“I don’t want to run an agency.”

“I don’t want to run an agency.”

That’s what Chris told me when we got on the call.

He had a thriving business. Years of doubled revenue. Household-name clients.
But still, that sentence hung in the air.

What he really wanted:
To build product.
To create leverage.
To stop being the engine for growth.

Sound familiar?

Most agency founders reach this crossroads eventually.
They don’t hate the agency. They just can’t build what's next because the business still depends on them to survive.

Here’s the truth:

You don’t have to shut down your agency.
You don’t have to burn it to the ground.

But you do need to redesign it so it funds your freedom instead of consuming it.

That means:

• Picking a vertical you actually care about
• Positioning yourself as a trusted authority (not just a vendor)
• Building a growth system that doesn’t start and end with your personal network

You don’t have to love being an agency founder forever.
But if you build this right, your agency can give you options instead of obligations.