Build a Better Agency Podcast: Recent Episodes
Drew McLellan
Scale and grow your agency with better clients, invested employees, and a stronger bottom line, with Drew McLellan.
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by Anthony Reeves, Vice President of Global Brand and Creative at Kohler and former Amazon internal agency leader, to explore the vital—but often neglected—topic of embracing discomfort and making tough decisions as an agency leader. Drawing on lessons from his book, "Eat the Donkey: Why Great Companies Embrace Discomfort," Anthony Reeves reveals how formative experiences in the Australian Outback shaped his philosophy on leadership and organizational resilience.
Together, Drew McLellan and Anthony Reeves dig into the importance of organizational foundations, management principles, and company characteristics, offering a fresh perspective on why these matter more than the traditional mission, vision, and values statements. Anthony Reeves explains how agencies can distinguish themselves by being exceptional at one core thing, and how principles should function as decision-making tools at every level of the company, especially when leaders aren't in the room.
You'll also hear guidance on how agencies can strike a balance between being in an "explorer" mode versus a "static" mode, especially in today's rapidly evolving marketplace where AI and remote work are upending old ways of doing business. The discussion goes beyond theory, with practical advice on making, communicating, and living with hard decisions, plus candid reflections on creating a sense of belonging and protecting one's personal and professional foundation.
Whether you're wrestling with your agency's direction, building a culture of accountability, or looking for inspiration to navigate change, this episode is packed with wisdom and actionable strategies. By the end, you'll be ready to rethink not just how your agency operates, but how you lead and the legacy you want to create.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Embracing discomfort as a catalyst for agency growth * Defining clear foundations, principles, and characteristics for your agency * The value of making hard decisions rooted in your agency's core foundation * Why agencies should focus on being exceptional at one thing rather than doing everything * Translating principles into daily behaviors and decision-making at every level * Balancing exploration and optimization to stay relevant and innovative * Reinvigorating culture, connection, and mentorship in a remote or hybrid workplace
Welcome to an especially impactful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan takes you on a deep dive into the true nature of leadership inside agencies beyond the usual skills and techniques. Drawing from months of research and two decades of real-world experience, Drew outlines the essential leadership domains every agency owner and team member needs to master for a thriving, resilient business.
Drew breaks down a practical framework of six key leadership domains, plus a vital seventh that ties them all together. These concepts shine a light on the often invisible factors holding leaders and organizations back. He reveals how mindset, team relationships, operational systems, and authentic self-awareness drive culture, retention, and profit far more than any single technical skill. Through candid examples and clear behaviors, he explains why promoting high performers into leadership roles without a game plan is a common and costly mistake for agencies of all sizes.
Listeners will walk away with actionable advice for assessing their own gaps, building stronger leadership teams, and fostering accountability at every level. Drew offers concrete steps to cultivate self-awareness, hold tough but necessary conversations, and balance psychological safety with high standards—arming you with the tools to create a growth-driven, high-performing agency culture.
If you're ready to confront your agency's leadership dynamics head-on, this episode is a must-listen. Drew challenges owners and leaders alike to lead with love, invest in their teams, and model vulnerability—all with the goal of building agencies that are not just profitable, but truly great places to work. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap for elevating your leadership and enabling those around you to do the same.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + The six critical domains of agency leadership development + Why self-awareness and growth mindset unlock every other skill + Building psychological safety and accountability for real team retention + Bridging the gap on commercial thinking and agency economics + Operational rigor—why systems and processes are non-negotiable + The role of proactive, candid communication—internally and with clients + Embracing adaptability, experimentation, and learning agility in an era of change
Welcome to another inspiring episode of Build a Better Agency! In this episode, Jeannie Walters breaks down the real distinction between customer experience and customer service, and why treating them as the same thing keeps agencies from measuring what actually drives retention and referrals.
You'll learn how a concise CX mission statement becomes the judgment call every employee uses when things get messy, and why vague goals like "be the friendliest" never translate into real behavior change. If you've ever wondered why some brands earn fierce loyalty while others just get by, Walters explains the frameworks that separate the two.
Walters and Drew dig into the CX Strategic Success Blueprint and the CX Charter, two tools for turning customer experience from a poster on the wall into a cross-functional discipline with real accountability. They also unpack the difference between manufactured "wow" moments and genuinely reducing friction, using real examples from a utility company, a car dealership, and the pet brand Chewy to show what actually earns trust.
Whether you're trying to sharpen your own agency's client experience or help your clients think differently about theirs, this episode gives you a practical starting point. Tune in to learn how to turn customer experience into a real business strategy instead of just a nice sentiment!
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Learn the exact difference between customer experience and customer service, and why the distinction changes how agencies plan * Discover why a concise CX mission statement matters more than a lengthy list of values nobody remembers * Understand how to build a CX Strategic Success Blueprint that ties customer experience directly to revenue and expense goals * Learn how a CX Charter creates cross functional accountability so customer experience isn't treated as "a marketing thing" * Discover why reducing friction matters more than manufactured "wow" moments, and how to tell the difference * Learn how customer journey mapping uncovers friction points your team can't see from inside the org chart * Understand why agencies should weave customer experience into marketing and sales conversations, not just delivery * Learn the two changes Walters recommends every agency make to their own client experience in the next 90 days * Discover why tone matters as much as content in contracts, invoices, and other easy-to-overlook client touchpoints
Welcome to another can't-miss episode of Build a Better Agency! Drew McLellan is joined by Rita Ainsworth, a media buyer turned nervous system coach who works with agency people and performance marketers to help them recognize and reverse the slide toward burnout prevention before it costs them their health or their team.
In this episode, Ainsworth breaks down why performance doesn't actually drop during high stress, it only craters once you cross into true burnout, and why that makes burnout so easy to miss until it's severe. You'll learn the subtle early warning signs your body sends long before things get loud, from difficulty switching off after work to a creeping sense of irritability and disengagement. If you've ever wondered why your smartest, hardest working team members seem to run themselves into the ground, this conversation explains the nervous system science behind it.
Ainsworth and Drew dig into why high performers often don't feel safe when they slow down, and how that belief gets wired in long before anyone ever takes a client call. They cover practical, in-the-moment tools like orienting, breathwork, and a simple eye pressure technique that can shift your nervous system state in under a minute, plus the supplements that help replenish what chronic stress depletes.
Whether you're an agency owner quietly running on fumes, a leader trying to build a healthier culture for your team, or someone who just wants to perform at a high level without burning out doing it, this episode gives you real, usable tools. Tune in and start paying attention to what state you're actually in.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why performance doesn't drop during normal stress, and why that makes burnout so easy to miss until it's already severe * The early warning signs your nervous system sends before you hit full burnout, from irritability to disengagement to trouble sleeping * Why high performers often don't feel safe when they slow down, and where that pattern actually gets wired in * How to reconcile wanting to be generous and available for clients with protecting yourself from burnout * A simple orienting exercise you can use at your desk to shift out of a stress response in seconds * How breathing with a longer exhale calms your nervous system, and how to use it during a stressful call * A one-minute eye pressure technique (the "eye support" exercise) that can feel like a micro nap = * Which supplements help replenish what chronic stress depletes from the body * How to build a team culture that treats rest as a performance tool instead of a weakness
Get ready for an eye-opening episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, Drew McLellan is joined by the always generous and sharp Joe Pulizzi, author of "Burn the Playbook" and a longtime leader in the content marketing world. Together, they dig into some big questions facing agencies today: Why does the old way of doing things feel stale? How do you keep showing up—and standing out—when everything around you is changing at warp speed?
You'll hear Joe Pulizzi make a compelling case for "leaning into your weirdness"—that special mix of obsession, expertise, and audience that sets your agency apart. He shares why going broad just doesn't cut it anymore and how being someone's favorite—even in a narrow niche—beats trying to be liked by everyone. Drew McLellan and Joe swap ideas for digging deep into your agency's true mission, trusting your team to help tell your story, and making sure your marketing is as good as what you create for clients (yes, really!).
They dive into honest conversations about what's working, what's not, and how trust has become the secret sauce to building real, lasting relationships—especially in an AI-saturated, hyper-competitive moment. Joe also gets real about how to build your "board of life," the handful of people who support you, challenge you, and help keep you grounded as a leader.
If you're feeling the itch to shake things up—or just want some candid advice for making your agency more meaningful and resilient—this episode's for you. Walk away with a bunch of practical tips to rethink how you talk about what you do, rally your team, and create the kind of agency clients and employees can't help but trust.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Understand why the traditional content marketing model is breaking down under AI pressure and what agencies need to replace it with
- Discover how to find your agency's content tilt, the recombination of existing expertise, passion, and audience that makes you unmistakably different
- Learn why being a generalist is increasingly dangerous and what becoming somebody's absolute favorite actually means for agency findability and growth
- Find out why transparency and human vulnerability in your content build more durable trust than any feature list or capabilities deck ever could
- Understand why you should never try to build a community and what you should focus on doing instead
- Learn how to strategically assemble a board of life around you, including mentors, peers, and champions, with real intention and regular accountability
- Discover the less is more audit that helps agency owners eliminate scattered marketing efforts and double down on what actually moves the needle
- Learn why your individual employees, not your agency brand, may be your most powerful and most underleveraged marketing asset
- Get a practical starting framework for clarifying your agency's mission, cutting energy drains, and empowering your team to communicate with authority
Welcome to another can't-miss episode of Build a Better Agency! Drew McLellan sits down with Laura Lopuch, client and partner acquisition expert and creator of the WARM cold email methodology, to challenge everything you think you know about cold email outreach. If cold email is something you have written off as spammy, pushy, or simply ineffective, Lopuch has a fundamentally different approach that has already helped over 2,000 agency owners and solo service providers land high-value clients without feeling gross about it.
In this episode, Laura walks through the four-part WARM framework, welcoming, addressing what's in it for the recipient, revealing yourself as the solution, and moving the conversation forward, showing exactly how to build a cold email that reads like a real human wrote it for one specific person. You'll learn why making 75 to 80 percent of your email about the recipient is the core principle that separates cold emails that get forwarded from ones that get deleted. If you've ever wondered how to reach a prospect who has never heard of your agency and actually get a reply, Lopuch's cold email system delivers a clear and repeatable answer.
Laura and Drew dig into the tactical details that make this work in practice, from research strategies that uncover the right hook for each prospect, to subject line construction built around open loops and curiosity, to the follow-up sequence that most agency owners skip entirely. They also explore how to identify a prospect's driving motivator, the deeper goal that makes them willing to say yes before they have even finished reading your email.
Whether you're an agency owner who has never tried cold email, someone who has tried it and given up after a round of silence, or a veteran looking to systematize new business outreach, this episode will reshape the way you think about reaching out to prospects. Tune in and discover why the right cold email does not feel cold at all.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Discover the four-part WARM framework and how each element works together to create a cold email that earns real replies * Learn why making 75 to 80 percent of your email about the recipient, not yourself, is the single biggest shift that changes your results * Understand how to identify a prospect's driving motivator and tie your pitch to an existing goal they are already pursuing * Learn the research tactics that let you write personalized, relevant emails without spending hours hunting for details * Find out why "are you interested?" is the most effective call to action for high-ticket agency services * Discover the subject line approach that generates curiosity and open loops instead of getting ignored * Learn how many follow-ups to send, when to send them, and what to say to keep the conversation alive * Understand how to turn cold email into a predictable client acquisition system with clear inputs and consistent outputs * Get the open rate and reply rate benchmarks you should be hitting when the WARM method is working correctly
Welcome to another can't-miss episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan ditches the guest chair and goes solo to unpack the agency trends his team has been tracking for months, the trust shifts, the AI shake ups, and the consolidation chaos that are about to reshape how small and mid sized agencies compete over the next twelve to eighteen months.
In this episode, Drew digs into why trust has become the most valuable and most personal currency an agency owns, and why businesses, not governments or media, are now the most trusted institution on the planet. You'll learn why the giant holding company mergers happening right now are quietly creating a massive opening for privately held independent agencies, and why CMOs at consolidated firms are desperate for more attention and craft.
From there, Drew turns to the AI divide that is separating strategic agencies from production vendors, sharing real numbers on content time savings, pricing models, and why clients want smarter work, not cheaper work. He also covers why your team is staying put but quietly burning out, how account managers need to evolve into strategic advisors, and why agency trends in lead generation show more buyers finding agencies through search and AI than ever before.
Whether you're trying to decide if it's finally time to commit to a niche, rethinking your pricing model, or just trying to figure out how to keep your best people from quietly checking out, this episode hands you a clear, practical playbook for the year ahead. Don't miss this one, grab a notebook and tune in.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Discover why trust has become the most valuable, most personal currency your agency can offer clients and employees alike * Learn why massive holding company mergers are creating a rare opportunity for privately held independent agencies * Understand the real divide AI is creating between strategic agencies and production vendors, and which side pays better * Get the specific data on how AI is cutting content production time and why hourly pricing now works against you * Find out why your team is staying longer but feeling more burned out, and what they actually expect from you in return * Learn why account managers need to evolve into strategic advisors or risk becoming the most replaceable role in the agency * Discover how specialized, niched agencies are reporting profit margins 10 to 20 points higher than generalists * See the data on how prospects are finding agencies now, including the surge in AI and web search over referrals * Get a practical, step-by-step playbook for positioning your agency as a strategic partner instead of a vendor
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by seasoned project management expert Danielle McCier to shine a spotlight on one of the most critical—and sometimes underestimated—roles in any agency: project management. Together, they unpack how powerful project management isn't just about checking boxes, but about leading with clarity, protecting your agency's profit, and creating alignment across chaotic workflows.
Danielle McCier shares her unique journey from the music industry to advertising operations, offering firsthand wisdom on how project management elevates agencies beyond glorified administration. She describes the evolution of her own role, distinguishing the difference between being a task-oriented admin and a proactive leader who wrangles multiple teams, deliverables, and shifting client requests. Listeners will come away with a deeper understanding of why clear communication, defined asks, and structured processes form the backbone of any successful project—and, by extension, the agency itself.
This episode delves into actionable strategies for building trust internally, facilitating tough conversations, and managing expectations across creatives, account teams, and clients. Danielle McCier and Drew McLellan also discuss common pitfalls like assumption-driven burnout, the importance of sources of truth in organizing project details, and how systems don't stifle creativity—they enable it.
If you've ever wondered when it's time to add a project manager to your team, how to hire for the right blend of hard and soft skills, or how to truly empower your agency's engine room, this episode is packed with hard-won advice. Get ready to walk away with a renewed appreciation for project management as the unsung hero of agency growth, culture, and sustainability.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The evolving role of project management as a core agency function, not just an administrative task * How detailed communication and clear processes drive better client and internal outcomes * The critical importance of aligning expectations at every project stage * Building trust through personalized relationships and consistent, candid conversations * The project manager's influence in establishing and maintaining effective agency systems * Recognizing and addressing burnout by clarifying roles, responsibilities, and workload * Why great project managers embody leadership, emotional intelligence, and agency protection
Welcome to another can't-miss episode of Build a Better Agency! Drew McLellan hosts Noel Andrews, founder and CEO of Job Rack, for a deep dive into how AI recruitment is revolutionizing the hiring landscape. Andrews shares eye-opening insights about the dramatic changes agencies face when building teams in today's AI-powered world.
In this episode, you'll discover how Andrews and his team are adapting their vetting processes as AI tools make traditional recruitment methods obsolete. You'll learn about the shocking reality that resumes are now largely AI-optimized, making them nearly useless for evaluation. If you've ever wondered how to identify genuine talent when candidates can use AI to generate perfect interview responses in real-time, Andrews reveals the specific questioning techniques and AI recruitment strategies that separate authentic candidates from those hiding behind technology.
Andrews and Drew explore advanced tactics for evaluating AI fluency in candidates, including the critical importance of assessing judgment over technical skills. They discuss practical frameworks for writing outcome-focused job descriptions, conducting screen-sharing interviews, and probing deeper into candidates' real experiences to bypass AI-generated responses.
Whether you're hiring your first international team member, expanding your leadership team, or simply trying to navigate the complexities of modern recruitment, this episode delivers actionable strategies for success. Tune in to master the art of hiring exceptional talent in an AI-driven world!
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Discover why traditional resumes are now largely useless due to AI optimization and how to adapt your evaluation process * Learn specific interview techniques to identify when candidates are using real-time AI assistance during conversations * Master the art of outcome-based job descriptions that attract genuine talent while deterring AI-generated applications * Understand how to evaluate AI fluency in candidates without being an AI expert yourself * Explore advanced questioning strategies that bypass AI tools and reveal authentic candidate experiences * Gain insights into hiring international talent for senior-level positions including directors and department heads * Learn practical methods like screen-sharing interviews and the three-finger test to verify candidate authenticity * Understand why focusing on judgment and decision-making processes matters more than technical outputs in AI recruitment
Welcome to another episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by operations expert Trevor Foley for a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of agency operations—where profit is made or lost. With decades of experience across agency and client-side roles, Trevor Foley brings a practical, battle-tested perspective on how agencies can tighten processes, reduce chaos, and build more resilient businesses.
Together, Drew McLellan and Trevor Foley unpack why project managers and producers are the agency's unsung heroes—and biggest missed opportunity when stripped of real authority. They discuss how clarity around roles and a return to a disciplined project management structure can swiftly eliminate internal confusion, empower teams, and boost profitability. You'll hear real-world examples of how this shift allowed organizations to streamline communication, reduce revisions, and keep client relationships strong.
The conversation doesn't shy away from modern challenges, either. The duo addresses the proliferation of communication channels—a blessing and a curse—and offers actionable advice on consolidating tools and reclaiming a single source of truth within your agency. They also explore the evolving role of AI in agency life, not as a replacement for jobs, but as a means to optimize and automate tedious or repetitive tasks to let human talent flourish in strategic and creative roles.
If you're ready to cut through operational noise, empower your team, and reclaim your agency's profitability, this episode will leave you with practical strategies you can implement right away. From better briefs to smarter AI use and truly collaborative—not chaotic—workflows, you'll walk away with a playbook for building an agency that's efficient, effective, and ready for whatever comes next.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why project managers should be treated as the center spoke of operations, not traffic cops * How to eliminate the communication chaos created by multiple platforms and channels * The hidden costs of collaboration overload and how to streamline decision-making processes * Why giving project managers real authority can immediately improve workflow efficiency * How to audit your current operations to identify where time and money are bleeding * The difference between collaboration and compromise in agency workflows * Why AI amplifies existing processes rather than replacing roles in agency operations * How to establish clear lanes of communication that scale with your team * The operational frameworks that helped agencies like Lexus maintain premium standards
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This time, host Drew McLellan teams up once again with research partner Susan Baier from Audience Audit to unpack the findings from the highly anticipated 2026 Agency EDGE study. Together, they examine how AI is impacting agencies and, more importantly, the shifting expectations and priorities of agency clients in this rapidly changing landscape.
Drew and Susan discuss how clients' attitudes toward AI have evolved dramatically over the past year. Gone are the days of uncertainty and secrecy—now, clients expect agencies to be transparent about their use of AI and, even more significantly, to serve as strategic guides and governance partners in the age of automation. The conversation explores three core client segments that have emerged: strategic stewards prioritizing brand protection, adaptive accelerators seeking innovation at speed, and performance pragmatists laser-focused on measurable outcomes.
You'll hear why differentiation is more important than ever for agencies, especially as client expectations for sophisticated strategy, proactive guidance, and data-driven decision-making continue to rise. The hosts also highlight new business opportunities for agencies willing to lead on AI adoption, particularly in providing governance and integrating technology across the buyer's journey.
If you want to understand what clients truly value today—and how your agency can step up to claim a central, irreplaceable role—this episode is essential listening. Packed with actionable insights, it's a must for any agency leader eager to thrive in the AI era and beyond.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Discover the three distinct client segments that define agency value in the AI era * Learn why strategic leadership has become the top priority for agency clients * Understand how AI has shifted from experimental to table stakes in just 365 days * Master the art of challenging clients while maintaining strong relationships * Develop frameworks for positioning your agency within specific value propositions * Transform your account management approach from order-taking to strategic consultation * Create differentiation strategies that separate you from generalist competitors * Build client relationships that leverage AI while emphasizing human insight * Implement governance strategies that protect brands while embracing innovation
Welcome to a pivotal solo episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan takes listeners on an honest and insightful journey through the real work of agency leadership, exploring the mental and emotional shifts required to move from talented employee or manager to confident agency owner.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience and candid stories from agency owners nationwide, Drew unpacks the identity shift every leader must make—from seeking permission and sticking to their craft, to taking full, radical responsibility for the outcome of their business. You'll hear powerful confessions from new owners as they share those "aha" moments when the weight of ownership finally hit home, from financial scares to difficult personnel decisions.
This episode tackles three essential lenses that shape the growth of agency leaders: developing a growth mindset (inspired by Carol Dweck), evolving from technician to true entrepreneur (with a nod to Michael Gerber's E-Myth), and embracing an ownership mentality as described by Carrie Siggins' "Ownership Mindset." Drew provides actionable advice on shifting beliefs that hold leaders back, such as hesitancy around finances, reluctance to delegate, and resistance to uncomfortable decisions.
Whether you're a new or soon-to-be owner, an emerging leader, or a veteran still wrestling with self-doubt, this episode is packed with practical steps, introspective challenges, and resources to help you own your power and build an agency you're truly proud of. Don't miss this empowering discussion.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Understand why the identity shift from employee to owner is the hardest part of the transition * Learn the three critical lenses for developing an ownership mindset: growth mindset, role clarity, and responsibility ownership * Discover the common triggers that make ownership feel real for most agency leaders * Recognize why true leaders act like owners long before they own equity in the business * Understand the difference between collaboration and abdication in leadership decisions * Learn how to move from execution-focused to strategy-focused thinking as an owner * Gain insights from real owner confessions about pivotal moments of realization * Understand why financial literacy becomes critical when you truly own the outcomes * Discover how accepting responsibility also grants you permission to change what's broken
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with executive business coach Trevor McGregor to tackle one of the most critical and persistent challenges agency owners face: scaling their business. Drawing from his expansive coaching experience and background working alongside leaders like Tony Robbins, Trevor McGregor unpacks the most common barriers that keep agencies from moving beyond their current stage and achieving true growth.
Together, Drew McLellan and Trevor McGregor dig into the real reasons agency owners frequently find themselves stuck—covering everything from limiting beliefs and lack of vision to poor systems, time management struggles, and the all-important execution gap. Trevor McGregor draws on decades of coaching and shares his "five reasons agencies fail to scale," as well as actionable advice around improving your mindset, building better systems, and elevating your standards as a leader. You'll also hear practical strategies like conducting a personal time audit, leveraging the "four S's" (state, story, standards, and strategy), and working through resistance to delegation and process-building.
The conversation also highlights the deeper "why" behind leading an agency—not just in terms of revenue or staff size, but the impact you have on clients, employees, and your own life. Drew McLellan and Trevor McGregor stress the importance of reconnecting with your passion and leveraging accountability—whether through peer groups or coaching—to move from ideas into tangible results. Real-life anecdotes, references to industry reinvention (including the impact of AI), and honest advice about sustaining momentum keep this discussion engaging and relevant.
Don't miss this episode if you're committed to breaking through your current plateau and building not just a bigger, but a better, more impactful agency. By the end, you'll leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a roadmap for taking practical steps toward growth—plus a heartfelt reminder of why you chose this path in the first place.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn * Identify the 5 universal barriers that prevent agency scaling regardless of business size or experience level * Transform limiting beliefs about failure, criticism, and worthiness into fuel for breakthrough growth * Create strategic plans that work in rapidly changing markets without needing to see the entire roadmap * Build systems for support that leverage your zone of genius while delegating everything else * Apply the law of polarity to flip fear-based thinking into opportunity-focused action * Navigate perpetual change as a competitive advantage rather than a threat to stability * Develop the psychology of success that separates scaling agencies from struggling ones * Use failure as feedback to accelerate growth rather than evidence to quit or retreat
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! Host Drew McLellan is joined by agency owner and automation enthusiast Caitlin Studdy for a deep dive into the world of AI-driven automations—an essential, but often underutilized, tool for agencies looking to boost efficiency, profitability, and team satisfaction.
In this episode, Caitlin Studdy recounts her journey from agency founder to automation "nerd," sharing how necessity and a passion for problem-solving led her to streamline countless repetitive tasks using tools like Zapier, ChatGPT, and more. Whether she's automating social posts, onboarding clients, or implementing AI-powered hiring bots, Caitlin Studdy reveals how each automation not only saves time, but also reclaims valuable brain space for higher-level creative and strategic work.
The conversation is packed with actionable insights—from identifying automation opportunities in everyday agency operations to building simple "grilled cheese" workflows that anyone can try. Drew McLellan and Caitlin Studdy also explore the evolving landscape of AI technology, discussing how new capabilities are opening doors previously closed to small and mid-sized agencies.
If you're ready to tackle inefficiency head-on, empower your team to work smarter (not harder), and get inspired by real-world examples of automation in action, this episode is a must-listen. By the end, you'll view your agency's processes with a fresh perspective—and be eager to experiment with automations that can transform your business for good.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn * How to identify which repetitive tasks in your agency are prime candidates for automation * The step-by-step process for building your first agency automations using beginner-friendly tools like Zapier * Why starting with simple two-step automations leads to better long-term success than complex workflows * How AI integration has expanded automation possibilities beyond basic task scheduling to intelligent decision-making * The communication strategies needed to get team buy-in when implementing automated systems * Which types of agency tasks should remain human-driven versus automated for optimal results * How to build automated hiring systems that score candidates and send follow-up questionnaires * The surprising ways agency automations improve client service and reduce dropped balls * Real examples from 500+ automations including client meeting prep, social media management, and billing workflows
Welcome to another episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with virtual event expert Kevin Sanderson to unravel the secrets behind leveraging online summits to grow your agency—and your client's business. With over 30 virtual summits under his belt, Kevin Sanderson brings his firsthand knowledge of creating, marketing, and monetizing virtual events, making this episode a must-listen for agency owners seeking innovative ways to expand their reach.
Kevin Sanderson walks listeners through the different types of online events, from single-presenter webinars and dynamic panels to robust, multi-day virtual summits. He reveals how bringing together subject matter experts not only delivers value-packed content for attendees, but also allows hosts to tap into new audiences by leveraging each speaker's network. Along the way, Drew McLellan and Kevin Sanderson dig into practical event logistics, the importance of aligning with the right speakers, and strategies for ensuring that your virtual events rise above the saturated online landscape.
The conversation doesn't stop at planning. Kevin Sanderson shares actionable insights about various revenue models, from free registration with VIP upgrades to boosting value through digital bonuses, and the critical role of post-event nurturing in building long-term relationships and clients. You'll also hear guidance on pricing these services for your agency or clients, plus essential lessons learned so you can sidestep the common pitfalls of virtual event planning.
