Why We Love Agency-Land

(Working title: Kyle, Don’t be a dickhead)

I just got back from Agency-Land’s annual bash at Popworld London

This year, an email dropped into my inbox that basically said: “Hiya matey, do you want to come to our event?”

There was no funnel, or “exclusive opportunity” or “network with like-minded founders”.

Just… “hiya matey”.

My northern self was captivated.

That email was the start of our relationship with AgencyLand. I’m very glad I replied with “Actually, you know what, that sounds lovely” instead of archiving it and cracking on from the safety of my home office.

Finding Like-Minded People

We went remote way before Covid made it “the new normal”. I love working from home. I get quiet, privacy, wear the same thing every day, and my awesome Jura coffee machine. I could go on extolling the virtues of home comforts, but it does get a bit bleak talking to my beagle about Google Ads all day. (Ok, that’s a lie, I never get tired of Luna.)

AgencyLand has been the opposite of that.

A small, curated bunch of agency owners and agency folk who are, well, genuinely nice humans. No big egos, no peacocking, no tech bros, and no “what’s your exit strategy?” ten minutes after you’ve met.

Just people who:

• Care about their teams and clients
• Want to do good work without burning out
• Will happily tell you the truth about margins, mistakes and mental load
• Openly talk about home and family, and the challenges of managing a business

It’s all held together by Ellie, who somehow manages to make a Slack community feel like a mate’s kitchen. Everyone is welcome; no one is left out; the kettle is always on.

On top of that, this year they’ve helped a small business secure its first grant, set up mental health Zoom calls and discussions for members. They are very intentional about inclusion, especially around neurodiversity and ensuring people feel they can show up as themselves. A big plus for me, who struggles even in the theatre, that is, business networking.

So when the AgencyLand Christmas-time invite landed, I figured it was worth a four-hour round trip to London.

Popworld London

Yes, it was at Popworld London, which meant neon, glitter, sticky floor, and Christmas tunes. Still, we weren’t dancing to steps thank god, we were having some great banter about tradition, home family, favourite holiday foods, Whether turkey is on the menu, or leftover fried rice, pulling crackers, spinning or dradels, the thing in common was how everyone pulls towards home and family at this time of year, the things that matter most. After all, why are we doing this?

Walking in felt a bit like stepping out of Slack and into real life:

“Oh, it’s youuuuu”

“I remember you from that thread about clients from hell”

“Weren’t you the one I was talking to about Web Summit?”

“So nice to put a face to a name”

What I love is that it doesn’t feel like “networking” (I hate that word) and feels like being out with a few mates who happen also to run digital marketing agencies, creative agencies, make websites, build apps, all just comparing notes on life, clients and the trials of 2025. In some ways, I was back at college, with a good creative bunch, sitting in the pub, but we’d all moved on a few years.

Not your usual “networking event”

A few things we did not talk about:

• “What does success look like for you?”
• The word “scale”
• KPIs, OKRs, MVPs or GPTs. Maybe G&T’s
• Absolutely smashing it with your top funnel

Some things we did talk about:

• The reality of keeping work on the horizon.
• What makes us proud.
• New things we are learning.
• The joy of working with people who aren’t dickheads

There’s actually a strict no dickheads policy at AgencyLand, and you can feel it. Actually, until I read the site, I just thought I’d happened upon something unusual. Nobody’s there to sell at you, outdo you, talk down to you or be dismissive. Nobody’s pretending things are perfect. Everyone’s there to connect, have a laugh and remember that behind every “award-winning case study” is a human who’s grappling with the same things as everyone else.

What’s the real angle here?

Running a digital marketing agency can be pretty lonely, even when you’ve got a brilliant team. Your friends don’t always get what you do (“Did you make that website? Wow, that looks really professional”), and clients see you on your best behaviour, as opposed to crying into your coffee because you can’t find the bug.

So it was great to be in a room of people who get it. AgencyLand is proof that you can build a community in this marketing industry that isn’t built on hustle, posturing or who’s “crushing it” the most.

Instead, it feels like somewhere you can show up as you are, whether you’re running a tiny studio just getting going, a growing digital agency with a busy team, or a long-established outfit, as long as you’re not a dickhead.

Highlights (in no particular order)

Despite the pop-themed venue, it wasn’t a wild night of dancing and shouting over 90s bangers; it was proper conversation about clients, challenges, and the truth about running an agency.

There were no cheesy organised “networking games”, one-minute pitches or “give us your WHY”, and to be honest, that’s why I loved it. Not a bro-centric founders group, just a proper community of hard-working creatives who care about their members and back it up with real support. From awarding business grants to mental health sessions and honest chats about how we’re actually doing, I mean, really.

A little love letter to AgencyLand

So, to Ellie and everyone behind AgencyLand:

Thank you for building something that actually feels grounded.

For making space for honesty and mental health, neurodivergence and messy family stuff. For creating a space where agencies can connect, learn and occasionally scream into the void.

As for me, I’ll be back to as many events as possible, probably in comfier shoes and remembering to bring my earplugs for the train. (Yes, young account execs who complained endlessly about “Kyle from the office”, I’m talking about you. And Kyle, don’t be a dickhead)

Since packing up our office, it can feel like it’s just you, a MacBook Pro, and a load of productivity tools; it’s a friendly reminder that other humans are doing the same.

So, I’m really glad we found AgencyLand this year.