The Handbook: The Operations Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Handbook: The Operations Podcast

Scoro

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/13d. Total Eps: 60

Running a serviced based business, an agency or consultancy isn’t just about great client work. It’s about keeping everything behind the scenes running smoothly.

That’s where The Handbook comes in. Our goal? To help you take your business to the next level of business maturity.

This podcast is for operations and service-business leaders who are juggling it all – people, processes, finance, tech, and everything in between.

Every other week, we dive deep into a specific challenge that businesses face as they grow in headcount and complexity. You'll get practical insights and real-world advice from experts who’ve been there, solved the problems, and know what works.

If you’re looking for smarter ways to scale, streamline, and strengthen your business, you’re in the right place. Welcome to The Handbook community, your go-to guide for better business operations.

And don’t forget to sign up for The Handbook newsletter – we’ll send you the key takeaways from each episode straight to your inbox: scoro.com/podcast/#handbook

The Handbook: The Operations Podcast is brought to you by Scoro.

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https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook
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https://scoro.com/demo
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https://hubs.ly/Q02_XP3P0
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishkapur/
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxtraylor/
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcgWl0Rda9bHhOJTcIy8XwQ
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https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelWarkTrimlineCFO
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Score global : 72%

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How to Run Annual Planning Like a CFO (Even If You’re Not One) with Adam Cooper

Season 1 · Episode 45

Tuesday, November 11, 2025 • Duration 35:16

Most teams treat annual planning like a spreadsheet exercise.

Finance builds the numbers. Everyone else nods along. Then the plan gets filed away until next year.

But real planning isn’t about producing a static budget – it’s about creating a rhythm that connects finance, operations, and delivery all year round.

In this episode of The Handbook: The Ops Podcast, Harv sits down with Adam Cooper, founder of ACC Finance Solutions and host of The Fractional CFO Show, to unpack how finance can become your business’s operating rhythm – one that brings clarity, accountability, and foresight to every decision.

Here’s what we cover:

How to use finance as your sat nav, not your rear-view mirror
Building a monthly rhythm that links financials, KPIs, and team accountability
Creating a planning cycle that goes beyond budgets – with scenarios, reforecasts, and 3 - 5 year goals
Managing cash flow and runway with discipline (and less stress)
Why financial storytelling matters – and how it helps the whole business make smarter choices

If your annual planning still feels like a finance ritual, this episode will help you reframe it as an operating plan for the year ahead – one that helps your team navigate, adapt, and grow with confidence.

Additional Resources:

👉🏽 Follow Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfcooper/

💰 Check out ACC Finance Solutions: https://www.accfinancesolutions.com/

🎧 Listen to The Fractional CFO Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2275917/episodes

👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity

📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook

➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you.

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Ops Quickie: PSA vs ERP – Same Same...or Totally Different?

Season 1 · Episode 44

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 • Duration 01:23

Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿

So many acronyms, but what do they mean!?

This one’s for anyone wondering: what’s the difference between a PSA and an ERP? And which one does your business actually need?

Harv breaks down how both systems bring your operations together – but are built for completely different worlds.

ERPs power product-based businesses with inventory, supply chains, and manufacturing.

PSAs, like Scoro, are built for service businesses that sell time and expertise.

If you’ve ever been told you “need an ERP” – this one’s worth a listen before you sign anything.

And if you’ve got a question about ops tech, PSAs, or Scoro, drop Harv a message on LinkedIn. He might just turn it into the next Quickie.

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What 11 Acquisitions Taught Dom Hawes About M&A

Season 1 · Episode 35

Tuesday, July 29, 2025 • Duration 57:48

From the outside, M&A can seem like a clean transaction – a new parent company, a logo change, a cheerful announcement.

But inside? The reality is messier. Integration. Culture clashes. Reporting headaches. And a long list of decisions that determine whether the deal actually works.

Dom Hawes has lived both sides. After his own agency was acquired (badly), he went on to build Selbey Anderson – a marketing services group backed by private equity, designed from day one to scale through M&A.

In just 30 months, he led the acquisition of 11 agencies, growing the group to £22M in revenue. In this episode, he pulls back the curtain on how that actually happens – and what too many people get wrong.

Here’s what we dive into:

Why leadership – not just profit – is the #1 factor Dom looks for in an acquisition
The red flags that make him walk away (including founders who say “I’m not a numbers person”)
What makes integration hard – and how to avoid derailing morale
The systems decision Dom regrets – and how it made integration and reporting harder later on
How to be “sale-ready” in today’s tougher market

Whether you’re looking to sell or simply sharpen up your ops, this one’s a must-listen.