If you're looking for creative ways to build authority, grow a targeted list, or even add new service offerings for your agency clients, this episode is packed with real-world tactics and inspiration. By the end, you'll be ready to rethink how virtual events can become a high-impact tool in your agency's growth arsenal.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn * How to structure virtual summits with 15-20 speakers for maximum impact and manageable coordination * Why email promotion from speakers dramatically outperforms social media for driving event registrations * The revenue model that combines free registration with strategic upsells to VIP access passes * How charging even a nominal fee ($5-$10) increases attendee engagement by 2.5-3x compared to free events * The follow-up system that generated $99,000 in monthly recurring revenue through strategic webinar funnels * Why virtual summits open more collaboration doors than traditional networking approaches * How to leverage speaker partnerships to access audiences you couldn't reach through paid advertising * The key criteria for selecting speakers who will both deliver value and actively promote your event * How agencies can package virtual summit services for clients in specific industries or niches
Welcome to a new episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, Drew McLellan invites Yoni Kozminski, CEO and co-founder of Escala, for a candid and transparent discussion that takes you behind the scenes of agency operations, scalability, and owner independence. Drew opens up about AMI's own journey towards better systems and processes, and together, they explore what it really takes to future-proof an agency so it can thrive through to 2030 and beyond.
In this episode, you'll hear Yoni Kozminski break down why most agency owners unintentionally become the biggest bottleneck in their own business. He shares his perspective as a "recovering agency guy" and reveals Escala's proven framework for assessing agency maturity and organizational health. Drew and Yoni walk listeners through the critical stages Escala uses to help agencies transform: assessment, design, and implementation, all aimed at making your agency less dependent on you—and more profitable.
The pair dig deep into the practical realities of creating lasting change, from tackling tribal knowledge and heroics to putting real systems in place that reduce owner burnout. They'll discuss concrete strategies for documenting processes, measuring owner involvement, and empowering team members at every level. Plus, Drew shares firsthand what it's like to face a "ruthless assessment" of your agency's internal operations—and how that clarity is a gamechanger for growth. If you're ready to move past hustle and improvisation toward an agency that runs smoothly without you, this episode is your roadmap. Don't miss the honest conversation and actionable takeaways, along with special resources designed to help you start your own agency self-diagnosis. Dive in and start building a business that lets you make a bigger impact—without being trapped in the day-to-day.
What You Will Learn * How to assess your agency's true dependence on you using the 1-5 maturity scale * Why the Build-Manage-Execute index reveals where owners get stuck in the wrong activities * The top-down methodology for creating systems that actually scale your operations * How to identify and eliminate tribal knowledge that creates operational bottlenecks * Why validation sessions with cross-functional teams reveal hidden process breakdowns * The framework for transitioning from heroic execution to strategic visioning * How to build offshore capabilities that multiply your onshore team's effectiveness * Why agencies must shift from owner-centric to metrics-driven decision making * The assessment process that reveals exactly where your scaling gaps exist
Welcome to another energizing solo episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan draws on his 25+ years of agency experience to deliver both a rallying cry and a clear-eyed reality check for independent agency owners: the chaos swirling around AI, consolidation, and economic uncertainty isn't the threat it appears to be — it's an invitation. For owners who are willing to evolve, this may be the best decade in history to run an independent agency.
Diving deep into the macro forces reshaping the industry, Drew McLellan unpacks the five trends that every agency owner needs to understand right now — from the collapse of institutional trust landing squarely in your lap, to the cracks forming inside the big holding company networks, to the seismic shift in how clients find and hire agencies. He shares data from AMI's own 2026 Agency Edge Research alongside findings from the Edelman Trust Barometer, painting a compelling picture of why independent, niche, founder-led boutiques are uniquely positioned to thrive while the giants stumble.
Beyond the trends, Drew maps out five concrete opportunities your agency can pursue in the next three to ten years — from repositioning as a strategic advisor rather than a vendor, to monetizing AI the right way, to riding the in-house reversal as brands unwind internal teams they can no longer sustain. You'll hear real data on what's happening to AGI per FTE, why generalist agencies are losing ground, and what the consulting world can teach us about where agency revenue is headed next.
If you're tired of feeling anxious about the future and ready to see the opportunity hiding inside the uncertainty, this episode is essential listening. Whether or not you make it to the Build a Better Agency Summit in May, Drew McLellan's guidance will challenge you to stop waiting for the dust to settle — and start building the agency you actually want to own.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why this is the best decade to own an independent agency for those willing to evolve their business model * How consolidation among holding companies creates lucrative opportunities in the neglected middle market segment * Five major opportunities that will define successful agencies over the next decade * Why AI adoption gives small shops the sophistication level that previously required holding company resources * How to transform from vendor relationships into strategic advisor partnerships that command premium pricing * The specialization imperative that delivers 10-20% higher margins than generalist agencies * Why your agency is positioned as the most trusted entity in the new economy * How to monetize AI properly by focusing on outcomes rather than tool usage * The workforce evolution requiring fewer FTEs but more strategic value creation
Welcome to another episode of Build a Better Agency! Host Drew McLellan sits down with Emily Thompson, marketing manager at CoSchedule, to unpack the just-released AI Impact 2026 research study. With 900 respondents spanning every industry, company size, and marketing level, this is one of the most comprehensive looks at how marketers are actually using AI today and what they plan to prioritize in the year ahead.
Despite reporting declining ROI across every major channel in 2025, a striking 79% of marketers say AI positively impacted their performance, and yet only 3% consider themselves AI experts. Emily and Drew dig into what that gap means for agencies, why owned channels like organic search and email are taking the biggest hits, and why the oversaturation of AI-generated AI research content is actually one of the strongest arguments for what agencies do best. The data is full of contradictions that agencies are uniquely positioned to help clients untangle.
From the surprising stat that 53% of marketers now use AI tools (not Google) as their primary source of information discovery, to the finding that AI research shows humans still own strategy, this episode is a masterclass in reading the room on behalf of your clients. If you want to know where the real agency opportunity lives in 2026, this conversation is where to start.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn * Why 79% of marketers feel positively about AI even as ROI declines across every channel * What the AI research data reveals about how marketers are actually using AI in 2026 vs. 2025 * Why only 3% of marketers consider themselves AI experts and what that means for agency opportunity * Which channels are declining most and why owned media is taking the biggest hit * Why lead generation is the top 2026 priority and why marketers channel choices do not yet match that goal * How 53% of marketers now rely on AI tools over Google for information discovery * Why differentiation (not AI adoption alone) will determine agency success in a saturated market * What it means to be your clients AI Sherpa and how to position that as a core offering
Welcome to another dynamic episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes longtime industry innovator John Hall to unpack the growth trends that will shape agencies in 2026 and beyond. Drawing from years of agency leadership, investment experience, and countless conversations with top entrepreneurs, John brings a bold perspective on where agency leaders should aim their focus if they want to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
Together, Drew and John tackle the hot topic of generative AI, demystifying its impact on agency visibility, lead generation, and the fundamental ways agencies can leverage automation for both their own business and their clients. John shares eye-opening examples, including what agencies can do right now to secure high-converting leads and why specificity is key to standing out in tools like ChatGPT and Gemini.
But the conversation doesn't stop at AI. Drew and John highlight why innovation must extend beyond technology, sharing stories of niche breakthroughs and encouraging agency leaders to look for opportunities in unexpected, even analog, places. They also explore the rising power of industry communities—how authentic relationships and collaborative networks not only drive business success, but also support your mental health in turbulent times.
Rounding out the episode, John details the rising value of niche expertise, financing innovations, and first-party data, showing how these trends intersect to give agencies of all sizes a serious advantage. Whether you're chasing new revenue streams, looking to future-proof your agency, or simply seeking the inspiration needed to embrace change, you'll walk away with actionable strategies and renewed excitement for what's ahead.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn * Leveraging generative AI and automation for agency visibility and high-quality lead generation * The critical importance of niche specialization for sustained growth and higher conversions * Balancing innovation in AI with opportunities in non-digital and analog solutions * The rising value of intentional collaboration and building strong agency communities * Harnessing data and new technologies to provide clients with unrivaled insights and opportunities * Adapting agency structures and offerings to stay ahead of industry disruption * Prioritizing proactive relationship building for business growth and mental well-being
Welcome to the latest episode of Build a Better Agency! Host Drew McLellan is joined by the powerhouse team of Robin Boehler and Stephen Boehler from Mercer Island Group for an eye-opening discussion about their new book, "It's Not About You: Winning New Business in a Crowded Agency World." With decades spent guiding both agencies and clients through the agency selection process, Robin and Stephen bring unique insider perspectives to today's conversation—perspectives that just might change the way you approach your next pitch.
Together, they unpack the central theme of their book: if you want to win more business, you need to shift the focus away from your agency and make everything—from your website to your presentations—about your client. Robin Boehler and Stephen Boehler share actionable strategies to help agency leaders stop making unforced errors and instead become meaningfully distinctive in the eyes of prospects. You'll hear about the importance of client-centric positioning, the dangers of blending into the "sea of sameness," and the necessity of moving beyond generic self-promotion to create memorable, prospect-friendly experiences.
This episode also addresses the realities of today's competitive agency landscape, including evolving pitch dynamics, trends in client searches (hint: AI is changing how clients find agencies), and why strategic selectivity matters more than ever. Drew McLellan and his guests discuss practical steps for identifying your ideal client, structuring intentional engagement models, and preparing your team to walk the talk during high-stakes presentations. You'll also get advice on sequencing improvements and leveraging the book as a hands-on field guide—whether you're tackling a website overhaul or prepping for your next big RFI.
Don't miss this episode if you're an agency leader looking to stand out with purpose, win the business that's right for your team, and build lasting client relationships. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap for transforming your agency's pitch process, internal culture, and outward brand—and a fresh sense of optimism about thriving in the years ahead.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn
- Shifting from agency-centric to client-centric thinking
- Standing out in a crowded agency market through distinctiveness
- Making intentional decisions about client fit and engagement models
- Avoiding unforced errors in new business pursuits
- Preparing agency teams to authentically present and connect with clients
- Embracing strategy and human insight in an AI-driven landscape
- Building lasting client relationships through deliberate and thoughtful approaches
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by talent acquisition expert Kat Duncan for a deep dive into the ever-evolving art and science of hiring in today's agency world. If attracting and retaining top talent has ever felt daunting, you're in the right place—Kat Duncan brings over two decades of recruiting experience and actionable advice for agency leaders looking to build standout teams.
Together, Drew McLellan and Kat Duncan explore the common hiring pitfalls many agency owners face, from relying solely on resumes and "been there, done that" experience to underestimating the real costs of a bad hire. Kat Duncan sheds light on the critical distinctions between HR and talent acquisition, explains why every hire is a sales pitch (on both sides!), and shares insights into what makes recruitment so complex—and rewarding—for creative businesses.
You'll hear practical strategies for systemizing your hiring process, establishing efficient feedback loops, and fostering a candidate experience that enhances your agency's reputation, not damages it. The pair also address emotional blind spots in the process: What happens when candidates feel ghosted? How do you protect your agency's brand during interviews? And why should you look for a "culture add" instead of just a culture fit?
Don't miss this candid discussion if you're hiring now—or know you will be soon. By the end, you'll know how to avoid common mistakes, shorten your hiring timeline, and create an interview experience that attracts the very best talent. With Kat Duncan's tips and Drew McLellan's signature practical approach, you'll be ready to transform your next hire from a roll of the dice to a strategic win for your agency.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
- Why recruiting is more than just HR: understanding the critical distinction for agencies
- The dangers of a disorganized hiring process and the impact of poor candidate communication
- Why agencies should prioritize proactive, systematic feedback during recruitment
- The value of hiring for potential and culture add—not just resume or industry background
- Building a consistent, respectful, and efficient interview system for long-term reputation
- Why a great hire is about mutual enthusiasm—not just technical skill matches
- The increasing importance of every team member as agencies run leaner, smarter, and more efficiently
Welcome to another insightful solo episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan draws on his 25+ years of agency experience to tackle a game-changing reality for agency owners: the ways buyers find, vet, and select agencies have shifted—and your approach needs to shift too. Based on the latest industry research and buyer behavior data, this episode serves as both a wake-up call and a practical roadmap, ensuring your agency is "future-proofed" for today's—and tomorrow's—client expectations.
Diving deep into what really happens before an RFP hits your inbox, Drew McLellan reveals that the majority of buying decisions are made before agencies ever take the stage for a pitch. He shares eye-opening statistics—like Forrester's finding that 92% of B2B buyers have a preferred vendor before the pitch even starts—and illustrates why visibility, authority, and trust are now your most important assets. Listeners will discover why authority-building and relationship nurturing trump old-school charm, and why consistent, outcome-focused content is now essential for remaining discoverable in both human and algorithm-driven searches.
Beyond theory, Drew McLellan provides a series of targeted, actionable "homework assignments" you can start right away, from the "5-minute stranger test" to case study revamps and trust broker mapping. You'll learn how to make your agency's value instantly obvious and compelling across every digital touchpoint—website, LinkedIn, third-party mentions—while cultivating the patterns of social proof and authority that today's buyers demand. Drew also explains how algorithms and AI tools are shaping client shortlists, and why crafting machine-readable, buyer-friendly positioning is now non-negotiable.
If you're ready to break old sales habits, update your growth strategies, and implement repeatable steps to increase your agency's desirability, this episode is a can't-miss. Whether or not you attend the Build a Better Agency Summit, Drew McLellan's guidance will challenge you to rethink your approach and take meaningful action toward winning the clients of the future.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How today's agency buyers make decisions long before the pitch * The growing impact of authority, visibility, and trust in landing new clients * Future-proofing your agency for AI-driven and algorithm-shaped discovery * The four pillars every agency must communicate: clarity, evidence, social proof, and humanity * Why building consistent, outcome-focused case studies is non-negotiable * The importance of nurturing trust brokers and relationships across your industry * Actionable homework to ensure your agency is findable and desirable to the future buyer
Welcome to another episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan dives into the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and its game-changing implications for agency owners. Joining him is Julian Goldie, an innovative SEO agency owner and AI authority who has reimagined his business by harnessing the power of automation. Together, they demystify AI's practical applications, offering grounded advice for agencies eager not to fall behind in the age of automation.
In this insightful conversation, Julian Goldie recounts how the emergence of tools like ChatGPT prompted him to reinvent his agency from the inside out. He shares real-world examples of leveraging AI for operational efficiency—including automating repetitive outreach tasks, cutting costs, and scaling revenue without increasing headcount. You'll hear how identifying high-impact areas for automation can transform daily workflows and free up your team to focus on the strategies that matter most.
Drew McLellan and Julian Goldie discuss the overwhelming variety of AI tools on the market and outline how to strategically narrow down your agency's tech stack. You'll get tangible tips for evaluating and adopting automations, maintaining quality control, and sidestepping common pitfalls many organizations face when deploying AI. Plus, Julian reveals his "three-tool AI stack" essential for any modern agency, and shares strategies for using AI not just to save time, but to generate new revenue streams and position yourself as an industry thought leader.
Whether you're just beginning to experiment with AI or are looking to deepen your automation game, this episode is packed with actionable insights. By the end, you'll have concrete steps for auditing your workflow, selecting the right tools, and leading your clients confidently into the future of AI-powered marketing. Don't miss this practical roadmap to building a smarter, more scalable, and future-ready agency.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Leveraging AI to automate high-impact agency tasks + Building value through workflow automation, not just content creation + Simplifying your AI tech stack for profit and efficiency + The critical role of quality control with AI-powered outputs + Using AI-driven communities and content for client acquisition + Mindful adoption: focusing on one key automation at a time + Positioning your agency as a thought leader by documenting and sharing your AI journey
Welcome to another episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with agency owner and behavioral science expert Nancy Harhut to unlock the hidden forces behind human decision-making—and how they impact your agency's marketing success. Drawing on her years of experience and her deep dive into the psychology of persuasion, Nancy brings a fresh perspective on why people do what they do—and how marketers can ethically harness those instincts to drive action.
In this episode, Nancy breaks down the fundamentals of behavioral science, emphasizing the powerful shortcuts our brains take when making decisions. Together, Drew and Nancy explore concepts like autonomy bias, social proof, and left-digit pricing, providing practical strategies for agencies to leverage these psychological triggers in everything from copywriting to pricing models. Whether it's using testimonials the right way, framing choices to nudge conversions, or tapping into the subtle cues that build trust, Nancy's real-world examples and research-backed tips are sure to spark new ideas.
They also tackle the big question of technology's role in the age of AI—exploring how artificial intelligence can support (but not replace) the human art of persuasion. Plus, they discuss how behavioral science applies across both B2B and B2C spaces, and offer actionable advice for getting clients on board with a more psychologically informed approach to marketing.
If you're ready to move beyond generic messaging and start connecting with your audience on a deeper, more instinctive level, this episode is a must-listen. By the end, you'll have a toolkit of proven tactics you can apply to your agency's work immediately—boosting engagement, persuasion, and results for both you and your clients.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Defining behavioral science and its impact on marketing
- The role of decision-making shortcuts in human behavior
- Leveraging autonomy bias and providing choices to increase engagement
- Harnessing the power (and pitfalls) of social proof and testimonials
- Overcoming buying barriers by identifying "why-not" reasons
- Applying behavioral science tactics to pricing and perception
- Using reasoned explanations ("because") to boost compliance and sales
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by returning guest Noel Andrews, the founder of JobRack, to explore a dynamic trend that's reshaping the way agencies build and cultivate their teams. Together, they dive into the growing movement of hiring full-time international team members from regions like Eastern Europe and South Africa—and the significant impact this is having on agency culture, client results, and operational efficiency.
Noel Andrews lends his expertise as an offshore hiring specialist, clarifying common misconceptions about international talent and revealing why more agencies are opting for highly skilled, long-term team members abroad instead of just local hires or gig-based freelancers. He shares firsthand accounts from agency leaders who have been pleasantly surprised by both the technical expertise and the positive, collaborative attitudes these global professionals bring to the table. The discussion expands into how international team members can raise the bar for everyone, shifting mindsets and work habits for the better company-wide.
The conversation doesn't stop at hiring practices. Drew McLellan and Noel Andrews unpack actionable strategies for fostering strong agency culture, even within remote and hybrid setups. From the value of clear communication and setting high standards to intentionally building connections among geographically dispersed teammates, you'll get practical tips for making everyone feel like a real part of the team—no matter where they're located. They also dig into how AI and automation are influencing agency roles, why clarity is more crucial than ever, and how proactive leadership can remove day-to-day roadblocks so every team member can operate at their best.
Whether you're considering expanding your team internationally or simply looking to boost engagement and performance within your distributed agency, this episode is packed with real-world advice and inspiration. Tune in to discover how making small, intentional tweaks—rooted in clarity, culture, and high expectations—can set your agency up for a standout year ahead.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The rise of hiring full-time international team members for agencies
- Shifting perceptions around the skill and impact of offshore talent
- How remote and hybrid teams can intentionally build and maintain strong agency culture
- The crucial role of clarity in expectations, communication, and goal-setting
- Removing barriers and empowering teams to operate at their highest level
- Leveraging AI and automation without losing the human touch
- The value of high standards and small, consistent actions for agency success
Welcome to another impactful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with AI strategist and data tinkerer Cade Dannels to demystify the true potential of artificial intelligence for agencies. If you're tired of hearing the same surface-level conversations about AI writing blog posts, buckle up—this conversation digs deeper. Drew McLellan and Cade Dannels break down how agencies can move beyond basic content generation and leverage AI for operational excellence, lead generation, and creating scalable efficiencies that truly impact the bottom line.
Cade Dannels shares his journey from automation enthusiast to agency consultant and reveals the untapped goldmine lurking in most agencies: mountains of unstructured data, from transcripts to emails to proposals. You'll learn practical strategies for onboarding AI as you would a new employee, structuring your agency's unique frameworks into these systems, and using time-tracking to identify tasks ready for automation. The episode also covers step-by-step DIY approaches agencies can start today—no massive tech team or budget required.
Together, Drew McLellan and Cade Dannels unpack the real-world process of using AI for smarter lead qualification, nurturing, and personalized outreach—without losing that human touch. They address common concerns about errors, model selection, and how to experiment meaningfully as you climb the AI learning curve. You'll also hear creative ways to motivate team engagement and discover actionable prompts and experiments you can implement immediately.
Don't miss this episode if you're ready to stop dabbling in AI and start harnessing its full agency-transforming power. Whether you're an agency owner taking your first experimental steps or already integrating AI but unsure where to go next, this conversation will help you confidently build a roadmap for impactful, ongoing innovation.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Rethinking agency AI: beyond content creation to business operations
- Experimentation as the foundation for AI success in agencies
- Leveraging your agency's unique data and frameworks to unlock AI's full potential
- Practical lead generation automation with AI—sourcing, qualifying, and nurturing prospects
- The importance of "onboarding" AI like a new team member for better, more relevant outputs
- Humanizing AI-driven outreach through strategic inputs and oversight
- Start small, experiment broadly, and engage your whole team in AI discovery
Welcome to a powerful solo episode of Build a Better Agency! In this installment, host Drew McLellan takes a deep dive into one of the most urgent and consequential topics facing agencies today: the vital importance of ongoing professional development. Drawing from decades of experience and the latest industry data, Drew McLellan lays out a compelling case for why investing in your team's growth is no longer a "nice to have"—it's a must-have for agency survival in the coming years.
Throughout the episode, Drew McLellan connects the dots between employee retention, profitability, and developing future-ready skills, emphasizing how the talent landscape is shifting faster than ever before. With alarming stats showing that over 90% of employees would stay longer with employers who invest in their career development, he argues that the biggest threat to agencies isn't just AI or industry consolidation—it's failing to keep your people learning, engaged, and prepared for new demands.
Listeners will walk away with concrete strategies for building a culture of learning within their agencies. Drew McLellan shares actionable steps: from creating a realistic professional development budget, conducting a skills gap assessment, and designing meaningful learning experiences, to the critical role of leadership in modeling a learning mindset. He also addresses common objections, like the fear that trained employees might leave, and flips the paradigm—demonstrating that investing in growth is actually the best insurance against turnover and burnout.
If you want to protect your margins, retain your best talent, and lead a team that can outpace industry change, this episode is essential listening. Tune in for data-backed advice, tough truths, and a practical roadmap to becoming an agency where people join—and stay—because they know their growth matters.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + The critical role of professional development in agency growth + Why investing in employee learning boosts retention and profitability + The ROI of upskilling versus the true cost of turnover + How to build a culture of continuous learning and accountability + Prioritizing skills for the future: AI fluency, data literacy, and business acumen + Combatting burnout with smarter, not just harder, work + Simple steps to launch an impactful development program today
Welcome to the latest episode of Build a Better Agency! Host Drew McLellan is joined by talent strategy expert John Arnold to tackle one of the most critical and timely challenges facing agency owners today: hiring, retaining, and managing the right people in the ever-evolving agency landscape. As AI and technology shift agency workflows, Drew McLellan sets the stage for a refreshing conversation about why the human element is more important now than ever.
John Arnold, co-owner of Celerity—a firm that was itself born from agency roots—brings decades of experience in staffing, executive search, and talent advising. Together, they explore the seismic changes agencies have faced in team structure, from the rise of remote work and fractional contracts to the increasing responsibility placed on each team member. John Arnold shares actionable strategies for navigating this new reality, including how tools like Predictive Index and other personality assessments are transforming agency hiring decisions. You'll learn why understanding your own leadership style is just as important as knowing what you're looking for in a new hire.
This episode digs into practical frameworks for the ideal interview process, tips for avoiding common hiring pitfalls, and ways to structure assessments and team interviews to ensure long-term fit. John Arnold also reveals the personality traits and behaviors that signal an exceptional agency employee, while offering candid advice for managing generational divides and work-life balance in today's workforce. The conversation doesn't shy away from tough topics: Drew McLellan and John Arnold discuss red flags, deal-breakers, and why agency leaders must be upfront with candidates from the very start.
If you're ready to strengthen your agency's team, enhance your understanding of talent, and embrace data-driven hiring, this episode delivers the insights you need. By the end, you'll have the tools—and the confidence—to build a stronger, more resilient agency culture. Don't miss this invaluable deep dive into what it takes to recruit, retain, and inspire top talent in today's dynamic agency world!
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The critical role of data in modern agency hiring
- Balancing gut instinct with science for better hiring outcomes
- Structuring a successful multi-step interview process
- Why curiosity and accountability matter in agency talent
- Navigating generational shifts in work/life balance expectations
- The evolving landscape of remote and hybrid work in agencies
- Preparing for the future: leveraging AI and assessments to predict job fit
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by legendary cartoonist and marketer Tom Fishburne, best known for his "Marketoonist" series that has humorously and astutely captured the nuances of agency life for over two decades. If you've ever laughed (or cringed) at a cartoon that perfectly depicts a creative brief gone wrong or the infamous "shiny object syndrome" in marketing, there's a good chance it was one of Tom's.
In this fast-paced conversation, Drew McLellan and Tom Fishburne explore the enduring themes and challenges of agency culture, creativity, and client relationships, using Tom's cartoons as a lens for the ever-evolving world of marketing. Tom shares how his unique background on both the agency and client sides has shaped his perspective and provided endless inspiration. He opens up about his creative process, how stepping back for "analog thinking" allows him to push past predictable ideas, and why intentional humor can break down barriers and foster connection inside agencies and with clients.
Listeners will also hear fresh insights on the changing role of data and AI in the industry, and how agencies can stand out by marrying "analog intelligence" with digital tools—without losing the essential human touch. Drew McLellan and Tom Fishburne discuss why so much work is met with indifference, the importance of a well-crafted creative brief, and the power of dedicating time to unstructured thinking, even in today's deadline-driven environments.
Whether you're a fan of Tom's cartoons or new to his work, this episode will inspire you to reframe how you approach creativity and culture in your agency. You'll walk away with practical homework on integrating humor, empathy, and analog thinking into your agency's DNA—fueling better work, stronger teams, and more memorable client relationships. Don't miss this blend of wit, wisdom, and actionable advice for building a truly distinctive agency.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Bringing humor and humanity into agency work
- The evolving relationship between agencies and clients
- Why creative briefs often go wrong—and how to fix them
- Using analog thinking to spark creativity and originality
- Avoiding indifference by moving beyond data-driven sameness
- Balancing AI tools with the irreplaceable value of human insight
- Creating space for deep, focused thinking in a fast-paced industry
Welcome to another compelling episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with special guest Brett Farmiloe, a former agency owner turned SaaS entrepreneur, to unpack the evolving world of PR and media in the age of AI. Together, they dive into the complexities and opportunities that the rapid adoption of AI presents for agencies, especially those aiming to maintain authentic, high-value relationships with journalists and media outlets.
In this insightful conversation, Brett Farmiloe shares the unique vantage point gained from his time building and selling a marketing agency, now channeled into his role as the founder and CEO of Featured.com and the current owner of the iconic HARO (Help a Reporter Out) platform. He reveals how both tools are being reimagined to adapt to today's media demands—where automation intersects with the irreplaceable value of human expertise. Agencies will gain an inside look at how AI is reshaping the process of matching experts with media opportunities, the crucial role of maintaining human oversight, and strategies for keeping quality and trust at the forefront in a flood of AI-generated content.
Throughout the episode, Drew McLellan and Brett Farmiloe tackle the questions on every agency leader's mind: How can we use AI as an asset, not a crutch? What do journalists expect from agency sources in a world where the line between authentic insight and machine-generated text is increasingly blurred? And what are the best practices for pitching and building real relationships in this new landscape? You'll hear practical strategies, real-world examples, and honest perspectives on keeping your agency—and your clients—ahead of the curve.
