Table of Contents
1. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
2. In this episode…
3. Resources Mentioned in this episode
4. Sponsor for this episode…
Brad Farris

Brad FarrisBrad Farris is the Principal Advisor at Anchor Advisors, a consultancy that helps creative agency founders grow their leadership capacity and scale their businesses. With over 20 years of experience, Brad specializes in coaching agency owners to sharpen focus, raise prices, and build stronger teams. He is also a speaker and author, passionate about helping business owners find better ways to do things, make more money, and enjoy life more.


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Tune In

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

  • [2:09] Brad Farris shares how engineering and acquisitions led him into entrepreneurship and coaching
  • [3:53] Core differences between consultants and coaches in client relationships
  • [5:27] The four growth stages for B2B service businesses and their developmental goals
  • [10:22] Why narrowing services is key to growth
  • [15:08] Transitioning from generalists to skilled specialists as part of building a strong team
  • [25:21] The hardest shift in business growth
  • [29:19] Practical steps to get out of client service delivery and empower team members
  • [41:51] What drives business valuation and why the stabilization phase increases sellability

In this episode…

Scaling a business sounds exciting until you hit the invisible ceiling that stalls your growth. Many entrepreneurs know they should step back from day-to-day delivery, but actually doing it feels overwhelming or even impossible. What makes this particular shift so hard for business owners to pull off?

According to Brad Farris, a seasoned advisor to hundreds of agency owners, the transition from doer to leader challenges an entrepreneur’s identity more than their skills. He highlights that leaving behind the technical work, the very thing that brought early success, can feel like losing a part of yourself. This shift becomes even more daunting when the livelihoods of a growing team are at stake. It’s a leap into unfamiliar territory, requiring new systems, team trust, and a mindset focused on sustainable leadership rather than personal execution. Brad emphasizes that this change is not just necessary for growth, it’s essential for survival.

In this episode of the Financial Clarity podcast, Hannah Smolinski is joined by Brad Farris, Principal Advisor at Anchor Advisors, to talk about why stepping out of client work is the most difficult transition in business growth. They explore how to reframe your role as a leader, build a capable team around you, and delegate without losing quality or client trust. Brad also shares how hiring smarter (and often pricier) can actually fuel scalability.

Resources Mentioned in this episode

Quotable Moments

  • “Our growth depends on narrowing down and by focusing on a smaller set of problems for a smaller group of people.”
  • “Central to the growth phase is getting the entrepreneur out of the service delivery part of the business.”
  • “The easiest way to make those transitions in a reasonable amount of time is to do some acquisition.”
  • “The hardest transition is into the growth phase.”
  • “We just want to hire all good people. Like, we never want to do that cheap hire again.”

Action Steps

  1. Break down your role into distinct jobs: Separating your responsibilities helps clarify what can be delegated and who you need to hire.
  2. Hire team members with specialized skills: Investing in experienced professionals improves service quality and reduces the founder’s burden in client delivery.
  3. Bring team members into client calls: Involving others in meetings builds client trust and trains staff through observation and feedback.
  4. Standardize service delivery processes: Creating repeatable systems allows the business to scale without constant reinvention or owner involvement.
  5. Use a growth stage assessment: Knowing your current phase helps prioritize the right strategic moves to advance your business effectively.

Clara CFO is dedicated to providing financial clarity and profit-maximizing solutions to small businesses. The team at Clara CFO are seasoned accounting professionals with a heart for small business. We help growth-minded entrepreneurs thrive through Fractional CFO services and financial education.

Whether you’re grappling with hiring decisions, profit margin concerns, or ambitious growth plans, Clara CFO provides insights, recommendations, and a clear financial roadmap to achieve your goals.

To learn more about Clara CFO Group and how we can help your business, visit ClaraCFO.com.