Agency Principals

Simon Morgan & Doug Baxter
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  • Entrepreneurship

Conversations on building and realising agency value. The Agency Principals Podcast is for independent agency founders who want honest conversations about the long game — from early ambition through growth ceilings, valuation, and the question every founder eventually faces: what do I actually want the future to look like? Hosted by Simon Morgan and Doug Baxter of Agency Futures, each episode brings in founders, buyers, and investors who've been through it.

Episodes

  1. Agency Principals Podcast | Ep06 | Life After the Deal: Paul Hughes on Rothco, Risk and Reinvention

    Jun 4

    Agency Principals Podcast | Ep06 | Life After the Deal: Paul Hughes on Rothco, Risk and Reinvention

    The conversation with Paul Hughes, co-founder of Rothco, delves into the intersecting trajectories of art, agency, and football, highlighting the commonality of expression and the rise of Rothco. It explores the decision to sell the agency, Paul's transition to art, the impact of AI on agencies, and reflections on Rothco's journey.

    20 min
  2. Agency Principals Podcast | Ep05 | The Many: Participation beats Persuasion

    May 12

    Agency Principals Podcast | Ep05 | The Many: Participation beats Persuasion

    The conversation with Damien Eley revolves around the theme of participation and its impact on agencies, branding, and immersive technology. Damien shares insights on the role of agencies, the importance of participation, the future of The Many Australia and recent acquisition of CatalstXR a Sydney-based immersive tech studio. Damien is a big believer in the power of participation in re-shaping his agency's core operating system. Takeaways Participation as a driving forceThe transformative potential of immersive technologyBuying to build capability and why it makes sense Chapters 00:00 Welcome back Damien Eley09:03 The Importance of Participation15:37 Misreading Participation23:33 Immersive Technology33:06 Starting Anew If you're thinking about what comes next for your agency, visit agencyfutures.com

    22 min
  3. Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 04 | Building a Deliberate Creative Tech Agency

    Apr 23

    Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 04 | Building a Deliberate Creative Tech Agency

    Join Doug Baxter as he explores the philosophy, operations, and future plans of Mindshaker, a creative technology agency in Portugal. Discover how they balance human elements, innovation, and growth while maintaining a deliberate company culture. key topics Agency philosophy and deliberate growthBalancing human elements with technologyHybrid roles and team cultureClient collaboration and problem-solving approachAI integration and future technology adoptionScaling while maintaining company cultureInternational expansion within Plus Company network

    20 min
  4. Agency Principals Podcast | EP03 | On Specialism and Thought Leadership

    Apr 10

    Agency Principals Podcast | EP03 | On Specialism and Thought Leadership

    The conversation explores the journey of Nourish, a specialist food, beverage, and agriculture agency, focusing on demand generation, thought leadership, specialization, business development, and agency growth through M&A. Joanne McArthur, the founder and CEO, shares insights on building a successful agency model and seeking a growth partner through M&A. Takeaways Inbound marketing and demand generation are key for agency growthThought leadership and content strategy contribute to agency positioning and growthSpecialization and culture play a significant role in agency successAdding value and refining business development engine are crucial for agency growthSeeking a growth partner through M&A requires careful consideration and staff involvement Chapters 00:00 Demand Generation and Inbound Marketing09:30 Thought Leadership and Content Strategy14:49 Relentless List and Business Development

    20 min
  5. Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 02 | The buy-to-build founder

    Mar 30

    Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 02 | The buy-to-build founder

    Stephen Brown has built Fuse Create into one of Canada's leading independent agencies over 23 years — doubled the business in five years, expanded into the US market, and walked away from two serious acquisition conversations along the way. In this episode, Doug Baxter sits down with Stephen to explore the buy-to-build strategy he's now pursuing, why independence is a spirit rather than a status, and what it actually felt like to say no to a deal when everything on paper said yes. A candid conversation about growth, leadership, and building something worth being proud of.

    30 min

  6. Mar 30

    Agency Principals Podcast | Ep 01 | What are Agency buyers looking for today?

    Most agency founders spend years building something valuable without ever stopping to ask what buyers are actually looking for. In this opening episode, Simon Morgan and Doug Baxter lay out the landscape - why the holdco era is fading, what private equity and strategic acquirers really want, and how AI is reshaping every conversation around agency value. They walk through five key drivers that buyers examine when assessing an agency: financial health, founder dependency, client portfolio, positioning, and forward momentum. Honest, practical, and a good place to start if you're thinking about the long game. In this podcast we reference what match-fit agencies look like. Here is the reference to this. https://agencyfutures.com/insights/how-do-you-know-if-your-agency-is-match-fit

    32 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Conversations on building and realising agency value. The Agency Principals Podcast is for independent agency founders who want honest conversations about the long game — from early ambition through growth ceilings, valuation, and the question every founder eventually faces: what do I actually want the future to look like? Hosted by Simon Morgan and Doug Baxter of Agency Futures, each episode brings in founders, buyers, and investors who've been through it.

Information

  • Creator
    Simon Morgan & Doug Baxter
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Simon Morgan & Doug Baxter