Don't miss this episode if you're ready to rethink PR for your agency, streamline your workflows with SaaS-inspired thinking, and learn how to create more value for your clients in a changing media environment. With actionable takeaways on automation, self-service value, and trust building, this discussion is packed with ideas to help you future-proof your agency's PR and client service strategies.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- How AI is reshaping PR and media relations for agencies
- The ongoing importance of human expertise in "human-in-the-loop" PR
- Maintaining trust and quality when using AI-generated pitches
- Reviving and modernizing HARO to better connect journalists and sources
- What agencies can learn from SaaS to increase efficiency and value
- How journalists are adapting to AI, multiple income streams, and new media channels
- New opportunities for agencies in proactive PR and as AI consultants for clients
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan tackles the critical—yet often underestimated—legal side of agency mergers and acquisitions. Joined by agency law specialist Sharon Toerek, Drew explores all the ways agencies can better prepare for buying or selling a business and avoid the legal pitfalls that can delay deals, drive up costs, or even kill transactions entirely.
Sharon Toerek shares from her first-hand experience helping agencies on both the buy and sell side, breaking down the foundational legal elements every agency owner needs—whether or not they plan to sell someday. Together, they dig into everything from the importance of robust client and employee contracts, to protecting intellectual property, to the necessity of having proper corporate governance documents in place. Sharon explains how missing or incomplete contracts can erode agency valuations, scare buyers, and create costly last-minute headaches.
The conversation also covers the nuances of deal documentation, the significance of a well-prepared due diligence process, and the real-world "war stories" that illustrate why legal readiness matters so much. Drew McLellan and Sharon Toerek offer listeners practical, actionable steps to start shoring up their agreements, documents, and internal processes now—not just in anticipation of a sale, but as fundamental best practices for running a sustainable, valuable agency.
Don't miss this episode if you want to eliminate unnecessary risks, maximize the value of your agency, and ensure a smoother M&A journey whenever the time comes. By the end, you'll have a to-do list that can strengthen your agency's foundation today and set you up for a more profitable, stress-free exit tomorrow.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The critical role of client contracts and why agencies need to centralize and consistently document them
- The importance of up-to-date employee agreements and talent documentation to protect agency value
- Intellectual property as a major driver of agency valuation (and how to properly identify and secure IP assets)
- The need for clear, accessible corporate governance and owner agreements to prevent deal slowdowns
- Why preparing legal foundations early smooths M&A transactions and safeguards potential deal value
- How lack of organization or missing documents can delay, diminish, or even derail agency sales
- Proactive legal preparation as both a best practice and a profit generator for agencies
Welcome to a brand new year and a brand new episode of Build a Better Agency! In this special solo cast, host Drew McLellan kicks off 2026 with a focused, actionable discussion on preparing agency owners and leaders for what promises to be a pivotal year. Drawing from his decades of experience and deep involvement with agencies across the globe, Drew McLellan lays out five essential resolutions that serve as a roadmap for agency growth, stability, and profitability—no matter your agency's discipline.
This episode is packed with practical advice for implementing intentional changes, starting with the importance of carving out deep work time and ensuring that new business development remains a weekly priority. Drew McLellan details how to practically block out time on your calendar for strategic thinking and outreach, and why these habits are especially critical as the market shifts. He also provides a step-by-step formula for running monthly all-agency meetings that build transparency, celebrate wins, and foster accountability—complete with a ready-to-use agenda.
The conversation turns to the game-changing impact of AI within agencies, emphasizing why every agency owner must establish clear policies, communicate their approach to both internal teams and clients, and explore how to leverage AI tools to stay competitive. In addition, Drew McLellan highlights the often-neglected importance of deepening personal connections with your team, sharing meaningful rituals and approaches to nurturing these relationships for better retention and morale.
Whether you're hoping to weather tough economic conditions, boost your new business pipeline, or future-proof your agency with smart technology and people strategies, this episode equips you with concrete steps for transforming intention into action in 2026. You'll leave inspired to schedule, strategize, and connect—all cornerstones for not just surviving but thriving in the year ahead.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Agency owner resolutions for a watershed year + Carving out time for deep, uninterrupted work + Implementing a consistent new business development routine + Building transparency and accountability with all-agency updates + Establishing clear AI policies and accelerating AI adoption + Deepening human connections with team members + Proactively preparing for 2026's unique agency challenges
Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Build a Better Agency! In this episode, host Drew McLellan welcomes Greg Star, founder of Driven Branding and former CEO of Carvertize, to explore how agency leaders can leverage LinkedIn to build stronger, more authentic personal brands. If you've ever wondered why your company's LinkedIn page isn't gaining traction or how you can make your own profile stand out in a sea of sameness, this conversation is packed with fresh perspectives and actionable strategies.
Drew McLellan and Greg Star dig deep into the "why" behind personal branding, revealing why executives and business owners should take the reins of their LinkedIn presence—rather than delegating to teams or relying on generic company posts. From sharing compelling origin stories to posting weekly updates and engaging thoughtfully with comments, Greg Star outlines what kind of content builds trust, authenticity, and ultimately, business opportunities. They discuss how true engagement emerges when you blend professional expertise with genuine connection—without veering into "cringe" territory or oversharing.
You'll also get an inside look at Greg Star's journey from manually creating buzz for his own business on LinkedIn to developing AI-powered tools that help introverted or time-strapped leaders tell their stories effectively. Hear practical tips for building consistency, making each post matter, and handling the inevitable engagement that follows. Plus, find out why starting now—no matter how long you've waited—is the key to momentum.
This episode is a must-listen for agency owners, executives, and anyone ready to move beyond passive lurking and intentional yet inauthentic posting. By the end, you'll be inspired to up your LinkedIn game, share your unique "why," and embrace consistency as the secret weapon to becoming a more visible and trusted leader in today's crowded agency landscape.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Leveraging LinkedIn for authentic personal branding
- Why agency owners' voices outperform company pages on LinkedIn
- The power of consistency over perfection in building reputation
- Balancing professional storytelling with vulnerability (without getting "cringe")
- Using origin stories and the "why" to foster connections
- How AI tools can assist—without replacing—the human touch
- Simple engagement tactics to grow trust and visibility
Welcome to another can't-miss episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan explores a rapidly evolving strategy that has the potential to shake up the way agencies attract leads and position themselves as go-to experts. Joining Drew McLellan is returning guest Tom Schwab of Interview Valet, who brings groundbreaking insights on how artificial intelligence (AI) tools are influencing audience discovery and client acquisition.
In this episode, Tom Schwab pulls back the curtain on how his team has leveraged AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to turn them into top referral sources for his business and their clients. He explains the shift he's seen in lead quality, why AI-driven traffic outperforms traditional SEO, and how podcasts—especially guest appearances on third-party platforms—are being indexed as trusted resources by these bots. If you've ever wondered how to ensure your agency shows up as a credible source when prospects turn to AI for recommendations, you'll find tons of applicable guidance here.
Drew McLellan and Tom Schwab also dig into tactical approaches, including how to diversify your podcast and content topics, strengthen your brand's point of view, and make strategic use of storytelling to engage both traditional listeners and AI "audiences." You'll discover tips on optimizing your show notes, leveraging tools like SparkToro to understand audience behaviors, and measuring the true impact of your podcast outreach—ahead of the curve in our search-evolving landscape.
Whether you're a podcast host, a guest on other people's shows, or simply interested in how AI is changing the marketing game, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways for agencies of all sizes. Tune in to hear how you can future-proof your thought leadership strategy and get found by the right prospects, right when they're searching for your expertise.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Leveraging AI as a modern referral source for agencies
- Optimizing podcast and long-form content for AI indexing
- The growing importance of context, point of view, and clarity in content
- Varying topics and voices to increase authority and reach with AI and audiences
- Using tools like SparkToro to identify where your ideal audience is searching
- Repurposing interviews and resources for maximum impact across channels
- Embracing transparency and specificity to attract high-quality, pre-qualified leads
Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes brand strategist and agency veteran Ulli Appelbaum to dive deep into the science of brand associations—a topic that's often referenced but rarely explored with the rigor it deserves. If you've ever struggled to quantify the value of your agency's or your client's brand, this episode will provide you with the data-backed frameworks and practical wisdom you've been searching for.
Drawing on decades of experience across leading global agencies and his own consultancy, Ulli Appelbaum shares key insights from his new book, "The Science of Brand Associations: When Minds Win Markets." Together, he and Drew McLellan break down what brand associations really are, why they matter for long-term growth, and how emotional resonance and consistency are critical in embedding brands into consumer memory. Whether you're building brands for clients or shaping the reputation of your own agency, Ulli Appelbaum's science-based approach gives you the tools to move beyond gut instinct towards strategies that drive measurable results.
The episode covers actionable strategies for identifying and cultivating the right brand associations, crafting memorable brand assets, and leveraging the power of emotional storytelling—even in B2B environments. You'll also learn how to use frameworks and scorecards to focus your branding efforts on what really matters, ensuring your brand stands out distinctly against competitors. Plus, the discussion explores why brands with strong association networks rebound faster from economic downturns and command higher price premiums.
Don't miss this episode if you're ready to combine creativity and data in a way that elevates your agency's brand work—and your own brand presence—above the noise. By the end, you'll walk away with practical tools to guide both client conversations and your agency's growth, grounded in proven science rather than simple opinion.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The science behind brand associations and why they matter
- Data-backed reasons brand associations drive growth and profitability
- How emotional impact and memory structure strengthen brands
- The power of consistency and distinctiveness in brand assets
- Using frameworks and scorecards to build effective brands
- The surprising resurgence and importance of brand characters
- Practical tools agencies can use to differentiate themselves and their clients
Welcome to another engaging episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan turns the spotlight inward to tackle a challenge many agency owners face but rarely confront: the chaos we unintentionally create within our own shops. Joined by productivity expert and business coach Amber De La Garza, this episode dives deep into the subtle ways agency leaders can become the source of their business's dysfunction—and, most importantly, how they can flip the script to become the calming force their teams need.
Amber De La Garza brings years of hands-on coaching across diverse service industries, helping business owners recognize how their habits, decisions, and leadership styles ripple throughout their organizations. Together, she and Drew McLellan explore common pitfalls like inconsistent follow-through, the lure of firefighting, and the temptation to solve every problem yourself. They shed light on how these behaviors not only breed chaos but also undermine team empowerment and erode trust.
Throughout their conversation, you'll hear actionable strategies for spotting and addressing the habits and leadership gaps that fuel ongoing fires. Amber De La Garza shares practical tools—from tracking your time (spoiler: you're spending it differently than you think!) to identifying recurring symptoms in your business and asking the all-important question: "How am I responsible for this?" The episode also encourages agency leaders to carve out sacred time for big-picture thinking and to support their teams in becoming more self-sufficient problem solvers.
Don't miss this episode if you're ready to break the cycle of crisis mode, build a steadier agency environment, and reclaim the freedom and satisfaction that inspired you to start your business in the first place. By the end, you'll walk away with a renewed sense of ownership—not just over your agency's success, but over the culture and calm you create every day.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Recognizing your role in creating agency chaos
- Why consistency from leaders sets the tone for the team
- Strategies to empower employees to solve their own problems
- The critical importance of owners following their own systems
- Turning firefighting into long-term solutions
- How tracking time reveals hidden patterns and priorities
- Building agency culture through intentional, focused change
Welcome to a transformative solo episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan invites listeners to reframe how they view uncertainty, chaos, and change in the agency world. Drawing from both scientific research and personal stories—including a gripping childhood encounter with real fear—Drew McLellan explores why agencies feel paralyzed by unpredictability, and more importantly, how leaders can move beyond fear to thrive in today's rapidly shifting landscape.
Listeners will discover why uncertainty is baked into agency life, why our brains crave control, and why periods of upheaval—from economic turmoil and technological breakthroughs to social unrest—can actually be seen as fertile ground for growth and innovation. Drew McLellan champions the concept of a "perpetual renaissance," encouraging agency leaders to harness rather than resist continual change and to build their businesses on adaptability, creativity, and community.
Throughout the episode, Drew McLellan underscores the power of belonging and reciprocal support, likening the AMI community to a network of redwoods—each agency strengthened by connection with others. He shares actionable advice on showing up as both a teacher and a student in industry salons, generously exchanging knowledge and resources so everyone thrives amid uncertainty. Insights from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and agency research come together with practical wisdom to reveal how leading through chaos isn't about control, but about learning to ride the storm—together.
Don't miss this deeply encouraging and practical episode, especially if you're looking for ways to put fear aside and become the agency clients seek out for guidance and innovation. By embracing the value of community and the inevitability of change, you'll gain a new perspective on how to master—and even enjoy—the wild ride ahead. Join the conversation, connect with the AMI salon, and help shape the future of your agency in 2026 and beyond.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Embracing uncertainty as a constant in agency life + Reframing fear of change into excitement for opportunity + The power of community and collaboration for agency leaders + Leveraging perpetual innovation and renaissance as a competitive edge + The necessity of group learning and support to overcome decision paralysis + Leading clients confidently through chaos and continual change + Adopting a "giver's gain" mindset to strengthen agency networks and growth
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by returning guest Nicole Mahoney, an accomplished agency owner and thought leader renowned for her innovative work in collaboration within the travel and tourism space. Drawing on her 15 years of industry expertise, Nicole shares how strategic partnerships have propelled her agency to new heights—even during challenging times like the pandemic.
Together, Drew McLellan and Nicole Mahoney dig deep into the multifaceted nature of agency collaboration, both with competitors and complementary businesses. Nicole reveals insights from her research, podcast, and her newly released book, breaking down the different types of collaborators—the promoters, doubters, and protectors—and why understanding these archetypes is key to building mutually beneficial relationships. They also explore how agencies can be more intentional with partnerships to drive growth, resilience, and innovation.
Expect actionable frameworks, real case studies of cross-agency teamwork, and candid stories about what works (and what doesn't) when it comes to navigating collaborations—from RFP responses to co-hosting major events. Nicole introduces her proven "3C framework" for successful partnerships and shares how agencies can assess and operationalize collaboration as part of their strategic planning, especially heading into 2026.
If you're rethinking how to strengthen your agency's network, improve client offerings, or simply want to learn from real-world examples of effective coopetition, this episode is packed with takeaways. Don't miss this opportunity to hear fresh perspectives on how working together not only benefits your agency, but helps build a stronger, more connected industry.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Building agency growth and resiliency through strategic collaboration
- Understanding the three types of collaborators: promoters, doubters, and protectors
- Operationalizing collaboration as an intentional business strategy
- Keys to effective partnerships: communication, commonality, and commitment
- Creating mutually beneficial relationships even with competitors (coopetition)
- Leveraging collaborations to diversify offerings and better serve clients
- Using partnerships to overcome resource gaps and win larger opportunities
Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Build a Better Agency! Host Drew McLellan sits down with Robin Bonn, agency veteran and founder of Codefinery, for a candid conversation that tackles one of the agency world's biggest challenges: true differentiation. Drawing on over two decades of industry experience and insights from his new book, Market of One, Robin unpacks why even the most creative agencies struggle to set themselves apart and how owners can reimagine their businesses for lasting competitive advantage.
Drew and Robin delve deep into the heart of agency positioning, debunking the myths and tired tropes that so many firms rely on to claim they're "different." From generic claims about people and creativity to the pitfalls of "category norms," Robin shares why most agencies' attempts at standing out fall flat—and what it really means to create a business model that's as unique as a fingerprint. Listeners will hear practical advice for moving beyond superficial branding tactics and start building what Robin calls a "market of one"—where your agency's true value is clear, tangible, and uncopyable.
The episode also explores the often-overlooked role of pricing as a key differentiator, the pervasive fear and herd mentality that keep agencies stuck, and the transformative impact of AI on agency business models. Robin challenges listeners to rethink everything from service offerings to client fit—encouraging leaders to embrace strategy, redefine success beyond just growth, and make bold choices that align with both financial health and personal fulfillment.
Tune in if you're ready to move past the sea of sameness and face the future with optimism and intention. By the end of the episode, you'll walk away with actionable questions, a fresh strategic lens, and the inspiration to reshape not just what your agency does, but how—and why—you do it.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Why true agency differentiation is so difficult—and why most agencies still struggle with it
- Common pitfalls that lead agencies into the "sea of sameness"
- Distinguishing between superficial distinctiveness and authentic, business-model-driven differentiation
- The critical role of clear positioning and deep strategy in agency growth
- How fear, herd mentality, and legacy habits hold agencies back from standing out
- The power of pricing as an underutilized differentiator
- Embracing change, enjoying the business, and defining what success means for your agency
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes renowned author, speaker, and client experience expert Neen James for a thought-provoking discussion that will challenge agency leaders to rethink how they deliver value. Together, they explore the concept of "luxury" in the context of client service and agency culture—not just as something exclusive or material, but as a mindset centered on attention, connection, and making others feel truly seen and valued.
Neen shares the findings from her latest book and a groundbreaking research study that uncovers four distinct "luxury mindsets." She explains how every agency, regardless of size or specialty, can elevate their client experience by understanding these mindsets and tailoring interactions to meet (and exceed) unique client expectations. Through vivid examples drawn from luxury brands and her own experiences consulting for CEOs, Neen demonstrates how agencies can create a sense of belonging and reward for their clients, making every client touchpoint feel like a delightful, memorable experience.
Drew and Neen also dive into practical strategies for agency owners to foster a culture of "systematized thoughtfulness." From reimagining yourself and your team as concierges rather than order-takers, to implementing routines that ensure consistent, meaningful outreach to clients and internal teams, Neen offers actionable advice for embedding luxury-level attention into daily operations. They also discuss the significance of empowering team members, the importance of internal culture in reflecting client experience, and creative ways to find "champagne moments" in both everyday interactions and brand touchpoints.
If you're ready to stand out in a crowded marketplace, retain happier clients and employees, and transform ordinary agency processes into extraordinary experiences, this episode is not to be missed. By the end, you'll have fresh inspiration and tangible tactics to make your agency a place where both clients and team members feel genuinely valued—every single day.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Rethinking "luxury" as an elevated client experience
- The four luxury mindsets and how they influence agency relationships
- Why attention and human connection are key differentiators for agencies
- The role of personalization, customization, and anticipation in delivering exceptional service
- The importance of treating employees as "internal clients" to empower them to delight external clients
- Turning everyday moments into memorable "champagne moments"
- Systematizing thoughtfulness as a business development strategy
Welcome to a crucial episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined once again by Craig Cody, a seasoned CPA and tax advisor renowned for his expertise in agency financial management. Drew and Craig jump straight into a timely and essential topic for every agency owner—the recent changes to 401k regulations that could have significant implications for your agency's compliance, retirement planning, and year-end financial strategy.
Craig breaks down the new federal requirements affecting catch-up contributions to 401ks for anyone earning over $145,000, making the conversation immediately relevant for agency leaders and employees in higher income brackets. Together, Drew and Craig outline the steps agencies must take before the end of 2025 to avoid unpleasant surprises and penalties in 2026, including the need to ensure Roth provisions are set up within existing 401k plans and the importance of proactive compliance with auto-enrollment rules. The pair go beyond the headline changes, discussing how these adjustments affect not just owners, but also employees, and the risks agencies run if these details get overlooked.
Listeners will also learn about valuable tax credits available for agencies that recently launched a 401k plan, as well as common tax strategies and deductions that many agency owners miss. Craig shares advice on how to make the most of tax planning meetings, the importance of documenting deductions, and how shifting from a simple IRA to a 401k can yield significant financial and retirement benefits for both owners and staff.
Don't let year-end compliance slip through the cracks—this episode is packed with actionable insights you need to update your retirement plans, review your tax strategies, and make informed decisions before another fiscal year closes. If you want to keep more of the money you make, provide competitive benefits, and avoid costly mistakes, you won't want to miss Craig's expert guidance. Tune in now and start building a better, more financially resilient agency.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Critical 401k regulation changes agency owners must address
- How new Roth contribution requirements affect high-earning employees
- Strategies to ensure compliance and avoid costly IRS penalties
- Why proactive communication with your 401k administrator is essential
- Opportunities for new tax credits with recently established retirement plans
- The urgency of year-end planning and regular discussions with your tax advisor
- Maximizing tax-saving strategies for agency owners and their families
Welcome to a new solo cast episode of Build a Better Agency! Host Drew McLellan is flying solo for episode 525, bringing decades of agency expertise to help owners prepare their businesses for a fast-changing marketplace. If the calendar is winding down and you're looking ahead to 2026, this episode is packed with actionable insights designed specifically for agency leadership.
Drew kicks off with an overview of critical housekeeping—announcing the monthly workshop giveaway winner and expressing gratitude to long-time sponsor White Label IQ. The heart of this episode, though, is a deep dive into the unique responsibilities agency owners must own in these last 60 days of 2025. Rather than swamping yourself with creative or client-service tasks, Drew urges you to refocus on the essential leadership duties that no one else in your company has the authority or experience to fulfill.
Listeners will hear Drew break down the owner's role into five core areas: driving new business, articulating agency vision and values, managing financial health, nurturing both people and clients, and building an empowered leadership team. He shares clear strategies for refining your agency's differentiation, creating a new business pipeline, career-pathing for staff, and cultivating "client love" from the top down. If you're struggling with being too hands-on or feeling disconnected from your agency's strategic path, Drew offers practical ideas and downloadable tools to get you back on track.
Don't miss this episode if you want to kick off 2026 in the strongest possible position. With guidance on setting vision, connecting with your team and clients, and creating a culture where everyone knows the agency's direction, Drew's solo cast is a masterclass in leadership focus—and a reminder that your job as agency owner is irreplaceable. Tune in and walk away ready to lead with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Defining mission, vision, and values as a leadership priority + How agency owners shape and communicate their agency's direction + Why new business growth requires both existing and new clients + The critical role of agency specialization and niche expertise + Building a culture of employee growth, career pathing, and retention + Strengthening client relationships beyond project work + Creating a leadership team to handle agency fires and empower growth
Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes Ben Gaddis—former agency owner, seasoned operator, and now private equity investor—to give you an insider's view of what makes an agency truly valuable in today's changing landscape. Drawing on his unique journey from building and selling his own highly successful agency to investing in others, Ben shares a holistic, 360-degree perspective on agency growth, acquisition, and evolving business models.
In their honest discussion, Drew and Ben explore how the definition of agency "success" has shifted from hiring more staff to focusing on lean, highly efficient delivery and organic account growth. Ben discusses the increasing importance of productization, technology, and leveraging global resources, while still maintaining creativity and strategic value. You'll learn why being intentionally smaller can offer you bigger opportunities, how to balance artisanal creativity with scalable systems, and the dangers of being stuck in the "dangerous middle" of agency offerings.
The conversation also tackles practical strategies for driving organic revenue, such as implementing account growth systems, setting clear client expansion targets, and leveraging tech to empower senior talent. Ben offers a candid investor's perspective on what he looks for in a potential acquisition—including founder vision, unique positioning, and the ability to scale beyond the owner. The episode rounds out with actionable advice on hiring for strategy, pricing for value, and pushing past limiting beliefs that hold many agencies back from real growth.
If you're an agency leader contemplating the future—be it refining your business model, growing more profitably, or exploring eventual exit options—you'll find this episode packed with strategic insights and hard-earned lessons from both sides of the deal. Get ready to rethink how you scale, sell, and position your agency for what's next!
A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The evolving definition of agency value and what buyers are really seeking
- The impact of technology and AI on agency models and service delivery
- Choosing between productized "factory" models vs. bespoke creative shops
- The critical role of organic growth and client retention in increasing agency value
- Leveraging operating systems and account plans to systematically grow existing accounts
- How right-sizing and hybrid staffing models can drive profitability
- The importance of founder vision and clear differentiation for long-term success
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! In this thought-provoking conversation, host Drew McLellan welcomes acclaimed author, agency veteran, and thought leader Rishad Tobaccowala to the show. Together, they dig into the rapidly evolving nature of work and what it means for agency leaders and teams in the years ahead.
Rishad draws on his decades of agency experience and his latest book, "Rethinking Work," to outline the powerful shifts transforming how, where, and why we work. With unmatched clarity, he breaks down the five key forces—ranging from technology and AI to shifting demographics and the post-COVID mindset—that are redrawing the boundaries between work and life. Rishad also challenges traditional agency norms by explaining why flexibility, purpose, and autonomy are now at the heart of attracting and retaining top talent.
Listeners will come away with fresh ideas for structuring their agency teams, from leveraging fractional and freelance talent to reimagining office space as dynamic hubs for creativity and collaboration. Rishad and Drew also tackle leadership evolution, with candid advice on moving from "boss zones" to genuine zones of influence that inspire trust and independence.
If you’re ready to shake off old models and embrace the future with optimism, this episode is a must-listen. By the end, you’ll be eager to reimagine your agency’s structure, ignite your creativity, and cultivate a workplace where both people and business can thrive in our new era of work.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Why work is changing faster than ever—and how agencies can get ahead
- Shifting from “bosses” to leaders to attract and retain top talent
- Embracing a flexible workforce: full-time, freelance, fractional, and AI “employees”
- Redesigning office space to encourage purposeful, in-person collaboration
- Rethinking organizational structures—moving from rigid hierarchies to “jazz ensemble” models
- Leveraging AI and technology to boost revenue per employee and agility
- How agency owners can reimagine their business for resilience and future growth
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with Ana Laskey, an experienced market researcher and strategist, to tackle one of the industry’s hot-button issues: the art and business of agency strategy. As the marketing landscape gets more crowded with freelance talent and AI tools, Drew and Ana dig deep into what truly differentiates agencies—our ability to develop meaningful, insight-driven strategies that help clients succeed.
Ana brings her expertise to the table, sharing how pairing robust market research with a well-defined strategic methodology can help agencies deliver smarter, more profitable work. Together, they explore the dangers of gathering too little or too much information, the weaknesses of relying solely on AI for insights, and the necessity for agencies to develop consistent and niche-focused processes for strategy development. Ana emphasizes that strategy isn't just about information abundance—it's about refining the right data to create actionable plans that are rooted in genuine client needs and market realities.
You’ll come away with actionable advice on how to standardize your strategic process, build a reliable methodology for insight gathering, and confidently present your findings to clients—even when they push back. Ana and Drew also discuss the economics of strategy work, how to integrate research costs into your agency’s proposals, and ways to communicate the value of this work to clients who may hesitate to invest.
If you’re grappling with how to make your agency’s strategic offerings stand out and drive meaningful results, this episode is packed with practical tips, real-world examples, and a clear call to rethink your approach to strategy. Don’t miss it—you’ll finish the hour ready to lead your team through a smarter, more streamlined strategy process that delights your clients and protects your bottom line.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Why having a defined methodology is essential for effective agency strategy
- The critical role of niche focus in building strategic expertise
- How to gather and validate the right data for client strategy
- Differentiating assumptions from facts in strategic recommendations
- The impact of new research tools, including AI, on accessing insights
- Communicating the value and cost of strategic work to clients
- The importance of confident, insight-driven storytelling to win client trust
Welcome to another data-driven episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with returning guest Lee McKnight to break down the results of RSW/US’s freshly released 2025 Agency New Business Survey. Together, Drew and Lee unpack the real-world challenges and emerging opportunities that agencies—especially small and midsize firms—are facing as they gear up for the rest of 2025 and look ahead to 2026.
