Key Takeaways:

• Peter began his journey in web design at a young age, later founding Barrel with his college friend Se Wook.
• The early years of Barrel involved learning through trial and error and bootstrapping the agency.
• A focus on specialization and strategic decision-making fueled sustainable growth after an initial period of distraction from side projects.
• Barrel Holdings was born out of the idea of owning multiple agency businesses without day-to-day management.
• Peter’s team now manages a portfolio of seven agencies, with an emphasis on focus, systems, and strong leadership.
• A defined culture and clear characteristics for hiring have helped the agency group scale effectively.
• Agencies seeking acquisition by Barrel Holdings should show specialization (either by platform or industry), sound business development systems, operational processes, and strong internal leadership.
• Agencies often struggle by failing to see their business as an interconnected system, chasing quick fixes like outbound leads without fixing foundational problems.
• Peter shares ongoing lessons and insights for agency operators at Agency Habits and his Agency Journey newsletter.

Website: barrel-holdings.com

Writing and resources: agencyhabits.com

Personal site: peterkang.com

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