I've been watching something grow for a few weeks now. Statements of work, contracts, process docs and years of email are suddenly getting attention from companies building AI models.

It’s easy to have strong moral beliefs when business is good. Enough money is coming in, the pipeline looks healthy, and you have the luxury of saying no to things that don’t feel right. It gets a lot harder when the numbers start moving in the wrong direction.That’s been on my mind because I know a lot of people are feeling that pressure right now. And pressure has a funny way of making things we never wanted to do suddenly seem pretty kinda ok. 

Until last week, I’ve been posting on LinkedIn every day for months. Most days I actually had something worth saying. But "most days" isn't "every day," and that gap is where the problem comes from. On the days I didn't have anything, I posted anyway, because I told myself consistency mattered. Nobody cares about, I mean engages with, those posts. And why should they? If I didn't feel I needed to share something, why should anybody want to read it? But rest assured, I'm feeling something writing this! More on this powerful topic down below.

We all come to a point in our life where we have to make a difficult decision. That's even more true for those of us who lead. Personally, I had to make one of those decisions today, and to say it was challenging is a serious understatement. But I did it, and while I'm sure there are things I can improve, I'm feeling ok with how I handled it.

So I thought a good way to close the loop for myself on this particular tough choice was sharing with you the approach I took. I hope that you get some insights from it when handling your own tough calls.

Every client we have can now generate five versions of anything in an afternoon. They have the same tools we have, the same tutorials and the same AI subscriptions. What they don't have is someone willing to look at what's possible, tell them what's actually right for them, and be honest when the answer isn't what they were hoping for. So when clients know what they can do, our value is in knowing what they should do.

Most of us have had this thought over the past year. Why are we paying for this tool when we could just build it ourselves? Price increases from Harvest have amplified this idea. And since the old challenges of rolling our own products don't mean months of dev time and a maintenance expense anymore, it's a little more appealing. AI coding tools can create a working internal tool in days instead of months. So what should we do? And what are we missing?

Nobody sits down one day and decides to give up on their agency's vision. It happens by attrition. A slow client this month. A payroll that's tighter than usual. A decision you make because you need the cash, not because it's a fit. None of it feels like a decision you’re making. It just feels like getting through the week. Then a year goes by, and the agency feels off.

Each of us has a client story. The unreasonable expectations, disappearing for a month to show up asking where the work is or bringing in their own designs they had their friend put together. But after enough of those stories, a pattern shows up. Difficult clients aren't difficult for the hell of it. Theres a pattern. A small number of repeatable types, and each one has a root cause that has nothing to do with us.  Once we can name the pattern, we stop reacting emotionally and start responding systematically. 

We all know the people on our teams who carry more of the load than others. But most of us don't think about what happens if we lose one of those valuable team members. Planning for the inevitable day when someone gets called out because of a personal emergency isn't pessimism. It's preparedness. But how do we start building a contingency plan? Well, you're in luck. That's the focus of today's newsletter! Now keep reading.

Recently I almost posted a photo from a rough time I was going through a few years back. A very real, emotional, stress filled image. Then I didn't. Not because it wasn't real, but because it was. I'm ok with people knowing I'm human and I struggle with human things. That should be pretty obvious. But in that instance I didn't want sympathy or understanding, I was trying to show that we're all in this together, and it's bumpy at best. But I was worried how people would see me based on sharing that low point.

Every day conversations like this take place inside The Bureau community. Someone asks a question, and within hours a dozen agency owners have weighed in with what actually worked for them. This week the question was simple enough. What's the one thing you changed that had the biggest positive impact on client retention? Keep reading to find out what the community recommended.

This week in Portland, Leadership Love reminded me why we gather in the first place. It wasn’t a conference about utilization or profit margins. It was about heartbreak, resilience, connection, and remembering that even when things get hard, sometimes unbearably hard, we can’t simply disappear. We have to keep showing up for each other.

There’s something in the air lately. A slow leak. A collective sigh. I’ve been in dozens of conversations with agency leaders over the past few months who are struggling. Some whose businesses are thriving, some trying to stay afloat, some who are contemplating closing shop. And no matter where they are on the curve, there’s a heaviness they struggle to explain.

Last week in Slack, the topic of cashflow came up. It often does. Because no matter how seasoned you are, money in and money out is the one thing that can knock any agency sideways. The trap? A healthy bank balance can lull us into thinking everything’s just fine... until... it suddenly isn’t! That’s why forecasting isn’t optional. It’s essential regardless of how well things seem. 

Every week in The Bureau Slack, someone asks about the “best” AI tool for a specific need. And every week, we see the same challenge: it’s hard to know which apps are true tools and which are just toys. The truth is, the wrong choice can waste time, burn budget, and frustrate your team. The right one can unlock efficiency and confidence.

The impact of team members changing roles came up as a hot topic in Slack last week, and it caught my attention. Change inside an agency is inevitable. People join, move on, shift roles. Clients don’t just notice, they feel it. And because they often pattern on the first person they meet, those changes can rattle confidence if we don’t handle them well. The real challenge isn’t the transition itself, it’s keeping clients assured that nothing important is slipping.

Last week we shared our new website which really embodies our shared purpose. To provide support to those in our industry that need it. Thanks for the wonderful feedback and new suggestions. This new website feels like the first domino falling.

Over the weekend I took the time to pause and reflect on what makes this community so special. As we continue to grow, welcome new voices, and face new challenges, it's important that we have a common understanding of why The Bureau exists. So today I'm eager to share with you our new community guidelines.

Earlier this week, I shared my current findings on how we can prepare for the Intelligence Age. We’re entering a new era, one where adaptability, insight, and trust are more valuable than ever.

This is the first in a four-part recap of that session, designed to help you and your team stay ahead. We’re starting with the foundation: the landscape itself is changing fast. Clients are evolving. Tech is accelerating. And the old ways of doing business are failing us.

Let’s dig into what’s shifting—and what that means for you.

Every time we ask you to share what’s really going on, you show up with honesty, heart, and clarity. The Better Bureau Survey had 122 members weigh in, and while there’s plenty to celebrate, there are also clear signs that this moment in our industry is challenging. (Nice one, Captain Obvious!)

Today, I want to share what came through loud and clear and how we're looking to help.

There is a powerful evolution happening in marketing. Top brands are shifting their creative relationships to independent agencies. Their decisions are strategic, not accidental. They're seeking faster execution, strategic innovation, deeper cultural relevance, hands-on leadership, and market-tailored creativity.

Today we spotlight five of these transformative moves with lessons your agency can apply to win your next client.