Additional Resources:

Follow Dom Hawes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominichawes/

Check out Selby Anderson: https://selbeyanderson.com/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Get the key takeaways from the podcast in your inbox. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter:

Ops Quickie: What the heck is a PSA?!

Season 1 · Episode 34

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 • Duration 02:09

New series alert: Ops Quickies — snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿

We're kicking off with a big question wrapped in The Clunkiest Acronym: what the heck is a PSA ... or professional services automation platform?

Harv explains why the name’s a problem, what this kind of platform actually does, and why service businesses need to start paying attention.

If you've got any questions about ops tech, PSAs, or Scoro, drop me a message on LinkedIn. I'd love to hear from you – and might even turn it into a mini episode.

And if you know someone who needs this explainer, forward it on and ask them to give it a listen.

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Board-Level Thinking, Sale-Ready Ops – with Sam Wood

Season 1 · Episode 33

Monday, July 7, 2025 • Duration 40:14

Your ops might be ticking along just fine.

But what if your founder got sick tomorrow? What if your top client left? What if you had to make a big decision with zero visibility on the numbers?

You might not be planning to sell your agency – but you should run it like you are.

Because when you adopt that mindset, you zoom out. You stop firefighting. You start building a business that runs without you.

This week on The Handbook, Harv sits down with Sam Wood – fractional COO and founder of consultancy Ottesu – to talk about how agencies and consultancies can apply board-level thinking without needing to set up an actual board.

Because a business that’s sale-ready is a business that’s well run.

In this episode, Sam breaks down the five areas every agency should be reviewing regularly – whether you’re building to exit or just want better control of the ship.

Here’s what we get into:

Why applying board-level thinking doesn’t mean setting up a boardroom – and how to start
How to define and operationalize strategy (it’s not just a slide in onboarding)
Why culture starts with leadership behavior (not beers and pizza)
How to build capability and resilience so your business doesn’t depend on heroics
How to reduce risk and spot gaps in capability before they break you
The one performance metric every service business should be tracking if they want to be profitable

Whether you're an ops lead or MD, this one’s packed with practical ways to futureproof your agency.

Additional Resources:

Follow Sam Wood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-wood-gaicd-9023a54a/

Check out Ottesu’s website:

The ops CHEAT CODE: One year of insights condensed with Harv Nagra

Season 1 · Episode 32

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 • Duration 32:28

Is your business growing, but it still feels messy?

This solo episode from Harv looks back at one year of The Handbook podcast, and it’s a big one. Harv recaps what he’s learned from a year of speaking with ops leaders across the agency world. He packages it all into one whirlwind tour of the five core pillars of operational maturity: people, process, tools, data, and growth.

If you’ve missed a few episodes (or want a cheat code to benchmark your agency’s ops maturity), this is your starting point. Or your reset.

Here’s what Harv dives into:

Why operational maturity, not creativity or client relationships, is the biggest differentiator for scale
What smart people practices actually look like, from efficient and effective hiring to career path frameworks
How to build a sales engine that doesn’t rely on panicked effort or founder charisma
Why a tech stack is only as good as the strategy underneath it
What it really means to be data-driven, beyond just dashboards
And what common agency growth mistakes still trip up even the most ambitious teams

Plus, you’ll hear key takeaways from guests like Manish Kapur, Karl Sakas, Preston Chandler, Jenny Plant, and many more.

Additional Resources:

Harv’s webinar on documentation & best practice here: https://youtu.be/RroxOVlSwIk
Learnings and tools from Freia Muehlenbein's 'how to pitch' episode: https://www.scoro.com/blog/how-to-pitch-a-client/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/harvnagra

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook

Are you helping or hindering your delivery team? With Galen Low

Season 1 · Episode 31

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 • Duration 48:35

Ops Leaders, are you unintentionally making life harder for your delivery team?

Galen Low, co-founder of The Digital Project Manager and host of The Digital Project Manager podcast, joins us to flip the lens, and spotlight the real impact of operational decisions from the delivery floor up.

Galen has spent years helping digital PMs thrive in chaotic environments. In this episode, he shares the signs leaders might be missing when systems break down and how to create structures that support people doing the work.

Here’s what we dive into:

How layoffs and role blending are pressuring delivery teams
The hidden cost of heroic project managers who just “make it work”
What agencies get wrong about tool rollouts (and how to fix it)
How to better onboard freelance talent
The link between trust, autonomy, and delivery excellence

Galen also offers advice on listening to your PMs, empowering teams, and building resilience into your operations, without burning people out.

