Around the start of 2017, I was starting to think about what was next.
I’d been at this agency for around three years, but it also felt like a lifetime. There had been lots of internal changes, with staff coming and going, my line manager changing three or four times, and I wasn’t really happy with the direction I was heading.
Although I wasn’t actively looking, I was debating whether I could go freelance, if there were other agencies I’d actually want to be at, or if I could even start my own business. Then I was approached about a Head of Department role at a small agency (literally) down the road and thought, why not have a conversation?
I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was in a full blown hiring process before I’d even properly decided whether I wanted to stay or go.
That in-between phase is a strange place to be. You go through the motions. You still care, but maybe not as much. You’re doing good work, but it’s not as exciting. You wonder if this is as good as it gets, or if it’s better somewhere else. And you find yourself in limbo.
Change is an unavoidable and normal part of agency life. It comes with a merry-go-round of people and clients that constantly move.
The “better” the agency, the less frequent this happens – but it still happens.
In all of my experience, the grass is generally greener on the other side of the fence. Whether that’s as the employee leaving, the employer losing someone, or saying goodbye to a client.
This chapter will explain why, with some of the lessons from navigating these changes and advice on what to expect, from the perspective of employee, employer, and even client.
Who’s on the bus?
This is a phrase you’ll often hear within agencies, especially among leadership teams, and it’s used to talk about who’s truly on board with the direction the business is heading.
Agencies, like buses, have long and winding journeys. People get on and off at different times, and very few stay for the whole distance.
Sometimes it’s used as a way to evaluate people or teams. Sometimes it’s a polite way of saying that someone is no longer needed, or not right for a certain seat. But overall, it’s a pretty good metaphor.
It’s not just something to apply to others though, it’s just as relevant to ask yourself.
Am I still on the bus? Do I need to stick around longer? Have I missed my stop? Or are there signs that it’s time to get off?
I’ve always been the sort of person who wants to feel like I’m moving forwards – learning, progressing, and being challenged. At that point in time, this wasn’t the case, so I knew it wouldn’t be long before something had to change.
Only you can know when and why it’s time, but it might already be the case if you ask yourself these questions.
I’ve seen people wrestle with decisions for years without making a change and others that potentially acted too soon. So as cheesy as it might sound, focus on the destination and where you want to be, and try not to let comfort, doubt, or worry stop you from getting up out of your seat.
Accidental interviews
A lot of people don’t leave an agency because they decided to, they leave because curiosity turned into a calendar invite. You take the call, respond to the LinkedIn message, or agree to a chat, and before you know it, you’re in an accidental interview.
This is when the big question starts coming, what do you want?
It might be more money, a bigger title, or new responsibilities. But if you’re not clear on what “better” means, you could end up swapping one frustrating situation for another.
I’ve sat across the table for lots of these conversations asking the questions, and even if it was a casual chat, there was often something the other person wasn’t saying.
And it’s likely because they didn’t know.
It’s important to weigh things up properly before your hand is forced:
- What’s pushing me away from where I am now?
- What’s pulling me toward something new?
If it’s all push (stress, politics, burnout), be careful not to jump into another version of the same thing. Look for something that genuinely pulls you, whether that’s the role, culture fit, or alignment with what you value now.
The dreaded counteroffer
You’ve made it through the interviews, verbally accepted an offer, and made your decision. But that was the easy bit.
Now, you have to sit down with your line manager, or maybe even the agency owner, and tell them that you’re leaving.
This can be one of the most awkward meetings in your time at an agency, especially if you’re part of a close-knit team. Doubt creeps in, you question everything, and as much as you want it to be over quickly, it’s often the start of new conversations that you didn’t ask for.
I’m a firm believer that counteroffers are unfair. It’s already a difficult position, and now someone’s asking you to reverse a decision you’ve potentially agonised over – and doing it after the fact.
I had polarising experiences after this offer in 2017 that made things even harder:
- A pushy recruiter for the new agency messaging me late at night, paranoid I was going to accept a counteroffer.
- A manager who said I was making a big mistake and that I should reconsider, whilst others quietly laughed about the agency they’d heard I was going to.
The bottom line is it’s nobody else’s business.
But if you do want advice from someone that’s made counteroffers (only once or twice), lost candidates because of them, and rejected and accepted them at different times, here it is.
A counteroffer won’t fix everything and you might well find yourself back in a similar situation in a matter of months.
Back the decision that you make (whatever that is) when nobody else is interfering.
I’ve made a huge mistake
Less than two weeks into joining this new agency, I massively regretted it.
I’d taken a punt that there was hidden potential, but not everything was as it seemed. I remember having serious conversations with my now-wife about what I was going to do instead.
It’s unsettling as you miss knowing how everything works, the office is unfamiliar, the culture feels different, and the clients aren’t what you’re used to. And to top it off, you’re the new person again, trying to find your footing and some confidence.
This is incredibly normal, especially in agencies where you’re expected to hit the ground running from day one – so, remember it’s a transition.
