Lifestyle is a Plan

Kelly Molson
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Entrepreneurship

Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead I’ll be chatting to creative founders, agency advisors and all kinds of brilliant people. Sharing  real stories and practical tools to help you design an agency that supports your life, not take it over.  You’ll learn about unconventional agency models, incredible lifestyle agencies, and the choices you have to build your agency exactly on your terms. This isn’t a podcast about selling your agency - it’s a podcast about loving it.

Episodes

  1. Why 'Don’t Sell' is the best strategy for a sustainable agency sales approach. With Ryan Hall

    6d ago

    Why 'Don’t Sell' is the best strategy for a sustainable agency sales approach. With Ryan Hall

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Ryan Hall, founder of Friday Solved. Ryan is the founder of Friday Solved, a two-time founder with two successful exits under his belt and 20+ years of experience building revenue engines and sales strategy. He’s worked with global brands like Channel 4, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Vodafone, and UBS, as well as high-growth businesses, to scale sales in a way that actually sticks. He’s also the voice behind the Don’t Sell philosophy, a straight-talking approach that challenges traditional sales thinking and focuses on building scalable, predictable, and sustainable revenue engines, without the usual noise or gimmicks. Today, through Friday Solved, businesses fix sales by building modern revenue engines that sharpen positioning, create consistency, and drive real growth.. Whether you’re growing to exit or building an agency for legacy - we all have to sell something to make that happen. Or do we? Ryan Hall founded Friday Solved to help agencies build scalable, predictable and sustainable sales engines inside your business His book Don’t Sell sets out his ethos of selling by adding value, and not actually selling at all. You’ll discover: Why outsourcing sales rarely works and why the "Build It, Don't Buy It" model is betterHow to sell without actually sellingSystemising your content - how to maintain visibility without burnoutHow to embed a culture of ‘value’ helps team members get involved without feeling like "salespeople".How to build your sales engineWhy consistent activity paired with the resilience is critical for agency survivalSales for the small agency that’s manageableThe one piece of sales advice agency founders need to take onboard this year Guest details Website: www.fridaysolved.co.uk LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ryanghall Don't Sell Insta: www.instagram.com/_dontsell Podcast recommendations: 2bobs.com Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com

    42 min
  2. From Essex to Nashville - A regional agency going places with Lee Sturgess.

    Jun 2

    From Essex to Nashville - A regional agency going places with Lee Sturgess.

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Lee Sturgess, founder of Polar. Over more than a decade, Lee has reimagined what an agency can be. Not the conveyor belt model of endless projects, but a one-brand-at-a-time approach: deeply immersive, collaborative, and designed to create real commercial impact. That ethos has taken Polar into boardrooms in London, Nashville, Monaco, Dubai and Barcelona, partnering with founders, CEOs and marketing teams to transform brands at pivotal moments. Alongside leading Polar, Lee serves as a Non-Executive Director and advisor to a number of ambitious businesses. Whether guiding a SaaS product, shaping a luxury lifestyle brand or steering a global player through a rebrand, his role is to bring clarity, creative direction and a steady hand at key stages of growth. Lee Sturgess didn’t follow a traditional agency route. Fresh out of uni he made a choice, to build an agency over joining one. 13 years later Polar is an Essex based but internationally acclaimed branding studio, who really do things differently. On the pod today we’re flying the flag for Essex lifestyle agencies, and discussing how a change in model has improved profits by nearly 100%. You’ll discover: Essex to the US - how Lee has carved out Polar’s international visibilityStrategies for emulating the creativity and standards of major hubs within a regional settingThe huge benefits a change in model can bring if you’re brave enoughHow saying "no" and maintaining a demand-driven model can make an agency more sought afterHow to step back and lead from the front, by empowering your teamWhy you should look outside of the norm when it comes to networkingThe importance of ignoring industry noise to keep laser focused on your ‘own lane’The most important piece of advice Lee would give to every founder Guest details Website: www.polar.agency LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lee-sturgess Podcast recommendations: Louis Theroux Podcast Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland stevefolland.com

    47 min
  3. Are we just busy fools, or are we actually making money? With Rich Brett.

