AgencyHabits provides learnings, ideas, and templates for agency operators drawn from Barrel Holdings companies. Barrel Holdings incubates, acquires, and grows agency businesses.
Why Generalists Struggle
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AgencyHabits
AgencyHabits provides learnings, ideas, and templates for agency operators drawn from Barrel Holdings companies. Barrel Holdings incubates, acquires, and grows agency businesses.
Most founders resist narrowing their focus. It feels like saying no to opportunity. But what actually happens when you specialize is the opposite, you create leverage. In this week’s AgencyHabits Podcast, we dig into why specialization is the quiet multiplier behind growth, profitability, and long-term value. Here’s what we cover: The difference between specialization and positioning, and why both matter. Why saying “no” to work outside your niche can actually increase retention and margin....
We talk a lot about agency profitability. But when you strip the buzzwords and look at the spreadsheets, most founders are miscalculating their numbers, sometimes by 10–20%. This week’s episode of The AgencyHabits Podcast tackles that head-on. Peter and Sei-Wook break down how they actually assess agency health at Barrel Holdings: what 15% EBITDA really means, how they normalize owner salaries, and why SDE and EBITDA are two different conversations entirely. If you’re thinking about selling,...
This Week's Agency Insights Every week, we share content to help you run your agency business. What's Top of Mind Track fewer metrics. Make better decisions. - Stop tracking for the sake of tracking. This is how we cut through the clutter and focus on the numbers that move the business. “Looking forward to chatting” isn’t a sales strategy. - This post by Peter Caputa, CEO of Databox, breaks down how early-stage messaging unintentionally projects weakness, and how to shift your posture from...