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The Messy Middle: Why Growth Feels So Damn Hard with Tressa Beheim

Release Date: 05/26/2025

The Agency Burnout Trap: When Growth Turns Toxic

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

Your agency’s growing…but why does it feel worse, not better? You booked the clients. Built the team. Raised your rates. On paper, it’s a win. But behind the scenes? You’re overworked, disconnected, and running on fumes. This isn’t growth, it’s escalation. In this episode, we’re talking about the moment when agency success stops feeling good and starts to burn you out. Topics discussed in this episode include: When growth turns into burnout—and how to spot the signs. The myth of “hustle now, chill later” and why it doesn’t work. Redefining success and growth...

The Retainer Reality Check: The Hidden Risks That Are Costing You

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

Ever feel like your $3K retainer is secretly costing you $6K in time? One “quick question” turns into an hour-long strategy call… then a deliverable you didn’t scope… and suddenly, half your week is gone. Retainers can be excellent—but only when they are structured correctly. They’ll bleed your time, drain your team, and wreck your margins without clear boundaries. In this episode, I’ve been diving into all things retainers, including hidden risks and how you can reset your retainers to get things back on track. Topics discussed in this episode include: The hidden costs...

The Messy Middle: Why Growth Feels So Damn Hard with Tressa Beheim

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

Your micro agency looks great on paper, but behind the scenes, it’s chaos. Projects are stalling, your team’s stretched thin, and your systems? Barely holding it together. Welcome to the messy middle of micro agency life. In this episode, I’m joined by operations pro Tressa Beheim to dig into why this happens—and how to fix it. We’re discussing process vs. people problems, simplifying without compromising, and why perfectionism hinders your momentum. If your agency’s growing fast and feeling messy, this one’s for you. Topics discussed in this episode include: What operational...

No One’s Coming to Save You: Self-Leadership for Micro Agency Owners

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

Ever looked at your inbox, calendar, and Slack and thought, “Why am I the one holding all this together?” You wait for the next hire, the dream client, or future-you to fix it. But here’s the hard truth: no one is coming to save you. Not your assistant, not your ops unicorn, not even that coach you just hired. If you want to build a micro agency that doesn’t burn you out, it starts with you. In this episode, we’re doing a self-leadership intervention because your business will only be as steady and sustainable as you are and getting into what it really means to lead yourself first....

The Done-For-You Dilemma: Making Consulting Work for Your Agency

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

You’ve heard the advice: productize your DFY services, hire a team, build SOPs—and boom, freedom. But for most micro agency owners, that dream turns into late-night deliverable reviews, endless meetings, and zero flexibility. What if the real problem isn’t how you’re growing but the story you’ve been told about how you should grow? In this episode, we’re busting the myth that you have to choose between being a consultant or running a done-for-you agency. Because, spoiler alert: you can—and should—do both. And when you do, your micro agency becomes smarter, more profitable, and...

Don’t DIY Your HR: What You Need to Know Before You Hire with Kira La Forgia

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

If you’ve got a tight-knit team of contractors that attend meetings, work your hours, and serve your clients… you might actually have employees—and that’s not just a vibe, that’s a compliance issue. In this episode, I’m joined by HR expert Kira La Forgia to break down the legal landmines of team building—like misclassification, compliance, and what it really means to lead. Don't skip this one if you’re hiring (or thinking about it). Topics discussed in this episode include: Why “I’m not ready for employees” misses the point. The real risks of contractor...

The No Drama Guide to Delegation

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

You didn’t start your agency to redo work you already paid for.But if delegation feels like a mess you keep cleaning up, you’re not alone. For micro agency owners, handing things off isn’t easy. It’s a high-stakes juggle with tight resources and zero room for error. You’re not leading a big team. You’re leading everything. In this episode, we’re ditching the fluff and diving into a no-BS, no-drama guide to delegation because the problem isn’t your team. It’s how we’re leading. Topics discussed in this episode include: Why delegation breaks down in micro agencies. ...

The Micro Agency Advantage: Size Isn’t Everything

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

If scaling your agency feels more like a trap than a triumph, you’re not alone. I don’t know about you, but I might scream if I see one more ad promising “7 figures in 6 months” by building a bloated team, launching a dozen offers, and automating yourself out of your own business. This episode is for every micro agency owner who’s over the noise and ready to build something smarter, leaner, and actually sustainable. I’m sharing why I walked away from the traditional scale-at-all-costs model, what growth looks like on your own terms, and how staying small can actually be your...

Forget Crystal Balls: Real Strategies for Future-Proofing Your Agency

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

If the past few years have shown us anything, the world can be unpredictable and change quickly. So, how do we build businesses that can weather these shifts? The good news is that building a sustainable business doesn’t require shiny, overcomplicated strategies that often create more stress than success. Instead, you need solid, realistic strategies to help future-proof your micro agency. In this episode, I share actionable ways to future-proof your micro agency. These aren’t pipe dreams or empty promises—they’re practical moves you can start making today to build a...

The Role Reset: Defining Your Position in Your Micro Agency

Confessions of a Micro Agency Owner

Ever wonder, "What should I really be doing as the owner of a micro agency?" In the early days, you're doing everything—client work, admin, sales. But as your agency grows, your role gets blurry. Are you focusing on the right things? Or holding on to tasks that no longer fit your agency’s future? If so, it might be time for a role reset—without losing the work you love or sticking to a one-size-fits-all approach. In this episode, we’re diving into the why and how of a role reset, helping you build a role that truly supports your micro agency’s growth and your vision for...

More Episodes

Your micro agency looks great on paper, but behind the scenes, it’s chaos.

Projects are stalling, your team’s stretched thin, and your systems? Barely holding it together.

Welcome to the messy middle of micro agency life.

In this episode, I’m joined by operations pro Tressa Beheim to dig into why this happens—and how to fix it.

We’re discussing process vs. people problems, simplifying without compromising, and why perfectionism hinders your momentum.

If your agency’s growing fast and feeling messy, this one’s for you.

Topics discussed in this episode include:

What operational overwhelm is and how it shows up.
Hidden causes of overwhelm micro agency owners often miss.
Where to start when everything feels broken.
How do you tell if you have a people or process problem?
One innovative way to simplify without backtracking.

For detailed show notes and links to everything in this episode, please visit bsfreebusiness.com.

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