Share
Custom Manufacturing Industry podcast is an entrepreneurship and motivational podcast on all platforms, hosted by Aaron Clippinger. Being CEO of multiple companies including the signage industry and the software industry, Aaron has over 20 years of consulting and business management. His software has grown internationally and with over a billion dollars annually going through the software. Using his Accounting degree, Aaron will be talking about his organizational ways to get things done. Hi ...
…
continue reading
Manage episode 520052891 series 2519787
Content provided by Brian Ondrako. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Brian Ondrako or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
In this conversation, Chris LaFay (Founder, Classic City Consulting) shares a decade of hard-won lessons on staying profitable, avoiding bloat, and building an agency that lasts. We dig into “one-glass focus,” why not niching can still be strategic, when to pass on work, partnerships without finders fees, pricing and retainers, and the KPI that quietly compounds new business: intentional outreach.
In this episode, you’ll learn
Why “one glass” focus beats scattered growth
Project variety vs. “niching down” (and how to niche by systems, not industry)
The comparison trap: learning from peers without copy-pasting their playbook
When referral partnerships work without commissions—and when they don’t
The 4 R’s growth engine: Retain → Reactivate → Referral → Recruit (new)
Don’t hire on a hope: catching operational bloat before it sinks marginsPricing, retainers, and the “help agencies look great” strategy
The single KPI Chris tracks in good seasons: weekly intentional check-ins
- How to handle sunk costs with a “fans-first” lens (Savannah Bananas inspo)Mentorship as a cheat code for clarity and decisive action
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
09:04 One-Glass Focus: creator energy, momentum, and why projects stay interesting
11:29 Project Variety > Burnout: why new client problems keep the work fresh
14:15 Do You Need a Niche? Niching by WordPress/Shopify & repeatable frameworks
15:32 Peer Comparison Without Copy-Paste: learning from others, keeping identity
18:44 Outreach > Everything: how early agencies stall without consistent relationship-building
25:24 Partnerships Sans Finder Fees: when passing leads is the value (and exceptions)
31:10 Adding Value to Your Agency Network: beyond referrals; community & support
32:17 Risk You’re Glad You Took: the hiring lesson that reshaped the business
37:51 Silencing the Inner Critic: external processing & mentor mirrors
41:22 Most Valuable KPI: weekly intentional reach-outs (and why they compound)
46:55 Action Taker You Admire: David Feldman & decisive leadership
51:49 Sunk Costs & When to Quit: “fans-first” filter + staying lean on OPEX
Connect with Chris:
Founder – Classic City Consulting
Website: https://classiccity.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lafay/
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aHdpQXccPOE9YTcDJe4gZ
Connect with Brian:
Web: https://brianondrako.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/
If you’re an early-stage B2B Founder, join the Sales Skills For Founders newsletter and learn to “un-suck” at sales, one newsletter at a time. 📨 https://salesskillsforfounders.beehiiv.com/subscribe
512 episodes
))
