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Building and scaling a marketing agency is no small feat, especially when balancing family life. Natasha Chilcott, Director of Sales and Marketing at Marr Media, shares her unique journey and invaluable insights on how to grow a marketing agency effectively while raising two children. With over a decade of experience in marketing and sales, including the successful exit of her own full-service agency, Natasha reveals the strategies, philosophies, and leadership principles that have shaped her career and agency growth.
In this article, we dive deep into Natasha’s story and her practical advice to help agency owners and marketers navigate the challenges of scaling their marketing agency without sacrificing their family life. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your leadership approach, these lessons are designed to inspire and guide you.
1. Embrace Your Unique Career Path and Leverage Your Sales Roots
Natasha’s journey into marketing was anything but conventional. Starting her career in insurance sales during her late teens and early twenties, she quickly realized that although she was financially successful, she craved more excitement, creativity, and opportunities to travel. This led her to transfer her university credits overseas and pursue a business degree with a marketing major in Australia.
Her experience selling insurance laid a strong foundation for her marketing career. Natasha considers herself a salesperson who specialized in marketing, emphasizing that the fundamentals of sales transcend industries. Whether selling insurance, marketing services, or cars, the core principles of understanding client needs and building relationships remain consistent.
“Sales is something that a lot of people are scared by. To me, it just comes naturally. I actually really enjoy the process of sales and meeting new people and new brands.” – Natasha Chilcott
This perspective highlights the importance of embracing your background and transferable skills. If you come from a different field, don’t discount those experiences, they can offer unique advantages in your marketing agency.
2. Recognize Cultural Nuances in Sales Communication
Having worked in both Australia and Canada, Natasha noticed significant cultural differences that affect sales interactions. Australians and New Zealanders tend to be more direct and straightforward, which facilitates faster, more honest conversations. Canadians, on the other hand, often prioritize politeness over directness, which can lead to prolonged “tap dances” around decisions and feedback.
Understanding these nuances is crucial for agency owners who work with international clients or teams. Natasha points out that while the fundamentals of sales remain the same, adapting your communication style to cultural expectations can improve efficiency and build stronger relationships.
“Canadians are polite but not friendly. They are really nice to your face but often don’t say how they truly feel… In Australia, you just say how you feel, and that is considered normal business.” – Natasha Chilcott
For marketing agencies operating across borders, this insight can shape client onboarding, negotiation, and feedback processes to be more effective and transparent.
3. Lead from Within: Get in the Trenches with Your Team
Leadership in a marketing agency is not just about delegation or strategy, it’s about being actively involved with your team. Natasha’s leadership philosophy centers on working alongside her team, offering support, and problem-solving together rather than pointing fingers.
She shares how she regularly checks in with account managers, especially when they are onboarding new clients, to provide resources and solve issues collaboratively. This hands-on approach not only motivates the team but also helps identify process breakdowns and client communication gaps early on.
“I lead from beside. I’d rather get in and do the work with you and problem solve together than just telling you to do better next time.” – Natasha Chilcott
For agency leaders, this means fostering a culture of transparency and support, where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute creatively and operationally.
4. Use Core Values as a Hiring, Firing, and Evaluation Framework
One of the most transformational lessons Natasha shares is the power of core values in building a high-performing agency team. At Marr Media, performance reviews, hiring, and firing decisions are all based on alignment with the company’s core values.
By focusing on values rather than just skills or experience, the agency ensures cultural fit and long-term cohesion. Natasha explains how this approach led them to make some tough decisions in the past year, including reorganizing the team and letting go of members who didn’t align with their vision.
“We hire and fire on values. Our performance reviews are 100% based on values. That has substantially improved the performance of our team and organization.” – Natasha Chilcott
For marketing agencies looking to scale, this emphasis on values can prevent costly mismatches and foster a healthier, more productive work environment.
5. Balance Business Growth with Family Priorities
Running a marketing agency while raising young children is a daunting challenge. Natasha candidly shares her experience of juggling motherhood with entrepreneurship, including the sleep deprivation, stress, and moments of regret about missed family time.
