Kelly Molson: So you want to start your own agency?

Kelly Molson, founder of Rubber Cheese, sold her agency and is now an agency consultant and successful podcaster. She shares her 21-year journey building a lifestyle-focused web development agency that she started with just £1,500.

She advocates for founders to prioritise life over aggressive growth, defining success on personal terms rather than industry standards.

Only 4% of agencies ever sell, making the lifestyle model—optimised for freedom, joy, and profit now—a viable alternative to exit-focused growth.

“He is rich who owns the day”

• What’s making people reject the ‘grow fast, sell fast’ model?
• Find out how to define your personal success criteria and then build your business around it.
• Advice on how to calculate your finance foundation – how much is enough?
• Why you should understand the problems you solve, not just services you offer.
• Addressing the mental health crisis and avoiding burnout.
• What kit you need to start.
• Why you need to stand out in the 25,000+ agency market by being a specialist, not a generalist.
• Mudlarking and 21 Seconds.