Case StudY
Niche Marketing Agency
Specializing in Pharmaceutical Sector
Partnership Duration: 3 years (Leadership Coaching, Individual Owner Coaching, Full-Team Training)
THE CHALLENGE
When this marketing agency and I began working together, they were experiencing the classic growing pains of a scaling business:
Accountability gaps — Projects weren’t consistently owned through to completion, creating stress for leaders and bottlenecks for the team.
Indirect communication — Difficult conversations with both clients and team members were often avoided, leading to simmering tensions.
Toxic client & team relationships — High-maintenance, disrespectful clients consumed disproportionate time and energy, while underperforming employees remained longer than was healthy for the culture.
Niche without boundaries — While the company specialized in pharmacy marketing, they accepted work outside their sweet spot, creating inefficiencies and morale dips.
THE Approach
Our work spanned three layers:
Leadership Coaching – Monthly deep-dives with the owner and leadership team to align strategy, develop emotional intelligence, and strengthen decision-making.
Team-Wide EQ & Enneagram Training – Annual and quarterly sessions that built a shared language for communication, conflict resolution, and accountability.
Targeted Interventions – Facilitation during moments of high transition, client realignment, and personnel changes to keep the team grounded and forward-focused.
THE KEY FOCUS AREAS:
Embedding direct, timely communication as a non-negotiable.
Building the muscle for letting go — of team members, clients, and habits that no longer served the company.
Strengthening trust within the leadership team, enabling the owner to step back without sacrificing quality.
Protecting and refining the company’s niche, prioritizing cultural fit and client respect alongside revenue potential.
The Transformation
Three years later, the agency has shifted from reactive firefighting to proactive leadership
1. Trust in Action
Leadership members now delegate with confidence, allowing the owner to step back and let the team lead. One leader shared, “They didn’t really need my assistance at all… and I trusted myself to stay out of it.”
2. Communication as a Strength
Direct, consistent, and proactive communication has become part of the DNA — both internally and with clients. Another leader noted, “We’ve been more communicative than in the past… even among the four of us. That’s what’s helped throughout all of this.”
3. Proactive Client Management
Instead of enduring poor-fit or toxic clients, the team now addresses friction early. One team member reflected, “We’re being more proactive when something’s not working… which maybe we can do now because we have a larger team. Clients have options — and we protect our team’s energy.”
4. Smooth Transitions
Recent staffing changes saw zero client losses due to service disruption — a first in the company’s history. The leadership team coordinated client handoffs with high-touch communication, leaving clients feeling supported throughout.
5. Protecting the Niche
The agency has doubled down on serving the pharmacy sector and screening for client personality fit. As one leader put it: “The niche is working — pharmacy, yes, but also personality. We’re protective of both.”
Key Realizations from the Leadership Team
Trust is reciprocal — Leaders must trust themselves to step back just as much as they trust their team to step up.
Fit matters as much as service quality — in both hiring and client acquisition.
Direct communication isn’t conflict — it’s clarity.
Proactive change prevents burnout — whether reassigning a client or setting firmer boundaries.
Leadership style can flex — managing with more structure or oversight can still be experienced as supportive, not controlling, when intentions are clear.
HEARD DURING COACHING
“ we’re learning and growing, and I think we’re handling situations better than maybe we have in the past.””
— Erica
“They didn’t need my assistance at all… and I trusted myself to stay out of it.”
— Nicolle
“Direct, honest, consistent communication — that’s what’s working for us.”
— Taylor
“We were mindful and got ahead of it… In the past, we would have just let it play out Thought, Oh MAYBE we should probably say something. This time, OUR clients were guided through the transition.”
— Jenna
“The niche is working — pharmacy, yes, but also personality. We’re protective of both.”
— Kelly
The Results
Zero client loss in a major staffing transition.
Increased team retention due to healthier boundaries and better client fit.
Owner capacity reclaimed, allowing focus on strategic growth initiatives.
Shared leadership confidence — decisions and client management no longer rest solely on the owner.
“When I first began working with this team, the leaders were working hard but carrying the weight alone. Three years later, I see a confident, aligned leadership team that knows when to step in, when to step back, and how to protect the culture they’ve built. Their transformation shows what happens when a team commits to practicing EQ skills in real time — not just in workshops, but in the hard, messy, everyday moments where it matters most.”