A Recap of the Parallax Webinar on Breaking Through Growth Ceilings and Escaping Agency Survival Mode

Sometimes running an agency feels like trying to solve a puzzle where the pieces keep changing shape. At least, that’s the vibe we’ve picked up from the Parallax community of agency leaders. Whether it’s struggling with profitability, scaling chaos, or managing “that one” client who thinks a meeting is the solution to all problems (spoiler alert: it’s not), you’re not alone.

We got a chance to talk with Craig Rodney, Founder at The Agency Coach. He dug into actionable strategies for overcoming growth ceilings and creating a sustainable, profitable business. And trust us, this is one recording you don’t want to miss.

But don’t just take our word for it. After this quick rundown of key takeaways, click the link to watch the full recording and soak in all the insights.

The Agency Dilemma

Craig summarized one fundamental challenge every agency faces: you’re in the business of selling time. More specifically, your team’s time. But unlike a warehouse of sneakers or coffee beans, your “stock” is both perishable and fragile. You can’t sell yesterday’s available hours, and unlike shoes, sometimes your stock calls in sick or takes vacation.

This analogy of time as stock was a big theme throughout the webinar. It’s a concept any agency leader who’s constantly wrestling with inefficiencies, utilization, and scope-creepy clients will instantly relate to.

Your job? Make sure every hour gets sold for its full value (or as close to it as possible). Optimizing this process isn’t optional if profitability is the goal.

Key Takeaways From the Webinar

1. Understand Your Stock

Craig spoke about the importance of visualizing your business like a warehouse. Every team member has a monthly “inventory” of hours (spoiler alert, it’s not endless), complete with a recommended retail price based on their expertise. Efficient agencies aim to sell as much of that stock as possible, at full value. Sounds simple enough. But here’s the catch: many agencies lose up to 30% of their stock every month.

Why?

• Discounting rates or underquoting projects because you’re afraid of scaring clients off
• Poor scope management, leading to un-billed overages
• Time wasted on internal inefficiencies (think unproductive meetings or process bottlenecks)

“The key isn’t just increasing revenue,” Craig pointed out. “It’s increasing efficiency before you pile on more work. Chasing revenue without fixing your stock loss is akin to throwing good dirt through a leaky washplant.” Not sure what a washplant is … neither did we.

2. Your Employees Value Efficiency (They Really Do)

A common misconception? That sharing utilization metrics with employees kills culture. Craig suggests the complete opposite to be true.

“When employees see how their time aligns with profitability, they feel valued for their contributions,” said Craig. “Transparency creates empowerment, and empowered employees create value.”

From an intern at a law firm tracking their billable hours to agency designers connecting their work to the bottom line, people want to see their impact. Sure, it takes effort, but it’s worth it. Craig’s advice? Make reporting clear, fair, and collaborative. And always, always celebrate the wins.

3. Don’t Scale Until You’ve Optimized

Craig shared a nugget from his obsession with gold mining shows (don’t worry, we were taken aback too). Before miners process millions of tons of dirt, experts fine-tune their washplants to make sure not a speck of gold gets lost. For agencies, this means building solid, data-driven systems for tracking time, utilization, and profitability before scaling.

Translation? Stop rushing to chase big accounts if you’re still losing money on the clients you already have.

4. Lead Generation Is Your Growth Engine

Final takeaway? Revenue growth starts and ends with great lead generation. Craig emphasized the value of creating demand and getting potential clients to want to speak with you. It’s not about flashy pitches or lowering your rates. It’s about offering strategic insights and building a reputation that opens doors.

Why You Need to Watch the Full Recording

If you’ve got this far in the recap thinking, “This sounds like stuff I need to start doing yesterday,” you’re not wrong. But there’s only so much we can cram into one blog post.

The full recorded Parallax webinar dives deeper into critical topics, including:

• Setting actionable utilization benchmarks for your team
• How to have that conversation with underperforming clients
• The power of AI in scaling agency operations
• And, of course, a spirited defense of clocking in and out (spoiler alert, clock-in/work efficiently/clock-out cycles make life way less stressful)

Final Thoughts

Running an agency is hard, but it doesn’t have to be chaotic. Lean into transparency, tackle inefficiencies head-on, and remember that every ounce of gold lost (okay, stock hours wasted) is pure profit gone with the wind.

Take the next step toward optimizing your agency and unlocking its full potential. Click below to catch the full webinar and hear all the details directly from Brett and Craig.