Drew and Lee explore the survey’s biggest takeaways, including the persistence of economic uncertainty, longer sales cycles, and increasing client budget constraints—all pain points that seem to be universal across the agency landscape right now. You’ll hear candid discussions about the so-called “pipeline crisis,” with a striking 93% of respondents saying their agency’s growth engine isn’t firing on all cylinders. But it’s not all doom and gloom—Lee shares evidence that more agencies are stepping up their business development game, investing in content, and getting proactive with new business strategies.
The conversation dives into specific tactics agencies are leaning into, from ramping up their content marketing efforts to productizing service offerings and rethinking referrals. They unpack why building a sustainable, always-on new business machine matters more than ever, and touch on the evolving relationship between agencies and in-house teams. Plus, the duo discusses how smart use of AI is shaping prospecting, research, and content—while still emphasizing the irreplaceable value of the human touch.
Don’t miss this in-depth analysis if you’re determined to make your agency stand out in a crowded marketplace. You’ll walk away with actionable insights on increasing your agency’s visibility, keeping your new business pipeline healthy, and navigating the rapidly shifting marketing landscape with confidence. If you’re looking to end the year on a high note and get ahead of the competition in 2025, this episode is packed with the expert perspective you need.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Navigating agency growth during economic uncertainty
- Building a consistent and sustainable new business pipeline
- Leveraging content and thought leadership to improve visibility
- Rethinking reliance on referrals and embracing diversified lead generation
- The evolving role of AI in agency business development
- Productization of agency services—opportunities and caution
- Competing and collaborating with in-house agencies in today’s landscape
Welcome to another insightful solo episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is at the mic, bringing over 25 years of agency expertise to address one of the most critical topics for agency leaders: rethinking your strategic planning process for the historic challenges and opportunities ahead in 2026. With economic uncertainty, industry disruption, and the rapid acceleration of AI at the forefront, Drew makes a compelling case that the old ways of dusting off last year’s SWOT just won’t cut it.
Drew unveils a hands-on set of fresh, rigorous strategic planning exercises designed to push agency owners and leadership teams far beyond surface-level tactics. He outlines step-by-step activities—including scenario stress testing, client empathy mapping, reverse mentoring from your youngest team members, and even having your team role-play as your most formidable competitor. Each exercise is accompanied by practical guidance on setup, group dynamics, and ensuring every voice is heard—setting the tone for deep candor and courage throughout your planning process.
You’ll also discover innovative frameworks to identify your agency’s blind spots, engage a broader range of team perspectives, and future-proof your business against a constantly shifting marketplace. Drew even walks through how to pressure test your new strategic plan with trusted outside advisors, ensuring your vision for 2026 is both bold and actionable.
Whether you’re an agency owner looking to foster stronger client and employee relationships, or a leader determined to thrive amid industry change, this episode is packed with practical takeaways and downloadable resources to help you build a plan that’s ready for anything. Tune in and get inspired to move past old planning habits and chart a course for a more resilient, innovative, and profitable future.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Why traditional SWOT analysis isn’t enough for agency planning in 2026 + New, hands-on strategic exercises to challenge assumptions and spark innovation + Involving a diverse mix of team members—including newer and younger staff—in planning + Emphasizing radical candor, honest conversations, and psychological safety for deeper insights + Scenario stress testing to prepare for rapid industry changes (AI, economics, client shifts) + Client empathy mapping to deepen client relationships and identify real opportunities + Methods to keep strategic plans alive, actionable, and integrated in agency culture
Welcome to another episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan shines a light on an area vital to every agency’s growth: how to show up for clients and prospects in ways that build genuine trust, loyalty, and long-term relationships. To explore this undervalued but crucial topic, Drew is joined by Jamie Shibley, founder of The Expressory and expert in strategic engagement and relationship-driven agency growth.
Jamie shares her fascinating journey from two decades in corporate IT and ecommerce management to launching her own agency, where she helps businesses nurture relationships through intentional and personalized engagement. Through insightful stories and real-life examples, Jamie and Drew examine why clients crave more than just a transactional relationship—they want to feel seen, valued, and heard. Together, they unpack the psychology behind meaningful connections, discussing simple but powerful ways agencies can differentiate themselves by caring more deeply and showing it consistently.
Listeners will learn how to communicate care and appreciation, not just during the wooing phase, but throughout the client journey. Jamie reveals the six strategic storylines that should guide your client engagement, offers practical tips for intentional gifting (hint: it’s more about thoughtfulness than price or heavy branding), and shares eye-opening data on the tangible impact of consistent relationship nurturing. Drew and Jamie also address common barriers, like lack of time or uncertainty about what to say, and provide actionable strategies to overcome them.
If you’re looking to solidify your client retention, inspire advocacy, and create memorable experiences that set your agency apart, this episode is a must-listen. Discover how small, intentional acts can have outsized effects on your business—and why now, more than ever, demonstrating care can be your most powerful growth lever.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The evolution of business relationships in a post-COVID, highly digital landscape
- Why intentional, personal connection is a key agency differentiator
- The science and psychology behind making clients feel seen and valued
- Practical strategies for nurturing client relationships—before and after the sale
- The impact of thoughtful, tailored gifts and gestures (beyond traditional swag)
- Easy ways to operationalize meaningful engagement—without overwhelming your team
- How consistent care and acknowledgment lead to trust, referrals, and stronger client retention
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan turns the focus inward—with a practical conversation that every agency leader needs to hear. Joined by long-time AMI partner and Strategic Talent Management co-owner Sue MacArthur, Drew unpacks one of the most nuanced and important topics in the business: how to elevate your team, enhance retention, and lead with intention by mastering the art of the “stay interview.”
Sue shares her extensive experience helping agencies solve their most pressing people challenges, from leadership development to hiring, performance management, and succession planning. Together, Drew and Sue dig into the realities of leading in a post-Covid landscape, emphasizing that being a good manager or leader doesn’t happen by accident—it requires thoughtful systems, ongoing engagement, and real, authentic conversations with your team.
The heart of this episode centers on the stay interview: what it is, why it matters, and how it can radically transform your agency’s culture and retention. Sue offers actionable advice on how to incorporate stay interview questions into regular one-on-ones, how to create safe space for candid feedback, and how to foster a two-way dialogue where employees feel empowered to ask leadership tough questions as well. Drew and Sue also explore best practices for rolling out this process in your agency, including tips for building trust, handling difficult feedback, and turning employee insights into real, meaningful change.
Don’t miss this episode if you’re ready to build deeper trust with your team, prevent regrettable departures, and unlock the potential sitting right within your agency walls. Drew even leaves you with a clear action plan and resources, so you can start integrating these conversations right away and position your agency—and your people—for long-term success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The value of stay interviews for employee retention and engagement
- Why performance management should be a continuous, intentional process
- How to create safe spaces for candid employee feedback
- Strategies for helping employees shape their career paths within small agencies
- The importance of modeling open communication and vulnerability as a leader
- Turning employee feedback into actionable change and team-wide improvement
- Balancing listening with encouraging solution-oriented problem solving
Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by returning guest Michael Farmer, a renowned consultant and author with decades of experience advising both global agency holding companies and independent shops. Together, they pull back the curtain on one of the agency world's most persistent and problematic issues: the disconnect between the value agencies provide, the scope of work they deliver, and the fees they collect.
Michael shares candid insights from his 30-plus years helping agencies navigate profitability challenges, particularly around scoping, resourcing, and pricing work appropriately. He recounts eye-opening stories from inside major agencies, including how a lack of clarity around deliverables and the overuse of creative resources can quietly erode margins—and ultimately, agency health. Michael breaks down his approach to rigorous scope management, explaining why developing a detailed, data-driven understanding of agency output is essential for both profitability and sustainability.
Drew and Michael explore why so many agencies—especially large holding companies—fall into the trap of doing too much for too little, and why today’s independent agencies are uniquely positioned to break that cycle. Their conversation highlights how smaller agencies can differentiate themselves by adopting a consulting mindset, engaging more meaningfully with clients about business outcomes rather than just deliverables, and leveraging freelance talent for maximum flexibility.
If you’re ready to move beyond being a “deliverable shop” and reposition your agency as a true strategic partner, this episode is a must-listen. You’ll walk away with actionable advice on scoping, pricing, business model evolution, and why now is the perfect moment for independent agencies to lead the industry forward by focusing on the work that truly moves the needle for clients.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Why agencies must shift from delivering quantity to delivering strategic value
- The dangers of undervaluing agency work and over-delivering for too little revenue
- The critical importance of scoping, pricing, and tracking deliverables accurately
- How smaller, independent agencies are positioned to outpace big holding companies
- The need for deeper alignment with client business goals, not just creative output
- Leveraging freelance and specialized talent to extend agency capabilities
- Preparing for the future: consulting mindset, strategic focus, and harnessing AI responsibly
Welcome to another enlightening episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan explores a twist on the usual business leadership topics by delving into the lucrative—and often misunderstood—world of credit card points and travel rewards. Drew is joined by Julia Menez, a points and miles strategist who specializes in helping business owners and high cash flow individuals stretch their credit card points for maximum value, especially when it comes to travel.
Julia, a former actuary turned travel-hacking expert, brings her analytical prowess to the conversation, breaking down why agency owners are likely leaving thousands of dollars on the table by failing to optimize how they earn and redeem credit card rewards. Together, Drew and Julia uncover the most common mistakes agencies make, like fixating on specific airline cards or booking through credit card travel portals, and instead highlight how a flexible, strategic approach can unlock first-class flights and luxury hotels at a fraction of the usual cost.
Listeners will get actionable steps on how to inventory their current points, choose the right credit card mix for their agency’s unique spending patterns, and use powerful online tools to research and book flights and hotels for optimal value. Julia also shares her personal tips for planning both business and family travel—whether you’re seeking a bucket-list lay-flat seat to Asia or a dream resort stay in Europe—plus why being open to new destinations and dates can yield incredible deals.
Don’t miss this episode if you want to elevate your agency’s perks and personal travel experiences without blowing the budget. From maximizing signup bonuses to smart redemption hacks, Drew and Julia’s conversation will transform the way you think about your agency’s everyday expenses—and could help you turn business costs into unforgettable travel adventures. Grab your notepad, and get ready to make your points work harder for you!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Maximizing the value of credit card points for business and personal travel
- The advantage of flexible points over single-airline credit cards
- How to approach booking award flights for best deals (flights over the ocean, positioning flights, and flexibility on dates/destinations)
- Why business expenses offer serious potential for earning free or discounted business class flights
- The most common mistakes agencies and business owners make with points and rewards
- Tips for selecting the right credit cards and optimizing spend categories
- Tools, resources, and step-by-step strategies for DIY points travel planning
Welcome to another episode of Build a Better Agency! In this special solo cast, host Drew McLellan tackles one of the perennial challenges and hottest conversations among agency leaders: how to strategically shape your agency team for lasting success. Drawing on decades of experience and access to the financial workings of hundreds of agencies, Drew provides listeners with a timely and insightful look at evolving team structures as agencies gear up for 2026.
Drew shares fascinating trends shaping today's agency workforce, including the rise of smaller in-house teams, increased reliance on part-time employees, contractors, and global talent, as well as the impact of AI on traditional roles. He explores why the most profitable agencies typically have teams between 12 and 40 people, and details how agencies are leveraging a blend of strategic full-timers and specialized contractors to maximize expertise while remaining nimble. Throughout the episode, Drew challenges listeners to move beyond old paradigms of in-house staffing, instead embracing flexible models that respond to both economic realities and shifting client needs.
Listeners will gain practical advice for preparing their own agencies for the future. Drew urges owners to focus on cultivating "Sherpa-like" team members—those who act as strategic guides and teachers for clients, rather than simply executing deliverables. He highlights the growing importance of nurturing a culture of continuous learning and adaptability, as well as prioritizing skills and problem-solving ability over traditional credentials in new hires.
If you’re ready to future-proof your agency, enhance your strategic value to clients, and reimagine what a modern, high-performing agency team should look like, this episode is packed with actionable insights and food for thought. Whether you’re planning for next quarter or looking ahead to 2026, Drew’s thoughtful analysis and forward-thinking advice will help you start important conversations about the future of your agency
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Shifting agency team structures for maximum profitability + The growing blend of full-time, part-time, and contract talent + Leveraging global talent for specialized and technical roles + The impact of AI on team composition and the “hollowing out” of the agency pyramid + Evolving client needs: strategic partners and “Sherpa”-style leadership + Rethinking hiring for skills and adaptability over formal education + Building a learning organization to stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape
Welcome to another thought-provoking episode of Build a Better Agency! Host Drew McLellan is joined by serial entrepreneur and AI transformation expert Greg Shove for a timely conversation that will change the way you think about integrating artificial intelligence into your agency. If you've been wondering how to move beyond surface-level AI experiments and truly future-proof your agency, this episode is a must-listen.
Greg shares his unique journey from being a non-technical founder in Silicon Valley to steering his latest venture, Section, into the heart of the AI revolution. Drawing on real-life examples and client experiences, Greg breaks down the critical stages agencies must navigate to become truly AI-enabled—from overcoming workforce anxiety to moving entire teams from novice to proficient. He and Drew discuss why deploying AI isn’t like rolling out traditional software, the pitfalls of treating it as such, and why thoughtful, transparent leadership is essential in guiding teams through change.
Listeners will walk away with practical frameworks like OAT (Optimize, Accelerate, Transform) to help assess where their agency sits on its AI journey and concrete steps for encouraging adoption across their team. Greg also provides actionable advice for evaluating the sea of AI tools on the market, empowering agency leaders to strategically experiment and prioritize high-value use cases without getting overwhelmed. Plus, they dig deep into the profound business model shifts AI will bring—and how being prepared to pivot can turn disruption into your agency’s biggest opportunity.
Whether you’re anxious, excited, or somewhere in between about the rapid pace of AI, this episode will inspire you to lead the change confidently. Tune in to reimagine how you—and your team—can harness AI to drive efficiency, deepen client value, and stay ahead in a fast-transforming industry.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Navigating workforce anxiety and resistance around AI adoption
- Moving agency teams from AI novices to confident, proficient users
- Why deploying AI isn’t like traditional software rollouts
- Building a culture of experimentation and continuous learning with AI
- Prioritizing high-value use cases over chasing every new tool
- The importance of leadership engagement and transparency around AI
- Preparing for future business model shifts driven by AI innovation
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes back agency advisor and author Karl Sakas for a candid conversation about the unique challenges that come with agency ownership—and how to move “from chaos to calm.” Drawing from his years of agency operations experience and his new book, From Chaos to Calm, Karl helps agency leaders recognize how they sometimes get in their own way and offers practical advice for fostering a calmer, more rewarding agency environment.
Drew and Karl tackle some of the biggest pain points facing agency owners today, including the ongoing pressures of lead generation, sales pipelines, and the often daunting task of succession planning. Karl shares observations from his work with hundreds of agencies around the globe, highlighting patterns he sees when owners get overly involved in daily operations, struggle with delegation, or fall into the trap of the “new idea of the month club.” The discussion offers actionable frameworks—from the three A’s of agency communication to the importance of idea quarantines after conferences—all designed to help owners empower their teams and stay focused on their unique role.
Listeners will hear real-world examples and solutions for stepping back from micromanaging, setting clear expectations, and building trust within the team. Drew and Karl also discuss the importance of having a well-defined owner role and the necessity of planning for the agency’s future, whether that means bringing in outside leadership or preparing the business for sale. Their conversation is peppered with relatable stories, honest admissions, and tactical recommendations on how agency owners can intentionally create a less chaotic, more profitable, and ultimately more enjoyable agency life.
Don’t miss this episode if you’re ready to break the cycle of self-created stress, clarify your leadership responsibilities, and lay the groundwork for an agency that thrives with or without you at the helm. Tune in to learn why the key to agency success just might be granting yourself permission to step back, strategize, and let your team shine.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Empowering agency teams through effective delegation—not abdication
- Breaking the cycle of “idea fatigue” and the dangers of constant new initiatives
- Clarifying the owner’s evolving role and setting healthy boundaries
- Planning for succession and agency sale well in advance
- Building a stronger sales pipeline and lead generation strategy
- Fostering team trust and avoiding micromanagement
- Creating a roadmap for agency growth that aligns with personal fulfillment
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with longtime friend and agency leader Jeff Eisenberg for a candid conversation about the art and practice of agency leadership. Whether you’re a seasoned agency owner or new to the business, this discussion is packed with real-world lessons and thoughtful perspectives that will help you elevate your leadership game and set your agency up for lasting success.
Jeff shares the compelling journey that led him from sports marketing with major league teams to purchasing and running his own ad agency. Now, as he transitions into author, teacher, and mentor, Jeff unveils the leadership strategies and philosophies that have served him throughout his decades-long career. The focal point of the conversation is Jeff’s new book, Beyond the Big: The Tiny Moments of Leadership, which takes a fresh, practical look at how small, everyday actions define truly great leaders.
Together, Drew and Jeff unpack the power of “tiny moments”—those micro-interactions and subtle choices that shape agency culture, empower teams, and foster real trust. They discuss actionable ways to be more present, why giving away power is essential, and how agency owners can break the habit of doing in order to focus on being and leading. Jeff also opens up about his own growth as a leader, offering relatable anecdotes, hard-won advice, and encouragement for leaders at every stage.
Whether you’re planning for succession, looking to strengthen your core values, or simply hoping to increase your presence and impact, this episode is a treasure trove of actionable wisdom. Tune in for strategies you can start applying today, and get inspired to become the kind of leader your team will remember for years to come.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Embracing leadership as a series of tiny, everyday moments
- The power of vulnerability and humility in strong leadership
- Developing other leaders as a core responsibility for agency owners
- Transitioning from “doing” to “being” present as a leader
- Building and living authentic core values within your agency
- Creating a culture of honesty, care, and “carefrontation”
- The incremental, lifelong journey of improving as a leader
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes back storytelling and branding pro Park Howell for an episode packed with practical advice, fresh perspectives, and a live demo you won’t want to miss. Park, a former agency owner turned global storytelling coach, joins Drew to discuss how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way agencies uncover, shape, and operationalize brand stories—making the process faster, smarter, and more tangible than ever before.
Park introduces listeners to his latest innovation, the Story Cycle Genie, an AI-powered tool built to transform months of intensive brand development into a streamlined, accessible process. Together, Drew and Park walk through a real-world example, using AMI’s own brand as a case study to demonstrate how the Genie analyzes existing content to reveal brand positioning, audience insights, emotional drivers, and actionable storytelling frameworks in minutes, not months. They discuss how the AI synthesizes agency websites, marketing materials, and other sources to uncover nuanced messaging and emotional resonance—while also surfacing areas for improvement that even seasoned agencies might overlook.
Listeners will gain a front-row seat to the genie’s output and hear candid reactions from Drew as he reflects on the accuracy and depth of the insights. The conversation also covers the evolving agency-client relationship when AI is part of the creative toolkit, tips for leveraging AI tools to enhance rather than replace human-led strategy, and why clients are hungry for agencies that use AI to deliver better, faster results—not just cheaper ones.
If you’re curious about integrating AI into your branding processes, want to get a sense of how your agency shows up to the world, or simply want to understand the practical benefits AI can bring to storytelling and positioning, this episode is for you. By the end, you’ll walk away with a new understanding of how technology can amplify your agency’s value and effectiveness—without sacrificing the human touch that sets your work apart.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Harnessing AI to streamline and enhance brand storytelling for agencies
- Verifying, revealing gaps, and inspiring new ways to position your agency brand
- Using the story cycle framework to create actionable, measurable brand narratives
- How AI tools can accelerate strategic branding work from months to minutes
- Blending human insight and AI for more nuanced, emotionally resonant messaging
- Leveraging brand clarity and emotional promise to drive agency growth and client trust
- Exploring new business models and client services enabled by AI-powered brand strategy
Welcome to another insightful solo cast of the Build a Better Agency podcast! This week, host Drew McLellan takes you deep into a cornerstone topic for agency owners: building, retaining, and growing an exceptional team. Drawing on real-world conversations with agency leaders and years of industry experience, Drew breaks down the full lifecycle of stellar employee management that every agency needs to thrive.
Drew starts by revealing why agencies often miss the mark with generic job descriptions and lays out a compelling case for comprehensive, forward-thinking job documentation. He shares tips for crafting descriptions that not only clarify day-to-day expectations but also highlight growth opportunities, career paths, and clear metrics for success. You’ll discover why this clarity is key to motivating employees—and how it can help you retain top talent for the long haul.
The episode then explores the critical steps beyond hiring: thoughtful onboarding, regular one-on-one meetings, and a robust review process that supports ongoing professional growth. Drew demystifies quarterly mini-reviews and annual evaluations, emphasizing the power of frequent feedback and targeted growth goals. He also shares actionable ideas for establishing genuine personal connections, such as his “Dinner with Drew” tradition, fostering a culture where employees feel truly seen and valued.
If you’re looking for practical, actionable strategies to level up your agency’s employee experience and unlock deeper value from your team, this episode is a must-listen. Drew’s step-by-step ecosystem will not only help you develop happier and more loyal employees but will also empower you to drive agency growth from within. Don’t miss the downloadable resources mentioned in the show notes—your roadmap to a more engaged, high-performing agency starts here!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Crafting detailed, future-focused job descriptions to attract and retain top talent + Driving employee engagement and growth through thoughtful career pathing + Redefining onboarding with a deliberate, month-long approach + Empowering employees and supervisors via structured biweekly one-on-one meetings + Shifting from annual to quarterly reviews for real-time feedback and development + Fostering deeper connections through intentional, informal social interactions + Sharing professional development as a mutual responsibility between agency and employee
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan explores an essential yet often misunderstood business growth strategy: networking. Joined by networking expert Melissa Snow, Drew unpacks what truly effective networking looks like in today’s world and why building authentic connections can be the most powerful driver for agency success.
Melissa, founder of Powerful Women Rising, shares her journey from accidentally becoming an entrepreneur to discovering that genuine relationships—not flashy sales tactics—were the secret to her business growth. She breaks down outdated views of networking as stiff, transactional events and reveals how meaningful conversations and a spirit of helping others can transform your network into a vibrant support system. The duo discuss the difference between "making friends" and intentional networking, how to avoid being that "salesy weirdo," and why referrals rooted in real trust always carry more weight.
Listeners will walk away with practical strategies for approaching networking in a way that aligns with their personality, whether they're extroverts energized by a crowd or introverts who prefer small group conversations or virtual events. Melissa offers actionable ideas for nurturing connections, keeping track of valuable contacts, and balancing authenticity with intentionality. Plus, hear her tips on following up meaningfully—without overwhelming your busy schedule or feeling disingenuous.
Don’t miss this empowering conversation if you’re ready to rethink networking as a sustainable, enjoyable, and business-boosting tool. You'll feel inspired to step out of your comfort zone, forge new relationships that really matter, and start building the kind of agency—and professional life—where genuine connection leads the way.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Redefining networking as genuine relationship-building, not transactional selling
- The power of connections and referrals in growing your agency
- Balancing authenticity with intentionality in professional networking
- How to network effectively as an introvert or with limited time
- Leveraging both in-person and virtual networking opportunities
- Practical tips for meaningful follow-up and staying memorable
- Making networking work for you, regardless of your personality or preferences
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan tackles a topic that agency owners and leaders wrestle with time and again: the true role of project management within an agency, and how getting it right can transform both your workflow and your bottom line. Drew is joined by expert consultant Rachel Gertz, who has spent over 15 years helping agencies demystify project management, build stronger systems, and create operational success.
In this episode, Drew and Rachel dig deep into what project management really means in a modern agency setting, beyond just moving tasks from A to B or managing a checklist. Rachel shares her journey from educator to operations consultant, revealing why constraints and structure, when thoughtfully implemented, actually unleash greater creative freedom for agency teams. Together, they explore why so many agencies struggle with the sales-to-delivery handoff, how process breakdowns lead to burnout and missed profits, and what a healthy, efficient system should feel like for everyone involved.
Listeners will walk away with actionable advice on rethinking their approach to project scoping, discovering the hidden pitfalls of underestimating the “soft” operational work, and why tools alone can’t fix a broken process. Rachel offers practical steps for evaluating where the real chaos lives in your agency, how to break the cycle of “garbage in, garbage out,” and the importance of prioritizing client relationship dynamics alongside deliverable deadlines.
If you’re ready to move past reactionary chaos and toward calm, confidence, and profitability in your agency’s operations, this episode delivers both hope and a roadmap. Don’t miss these expert insights on the power of process, the value of discovery, and the freedom that comes from building a sustainable project management approach. By the end, you’ll see project management as the backbone of agency success—and have new ideas for turning your systems into a competitive advantage.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Clarifying the true role and value of project management in agencies
- The critical impact of effective sales-to-project handoffs
- Why project management systems unlock both creative freedom and operational efficiency
- Moving beyond relying solely on tools to fixing underlying processes
- The importance of scoping both the project and its environment
- Building agency profitability by baking in realistic time and resource allocations
- Cultivating calm, predictability, and stronger client relationships through better operational systems
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes renowned marketing thought leader Marcus Sheridan to tackle some of the most pressing challenges—and exciting opportunities—facing agency owners today. Known for his influential book They Ask, You Answer, Marcus brings a fresh perspective to the table with the launch of his new book Endless Customers, focusing on how agencies can thrive in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven landscape.
In this engaging conversation, Drew and Marcus dive deep into the shifting dynamics of content marketing and client engagement, especially in the age of AI and digital transformation. Marcus shares lessons from his own entrepreneurial journey—from saving his pool company during the recession by embracing innovative marketing tactics, to helping other organizations transition into strategic, indispensable partners for their clients. The discussion highlights the importance of moving beyond deliverables and embracing a coaching, strategy-first mindset to remain relevant and valuable.
Listeners will walk away with actionable strategies, including the critical role of self-service tools like pricing estimators and self-scheduling platforms, which empower clients and drive measurable results. Marcus and Drew also underscore the increasing necessity for agencies to become trusted AI guides, equipping clients with the skills and confidence to harness new technologies across all facets of their business. Practical tips on fostering a culture of strategic thinking, ongoing communication training, and prioritizing trust-building with clients make this episode a must-listen.
Whether you’re looking to future-proof your agency, deepen client relationships, or implement innovative self-service solutions, this episode is packed with both inspiration and step-by-step advice. Tune in to discover how you and your team can shift from order-takers to indispensable strategic partners—and build a foundation for stronger, more profitable client engagements in 2025 and beyond.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The shift from deliverables to strategic coaching as a core agency value
- Embracing AI as both a tool and a key area of expertise for clients
- Prioritizing self-service tools and experiences to align with modern buyer behaviors
- Developing agency teams to think and act like coaches, not just order takers
- The critical role of ongoing communication training to reduce client churn
- Using pricing transparency and estimators to drive qualified leads and fast wins
- Building trust and indispensability to secure long-term client relationships
Welcome to another engaging episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan shines a spotlight on a topic that’s both enjoyable and essential to agency life—fun. Drew is joined by Dr. Mike Rucker, a behavioral psychologist and author of The Fun Habit, for a lively exploration into how prioritizing fun and joy can make you a better leader, a more creative thinker, and ultimately, help you build a stronger agency.
Mike delves into the science behind why Western culture tends to villainize fun in favor of productivity—and why that mindset is doing more harm than good. He unpacks concepts from positive psychology and reveals that constantly chasing happiness, or waiting for “someday” to enjoy yourself, can actually hinder well-being and lead to burnout. Instead, Mike explains the hedonic flexibility principle, which demonstrates that regularly scheduling small moments of joy leads to greater productivity, resilience, and creativity in both personal and professional realms.
