From one-off brand shoots to a seven-figure agency on a subscription model, here’s how it happened.

What if brand shoots weren’t just one-off projects, but the foundation of a scalable business model?

In this episode, you’ll hear how one agency transformed brand shoots into a subscription-based system and built a seven-figure agency along the way. By creating a model where clients receive fresh, strategic visuals quarter after quarter, anywhere in the world, they’ve proven that creativity and systems don’t just coexist they fuel each other.

We cover:

• Why clients are obsessed with visuals and how to deliver them at scale.
• The certification system that ensures every creative hire meets the mark.
• How quarterly campaigns reinvent the same offer for new results.
• The “Power Up” referral model that makes collaboration seamless.

This episode is a behind-the-scenes look at how to scale creativity without losing the magic—and why the right systems can unlock extraordinary growth.

Contact Lyrik:

-WorkPlay Branding Website: https://workplaybranding.com/

-WorkPlay Branding Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workplaybranding/

-Lyrik on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lyrik.fryer/

-Lyrik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyrikfryer/

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep136

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

If you’re tired of feeling like growth only happens through more visibility, more cold outreach, and chasing leads, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.

I sat down with Dan Englander, founder of Sales Schema and author of Relationship Sales at Scale, to talk about how agency owners can grow through collaborative, trust-based relationships instead of transactional tactics. Both of us work in the agency space and believe that trust drives sustainable growth, but we approach it from two different angles.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why cold outreach has created a wider trust gap (and what to do instead)
• How referrals can become a collaborative system, not a happy accident
• Why personalization alone isn’t enough and how to use real commonalities to build relevance
• Why founders still need to lead the relationship-building work before passing it off
• How specialization helps you connect faster and build mutual credibility with peers and prospects

If you want to grow through meaningful introductions, mutual support, and the power of your relationships instead of chasing leads, this conversation will leave you energized and equipped.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep135

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

If you’re stuck between “too busy to stay small” and “not structured enough to scale,” this episode is built for you.

Everyone talks about growing to seven figures but no one warns you about what happens in the messy middle between solo and sustainable.

In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency podcast, I sit down with Carly Moir, Founder and CEO of White Canvas Design, to unpack what the messy middle of agency growth really looks like — and what it takes to move through it with intention and integrity.

We dive into:

• The moment she realized she couldn’t do it alone anymore (and who she hired first)
• Building recurring revenue through better boundaries and actual retainers (not “half-retainers”)
• The decision to hire a project manager and business development manager — and why both were game changers
• How she stays values-driven while growing (and what success really looks like to her now)
  
  

If you’re in that in-between stage — no longer a scrappy solo, but not yet a well-oiled team — this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep134

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Specializing is scary. But focusing on one high-growth niche can take your agency to multiple seven figures without working harder.

If committing to one niche feels risky, Erica’s story will show you what’s possible on the other side.

This week, I’m joined by Erica Hakonson, CEO of Maven Collective Marketing, an agency that went all in on one niche: Microsoft Partners.

And here’s the wild thing…

Once they declared that focus, clients didn’t hesitate, they started saying:
“How have we not heard of you yet?”

This episode is packed with real talk about what it takes to go narrow, go deep, and build trust that actually compounds. Erica shares how they became the go-to marketing partner in the Microsoft Partner ecosystem, and how research, relationships, and restraint have fueled their growth.

Here’s what we cover:

• Why declaring a single niche was the turning point
  How proprietary research changed the game
• What it takes to deeply onboard and upskill a team
• The upside of saying no to wrong-fit clients and hiring before you feel ready

If you’re wrestling with whether going all in on a niche is “too limiting,” this episode will shine light.

🎧 Listen in, and then share it with a fellow agency owner who needs to hear it.

Resources mentioned:

• Maven Collective Website: https://mavencollectivemarketing.com
• LinkedIn: Erika Hakonson
• Youtube: Maven Collective

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep133

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

A lot of agency owners want deeper community but quietly assume it doesn’t really exist.

They’ve been in rooms where everyone’s guarded. Where conversations stay surface-level. Where “collaboration” is just a buzzword.

That quiet belief—“it would be nice, but that kind of network probably isn’t out there”—can keep you stuck, going it alone.

But I’ve seen what happens when the right people show up. And that’s exactly what this episode explores.

In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency podcast, I’m pulling back the curtain on what happens inside Agency Together, a curated referral network built on clarity, connection, and trust.

These are the kinds of wins that don’t happen by accident.
They happen in the right room, with people who actually show up for each other.

