The Big Themes from 2025

New Video Training.

Referrals already work for your agency, but you've never optimized them.  Learn how in our latest video training: https://hey.salesschema.com/opt-in-mw-referral-engine 

--

This year-end review distills the most important lessons from a year of conversations with agency owners, researchers, and growth experts who've been in the trenches.

What You'll Leave With:

• Why trust has replaced awareness and differentiation as the scarce resource in agency growth
• The counterintuitive sales-to-delivery handoff that makes closing easier (even though it seems expensive)
• How to move referrals from passive hope to systematic pipeline generation
• The difference between economic headwinds as obstacles versus excuses
• Why specialization is no longer a debate but table stakes for competitive agencies
• The rise of agency perspective 
• An under-discussed macro trend that could reshape entire marketing niches over the next few years

Episodes Referenced:  

-Nick Petroski: https://salesschema.com/the-data-you-need-before-you-build-your-2026-biz-dev-plan-with-nick-petroski/

-Brooke MacLean: https://salesschema.com/how-brooke-maclean-built-an-80-person-agency-with-zero-debt/

-Brock Murray: https://salesschema.com/scaling-past-50-employees-how-seo-plus-built-a-global-agency/

-Spencer Gallagher: 

-Stewart Gandolf:  https://salesschema.com/lessons-from-building-an-eight-figure-niche-agency-stewart-gandolf/

-Erik J. Olson:  https://salesschema.com/erik-j-olson-on-why-most-agencies-plateau-and-how-to-build-one-that-grows-predictably/

-Stephen Woessner: https://salesschema.com/stephen-woessner-on-the-smile-graph-ais-impact-on-agencies/

-Karl Sakas: https://salesschema.com/karl-sakas-on-scaling-smart-and-reclaiming-your-time/

-Todd Gagne: https://salesschema.com/karl-sakas-on-scaling-smart-and-reclaiming-your-time/