If you haven’t read The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins, it’s great advice about how the decisions, relationships, and habits you build early on will shape everything that follows.
Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson is a classic too, simplifying a way to understand why change is uncomfortable, but often necessary, and that things may never feel exactly like they did before, and that’s not always a bad thing.
The best advice is to learn fast, secure early wins, and accept that things are different, so lean into it. Give yourself time to assess and plan before any more big decisions are made.
As a side note, after three months, I couldn’t have been happier and never looked back.
It’s not personal
When someone leaves an agency, it’s rarely about one person. But it can still feel that way.
Managers can take it personally. Some founders and owners definitely do. And your colleagues can feel caught in the middle, especially if there’s no clear communication.
It can raise questions about issues with the agency, why someone would leave for new pastures (or specifically the competitor in question), and whether you’re doing something wrong as an individual or as a business.
This is all futile. There are any number of reasons that someone might want to leave a job, and assuming it’s about you, your leadership, or your business first often says more about ego than the reality.
When someone leaves, they’re not always moving away from something bad, they’re usually going towards something that seems better for them.
Of course, there might be legitimate reasons that you have to take accountability for in some cases, but your role as a leader is to listen and take the feedback seriously, not personally.
And if you’re the person departing, you have no reason to apologise or feel guilty. It shouldn’t be difficult for people to support your decision without bitterness or awkwardness.
Loyalty isn’t a career plan
Being loyal is a great quality to have. But it can be a bad long-term strategy in environments that don’t always reward it.
People stay too long in roles because they feel responsible, they’re comfortable, or they’re waiting for recognition. A lot of the time too, they feel indebted for the opportunities they’ve had at an agency, and it makes leaving that little bit harder.
Staying somewhere purely out of loyalty doesn’t always serve you, and it doesn’t guarantee the business will serve you back. Circumstances change. People move on. Promises fade.
Loyalty should show up in how you treat people, how you leave, how you speak about your time after it’s done. Not as the reason you keep yourself stuck.
Agency environments and cultures can create a false sense of “family” that makes people feel like they owe their careers, and personal lives, to a business – and that you will get this feeling in return. It blurs the line between professional commitment and personal loyalty, so it’s easy to feel like leaving means letting people down.
It’s worth acknowledging though that many agencies (like any business) won’t hesitate to restructure, or let people go if it’s needed, no matter how loyal someone has been. It’s harsh, but true, and it’s important to balance loyalty with reality.
Loyalty is important, but it can’t replace growth, opportunities, or progress in your career. And, it isn’t “owed” on either side, even if it feels that way.
Client breakups and re-pitches
The average brand-agency relationship in the UK is believed to last around 43.5 months – just over 3.5 years (WinmoEdge – April 2025). For e-commerce brands, it’s closer to 34 months (>3 years), and for services like PR and Social it’s more like 25 months (2 years).
In the grand scheme of things, that’s not a long time.
From the inside, it can feel like a big deal when a client leaves. But from an outside perspective, it’s often a rational, expected decision.
Clients decide to change agencies for lots of different reasons. Their needs are now different, priorities have shifted, budgets have moved, or they simply want a new perspective to tackle their challenges. They outgrow what you offer, or your agency outgrows what they need. It’s not always about finding “better”, but finding what fits now.
Re-pitches are a dreaded part of this cycle. They give clients a chance to test the market, validate their direction, and ensure their agency partners align with where they’re going. You might feel like you have the upper hand because of the historic relationship and understanding, but unless it’s simply a procurement exercise, it’s often a sign that something has changed.
Agencies can forget that clients are running businesses too, and the people that you deal with have targets and stakeholders of their own. They have to make decisions that align with their own goals ahead of anything else, even if it means moving on. It doesn’t mean your work wasn’t good enough or the relationship wasn’t valuable while it lasted.
We’re often too close to the work to see it objectively, but this is the nature of the game, and it might actually be best for everyone involved.
You don’t know what you’ve got
Until it’s gone, you won’t fully appreciate what you have.
Leaving a job or an agency, or a client moving on, can open your eyes to what was good, and what was missing.
It’s easy to fixate on the “greener grass”. The opportunities are brighter, the challenges more exciting, and the fresh start is more appealing.
Being in a different environment challenges and expands your perspective. You might uncover new skills, realise what you actually want, and find out things that weren’t clear until you stepped outside your comfort zone.
There is a chance the new opportunity doesn’t live up to expectations and that’s also good. It teaches you what you won’t compromise on, and can even give you more appreciation for those previous experiences.
Ultimately, career paths and business relationships aren’t linear.
I’ve seen plenty of cases where staff leave for opportunities elsewhere, only to return later, having gained some new skills, confidence, and clarity about what they value. Similarly, clients often switch agencies to explore different approaches, only to find that returning to a previous partner makes the most sense after seeing what else is out there.
This cycle reinforces the idea that the grass is greener, as it isn’t always about it being better or perfect, it’s about finding out.
Moving on can be the best way to grow, but sometimes it’s the best way to realise where you belong.
