The riskiest agency isn't always the one making bold bets. Sometimes it's the one doing exactly what worked five years ago. Same positioning. Same services. Same team. Same playbook. Episode 39 is about what happens when an agency reaches equilibrium, and how founders can break through it with a new market thesis, strategy, and vision for the future. š§ Full episode here. (And wherever you get your podcast.) Who are we? Hi, we're Peter and Sei-Wook, co-founders of Barrel Holdings, a portfolio...
5 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
This Week's Agency Insights Every week, we share content to help you run your agency business. What's Top of Mind Two things this week. One: we're planning the next year of AgencyHabits and want it grounded in your agency, not our assumptions. Two: there's a reward. Fill out a few specific questions (about 5 minutes) and the Operator Pack is yours - five of the templates we actually use to run our agencies. And here's the kicker: the first 20 people to complete it get a 20-minute 1:1 with...
9 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
One of our agencies closed a deal with someone who'd ghosted us ten years earlier. She'd been lurking on LinkedIn. No likes, no comments - just watching. When the timing changed, she reached out. Episode 38 is about building that long game. The five pools hiding in your past, the direct touches, and the ambient presence that keeps you top of mind until they're ready. š§ Listen to the episode here. Who are we? Hi, we're Peter and Sei-Wook, co-founders of Barrel Holdings, a portfolio of agency...
12 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
This Week's Agency Insights Every week, we share content to help you run your agency business. What's Top of Mind "In 3 months, 'AI-powered' as a headline will look lazy." ā Ethan Driskill on why everyone's advantage is also their competitor's. If AI isn't your real differentiator, dig deeper. So what should your positioning actually be? ā The four-part framework we use across Barrel Holdings: category, wedge, provable differentiators, and the real "why now" (hint: it's probably not AI). What...
16 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Six months after a great project, you're trying to cobble together a case study. You don't remember the details. The client contact has moved on. The metrics are buried somewhere. Sound familiar? Episode 37 covers the fix: three components of proof, when to capture them, and habits that make it easier - debriefs, QBRs, quarterly proof sprints, and who should own it. š Watch on YouTube here. š§ Or listen here. Who are we? Hi, we're Peter and Sei-Wook, co-founders of Barrel Holdings, a portfolio...
19 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
This Week's Agency Insights Every week, we share content to help you run your agency business. What's Top of Mind In 2025, the fastest agencies grew 34%. The slowest shrank 15%. That's a 49-point gap. - Nicholas Petroski and the Promethean Research team just published the 2026 Digital Agency Growth Guide. It's free, and built on 10+ years of research. We're halfway through the year. Do you know where you're at, and where you're headed? - Our FREE Annual Goal Setting Checklist works just as...
23 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Everyone's asking what's going to change because of AI. Peter and Sei-Wook asked a different question: What isn't going to change in the next 10 years? Episode 36 is about the things that stay stable, and why you can build a strategy around them. š Watch on YouTube here. š§ Or listen here. Who are we? Hi, we're Peter and Sei-Wook, co-founders of Barrel Holdings, a portfolio of agency businesses. We also run AgencyHabits, a resource for agency operators featuring lessons learned from our...
26 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
This Week's Agency Insights Every week, we share content to help you run your agency business. What's Top of Mind Wise stopped being a transfer service. Domino's admitted their pizza was bad. What's your agency (or your client) becoming? ā Jack Bleakley on rebrands that rewrote what a business could becom, and why strategic repositioning matters more now than ever. Relevant experience. Price. Client roster. Referral source. That's the hierarchy. - Peter Kang breaks down what actually leads to...
30 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Agencies tell clients to talk to their customers... ...then they go back to their own business and skip the exercise entirely. Episode 40 is about flipping the lens: from agency-centric to client-centric. And not just in your marketing. In your pricing, your service design, how your team talks about the work. The trap: when your client is a blob, you're forced to be agency-centric by default. There's no outside to orient toward. š Watch on YouTube here. Who are we? Hi, we're Peter and...
about 1 month agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read