Systems and processes are a tough nut to crack for agency owners, and it’s even more challenging once you get clients involved. Many of us are accidental agency owners who thrive in the chaos and disarray of agency life but know that operating this way will reduce profitability. This week, we’re sitting down with Xenia Muntean to share her journey of becoming an accidental agency owner and what it taught her about agency systems and processes as she began to build her own workflow software. We dug into some meaty topics that I know are on your minds: How do we balance creativity with structure? Is it possible to have systems and processes without stifling innovation? We explored how bringing clients into the process earlier — especially for social media work — can lead to faster approvals and better profitability. Systems and processes can be the bane of most agency owners’ existence. But with the right mindset and tools to get the job done, it can open the door to increased profitability and happier clients. A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Xenia’s journey from accidental agency owner to software entrepreneur The importance of balancing creativity with systems and processes in agencies How larger agencies involve clients earlier in the content creation process The value of getting client buy-in at the concept stage, especially for video content Why operating reactively creatives operational debt How to customize workflow while still having systems and processes AI’s potential to improve operational efficiency in agencies, beyond just content creation The challenge and opportunity of embracing AI in agencies How to be more systems and processes minded in how we operate