Drew and Mike discuss practical ways to infuse everyday life with meaningful fun, rather than relying on the occasional big vacation or forced office events. They address the challenges agency owners face, from time poverty and remote work’s blurred boundaries to generational differences in attitudes toward work and leisure. Listeners will find actionable strategies for designing transition rituals, claiming genuine downtime, and fostering a culture where fun isn’t just tolerated—it’s championed.
Don’t miss this episode if you’re ready to break free from the grind and discover how making room for fun can transform your leadership, elevate your agency’s performance, and improve your own well-being. By the end, you’ll have practical tools to create more moments of joy for yourself and your team, and a whole new perspective on why fun is far from frivolous—it’s fundamental!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The critical link between fun, productivity, and agency creativity
- Why scheduling small, consistent moments of joy matters more than big events
- Tips for reclaiming time autonomy as an agency leader
- Understanding and applying the hedonic flexibility principle
- Strategies for breaking the workaholic mindset and preventing burnout
- The right—and wrong—ways to foster fun within agency teams
- Rethinking work rituals for healthier boundaries in hybrid and remote environments
Welcome to a special solocast episode of Build a Better Agency! In this midyear trend report, hosts Drew McLellan and Danyel Newcom McLellan dig deep into the evolving landscape facing agency owners in 2025. Leveraging data, global industry perspectives, and hands-on agency experience, Drew and Danyel break down what’s really impacting agencies right now and what to keep your eye on as the year unfolds.
This episode covers the biggest drivers reshaping the agency world—from economic and political disruptions to shifting client and employee expectations. Drew and Danyel explore findings from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, including the global “crisis of grievance,” and detail the unique opportunities and obligations business leaders face as the most trusted type of institution. They reveal how financial trends, M&A activity, and even compensation expectations are shifting, providing a realistic look at growth, profitability, and future planning.
You’ll also hear a candid analysis of client dynamics and new business trends: increased buyer skepticism and demand for transparency, shorter contract terms, and the rising importance of social proof and niche expertise in attracting and retaining accounts. Internally, the episode explores changing workforce norms, a renewed focus on employee development and mental health, and innovative staffing strategies to increase agility and resilience.
Rounding out the conversation, Drew and Danyel highlight where agencies are finding success—including the explosive impact of AI, new roles like creative technologists, the resurgence of retro campaigns, and the growing power of influencer and creator marketing. Whether you’re preparing your agency for exit, acquisition, or simply striving to thrive during uncertain times, this action-packed episode provides practical, actionable insights to help you build a stronger, more sustainable business. Don’t miss the chance to regroup, refocus, and get energized for what’s ahead!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Navigating economic and political uncertainty in agency operations * Building and maintaining trust with clients and employees * Shifting trends in agency growth, profitability, and M&A activity * The rising importance of transparency and authenticity with clients * Harnessing outside validation and social proof for new business * Leveraging innovation, partnerships, and flexible team structures * Embracing AI and data-driven insights as core agency strengths
Welcome to a timely episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by research partner Susan Baier from Audience Audit to unveil the results of the 2025 Agency Edge Research, fresh from its debut at the Build a Better Agency Summit. Together, they dig deep into how agency clients really feel about artificial intelligence—where they’re embracing it, where they’re hesitant, and what they truly want from their agency partners as AI becomes an ever-more central part of the marketing landscape.
Susan and Drew break down the study’s findings, revealing surprising good news for agencies: most clients are not only comfortable with agencies using AI, they actually want their agencies to be transparent and step up as guides and educators in the new AI-driven world. The episode introduces the three client mindsets the research uncovered—AI Embracers, AI Skeptics, and AI Opportunists—exploring what each group wants, fears, and expects when it comes to agency use of AI. Along the way, Susan shares eye-opening data that challenges common agency fears, like the myth that all clients want to replace agencies with tech or are solely focused on cost savings. .
Drew and Susan discuss practical, actionable opportunities for agency leaders to build trust, grow their strategic value, and tap into new revenue streams by leading client conversations about AI. They emphasize key client desires: greater transparency around AI use, expert guidance on tools and applications, and clear communication about regulations and risk. You’ll also hear why clients view agency guidance on AI as an entry point not just for marketing, but for broader organizational needs—a potential seat at the coveted strategy table.
Don’t miss this episode if you want to stay a step ahead in the evolving AI landscape. You’ll come away with not only a clear understanding of what your clients are thinking, but with actionable ways to strengthen your agency’s position, open new doors, and create deeper, more trusted partnerships in the age of AI.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Exploring client attitudes toward agency use of AI
- The critical roles of transparency and trust in agency-client relationships
- Breaking down three client mindsets: AI embracers, skeptics, and opportunists
- The growing expectation for agencies to be AI guides, not just service providers
- Why most clients value better results—not just lower fees—from AI adoption
- Addressing client concerns and opportunities through open AI conversations
- Action steps for agencies to become indispensable AI partners
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by Matt Davies and Pieter-Paul von Weiler, the strategist duo behind the Better Briefs Project, to tackle one of the most persistent and frustrating challenges agencies face: the elusive art of creating a truly effective brief. If you’ve ever struggled with unclear objectives, misaligned expectations, or wasted rounds of creative development, this episode is packed with data-driven answers and practical solutions.
Drawing on global research from over 1,700 marketers and agency professionals across 70 countries, Matt and Pieter-Paul share eye-opening findings about the wide gap between what clients think they’re delivering in a brief and what agencies are actually receiving. They break down the staggering disconnect—like the fact that 78% of marketers believe their briefs offer clear strategic direction, while only 5% of agencies agree—and explore the ripple effect this misalignment has on wasted budgets, morale, and creative outcomes.
Drew leads a discussion on why so many briefs fall short, what really constitutes a great brief, and how both agencies and clients can step up to improve the process. You’ll hear actionable advice on teaching clients the value of a well-crafted brief, initiating honest conversations before a live project starts, and creating custom templates that actually work for both sides. Plus, Matt and Pieter-Paul draw on their extensive agency experience to explain the difference between client briefs and creative briefs, and how agencies can strategically refine incoming briefs for stronger creative results.
Whether you’re an agency owner, account executive, or creative lead, don’t miss this episode if you’re ready to reclaim lost time, reduce budget waste, and build stronger partnerships with your clients around the brief-writing process. By the end, you’ll feel equipped to have more candid, constructive conversations and ensure every campaign starts with clarity and purpose. Head over to betterbriefs.com for more resources and get ready to produce your agency’s best work yet!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Understanding the disconnect between marketers and agencies when it comes to briefs
- Why most briefs lack clear objectives, strategic direction, and alignment
- The business impact of poor briefs—including wasted budgets and extra rework
- How agencies can proactively educate clients and improve the briefing process
- The difference between client marketing briefs and agency creative briefs
- The importance of partnership and communication in crafting great ideas
- Practical steps to help clients (and agencies) write better, more effective briefs
Welcome to another inspiring episode of Build a Better Agency! In this episode, host Drew McLellan sits down with high-performance coach and leadership expert Christina Langdon to explore what it truly means to scale your agency—not just in terms of size or revenue, but in mindset, vision, and team culture. Drawing on decades of leadership experience at organizations like Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Fast Company, Christina offers invaluable insights on unlocking growth and reimagining success for agency leaders and their teams.
Throughout their conversation, Drew and Christina unpack the dangers of operating on “default mode,” the pitfalls that keep agencies stuck in status quo thinking, and how our brains—wired for survival rather than success—can hold us back from imagining extraordinary futures. Christina introduces practical strategies for reflection and growth, including her signature daily practice: reviewing what worked, what didn’t, and what can be done differently. She explains how these habits, when shared individually and collectively, can spark new awareness and propel teams toward higher performance, deeper engagement, and lasting happiness at work.
The episode also delves into tactical frameworks for agency owners looking to elevate their leadership teams, assess existing capabilities, and foster cultures of intentional learning. Christina shares actionable tips on co-creating extraordinary goals, updating job descriptions to match evolving strengths, and using tools like user manuals to deepen collaboration and understanding within teams. You’ll also hear how to address common “dream killers,” manage stress by focusing on what’s within your control, and get buy-in for big, bold changes—even from those who might be resistant to new ways of thinking.
If you’re ready to move beyond incremental improvements and instead ignite genuine transformation within your agency, this episode is packed with real-world advice and motivational stories to get you started. Whether you want to grow in revenue, impact, retention, or simply reclaim your team’s enthusiasm, Christina and Drew provide a roadmap for dreaming bigger—together.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Shifting agency leadership out of “default mode” and embracing intentional growth + Rewiring mindsets from survival to imagination for breakthrough results + Building daily reflection practices to improve agency and personal performance + Co-creating extraordinary futures as a leadership team rather than top-down planning + Leveraging vulnerability and user manuals to deepen team collaboration + Tackling chronic stress and letting go of low-impact work for better productivity + Rethinking job descriptions and success criteria to elevate leaders and teams
Welcome to a compelling new episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by familiar faces Susan Baier from Audience Audit and Brian Gerstner from White Label IQ to discuss the findings of the 2025 Agency Core research study. Together, Susan and Brian have launched Agency Core, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to providing agency owners with powerful, unbiased data about what’s really going on in the agency world—and the latest results are as sobering as they are enlightening.
Drew, Susan, and Brian unpack the study’s in-depth findings, based on responses from over 700 agency leaders. They explore the five distinct agency segments identified, analyzing which mindsets and practices set high-performing agencies apart from their peers. The discussion covers the recurring challenges hurting agency profitability and optimism, including the ongoing struggle with building a strong pipeline, the reality of staffing issues, and a noticeable decline in overall optimism among agency owners compared to previous years.
The trio digs into what’s driving these trends and why, despite all the talk around new technologies like AI, the most pressing problems for agencies remain much more fundamental. You’ll also hear their perspectives on the importance of specialized positioning, the power of thought leadership, formal client retention strategies, and maintaining a proactive approach to agency marketing—plus, the critical role of community and peer support in navigating tough times.
If you’re looking for actionable insights and a candid, data-driven roadmap to greater agency success, this episode is a must-listen. Tune in for practical strategies and encouragement on how to move from feeling stuck to thriving, even in a changing industry landscape. By the end, you’ll be equipped to make meaningful changes and inspired to take the next steps toward building a stronger, more resilient agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- The power of niche positioning and thought leadership for agency resilience
- Why so many agency owners are struggling and the importance of moving from tactical to strategic work
- Pipeline challenges as the top threat facing agencies today—far surpassing concerns about AI
- How formal client retention systems and proactive strategic thinking fuel growth
- The critical role of reputation: it’s what others say about you, not what you say about yourself
- Team loyalty initiatives and their connection to agency performance and staff retention
- Choosing your path: the necessity of specialization versus the struggles of being a generalist
Welcome to a milestone episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan takes the mic solo to commemorate a remarkable achievement—the 500th episode of the podcast. With nearly a decade of weekly episodes under his belt, Drew reflects on the invaluable lessons that have emerged from ten years of conversations, challenges, and growth within the agency world.
In this special episode, Drew distills his journey into five key lessons learned through years of podcasting and agency consulting. From recognizing that agency life is a marathon, not a sprint, to emphasizing the importance of surrounding yourself with the right team, Drew candidly addresses both the successes and the struggles that come with leading and growing a business. He offers practical wisdom on staying adaptable, celebrating milestones, and taking care of your own wellbeing—insights applicable whether you’re a new agency owner or a seasoned industry veteran.
Drew also shares why having the right support system is crucial, illustrating how learning and growing together creates a thriving agency community. He dives into the values that drive AMI, especially the commitment to leading with love, and how clear core values and business practices act as guiding principles during both calm and challenging times.
If you’re looking for inspiration, reassurance, or tangible takeaways to apply to your agency, don’t miss this landmark episode. Drew’s reflections are a heartfelt thank you to listeners, guests, and partners, as well as a rallying call for the next 500 episodes—reminding all of us that the agency journey is a whole lot better when we travel it together.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Embracing agency ownership as a marathon, not a sprint + The critical value of ongoing learning and adaptability + Prioritizing self-care and celebrating small wins along the way + Building and nurturing a strong, supportive team culture + Leading with core values—especially love and gratitude + Using clear boundaries and best practices to guide agency decisions + The power of community: why together is always better
Welcome to another can’t-miss episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan invites negotiation expert Mike Lander to shed light on a critical, and often misunderstood, stage of growing your agency: the art of winning new business and, crucially, negotiating strong client contracts. If your agency is hustling for fresh opportunities in the midst of economic uncertainty, this discussion is perfectly timed to help you secure the deals that matter—on terms that support your profitability and long-term growth.
Mike Lander brings a unique dual perspective as both a former procurement director (the “buy side”) and current advisor to agencies navigating the “sell side.” Together with Drew, he explores why so many agencies trip up after being “awarded” new business, mistaking the proposal win for the finish line when, in reality, it’s the starting point for some of the most pivotal work ahead. Mike reveals how agencies can better qualify opportunities, avoid that painful “close second” outcome, and, above all, approach negotiation with a mindset of mutual value creation rather than desperate discounting.
The episode dives deep into actionable best practices you can deploy immediately—from building a robust qualification scorecard and prepping for negotiations, to mastering the art of trading instead of discounting. Mike and Drew also tackle the importance of agency differentiation, emphasizing why expertise and industry-specific knowledge trump generic promises of creativity or methodology. Plus, learn how to lead conversations with the kind of value, risk mitigation, and trust-building that makes your agency stand out in a crowded, competitive field.
Whether you’re tired of burning countless hours on unwinnable pitches or want to strengthen your contracts for better client and agency outcomes, you’ll find a wealth of insights in this episode. Get ready to rethink your approach to business development—and leave with concrete “homework” that will set your agency up for more wins, stronger partnerships, and greater profitability. Don’t miss it!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode:
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- Rethinking the pitch process—why winning isn’t the finish line, but just the beginning
- The dangers of chasing bad-fit clients and how to develop a qualification scorecard
- Differentiation strategies beyond methodology and “our people”—the real keys to standing out
- Communicating value and risk to buyers—focusing on afters, measurable results, and case studies
- Stop discounting and start trading—how agencies should approach contract negotiations
- The art and science of being a trust builder versus a pushover in negotiations
- Why creative excellence alone won’t win the deal—and separating creative from commercial conversations
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! In this session, host Drew McLellan is joined by PR expert Ryan Gerding, CEO of Inc. Public Relations, to explore the evolving landscape of public relations and its crucial role in modern communication strategies.
Ryan brings over two decades of experience in the PR industry, offering a comprehensive look at how the traditional boundaries of PR have expanded far beyond media relations. Together, Drew and Ryan explore the shifting dynamics of the PR world and how agencies can leverage storytelling, media relationships, and new platforms to enhance their clients' visibility and credibility.
They dive into the art of building valuable relationships with media outlets and reporters, emphasizing the importance of being genuinely helpful rather than simply seeking coverage. Ryan also shares his take on the integration of AI in PR, its benefits in organizing thoughts, and its limitations when it comes to creativity—a conversation rich with practical advice for navigating today’s media landscape.
This episode is a must-listen for agency professionals eager to understand the nuanced strategies of modern PR. Discover how to turn potential challenges into opportunities by being a trusted resource and explore the ways PR can significantly boost your agency's success in these ever-changing times.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Navigating the modern PR landscape and its evolution from traditional media relations + Building effective relationships through relevance and helpfulness + The impact of AI on PR strategies and operations + Understanding the value and implications of pay-to-play PR opportunities + Preparing clients for successful media interviews with authentic conversations + Enhancing agency-client collaboration through education and expectation management + The importance of persistence in media outreach efforts
Welcome to another enlightening episode of Build a Better Agency! In this episode, host Drew McLellan delves into the nuances of effective communication, a skill vital for thriving in today's tumultuous business landscape. Joined by guest Cynthia Kane, an expert in mindful communication, they explore how to navigate conversations with clarity and calm, even amidst chaos.
Cynthia shares her journey from struggling with passive-aggressive communication to mastering the art of mindful dialogue. This episode unpacks techniques to foster inner calm, which in turn enhances leadership qualities, especially crucial given the current climate of change and uncertainty. Drew and Cynthia discuss the significance of understanding and managing one's emotional and physical responses to ensure conversations lead to constructive outcomes.
Listeners will gain insights on the power of pausing to regain composure during challenging interactions. Cynthia introduces practical practices like breathing exercises and self-talk adjustments that leaders can adopt to steer conversations towards resolution rather than conflict. They also highlight the importance of intentional communication, where clarity trumps winning an argument, thereby fostering trust and collaboration within teams.
Tune in to grasp how these communication strategies can transform not only your professional endeavors but your personal relationships as well. This episode is a must-listen for agency leaders ready to enhance their communication skills, cultivate resilient work environments, and lead with authenticity and efficacy. You'll leave with actionable steps to engage more mindfully with your team and clients, building a robust foundation for success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + The importance of inner calm and clarity in leadership during turbulent times + Developing effective communication skills as a learned practice + Recognizing and managing physical sensations as cues for stress or discomfort + The significance of taking a pause to gain control and clarity in a conversation + Practical techniques for maintaining composure and de-escalating tense situations + Communicating effectively across generational and remote work challenges + The powerful role of intention and mindfulness in professional interactions
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! Today, host Drew McLellan returns with guest Lee McKnight from RSW to dive deep into the findings of the new 2025 Outlook report, exploring the evolving landscape of agency-client dynamics. As a key industry player, Lee brings a wealth of knowledge about the intersection of innovative trends and client expectations.
In this enlightening discussion, Drew and Lee unpack the promising data from the report, which suggests an optimistic outlook for agency-client spending in the coming year. They tackle critical topics such as the enduring power of referrals, the rising significance of direct outreach, and the crucial role of consistent and targeted content in building authority and securing new business. They make it clear that agencies need to embrace these insights to tailor their strategies effectively.
The pair also delve into the complex topic of competition from in-house teams and how agencies can strategically position themselves as indispensable partners through specialized expertise and forward-thinking strategies. Highlighting the potential of AI in both business development and operational efficiency, Drew and Lee emphasize the importance of agencies staying ahead of the curve to maintain relevancy and competitiveness in an ever-changing market.
This episode is packed with actionable insights and expert advice that can help you refine your approach to business development, client retention, and trend adaptation. Whether you're looking to cement your agency’s authority or navigate the nuances of modern client demands, this episode offers the guidance you need to thrive. Don’t miss out on learning how to align your agency’s efforts with the expectations of 2025 and beyond.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + The alignment and discrepancies in spending optimism between marketers and agencies + The persistent and pivotal role of referrals and outreach in agency-client relationships + Embracing AI for research and operational efficiencies without undermining creativity + The evolving dynamics of in-house agency work versus external agency engagements + Navigating the world of RFPs with a focus on strategic selectivity + Demonstrating value through differentiated expertise and specialization + Leveraging short-form video content to engage and attract potential clients
Welcome to another episode of Build a Better Agency! In this solo cast, host Drew McLellan takes center stage to discuss a critical topic that every agency owner should consider—broadening the concept of growth beyond the traditional metrics like headcount and gross billings. As an agency leader, you’ll gain fresh perspectives on how to leverage different growth strategies that go beyond the surface level.
Drew delves into the importance of enhancing your agency's growth across various dimensions. He emphasizes the need for agencies to focus on increasing their adjusted gross income, not just through acquiring new clients but also by maximizing the potential of existing ones. Drew challenges agency owners to rethink efficiency, suggesting innovative ways to manage cost of goods and improve team structures through global talent pools and flexible work arrangements.
Listeners will also be encouraged to concentrate on retaining clients and top talent, creating a stable foundation for long-term success. Drew outlines how educating both your internal team and clients can lead to more robust relationships and, ultimately, increased agency profitability. A particularly noteworthy point is that true agency growth should translate into better compensation for owners, stressing the holistic value of growth.
Don’t miss this episode if you’re ready to explore comprehensive growth strategies that extend beyond just numbers. Drew's insights will provide you with actionable steps to transform your agency’s approach to growth, offering a renewed sense of purpose and direction in how you develop and sustain your business.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Rethinking agency growth beyond headcount and gross billings + The significance of continual learning and teaching within the agency + Strategies for increasing adjusted gross income and profitability + The vital role of client and team member retention in agency success + Exploring flexible team structures and global talent for agency growth + Developing a comprehensive plan for agency owner compensation + Embracing new business opportunities through deeper client relationships
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Welcome to the latest episode of Build a Better Agency! In this engaging discussion, host Drew McLellan is joined by veteran leader Jim Fielding to explore what it takes to be an authentic and effective leader in today’s ever-changing landscape. With a wealth of experience garnered from his impressive career in retail and media, including at Disney and DreamWorks, Jim sheds light on being true to oneself while navigating the complexities of leadership.
Throughout the episode, Jim shares his personal journey, including the motivations behind his book "All Pride, No Ego: A Queer Executive's Journey to Living and Leading Authentically." He highlights the internal challenges and triumphs he's faced in embracing authenticity as a leader from a marginalized community. Jim offers universal advice on overcoming self-imposed barriers and being vulnerable in leadership—core themes that resonate across industries and identities.
Drew and Jim delve deep into the critical aspects of managing during tumultuous times, focusing on controlling what you can, communicating transparently with your team, and maintaining flexibility to adapt to uncertainty. Jim also emphasizes the importance of building diverse, high-performing teams and the business case for diversity and inclusion, especially in client-facing industries like agencies.
Don't miss this enlightening conversation filled with actionable insights on how to foster a culture of trust, respect, and exceptional leadership. Whether you're a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, this episode promises a wealth of knowledge to enhance your leadership journey.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + Embracing vulnerability as a leader during uncertain times + Importance of over-communication with team members and clients + Creating a diverse team to reflect and understand the client base + Listening to team feedback to mitigate blind spots + Balancing pride and ego for effective leadership + Finding and utilizing your personal board of advisors for guidance + Encouraging innovation and diverse perspectives within your team
Welcome to the latest episode of Build a Better Agency! This time, host Drew McLellan is joined by leadership expert Suzanna de Baca for a thought-provoking discussion that will transform the way you think about your role within your agency. As the new year inspires fresh goals, Drew and Suzanna explore the critical element that determines an agency's success: its leadership.
Suzanna, who has a fascinating career journey from Wall Street to CEO positions and is now teaching leadership at the MBA level, brings decades of insights to the table. She emphasizes that good leadership extends beyond technical skills—it's crucial in a rapidly changing world to develop emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and communication abilities. Whether you're a seasoned agency owner or new to leadership, Suzanna's revelations will provide you with a roadmap to becoming not just effective managers but dynamic leaders.
The conversation explores the difference between management and leadership. Suzanna explains that visionary leadership includes establishing a clear purpose and inspiring your team to support it. They also address communication challenges, promoting a dialogue instead of a monologue to ensure your vision resonates with your employees. Suzanna and Drew will assist you in repeating and reinforcing your vision without allowing it to become mundane.
Don't miss out if you're eager to enhance your agency's direction through dedicated, intentional leadership. By adopting Suzanna's strategies, you'll empower your team, foster a thriving culture, and guide your agency to new heights.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * + The evolving role of leadership in an ever-changing environment + Distinguishing leadership from management and why it matters + Encouraging proactive leadership at every level of the organization + The significance of a clear and shared vision for agency success + How to effectively communicate and reinforce company vision + Leveraging leadership styles and tools for improved team dynamics + Engaging employees in a two-way dialogue to enhance organizational alignment
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes Kevin Eikenberry to the show to explore the ever-evolving landscape of leadership. Kevin, a seasoned expert in leadership and learning with over three decades of experience, shares his expertise on how flexibility and adaptability are integral to effective leadership in today's fast-paced and scattered work environments.
Drew and Kevin dive into the various challenges agency leaders encounter as they adapt to a world that demands greater flexibility than ever before. They discuss the transition from traditional, rigid work environments to a more fluid and dynamic approach, where leaders must balance consistency and adaptability. Kevin underscores the significance of mindset, skillset, and habits in enhancing leadership abilities. Together, they examine the aspects of leadership that remain constant despite the changing landscape and emphasize the areas where leaders can foster growth.
Kevin shares practical strategies for enhancing leadership effectiveness, including fostering intentional and natural interactions with your team, regardless of location or time zone. Whether you lead a team in person or remotely, Kevin's insights provide leaders with the tools to navigate uncertainty and lead with confidence. This episode is filled with tips for creating meaningful connections with your team, promoting a culture of accountability, and continuously improving as a leader.
Don’t miss this inspiring episode if you’re aiming to elevate your leadership skills and adapt to the demands of leading in a flexible work environment. Whether you’re an experienced agency owner or just beginning your journey in leadership, Kevin’s wisdom and practical advice will undoubtedly guide you toward becoming a more impactful and flexible leader in your agency settings.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Embracing flexible leadership in a post-COVID world * Balancing mindset, skill set, and habit set for effective leadership * Integrating casual interactions naturally into remote work settings * Transitioning from autopilot leadership to intentional adaptation * Moving beyond viewing employees' needs as excessive * Implementing consistent habit changes for improved leadership * Encouraging accountability and feedback within teams
Welcome to the latest episode of Build a Better Agency! Host Drew McLellan returns with an engaging conversation that every agency owner needs to hear. In this episode, Drew welcomes back returning guest Casey Brown, a pricing guru known for her unique and insightful perspective on pricing strategy and negotiation. If you’ve ever struggled with finding the right price point for your services or navigating tough client negotiations, this episode is a must-listen.
Casey, who has shared her expertise at a previous Build a Better Agency summit, delves deep into the art of pricing. She examines the common challenges agencies face, such as being pressured to lower prices or feeling concerned about client budgets. Casey sheds light on important strategies for establishing pricing integrity and confidently presenting your agency’s value. With her extensive background as a pricing consultant and experience in corporate America, her advice is both practical and transformative as you prepare for economic shifts anticipated in 2025.
During the episode, Drew and Casey discuss actionable tips for agency owners who might be prone to giving away too much in negotiations. They explore how to prepare emotionally and tactically for price setting and getting, ensuring that you're ready to walk away if necessary—emphasizing the power of 'no' and preparation. With concrete examples and relatable scenarios, they illustrate the importance of maintaining your agency's premium position without capitulating to every pricing objection.
Tune in to gain valuable insights that can influence your agency's bottom line and help build a more resilient and confident approach to pricing. Whether you’re dealing with seasoned clients or negotiating a first-time contract, Casey’s expert guidance will provide you with the tools to rethink and reinforce your pricing strategies. Don’t miss this episode if you’re ready to embrace the new year with renewed confidence and strategic foresight!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Understanding the psychology of pricing and negotiation * Differentiating between price setting and price getting * The importance of maintaining pricing integrity * Leveraging questions to reduce resistance in negotiations * Strategies for dealing with budget pushback from clients * Preparing effectively for pricing discussions and negotiations * Learning from pricing-related losses to improve future strategies
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Drew McLellan emphasizes the game-changing impact of one-on-one meetings and why agency owners should make them a non-negotiable part of their leadership strategy. Drawing from real-world agency experiences, Drew shares why these meetings serve as an "early warning radar system," helping leaders stay connected to their teams, strengthen workplace culture, and proactively address challenges before they escalate.
