BEN SCOGGINS | Mentor & Coach
Coaching for first-time agency leaders
Leading an agency is a daunting prospectYou’re expected to drive the business, support your team, manage founders, and deliver consistent growth - often without practical experience in the role or truly independent counsel.I work with operational agency leaders, offering a confidential space to help them discuss, decide, and lead with more confidence. No playbooks. No generic leadership theory. Just support rooted in the realities of running an agency business.I help you gain clarity in your role and improve your ability to make better decisions.
Helping you become a stronger agency leaderThere’s no formula for a high-performing agency. But what does make a consistent difference is the quality of leadership - particularly in moments of pressure, ambiguity and change.My work is practical and grounded in real situations. We focus on the things that tend to weigh most heavily on first-time agency leaders: making unpopular or difficult decisions, navigating relationships with founders and board teams, understanding what’s really blocking agency performance, and finding the space to lead rather than just react within the day-to-day.My aim isn’t to turn you into a different kind of leader - it’s to help you lead in a way that feels credible and sustainable, so you can stand behind your decisions and bring others with you.I don't work with founders. My work is exclusively with first-time agency leaders in operational roles. If you’re an agency founder looking for support, I’m happy to recommend some excellent coaches and advisory firms I know who specialise in that space.
Background and experience
Over 25 years I've worked in some of the world’s biggest agencies, and some smaller independent ones too. I began in client services before moving into commercial and leadership roles in creative, design and digital agencies. In 2025, I completed five years as the CEO of digital marketing agency, Organic.Although I have mentored and coached individuals for many years, I started professionally coaching first-time agency leaders in 2025. It’s an area I feel incredibly passionate about and one that I feel is neglected and undervalued. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with my first clients this year, shaping and formalising an approach to my coaching that looks to build individual leadership confidence and capability.
Some of the problems I help you solve
- Dealing with the constant background noise, self-doubt and pressure that comes with the role
- Working through relationships with founders, boards and senior colleagues where expectations aren’t always clear
- Thinking through difficult decisions and knowing when to push forward and when to slow things down
- Finding time and headspace to lead properly, not just stay on top of the day-to-day
- Making sense of what’s really holding teams back when things aren’t moving as they should
- Having a safe, confidential space to talk things through, test ideas and build confidence in how you lead
What others say
“What I’ve valued most is how practical Ben’s mentoring is. We’re working through the real situations I’m dealing with - handling difficult team conversations, managing founder expectations, adding structure where we’re a bit loose. Having someone trustworthy that I can talk to has been great - I’m getting loads out of each session.”
First-time Managing Director, mid-size media agency (UK)
“Stepping into the MD role was more isolating than I expected. Ben understands the pressures but isn’t emotionally entangled in it - it’s been invaluable. The sessions help me quieten the noise and tend to bring a bit more clarity to my thinking - I feel properly energised after each one!”
First-time Managing Director, founder-owned creative agency (UK)
Get in-touch
Most of my work is one-to-one, typically a mix of in-person and remote sessions based on location and diaries. It’s all based on an hourly rate. I also work with leadership teams and founders where that’s useful, and my work splits across a few main areas:
One-to-one coaching
Leadership team sessions
Mediation and relationship supportEverything starts with a conversation to understand the challenge and decide whether working together makes sense. I never take on an engagement without an initial 25-minute exploratory session to talk through the situation, expectations and fit. There’s no obligation, no fixed programmes, and no minimum commitment. If it feels like a good fit, we’ll take it from there. If not, you’ll still leave with greater clarity.
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