Making the hard work of running an
agency easier, less lonely, and more
profitable.
Helping owners build agencies that
serve their lives — not the other way
around.
Since the late 1990s, Agency Management Institute has been helping small to mid-sized independent marketing agency owners build more profitable, sustainable, and scalable businesses. Founded by agency owner Drew McLellan, AMI exists to make agency ownership less lonely by surrounding owners with a community of peers who “get it,” and by giving them the tools, coaching, and accountability they rarely find anywhere else. Rooted in real-world agency experience (not theory), AMI leads with love, teaches in everything it does, and is unapologetically focused on helping owners build agencies that serve their lives, not the other way around
A consultancy, a training organization,
and a peer community — built only
for agency owners.
Owners never have to run their shop in isolation.
Agency Management Institute is a consultancy, training organization, and peer community dedicated exclusively to marketing agency owners. Led by long-time agency owner and CEO Drew McLellan, AMI brings together owners from around the world through peer networks, workshops, coaching, and content to ensure they never have to run their shop in isolation. The organization’s core values—leading with love, teaching and adding value, meeting clients where they are, and getting better faster by learning with and from each other—show up in every engagement, from intensive workshops to casual hallway conversations.
Practical, field-tested frameworks and accountability.
AMI helps agency owners improve profitability, leadership, and growth through owner peer groups, on-site and virtual workshops, one-on-one coaching, financial benchmarking, and a deep library of educational content. They also host the long running “Build A Better Agency” podcast and conferences that bring together agency leaders, subject matter experts, and vetted partners to tackle the toughest business challenges. Whether an owner needs help with positioning, biz dev, financial management, succession, or just staying sane, AMI provides practical, field-tested frameworks and accountability.
Twenty-five years inside the agency world.
25+ years of working directly with agency owners around the globe to strengthen their businesses.
Host of the “Build A Better Agency” podcast, with 500+ episodes and a global audience of agency leaders.
Creator and host of the annual Build A Better Agency Summit, a national conference designed specifically for agency owners and leaders.
Co-author of “Sell With Authority,” a widely used playbook for agencies that want to lead their sales efforts with expertise-driven marketing.
Detailed service
offerings.
Six ways AMI shows up for agency owners — from intimate peer groups to large gatherings, all built on real agency data and experience.
Owner Peer Networks
Curated, facilitated peer groups where agency owners share financials, hold each other accountable, and learn from one another’s wins and wounds.
Workshops & Intensives
In-person and virtual workshops on leadership, biz dev, financial management, succession planning, and agency operations, all built on real agency data and experience.
Coaching & Consulting
One-on-one and team engagements to tackle positioning, profitability, staffing models, pricing, and succession/exit strategies.
Benchmarking & Financial Tools
Access to agency-specific benchmarks, salary and pricing guidance, and tools that help owners make data-informed decisions.
Content & Education
Books, podcast, courses, keynotes, and articles designed to help owners learn on-demand and stay ahead of industry shifts.
Events & Conferences
The annual Build A Better Agency Summit, plus other live gatherings that bring agency leaders together to learn, connect, and problem-solve in community.
A board of advisors for owners who
don't have one inside their own four
walls.
Agency owners routinely report significant increases in profitability, stronger leadership teams, and clearer, more defensible positioning after engaging with AMI.
Many describe AMI as their “board of advisors,” giving them the candid feedback and encouragement they cannot get inside their own four walls, and credit the community with helping them navigate crises, growth spurts, and ownership transitions with far greater confidence.
Significant profitability increases
Stronger leadership teams
Clearer, more defensible positioning
Confidence through crises, growth & transitions
Leaders who have owned and run
agencies themselves.
Drew McLellan
A 30+ year agency veteran, Drew has spent decades in the trenches helping agencies grow, stabilize finances, and plan for succession. He is known for his straight-shooting style, generous teaching, and his belief that agency ownership should be both profitable and joyful.
Danyel Newcom McLellan
Danyel brings a wealth of agency owner experience to AMI, having owned and led her own agency for nearly 20 years before joining AMI’s leadership team. She co-facilitates AMI’s live owner peer groups, partners with Drew on succession and transition work, and focuses on helping agency leaders build healthy teams, navigate change, and grow the clients they already have.
Advice that is battle-
tested, practical,
and grounded in
current realities —
not theory.
Everyone who teaches or serves clients at AMI has owned a successful agency for more than a decade, so the advice is battle-tested, practical, and grounded in current realities, not theory. The organization doesn’t just teach frameworks; it embeds owners in peer communities where they are held accountable, encouraged, and supported by others who face the same issues.
With a philosophy of leading with love and meeting owners where they are, AMI blends tough love with deep care, helping owners make hard decisions faster and with more confidence.
Less time struggling with
infrastructure — more time
doing the work they love.
AMI’s partnership with Agency Core extends its mission of making agency ownership easier and less lonely by connecting owners to trusted tools, resources, and experts that complement AMI’s coaching and community. Together, they help agency owners spend less time struggling with the business infrastructure and more time doing the work they love.
Let's talk about
what's next.
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