Drew outlines a structured yet simple framework for these biweekly, 30-minute meetings, highlighting that they are employee-driven—meaning the team member schedules the meeting, completes a structured form in advance, and leads the conversation. He breaks down the essential components of the form, including personal and professional check-ins, growth goal tracking, and opportunities for employees to share concerns, request support, and flag internal or client-related issues. By consistently implementing these meetings, agency owners can reduce day-to-day interruptions, foster deeper engagement, and cultivate a team that is both personally and professionally invested in the agency’s success.
If you’re struggling with employee engagement, culture-building, or leadership visibility, this episode provides a straightforward yet highly effective solution. Tune in to learn how to implement one-on-one meetings, access Drew’s updated meeting template, and start seeing immediate benefits in your agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- The value of one-on-one meetings for agency growth and employee development
- Setting professional and agency-focused growth goals for employees
- Encouraging accountability and preparation among team members
- Building deeper connections through personal and professional check-ins
- Enhancing employee support and addressing key issues effectively
- The importance of employees driving their own career discussions
- Leveraging one-on-one meetings to spot potential client or internal issues early
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Drew McLellan sits down with leadership and workplace culture expert Sarah Noll Wilson to unpack one of the biggest challenges agency owners face today—building real culture and connection in a rapidly changing workplace.
Drew and Sarah explore how generational shifts, post-pandemic workplace dynamics, and evolving expectations have reshaped the employer-employee relationship. They discuss why traditional leadership approaches—like assuming loyalty comes from salary or benefits alone—no longer work and how agency owners can foster genuine commitment and engagement. Sarah shares eye-opening insights on the importance of psychological safety, trust, and open communication, explaining why employees today expect to be seen, valued, and respected in ways that differ from the past.
If you’ve ever felt frustrated by shifting workforce expectations, struggled to retain top talent, or wondered how to get your team to care as much as you do about the business, this conversation is a must-listen. Tune in to gain practical strategies for fostering a workplace culture that works—not just for you, but for your employees and the success of your agency. A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Understanding the generational shift in workplace dynamics * Navigating emotional engagement in leadership roles * The importance of aligning agency culture with values * Rethinking how to build trust and commitment * Addressing the challenges of hybrid and remote work environments * Experimenting with new strategies for relationship-building * Embracing intellectual humility to foster collaboration
Welcome to the latest episode of Build a Better Agency! In this episode, host Drew McLellan dives into a fascinating yet often overlooked topic that will have you rethinking how you present yourself professionally. Joined by expert guest Morgan Wider, Drew explores the powerful impact of wardrobe choices on your personal and professional brand.
Morgan, a seasoned wardrobe stylist with a decade of corporate retail experience, shares invaluable insights on how to ensure your exterior appearance aligns with the professional image you want to project. Whether you’ve been dressing the same way for years or are looking to make a change, Morgan’s advice on intentional dressing and wardrobe curation will make you reconsider your daily attire.
They’ll discuss practical tips on evaluating your current wardrobe, making intentional color choices, and infusing your outfits with personality through accessories. You'll also hear about common wardrobe mistakes and the small tweaks that can make a big difference in how you’re perceived by others.
Don’t miss this episode if you're ready to take actionable steps towards enhancing your executive presence, boosting your confidence, and standing out in your field in the most authentic way. Trust us—by the end, you'll be walking into your closet with a whole new perspective.
Let’s get started!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The importance of intentionality in how we dress to convey our professional message * Understanding the alignment of personal authenticity with professional attire * How our wardrobe choices influence both self-perception and external perception * The significance of avoiding the default "should" outfits to stand out while respecting professional norms * Practical tips for refining wardrobe choices to maintain authenticity and professionalism * Utilizing accessories and small details to add personality and create conversation starters * The value of an external perspective to reassess and enhance your professional wardrobe choices
In this episode of Build a Better Agency Drew McLellan talks with Tessa White, also known as the Job Doctor. Tessa has a rich background with 25 years in HR and a fascinating journey that saw her pivot from corporate life to empower individuals in the workforce, all during the turbulent times of late 2020. What started as a simple endeavor on TikTok quickly transformed into a massive platform with millions of followers and a compelling new book, “The Unspoken Truths for Career Success.”
We explore the evolving dynamics of employer-employee relationships, the importance of effective communication, and how generational perspectives are reshaping the workplace. Tessa offers eye-opening strategies for building loyalty, beyond merely providing great benefits or flexible work conditions.
Whether you’re an agency owner struggling with the concept of loyalty in the modern workforce or looking for innovative ways to connect with your team, this episode is packed with transformative insights. Join us as Tessa White breaks down what employees really crave in their careers and how business owners can adapt to these changing demands. Grab your notepad; you won’t want to miss this!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Understanding the disconnect between employers and employees * How to foster employee loyalty in a changing workforce * The importance of career pathing from day one * Rethinking compensation and rewards * The power of customization in the workplace * How to build stronger relationships in hybrid and remote environments * Adapting to the future of work
Agency book writing and publishing can seem like a daunting mountain to climb. But with the right people to help you through the process, it can be one of the best things you can do to uplevel your thought leadership efforts.
That’s why this week, I invited Shadley Grei, an agency book publishing expert and newer member of AMI, onto the show to share how agency owners can start thinking about writing their first (or next) book with the help of a ghostwriter. He shares how his agency helps other agency owners discover if their ideas are ready to become a full-fledged book, and how to start compiling it all to collaborate with a ghostwriter.
As the visionaries of the agency, we need to be always looking for the new, unspoken angles of things in the work we do, and Shadley helps agency owners share their perspectives without the pressure of having to do it alone.
If you think you might be ready to finally get your idea or vision out in writing in 2025, this episode has all the info you need to start turning that idea into reality.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How a ghostwriter can be a partner in helping you find unseen angles for your book * How to get a seat at the table and show clients you’re capable of more * What producing a book can do for the agency and agency owner * How and why Shadley got interested in starting his own publishing company * The fun of partnering with thought leaders to help their ideas come to life * Using a ghostwriter isn’t cheating — it’s a strategy * 3 ways to know if you’re ready to write a book * Getting over fear and owning your expertise
I wanted to wait until after the holidays to talk about this topic because it’s a bit heavier than what we usually talk about on the show. But it’s something that Danyel and I have noticed weighing heavily on a lot of you since COVID, and that is agency owner grief.
It’s true that many of you have experienced quite a lot of loss and change these past few years — with the way we work, how well our business is doing, AI, our overall productivity, and so much more. It’s a lot of change to handle, and for many of us, we haven’t taken the proper time to actually acknowledge our grief and begin to let it go.
But without taking those first steps, that grief will continue to take hold of us and affect us in all aspects of our business — and even our personal lives. Many of you report being restless, unable to focus, depressed, uninspired, feeling heavy, and burnt out. And it’s all because we’re burning the candle at both ends without taking the time to acknowledge just how much change we’ve gone through in the past 5 years as agency owners.
So I hope you’ll join me and take some time to take stock of everything that’s happened from 2020 to now — the good and the bad — and start to recognize just how much we’ve gone through so we can collectively learn to grieve and begin to let go of the bad to make more room for some good.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why agency owners are struggling mentally and emotionally more than ever * Understanding agency owner grief and what’s caused it to increase in the past 5 years * Addressing agency owner grief * The 5 stages of grief and how it manifests for agency owners * The trickle effect of grief on agencies * How we can begin to identify our grief * Starting the healing process after we identify the source of our grief * Seeing post-COVID as an agency renaissance
Many agency owners feel like their clients are putting them in a box of specific skills they’re able to perform for them. And for many of us, that’s not a good feeling. We’re wired to think creatively and break free from that metaphorical box, but it can be hard to communicate that to our clients in a sea of competition.
So, it’s time to break out of that box in 2025.
That means we need fresh ideas, innovative thought leadership, and non-obvious thinking. And there’s nobody better to talk to us about this than Rohit Bhargava, from Non-Obvious Company. He knows exactly what it’s like to be put in a box creatively, but he’s even better at breaking out of it.
For years, he’s taken a hold of the status quo to challenge it, question it, and ask more of it so that he can stay ahead of the conversation and shape it to better serve his clients — and his agency.
So join us to get inspired to do some fresh, non-obvious thinking in this week’s episode.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What should be on every agency owner’s mind in 2025 * How to get a seat at the table and show clients you’re capable of more * The importance of thought leadership to make sales come to you * The difference between content creation and thought leadership * How to apply non-obvious thinking to our agency work * Getting our clients to be more open-minded, creative thinkers with us * The role of AI in the future of agencies * The importance of demonstrating real connection and chemistry to both potential and current clients * Trends agency owners should be paying attention to in 2025
Almost no agency owner got into the agency world for their passion for bookkeeping. And if you did — great! You’re several steps ahead of most of us. But the reality is, most of us are just happy to keep cash in the bank for payroll and probably aren’t looking at the finances as much as we should be.
Sandy Catour joined me this week to share why we should rewire this habit. Agency owners should be just as involved with the agency finances as their finance and accounting teams, and they should be in frequent communication with one another.
Without a good understanding of your cash forecast, how your money is being spent, and where you’re losing the most profit, it’s impossible to run the agency by the numbers and keep a good handle on where all your money is going.
So join us to get a realistic look at what agency owners should care about the most in the agency financial reports and what they can talk to their finance teams more openly and honestly about in 2025.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How an agency owner should approach agency finances * How agency finance conversations differ between small and medium agencies * What financial reports you should be looking at as an agency owner * Knowing how to price and how to find profit black holes in the numbers * How agency owners should think about the financial roles in their company and how they serve the agency * How to communicate well with your financial team * What monthly financial meetings should look like with your accountants, bookkeepers, or other finance team members * Getting an accounting person to put together a cash forecast and what that should look like
Agency growth and biz dev can feel like an uphill battle when we’re already so tired, overworked, and burnt out. But it doesn’t have to be hard or add anything extra on our already full to-do lists. In fact, it shouldn’t be difficult at all.
Tori Boats joined me this week to help close out the year on a high note and show us that setting our agencies up for exponential growth in 2025 doesn’t have to be tough — and it can even be fun.
If you’re feeling that end of the year slump, this episode should inspire you to rediscover that creative spark that motivated you to start an agency in the first place. No worrying about what’s profitable or competitive — just pure creative and visionary ideations that will give you the fresh thinking you need to start off 2025 on the right foot.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * What gets in the way of the spark of agency ownership * Getting into an innovative and creative headspace * Translating a creative spark into sustainable agency growth * Centering your clients’ needs instead of yourself or the agency * Challenge yourself to come up with silly, unrealistic ideas * Infusing energy, excitement, excitement, and visionary ideas to agency employees * Having a vision is the key to getting unstuck * The 5 mistakes agency owners make that keep us stuck
Agency ownership can leave us stressed, burnt out, and sometimes, thinking the grass is greener somewhere else. But when you really sit back and think about it, we have it pretty good — we just lose sight of it sometimes.
So this week, I’m finishing off the year with another solo episode to really sit down and take stock of what it is about agency ownership that makes it so special compared to other jobs. Because no matter how hard things get or how many bad days we have, our jobs are still pretty special and unique.
While you listen to this episode, I want you to reflect on all the things that you could take a little more time to appreciate. Whether that’s your employees, your work-life balance, your clients, or even just the type of work you get to do, there’s always something we can be grateful for in this industry.
In 2025, let’s find a little more joy in our work and give ourselves more credit for all the hard work we already do and will continue to do — because we love it that much.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * We’re wired to constantly want to do better * Agency owners can lose sight of how much joy is in the industry * Agency ownership brings us balance in our personal and professional lives * You can still make a decent living as an agency owner even if you have a bad year * Getting to work for and with whomever you want * Doing the type of creative work you want to do (for the most part) * Why you should take some time to reflect on all the joys that come with agency ownership * Agencies have more impact than we give ourselves credit for
As we round the bend into the new year, I’m reflecting on the lessons learned from my time as an agency owner and the insights I've gained from working with hundreds of agencies.
While there are too many to count, I’m going to try to boil down my experiences into a few points that I hope you can take into 2025 as you start to think about what you want the next year to look like for your agency. This episode is packed with actionable advice on things like niche selection, service offerings, operational efficiencies, and how to foster a culture of continuous growth and dedication among your staff.
As you go into the new year, ask yourself, How do you want your agency to look different? How do you want your team to look different? How do you want to look different to the world? And how do you want the clients you serve to be different?
With those questions in mind, join me as I walk through what my dream agency would look like today and how you can implement these strategies to align your agency for success in 2025.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * The most profitable size of an agency * Dividing in-office work and at-home work for a hybrid agency * The importance of having in-house accounts service people who are dedicated to growing the agency * Using freelancers and contractors to support a smaller team of in-house creatives * The continued importance of running the agency by the numbers for maximum profitability * Having one-on-ones to check in with agency employees and clients * Narrowing down your niche to get to that 20% profitability * Building a recession-proof agency * Getting more thoughtful about what the agency owner role looks like and hiring roles to support it * Getting smart about paying yourself * Team off-sites and investing in professional development
To grow the agency, agency owners need to be working on the business, not working in it. That means we have to accept that it’s time to get out of the day-to-day and embrace agency entrepreneurship as business leaders.
Michael E. Gerber, author of The E-Myth and renowned business guru, joined us today to share some profound lessons for agency owners to uplevel their businesses and stop getting stuck just being technicians of the business.
Too many of us get stuck in the day-to-day operations, doing work we should hire other experts to do. And while those experts do what they do best — so should we. By focusing on biz dev and enhancing the mission, vision, and values of the agency, we’re making room for the agency to grow while achieving our dreams.
If you’ve been looking for a push to get inspired to finally run the agency as the visionary you are, this is your episode. Michael is a great inspiration to show agency owners that following our dreams and visions is possible if we set ourselves up for the right kind of success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency owners get in their own way of their success * Many agency owners are technicians suffering from entrepreneurial tendencies * How to use systems and processes when you’re an agency doing custom work * The 8 distinct personalities for a great entrepreneur * Running an agency vs. doing the work of an agency * Create systems and processes, and then make your agency the product * Great entrepreneurs are great creators
Account executives are critical for agency profitability and success. Without them, we wouldn’t have anybody responsible for building deeper trust with clients and growing their accounts.
That’s why we’ve brought Lori Highby on the show this week to share everything she knows about the account executive role. Some of you might recognize her from the AE Bootcamps she teaches at, and she’s here to bring that wisdom to the greater AMI community so we can better understand just how important our AEs are for agency success.
As someone who has an inside look at how AEs think and the questions and concerns that are always in their heads, Lori is the perfect person to share them so we can learn how to better support our AEs.
We cover everything from the expectations in an AE role, how agency owners can better communicate their goals and expectations to AEs, recognizing their hard work, and supporting their goals and aspirations within their role so they can also grow with the agency.
This episode is packed with incredible insights, so we hope you can take some of these topics and use them to better understand and support the AEs in your agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Recurring struggles that account executives face and are looking for guidance about * The importance of standardized communication on the team and with clients * Helping AEs level up their soft communication skills * Supporting your account executives’ eagerness to learn and level up * The importance of AEs knowing agency math and using it to determine profitability * What AEs really want from agency leadership * Take more time to recognize and appreciate your account executives’ hard work * How to find more moments for recognition on your team * What AEs love about their jobs * How to support and encourage your team in leveling up their skills * How agency owners can amplify AE success in the agency
This one is going to be hard for most agency owners to hear, but you need to take a sabbatical — or a vacation or any amount of time off where you completely unplug from the agency. No Slack, no email, no phone calls. Nothing.
Most of you just got really uncomfortable reading that statement, but it’s absolutely necessary if you want your agency to grow. In fact, not taking time off could be stifling agency growth more than you realize.
Every time you jump into a meeting with a client that your project manager or AE could be taking, or you need to sign off on a minor thing that your leadership team could handle, you’re making it harder for your team — and your agency — to grow.
Louise Oliver is going to share her story of how she was exactly like many of you, stressing over her maternity leave and avoiding deleting work apps off of her devices. And then she did it. She realized how much that time off helped her and her agency grow exponentially.
So, tune in and take the sabbatical.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Don’t be an agency owner who can’t imagine being involved in everything * Taking time off completely unplugged shows your team they trust you * The importance of having a strong leadership team to back you up * The stages of grief of unplugging during a sabbatical * The day and night difference Louise experienced after returning to work * Taking a sabbatical will give you the freedom to finally do the work you want to be doing * Letting your leadership put out fires while you’re away is the key to their growth * How stepping aside can help your team find weak spots in systems and processes * If a sabbatical or vacation feels impossible, that’s a good sign to look at how your team is structured * How taking time off can help you on a personal level outside of the agency
The future of work is becoming more fractional. Instead of full-time, in-house teams doing all the work — how many of us grew up in the agency world — fractional employees like contractors and freelancers can take on more and more complex roles for us.
With remote and hybrid work still on the rise, we can leverage fractional employees to bring a more diverse portfolio of skills to the agency without breaking our bottom line.
Sara Daw joined me this week to share her knowledge about fractional employees and how they fit into what she calls “the access economy” where we can access a larger pool of talent at our fingertips without actually having to make a full-time hire.
We dig into what it means to build psychological ownership in fractional relationships, how fractional employees can make themselves more known within the agency culture, and how the future of work will evolve as the whole concept of employment shifts and changes.
This episode comes with a lot of deep thinking homework that will challenge you to look at the workforce you want to build for your agency’s future and the infrastructure you need to start building in order to support that. There’s a lot of good stuff here to share with your leadership team, so get ready to take some notes on this one.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What is the access economy? * Why does the access economy work so well? * How psychological ownership plays into fractional work and the access economy * The importance of psychological ownership in our relationships with fractional employees * Getting a breadth and depth of skillsets in a fractional C-Suite and fractional employees * How employment will evolve as we lean into fractional employment and hybrid work * Creating culture and creativity in fractional work environments * How to be more connected and intentional with relationships as a fractional employee * Having the right skillset at the right level
Many agency owners reported in 2024 that one of the best things about their agencies are their employees. Despite continued biz dev struggles and slow sales cycles, agency owners have had a hard time shrinking their teams because they just love them that much.
So, this week, let’s talk about some of the ways we can think about agency employee compensation more holistically to show them our gratitude and continued support.
Agencies continue to be really competitive environments, and many of our best employees will inevitably be approached by recruiters and other agencies at some point in their careers. And the best way to keep them around is through their compensation packages.
But these shouldn’t just be about high salaries and bonuses. While important, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in showing our gratitude and support to our employees. In fact, the most impactful forms of compensation come from deeply knowing and respecting your team, and showing your personalized gratitude for their efforts and commitment to your agency.
Join me on this week’s solocast to dig a little deeper in how we can really get thoughtful about how we compensate our employees, not just with more money, but investing in their continued growth and your personal relationship with them.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * Looking at agency employee compensation not as an obligation, but something you do out of gratitude * Using raises as a reward for employees adding more value to the agency * Giving bonuses or profit sharing to celebrate hitting monthly or quarterly goals as a team * How a good benefits package gives you a competitive advantage against other agencies * Personalized perks and thank-yous to reward individuals go a long way * How to know when one of your employees has gone above and beyond * Spending time getting to know your employees and caring for those personal relationships * Develop your compensation philosophy based on your goals and values
It’s no secret that new business for agencies was brutal in 2023. And for some in 2024, it’s been equally difficult. So, for 2025, we want to challenge you to get unstuck from those difficult sales cycles and lay the groundwork for some new energy as we come to the end of this year.
This week, Susan Baier joined me again to help us look at the agency sales cycle a little differently. Next year, it’s all going to be about using research studies to build your thought leadership portfolio, create cobblestone content, and attract right-fit clients with little to no prospecting on your end.
If you haven’t done research studies before, it’s time to start. Get some data, find your unique perspective, and share it openly and with authority. In 2025, it’s going to be all about teaching and educating your audience to build trust so that by the time they pick up the phone to call you, they’ve already bought into your expertise.
If you’re looking to get out of the funk of 2 slow sales years, you’ll want to stop what you’re doing right now so you can take some notes on this episode.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How does doing research make agency employees and the agency better? * Why agencies need to constantly be adapting and learning new things * Using new knowledge and research to make your team smarter * How agencies can use their research to innovate and be better * The surprising effects of new research and thought leadership on client budgets * Using research to shorten the sales cycle, build trust, and promote thought leadership * 3 big things that happen when agencies conduct their own research * Innovative and creative ways to present new research to clients and prospects * It’s not just about data — it’s about your unique perspective on the data * Building cobblestone content out of larger research studies
With more agency owners wanting to step out of the agency’s day-to-day operations to focus more on being the company’s visionary leader, there are many areas of the business that can sometimes go overlooked.
To remedy this, many agencies are embracing the COO role to help keep things running smoothly.
With the fast growth of this role comes many questions, which we will answer in today’s episode. Carolyn Lodge, a COO and agency owner herself, has a unique perspective that will help us see both sides of the coin in the CEO/COO relationship.
We discuss what skills and qualities we should look for in a COO, the dynamic a CEO and COO should have when working together, the top concerns of current COOs like cybersecurity issues, and the role COOs should play in agency AI development.
This episode is packed with insights and advice for agency owners looking for extra support with their day-to-day operations, so be ready to take some notes and, hopefully, think a little differently about how you can best utilize your team in the future.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What scaling effectively means for agency owners * How to identify which areas of the agency are ready for growth * Finding ways to replicate and systemize work in a custom industry like marketing * Marrying customization and systems and processes for agency growth * Letting go of identity attachment as an agency owner to better utilize your team’s skills * Building an effective training program that helps team members and new employees be more self-sufficient * The more time off you take, the more money you can make * The often overlooked downsides of growing and scaling the agency * Digging deeper to discover why you really want agency growth * Finding your Minimal Viable Operation for what you need to reach your growth goals
This is a topic we’ve covered many times before, but it’s an important one. When was the last time you checked in with yourself about what agency growth really means to you? It can be more than just adding more team members and physically growing and expanding the agency.
It can also mean growing your AGI, getting higher paying clients, more interesting projects, more name recognition, or more freedom and time off. No matter how you personally define agency growth, there’s a method to achieve it.
This week, Marquel Russell is sharing his expertise in agency growth and scaling so we can learn how to do it in a way that works for us. From niching down, getting out of the day-to-day operations of the agency, or actually taking time off (a foreign concept to most agency owners), there are ways to reach your agency growth goals.
Join us to learn how Marquel has helped countless agencies grow and scale with just a few tweaks to their business models. And if you’re still not sure what agency growth looks like for you, this episode is even more important for you to listen to.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What scaling effectively means for agency owners * How to identify which areas of the agency are ready for growth * Finding ways to replicate and systemize work in a custom industry like marketing * Marrying customization and systems and processes for agency growth * Letting go of identity attachment as an agency owner to better utilize your team’s skills * Building an effective training program that helps team members and new employees be more self-sufficient * The more time off you take, the more money you can make * The often overlooked downsides of growing and scaling the agency * Digging deeper to discover why you really want agency growth * Finding your Minimal Viable Operation for what you need to reach your growth goals
As agency owners, we’re perpetual change-makers, striving to affect real and sustained transformation not just in our clients’ lives, but also in our own. But as we all know, creating transformational, lasting change within the agency can be an uphill battle.
Humans are hardwired to resist change because it can feel unsafe. So when we want to change our day-to-day operations, revise a strategy with a client, or even get a prospective client to say yes to something unfamiliar to them, it can be tough to find a way to get that “yes” we so badly want to hear.
Our guest this week, Tamsen Webster, is an expert in change. She joined me to dive into how we can be more effective in creating transformational change by understanding the principles that guide human behavior. We explore how traditional advice often falls short, leading Tamsen to write her book, which shares effective change strategies into actionable insights for the agency world.
If you’re an agency owner looking for practical advice on how to communicate more effectively and make real, lasting changes — both for your clients and within your own team — you’re in the right place. So, grab a notebook, listen closely, and get ready to start making changes that actually stick.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The missing link for agency owners in making transformational change * Why behavioral economics and psychology are harder in business than in interpersonal relationships * Creating long-term, lasting change over quick fixes * The “why” behind how people approach change matters * Why people have to agree with the “why” and the “how” when presenting a change * We can’t want the change more than they do * Why pain and stress isn’t a good change motivator for long-term, lasting change * How to go after a committed yes over a quick yes
Your business should serve your lifestyle — not the other way around. Many agency owners got into the industry because it affords them a lifestyle and freedom most people dream of. But it’s easy to lose sight of that when the business gets overwhelming and we fall into agency owner fatigue.
For this week’s solocast, I want to do a deep dive into one of the ways we help agency owners sort out this fatigue and get back on the right track to achieving their goals and dreams — the agency owner life plan.
This plan is a free tool to help agency owners sit with their goals, dreams, aspirations, and legacies and write them down so they feel more tangible and achievable. These legacies don’t have to be lofty, lifelong goals but can be smaller goals that we can start working toward today.
Whether you have a charity you’d like to work with or just want to focus on spending more time with your family, you can use your agency (along with the agency owner life plan) to help you achieve these goals step by step. So if you’re feeling burnt out, fatigued, or discouraged, this episode will help you sort out your dreams and desires and help you get back to using the agency to fuel your legacies.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * 3 things that drive agency owner fatigue * Our business should serve our life, not the other way around * The agency owner life plan * Finding 5 legacies you want to leave in your lifetime * Uncovering 3 things you can do this year to start working toward your legacies * Choosing 5 people you want to spend more time with to help you achieve your goals * How to use the agency to support you in accomplishing your goals
Agency leaders have some of the most important roles in the agency. They’re key team members supporting the agency owner in the agency’s day-to-day operations and taking on roles that allow the agency owner to focus on business development and other key tasks.
The truth is, it can be a lonely position.
As agency owners, we need to consistently work on being more supportive to these key leaders — whether they’re our COO, creative directors, department heads, account leads, or even the company president.
These positions are mission-critical and will support the long-term growth and success of the agency all the way to its succession. So naturally, it’s our job to create opportunities for growth, career development, and constructive feedback that support our agency leaders to be better at their jobs.
This episode is a great one to sit down with your agency leaders and go through the different points we discuss so you can learn what opportunities you and your agency leaders can create together for their continued growth and development.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Which agency leader positions typically qualify for leadership peer groups * Why Del found value in sending his agency leaders to peer groups at least twice per year * How agency peer groups help agency leaders feel less lonely in their positions * Why money isn’t always the solution to keeping agency leaders happy * The value of mentoring and coaching leaders, and how to structure time for it * How to give your agency leaders more autonomy in their roles * The importance of workshops, peer groups, and other leadership training opportunities * Helping your agency leaders grow in their roles within the agency * How agency leaders want feedback presented to them
Agency owners and leaders are no strangers to proposal writing. But despite our vast experience, there are things we still get wrong, and there is always something we can improve — especially as the industry shifts and changes so quickly.
I got to sit down with Robin Boehler and Emily Shapiro from Mercer Island Group to talk about the often-overlooked pitfalls in our agency proposals. This conversation is a game-changer for anyone looking to level up their agency’s pitch game.
You might even see yourself in some of the examples of what not to do in an agency proposal, cover letter, or bio, but don’t be too hard on yourself. This episode is all about unlearning the bad habits so we can replace them with ones that will get you to that next conversation with a prospect.
