#64: Why Referrals Nearly Broke My Agency, and How Systems Saved It
Running an agency isn’t just about winning clients or delivering results, it’s about building systems, scaling operations, and growing as a person at the same time. When I sat down with Adam Payne, CEO of New Brand, we dug into the hard lessons, the strategic wins, and the transformational systems that turned his agency from a one man show into a profitable, high performing team. Here’s a detailed look at how he did it, and what every agency owner can learn from it.
From Solo Founder to CEO: Why Personal Growth Matters
Adam started his agency journey 16 years ago, fueled by a passion for building websites and a fascination with SEO. In the early days, he was the agency: answering every client email, running campaigns himself, and managing every little detail. He recalls the stress vividly, two young kids at home, toddlers walking into his makeshift office, and the constant pressure to deliver results.
The hard truth? You cannot scale an agency by being the agency. Every agency founder hits this wall. Adam realized that to grow New Brand, he needed to step into the CEO role, focus on systems, and delegate expertise to specialists. That meant automating processes, setting clear workflows, and hiring people who could take ownership of their area.
“It’s really about personal growth. Either you grow as a person, or the agency dies,”
Adam told me. And that growth isn’t just about business, it’s about health, routines, and mental focus.
For agency owners, this is the first lesson: your ability to scale is limited by your personal bandwidth until you create systems and trust others to do their jobs.
Defining Your Ideal Client: Persona Over Industry
Many agencies struggle to niche effectively, often focusing on verticals like HVAC, e-commerce, or healthcare. But Adam approached this differently. He found that instead of targeting an industry, it was more effective to target the right persona in this case, CMOs.
Why? Because people buy from people. By understanding the pain points, responsibilities, and goals of a CMO, New Brand could align its services with what mattered most to that person, not just the company they worked for. This approach allowed Adam to scale his agency without being limited to a single vertical.
“People do business with people. If you understand what’s important to your client’s role, you’re not just supporting the company, you’re helping them win at their job.”
For agencies looking to grow, this is critical. Define your ideal persona, not just an industry, and your marketing, sales, and service delivery will align naturally.
The Hardest Lessons: Diversifying Client Acquisition
For years, Adam relied heavily on referrals, a comfortable but risky strategy. When his main referral source pulled in house, he lost a significant portion of monthly recurring revenue overnight. That moment was a wake up call: relying on one acquisition channel is dangerous.
Adam and his team pivoted to multi channel client acquisition, with LinkedIn emerging as the primary source for high-ticket leads. Their approach is subtle but effective: connect first, offer value, and avoid hard sales pitches.
He emphasizes the value of experimentation: “A lot of money was spent, some wasted, but every failure taught us something about process and targeting.”
The takeaway? Diversify your acquisition channels and continuously refine your approach. Don’t rely on luck, create repeatable systems for lead generation.
Building Systems That Scale: AI, Project Management, and Workflows
The transformation from “doing everything myself” to “running a machine” came down to systems. Adam implemented HubSpot for client management, Monday.com for project tracking, and Slack for team communication. But he didn’t stop there, he layered AI and automation to handle repetitive work and ensure everyone stayed on task.
Here’s a step by step workflow Adam shared for scaling operations:
Map client deliverables: Break every client project into smaller tasks assigned to the right team member.
Automate notifications: Ensure each team member knows their responsibilities as soon as a task is created.
Centralize communication: Use Slack channels dedicated to each client/project.
Track KPIs: Clients and internal teams are informed of progress in real time.
Review daily: Daily check-ins to address roadblocks and maintain alignment.
Iterate continuously: Identify what’s slowing the team or client success, then refine the system.
This system shifted Adam from being reactive to strategically proactive, giving him time to focus on growth and client acquisition instead of fire fighting.
Hiring the Right People: Expertise, Personality, and Independence
Adam’s hiring philosophy is counterintuitive: he avoids full-time employees and works primarily with independent contractors who are highly skilled and value their own expertise. His criteria?
At least 15 years of experience in their niche
Strong communication and accountability
High hourly rates (at least $100/hr) as a proxy for self-value
“If someone values themselves, they’ll deliver at a higher level. That’s the people I want on my team.”
By investing in top-tier talent and fostering a culture of support, Adam ensures New Brand can deliver world class results without burning out. His team operates like a well oiled machine, giving clients consistent outcomes and him peace of mind.
Client Wins: Doubling Revenue Through Strategy
Adam shared a recent client win that illustrates the power of systems + expertise. A B2B automotive client doing just over $1M annually partnered with New Brand. By building a custom Shopify site, optimizing conversion rates, implementing SEO and Google Shopping, and aligning marketing to the CMO’s goals, they achieved:
78% revenue growth in under a year
Predicted 3–5x ROAS within two years
This isn’t just numbers, it’s a testament to what a well-structured agency, aligned with the right client persona and supported by the right systems, can accomplish.
Key Takeaways for Scaling Your Agency
Step into the CEO role, don’t be the bottleneck.
Define your ideal client persona, not just a vertical.
Diversify acquisition channels, don’t rely on referrals alone.
Build repeatable systems for project management, communication, and workflow.
Hire independent experts who value their work and communicate clearly.
Focus on personal growth, your mental health and routines impact the agency.
Measure results consistently, not just outputs.
By combining operational rigor, strategic hiring, and a client focused persona approach, Adam has created an agency that’s scalable, profitable, and sustainable.
If you want to go deeper, you can run the full version at agencyuplift.co/mini.
Even if you never book a call, the clarity alone is worth it.
