Most agency owners have felt the sting of being ghosted after a great sales call, the kind where the conversation goes well, real interest seems to be there, a proposal goes out, and then nothing comes back.

It happens often enough that it gets treated as simply the cost of doing business, something you absorb by giving your best thinking away for free and hoping enough of it converts into paying work.

What that approach quietly costs, though, is time: hours that could have gone into your actual clients, your actual offer, or just having an evening back.

Daniela found her way to a different approach, but not by design. Like a lot of agency owners, she learned it the hard way, through the overwhelm of free consultations before building a sales process that leads not just to a signed client but to a 12-month retainer, and that process is what she unpacks in this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency podcast.

Daniela Furtado is the founder of Findable Digital Marketing, an agency that works exclusively with design and construction firms, though it took her years to arrive at that focus.

For a long stretch early on, she ran her business across two completely unrelated industries at once, and it wasn’t until she finally chose which one to build around that everything else, including the sales system she still uses today, became possible.

That system starts with an $800 consultation, an offer that both saves Daniela time and primes prospects for the retainer conversation that follows. She walks through the details in the episode, along with how she pitches a 12-month commitment in a way that rarely comes down to the number twelve at all.

It took Daniela two years to build this system. The episode covers what she learned in that time, so you do not have to spend two years finding out for yourself.

Show Notes:

-Findable Digital Marketing Website: findabledigitalmarketing.com

-Instagram: findabledigitalmarketing

-Daniela's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/daniela-pimentel-furtado

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep157

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

You already know that search doesn't look the way it used to.

Buyers are no longer finding agencies through one clean path from Google search to website visit to inquiry.

They may discover you through an AI-generated answer, a Reddit thread, a local Facebook group, a directory, a review, a LinkedIn profile, or a blog post that answers a very specific question.

Darlene Moore from Drive Traffic is actively watching how visibility is shifting, and in this episode she shares what she's seeing on the ground right now — where decisions are actually being shaped, and what's working.

We talk about what makes content worth citing, why lived experience and specificity matter more than generic AI-generated content, and how you can use tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Reddit, and Search Console to understand where your buyers are actually looking for answers.

Show Notes:

-Website: drivetraffic.ca

-LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/darlene

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/ep156

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

There's a moment Joe Teo describes in this episode that will feel familiar to a lot of agency owners: revenue flattening, a growth channel that stopped working and no plan B.

For Joe, the CEO and co-founder of HeyOrca, that moment forced a question most marketers never think to ask: what if you'd built a growth strategy with no foundation underneath it?

In this episode, Joe breaks down how HeyOrca rebuilt their growth engine through community-led marketing after paid ads hit a wall, and what they learned about the difference between having an audience and building a community.

We get into:

• Why systems alone (newsletters, Slack groups, webinars) don't create community, and what actually does
• The shift from "what should we publish next?" to a question that changes everything
• How paid ads fit into a community-led strategy without becoming the whole strategy
• The participation signals worth tracking beyond likes and comments
• Why Joe thinks AI fatigue is pushing people toward something most marketers are underestimating

Joe is also the author of Community-Led Marketing, and his take on where trust, attention, and growth intersect right now is one I think you'll be thinking about long after the episode ends.

Show Notes:

-Website: heyorca.com

-Community-Led Marketing ebook: heyorca.com/ebook/community-led-marketing

-Joe Teo's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/josephteols

-HeyOrca's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/heyorca

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/ep155

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Ten years of running an agency, and everything was still in her head.

Natasha Golinsky, founder of On Purpose Projects, a custom web and e-commerce development agency, didn't plan her exit from the day-to-day. A stage two breast cancer diagnosis gave her six weeks to hand over a business she'd been running for a decade, while everything lived in her head.

What came out the other side is one of the most honest, human stories about building a business that can run without you that I've heard.

In this episode, Natasha shares what it really took to build and lead a strong remote contractor team, why the freedom she worked toward came with an unexpected identity shift, and what she wishes she'd done differently long before the crisis hit.

Here's what we cover:

• What the handoff actually looked like when the timeline wasn't strategic, it was survival
• The emotional side of stepping out, the loneliness, the grief, and learning to let go of being needed
• The multi-phase hiring process Natasha uses to find contractors who are the right fit beyond technical skill
• How to start loosening your grip by identifying the work you already avoid

You don't have to go through a health crisis to build a business that doesn't depend on you. But you do have to be intentional about it.

