Unlocking Agency Growth in 2025: Mastering Positioning and Culture with Chris Dubois
A Deep Dive into Why Clear Positioning and Strong Culture are Non-Negotiable for Modern Agencies
Introduction: The Agency Growth Dilemma
The agency landscape has never been more exciting—or more challenging. While it's never been easier to launch a service-based business, standing out and thriving is an entirely different game. On a recent episode of the Schmidt List podcast, host Kurt Schmidt sat down with Chris Dubois, founder of Dynamic Agency OS, to unpack the key issues facing agencies as we approach 2025 and beyond. Their conversation offers rich, actionable insights not only for agency owners but for consultants and entrepreneurial leaders across the board.
Why Agencies Can’t Survive on Referrals Anymore
For years, referrals served as the lifeblood of many agencies. But, as Chris Dubois explains, “At some point those dry up… the markets are shifting and they realize like, oh, I have no way to actually market my own business.” Whether your agency is at $300K or $3M in revenue, depending solely on word-of-mouth leads exposes you to unnecessary risk.
Agencies need to move from merely filling market gaps to deliberately owning a specific niche and defining their unique place in the ecosystem. It's not enough to respond opportunistically to any need you stumble across. The most resilient agencies are intentional and strategic about the work they seek.
Finding—and Owning—Your Niche
One of the most compelling points in the episode is the clear distinction between niche and positioning. As Dubois puts it: “Separate niche and positioning, right? With niche being the people that we're targeting, positioning being how we're seen. They're both required.”
If you’re stuck picking a lane, Chris’s practical advice is to start where you have the most traction—market access and relationships—or to focus on how you want to be seen if you have a values-driven vision for your brand.
A useful exercise:
List the clients and industries you genuinely enjoy serving.
Consider the market size and whether there’s enough “pie” to fuel your growth.
Don’t be afraid to start by defining who you don’t want to serve—a reverse filter that’s often overlooked.
“Your positioning is about who you seek, not who you accept,” Dubois stresses. You can still take opportunities outside your chosen lane if they’re a good fit, but every deliberate ‘yes’ should tie back to your positioning and long-term strategy.
Culture Is Your Only Sustainable Advantage
As agencies scale, challenges quickly go beyond client acquisition—culture becomes the heart of sustained success. As Dubois explains, “The only thing the owner of a company or the leader…truly owns is the culture.” Tools, technology, and even expertise can be copied in today’s AI-driven world, but your culture is unique and defensible.
He breaks down culture as more than just values—it’s how you operate, what you prioritize, and how you empower your people to speak up, challenge bad processes, and continuously adapt. Strong positioning doesn’t just guide your marketing, it cascades through company culture, aligning internal beliefs with external messaging.
Teach What Good Looks Like
A major pain point for agency founders is transitioning from craftsperson to leader. This often means helping your team not just to “get it done” but to understand what good looks like. There’s a world of difference between delegating a task and clearly communicating the standards, aspirations, and perspectives behind it.
If you define what great work looks like—internally and externally—everything from client relationships to project outcomes improves. This clarity also attracts better-fit clients and builds stronger partnerships.
Preparing for 2026 and Beyond
Looking ahead, Dubois’s biggest advice is crystal clear: “You need a strong positioning statement. If you don’t have a strong position in the market, I think you’re screwed in the upcoming years.” Expertise is now democratized. Niching by industry or service is just the entry ticket. What sets agencies apart is their unique worldview—the “why" behind what they do and serve.
As we head into 2026, agencies that double down on their positioning, keep culture at the forefront, and define what excellence means for their business will be the ones that win—no matter how crowded the field gets.
Are you ready to choose your lane, own your voice, and build an agency people love working at (and with)? Start by defining your position—and let your culture do the rest. To learn more, check out Chris Dubois and the Dynamic Agency OS, and don’t miss more episodes of Schmidt List for real-world agency insights.
