Time to sell love your agency
We’re a consulting and advisory collective who help leaders in independent agencies to transform their business into something more sustainably exciting, fulfilling and rewarding.
Trusted by top agencies just like yours
Fall back in love with your agency
Starting an agency is like starting a bonfire - something lights a spark, whether it's the work, the camaraderie, or the thrill of freedom. But as time goes on, some agency founders find themselves in a bit of a loveless marriage with their own creation. They're stressed, isolated, and maybe even eyeing the emergency exits.
So, what's the solution? Well, the consultancy world offers a plethora of solutions, all promising to turn your struggling agency into a hot commodity faster than you can say "Bahamas-bound." But hold onto your sailor hats, because reality often has other plans.
Running a successful agency isn't just about ticking boxes, and selling one isn't as simple as following a recipe. We think its time for consultants to ask different questions. Like, why not build a business you actually enjoy running for the next decade? What's stopping your agency from being your dream job? What gets you energised right now?
Whether you need a boost in leadership, sales & marketing, operations, strategy, or a sprinkle of innovation magic, we've got you covered. You might want to certify as a B-Corp, take a fresh look at finances or overhaul your talent strategy, we do that too. In addition, our suite of long-term Board Advisors are practical, empathetic and as interested in the 'how' as they are in the 'what' e.g. we don't tell you what to do, we help you work out how to do it, in a way that suits you and your team.
It's time to build a business that's not just a flash in the pan, but a long-term legacy - and hey, if selling's your endgame, we'll make sure you're irresistible to buyers.
You're in? Get in touch.
A philosophy, not a methodology.
An advisory approach as unique as your business
No cookie cutters. No fixed frameworks. A human approach, not a set of checklists.
Solve the urgent & address the underlying
We blend of short-term problem-solving and long-term advising.
Quick to onboard, quicker to add value
Collaborate with senior leaders with 10+ years of experience
Your fulfilment is a priority
Advisors who care as much about the emotional as the practical.
Access skills, no limits
20+ disciplines and growing. As your needs change, so can your advisors.
Curated skills, a collective mentality.
The Extra Brain collective is a carefully curated array of skills and personalities, mindfully mixed because businesses are ever-changing and unique. Our discipline, experience and personality mix gives you problem, sector and culture fit.
Consultants work solo or as part of Extra Brain teams; and always have instant access to the wider support, insight and expertise of the collective. You buy one but secretly, you get them all.
What agency leaders say about us
Sophie Edwards
MD, ...Gasp!
Peter Johnson
MD, Creature & Co
Josh Bolland
Founder, JB Cole
Elliot Sykes
Managing Partner, Krow X
Jay Bhadresha
Founder, Orbit 29
Our Extra Brains
Agency specialists with 10+ years experience. All of ouragency brains part of the wider Extra Brain collective.
An agency Board Advisor for over 7 years, with clients spanning the duration. Before hanging up her MD hat, Jess racked up 20+ years in agencies. She is the Founder & CEO of the Extra Brain collective.
Ex 'big agency' MD, Dan is the other half of 'Jess & Dan', and of the Extra Brain founder team. Dan mentors senior leaders and dives into long term strategy & short term pitch doctor projects.
A wizard with everything operational, Simon brings his vast experience of working as an co-founder, agency MD and COO to his short term consulting and long-term advisory roles.
Founder of respected agency specialist Co:definery. Robin partners with Extra Brain to bring his transformational proposition design and coaching skills to our clients while offering our complementary expertise to his.
A master in crafting experiences based on solid insight, Damian helps agencies build solid services based on client needs. An ex-agency owner, he understands the pressure of trying to innovate while spinning day-to-day plates.
Years of working as a client lead in agencies led Heidi to want to help agency founders make their businesses more sustainable. Now, Heidi acts as a guiding light to help agencies certify for B Corp or adopt sustainable practices.
Don was a Creative & Board Director in digital creative for many years before alighting into the world of consulting. Don now helps creative teams find direction, acts as an interim creative team lead, and works directly with agencies on brand and business innovation.
Victoria helps agencies ensure their finance processes are fighting fit, and their long-term commercial strategy fits their goals. On a project, or as a fractional FD Victoria has a friendly and flexible approach, partnering to alleviate the pressure of thinking about finances.
Paul has over 2 decades of expertise in strategic consultancy, customer experience, and product innovation. His passion lies in spearheading people-centred business and digital transformations, enhancing customer experiences, and innovating products and services.
Anne is a strategic and creative advisor working at the intersection of culture and commerce. Spanning marketing, strategy, management and development, she works with senior leadership teams to culturally transform their business and launch great, innovative projects.
Lawrence is an experienced facilitator and coach with a career spanning 25 years in advertising and consulting, most recently running his own leadership development, innovation and coaching business. His passion is helping leaders and their teams develop the right mindsets to innovate.
Feeling stuck?
An extra brain will help
Extra Brain is an advisory and consulting collective crafted to support agencies just like you. We can help you to create an agency you want to stay in rather than exit.
A few common questions
We love questions, especially difficult ones.
We’ve helped to turn agency businesses into product businesses. We’ve redefined the service and value propositions, helped agencies launch new divisions and scale them up (and down), transformed business models, sales teams, and pricing, re-defined operational workflows, and helped agencies launch in new territories. The challenge is never too big or small, what matters is that we help with the creation of a happier team and a more sustainable business.
Think of it this way: It’s a bit like a skilled barista making your perfect coffee. We get your order (that’s the initial assessment), quickly figure out the best blend (our strategy), and before you know it, you’re sipping on results – usually within the first quarter. Onboarding is smooth, ensuring we don’t interrupt your daily grind, we can tailor the intensity of our work on your available resource and the urgency of the need.
This is baked-in to the Extra Brain model.
Our collective of consultants have been carefully selected to ensure we can provide a diverse range of skills, experience and personality - so you get problem, sector and culture fit as each team is matched to your needs. In most cases, we will allocate a lead consultant to keep things lean and affordable, then they will recommend the right team and expertise set, at the right level of investment.
If we do not have the right brains for you - we simply won’t work with you. It is just as important that we genuinely believe we can do a good job, as it is for you to feel that you trust our team.
In a (not uncommon) example, we had a client dealing with delayed project delivery, harming margin and impacting agency culture. We got stuck in, objectively observed and reviewed the existing systems and processes, identified the roadblocks and got things moving fast.
This didn’t just need workflow optimisation - it needed us to explore the root cause of behaviours, in this case embedded leadership styles and habits - that were hindering not helping. A more nuanced and experienced understanding of what complex dynamics exist in agencies allowed us to identify symptoms versus causes and help solve the short term while working on the long term, which is often a process that can take months, not weeks.
Our consultants are already experienced in their own right and they go through a rigorous, peer approval process too before they are able to become part of the Extra Brain collective.
As independent consultants, they are constantly committed to their own ongoing development (or they won't be successful and this is an important part of the Extra Brain community. We have our own internal programme of collective activities for knowledge sharing and upskilling.
Our consultants say that one of the big benefits they (and their clients) get is the Extra Brain collective acts as a support network to get additional trusted insight and perspective. We grow the consultant base each quarter, responding to changing needs and skills and we use a co-operative style vote to bring in 2-5 new consultants each quarter.
Let's chat
Let's catch up and learn more about what you need
