The Handbook: The Operations Podcast

Is your business growing, but it still feels messy?This solo episode from Harv looks back at one year of The Handbook podcast, and it’s a big one. Harv recaps what he’s learned from a year of speaking with ops leaders across the agency world. He packages it all into one whirlwind tour of the five core pillars of operational maturity: people, process, tools, data, and growth.If you’ve missed a few episodes (or want a cheat code to benchmark your agency’s ops maturity), this is your starting point. Or your reset.Here’s what Harv dives into:Why operational maturity, not creativity or client relationships, is the biggest differentiator for scaleWhat smart people practices actually look like, from efficient and effective hiring to career path frameworksHow to build a sales engine that doesn’t rely on panicked effort or founder charismaWhy a tech stack is only as good as the strategy underneath itWhat it really means to be data-driven, beyond just dashboardsAnd what common agency growth mistakes still trip up even the most ambitious teamsPlus, you’ll hear key takeaways from guests like Manish Kapur, Karl Sakas, Preston Chandler, Jenny Plant, and many more.Additional Resources:Harv’s webinar on documentation & best practice here: https://youtu.be/RroxOVlSwIk Learnings and tools from Freia Muehlenbein's 'how to pitch' episode: https://www.scoro.com/blog/how-to-pitch-a-client/ Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harvnagraStay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Ops Leaders, are you unintentionally making life harder for your delivery team?Galen Low, co-founder of The Digital Project Manager and host of The Digital Project Manager podcast, joins us to flip the lens, and spotlight the real impact of operational decisions from the delivery floor up.Galen has spent years helping digital PMs thrive in chaotic environments. In this episode, he shares the signs leaders might be missing when systems break down and how to create structures that support people doing the work.Here’s what we dive into:How layoffs and role blending are pressuring delivery teamsThe hidden cost of heroic project managers who just “make it work”What agencies get wrong about tool rollouts (and how to fix it)How to better onboard freelance talentThe link between trust, autonomy, and delivery excellenceGalen also offers advice on listening to your PMs, empowering teams, and building resilience into your operations, without burning people out.And – this is part one of a two-way podcast exchange! For part two, head over to The DPM Podcast where we flip the mic and explore what it takes to build operational models that truly support delivery.Additional Resources:Listen to PART TWO on The Digital Project Manager podcast: https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/podcast/how-project-managers-can-thrive-in-evolving-agency-models/The Digital Project Manager website: https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/membership/DPM on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcgWl0Rda9bHhOJTcIy8XwQDPM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedigitalpm/Follow Galen Low on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/galen-low-digital-transformation-advisor/Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/ Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://scoro.com/podcast/#handbookThis podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

What does it really take to operate more strategically as an agency?Manish Kapur returns to The Handbook to help agency ops leaders shift from firefighting mode to future-focused thinking. If you’ve ever struggled to carve out time for the big picture while juggling the day-to-day, this episode is your playbook.Harv and Manish dig into how to run fast-paced, high-impact workshops that drive meaningful change – and how to keep momentum once priorities have been decided. They also explore how ops folks can step up as strategic leaders, driving these initiatives, especially as AI is forcing agencies to become more adaptable than ever.Here’s what we get into:Why agencies that plan beyond month-to-month win long-termManish’s 7-part workshop format that delivers clarity, alignment, and actionHow to navigate alignment across multiple offices and entitiesThe role of ops in driving, not just supporting, AI strategyWhy senior buy-in is the secret to getting big initiatives doneWhether you're leading change or nudging it along, this conversation is packed with real-world tactics to keep your agency moving forward.Additional Resources:Manish's workshop playbook: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/episode/strategic-ops-unlocked-manish-kapur-workshop-playbook/Follow Manish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishkapur/ Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter. Sign up here: https://scoro.com/podcast/#handbookThis podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Growth is the goal for many agencies, but as your team hits certain size thresholds, your structure, systems, and workflows can start to break down.Marcel Petitpas, CEO of Parakeeto, has spent years helping agencies around the world clean up their operations, tighten up forecasting, and build financial systems that actually support scale.In this episode, Marcel shares what breaks as agencies grow, and how small optimizations can make the difference between momentum and mayhem. If your team’s growing fast, but your numbers aren’t adding up, this one’s for you.Here’s what we dive into:The critical headcount thresholds where agency ops tend to break - and what to do at each stageThe metrics that really matter when you’re trying to scale profitablyHow to build a top-down forecasting model that’s simple, fast, and actually usefulHow to align your leadership team around a shared, consistent view of performanceWhy data hygiene matters, and how to balance accuracy vs precision to help you make smarter, faster decisionsMarcel also breaks down the operational traps that create noise, slow growth, and kill clarity. Plus what you can do right now to lead with better insight.Additional Resources:Follow Marcel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelpetitpas/Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/Parakeeto’s Website: https://parakeeto.com/Marcel’s Agency Profitability Toolkit: https://parakeeto.com/toolkit/?utm_source=Earned+Media&utm_medium=Podcast+Appearance&utm_campaign=Harv+Nagra Parakeeto's Foundation Course: https://course.parakeeto.com/?utm_source=Earned+Media&utm_medium=Podcast+Appearance&utm_campaign=Harv+NagraThe Agency Profit Podcast: https://agencyprofitpodcast.simplecast.com/ Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://scoro.com/podcast#handbookThis podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

