Nothing drains boutique agencies faster than the black hole of pitching and RFPs. In today’s episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on a topic that every agency owner privately obsesses over, but very few talk about honestly: why pitches rarely convert, why proposals don’t win business, and why most agencies are building their entire biz dev system on a process that statistically works against them. We’re ending the season with a powerful reframe. Because stepping into a new year with your old RFP mindset is just… not the vibe, darling.

If you’ve ever wondered…

• Why you're prioritizing RFPs when they’re actually draining your time, margins, and confidence

• Why your beautifully crafted proposals aren’t converting

• What influences (or limits) your win rates more than any pitch deck ever could

…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) Kicking Off the Season With Momentum & Fresh Energy

(00:06:19) The Hard Truth About Pitches, Proposals & Why They Rarely Convert

(00:22:08) Why RFPs Feel Like Momentum—but Rarely Move Your Business Forward

(00:28:21) How Many Pitches Should You Actually Say Yes To?

(00:38:42) Best-in-Class Pitching: How to Show Up Like the Obvious Choice

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

If you’ve ever hired someone you thought was “the one,” only to watch your team unravel behind the scenes, this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Today, we’re sitting down with Natasha Golinsky, the powerhouse founder behind On Purpose Projects, to talk about the part of agency ownership that most founders quietly struggle with: building a reliable team you can actually trust.

Natasha is known for her non-bullshit, radically practical approach to leadership — the kind that comes from a decade of running a full-stack development agency, managing a 100% contractor team across time zones, and surviving real life: divorce, single-income seasons, motherhood, and a breast cancer diagnosis that changed everything. She’s lived the founder reality that so many women-owned agencies face but rarely talk about out loud: the exhaustion, the pressure to hold everything together, and the fear of letting go of control when the business depends on you.

In this conversation, she walks us through the exact hiring and team-building method that has given her something almost unheard of in agency life: ten years with zero turnover — not one contractor has ever quit. It’s not luck. It’s not magic. It’s not “manifesting the right people.” It’s a system. A sharp one.

You can get Natasha’s complete hiring system and learn how to find, interview, hire (and fire) virtual contractors like a pro at

https://onpurposeprojects.gumroad.com/l/virtualcontractorsgameplan

If you’ve ever wondered…

• Whether the people you're hiring are the right fit or just the easiest to find

• If your contractor team needs a real system for accountability and expectations

• What it would take to finally delegate yourself without everything falling apart

…this one’s for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

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

Chapters:

(00:00:00) The Real Challenge of Building a High-Performance Team

(00:05:18) Natasha’s Hiring Method: From 100 Applicants to the Perfect Fit

(00:22:42) Filtering for the Right People and Setting Expectations That Actually Work

(00:31:40) How To Set Expectations When Your Processes Aren’t Perfect (Yet)

(00:37:12) The Two Non-Negotiables Every New Agency Owner Needs in Place

(00:41:20) Stepping Out of the Doer Role and What It Really Takes to Let Go

(00:50:56) Finding Your Number Two: Letting Them Lead and Loving the Result

Connect with Natasha:

• Website: https://onpurposeprojects.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natashagolinsky/?originalSubdomain=ca

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashacgolinsky/

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@natashagolinsky-onpurposep2435

• Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01a1f03fb7162975e1

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Natasha’s Hiring Process Course:

You know that sinking feeling when your sales pipeline starts to dry up? When the big deal you were sure would close suddenly stalls, and your perfectly forecasted month starts to look like a desert? We’ve all been there, darling. In this week’s episode, we’re naming it, reframing it, and turning it into your next big growth moment.

We call it Pipeline Panic — that all-too-familiar moment when the phone stops ringing, the leads slow down, and your brain starts catastrophizing every possible worst-case scenario. But as we unpack in this conversation, those slow seasons aren’t proof you’re failing; they’re proof you’ve been in business long enough to see the natural rhythm of growth, rest, and renewal.

If you’ve ever wondered…

• What do I do when my pipeline slows down?

• How can I tell that my agency is actually evolving?

• When panic hits, how do I keep up momentum?

…this one’s for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

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

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

Chapters:

(00:00:00) When the Pipeline Slows Down

(00:11:39) The Data Behind the Dip

(00:16:29) Reframing Struggle as a Sign of Staying Power

(00:20:39) Redefining Growth Beyond the Numbers

(00:31:13) Creating Momentum Without the Hard Sell

(00:44:30) From Panic to Power: Building Momentum Together

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