Q1 just wrapped, and before you plan the next quarter, it's worth taking stock of where your agency actually stands.

In Episode 22 of the AgencyHabits Podcast, Peter and Sei-Wook walk through an "annual checkup" for agencies—a preventative look at the core systems that determine long-term health.

They cover nine markers, but what ties them together is this idea: healthy agencies don't wait for symptoms.

Most agencies only seek help when something is broken. By then, the problems are systemic.

The nine markers:

1. Positioning (Vision) — Can you see clearly who you're for?
2. Client Trust (Heart Rate) — How steady are your relationships?
3. Revenue Stability (Blood Pressure) — How concentrated is your income?
4. Pricing (Metabolism) — Can you charge confidently?
5. Delivery Systems (Spine) — Does work get done without founders jumping in?
6. Business Development (Lungs) — Do you have both endurance and sprints?
7. Team Leverage (Muscle Mass) — Is delegation balanced?
8. Risk Resilience (Immune System) — How fast do you recover from shocks?

This is the diagnostic framework to use before diving into Q2.

The checkup is step one.

Once you know which markers need attention, the next step is fixing them.

We just added the AgencyHabits Growth Engine to our Business Development Collection. It's the full operating system: Foundation (positioning, ecosystem, ICP, service offering), Expertise (proof, pattern library, methodology), Relationship Development (partnerships, outreach, nurture), Pipeline (qualification, proposals, closing), and Delivery (client outcomes, engagement yield, learning loops).

The checkup tells you where you're weak. The Growth Engine shows you how to build strength.

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 various agency businesses.

Thanks for being a subscriber. If you or anyone you know is interested in selling their agency business, please check out what types of agencies we're looking for and email hi@barrel-holdings.com.

Also: Peter posts a lot of agency content on LinkedIn, give him a follow!