Quality over quantity is the name of the game when it comes to winning new business with agency proposals. So, if you’re ready to transform your proposal process and start landing those dream clients, this episode is a must-listen.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Unintentional errors agencies make that cost them new business opportunities in their proposals * Framing your proposal as client-centric instead of agency-centric * Crafting a story with an agency proposal * How to show a client you’re a good listener * The most common reasons why clients move on to a new agency * Using case studies to talk about other clients without going overboard * Making sure it’s not too hard for prospects to work with you * What we get wrong about our agency bios * Misunderstood agency proposal best practices * The most glaring mistakes we make with our case studies
When I was an agency employee, I admittedly hated being told what to do or how to do it. So naturally, systems and processes really rubbed me the wrong way.
Now, as an agency owner, I’ve learned to embrace the same systems and processes I used to rebel against because I know they help me run my agency better. Despite how constricting they can feel at first, they’re there to help you get a zoomed-out look at how your agency is running and collect data on how to make strategic improvements.
For Misty Larkins, systems and processes have really helped her grow and scale her agency from 4 employees, to just over 20. This week, she’s joining us to share how she and her team started documenting systems and processes from ground zero to get them the well-oiled machine they have today.
Even if you hate the idea of systems and processes, they can really be helpful in the case that you lose a top employee or have someone essential out sick for a month or two. So join us to discover what Misty learned about establishing systems and processes in her agency and how we can do it, too.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What it looks like when you have no documentation of systems and processes * Starting to define your processes from ground zero * Implementing tools and project management software after establishing a baseline * Having a person or team take ownership of documentation * Making changes stick with your team * Knowing when the established systems and processes are scalable * Balancing the desire to be creative and innovative with following systems and processes * Setting expectations about what success looks like in the agency * Creating an environment for employees to learn and grow
Finding right-fit clients is one of the never-ending juggling acts of agency ownership. We need to keep the pipeline full, but we don’t want to rely only on referrals or say yes to clients who don’t fit our niche or values.
The solution lies in how you build and maintain relationships. Not just any type of relationship — relationships that are aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the agency.
On this week’s episode, Matthew Kimberley shares his expertise in finding right-fit clients through tactics like the Red Velvet Rope Policy, which makes it clear who you are (and aren’t) for. His strategies make it simple to get clear on your right-fit client criteria so you can focus on working only with those who excite you.
As any good agency owner knows, we’re in the relationship business. So Matthew also shares how to nurture relationships with clients and prospects once you dial in on who you want to serve.
This episode serves as a good reminder that even though building and nurturing relationships with right-fit clients might seem like a simple concept, we can always take the opportunity to reevaluate who we want to work with and how to go after them.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The core tenets of attracting right-fit clients * Determining who your ideal right-fit client is * The Red Velvet Rope criteria * Setting boundaries that make it clear who you are and who you want to work with * Diversifying your offers to different tiers of clients * Maintaining and nurturing client and prospect relationships * Prioritizing who to keep in touch with * Identifying your outreach network of 90
Every agency should be able to run at 20% profitability on a consistent basis. But as agency owners, sometimes we get in our own way and become the bottleneck to our agency growth.
For this week’s solocast, I’m breaking down the five biggest things agency owners do to stifle their agency’s growth. Whether it’s not being able to get out of the day-to-day operations, or not trusting what your numbers are telling you, these are all things most agency owners encounter at least once while growing and scaling the business.
The good news — you’re not alone. These five issues are very common. The bad news — they can be a tough pill to swallow and difficult to course correct once you realize what’s happening.
This episode will give you a detailed guide to recognizing these common patterns and behaviors for agency owners and what to do to get your agency back on the path to growth and profitability.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * Why doing everything your way won’t work forever * The impact of this on agency growth and profitability * The importance of documenting SOPs and systems and processes and updating them regularly * How to start documenting SOPs if you don’t do this already * Why serving clients instead of the agency will leave you stuck * The 3 S’s of growing an agency * Why you need to listen to what your numbers (AGI) are telling you * Prioritizing performance-based growth over selling on personality or individual reputation
For many agency owners, sales is a necessary evil. For others, it’s your natural gift, and you look forward to doing it. Either way, you can always benefit from making it easier and better for you.
One of the biggest benefits we cover in today’s episode is shortening the sales cycle. Many agencies struggled with elongated sales cycles last year, but that doesn’t need to become par for the course. Stephen Steers joined me on the podcast to teach us how storytelling in sales is one of the most effective ways to make sales faster and easier.
He shares a ton of nuggets of info from understanding why people buy, why agency owners need to stay in contact with prospects (and how), and how to use storytelling to catch the attention of prospects and keep them interested.
The bottom line is sales doesn’t have to feel icky. By embracing storytelling, you can build trust, forge deeper connections, and get prospects excited to work with you.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why founders and agency owners should aim to fire themselves from sales * The Magnificent 7 reasons why people buy * Maintaining relationships with prospects throughout the sales cycle * What is storytelling in sales? * Unlocking urgency for prospects * 4 questions to ask yourself before telling a story to a prospect * Why storytelling is so effective and what we get wrong about it * Preparing for 3 types of objections from prospects * The AREA Framework
We’ve spoken before about how podcasting is a great tool for building an audience that sees you as a thought leader. That’s still true, but simply having a podcast is not enough.
To truly be successful in podcasting, you must know how to engage that audience and be worthy of their time. As our guest Tom Weber says, “You don’t have a right to have an audience.”
An audience must be earned.
Tom shared some insights about the importance of knowing who you’re really speaking to. It’s not just about demographics; it’s about understanding your audience’s needs, fears, and desires. We also explored how to build a captivating narrative that engages listeners and how to ask the tough questions that get you honest feedback.
If you want your podcast to engage your audience and make it past the first seven episodes, it’s worth investing the time and effort to make it truly exceptional. Your audience will thank you for it — and more importantly, they’ll keep coming back for more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What podcasters get wrong about marketing their shows * Respecting the audience’s time commitment that they’re making to you * The #1 way to promote a podcast * Why creating a compelling narrative is extremely important in podcasting * Making your show something people want to listen to * Getting on your audience’s level * Don’t put out any content you’re not proud of * Getting effective input and feedback from your audience * Starting a conversation with your listeners * Knowing what your audience wants to hear and learning from them
As agency owners, we’re always looking for ways to improve our business development strategies and stand out in a crowded marketplace. This week, I’m flipping the script and sharing an episode where I was a guest on Susan Quinn’s podcast, Better Experiences by Design.
Susan asks some great questions to help get to the bottom of the two main biz dev strategies modern agencies can count on today — niching and thought leadership.
Doing these two things can transform your agency’s growth trajectory. We cover several key components, including how to leverage thought leadership effectively, why niching down is crucial for agency success, and how to overcome the fear of narrowing your focus.
We also explore common mistakes C-Suite executives make in marketing their own firms, the importance of consistency in business development efforts, and how to identify and attract “right-fit” clients for your agency.
Success in agency biz dev today is about being consistently interesting and relevant to your ideal clients over time. By focusing on your expertise, generously sharing your knowledge, and staying top-of-mind, you’ll be the natural choice when prospects are ready to buy.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How thought leadership is a critical part of biz dev * What clients should think about when hiring an agency * The riches are in the niches — narrowing your focus * Knowing when you’ve narrowed your niche enough * Why referrals aren’t the best way to grow your agency * What does a right-fit client look like? * Taking advantage of AI as an industry disruptor * Bettering your best with constant learning
Systems and processes are a tough nut to crack for agency owners, and it’s even more challenging once you get clients involved. Many of us are accidental agency owners who thrive in the chaos and disarray of agency life but know that operating this way will reduce profitability.
This week, we’re sitting down with Xenia Muntean to share her journey of becoming an accidental agency owner and what it taught her about agency systems and processes as she began to build her own workflow software.
We dug into some meaty topics that I know are on your minds: How do we balance creativity with structure? Is it possible to have systems and processes without stifling innovation? We explored how bringing clients into the process earlier — especially for social media work — can lead to faster approvals and better profitability.
Systems and processes can be the bane of most agency owners’ existence. But with the right mindset and tools to get the job done, it can open the door to increased profitability and happier clients.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Xenia’s journey from accidental agency owner to software entrepreneur * The importance of balancing creativity with systems and processes in agencies * How larger agencies involve clients earlier in the content creation process * The value of getting client buy-in at the concept stage, especially for video content * Why operating reactively creatives operational debt * How to customize workflow while still having systems and processes * AI’s potential to improve operational efficiency in agencies, beyond just content creation * The challenge and opportunity of embracing AI in agencies * How to be more systems and processes minded in how we operate
As agency owners, one of the things we fundamentally get wrong in sales is how heavily trust plays a role in the process. We’re selling intangible services and solutions to people with a high price tag, and we expect prospects to trust that we’ll deliver on our promises.
It’s a risky proposition, especially for the ones putting their trust (and wallets) in our hands.
This week, I’m sharing how agency owners can earn and leverage their trust with client referrals to increase sales. When you sit back and watch the sales come in simply because someone knows, likes, and trusts you enough to recommend you to others, it’s a beautiful thing.
I’ll share the four things we need in any sales process: the etiquette of social proof and earning client referrals, and how to ethically become part of a community without becoming a billboard for your agency.
When you earn people’s trust by being genuinely helpful, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to do business with, you won’t have to lift a finger to make a sale.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * Putting ourselves in the shoes of the buyers * The role of psychological discomfort and decision fatigue in the buying process * 4 things we need in any sales process to be successful * The pros and cons of waiting on referrals * The etiquette behind social proof and referrals * What does it mean to belong? * What it takes to earn someone’s trust enough to earn a referral from them
Agency owners have it tough these days, but we have more control over how hard it is for us than we think. This week, we’re going to talk in-depth about how we can change the course and direction of our business by changing our habits and mindsets.
To help us, we’re talking to Jason Yarusi about creating positive momentum around breaking bad habits, choosing to offload tasks that aren’t propelling us forward, and cutting out unnecessary chaos in our lives.
You might think there’s nothing you can personally change, or maybe you have too many variables that are completely out of your control. You could have a lot of fires popping up during the day that you have to address.
But the good news is we have a lot more say in what happens in our day-to-day than we think. And by taking a few moments to ground yourself in the reality of your situation, you’ll realize that a lot of those big fires aren’t fires at all — or someone else’s fires to put out.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The near-death experience that changed Jason’s course in life * Being self-aware in how you’re showing up each day * Starting the day off with a solid routine that sets you up for success * Regrounding yourself when things start going off course * How to recognize you’re not focused on the right parts of your business * Finding your way out of the day-to-day grind to reach your long-term goals * Creating positive momentum around changing habits that aren’t serving you * Where people get stuck in these habit shifts the most * Writing down 3 things you can do write now to build positive momentum
When you’re stacked against other agencies with the same awards, credentials, and impressive case studies as you, it’s tough to stand out above the rest. But with the right pitch deck, you’re sure to catch the attention of your ideal clients.
This week, Tom Martin is teaching us a few things about crafting the perfect pitch deck that moves beyond just impressing clients, but making them remember you over the rest. You already have their attention just by getting the meeting, but your pitch deck is what will ultimately make you the undeniable choice in the end.
Tom shares his thoughts on strategic repetition, the science behind the pitch deck, and what agencies most often get wrong when building their decks. This episode is packed with tons of golden nuggets and actionable insights about what will make you the most memorable agency in the room.
Stop making easily fixable mistakes that could cost you right-fit clients, and join us to learn everything Tom can teach us about building a better pitch deck.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The purpose of a pitch deck * The science behind an effective pitch deck * What makes us lose our audience while we are presenting * Agencies have earned the right to be in the room and should act like it * Taking your client on a journey with you during the pitch * Why you might want an appendix in your pitch deck * How to design slides for memorability and information flow * Getting scientific about strategic repetition * The most critical part of the pitch deck * Don’t just show up and throw up
CMOs have a lot on their plates, and similar to agency owners, their role can be lonely in the C-Suite. Because of this, CMOs rely heavily on agency partnerships to keep them in the know.
To help us understand the crucial role of agency-CMO relationships, Liza Adams is giving us an inside look at what it’s really like to be a CMO—what they value in strategic partnerships, what they need from agencies the most, and why agencies are an integral part of doing their job well.
This episode is packed with candid, practical advice from Liza for agencies to nail it in their client-agency relationships. When you boil it all down, if your CMO is happy, your agency will be happy. And that alone will carry you far in your business journey.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What agencies don’t understand about the CMO role * Getting out of the competition mindset against other agencies * What a CMO wants from an agency-CMO relationship * The difference between an agency that gets recommended by a CMO and ones who don’t * How AI is changing the world from a CMO’s perspective * Should agencies be trying to experiment with AI for clients? * How AI will change the CMO role in the future * How agencies can help CMOs do their jobs better
The glamor of working for an agency has worn off somewhat since the 80s and 90s. Markets are more saturated, salaries have stagnated, and recruiting top talent has become more difficult — especially since Covid.
As agency owners, that means we have to adjust our process to find and hire top talent to meet our clients’ needs. To help us understand all the changes we’re facing today, I sat down to talk with Michael Palma, an agency recruiting and business development expert.
With decades of experience in the industry, he’s seen all the shifts and changes that have occurred in the hiring process for both agency owners and employees. In this episode, he shares what agency owners often get wrong about finding top talent and why finding top talent is so hard nowadays. He also helps us understand how agencies can find right-fit clients and right-fit employees to match our clients’ needs.
Michael is essentially an expert agency matchmaker who has his finger on the pulse of the most pressing issues agency owners face, and helps us navigate them all with a “humble swagger.”
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What it means to “walk with a humble swagger” * What agency owners often get wrong about recruiting top talent * The downhill trend in finding right-fit agency employees * How to find be confident without arrogance * What’s making it difficult for recruiters and agency owners to find top talent * Challenges in salaries in equity for agency employees * Knowing what you want in a candidate before you write a job description * How Covid has changed new business for agencies * Strategies that win over a client * Where agencies should be investing in their own biz dev and growth
In the last solocast, we reviewed the agency trends that most affected agency AGI in 2023. This week, we’re pulling back the curtain on the major trends rocking agency owners and their teams in 2024 — and giving you tips to stay ahead of them.
We’ll give you a reality check on misguided expectations around agency valuations and sales. And we’ll explore why daily timesheets and utilization metrics are so crucial for retaining your rock star team members.
Another big trend we unpack is moving back towards more in-office collaboration and nurturing agency employee fatigue through meaningful face time, employee retreats, and using in-office time more intentionally.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve and proactively build your agency’s future, don’t miss this deeper look at the key trends shaping the industry this year and beyond. And to catch up on all the other trends we unpacked, be sure to check out Part 1 from last month’s solocast.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why a COO role is becoming increasingly popular, even with smaller agencies * Making the right decisions around selling your agency — or buying another one * Why taking a smaller salary as an agency owner isn’t always better * Hybrid work trends for agency owners and employees * How contractors and freelancers can fill in worker gaps * The continuing importance of keeping accurate daily timesheets * What helps reduce agency employee fatigue and what’s causing it * What agency owners are going to spend time and money on in 2024
Every year, we go out into the field to understand the biggest pain points and priorities for both agencies and clients. This year, we took data from the 2024, 2019, and 2014 Agency Edge Research studies to compare how client expectations have changed over the years.
This year, the burning issue was client-agency trust — what clients look for in an agency, how an agency can retain clients, and what causes a client to look elsewhere for another agency.
To help make sense of all the changes, Susan Baier from Audience Audit joins us to discuss what agencies can do and are already doing to impress clients. We’ll break down the three distinct client segments that emerged, their unique attitudes towards agencies, and what factors drive their decision to hire or fire an agency partner. We also discuss how to position your agency for better alignment with client priorities.
If you’re looking to learn how to better position yourself to win and retain more clients in 2024 and beyond, don’t miss our deep dive into the data to gain a competitive edge in your agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What clients think agencies do really well * Changes in client-agency expectations over the years * Agency advocates, begrudging buyers, and exacting experts * How attitudes have changed toward having a trusted agency partner * Why agencies are having more in-house staff than before * What agency management fatigue has done to change client-agency relationships * What does agency trust look like to clients? * Do clients want an agency with a niche, or generalists? * What makes an agency a poor fit for a client * How client-agency trust can push a client to look for a new agency
The FTC has recently passed regulations against non-compete clauses on a federal level in all work contracts. Starting in the fall of 2024, agencies will have new rules to comply with regarding their employees and independent contractors.
This will be a big shake-up for many agency owners, but luckily, Sharon Toerek is always by our side to walk us through any new legal requirements that hit us unexpectedly. In this episode, she covers a lot of ground on how agency owners can comply with the new FTC non-compete rules for both employees and independent contractors.
We cover the difference between non-competes and non-solicitation agreements, how agency owners can prepare to announce these changes to their workers, and how we can still legally protect our IP and client relationships.
Sharon stresses that the quicker we start working on compliance, the better prepared we’ll be for when this goes into effect in a few months. So don’t delay — tune in to learn how this affects your agency and how to get ahead on compliance over the summer.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What covenants are still legal under the FTC non-compete ruling? * What agency owners need to do to be compliant * How these changes will affect your freelancers and independent contractors * How to protect yourself if you’re selling your business * Non-solicitation agreements vs. non-compete clauses * Is the US ahead of or behind the times on this? * How soon agency owners need to prepare new contracts or to announce the changes to employees * Making sure your independent contractors are actually independent contractors * The consequences of misclassifying employees as independent contractors
Agency owners who want to scale their business often run into a chicken-and-egg situation. To scale and grow sustainably, you need to hire more people. But to be able to hire more people, you need to scale and grow to have the money to do so.
This is where hiring international employees can help solve your problems.
This week, we’re diving into the growing trend of hiring full-time international employees with Kim Walker. Kim and her husband Brian initially had reservations about hiring international workers for their agency but quickly realized the immense benefits to them and the people they were hiring.
Kim details her thorough hiring process, how she overcame cultural barriers, the amazing talent and value international hires bring, and the life-changing impact it has had on their agency. We also touch on common concerns like pay rates, taxes, benefits, and time zones.
Whether you’re struggling to find affordable talent locally or just want to build a dynamic, multinational team, this episode is a mini crash course in finding incredible international employees to help supplement your U.S. team.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How Kim and her husband got the idea to hire international employees * How they started the process of finding international talent * The worries they encountered when making their first international hire * Average pay for international employees in the Philippines * What they learned about hiring foreign workers * How the hiring process differs from stateside interviews * The secret lies in strong core values * Weaving different cultures into the agency’s culture * Taxes and benefits for foreign workers * The mistakes they made and what they learned from them
If you want to future-proof your agency’s success and stability, now is the time to become a fractional CMO.
For those unfamiliar with the term, fractional CMOs are hired for their strategy first and execution second. It’s a client-agency relationship built on trust that you know their industry deeply and can execute your strategy to provide a high ROI to your client.
The pandemic paved the way for having this hyperfocus on one specialization and highlighted the need for agencies to be trusted thought leaders in their niches. This week’s guest, John Jantsch, is teaching us how to become fractional CMOs and what it takes to build that deeper trust with clients.
Join us to learn the data behind John’s ideas and how to position your agency as a fractional CMO.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How the pandemic shifted the need for strategy and consulting * Shifting to strategy over execution can help find right-fit clients * Fractional CMOs are up 60% as an add-on service * Clients want their agencies to have deep knowledge of their industry * The two distinct types of fractional CMO — and which one you should be * Showing up as part of your clients’ team to build trust * Building trust through strategic partnerships, referrals, and thought leadership * The growing emphasis on first-party data for agencies
In 2023, about 45% of agencies took an AGI hit — the biggest number we’ve seen for as long as we’ve been tracking agency trends. Last year was tough, but agencies are finally starting to bounce back from growing their AGI.
With some of our profitability struggles finally behind us, many of you are wondering how to get ahead of the curve once again. This week, we’re taking a deeper dive into some of the biggest influencers of agency AGI during this time and what agency owners can learn from the trends.
We have a ton of data on agency biz dev trends, specialization and niching, client ghosting, and much more. So join us to dive into the data and learn what your agency can be looking out for to help prevent a big AGI hit in the future.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The work that has been super profitable for agencies in the past year or two * The biggest hits to agency AGI * Proving ROI to clients is more important than ever * Why you need to raise your hourly rate if you haven’t already * Finding ways to get more work out of your existing clients * Overservicing clients is costing you money * Why it might be time to cut some of your staff * Clients want more from their agencies, and they’re not afraid to ghost * Investing in first-party data and data analysts
Burnout can sneak up on us; before we know it, we’re ready to sell the agency. But before we get to this critical point, there are usually signs and symptoms of burnout, but it’s not always easy to differentiate them from regular day-to-day stress.
In this week’s episode, I’m talking to Eric Recker about those crucial signs that you might be burning the candle at both ends a little too often and how to turn it around for the better. If we can get ahead of our burnout by identifying that we’re heading in that direction early, there’s so much we can do to help turn it around before we start making rash decisions.
If your world is starting to feel a little gray, monotonous, or like you’re in the trenches a little too often for your liking, those might be your signs to start going into recovery mode. So join us to learn how agency owners can start recognizing burnout signs and symptoms and how to recover from them.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Is it burnout or business as usual? * The importance of having people around you to check in with * How to de-crisis yourself if you feel you’re at risk of burnout * Turning off the false sense of urgency in your mind * Commit to 30 minutes of unstructured quiet * Filling yourself back up after being chronically empty for a long time * Disrupting your routine to scale burnout recovery * A recipe for sustainable recovery that’s realistic and achievable * Setting boundaries between work mode and relax mode * Bringing burnout recovery tactics to our employees
Agency owners like to think they can do it all, but the real gold is in finding and defining your agency niche. To demonstrate, I spoke to Tyler Samani-Sprunk of Simple Strat to get into the head of an agency that learned this lesson the hard way but still did it very well — once they finally committed.
Tyler shares the false starts and missteps early on as Simple Strat tried half-heartedly to pick a niche without fully committing. He explained how feedback from prospects asking, “What are you really good at?” motivated them to double down on specializing in content marketing for a while before their YouTube channel HubSpot Hacks really gained traction.
This episode is your sign to finally work on nailing down your niche if you’ve been going back and forth about it for ages. It might seem like you’re limiting your scope, but in reality, you’re opening yourself up to a whole funnel of right-fit clients who need your expertise.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What motivated Simple Strat to start specializing * The 3 phases of trying to find their agency niche * Why they chose video and HubSpot as their niche * Treating cornerstone content as a client in your day-to-day operations * When they knew it was working for them * How their sales cycle transformed when shifting to thought leadership marketing * How content marketing plays a role in content strategy with clients * People want to hear from people, not brands * Weaving personality into professional content * Simple Strat’s biggest mistakes and best decisions in the niching process
Clients increasingly want to know exactly what they’re getting in return for their dollars spent with agencies. This data can be tricky to compile, let alone interpret and visualize in a way the client actually understands. So this week, we’re diving deeper into the ongoing AI conversation to dial in on one thing — how AI tools can prove an agency’s ROI to clients.
In the episode, our guest, Jonathon Reilly, gives a great overview of how AI can revolutionize this task. The big idea is that AI tools can crunch huge amounts of data and surface valuable insights way faster than a human data analyst could. It allows you to be more responsive to clients, show the impact you’re delivering, and ultimately retain clients longer by demonstrating your value more clearly.
But it’s not just about reporting — Jonathon thinks AI tools will help agencies be more efficient across the board, from creative ideation to repetitive tasks. The goal isn’t to replace human effort, but to use AI as an assistant that makes us faster and better at our jobs (more ROI for clients).
Tune in to learn more about how AI tools will level the playing field for small- to mid-sized agencies to bring more value to our clients in a tangible, understandable way.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How AI intersects with data to help agencies prove their worth to clients * Helping clients understand the data and numbers * Will AI tools remove the need to hire data analysts in the future? * Being data savvy to prove ROI * Leveraging AI tools to maximize agency efficiency * How AI will change the billable hour * Starting the conversation with your employees about encouraging the use of AI tools * Embrace AI, but with boundaries and structure * Getting more educated in the AI landscape * How AI tools are leveling the playing field for small- to mid-sized agencies * How Akkio works to maximize agency efficiency
As agency owners, we all want to be different. We don’t want to be the boss who is a stickler for punctuality or to feel like we’re micromanaging our employees. But HR issues will inevitably arise, and that’s when the reality check sets in.
HR issues aren’t always as intense as the term may imply. They could be as small as someone being late to a couple of meetings or an employee missing a deadline one too many times. They’re often small things that build up over time and can balloon into bigger issues — like souring client-agency relationships or diluting the agency’s core values.
In this week’s episode, Allyns Melendez shares lots of great tips and tricks to help prevent minor HR issues from getting out of control. From leading by example to being a chameleon leader who can shift based on who you’re talking to and what tone is needed, she knows exactly how to help agency owners and leaders resolve nearly any conflict an agency might face.
Tune in to learn tons of valuable tactics that will make you feel like no employee problem is too big for you to handle.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How HR has stayed surprisingly the same over 100 years * How to show up as an agency leader to everybody vs. with individual employees * Handling first-time HR issues with an employee * What happens when we don’t address bad habits immediately * Preparing for difficult one-on-one conversations with agency employees * Conflict resolution with agency employees and how to follow up with your plan * Why chameleon leadership will help you communicate better * Get to know your communication style and how you show up in a room * How to ask for candid feedback and make your employees feel safe to do so
Online communities are quickly becoming one of the most powerful biz dev tools out there, but there’s etiquette to starting and maintaining one. It’s not for everyone, but for those who are ready, an online community could be your ticket to selling without ever having to actually sell.
This week, we’re continuing the conversation about online communities vs. online audiences, and the vast benefits they can offer to agency owners. Now that we’ve established the differences between an audience and a community, it’s time to ask ourselves deeper questions about why and how we should start one.
The main purpose of starting an online community shouldn’t be selling or profiting from its members. But if you’re in it to genuinely help others and create an avenue for collective thought leadership and connection, increased sales are just part of the benefits.
If you think starting an online community could be the right move for your agency, tune in to this week’s episode of Build a Better Agency.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * How to start an online community (who, what, where, why) * Are you starting a community for the right reasons? * Why you should expect nothing in return from online communities * Identifying your target audience * What a community leader should provide to community members, and vice versa * The main difference between a community and an audience * 3 questions to ask yourself before creating a community * Consistency wins over complexity in online community building * How to benefit from a community without starting one yourself * Using online communities as a powerful biz dev tool * Qualifying your community members
Everybody has a story they’re trying to tell, and brands play a massive role in people’s stories, whether they realize it or not. Most of the time, the stories consumers associate with a brand aren’t what we think they are. This is where behavioral economics becomes vital to creating an effective marketing strategy.
Behavioral economics is a study that attempts to make sense of people’s behavior around spending. We don’t always make spending decisions in our best interest and often base purchasing decisions on our emotions. In fact, people usually connect and interact with brands the same way they connect with people.
This leaves brands with a lot of pressure on their backs. If you ignore your loyal customers’ needs and wants, they will feel deeply betrayed. But if you listen to their stories and get to the core of what they’re looking for, you’ll build a trust that feels like a close friendship.
