From Chaos to Clarity: How Top Agencies Are Planning for Uncertainty

In this episode, Dan Englander welcomes back Nick Petroski of Promethean Research for a high-signal, data-backed deep dive into the state of the digital agency industry in 2025. From agency size trends to the truth about AI integration, Nick reveals what the numbers really say.

Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency’s Future Revenue. During this training, you’ll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.

They cover:

• Why sub-10-person agencies are disappearing
• The true impact (and limits) of AI in agency operations
• What’s driving the contractor surge—and what it means for margins
• Why specialization isn’t optional anymore (and how to actually do it right)
• How GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic could disrupt agency-adjacent markets
• What top-performing agencies are doing differently

If you're an agency founder navigating a changing market, this episode is your strategic cheat sheet.

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Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge 

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Download Nick’s latest research report here: prometheanresearch.com

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Chapters

• 1:19 Intro & Nick Petrosky's Background
• 3:22 Defining the Boutique Agency Market
• 5:14 Why Small Agencies Struggle to Scale
• 7:44 Agency Trends from 2023 to Mid-2025
• 9:32 The AI Hype Cycle & Efficiency Narrative
• 11:46 How Agencies Are Actually Using AI
• 13:03 Preparing for Layoffs & Economic Instability
• 13:57 Frozen Hiring Market & The Rise of Contractors
• 15:42 What Works in Fractional & Contracting Models
• 17:30 Training vs. Doing: Building Institutional Knowledge
• 19:02 Uncertainty Over Change & Day-Trading Mentality
• 20:52 There’s No Perfect Niche – Just Outlasting Others
• 22:59 Ozempic, GLP-1s & Future Impacts on Consumer Behavior
• 26:40 Three Structural Shifts in the Agency Landscape
• 28:17 Specialization: From Generalist to Industry Expert
• 30:04 How Agencies Successfully Specialize
• 34:22 Contractor Usage as the New Norm
• 37:02 The W2 Job Isn't What It Used to Be
• 38:39 Final Thoughts & Report Link