Defining Success (Lifestyle vs. Scale vs. Exit)

Success looks different for every agency founder. This note explores lifestyle, scale and exit as three valid paths - with their pros, trade-offs and pitfalls - and why clarity on your personal definition of success is essential for making better decisions.

When I first started the agency, if I am honest, success wasn’t really on my radar. Not in the traditional sense anyway. There was no grand plan, no five-year vision, no business forecast. The agency wasn’t a dream I’d always had. It was a solution to a problem. A way to fix the frustrations I’d experienced firsthand trying to find a reliable digital partner for our eCommerce business. And in solving that problem, success - at least at the beginning - was simply about making things work well.

That early version of success was practical. Build a team. Create the systems. Deliver good work. Solve real problems. It wasn’t really financially led. It was rooted in passion, pride and a sense of doing something the right way. It felt meaningful because it was useful. And that was enough.

But things change and by 2014 the agency was growing. I found myself doing two jobs: running operations in the eCom business and leading a small but busy agency of six people. It wasn’t sustainable, something had to give. And that’s when I made the decision to fully commit to the agency.

And it was the moment where I became more intentional. We started asking the bigger questions: What should we focus on? Who are we for? Where are we going?

At that time we weren’t fully focused on eCommerce - not yet. We were working with local organisations: shopping centres, colleges, farm shops, sports clubs. It was successful in what it was - people knew who we were, the work was good and clients were happy.

But then we hit a ceiling. There are only so many local brands out there that wanted what we did and also wanted to scale with us. And we started to realise two things: first, the market we were playing in wasn’t big enough. And second, the thing we were best at - eCommerce - wasn’t something we were leaning into as much as we could because of these market limitations.

That combination created a moment of clarity. We needed to think bigger. We needed to narrow our proposition and widen our ambition. That’s when we made the call to become an eCommerce-first agency and to expand our reach beyond our postcode. We wanted to become the leading northern eCommerce agency - and that decision started to shape everything.

Even then though our definition of success was still sketchy. We had some loose revenue goals. We were starting to consider what personal success might look like. But it was all drawn in pencil. Partly because we were figuring it out as we went. Partly because we didn’t yet know what was possible.

Around 2016/17, that started to change again. I began to immerse myself in agency literature: books, podcasts, communities like Agency Collective, voices like Spencer Gallagher, David C. Baker and Blair Enns. I wasn’t looking for a blueprint to get rich. I was looking for a way to build something excellent. Something that worked - commercially, operationally and culturally for me, my family and our wider team.

Through that process I started to see what success could look like in more tangible terms. I began to develop a growth plan and set our sights on our first £1m in annual revenue. That involved mapping out what that would mean for our team, our proposition, our processes, and our pipeline. In 2017, we worked directly with a great advisor called Spencer Gallagher to shape that plan into something actionable. That process was definitely a turning point. Exit became more than a concept - it became a possibility.

Ten months later, we were acquired. That wasn’t the original plan. It was meant to be a three year growth plan!

But the timing made sense: Shopify was booming, acquisition interest was growing and we needed serious investment to meet the rising demand we were facing in terms of rapid scale up. Partnering with a larger agency group could enable that - and it did. 

A lot of business decisions are about timing. It was the right decision for me and the business at that moment in time. But every founder’s version of success is different. And it should be.

Defining Success: Three Key Agency Models

If you’re building an agency now, it’s worth thinking about what kind of business you actually want to build. Because success can take different forms - and each one comes with its own benefits and trade-offs.

1. Lifestyle Business
A lifestyle agency is often built around freedom and balance. It’s about working with clients you (mostly) like, doing work you (mostly!) enjoy and earning enough to support your life without sacrificing it. It might mean staying intentionally small, working four days a week or being remote-first so you can travel and explore the world. 

Trade-offs? You may cap your revenue or growth potential. You might say no to exciting (but stressful) opportunities. But in return, you keep control. You're probably (hopefully?!) a bit less stressed. You design a business that serves you - not the other way around. You get to enjoy the craft of agency and the day-to-day work - and that can be a hugely valid version of success.

2. Scaling Business
Scaling is about growth. Revenue. Headcount. Impact. You want to grow something significant - a brand, a team, a reputation. You’re building infrastructure. Bringing in senior leadership. Raising your standards.

Trade-offs? Growth brings pressure. You’ll need to invest ahead of revenue. You may earn less than some of your team. Over time you'll spend more time (and money) on leadership and less on the craft. You get 'further away from the till'. Culture gets harder to maintain. But you’ll create opportunities - for your team, your clients and yourself. For me, this wasn’t about money at all costs - it was about delivering the agency vision that we believed in at scale to realise that bigger impact. 

3. Exit-Oriented Business
This is about building value. An asset. Creating something that can be sold. That means great operations, repeatable revenue, low(er) founder dependence and clear IP. It requires forward planning and external perspective.

Trade-offs? You might delay short-term rewards for long-term gain. You’ll need to formalise things. Standardise. Get very comfortable with spreadsheets. And most importantly - you’ll need to be emotionally ready to hand over the keys. Exit can be the right decision but it’s not just a financial one. It’s psychological too. You have to be sure it’s truly what you want.

There are also plenty of alternatives: bringing in leadership, incentivising your team, exploring employee ownership. You don’t always need to sell to gain freedom or financial benefit. There’s no single route - only what’s right for you.

So what does success mean to you?

That’s the real question. And it’s worth asking often. Because the answer will change.

In the early days, you might just want to get through the week. Then it might become about proving something. Then about growth. Then about legacy. None of these are right or wrong - but being unclear is risky.

As I wrote in my first note, clarity helps you make better decisions. It helps you say no to the wrong clients. Hire the right people. Invest in the right systems. And it keeps you grounded when the work gets hard - which it will.

"Is your business model aligned with what you actually want from your life?"
"Do your current decisions get you closer to your definition of success - or further away?"

Take the time to define success on your terms. Then write it down. Revisit it. Share it with your team. And remember - it's allowed to evolve. In fact, it's essential that it does in such a fast changing world. 

My advice is just don’t let it default to someone else's version by accident. We like to talk about exit and scale a lot in agency land - and for many that's fine and indeed right - but not all. 

If you’re unsure what success looks like for you right now, or you’re being pulled in different directions, here’s my advice: take your time. Don’t make big decisions on the back of a tough week.

Talk to people who get it - advisors, peers, founders who’ve been where you are. Write down the problems. Step back. Sleep on it. And then revisit it.

If, over time, the same answers keep showing up, that’s clarity. That’s your direction.

Whatever path you choose - lifestyle, scale, exit or something in between - make sure it’s yours. Be honest with yourself about what you want. You’re the one who has to live with the business you build and the life you want to lead. 

PS: Looking to grow your eCommerce agency? We support ambitious founders through both our Agency 360 growth programme and as a Board Advisor. We’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt (so to speak) having started, scaled and exited one of the first Shopify Plus agencies in Europe.