Turning Every New Client Opportunity Into an Agency’s Compounding Asset | EP25
Release Date: 02/03/2026
Turning Every New Client Opportunity Into an Agency’s Compounding Asset | EP25
The AgencyHabits Podcast
Most agencies treat client work as a series of one-off transactions. But the most successful firms treat every engagement as an investment that compounds over time. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei Wook Kim introduce the concept of engagement yield: the tangible and intangible value that extends far beyond the invoice. They break down the four components of engagement yield; proof, leverage, relationships, and referrals. And explains how agencies can systematically capture this value. Peter and Sei Wook share practical strategies for turning client work into lasting assets: from...
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Why Peter Wrote a Book on Holding Companies | EP24
The AgencyHabits Podcast
In this special episode, host Sei-Wook Kim interviews Barrel Holdings co-founder Peter Kang about his new book, The HoldCo Guide: How Entrepreneurs Structure and Build a Holding Company That Lasts. Peter shares the organic journey that led him to write the book, from scaling a single agency to building a multi-agency holding company, and why no existing resource fully addressed the topic. He breaks down the core concepts every entrepreneur should understand: the spectrum between capital allocator and operational HoldCos, the critical balance of centralization vs. decentralization, and the...
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Breaking Down Agency Employee Compensation | EP23
The AgencyHabits Podcast
Compensation is more than just a number. It’s a strategic tool for attracting, retaining, and motivating talent. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim unpack the full spectrum of employee compensation in an agency setting. They start by acknowledging that while pay is crucial, it’s not the only factor. Culture, management, challenging work, and company trajectory all play vital roles. From there, they dive into the core components: base salary (and how to set competitive, geographically-aware bands), benefits (health insurance, 401k, PTO, and creative perks), and both short-...
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Annual Checkup: 9 Markers to Diagnose Your Agency’s Health | EP22
The AgencyHabits Podcast
Most agencies only seek help when something is broken. But by then, the problems are often systemic. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim shift the conversation from reactive fixes to proactive health. They introduce a holistic “annual checkup” framework, mapping nine critical agency functions to body parts and their vital signs: from positioning (vision) and client trust (heart rate) to revenue stability (blood pressure) and risk resilience (immune system). Drawing from their experience building and scaling Barrel, Peter and Sei-Wook explain how to spot early warning signals...
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Evolving from Managing Projects to Growing Accounts | EP21
The AgencyHabits Podcast
Growing from single-project engagements to managing multiple, concurrent work streams is a major turning point for any agency. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim unpack the structural shift required to turn this complexity into a sustainable competitive advantage. Drawing from their own hard-earned lessons at Barrel, they dissect the common pitfalls like team silos, client misalignment, and leader burnout, that can derail multi-faceted accounts. Peter and Sei-Wook break down the three critical roles needed for success: Account Leadership for strategy and relationships, Program...
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How Agencies Should Think About and Manage Risk | EP 20
The AgencyHabits Podcast
In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim break down how agency owners should think about risk, not as isolated problems to react to, but as ongoing exposure that needs to be actively managed. Using a simple risk matrix, they explain how to prioritize risks based on likelihood and impact, and why high-impact risks deserve disproportionate attention. They then walk through nine of the most consequential risks agencies face, from founder burnout and partner misalignment to legal exposure, cash flow insolvency, client concentration, and strategic drift. For each, they share practical ways to...
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Learning From Other Agency Owners | EP19
The AgencyHabits Podcast
Great agencies are not built in isolation. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim explore the transformative power of community and peer learning for agency founders. The hosts share their personal journey from working in a silo to actively seeking mentorship and joining dedicated communities, revealing how these connections helped them avoid blind spots, gain crucial perspective, and accelerate their growth. Peter and Sei-Wook break down specific communities that have been instrumental to their journey, including Bureau of Digital, Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA), and Collective 54....
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Why Agencies Rely on Referrals But Few Treat It as a System | EP18
The AgencyHabits Podcast
Most agencies say they rely on referrals, but few treat them as a system. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dismantle the "hope-based" approach to referrals and lay out a strategic framework for building a consistent pipeline. Drawing from the book The Referral Code, they redefine referrals as a transfer of goodwill and share actionable tactics for intentional referral generation. Peter and Sei-Wook cover how to identify the right people to ask, the critical importance of timing your ask within a "state of appreciation," and how to craft effective, open-ended questions. They also...
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The Six Levers of Profitable Client Engagements | EP17
The AgencyHabits Podcast
Profitability is the lifeblood of any agency, yet it can feel elusive. In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim move beyond surface-level tips to reveal the six fundamental levers that directly impact the bottom line of every project, retainer, and service program. They break down how pricing, staffing, engagement design, scope management, reusable IP, and automation all interlock to create or erode healthy gross margins. Drawing from their experience across the Barrel Holdings portfolio, Peter and Sei-Wook share candid examples of where profitability leaks and provide a practical...