And – this is part one of a two-way podcast exchange! For part two, head over to The DPM Podcast where we flip the mic and explore what it takes to build operational models that truly support delivery.

Additional Resources:

Listen to PART TWO on The Digital Project Manager podcast: https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/podcast/how-project-managers-can-thrive-in-evolving-agency-models/

The Digital Project Manager website: https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/membership/

DPM on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcgWl0Rda9bHhOJTcIy8XwQ

Strategic Ops, Unlocked: Manish Kapur’s Workshop Playbook

Season 1 · Episode 30

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 • Duration 51:29

What does it really take to operate more strategically as an agency?

Manish Kapur returns to The Handbook to help agency ops leaders shift from firefighting mode to future-focused thinking. If you’ve ever struggled to carve out time for the big picture while juggling the day-to-day, this episode is your playbook.

Harv and Manish dig into how to run fast-paced, high-impact workshops that drive meaningful change – and how to keep momentum once priorities have been decided. They also explore how ops folks can step up as strategic leaders, driving these initiatives, especially as AI is forcing agencies to become more adaptable than ever.

Here’s what we get into:

Why agencies that plan beyond month-to-month win long-term
Manish’s 7-part workshop format that delivers clarity, alignment, and action
How to navigate alignment across multiple offices and entities
The role of ops in driving, not just supporting, AI strategy
Why senior buy-in is the secret to getting big initiatives done

Whether you're leading change or nudging it along, this conversation is packed with real-world tactics to keep your agency moving forward.

Additional Resources:

Manish's workshop playbook: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/episode/strategic-ops-unlocked-manish-kapur-workshop-playbook/

Follow Manish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishkapur/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter. Sign up here: https://scoro.com/podcast/#handbook

This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

Growth Thresholds & Growing Pains with Marcel Petitpas

Season 1 · Episode 29

Tuesday, May 6, 2025 • Duration 45:38

Growth is the goal for many agencies, but as your team hits certain size thresholds, your structure, systems, and workflows can start to break down.

Marcel Petitpas, CEO of Parakeeto, has spent years helping agencies around the world clean up their operations, tighten up forecasting, and build financial systems that actually support scale.

In this episode, Marcel shares what breaks as agencies grow, and how small optimizations can make the difference between momentum and mayhem. If your team’s growing fast, but your numbers aren’t adding up, this one’s for you.

Here’s what we dive into:

The critical headcount thresholds where agency ops tend to break - and what to do at each stage
The metrics that really matter when you’re trying to scale profitably
How to build a top-down forecasting model that’s simple, fast, and actually useful
How to align your leadership team around a shared, consistent view of performance
Why data hygiene matters, and how to balance accuracy vs precision to help you make smarter, faster decisions

Marcel also breaks down the operational traps that create noise, slow growth, and kill clarity. Plus what you can do right now to lead with better insight.

Additional Resources:

Follow Marcel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelpetitpas/

Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/

Parakeeto’s Website: https://parakeeto.com/

Marcel’s Agency Profitability Toolkit: https://parakeeto.com/toolkit/?utm_source=Earned+Media&utm_medium=Podcast+Appearance&utm_campaign=Harv+Nagra

Pricing, Profitability & Predictions with Karl Sakas

Season 1 · Episode 28

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 • Duration 48:23

What if you could charge more, and keep your best clients happy?

Karl Sakas has spent over 20 years in agency operations and consulting, helping more than 600 agencies shift from reactive to strategic. In this episode, he joins us to break down why pricing isn’t just about numbers – it’s an ops play, and one that can define your agency’s future.

Here’s what we get into:
• Why time & materials pricing is on the way out, and what to do instead
• How to use “value anchoring” as a bridge to value-based pricing
• How to strategically churn clients that are holding you back
• Why you should consider raising your prices annually
• Why AI tools shouldn’t just make you faster, but more profitable too

Whether you’re raising rates, tightening up scope, or exploring performance-based models, this episode is full of sharp, practical insights to help you price smarter and scale with confidence.

📝 Articles & Blog Posts:
Karl’s Predictions for the Agency Space in 2030.

A Step by Step Approach to Raising Prices at your Agency.

How to Raise Prices – Case Study.

📚 Books by Karl Sakas
Calm the Chaos: 10 ways to run a better agency.
Work Less, Earn More: How to Escape the Daily Grind of Agency Ownership.

Additional Resources:
Karl’s Website – Sakas and Company.
Follow Karl on LinkedIn.
Follow .Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to .This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system.

The Handbook: The Operations Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Handbook: The Operations Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other65

LinkedIn45

Youtube5

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

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Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

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LinkedIn45

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