Most agency founders have been charging the same rates since 2021. You've given your team raises. Your costs have gone up. The economy has shifted. But your pricing? Still stuck at that number you picked three years ago based on vibes and what you saw other agencies charging.

Today, we're handing you the formula to stop pricing emotionally and start pricing strategically. We break down the 2x multiplier that creates your absolute floor, the 10x principle that unlocks your ceiling, and the three consecutive yeses that signal you're leaving money on the table.

If you've ever wondered...

1. How to price confidently without just guessing what the market will bear
2. When it's time to raise your rates (and by how much)
3. Why you keep saying yes to projects that drain you financially
4. What your pricing should actually be based on instead of competitor research

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot | Get two months free with code DARLINGS at https://try.copilot.money/darlings

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Why Pricing Emotionally Is Costing You Money

(00:09:40) The Pricing Sweet Spot Formula: Your 2x Base Price

(00:26:13) How to Calculate Your Maximum Price (Outcomes Over Outputs)

(00:37:01) The Three Consecutive Yeses Rule

(00:45:25) When and How Often to Raise Your Rates

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community

• Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

• Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

• Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact

• Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

How to actually enjoy the money your agency is making without guilt, chaos, or burnout. That's the conversation Melissa and Meredith are having today, darling—because too many successful founders are still living like freelancers.

You're hitting revenue goals. You're paying contractors, employees, covering taxes and expenses. But you're not paying yourself what you're worth. You're taking tiny distributions when cash flow is good and feeling guilty about everything in between. And if we're being honest? You wouldn't accept the job you have on paper—with that salary—from anyone else.

In this episode, we break down the founder treat rule, the profit threshold bonus system, and percentage-based strategies that remove the guilt from paying yourself. Because your joy matters. Your wellbeing matters. And your lifestyle matters just as much as your agency's bottom line.

If you've ever wondered...

• Why you're hitting all your revenue goals but your personal lifestyle hasn't changed

• How to pay yourself consistently without feeling guilty or putting the business at risk

• What baseline salary you should actually be taking as an agency founder

• When it's financially safe to take bonuses without accidentally putting yourself in the red next month

• How to create guilt-free spending that fuels your leadership instead of depleting it

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot | Get two months free with code DARLINGS at https://try.copilot.money/darlings

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Why Founders Struggle to Pay Themselves What They're Worth

(00:03:15) The Founder Treat Rule: Recurring Guilt-Free Joy

(00:08:12) Stats That Prove Founder Compensation Drives Business Success

(00:09:11) Creating a Base Salary + Bonus Structure That Works

(00:14:00) The Profit Threshold Rule for Guilt-Free Distributions

(00:18:00) Percentage-Based Systems That Normalize Founder Pay

(00:21:00) Creating Your "Fun Account" and Treating Yourself Intentionally

(00:24:20) Why Your Joy Matters for Business Expansion

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community

• Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

• Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

• Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact

• Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co

Playing it safe got you here. But thinking small won't get you there. While most agency owners are planning incremental 20% growth, darling, we're challenging you to think exponentially bigger. Because your biggest year isn't going to come from optimizing what you're already doing. It's going to come from completely reimagining what's possible.

In this solo episode, Melissa and Meredith break down four research-backed strategies that outperforming companies use to achieve breakthrough growth. Not the "work harder" advice you'll find everywhere else. Not the "double down on what's working" conventional wisdom. This is about expanding your identity, taking bigger bets, and building the confidence flywheel that makes massive growth feel inevitable instead of impossible. We're talking about the 10x thinking model, identity expansion, strategic big bets, and the confidence flywheel that compounds your wins.

If you've ever wondered...

• Why incremental thinking keeps you stuck in the same revenue range year after year

• How to break free from the "safe option" mentality that's actually holding your agency back

• What it actually takes to make this your biggest year without burning out

• Why the version of you who runs a multi-million dollar agency makes completely different decisions

• How to build momentum that makes bold moves feel natural instead of terrifying

...this one's for you.

This episode is brought to you by:

Copilot | Get two months free with code DARLINGS at https://try.copilot.money/darlings

Chapters:

(00:00:00) Welcome to Your Expansion Era

(00:05:12) The 10x Thinking Model: Why Bigger Goals Force Innovation

(00:09:45) Identity Expansion: Becoming the Person Who Runs That Business

(00:14:32) The Big Bet Principle: Fewer Moves, Bigger Impact

(00:19:28) The Confidence Flywheel: How Small Wins Build Momentum

(00:25:06) Taking Bold Risks and Creating an Expansion Culture

(00:31:42) Your 10x Goal Challenge and Accountability

Want To Dive Deeper On These Topics?

• Apply to join our exclusive Agency Darlings Slack Community: agencydarlings.com/community

• Join our agency advice column: agencydarlings.myflodesk.com/signup

Connect with Melissa & Meredith:

• Waverly Ave: waverlyave.com

• Instagram: instagram.com/waverlyave.co

• Le Chéile: lecheile.co/contact

• Instagram: instagram.com/lecheile.co