Between Courses

Host Susie McFarland returns with another candid conversation from The Long Lunch, this time recorded in a beautiful glasshouse as Britain's unpredictable summer provides the backdrop.As agencies continue to navigate AI, economic uncertainty and changing client expectations, Susie is joined by four industry experts to explore what's really separating the agencies that are thriving from those simply trying to keep up.From positioning and profitability to AI adoption, sales, commercial confidence and operational efficiency, this episode is packed with practical insights for agency leaders looking to build stronger, more resilient businesses.Meet the guests:Jay Neale – SynergistCEO of Synergist, the agency management platform helping creative businesses bring people, projects and financials together in one place. Having worked with agencies since 2004, Jay has a unique perspective on what consistently drives profitability, operational excellence and long-term growth.Rory Spence – The Wow CompanyCommercial Director at The Wow Company, specialist accountants for agencies and the team behind BenchPress, the UK's leading agency benchmarking survey. Rory brings the latest industry data and explains why clear positioning and differentiation continue to outperform everything else.Rebecca Steer – SteerFounder of Steer, providing creative agencies with practical legal support, contracts and commercial advice without the traditional law firm complexity. Rebecca shares what she's seeing behind the scenes as agencies adapt to AI, changing procurement processes and an increasingly collaborative market.Ryan Hall – Friday SolvedFounder of Friday Solved, helping agencies build predictable sales engines by aligning sales and marketing. Ryan discusses why commercial skills, consistent visibility and outcome-focused selling are becoming essential for agencies looking to win work in today's market.Together they discuss:Why clearly differentiated agencies continue to outperform their competitors.How AI is changing agency business models beyond simple efficiency gains.The growing importance of commercial skills and value-based selling.Why investing in junior talent still matters in an AI-driven world.The operational habits shared by the most profitable agencies.How agency leaders should think about pricing, profitability and client expectations.Why the next six months present huge opportunities for agencies prepared to adapt.About The Long LunchIf you've never been, The Long Lunch is a twice-yearly get-together exclusively for agency owners and directors.No slides. No keynotes. Just great food, great people, and real conversation - a rare chance to step back from the day-to-day, compare notes, and realise it's not just us.Because sometimes the most valuable partnerships begin with a single conversation over a long lunch.👉 Find out more at longlunch.co.uk

Host Susie McFarland - agency mentor and organiser of The Long Lunch- kicks off the very first episode of Between Courses with an honest look at agency life in our current climate: what’s working, what’s tricky, and what’s changing fast.Joining her are three guests who know agency operations inside out — all sponsors of The Long Lunch and trusted partners to agencies nationwide.Meet the guestsJay Neale – The Agency WorksFounder and Managing Director at The Agency Works (and the original Long Lunch sponsor). Since 2004, Jay and his team have helped more than 500 agencies streamline operations, boost profitability, and get performance back on track with Synergist - often saying the things we might not want to hear, but definitely need to.Amy Wilkinson – The Wow CompanyHead of Marketing at The Wow Company, specialists in helping ambitious UK agencies and consultancies (turning over £1m) unlock their potential and make sharper financial decisions. The Wow Company also runs BenchPress, the UK’s annual benchmark survey for agencies, giving Amy a rare window into what the best in the business are doing differently.Rebecca Steer – SteerCommercial lawyer and founder of Steer, where creative agencies get fast, no-fuss access to top-tier legal advice, contracts, and policies - without the typical law firm pain. Rebecca’s seen what happens when things go wrong and knows exactly what protects agencies when they do.Together, they swap stories and insights from across hundreds of agencies - financial, operational, and legal - revealing how the best-run teams are building resilience and recalibrating for the year ahead.About The Long LunchIf you’ve never been, The Long Lunch is a twice-yearly get-together exclusively for agency owners and directors.No slides. No keynotes. Just great food, great people, and real conversation - a rare chance to step back from the day-to-day, compare notes, and realise it’s not just us.Because sometimes the most valuable partnerships begin with a single conversation over a long lunch.👉 Find out more at longlunch.co.uk