“You have a ‘lifestyle’ agency/business...”

It's never a statement that immediately feels positive when you are running a business. I used to hate it. I felt it undermined my ambitions.

Getting into rooms with other agency owners it was always about the big exit or an M&A strategy. Exciting?

Well yes, but when I delved into the reality of those two things it meant two things|:

👉 opportunity to make a chunk of money (well, maybe - not always guaranteed)

👉 taking a role in another business

What if your core value is freedom and the whole reason you created a business was to not work for someone else? 🤔

I could have merged. I could have sold. But each option took away my freedom.

Lifestyle agencies are EPIC. Consistent reoccurring revenue doing the work you love with people you like should not be underestimated. (And I think you can make just as much money building a business this way in the end too).

I focused on growing my agency because I wanted to expand my business knowledge and experience. And that was the right path for me.

My lovely Dad always used to say to me "don't grow the business Emma, grow the profit" and I was like 'yeah, yeah Dad... 🙄 🙄 🙄'.

But he was right.