Kelly Molson: So you want to start your own agency?

Kelly Molson, founder of Rubber Cheese, sold her agency and is now an agency consultant and successful podcaster. She shares her 21-year journey building a lifestyle-focused web development agency that she started with just £1,500. She advocates for founders to prioritise life over aggressive growth, defining success on personal terms rather than industry standards. Only 4% of agencies ever sell, making the lifestyle model - optimised for freedom, joy, and profit now—a viable alternative to exit-focused growth. What’s making people reject the ‘grow fast, sell fast’ model? Find out how to define your personal success criteria and then build your business around it. Advice on how to calculate your finance foundation – how much is enough? Why you should understand the problems you solve, not just services you offer. Addressing the mental health crisis and avoiding burnout. What kit you need to start. Why you need to stand out in the 25,000+ agency market by being a specialist, not a generalist. Mudlarking and 21 Seconds.  Show notes Kelly’s LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellymolson/ The Kelly Molson web site: https://kellymolson.co.uk/ ‘Lifestyle is a Plan’ podcast: https://lifestyle-is-a-plan.captivate.fm/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices