I work with founders of agency businesses on the parts of leadership that don’t show up neatly in frameworks: judgement, direction, and execution.
Most of the agency owners I work with don’t lack options or ambition. What they’re missing is clarity about what actually matters next, and the discipline to follow through once that’s decided. Over time, that gap between intent and execution makes the business feel heavier than it should.
What’s often needed is clarity & discipline
I’m not interested in growth-at-all-costs, or imported advice that assumes teams, layers, and spare capacity that the agencies I work with don’t have. I care about helping founders make fewer, better decisions and building businesses that are more deliberate, and easier to run.
“Mat’s realistic and empathetic approach, backed by his experience in building and selling a successful agency, helps you see challenges, opportunities, and steps for sustainable growth.”
– Neil Hallmark, Outliers
How I came to this view
Before working as an advisor, I built, grew, and sold my own agency.
Like many agencies, it went through multiple phases before it found its footing. We tried to generalise. We flirted with specialisation. We learned, often the hard way, which changes actually mattered and which were just motion. Eventually, we committed fully to a niche where complexity was increasing and experience counted.
That decision changed everything. Within a year, the business was fully specialised, growing faster than it ever had, and operating with far more clarity. We became the first company in the UK to be certified by Google in that field, not because we chased recognition, but because the underlying work had improved. It didn’t happen because “we niched”, but the specialism helped give us the focus that really made the difference.
The outcomes growth, reputation, and an eventual sale mattered. But what mattered more to me was how we got there: by making deliberate choices, sticking to them, and resisting the urge to constantly chase the next thing.
Those lessons were earned over years of decisions that didn’t always work. They’re also the reason I’m sceptical of advice that skips over context, trade-offs, and execution.
What I value (and what I don’t)
I’m unashamedly proud of what we achieved at the agency, but equally proud of the way we worked.
In an industry that often rewards sharp practice and corner-cutting, we built a reputation for diligence, integrity, and doing the unglamorous work properly. Those values weren’t slogans – they shaped pricing decisions, client selection, hiring, and when to say no. They still shape how I work today.
I don’t believe in:
- growth without direction
- activity as a substitute for progress
- advice that sounds good but collapses under real-world pressure
I do believe in:
- clear priorities
- decisions that survive contact with reality
- building businesses that don’t rely on constant urgency to function
What working with me is actually like
Today, I work with a small number of agency founders, either as a fractional C-level advisor or as a mentor to the founder(s).
The work is practical and grounded. We look at what’s actually happening in the business, where effort is being wasted, and which decisions are being avoided. I’ll challenge assumptions, push for clarity, and help turn intent into actions that stick.
Clients often tell me the biggest change isn’t a single tactic or insight, but the feeling that the business becomes calmer and more predictable – and that progress starts to compound rather than reset every few months. I see that as success.
A note on scope: While my focus is agency leadership, I retain a long-standing interest in the web, technology, and the practical application of AI, and I occasionally take on advisory work outside the agency space where there’s a strong fit.
Let’s start a conversation
If you’re running a founder-led agency and the challenges I write about feel familiar, let’s chat. It’s never a pitch – just a chance to see whether there is a mutual opportunity worth exploring further.
A short note below is enough. A bit of context helps. If I don’t think I’m the right fit, I’ll say so.
