There’s a certain quiet danger that shows up when the agency’s doing well.

Clients are happy. Deals are closing. Revenue is up.

It feels like momentum. Like breathing room. Like maybe this is finally the “cruise control” chapter.

But this is also when some of the most damaging mistakes get made.

Mostly out of comfort.

Why Do Mistakes Creep In When Things Are Good?

Because progress gets boring. When there’s no fire to put out, it’s easy to create one. Founders start looking for something “cooler.” Something new to build, launch, or fix. But that energy often comes at the cost of the business already working.

At the same time, growth hides inefficiency. Margins tighten, personal compensation stalls, and good habits slowly erode behind the scenes.

What To Do Instead

When business is strong, your job is to stabilize, not sprint.

Here’s how to keep from accidentally sabotaging what’s working:

1. Avoid shiny object syndrome: double down on what’s working.
   Boredom is not a business strategy.
   Instead of chasing what’s new, deepen what’s effective. Spend more time with your best clients. Strengthen your team. Refine internal systems.
   You don’t need something new. You need to do what’s already working even better.
   
   

2. Protect your margins like revenue depends on it.
   Strong sales can lull you into wasteful habits.
   But if the margin on each deal shrinks while the topline grows, you’re just working more for less. Stay vigilant. Audit your costs monthly. Track profit per project, not just overall. Small margin slippage now becomes a big regret later.
   
   

3. Pay yourself like you’ll need to replace yourself.
   You’re likely doing the job of 2–3 people. Your future hire(s) won’t work for free.
   If you want to build a sustainable business (one someone else could run or buy), you need to include your full replacement cost in your compensation today. Otherwise, your P&L will fall apart the moment you step away.

The Bottom Line

Business going well isn’t the time to ease off. It's time to get sharper.

Build habits that protect what’s working.

Use the good times to reinforce good behavior, not excuse bad ones.
And remember: the best-run agencies aren’t just built during chaos.

They’re maintained during calm.