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Scaling Your Agency Beyond $2M | EP 16
The AgencyHabits Podcast
In this episode, Peter Kang and Sei-Wook Kim dissect why agencies hit the $2M and what you can do to break through. They explain how founder-centric systems that work at a smaller scale become the primary constraint to growth, leading to breakdowns in client delivery, team management, and financial visibility. The hosts share actionable solutions, from improving onboarding and implementing debrief processes to strategically hiring for your weaknesses and deepening financial rigor. They also introduce the Agency Systems Playbook, a framework of five core systems that drive a scalable agency....
info_outlineMost agencies treat client work as a series of one-off transactions. But the most successful firms treat every engagement as an investment that compounds over time. In this episode, hosts Peter Kang and Sei Wook Kim introduce the concept of engagement yield: the tangible and intangible value that extends far beyond the invoice.
They break down the four components of engagement yield; proof, leverage, relationships, and referrals. And explains how agencies can systematically capture this value. Peter and Sei Wook share practical strategies for turning client work into lasting assets: from creating reusable case studies and SOPs to deepening client trust and building referral systems.
Whether you’re evaluating a new client opportunity or looking to maximize the value of existing engagements, this episode provides a framework for thinking long-term and turning every project into a compounding advantage.
Key Moments
1. Why treating client work as a one-off transaction limits agency growth.
2. Introducing engagement yield: the value beyond revenue.
3. Proof: How case studies, testimonials, and thought leadership build credibility.
4. Leverage: Creating SOPs, templates, and frameworks to improve efficiency and margins.
5. Relationships: Building trust and expanding your network within client organizations.
6. Referrals: Turning happy clients into a sustainable source of warm leads.
7. Why not all engagements are created equal: evaluating opportunities through the yield lens.
8. The risk of negative engagement yield: how bad clients can cost you more than money.
9. Practical steps to position your agency for higher engagement yield.
10. What a high-yield agency looks like over time vs. the cost of low yield.
Real Talk Takeaways
1. Revenue is just the starting point. The real value lies in what you build on top of it.
2. Proof isn’t just a portfolio, it’s credibility. Without it, clients are just taking your word.
3. Leverage turns experience into efficiency. If you’re reinventing the wheel every time, you’re leaving money on the table.
4. Relationships are seeds for future opportunities. A contact today could be your champion tomorrow.
5. Referrals don’t happen by accident. You need a system for asking, nurturing, and staying top of mind.
6. Two clients with the same budget can have wildly different engagement yields. Choose wisely.
7. A bad client can create a negative yield… damaging relationships, reputation, and team morale.
8. Engagement yield requires intention. It won’t happen unless you build processes to capture it.
9. Compounding doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of consistent, intentional decisions over time.
10. The healthiest agencies don’t just deliver work. They build assets that make future work easier, more profitable, and more fulfilling.
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction: From One-Off Revenue to Compounding Assets
00:30 – Defining Engagement Yield: The Value Beyond the Invoice
01:00 – The Four Components of Engagement Yield
01:50 – 1. Proof: Case Studies, Testimonials & Thought Leadership
04:05 – 2. Leverage: SOPs, Templates & Operational Efficiency
06:20 – 3. Relationships: Building Trust & Expanding Your Network
08:00 – 4. Referrals: Turning Happy Clients into Warm Leads
09:40 – Why Not All Engagements Are Created Equal
11:40 – The Risk of Negative Engagement Yield
13:00 – How to Position Your Agency for Higher Yield
15:10 – What a High-Yield Agency Looks Like Over Time
18:30 – The Cost of Low Engagement Yield
20:00 – Closing Thoughts: Thinking Long-Term & Compounding Your Advantage
Notable Quotes
“Engagement yield is the difference between the immediate return you get from revenue and the long-term impact and upside from the work.” — Sei Wook Kim
“Proof isn’t just about volume.It’s about relevance. A few deep case studies are better than a dozen thin ones.” — Peter Kang
“Leverage is about turning what’s in people’s heads into something the whole team can use.” — Sei Wook Kim
“Relationships are like planting seeds. You never know which one will grow into your next big opportunity.” — Peter Kang
“Referrals are gold, but they don’t happen naturally. You have to work for them.” — Peter Kang
“A higher budget project with low yield can hurt you more than a lower budget project with high yield.” — Sei Wook Kim
“Negative engagement yield is real. And it can cost you relationships, referrals, and reputation.” — Peter Kang
“Compounding is the result of looking at every engagement as an investment, not just a transaction.” — Peter Kang
Links & Resources
Peter Kang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterkang34/
Sei-Wook Kim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seiwookkim/
AgencyHabits Website: https://www.agencyhabits.com/
AgencyHabits on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agencyhabits/
Barrel Holdings Website: https://www.barrel-holdings.com/
Barrel Holdings LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/barrel-holdings/