Let's dive in.

Show Notes:

-Natasha's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/natashagolinsky

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/ep154

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

A lot of small business owners are feeling the pressure to keep up right now.

AI is changing how we work. New tools and platforms keep showing up. Buyers are behaving differently, and the market feels harder to read than it used to.

And I get it.

When things feel uncertain, it’s very easy to start adding more.

But for small but mighty business owners, more is not always what creates momentum. Sometimes it just makes the business heavier.

In this episode, I sit down with Lydia Lee, business strategist and work reinvention coach, for a conversation about what it really means to grow in this season.

This is not a tidy framework conversation. It’s more of a real talk about the pressure small business owners are carrying, what is changing in the market, and why some of the most important growth moves right now might actually be quieter ones.

We talk about simplifying, getting clearer on what you actually need, and building a business around your real season of life instead of someone else’s version of success.

We also get into why relationships matter more than ever. AI can give you ideas, outlines, and tactics, but it cannot replace trust.

In this episode, we cover:

• why experienced small business owners are feeling overwhelmed right now
• how AI is creating both urgency and distraction
• why adding more is not always the best response to uncertainty
• what it means to define growth based on the season you are actually in

This conversation is for you if you have been feeling the pressure to do more, but some part of you knows the answer might be to pause, simplify, and ask a more honest question:

What do I actually need right now?

Show Notes:

Website: screwthecubicle.com ​

YouTube: youtube.com/screwthecubicle

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lydiallee

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/ep153

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

A lot of agency owners think about selling one day. But selling is not something you prepare for at the last minute.

And here's what most people miss: the things that make an agency attractive to a buyer are the same things that make it stronger, more stable, and more enjoyable to run right now.

Whether an exit is on your radar or not, this conversation is worth your time.

In this episode, I sit down with Steve Guberman, M&A advisor for agency leaders, to get into what owners are building well, what they're avoiding, and what it really takes to run a business you could sell if you wanted to.

Here's what we cover:

• The difference between building a team and building a team that can run without you
• What "panic selling" looks like and why so many owners end up there
• Why the goal isn't to sell. It's to have the option.

You don't build a great agency to sell it. You build it well, and selling becomes an option.

Show Notes:

-Website: agencyoutsight.com

-Get the Operators Audit Worksheet: agencyoutsight.com/resources

-LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/agencycoach

-Podcast: agencyoutsight.com/podcast

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/ep152

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Most agency owners think exit means one thing: finding a buyer.
This episode offers a different perspective.

I sat down with Daniel Pillai, CEO of Langton PR, to talk about a path into ownership that did not come through a traditional sale, but through trust, mentorship, and a gradual transition shaped over time.

It’s a conversation about leadership, succession, and the often unseen inner work of stepping into a role you’re not sure you’re ready for.

Together, we explore what agency owners may be missing when they overlook internal succession, how potential can show up before someone fully believes in themselves, and why leading well is one of the most important parts of building an agency that lasts.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• why exiting an agency doesn’t always have to mean selling to an outside buyer
• how account management and relationship leadership can become a foundation for ownership
• what true mentorship and stewardship can look like inside an agency
• why internal succession is not just an exit strategy, but a reflection of how well you lead

If you’ve ever thought about legacy, leadership, succession, or what it really means to build an agency that can outlast you, this conversation will give you a lot to think about.

Show Notes:

-Website: langtonpr.com

-Instagram: @daniel.pillai

-TikTok: @queendeehbic

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/ep151

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Some agencies do solid work and still lose clients.

And in a market like this, I think that raises a more important question than most people are asking:

What actually makes a client want to stay?

Because client retention is not just about doing good work.
It is not just about being responsive, likable, or easy to work with either.

There is a deeper layer to strong client relationships. A kind of value that makes a client feel steadier with you in the room, more confident in your perspective, and more likely to see you as someone who helps them think, not just someone who helps them deliver.

This episode explores what that kind of relationship really requires now.

I get into why client relationships feel different in this market, why strategic advisory matters more than ever, and what actually helps agencies become harder to replace when budgets tighten, pressure rises, and trust carries more weight.

If you want to become harder to replace in the eyes of your clients, this episode will help you see where that value really comes from.

RSVP to the next Mixer: https://agencytogether.com/mixer-event

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/ep150