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Week in the life at a small marketing agency. See annual planning for a 750K year, ClickUp systems, content day workflow, lead magnets, offers, and SEO tips.
If you are the kind of person who loves a good behind the scenes look at how a small business actually runs, this week is for you.
We are in Week 51 of 2025, which is wild to even say out loud. Two weeks left in the year. Holiday energy in the air. Some clients sprinting. Some clients totally checked out. And our team over here trying to finish the year strong while also setting up 2026 to be our best year yet.
This is the written journal entry that goes with the vlog. The video is embedded below, so you can watch the full week unfold.
I started Launch Kit in 2020 in a one bedroom apartment. It was me, a laptop, and a lot of caffeine.
Now we are five years in.
Right now our team is five full time people, and we have a sixth person starting in January. We are closing out the year at 625K in total sales income, and the goal is 667K by December 31.
Two weeks to go.
And because it is December, it is also the weirdest month to run a marketing agency. Half your clients are in beast mode. The other half are mentally on a beach.
Here is something I have noticed after working with a lot of businesses.
The clients who consistently perform the best are the ones who hammer annual planning before Christmas.
Not after New Years. Not in mid January once the chaos hits. Before Christmas.
The simple move that changes everything is locking in just a few numbers you will track every month. Not 27 metrics. Not vibes. A handful of clear targets.
At Launch Kit, we try to talk annual planning with our clients in November so we can hit December with clarity.
This is what we are aiming for next year. I like goals that are measurable and simple enough to remember without looking at a spreadsheet.
That is it.
When your annual plan is clear, your weekly plan gets easier. Your marketing decisions get easier. Your team priorities get easier. And honestly, your brain gets quieter.
In the video I talk about how funny Q4 is in a marketing agency.
Some companies treat Q4 like the Super Bowl. They are pushing campaigns, refreshing creative, launching offers, and trying to win the quarter.
Other companies are basically like, “We will pick this up in January.”
No judgment, but it is super obvious who wins long term.
If you are a business owner trying to grow in 2026, here is a simple takeaway:
“The best time to plan the year is before you feel ready.”
Because once January hits, you are going to be busy. Planning will not magically get easier. It just gets delayed.
Tuesday morning we had a kickoff meeting with a new client, Chris, who owns a canvassing software company called Lead Scout. It is built for roofing contractors. Think Google Maps meets CRM for door to door sales.
Kickoff meetings are one of those things that either set a relationship up for success, or create chaos for the next 6 months.
Here is how we run them.
This kickoff was extra packed because the client is starting both website and marketing services at the same time. Double whammy. Two hour workshop. Lots of moving parts. But it is worth it.
This part of the vlog is a little more personal, but I think it matters for business owners and entrepreneurs.
I have had moments where I feel guilty because I do not work late.
There is this stereotype that if you are a founder, you have to be grinding until midnight. Like if you are not working around the clock, you do not want it bad enough.
I do not buy that.
I am a morning person. My brain is better at 6:00 a.m. than it is at 9:00 p.m.
So I would rather protect my evenings, recover, and show up the next day for a deep work session from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. than burn myself out trying to look like an “entrepreneur.”
My general rule is I do not like working past 8:00 p.m., and most nights I am not working at 6:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. either.
Here is the line that keeps me grounded:
“There is no business win I would trade for quality time with Ellen.”
That is it.
Thursday was production day, which is one of my favorite parts of what we do at Launch Kit.
We were shooting photo and video content for two nonprofits: Exalta Health and North Kent Connect.
This is what the day looked like.
Reagan led the charge. She works with both of these clients and shoots content monthly. Then Rachel uses it for organic social media marketing, and Austin uses it for paid ads.
Reagan came up with four video ideas, wrote a title and brief for each in ClickUp, and sent them to the clients two days before the shoot.
That is the secret.
Prep creates speed.
When you show up with a plan, you can create more in less time. We ended up shooting five videos and four photo carousel posts at Exalta Health, which was a solid morning.
During a deep work session this week, I was prepping marketing ideas for a painting business partner. And I shared a tip I think every local service business should implement quarterly or semiannually.
Most businesses market like this:
“We exist, buy our stuff.”
That only works on people who are already ready to buy. Bottom of the funnel people.
If you want more leads, you need two things:
Lead magnets are for people who are problem aware but not ready to buy yet.
Examples:
The job of a lead magnet is to get someone’s name, phone number, and email into your CRM without a harsh sales pitch.
This is how you build a pipeline.
Offers are what turn attention into action.
Not a boring 10 percent discount. Something that is:
If you want to increase click through rates and leads, spend time building better offers. It is one of the highest leverage marketing moves you can make.
This week I also talked about something that has been a phenomenal use of resources for me.
I hired a cleaning company for both the office and the condo.
It costs 360 per month for each space to be cleaned once a month, and it runs on autopilot.
If you are a small business owner trying to protect your headspace, this is one of the easiest buys. I would rather spend a few hundred dollars and feel clear than save the money and feel behind all month.
After meetings wrapped, I got a package from House of Blanks with some merch pieces for the team. Crew necks, beanies, tees. I am taking it to the screen printer, and we will do a proper unboxing next week.
Then I ended the work week to go live real life. Surprise birthday party. Pizza. Friends. Done.
Because that is the whole point.
Here is what I would tell you.
Do not overcomplicate it.
Pick 3 to 5 numbers. Track them monthly. Build your marketing around them. Protect your deep work time. And plan before the year starts pulling you in 20 directions.
If you want help with your marketing strategy, SEO, paid ads, content, ClickUp systems, or Go High Level setup, that is literally what we do at Launch Kit.
And if you want more behind the scenes, the vlog is where all of this comes to life.
See you next week.
Each year, we take a fresh look at the various marketing efforts a small business can make. We've built this framework to get started optimizing your business's online presence.
