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...

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."

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

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

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