    May 19

    Are we just busy fools, or are we actually making money? With Rich Brett.

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by FinOps Advisor Rich Brett. After nearly a decade in agencies Rich took a leap into the world of advising after seeing first hand that agency owners needed someone to support them with FinOps. Much of his experience was gained at We Are Social, where he saw the business go from 50 to 150 people, leading a finance team of 6. Rich fills the gap between what accountants and NED's offer, but with a focus on aligning finance with operations to enable better decision making and sustainable growth. For the past 4 years he’s worked with owners from £300k up to £10m and improving commercial understanding and helping them look forward, not just backwards. Rich Brett and I connected over our shared message of building agencies sustainably. I really appreciate the simplified way he explains Revenue Recognition and FinOps, which makes it easy to understand the advantage of joining the dots between numbers and the data. This episode covers FinOps for lifestyle agencies, and why forecasting is the key to reducing stress and building a sustainable business. You’ll discover: What FinOps is and why is it importantThe FinOps advice is most impactful for agencies with 1–5 or 1-10 peopleWhy revenue recognition is importantThe key to proactive forecastingRich’s Past, Present, Future" structureUnderstanding rate card margins to ensure profitability Guest details Website: agencyfinops.co.uk Social: linkedin.com/in/rich-brett Rich has been a very busy man since we recorded this episode, launching The Missing Finance Course alongside Harv Nagra. A completely free finance course built for EVERYONE working in agencies, consultancies and other types of professional services firms. Podcast recommendations: Athletico Mince Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com

    45 min
  4. A different kind of successful exit, with Claire Hutchings

    May 5

    A different kind of successful exit, with Claire Hutchings

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Claire Hutchings. Claire worked in independent boutique and global networked agencies for almost 20 years. She also built her own business, Chime Agency to help agencies with the one challenge they all face - their own marketing. Chime Agency produced game changing research into agency marketing and supported more than 40 agencies grow their businesses. Claire now combines her business knowledge from building Chime Agency with her experience working with agencies as a The Agency Adventure Guide. She specialises in supporting independent agency owners and leaders to make great decisions and get the best out of their businesses. Claire is passionate about mental health and supporting women in the industry, she therefore loves working with female and minority founders plus those with limited previous agency experience who want to scale successful businesses while maintaining a work-life balance. Claire Hutchings and I met in 2021 when I called on Chime Agency’s brilliance to help me create my agency's ‘hero moment’ - an annual benchmarking report that sat at the heart of our marketing strategy. On the pod today we’re talking about the mental health toll of agency ownership and her successful exit from Chime as a positive alternative to traditional and often disappointing, agency sales. You’ll discover: The mental health toll of agency ownershipHow to combat creating the ‘owners show’What an alternative successful exit could look likeThe importance of a well-managed wind-downWhy building a support network around you is vital Guest details Website:www.agency-adventure.com/who-we-are LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/claire-hutchings Podcast recommendations: Grab a paintbrush and book an art class instead! Agency Exits - Ali Newton-Temperley Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com

    34 min
  5. How to make services so easy to buy, the sales process becomes self-service, with Joe Daniels

    Apr 20

    How to make services so easy to buy, the sales process becomes self-service, with Joe Daniels

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Buyability expert Joe Daniels. Joe's helped dozens of agency owners and consultants package up their services into an offer that practically sells itself. His "buyability" model presents a new way of winning work, not by selling harder, but by making it easier to buy. Joe Daniels and I share the opinion that positioning doesn’t need to be difficult, and that agencies should put their prices on their websites. It also appears we both spend a significant amount of time on LinkedIn. Joe’s on a mission to help founders win work by making it easier to buy from them - something he calls Buyabilty. Your agency backgroundThe positioning dilemma - why is this so friggin’ hard for agencies?What is Buyability? And what is your Buyability Framework?Self-service - what’s changed that now makes this so important?Who’s doing this well?What are the benefits of this approach to often smaller lifestyle agencies?What’s next for you and Interim?Podcast recommendation - something that keeps you creatively inspired that our agency audience would find valuable. You’ll discover: The positioning dilemma - why it's still so hard for agenciesWhat Buyability actually meansSelf-service purchases - why is this so important?Why we should all put our prices on our websitesWho’s doing ‘Buyability’ wellThe benefits of this approach to often smaller lifestyle agencies Guest details Website: joedaniels.co Social: linkedin.com/in/uptojoegood Newsletter: bemorebuyable.com Podcast recommendations: Off Menu Podcast Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com

