Enjoy the Journey: Navigating the Peaks and Valleys of Agency Leadership

The Pursuit of Workplace Happiness

Looking back at my 25 years as an agency founder and leader, my earliest and most enduring goal was simple: to be happy at work. The old adage, "If you can find work you enjoy, you will never work a day in your life," resonated deeply.

Having experienced tough, unforgiving, and at times toxic cultures in my previous roles, I was determined that my agency would be different. My vision was a place where people genuinely looked forward to coming to work, a utopia where passion fuelled exceptional work, and clients were equally delighted by our output and our approach.

Did reality align perfectly with this ideal? Of course not. The journey was punctuated by "dark moments" – disagreements, fallouts, the sting of losing major clients, the difficult decisions of redundancies, the gnawing anxiety of cash flow worries, and countless sleepless nights. Agency leadership, as many know, throws a relentless mix of challenges your way.

The Guiding "Why": A Purpose-Driven Culture

However, that core purpose – our "why," echoing Simon Sinek – served as our compass. It guided our decisions, shaped our hiring process, and formed the bedrock of our culture. Ultimately, this focus on creating a positive environment was responsible for far more rewarding and successful periods than the difficult ones.

In the early days, when I co-founded the business with Rich and Tony, this ambition for a happier work life was, to be frank, utterly self-serving. We hadn't yet considered the impact on future staff, nor did we imagine our clients would care about our happiness, as long as we delivered good work.

It was a few years into the journey that I encountered concepts like vision, mission, and values through a book, followed by Simon Sinek's powerful "Golden Circle" TED Talk on the power of purpose. It sparked a realisation – we needed one of those "whys."

So, we reverse-engineered it. We revisited our initial motivations for starting the agency and, somewhat luckily, it clicked. I initially felt our core purpose – the honest desire to create a happy culture – was a bit underwhelming. It wasn't about changing the world or revolutionising the industry. But looking back, it was the most impactful decision we ever made.

The Power of Articulating and Communicating Purpose

We had, perhaps unwittingly, cultivated a purpose-driven culture from the outset. Once we began to articulate and communicate this purpose both internally and externally, its power became undeniable.

We attracted incredible talent who shared our attitude, and crucially, the majority of them stayed with us (our staff retention rates consistently exceeded 95%).

We also attracted clients who shared our values, leading to more aligned and fulfilling projects.

Making Tough Decisions for the Greater Good

Jim Collins later introduced me to the concept of ensuring your people are "on the bus" – that they've bought into your destination, your vision, and are working collaboratively towards that goal. But the reality is, things change. It's the one constant you can expect. As markets and client needs evolve around us, so too must the direction of the bus.

And to be fair, not every direction change will suit everyone. Our leadership decisions always prioritised people, but with a focus on the greater good, not individual preferences. This inevitably led to us parting ways with some individuals. While never easy, nor should it be, it's a normal part of business evolution.

This is another facet of building a happy business. It's far easier and more fulfilling to work alongside people who genuinely share your vision. For those who consistently don't align, making the tough decision to let them go is necessary. Did I always do this effectively? Eventually, I learned, but there were many times I hesitated due to a sense of loyalty, friendship, or simply burying my head in the sand.

Creating a happy culture isn't easy; it demands numerous difficult decisions, and you're certainly not going to get them all right. However, when your people understand your "why," genuinely believe it because your actions consistently reinforce it, they are more likely to understand the rationale behind those tough choices.

And in turn, it becomes easier to look in the mirror and sleep soundly at night. You can't eradicate the inevitable valleys of agency life, but you can certainly flatten out the curves.

Creating a Happy Culture: Practical Steps

So, if this resonates with you, how can you practically go about building a happy culture?

As I stated earlier, it fundamentally starts with making it your purpose. Let me share a concrete example of what we did.

We intentionally carved out dedicated time for the entire team to come together – no client work, no delivery pressures – just focused time, ideally off-site.

After clearly articulating our purpose to everyone (we invested time in crafting how we would express this), we facilitated a workshop to understand what "happy" truly meant to each individual within the company.

More money was mentioned, of course, but surprisingly only a couple of times. What we heard more often included:

• Exciting projects

• Opportunities to learn and develop

• More inclusive social events

• More wellbeing initiatives

• A better workplace – breakout areas, nice aesthetics

• More flexibility in work hours to better integrate with life outside work

• Company merch! (Yes, people genuinely wanted to wear our brand)

• More consistent recognition for a job well done

• The chance to contribute to charity projects

• More and better resources to facilitate better work

• Improved communication between teams

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There were many more suggestions, which we then categorised and used to set tangible goals. Achieving many of these required investment in both time and money, so this became a key driver in our financial planning.

To achieve these goals, we recognized the need for increased profitability, and we developed a strategy to get there. However, we fundamentally shifted the conversation around profit. It wasn't framed as a means for the owners' personal gain, but rather as the essential fuel to fulfil the wants and needs of our people – and ultimately, to make us all happier.

Our purpose became the guiding principle for our strategy and simplified decision-making at all levels. If a decision didn't serve the greater good and contribute to our overarching purpose, we simply didn't pursue it.

As for communicating this to clients, it happened organically. Our team was so engaged with our culture that they naturally spoke about it openly and without prompting. We did, however, integrate it into our credentials, and it proved to be a fantastic starting point for any new relationship. It also acted as a natural filter for potential staff and clients who didn't align with our values. I truly believe we are all the happier for it.

Conclusion: Building a Sustainable and Happy Agency

Ultimately, building a happy and sustainable agency isn't about chasing fleeting moments of joy, but about embedding a genuine commitment to your people and your purpose into the very fabric of your business. It’s about enjoying the journey, even with its inevitable bumps, knowing that you’re building something meaningful and, yes, ultimately happier for everyone involved.