Building a resilient agency from A to Z

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May 13, 2024

This April, Driftime® Co-founder and CCO, Abb-d Taiyo, chaired a panel at The Agency Collective’s latest venture; the Future Proofing your Agency conference.

Building a resilient agency from A to Z

Bringing together a vibrant panel of agency innovators and future-focused thought-leaders, Abb-d chaired the Thrive Through Change talk, getting up close and personal with the power of adaptability in the era of resilient agencies.

Following a day filled with inspiring talks and thought-provoking conversations, Abb-d was joined by CEO and founder Debby Penton, multi-BAFTA-winning designer Kate Dawkins, and motivational speaker Marc Convey, all three leaders in their respective fields. Discussing the ins and outs of how to navigate the rapid rate of change across the creative industries, Debby shared how her tech PR agency and sister design company have recently become 100% employee owned, a mark of how teams are progressing with new needs, wants, and desires, and how that can accelerate the success of a business.

“If you’re not taking care of yourself, then how can you be in a position to take care of your agency and what the future brings?”

Mark Convey – Motivational Speaker

Digging right into what keeps us up at night, Abb-d asked the panel what they’re losing sleep over as founders of agencies, with Marc sharing how the wellbeing of his team kept him tossing and turning, but how he responded to that concern by transitioning into a different industry of motivational speaking. There’s a lot to be said for staying grounded, healthy, and happy, which is something Kate spoke to as the founder of a micro-business, suggesting we lean into our strengths, and to be as prepared as possible for what’s coming next.


It’s about how you react to change, battling that default feeling of fear of the unknown, and transforming it into something actionable, ambitious, and innovative. What’s next for you or your agency?



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