She reflects on how she returned to work within a week of giving birth to her daughter and continued growing her agency through COVID, often multitasking between client calls and childcare. Eventually, the realization hit that this pace was unsustainable, especially after having her second child.
“I have so much regret about prioritizing business growth over enjoying those early years with my kids. You can start and grow a business anytime, but you can’t get that time back.” – Natasha Chilcott
Her advice to agency owners and entrepreneurs is to prioritize family time whenever possible and set clear boundaries. Natasha’s agency embodies this by encouraging flexible schedules and work-life balance, recognizing that employee satisfaction and productivity improve when people can design their work around their lives.
6. Foster Creativity Through Flexible Work Structures
Creativity is at the heart of any successful marketing agency. Natasha emphasizes that traditional 9-to-5 desk jobs don’t foster the innovation needed in the creative marketing world. Instead, agencies should support flexible work hours that align with when their team members feel most inspired.
Whether it’s brainstorming ideas during a drive or working late at night, Marr Media encourages autonomy and respect for individual work rhythms, as long as client communication remains timely and responsive.
“If you want to work from 8 PM to midnight and take the afternoon off, that’s fine. What matters is delivering great work and being available when it counts.” – Natasha Chilcott
This approach not only nurtures creativity but also supports parents and caregivers on the team, helping them balance professional and personal demands.
7. Navigate AI with a Human-Centered Approach
Artificial Intelligence is shaking up the marketing industry, but Natasha takes a nuanced stance. She distinguishes between the benefits AI offers in data analysis and operational efficiency versus the risks of over-relying on AI for creative execution.
Marr Media has a strict policy against using AI for copywriting or creative content generation, valuing real human creativity and authenticity as their key differentiators. Natasha warns that AI-generated creative work often lacks the emotional nuance and originality that clients and audiences crave.
“We don’t use AI for creative pieces or copywriting. All of our creative is done by a real person. That’s a point of differentiation for us.” – Natasha Chilcott
She also expresses concerns about the ethical implications of AI and the potential for AI to replace human jobs, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the human element in marketing.
8. Build Sales Success on Listening and Authenticity
At the core of Natasha’s sales philosophy is listening—really understanding client needs and offering solutions that are genuinely beneficial rather than pushing unnecessary services. This authenticity has helped her build trust and long-term relationships.
She advises marketing agency owners to focus on conversations, asking questions like:
- “Why are we having this conversation?”
- “What keeps you up at night about your brand’s social media?”
- “What results are you hoping to see?”
By aligning services with client goals and values—and being confident enough to say no when it’s not a good fit—agencies can build sustainable success.
“If you do the right thing by people in business, you can’t fail. The right clients will come.” – Natasha Chilcott
Natasha Chilcott’s journey and insights provide a roadmap for marketing agency owners who want to scale their businesses thoughtfully while maintaining a fulfilling family life. By blending strong sales fundamentals, value-based leadership, and a human-centered approach to creativity and technology, agencies can thrive sustainably in today’s competitive landscape.
For more inspiration and practical guidance, explore Marr Media’s work and connect with Natasha on Instagram at @marrmediagroup or visit their website at www.marrmediagroup.com.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Watch the full podcast here: How to scale your marketing agency while raising a family | Natasha Chilcott | DoneMaker Podcast
Sales experience is extremely valuable. Natasha’s journey shows that strong sales skills provide a foundation for understanding client needs, building relationships, and growing an agency. The fundamentals of sales apply across industries and can be adapted to marketing services.
Different regions have varying communication styles. For example, Australians and New Zealanders tend to be direct and straightforward, while Canadians often prioritize politeness, which can delay honest feedback. Being aware of these nuances helps tailor your approach to different markets.
Leading from within by working alongside your team fosters trust, collaboration, and problem-solving. Natasha advocates for leaders to “get in the trenches” with their teams rather than just delegating or managing from a distance.
Hiring, firing, and evaluating employees based on core values ensures cultural alignment and long-term success. Skills can be taught, but values shape behavior and teamwork, which are essential for scaling an agency.
Setting boundaries, prioritizing family time, and creating flexible work schedules are key. Natasha stresses the irreplaceable nature of early childhood moments and advises entrepreneurs to avoid sacrificing these for business growth.
