Ten years of running an agency, and everything was still in her head.

Natasha Golinsky, founder of On Purpose Projects, a custom web and e-commerce development agency, didn't plan her exit from the day-to-day. A stage two breast cancer diagnosis gave her six weeks to hand over a business she'd been running for a decade, while everything lived in her head.

What came out the other side is one of the most honest, human stories about building a business that can run without you that I've heard.

In this episode, Natasha shares what it really took to build and lead a strong remote contractor team, why the freedom she worked toward came with an unexpected identity shift, and what she wishes she'd done differently long before the crisis hit.

Here's what we cover:

• What the handoff actually looked like when the timeline wasn't strategic, it was survival
• The emotional side of stepping out, the loneliness, the grief, and learning to let go of being needed
• The multi-phase hiring process Natasha uses to find contractors who are the right fit beyond technical skill
• How to start loosening your grip by identifying the work you already avoid

You don't have to go through a health crisis to build a business that doesn't depend on you. But you do have to be intentional about it.

Let's dive in.

Show Notes:

-Natasha's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/natashagolinsky

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep154

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

A lot of small business owners are feeling the pressure to keep up right now.

AI is changing how we work. New tools and platforms keep showing up. Buyers are behaving differently, and the market feels harder to read than it used to.

And I get it.

When things feel uncertain, it’s very easy to start adding more.

But for small but mighty business owners, more is not always what creates momentum. Sometimes it just makes the business heavier.

In this episode, I sit down with Lydia Lee, business strategist and work reinvention coach, for a conversation about what it really means to grow in this season.

This is not a tidy framework conversation. It’s more of a real talk about the pressure small business owners are carrying, what is changing in the market, and why some of the most important growth moves right now might actually be quieter ones.

We talk about simplifying, getting clearer on what you actually need, and building a business around your real season of life instead of someone else’s version of success.

We also get into why relationships matter more than ever. AI can give you ideas, outlines, and tactics, but it cannot replace trust.

In this episode, we cover:

• why experienced small business owners are feeling overwhelmed right now
• how AI is creating both urgency and distraction
• why adding more is not always the best response to uncertainty
• what it means to define growth based on the season you are actually in

This conversation is for you if you have been feeling the pressure to do more, but some part of you knows the answer might be to pause, simplify, and ask a more honest question:

What do I actually need right now?

Show Notes:

Website: screwthecubicle.com ​

YouTube: youtube.com/screwthecubicle

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lydiallee

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep153

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

A lot of agency owners think about selling one day. But selling is not something you prepare for at the last minute.

And here's what most people miss: the things that make an agency attractive to a buyer are the same things that make it stronger, more stable, and more enjoyable to run right now.

Whether an exit is on your radar or not, this conversation is worth your time.

In this episode, I sit down with Steve Guberman, M&A advisor for agency leaders, to get into what owners are building well, what they're avoiding, and what it really takes to run a business you could sell if you wanted to.

Here's what we cover:

• The difference between building a team and building a team that can run without you
• What "panic selling" looks like and why so many owners end up there
• Why the goal isn't to sell. It's to have the option.

You don't build a great agency to sell it. You build it well, and selling becomes an option.

Show Notes:

-Website: agencyoutsight.com

-Get the Operators Audit Worksheet: agencyoutsight.com/resources

-LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/agencycoach

-Podcast: agencyoutsight.com/podcast

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep152

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Most agency owners think exit means one thing: finding a buyer.
This episode offers a different perspective.

I sat down with Daniel Pillai, CEO of Langton PR, to talk about a path into ownership that did not come through a traditional sale, but through trust, mentorship, and a gradual transition shaped over time.

It’s a conversation about leadership, succession, and the often unseen inner work of stepping into a role you’re not sure you’re ready for.

Together, we explore what agency owners may be missing when they overlook internal succession, how potential can show up before someone fully believes in themselves, and why leading well is one of the most important parts of building an agency that lasts.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• why exiting an agency doesn’t always have to mean selling to an outside buyer
• how account management and relationship leadership can become a foundation for ownership
• what true mentorship and stewardship can look like inside an agency
• why internal succession is not just an exit strategy, but a reflection of how well you lead

If you’ve ever thought about legacy, leadership, succession, or what it really means to build an agency that can outlast you, this conversation will give you a lot to think about.

Show Notes:

-Website: langtonpr.com

-Instagram: @daniel.pillai

-TikTok: @queendeehbic

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep151

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Some agencies do solid work and still lose clients.

And in a market like this, I think that raises a more important question than most people are asking:

What actually makes a client want to stay?

Because client retention is not just about doing good work.
It is not just about being responsive, likable, or easy to work with either.