    40 min
  6. Building a "career returner" agency model, with Carys Dorritt

    Apr 7

    Building a "career returner" agency model, with Carys Dorritt

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Carys Dorritt, founder of The Polka, a team of marketing experts helping expertise-led businesses become the go-to. Carys founded The Polka to help organisations use smart marketing to create meaningful connections with their audience. With 20+ years experience in marketing, digital and communications she recognised the challenges and frustrations marketing folks feel when they simply don't have enough hours in the day. I’m talking to Carys Dorritt today, founder of The Polka, a team of marketing experts helping expertise-led businesses become the go-to. What I love about this episode is that Carys created something she needed but couldn’t find herself. You’ll hear how and why she’s developed a "career returner" agency model, and created a workplace where career returners can really thrive. You’ll discover: How to build a "career returner" agency modelThe importance of flexibility and work-life balance in agency-lifeCreating a culture of confidenceKey Pros / Cons to this approachAdvice to agencies looking to create a workplace for career returners to thrive Guest details Website: www.thepolka.co.uk LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carysdorritt Podcast recommendations: The Rest is Entertainment Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com

    26 min
  7. The Rise of Small Independent Agencies, with Tom Salmon

    Mar 24

    The Rise of Small Independent Agencies, with Tom Salmon

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Tom Salmon, Co‑Founder of Agency by Agency, which provides data and intelligence to the UK’s marketing, advertising, creative and media agency sector. Its mapping and insights on 25,500 UK agencies represents the only comprehensive dataset of its kind, helping agencies, investors, media owners, martech and adtech platforms, brands and procurement teams identify the right partners, accelerate growth and make better decisions. Tom is a people‑centric business leader, strategist and marketer with extensive experience advising agencies, investors and brands. Previously Managing Director of award‑winning digital agency Epiphany, a £12m turnover agency with 190 staff across London, Leeds and Sydney. During his tenure, the agency was named Large Integrated Agency of the Year in 2018 and worked with major brands including Savills, First Direct, Waterstones, TK Maxx and Dixons Carphone. You’ll discover: What the 25,495 agencies active in our sector look likeWhy we need more diverse industry representation in the mediaWhy policymakers don't fully understand the makeup of the agency sector and what need to changeThat founders are now prioritising personal well-being and choice over aggressive growthA future where agencies specialise and partner, rather than building large, full-service teamsIf 2026 is the year of the independent agencies Guest details Website: https://agencybyagency.com/ Company LinkedIn :https://www.linkedin.com/company/agency-by-agency/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsalmonleeds/ Sprint 2025 Industry Report: https://agencybyagency.com/report/industry-report-spring-2025/ The WOW Company Benchpress report : https://www.thewowcompany.com/benchpress Podcast recommendations: The Immortal Life of Agencies with Robin Bonn and Zoe Scaman https://www.codefinery.com/podcast_episode/episode-60-zoe-scaman/ Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com

    40 min
  8. The Unconventional Agency Model, with Ginny Nicholls

    Mar 10

    The Unconventional Agency Model, with Ginny Nicholls

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Ginny Nicholls, founder of Interim Digital, a collective of senior freelancers helping agencies and brands solve business challenges with speed and expertise. After nearly a decade in agency roles and years as a freelancer herself, she built Interim to challenge the traditional agency model, offering businesses on-demand access to proven specialists without the overheads or lengthy recruitment lead times. Ginny came into my world after I read in a Prolific North article that she’d recently hit the £1million t/t/0o with her business, Interim Digital. Now I know this podcast isn’t all about scale, but the fact she’s done this with zero employees really stood out to me! You’ll discover: The unconventional way Interim has been builtHow to double down on natural strengths and outsourcing weaknessesWhy avoiding traditional hiring and people management works for GinnyGinny’s belief that people management is a major distraction from productivityWhy value-driven team curation is so criticalHow to build a business exactly on your terms Guest details Website: www.interim.digital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginnynicholls/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ginnynicholls Spotify: Ginny Nicholls - The Action Effect Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com

    49 min
  9. How to love your Lifestyle Agency and use "joy" as a business driver, with Krishna Solanki

    Feb 24

    How to love your Lifestyle Agency and use "joy" as a business driver, with Krishna Solanki

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. In this episode of Lifestyle is a Plan, Kelly Molson is joined by Krishna Solanki, founder, creative director and Squarespace Expert behind Krishna Solanki Designs - an award-winning studio known for clear processes, thoughtful design and a confident, friendly approach. KSD supports independent businesses, startups, SMEs and agencies with distinctive brands and strong, converting Squarespace websites. Outside the studio, Krishna is powered by pizza, raising two brilliantly sassy girls, and working her way up the Tang Soo Do ranks as an orange tag. Krishna is a ray of sunshine in the world, actively focused on tracking "joy" as a key founder success criteria. Rejecting the standard agency model of hiring full-time staff, she created a successful associate model that gives her the agility and flexibility she craved. Her story is a great example of creating something she needs right now, and opening up choices for the future. You’ll discover: How the the associate agency model worksWhy rejecting the standard agency model was the right choice for herWhat part building a personal brand has played in her successHow ‘Joy’ can be used as a business driverWhat keeps Krishna focused on high-value design workHow Krishna manages rapid, opportunistic expansion into new services Guest details Website: krishnasolankidesigns.com Instagram: instagram.com/krishnasolankidesigns LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/krishnasolanki Guest podcast recommendations: Communication Untangled Creative Agency Account Manager Podcast The Marketing Meetup Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission is to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland. stevefolland.com

    50 min
  10. Lifestyle is a Plan series trailer

    Season 1, Episode 1 Trailer

    Lifestyle is a Plan series trailer

    Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead. I’m Kelly Molson. Having grown an agency from a kitchen table to the leading name in its niche, I’ve white knuckled my way through the agency life roller coaster. For 20 years, my co-founder and I grew an agency from a crazy idea into something really special. Working with Pernod Ricard’s global brands, visitor attractions like Holkham and winning numerous creative awards. It was a privilege to lead it for so long. Now as an advisor, my mission is to support solo founders build the agency they want. I want to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. So, each episode I’ll be joined by creative founders, agency advisors and all kinds of brilliant people, sharing real stories and practical tools to help you design an agency that supports your life, and not take it over. You’ll learn about unconventional agency models, incredible lifestyle agencies, and the choices you have to build your agency exactly on your terms. This isn’t a podcast about selling your agency - it’s a podcast about loving it. Click subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Brought to you by: Lifestyle is a Plan is brought to you by me, Kelly Molson - an agency advisor on a mission is to support solo founders build the agency they want. I’m here to show the agency world that ‘lifestyle agency’ is not a cop out. It’s the future of our industry’s sustainable growth. You can join my Lifestyle is a Plan newsletter at kellymolson.co.uk/newsletter Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave a glowing review and share it with your founder friends. Edited by Steve Folland.

    1 min

Trailer

About

Lifestyle is a Plan podcast is for agency founders who are done with the growth hustle, and want profitability over pressure instead I’ll be chatting to creative founders, agency advisors and all kinds of brilliant people. Sharing  real stories and practical tools to help you design an agency that supports your life, not take it over.  You’ll learn about unconventional agency models, incredible lifestyle agencies, and the choices you have to build your agency exactly on your terms. This isn’t a podcast about selling your agency - it’s a podcast about loving it.

Information

  • Creator
    Kelly Molson
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Kelly Molson
  • Show Website
    Lifestyle is a Plan