🎧 Inside the episode, you’ll hear:
→ The referral ripple that turned a values-aligned intro into a five-figure client
→ A collaborative project that united multiple agencies to expand niche visibility
→ How one operational insight helped uplevel a team and increase retention
→ Why one agency’s clarity and strategy led to a fully booked quarter
→ And how generosity around AI and systems created real time-saving results for others

If you’ve been skimming the surface but craving strategic, supportive relationships to grow your agency, this episode is your invitation.

Real wins happen when people stop “just” networking and start building together.

💡 Tune in now to hear what’s possible.
👥 Already know you’re ready for more community, more generosity, and less guarded growth?
Join us at agencytogether.com

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep131

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

You probably don’t need more leads.

That might sound counterintuitive, especially when every sales post says the opposite.

But what looks like a lead problem is usually something else:
→ A relationship problem
→ A misaligned positioning problem
→ A missing structure for managing trust

You’ve got people in your orbit—clients, collaborators, past leads, curious followers.
But if you’re not engaging those relationships intentionally?
Your growth stays inconsistent. Your pipeline stays unpredictable.

We’ve all heard it: “Your network is your net worth.”
But here’s what that really means for Small But Mighty agencies:

Your network isn’t just a list of contacts. It’s your relationship management system.
And managing that network isn’t marketing—it’s sales.
Sales built on trust.

To make that work, you need clarity:
✔ Who are the people that actually grow your business?
✔ What role do they play in your network?
✔ How are you staying connected to them consistently?

That’s what we’re unpacking in this episode.

Inside, you’ll learn:

• Why “more leads” isn’t always the answer (and what is)
• The 3 relationship roles every agency needs to grow: Referrers, Collaborators, Amplifiers
• How to shift from chasing connections to curating a high-trust network
• Why relationship management is your most underutilized sales strategy

Because when you stop networking randomly and start building relationships on purpose?
That’s when growth starts to feel lighter and less of a hamster wheel.

Resources & Links:

• Join the next Agency Together Strategic Partnership Mixer
• Connect with Audrey on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/kwanaudrey

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep131

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Too many agency owners are building alone. But small doesn’t mean solo and solo isn’t sustainable.

Small but mighty agencies weren’t built to go it alone. Yet so many agency owners are trying to do everything themselves: holding the vision, leading the team, delivering the work, and pushing for growth in a vacuum.

That’s what “going solo” really looks like—juggling it all without strategic support, trusted peers, or collaborative momentum. And while it might feel efficient, it’s actually the slowest and hardest way to grow.

In this episode, I unpack why isolation is your real bottleneck and why Agency Together was built to change that.

You’ll learn:

• Why doing it alone is stalling your agency’s growth
• How strategic collaboration builds visibility, trust, and momentum
• Why competition is outdated and what to do instead
• How Agency Together curates relationships that fuel sustainable growth
• What to expect at our free Strategic Partnership Mixer

🎧 Listen in and if you’re ready to stop growing alone, come join us: agencytogether.com/mixer

Resources & Links:

• Join the next Agency Together Mixer
• Listen to “Why Less Experience Is Winning at Higher Prices”

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep130

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Being full-service almost broke her. Specializing gave her agency new life.

For over 16 years, Arleigh Vasconcellos said yes.
Yes to growth.
Yes to more services.
Yes to building a full-service agency that could handle it all.

She grew her team, expanded her client base, and became known for delivering results across everything from PR to websites to events.

But behind the scenes, she was on a treadmill she couldn’t get off.
Burnout crept in. Boundaries blurred. And the joy that once fueled her work? Gone.

In this powerful conversation, Arleigh shares how she unraveled the full-service model she built and why specializing in demand generation PR wasn’t just a strategic move, but a personal lifeline.

We talk about:

• The moment she realized she was “a victim of her own success”
• The emotional and operational cost of scaling without intention
• Why letting go of services, clients, and even team members was necessary
• The internal shifts that helped her reclaim her spark and build a business aligned with who she is today

Whether you're at a pivot point or simply questioning if the agency you built is the one you still want , his episode offers clarity, courage, and a path to realignment.

🎧 Tune in and hear how Arleigh rebuilt her agency for clarity, joy, and impact.

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Arleigh: Arleigh Vasconcellos on LinkedIn
• Roar & Whisper (Arleigh’s agency): roarwhisper.com
• Agency Together – The trusted community for Small But Mighty Agency owners. Arleigh is a member, and this episode includes insights from inside our sneak peek strategy sessions.
  👉 Join Agency Together or learn more here

Want to Build an Agency That Attracts the Right Clients Before the Pitch?
Smart agencies don’t chase leads—they build trust that attracts them

👉 Get the free Trust Equity Mini-Course
Learn the 4 trust-building systems that help Small But Mighty Agencies grow through authority, referrals, and strategic partnerships—so you can get chosen before the sales call even happens.

Hey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep129

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis