Building a business with the sole purpose of selling it requires a radical shift in how founders view their daily operations.

Success in this journey demands more than hitting revenue milestones. It requires systematic delegation, strategic advisor alignment, and the courage to step away from delivery. This discussion examines how to build an agency that runs without its founder, handles international expansion, and prepares for a clean acquisition.

Host Tommy Boyle welcomes Kathryn Strachan, former Chief Executive Officer of CopyHouse, to share her journey of scaling to over two million in recurring revenue before executing a clean exit.

THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT

Transitioning from freelance copywriter to agency Chief Executive Officer.
Hiring permanent staff to remove the founder from delivery.
Overcoming operational bottlenecks by employing senior creative leadership.
Preparing an agency for acquisition from the very beginning.
Managing the severe personal and physical costs of scaling.

GUEST DETAILS

Kathryn Strachan founded CopyHouse, scaling her B2B technology marketing agency from zero to over thirty employees before its 2024 acquisition. She chronicles this experience in her book, Scaling Success: How to Build a Brand that Breaks Barriers.

Currently a Fractional CMO and GTM leader for UK and US tech firms, Kathryn is a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer for artificial intelligence and technology companies, working as an international speaker and strategist. She also serves as Chair of Mother's Springboard, a charity supporting new mothers re-entering the workforce.

MORE INFORMATION

Business Answers podcast, hosted by expert broker Tommy Boyle, explores the intersection of strategic growth, finance, and exit planning for SME owners and directors. Each episode features business leaders providing actionable insights to successfully scale, increase valuation, and build a sellable, sustainable, and profitable enterprise.

This podcast is produced by DustPod.io for BusinessAnswers.ie

QUOTES

Agencies can't be sold when the founder is stuck in the middle of it because they're essentially valueless. - Kathryn Strachan

If the goal is to sell an agency, you have to get yourself out of it, which means constantly looking at your workload and what you can move off. - Kathryn Strachan

A smarter play is to have these conversations all along and to be nurturing and building. - Kathryn Strachan

KEYWORDS #HowToSellAnAgency#FoundeIidentityShift#ScalingAnAgency#PostExitGrief