Chris LaFay: How to Run a $1M Agency Built on Relationships

Описание: In this conversation, Chris LaFay (Founder, Classic City Consulting) shares a decade of hard-won lessons on staying profitable, avoiding bloat, and building an agency that lasts. We dig into “one-glass focus,” why not niching can still be strategic, when to pass on work, partnerships without finders fees, pricing and retainers, and the KPI that quietly compounds new business: intentional outreach.

In this episode, you’ll learn
Why “one glass” focus beats scattered growth
Project variety vs. “niching down” (and how to niche by systems, not industry)
The comparison trap: learning from peers without copy-pasting their playbook
When referral partnerships work without commissions—and when they don’t
The 4 R’s growth engine: Retain → Reactivate → Referral → Recruit (new)
Don’t hire on a hope: catching operational bloat before it sinks margins
Pricing, retainers, and the “help agencies look great” strategy
The single KPI Chris tracks in good seasons: weekly intentional check-ins
How to handle sunk costs with a “fans-first” lens (Savannah Bananas inspo)
Mentorship as a cheat code for clarity and decisive action

Chapters
00:00 Intro
09:04 One-Glass Focus: creator energy, momentum, and why projects stay interesting
11:29 Project Variety is greater than Burnout: why new client problems keep the work fresh
14:15 Do You Need a Niche? Niching by WordPress/Shopify & repeatable frameworks
15:32 Peer Comparison Without Copy-Paste: learning from others, keeping identity
18:44 Outreach over Everything: how early agencies stall without consistent relationship-building
25:24 Partnerships Sans Finder Fees: when passing leads is the value (and exceptions)
31:10 Adding Value to Your Agency Network: beyond referrals; community & support
32:17 Risk You’re Glad You Took: the hiring lesson that reshaped the business
37:51 Silencing the Inner Critic: external processing & mentor mirrors
41:22 Most Valuable KPI: weekly intentional reach-outs (and why they compound)
46:55 Action Taker You Admire: David Feldman & decisive leadership
51:49 Sunk Costs & When to Quit: “fans-first” filter + staying lean on OPEX

Connect with Chris
Chris LaFay, Founder – Classic City Consulting
Website: https://classiccity.com
LinkedIn:   / chris-lafay  

Connect with Brian
Web: https://brianondrako.com
LinkedIn:   / brianondrako  

If you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn to “un-suck” at sales, one newsletter at a time.
📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.beehii...

agency pricing, agency profitability, staying lean, operational bloat, WordPress agency, Shopify builds, retainers vs projects, referral partnerships, finders fees, client retention, reactivation strategy, outreach KPI, mentorship for founders, comparison trap, sunk cost fallacy, Savannah Bananas fans-first, margins over revenue, don’t hire on a hope, website projects process, sales for service businesses