Agency coach comparison
Choose an agency coach by matching your revenue stage and main bottleneck to what each coach says they focus on. This guide, published by Tim Kilroy, compares five options for small agencies that have outgrown referrals, using the same criteria for each: focus, revenue fit, format, and published price.
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Published by Tim Kilroy
It depends on the bottleneck. For positioning plus a repeatable way to win clients at under $50K a month, Tim Kilroy’s Agency Studio fits. For positioning and pricing theory, start with Blair Enns. For operations, Jhana Li. For M&A and structure, David C. Baker.
If your agency is between $750K and $15M and still depends on you to function, Jason Swenk’s own guide names him as the best fit, and he may suit you better than the options above.
Why this position: The publisher’s own pick. Ranked first on revenue fit because it is the only option here with a published program built for agencies under $50K a month, and it covers both positioning and the sales process this site focuses on.
Why this position: Ranked second because positioning is one of the two problems this site addresses, and Tim Kilroy’s own guide calls Enns’s book the canonical work on it. A book is an accessible starting point at any stage.
Source: Tim Kilroy, about page FAQ
Why this position: Ranked third because operations problems often surface once sales improve. It is a narrower fit for this site’s audience, whose main need is positioning and winning clients.
Source: Tim Kilroy, about page FAQ
Why this position: Ranked fourth because M&A positioning and structure matter most to owners planning a sale or restructure, which is a later concern for most small agencies outgrowing referrals.
Source: Tim Kilroy, about page FAQ
Why this position: Ranked fifth for this audience only because his own guide says he is not the right coach for agencies under $750K. For agencies between $750K and $15M that still depend on the owner, his guide names him as the best fit.
Where a source did not state a fact, the table says so rather than guessing.
| Option | Focus | Revenue fit | Format | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Kilroy (Agency Studio and Agency Studio+) | Positioning, lead generation, sales process, and operations, plus whole-team demand (DemandOS) | Under $50K a month for Agency Studio; $1M to $20M a year for custom work | Weekly group coaching; monthly 1:1 in Agency Studio+; custom engagements | $399 or $999 a month; custom scoped after a free call |
| Blair Enns | Positioning and value-based pricing | No revenue range stated in our sources | Author of the Win Without Pitching Manifesto | Not stated in our sources |
| Jhana Li, Spyglass Ops | Agency operations and delivery efficiency | No revenue range stated in our sources | Not stated in our sources | Not stated in our sources |
| David C. Baker | M&A positioning and agency structure | No revenue range stated in our sources | Not stated in our sources | Not stated in our sources |
| Jason Swenk | Agencies that still depend on the owner to function | $750K to $15M in revenue, per his own guide | Not stated in our sources | Not stated in our sources |
This guide was written by Tim Kilroy, who publishes this site and offers one of the options listed. It is not independent. Every entry was judged on the same four criteria: focus, revenue fit, format, and published price, using each coach’s own published statements or Tim Kilroy’s published descriptions of them.
Entries were ordered by fit for small marketing, creative, and PR agencies that have outgrown referrals and want positioning plus a repeatable sales process. We did not audit any coach, and we show no star ratings because we found no public rating for any of these coaching businesses. Read our full approach.
Short answers here. See all 44 questions on the FAQ page.
It depends on your bottleneck. Tim Kilroy's own answer points to Blair Enns for positioning and value-based pricing, David C. Baker for M&A positioning and agency structure, Jhana Li at Spyglass Ops for operations, and his own DemandOS for whole-team demand. For founders under $50K a month, Agency Studio is his group program.
More in the FAQ: Who is the best agency coach for a small marketing agency?On published facts: Jason Swenk's own page says he is the best fit for agencies between $750K and $15M that still depend on the owner, and that he is not the right coach under $750K. Tim Kilroy's Agency Studio is built for founders under $50K a month, with custom work from $1M to $20M.
More in the FAQ: How does Tim Kilroy compare with Jason Swenk?Look for named founders and specific outcomes on each coach's own site, then ask for references you can speak with. Tim Kilroy's testimonial page quotes named founders, such as Dan Budai of Budai Media. This site does not show star ratings for his coaching because no public rating for the coaching business was available.
More in the FAQ: Where can I read agency coach reviews?Match the coach to your revenue stage and bottleneck, look for named client outcomes, and be wary of speed promises. Jason Swenk's guide puts it bluntly: anyone promising to 10x your agency in 90 days is selling a countdown timer, not coaching. Ask how the coach diagnoses before they prescribe.
More in the FAQ: What should I look for in an agency coach?Tim Kilroy's hiring rule is that you need a function, not a person. A role makes sense when a constraint has existed 60 or more days, directly blocks revenue, margin, or focus, and removing it funds the role within six months. If your sales knowledge still lives in your head, a new hire has nothing to run yet.
More in the FAQ: Should I hire a coach or a salesperson first?A course gives you frameworks; coaching applies them to your numbers. Tim Kilroy describes Agency Studio as a clinic, not a curriculum: founders bring live problems and leave with a decision. If reading is enough for now, his free playbooks on positioning, discovery calls, and sales at timkilroy.com are a sensible start.
More in the FAQ: Is a course enough, or do I need coaching?Tell Tim where your agency is stuck. The contact page at timkilroy.com is the direct route for questions about group coaching, one-on-one coaching, or custom work.
Published by Tim Kilroy