What if you could charge more, and keep your best clients happy?Karl Sakas has spent over 20 years in agency operations and consulting, helping more than 600 agencies shift from reactive to strategic. In this episode, he joins us to break down why pricing isn’t just about numbers – it’s an ops play, and one that can define your agency’s future.Here’s what we get into:• Why time & materials pricing is on the way out, and what to do instead• How to use “value anchoring” as a bridge to value-based pricing• How to strategically churn clients that are holding you back• Why you should consider raising your prices annually• Why AI tools shouldn’t just make you faster, but more profitable tooWhether you’re raising rates, tightening up scope, or exploring performance-based models, this episode is full of sharp, practical insights to help you price smarter and scale with confidence.📝 Articles & Blog Posts:Karl’s Predictions for the Agency Space in 2030.A Step by Step Approach to Raising Prices at your Agency. How to Raise Prices – Case Study. 📚 Books by Karl SakasCalm the Chaos: 10 ways to run a better agency.Work Less, Earn More: How to Escape the Daily Grind of Agency Ownership.Additional Resources:Karl’s Website – Sakas and Company.Follow Karl on LinkedIn.Follow Harv on LinkedIn.Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Your tech stack might be holding your agency back more than you think.Ryan Pearcy, founder of Digital Transformers and chartered accountant, has helped countless agencies untangle their systems and make smarter, faster decisions. He’s spent nearly 15 years helping service-based businesses clean up their systems, bringing finance, tech, and process together so leaders can make decisions based on reality.In this episode, he helps Harv troubleshoot three common (and all-too-familiar) agency tech stack scenarios.Here’s what we get into:Why disconnected tools lead to risky, gut-feel decisions, and how to fix thatHow spreadsheet chaos is a sign you’re due for a system rethinkWhat to do when your systems aren’t quite delivering, but you’re still paying for themWhether you’re early-stage or at 100+ people, this one’s a must-listen if your agency is still duct-taping its way through operations.Additional Resources:Follow Ryan on LinkedIn. Follow Harv on LinkedIn.Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

How do agencies stack up in 2025?The results are in for BenchPress 2025. The UK’s largest benchmarking survey for independent agencies has revealed some surprising (and shocking) trends about the state of the industry.To break it all down, Rory Spence, Head of Commercial at The Wow Company, joins us to unpack the data, trends, and opportunities that agency leaders need to know.In this episode, we cover:Why 2024 was a brutal year for many agencies (and how to bounce back)Profitability trends and how top-performing agencies maintain strong marginsAI’s growing role in agency operations (and the pricing mistake you must avoid)The power of confidence in agency success - and how to build itIf you're focused on making your agency more efficient and financially stronger, these insights will help you drive meaningful change. Additional Resources:Download the full BenchPress 2025 report at thewowcompany.com/BenchPressFollow Rory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-spence-63023884/Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Most agencies add value far beyond execution. They develop methodologies, frameworks, and strategic thinking that help clients make better decisions. But too often, they give that thinking away for free. Only to compete on price when it’s time for execution.Max Traylor has spent years helping agencies break this cycle. He’s an expert in packaging and selling strategy, helping agencies move from order takers to trusted advisors. In this episode, Max shares how to stop the race to the bottom and start getting paid for what you know, not just what you do.Here’s what we cover:Why giving away strategy in proposals undervalues your expertise, and how to change thatHow to stop being seen as a vendor and build stronger relationships with decision-makersThe first steps to productizing your strategy and selling it as a standalone offerPlus, Max explains how agencies can gain access to high-level conversations, avoid being “vendorified,” and turn strategy into a scalable revenue stream.Additional Resources:Download Max’s book, Agency Survival Guide: https://www.maxtraylor.com/book Follow Max on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxtraylor/Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Are performance reviews a waste of time—or your agency’s secret weapon?Too often, agencies treat performance management as a checkbox exercise, bogged down with vague feedback and awkward salary conversations. But Zoe Elizabeth Blogg, Operations Director at Reboot Online, has built a system that actually works. From structured performance reviews to proactive (quarterly!) salary reviews, Zoe’s created a process that keeps teams engaged, managers confident, and top talent sticking around—all in a fully remote, four-day workweek agency.In this conversation, Zoe breaks down how to make performance management meaningful and scalable.Here’s what we dive into:Why performance reviews fail—and how to make them useful (without the admin burden)Why Reboot runs salary reviews four times a year—without turning them into negotiation battlesThe key to training new managers so they lead with confidence, not confusionHow Reboot creates equally rewarding career growth paths for both individual contributors and managers.Plus, Zoe shares impressive details on her line manager playbook, and structured career pathways.Follow Zoe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoeelizabethblogg/Visit Reboot’s website: https://www.rebootonline.com/us/Follow Zoe on TikTok: @fractionalzoFollow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Your agency’s operations can either fuel creativity, or kill it.And you can focus on the big picture that drives real financial impact, or get stuck in the weeds.Preston Chandler, WPP’s Global Practice Lead of Strategic Operations has a point of view, and the experience to prove it. In fact, Preston’s role at WPP is all about advising agencies in the group on how they can operate in a better, smarter, and more strategic way.In this conversation, Preston shares how agencies can design their operations to be smarter, leaner, and more effective, without slowing down creativity.Whether you're fine-tuning your structure or scaling innovation, this conversation will challenge you to think about how your agency is run—and how to take it to the next level.Here’s what we dive into:Why your agency model (not just your talent) defines your successHow governance can empower teams instead of creating roadblocksThe ideal team structure to boost efficiency and collaborationSmarter ways of working—moving beyond outdated processesWhy continuous improvement (not just annual reviews) is the key to long-term growthPlus, Preston shares insights on AI’s impact on agencies, the pitfalls of hierarchy, and how to make change stick.Follow Preston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestonchandler/Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter.This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.