Most agency profitability problems don’t come from bad clients.

They come from small, compounding decisions inside otherwise “good” engagements.

In this week’s AgencyHabits Podcast, Peter and Sei-Wook break down the six levers that determine whether client work is profitable or quietly bleeding margin, across fixed-fee projects, retainers, and hybrid models.

This episode is about fundamentals.

The mechanics that decide outcomes long before finance ever looks at the numbers.

Here’s what’s inside:

→ Lever 1: Pricing & scoping
→ Lever 2: Staffing & utilization
→ Lever 3: Engagement design
→ Lever 4: Scope management & change control
→ Lever 5: Reusable components & IP
→ Lever 6: Automation & AI

The episode closes with habits that keep all six levers working: weekly budget reviews, capacity forecasting, tight change control, and structured debriefs.

If client profitability feels unpredictable (or harder than it should be) this episode gives you a clear framework to course-correct.

We’re also bringing these conversations off the podcast and into the Zoom room at our AgencyHabits Knowledge Share on January 14th - a live, focused space to learn from other agency owners and operators navigating the same challenges. RSVP below.

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!