There is a deeper layer to strong client relationships. A kind of value that makes a client feel steadier with you in the room, more confident in your perspective, and more likely to see you as someone who helps them think, not just someone who helps them deliver.

This episode explores what that kind of relationship really requires now.

I get into why client relationships feel different in this market, why strategic advisory matters more than ever, and what actually helps agencies become harder to replace when budgets tighten, pressure rises, and trust carries more weight.

If you want to become harder to replace in the eyes of your clients, this episode will help you see where that value really comes from.

RSVP to the next Mixer: https://agencytogether.com/mixer-event

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep150

What does it actually take to market to diverse audiences with depth, respect, and relevance?

In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency Podcast, I sit down with Marissa Nance, founder of Native Tongue Communications, to talk about what too many agencies still get wrong when trying to reach diverse audiences.

Marissa shares why broad multicultural marketing often falls short and why she prefers the term micro cultural marketing instead. We explore what it means to understand people beyond surface-level demographics and why empathy, research, and cultural nuance matter more than ever.

We also talk about the pressure agencies are facing right now as DEAI becomes more politicized, AI reshapes the marketing landscape, and brands risk losing the human insight that makes their work resonate.

In this conversation, we unpack:

• Why “micro cultural” is a more useful lens than “multicultural”
• Why culture goes deeper than race, ethnicity, or gender
• How empathy leads to stronger marketing
• Where AI can support the work and where human judgment still matters
• What agencies can do to market with more intention and integrity

If you want to create marketing that resonates more deeply and reflects a better understanding of the people you serve, this episode is worth a listen.

Show Notes:

-Website: nativetonguecommunications.com

-Instagram: marissa.nance

-LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marissanance

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep149

Is AI quietly making your agency more replaceable?

Or is it revealing where your real value actually lives?

Right now, content can be generated in seconds. Blog posts. Emails. Website copy. Entire strategies drafted with a prompt.

Which raises an uncomfortable question for agency owners:

If the machine can produce the words… what are clients really paying us for?

In this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency Podcast, we pull back the curtain on what AI actually looks like inside a working content agency serving technical clients.

My guest, Victoria Cowan, founder of Wordplay Creative, built her business on thoughtful, human-centered storytelling. When AI hit the marketing world she felt what many writers felt: fear.

Not hype. Not instant adoption. Fear.

Instead of ignoring it or blindly embracing it she integrated it intentionally.

In this conversation, we unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes:

• Where AI genuinely speeds up workflow and where it creates more work
• Why most AI-generated content sounds the same
• The growing importance of editorial discernment
• How tone of voice is becoming a serious competitive advantage
• What agencies need to consider around transparency and IP
• Why strategic thought partnership is becoming more valuable than execution

As more agencies use the same tools, sameness becomes the default.

If you’re navigating how to use AI without becoming commoditized, this episode will help you think more clearly about where your real leverage lives.

Let’s dive in.

Show Notes:

-Website: https://www.wordplaycreative.ca/

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriajunecowan/

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep148

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis

Your agency is working.
But the way you’re making decisions may no longer match where you actually want to go.

From the outside, everything looks steady but inside, something feels heavier than it should.

That heaviness often shows up when the business keeps operating in a way that made sense in the past, even though your perspective has started to shift.

You see your work differently now, and the way the agency runs hasn’t fully caught up.

Maybe you’re clearer about the clients who energize you.
Clearer about the work that strengthens the business instead of just sustaining it.
Clearer about what feels aligned and what quietly drains you.

But clarity doesn’t automatically reshape a business.

There’s often a stretch where your thinking evolves, but the business is still running on old patterns.

Most owners move through this alone, feeling the friction but not yet knowing what to adjust.

This episode continues the Small But Mighty series by exploring that in-between space—the gap between insight and intentional redesign.

Inside, we explore:

• Why your agency can feel heavy even when it’s successful
• The hidden gap between knowing what you want and running the business that way
• How old decision patterns keep you operating from an earlier version of your agency
• What actually shifts when you start choosing work that aligns with the direction you want to grow

If your agency looks successful but feels heavier to lead than it once did, this episode will help you understand the source of that heaviness and what’s actually ready to shift.

Want More Context?
This episode is part of a series exploring what happens when your agency grows but the way you build it needs to evolve.

Part 1 (Podcast): Two $1M Agencies. Very Different Realities
Part 2 (Blog): Why the Agency Growth Model Worked And Why It Doesn’t Now
Part 3 (Podcast): Some Agencies Make Growth Feel Easier. Here’s Why
Part 4 (Blog): You Outgrew Your Business

Hey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.

Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast/ep147

Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis