to put in more effort. 

Often in agencies, the know-how on how to get this done is missing; few people come from a formal sales background. So a haphazard approach is implemented and we hope for the best. Only that slapdash approach rarely gets the results we want. 

Is it time for the sales engine to be looked at as an ops challenge? We think so. 

In this episode of The Handbook: The Agency Operations Podcast, Harv Nagra speaks with Ryan Hall, founder of Friday Solved and a seasoned expert in building sales systems for agencies. With over 23 years of experience generating revenue and growing agencies—including two successful exits—Ryan shares practical insights on how to operationalize sales for consistent results.

Here’s what Ryan shares in this episode:

• Why agencies struggle with sales: The pitfalls of relying too much on inbound leads and referrals.
• How to build a scalable sales engine: Breaking the funnel into actionable stages (top, middle, and bottom) and tailoring strategies for each.
• The importance of systemization: How the right processes, tools, and technology create predictable results.
• Sales as a blend of art and science: Why finding the balance between relationship-building and data-driven strategies is key.

Ryan also explains how operational leaders can play a pivotal role in creating a culture of sales excellence and offers practical tips for getting started, including low-cost tools and strategies to build momentum.

If you want to take control of your sales process and future-proof your agency’s pipeline, this episode is a must-listen.

Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

Follow Harv on LinkedIn.

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

How do you create a highly efficient agency without losing flexibility or quality?

In this episode, Harv Nagra sits down with Jinny Mitchell-Kent, Joint Managing Director at Great State. With nearly 20 years of experience at agencies big and small—including global powerhouse AKQA—Jinny shares how she’s applying lessons from her big-agency days to a 100-person team.

Here’s what you’ll hear:

• How moving from COO to MD changed her focus from internal projects to building client relationships, while maintaining her focus on performance and excellence.
• The strategies Great State uses to compete with much larger agencies by staying lean and adaptable – from scaling up the team quickly when required, to creating a flexible delivery framework.
• Practical tips on managing costs, tracking profitability, and keeping teams running smoothly.
• How Jinny is championing inclusivity with initiatives like the Great Women’s Network.

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations and scale smarter, this episode is packed with insights you can put to work right away. Give it a listen!

Follow Jinny on LinkedIn. 

Follow Harv on LinkedIn.

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Are you battling with inconsistent processes, bad practice and poor staff training? 

In this episode, Harv Nagra explains the benefits of documenting and embedding best practices – to take your agency one big leap forward in operational maturity.

Harv shares his best tips on:

• Creating an agency handbook – to create a single source of truth for your business, and help your team work consistently
• Choosing the right documentation tools – specific tools that are helpful in documenting and communicating workflows
• Creating a team of best practice champions – by providing learning resources that let them build confidence from day one

Ready to future-proof your agency? Join Harv in this episode as he explains how to take your agency to the next level.

Harv's preferred tools mentioned in the episode:

• coda.io
• scribehow.com
• loom.com

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Hiring and training new employees is a big commitment - and getting it right will have a lasting impact on your agency.

Kicking off The Big Agency Club series, we chat with Sarah Brougham, VP of Operations at GenFlow. Sarah’s helped multiple agencies go from start-up to established, having a big hand to play in their growth and maturity journies. Sarah has spent the past six years at GenFlow, helping grow revenue there by 5x and headcount 16x.

Sarah gives us her best tips on:

• Hiring the right people for your agency
• Creating onboarding programs that new hires love and gets them off to a running start
• How offboarding goes beyond formalities and systems removals, and includes decisions on retention
• How to decide whether to fight to keep an employee that's thinking of leaving

Follow Sarah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbrougham/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Agency8x: https://www.agency8x.com/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Individuals thrive when they’re equipped to handle challenges.

Amy Hopper is a former agency owner and now founder of the business consultancy TOA. In this episode, Amy opens up about her journey through some serious challenges. She shares how those experiences helped her create a system that keeps teams (and individuals) focused, engaged, and productive.

Amy dives into practical tips on:

• Planning your day in a way that energizes you instead of draining you.
• Letting go of perfectionism so you can delegate more and grow faster.
• Overcoming resistance to change, both personally and within your team.

Her insights are packed with real-world lessons for leaders looking to build stronger, more resilient teams.

Follow Amy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyhopper/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Which metrics should you track, to run your agency as efficiently as possible?

In this episode we speak with Richard Brett. Rich is a seasoned FinOps professional with 15+ years of experience, including a decade in the agency world. Rich has played a key role in scaling agencies, setting up financial processes, and supporting sustainable growth.

Rich will take us into a deeper dive of agency finances, starting with revenue recognition – recording revenue when it's earned, not when payment is received – and explain why this is so important.

Next, we’ll discuss key metrics and the kind of decisions you’ll be able to make using each:

• Utilization: see how effectively your team’s time is allocated to billable work, helping identify resource optimization opportunities.
• Recovery: shows the actual revenue generated from billable hours worked, highlighting areas of over-servicing.
• Billable paid: shows the proportion of billable work that is successfully paid for, helping assess the financial health of client engagements.
• Future month work value: projects the expected revenue from booked hours in upcoming work, allowing for proactive resource and budget management.

Finally, Rich will tell us 5 ways we can influence margins through agency rate cards.

Rich now runs his own consultancy, Rich Brett FinOps, providing bespoke financial services to agencies.

Follow Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-brett-36903590/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.