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“Any business problem can be solved with an acquisition.”

In Episode 1 of Agency Confidential, Jeff Shannon sits down with investor and operator Tom Shipley to break down how agencies actually use M&A as a growth lever—from buying businesses with limited capital to structuring deals that reduce risk.

Tom shares the stories behind his first acquisitions, the criteria he uses to identify potential deals, and why he sees growing opportunity for agency acquisitions amid AI disruption and market uncertainty.

If you’re an agency founder, operator, or leader thinking about growth beyond organic sales, this episode explores the mental models, deal structures, and real-world mechanics behind acquisition-led growth.

What you’ll learn:

• Why acquisition can outperform organic growth at scale
• How to define a “buy box” for acquisition targets
• Why volume of seller conversations matters
• The real purpose of due diligence
• What integration looks like after an acquisition
• How AI and uncertainty are influencing agency exits and deals

Chapters:

00:00 Any Business Problem Can Be Solved With an Acquisition

00:31 Meet Tom Shipley and His M&A Journey

01:57 Buying a Business When You’re Out of Cash

05:17 Using Acquisitions to Add Capability (Agency Examples)

08:03 Organic Growth vs Acquisition Growth (The Math)

12:18 Motivated Sellers and Creative Deal Structures

20:50 Due Diligence and Risk in Agency Acquisitions

24:33 Integration: What Actually Breaks Deals

30:11 AI, Market Uncertainty, and the Future of Agency M&A

Links & Resources:

DealCon: https://dealconlive.com

Pilothouse: https://www.pilothouse.co/

Agency (peer network): https://www.joinagency.co/?utm_source=podcast

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