The psychology behind consumer behavior is complicated but fascinating. Join us this week to discover how brands can use behavioral economics to build an effective marketing strategy that fosters deep trust from your customers.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What is behavioral economics? * Why people build human-like relationships with brands * How narrative psychology can improve our relationships with our customers * Clues that a brand uses narrative psychology well * Convincing clients that a strategy based on behavioral psychology is worth investing in * How strategic changes ripple throughout a whole organization * Getting to the bottom of your customer story * What brands get wrong about customer stories * Why feelings of betrayal run deep when brands miss the mark
In-person networking is still a big deal. After a brief Covid hiatus, trade shows, conferences, and workshops are back and bigger than ever. So, if you or your team plan on attending any of these events soon, it’s important to get up to date on the do’s and don’ts of networking at these events.
Instead of being stuck with a stack of business cards and struggling to recall conversations with specific individuals from an event, seasoned keynote speaker Dave Delaney shares how to manage and nurture your client and prospect interactions effectively.
Not sure how to strike up a conversation with a prospect or keynote speaker? Or what about when you get home from the event and still want to close a potential sale without sounding too spammy? Dave shares insights on approaching these topics and more during this episode.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why in-person networking is still essential * How we get networking and connecting with others wrong * Networking best practices for competitors, prospects, and keynote speakers * The etiquette behind not being creepy or pushy to your peers * How to get people’s information while you’re at the show * Don’t count on the other person to reach out to you after the show * How to create meaningful relationships with people after trade shows and conferences * Focus on relationship-building over getting someone in your sales funnel
After a tough sales year in 2023, many of you have been looking for the next thing to consistently fill your sales pipeline with new prospects. With sales cycles taking longer than before, it’s essential always to have warm prospects teed up and ready to go. But how?
The answer is in thought leadership combined with lead gen and lead magnets. Positioning yourself and your agency as an authority in your niche (and giving some of it away for free) generates trust in your agency’s expertise before they’ve officially met you.
When done right, lead gen can be mostly automated. And having great lead magnets like a podcast or YouTube channel, or offering a free mini-service to prospects to get them interested in your services will build trust and establish your agency as a thought leader in your niche.
This week, Jay Feldman shares his tips and tricks for how his agencies used automated lead gen and lead magnets to still be profitable in a challenging sales year. This episode is packed with actionable insights that you’ll want to take notes on, so make sure you have a pen and paper ready to go, and check out the links in the show notes for all of the programs and tools he mentions during the interview.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How lead gen and lead magnets turned a bad sales year into a good one * Commit to being relentlessly helpful to others * What Jay’s agencies used as lead magnets to attract attention from prospects * How to retain the clients you close from lead gen * Giving big wins early on when working with new clients * Establishing trust authority in the first 90-120 days with lead gen clients * Cold email tactics that work * What defines success for lead gen and lead magnets * Scalable lead magnets that bring results * Avoiding shiny object syndrome and doing what works for your agency
We’ve all been here before — your agency grows, and your day-to-day is getting a little too chaotic for comfort. Each team member has their own way of doing things, and no one is on the same page about the best approach to doing recurring tasks. As the agency owner, you’re getting pulled into things that you shouldn’t, becoming the organization’s bottleneck.
If that’s you, it’s time to break that cycle with some project management software.
With a million choices and a few that have become the industry standard, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly which is right for your agency. Often, agencies will pick one based on how popular or how pretty it is, and forget about its functionality specific to your agency’s day-to-day needs.
This week, Alane Boyd is clearing the fog around project management software to help us decide if we need one — and if so, what tools and functionality we should be looking out for that will get our productivity back on track.
Don’t be afraid to take the time to really learn what tools are right for your team, and be generous with how long it takes for the new systems and processes to become sticky. Once you find one that works, your agency productivity will be back and better than ever.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The benefits of project management software * Taking your time learning new systems and software * The signs an agency is ready for a PM software * Questions to ask yourself before choosing which product is best for you * Why capacity planning is the most important factor for choosing a project management software * How to recognize if you’re using the wrong tool * Training your project managers to use a new tool * Setting up a project management tool to automate recurring tasks * Considering the internal and external integrations of a PM tool that are necessary for your agency * Finding a tool that your team is willing to adopt * The most common mishaps with picking a project management software
Humans are hardwired to belong, and the desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves is in our blood. Whether we connect over shared values, a favorite sports team, a hobby, or even just from living near one another, we can find community and belonging all around us.
These days, many of us are finding community online through social media and spreading our social nets wider than ever. This leaves a huge opportunity for agency leaders to build their own online communities to help others learn and share their experiences about business leadership, entrepreneurship, or any form of thought leadership in which they excel.
Online communities should, first and foremost, be a way to bring people together with shared goals and interests, but the benefits reach far beyond that. With enough time and care, they can become robust sales and networking tools that do the prospecting work for you.
But it’s not for everyone, and that’s ok.
In this week’s solocast, I’m doing a deep dive into the ins and outs of creating online communities, building an audience online, and how to make sure you’re doing it all for the right reasons. With enough patience, online community building could become your agency’s secret sales weapon that provides perks and benefits for the people in it.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * What is a community, and how does it relate to work? * The difference between an audience and a community * Online communities do the selling for you * B2B brands have less competition in creating online communities * Asking yourself the who, what, where, and why before starting a community * How communities make biz dev easier for agencies * Being a safe harbor for people as a community leader * Community building isn’t for everyone * 3 questions to ask yourself to determine if you should build a community or an audience * How to build an online community and spread the word about it * Having a community is a long game — have a growth plan
Sales cycles are elongated, but that doesn’t mean agencies can’t still win new clients. If we change how we think about and approach prospecting, we can up our client outreach game to really hone in on our right-fit clients without being too sales-y about it.
In this episode, I talk with Dan Englander about how to stand out against the competition in our prospecting and outreach efforts. He shares how personalized client outreach can cut through the noise and win us new business more often if we just take the time to commit and dial in our systems and processes.
He also shares some tips and tricks for smaller agencies looking to build a sales team for the first time. You’ll learn how to identify the right hire who cares about solving your clients’ issues and won’t just read from a script or phone it in.
If you’re among the majority of agency owners who are ready to get out of the slow sales cycle and want to revamp your sales efforts this year, be sure to tune in to this advice-packed episode.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What are companies looking to agencies for the most? * Rethinking when it’s the right time to reach out to prospects * A continued move toward specialization and thought leadership * How to build and strengthen trust in the sales process * Focusing on more than one niche isn’t a bad thing * Best practices for personalizing client outreach efforts * Consistency is key * Walking the walk and talking the talk to build client trust * Getting past the noise to stand out in your client outreach * How a smaller shop can start building a sales team * Common mistakes in sales training
In a sharp contrast to the earlier pandemic years, many agency owners said that in 2023, they have the best teams they’ve ever had and want to find ways to keep them around. This is great news, and we want to help keep your agency dream team alive and thriving.
To help in that journey, HR expert Barbara Mason joins me to share what agency owners and leaders can do to help make their employees feel like valued team members while staying true to the agency’s mission and values.
She is a fountain of knowledge — from interviewing best practices and why HR experts need to be a part of your business to how to create the agency culture you want while caring for your agency employees as whole people. She’ll even share her top 3 secret interview questions she uses to get potential hires thinking about how they fit into the agency’s mission and values.
This episode is full of practical and common-sense tips that will hopefully get the gears going and help you keep your agency dream team alive and thriving in 2024 and beyond.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Two simple things that will help you keep your agency dream team happy * Transparency goes a long way with agency employees, but know the limits * What makes a healthy agency culture? * How more introverted business owners can engage and connect with their employees * How benefits packages have changed post-Covid * Creating agency culture in a hybrid or fully remote environment * The importance of knowing what you’re hiring for and interviewing accordingly * Motivating agency employees to be more engaged in the work * HR’s role in having a succession plan for the business * Interview best practices for agency leadership * Exercising radical candor in agency communications * Employment trends to keep an eye on in 2024 * The biggest mistake agency owners make with their people
Video budgets are up in 2024, which means the demand for video content from clients will be high this year. For agencies, it also indicates that we must start utilizing this incredible business development tool for ourselves to know what’s up when our clients ask about it.
Not only that, but video content creation is an incredible medium for agencies in prospecting, connecting with current clients, and gaining valuable data and metrics on what content is engaging to your audience.
Are prospects clicking off your video in the first 10 seconds? Are they even opening the email? Or are they going back to watch it again and again? Video tracking and metrics give us all these answers and more.
Ready to learn more about what will soon be your best business development tool in 2024? Join us in this week’s Build a Better Agency to discover more about the power of video for agency growth.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How video helps you connect deeper with people * Making videos vs. being a content creator * Getting comfortable on camera and remaining authentic * Deciding what types of videos you want to create and where to share them * 5 ways agencies can use video to connect with clients * Teaching clients to use video as a business development tool * What video data and metrics can tell us about our content * Using video to market and grow your agency
What exactly makes an insight versus just an observation? What are the different types out there? How the heck do we uncover them? This week, we’re getting insightful about insights and laying out the key characteristics of strong agency insights — like inspiring action and reframing problems.
Chris Kocek will share his favorite techniques for generating insights during brainstorming sessions, like continually asking “why” like a toddler until you reach some real gold. With agencies feeling more and more pressure these days to stay competitive and continuously innovate, it’s important to know what really gets us to those “ah-ha” moments before building out a whole campaign.
And once you uncover those golden nuggets, really selling them to your team for maximum impact is the cherry on top. Join us in this insightful episode to learn how to piece together all of these agency insight strategies from one of the pros.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Getting to the core of the word “insight” * Do agencies always need to feel pressured to be insightful? * When agency owners should be pushing for more insights from their team * The 3 different types of agency insights * Inspiring action and problem-solving through insightful thinking * The methodology behind building insights * How to sell innovative ideas to clients
If there’s one word that will send any agency owner or employee running for the hills, it’s timesheets. Although one of the most universally disliked words in the agency world, timesheets are still the number one way to detect and diagnose problems within the agency before they become catastrophes.
Essentially, they’re your best friend whether you like it or not.
Timesheets, especially when completed daily by all agency employees (including the agency owner), will give you invaluable data about your agency’s day-to-day operations and where there’s room for improvement.
For agency owners, daily timesheets will show you inefficiencies, areas where more staffing is needed, needs for more training, and so much more. For agency employees, this is your ticket to job security, bonuses, promotions, and recognition for excellent work.
Tune in to learn more about why daily timesheets are essential for agency owners and employees and how to get everyone on board with the practice this year.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * Why early detection matters for agency operations * The diagnostic warning signs that your agency isn’t running effectively * What daily timesheets show us about our agency * How timesheets and time-tracking metrics can boost our profitability * Why do them daily vs. weekly? * Why timesheets are a good thing and help agency employees defend themselves * How to get your team on board
You’ve probably heard of IQ, EQ, or even SQ (spiritual intelligence), but have you heard of NQ? For those new to the term, it’s natural intelligence, or our ability to tap into our inner wisdom to guide us in our decision-making in the most high-stakes situations.
In life and leadership alike, we tend to let our ego get in the way of our decision-making. It’s normal, but it’s not often helpful for reaching our goals or leading our teams effectively. Instead, we should be listening to our natural intelligence to guide our leadership decisions.
This is how animals survive in the wild. They don’t have the ability to overthink or hide away from a challenge like humans can. Instead, they innately know how to act in order to stay alive or lead their pack to victory.
If we approach leadership in a similar manner, we can access a side of our leadership abilities we might not have known we had. To access it, all we have to do is learn to observe nature and understand our own gut reactions to survival moments. Join us to learn more about finding our personal natural intelligence and how to apply it to agency leadership.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What is NQ? * How to apply natural intelligence to your business leadership * The obstacles to us tapping into NQ * To tap into natural intelligence, you must know yourself * Gaining self-insight and peer insight as a leader * What horses can teach us about rotational leadership * Coaching NQ abilities out of your leadership teams * Trusting your gut and getting over the fear of judgment from peers * The different benefits of prey, predator, freeze, and flock mode in business * Why having the ability to access different modes can be beneficial in agency leadership
It’s clear we can’t keep hiring and managing talent as we used to. Back in the days of the pandemic, and then The Great Resignation right after that, we were afraid to set boundaries and ask for what we needed out of fear of losing great team members.
The way we work isn’t the same, either. Many of us are now remote or hybrid, and a fully in-office team isn’t as common as it used to be. So, we have to adapt and change how we hire, train, and problem-solve with our teams scattered all over the place.
It’s a mess sometimes, and many of you probably wish we could go back to the simpler days of training new hires through simple observation and shadowing. But we can still make this work for the new era of work.
Vicky Brown is sharing some of her HR superpowers with us this week so we can learn about hiring, managing, and retaining great talent, regardless of the work environment. The simple answer is that we must roll up our sleeves and invest time in our people from the very first interview.
Join us to dive deeper into the world of HR to discover how to be a better leader while hiring and managing talent so you can make your agency more successful in return.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Leadership’s perspective on remote, hybrid, and in-office workplace structures * Agency owner fears regarding hiring and managing talent * Getting agency teams engaged and feeling fulfilled with their work * How new hire training has changed in the new era of work * Hybrid work is the future * In-person creative brainstorming is still important in agencies * Finding enthusiastic hires who remain passionate and hungry at work * How to do behavior interviewing for potential new hires * Conducting mid-year HR checkups for taxes, payroll errors, benefits, etc. * How to talk to employees about coming back to the office
This year, agencies are in for many industry changes — and fast. We’ve been scratching the surface a little with AI ever since ChatGPT first dropped, but even since then, everything has changed drastically. To start the year, we’re shifting our focus to learning how agencies can use AI tools to become AI consulting powerhouses.
Many agency owners and employees have been learning how to integrate AI tools into their day-to-day over the past year or so, from writing, planning, research, and more. Now, it’s time to take it to the next level (and to our clients).
This week, Casey Meehan shows us how agencies can become thought leaders and subject matter experts for their clients using AI tools. Over his time as an agency leader, he has shifted from traditional marketing and PR work to creating content repurposed for AI consulting to teach clients how to harness the power of AI and create personalized content for their audience.
Although there’s something new in the AI market each day, it’s an exciting time to take advantage and lead the movement toward becoming thought leaders and experts for our clients through AI consulting work.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Making the shift from traditional marketing and PR to AI consulting work and content creation * The cornerstone and cobblestone approach to content creation * The new look of agency staffing with AI tools * Using AI to make the agency function better internally * Bringing personalized results into the sales process with “Just in Time Content” * The different modalities of AI chatbots and their unique skills * Publishing and promoting content through cited subject matter experts * Where agency leaders should be setting their sights on AI tools
There’s no other way to spin it — agency owners had it rough in 2023. And while we spent all year going over the struggles of agency ownership, one universal positive kept coming up with everyone.
Your teams are better than ever, and you want to learn how to keep your agency employees happy, so they stick around.
So this week, we’re turning to some of our Agency Edge research to dive into what agency employees said are the key factors that keep them happy and willing to stick around for the long haul.
While the assumption is that you’re already fairly compensating them and creating a fair and inclusive workplace, there are some less obvious things that really matter to agency employees. They could even be the difference between a star player staying for 10 to 15 years instead of three or four.
This episode will teach you the dos and don’ts of increasing employee retention and really going above and beyond to help your teams feel valued and cared for. It’s got a lot of valuable tips and tricks, so if you’re curious about how to keep your agency employees satisfied, don’t miss out on this episode.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * Recognizing that not every agency employee will want to stick around forever, and it’s not personal * The one thing you should not do to earn employee loyalty * Why offering equity or partnership in the company is almost always a bad idea * What agency employees actually want from agency owners * Setting quarterly growth goals for employees * Creating space to truly get to know your people beyond work * Rewarding employees for their effort fairly, but not equally * Getting agency employees involved in deciding their own perks for excellent work * Simply ask your employees what will make them stay * Get personal and thoughtful with your praise
It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of day-to-day agency life. We all have a million things on our to-do lists, and they just keep growing. But part of being a successful agency owner is being present and open to what’s right in front of you.
Doug Fleener knows all about what it means to run a business intentionally. With history as a business owner and a rock bottom moment that led him into recovery, he’s had to learn some truths about life the hard way. But from that, he has developed some core principles to help business and agency owners live more intentionally.
His six core principles can help anyone start their day on the right foot to make incremental but powerful life changes. All it takes is one day to wake up and decide to make positive changes, and if you take anything away from this episode, it’s that intentional actions create intentional results.
This episode is packed with action items that are not only simple concepts but also easy to implement. I have no doubt that Doug will leave you feeling inspired and ready to start 2024 with a fresh set of eyes and a renewed inspiration to take intentional action toward making your year great.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Learning to live in the day and making each day a little better * Taking responsibility of yourself to make positive change * Intentional actions create intentional results * Practicing relentless simplicity in life and business * Thinking of 3 things you can improve each day * Micro habits that feed greater improvements * Helping others to help yourself * Mastering the ability to be present * Having more intentionality throughout your day * Implementing the 6 core principles and applying them to your business
Remote and hybrid work environments are here to stay. While some agencies have successfully returned to the office full-time, and some may have never even left, many agencies are still struggling to crack the code on hybrid work without upsetting their employees.
It’s a difficult balance, but it has become ever-important as these demands begin cementing into our work culture. And if you’re working with creatives, the conversation around a hybrid workplace has probably been even louder.
So this week, we’re joined by Felice Ekelman and Julie Kantor, authors of Thrive With a Hybrid Workplace: Step-by-step Guidance From the Experts, to teach us how to approach these conversations and transitions from a legal and psychological point-of-view.
We all know that as agency owners, there’s nothing more expensive or as valuable as our employees, and we just want them to be happy working with us. So tune in to learn how to have these conversations and set expectations around hybrid work environments so we can all have a better agency together.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The making of the Thrive With a Hybrid Workplace book * The shifts and trends of hybrid and remote work post-covid * Creating a balance in a hybrid work environment * The challenges for agency leaders in creating a collaborative hybrid work environment and maintaining communication * What type of training agency leaders need to build a thriving hybrid work culture * How to develop productivity benchmarks without the ability to observe in person * Getting agency leaders out of the fear mindset and setting appropriate boundaries with agency employees
Agencies are under more pressure than ever to be innovative. While it used to be easier to solve your clients’ problems and wow them with a great solution, these days, it’s much harder to do that with the bar constantly moving. This is why it’s essential to develop an innovation strategy.
Wouldn’t it be nice to bring a lofty, innovative idea to a client and have them be over the moon and excited to be a part of the process? With the right innovation strategy, that dream can be a reality.
An innovation strategy can help your team jumpstart the creative and problem-solving process while leaving room for co-creation and collaboration with your clients. This streamlines the creative process and takes the pressure off you and your team to have all the answers while you search for the solutions to their problems.
Tune in to learn how your agency can become problem-solving and innovation experts by asking the right questions, enacting decisive decision-making, and building out a creative workflow.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The hardest part of innovation * Collaboration is key for driving innovation * Boiling down the “how” of problem-solving and innovation * Creating an upstream methodology — the question-asking stage * Getting a client to buy into an innovative idea * The importance of collaboration and outside input for an innovation strategy * The landmines to be aware of in the upstream production stages * Workshopping ideas to produce quicker outcomes
It’s no secret that 2023 has been a rough year for most agency owners. Between the elongated sales cycles, shrinking prospect budgets, and the need to re-evaluate some of our own expenses that have been piling up, many of you are feeling burnt out.
But it’s not all bad news. There’s still time to take a fresh look at how you want to run your agency in 2024 and pull yourself out of the trenches if 2023 has gotten the better of you. This episode will focus on what we can be doing differently in 2024 in our biz dev strategy, which will make next year a little less stressful for us.
We’re taking a look at the data that Lee McKnight Jr. and his agency have compiled from many agency owners about their experiences throughout 2023. And while many of you were plagued with lower-budget prospects, dried-up client referrals, and slowed client growth, this leaves a glimmer of hope that the pendulum will swing the other way for us next year.
So don’t miss this episode to learn how to dial in your biz dev strategy and prepare for what we hope is an exciting new year full of new prospects, bigger returns, and, of course, happier agency owners.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The strain on obtaining new business in 2023 and its effects on agencies * How agency owners have been coping with elongated sales cycles * The importance of staying vigilant in business development even when work is abundant * Shrinking prospect budgets and diminishing returns on new business * Keeping up with client outreach, especially in an elongated sales cycle * The biz dev strategies that still work to obtain new business * What to expect from a new business manager * The four prongs of biz dev that will still get you out of a rut * What outbound efforts are still working on clients * The biz dev strategies that are working and what to avoid in the new year
2023 is quickly coming to a close, so it’s time for agency owners to start thinking about the year ahead to come up with their 2024 game plan. With holiday hibernation quickly approaching for most agency owners, this is the perfect time to reflect on 2023 and start thinking about what we want to improve for 2024.
Many of us are coming out of a less-than-ideal year that threw us a lot of curveballs. So, if this year wasn’t your year, what game plan can you develop to make 2024 even better?
This episode is packed with a ton of action items that will set you on the path to getting your agency on the right track as soon as you’re back from the holidays. Whether you’re looking to tighten up your budget, grow your existing clients, reevaluate your team, or even find more time to do something memorable this year, this episode has everything you need to do to make your game plan and stick to it.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * Making a game plan aligned with the legacy you want to leave * Creating a budget and aligning your expenses to it * Connecting better with your team to help them grow * Have a career path for every position * Improving your leadership team, including the agency owner * Identifying A, B, C, and D players * Having a growth plan for existing clients * Finding your niche and owning it * How will you show your clients and team you appreciate them? * What is one thing that would make 2024 unbelievable for you?
Finding right-fit clients, especially in a slow economy, is always a frustrating task. For the past year or so, agency owners have been expressing more and more frustrations over finding and keeping good clients at the right price point.
In this episode, Jason Swenk shares some tips and tricks about what he sees agencies doing right when it comes to client acquisition that keeps them profitable even in the toughest economies. He shares the 3 main channels where agencies can find right-fit clients — hint: it’s got nothing to do with referrals — that position your agency as a must-have problem solver for prospects.
If you’re ready to find the perfect clients, get paid what you’re worth (or more), and make them feel like they can’t live without your services, this is your episode. You’ll learn some tangible tips for impressing clients and staying ahead of the curve to keep them interested.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What the agencies who are getting new clients are doing right * Getting clear on the types of clients you want to go after * Why you shouldn’t rely on referrals as your main client go-getter * Figuring out how to solve your clients’ problems innovatively * The 3 main channels you should be resourcing to find right-fit clients * Why podcasting is one of the greatest inbound sales channels * Creating an attractive offer ladder without using retainers * What does the agency of the future look like? * 2 of the biggest challenges agencies need to anticipate for the future
We’ve all lowballed ourselves when going into negotiations. Whether it was for a raise, a proposal to a new client, a request to be a keynote speaker or a promotion, we’ve probably left opportunity on the table without even realizing it. The good news is that it’s extremely common, so you’re not alone. But the bad news is that you could probably be getting so much more than you realize, but you’re not asking in the right way.
This week, Dia Bondi teaches us how to ask like an auctioneer in negotiations. At auctions, you’re not looking for an immediate yes. You’re searching until you ultimately find that no, and that’s where the fun really begins.
You never know what you can get until you ask, but if you never receive that initial “no” and start the negotiation process, you’ll never know where the ceiling of potential is for your ask. So, in this episode, Dia encourages us to step out of our comfort zones and challenge ourselves to maximize our potential to further ourselves and our careers by learning to ask like an auctioneer.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What it means to ask like an auctioneer * Finding your ZOFO * Why you should always look for a no to maximize the potential of your proposals * The 4 different types of asks you can make * What to do when you’re met with a no * The Boomerang Effect that can turn a no into a yes later on * The 6-step framework that will build your confidence in negotiations * Letting go of asking for what you think you deserve * What to do when the “no” is a hard no
Usually, a sabbatical is for people who need time to rest and recharge. But did you know that sabbaticals are important for your agency operations, too?
This week, we’re taking a different approach to the ongoing conversation we’ve been having about systems and processes, agency operations, and ways to optimize your business growth. From Alyson Caffrey’s perspective, it’s not just employees and agency owners who need time to rest and recharge — your business does, too.
Blocking out time to work on biz dev and improving systems and processes is the break your agency needs in order to grow. Like training for a marathon, an agency needs time to rest and create muscle memory around new agency operations.
With these dedicated mini sabbaticals, not only will your agency be more optimized, but it will increase your agency value when it’s time to start working on succession planning. You literally can’t afford not to try this method out.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The two traditional forms of sabbaticals people take * What is an agency sabbatical? * How we can weave sabbaticals into our daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly routines * Setting boundaries that help you weave rest into your work routine * What it means to allow rest for the agency * How to retrain your team to protect their time and use it purposefully * Getting agency operations to function flawlessly without bottlenecks * Identifying which systems and processes to document and how to break them down into more manageable pieces * Starting where you’re at without pressuring yourself to be perfect
Productivity means profitability. One of the key ways to boost your productivity is to hone in on your systems and processes to get things done faster and more efficiently without bottlenecking your creative process. This week, we’re chatting with Michelle LaBrosse, a systems and processes expert, about how agency owners, teams, and even clients can work together to be faster and get projects done in as little as two weeks.
Sound too good to be true? It won’t after the hour is up.
Michelle has been perfecting agency systems and processes for decades, and her methodology has become standard practice for many. Her tips and tools for boosting productivity and project efficiency will leave you wondering why you haven’t adopted these systems and processes sooner.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Breaking deliverables and projects into 2-week deadlines * Getting everyone on the same page about what “done” means * How having more systems and processes can aid creativity * How to get the client on board with your process * Getting away from overcomplicated systems and processes * The process behind creating simple processes * Making tools fit the workflow, not the other way around * How agency owners and leaders can respect new systems and processes * Owning your distraction issues that stifle productivity
Many agency owners want to see 20% growth (or more) year over year while staying profitable. This goal isn’t entirely unrealistic, but the bigger you get, the harder it is to maintain such impressive numbers if you’re not investing resources in the right things to support that growth.
For this week’s solocast, I have some homework for you to do to help you see if you’re prepared to meet your growth goals in 2024. Don’t worry; we will do it together while I walk you through how to crunch the numbers step-by-step.
If you want to follow along, grab your P&L statement and our growth goal worksheet linked below, and get ready to do some math. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a much clearer picture of where your agency is at financially and what level of growth you can support next year based on the numbers we calculate today.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * The basics of staying at 20% profit while doubling in size * The mistakes we often make when setting end-of-year growth goals * How to set a healthy growth goal based on your agency stats * Why attrition affects your growth goal, and how much * Emphasizing the role AEs play in growing clients * What your agency needs if you plan to grow more than 15% year over year * Which tough decisions agency owners need to make to hit growth goals * The importance of niching down to boost growth
One of the most common questions we still receive is about how to decouple yourself from the day-to-day grind of agency life and finally get to focus on being an agency owner. Many of us became accidental entrepreneurs and owners, and now that we have teams to lead, it can be hard to stop doing the old work that got us started on this journey.
This week, Lien De Pau is giving us a roadmap for successfully decoupling ourselves from the daily grind so we can start focusing on biz dev, sales, admin, and other tasks that often get put on the back burner in favor of things that we could easily delegate or outsource.
The key to growing (and eventually selling) an agency is to get out of your own way and become irrelevant to the business. Join us to learn how to start advocating for your own success as an agency owner and get out of the daily grind holding your agency back from reaching its peak potential.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The mindset work that begins the process of removing yourself from the day-to-day * Hiring out your weaknesses to others * Letting go of your ego getting in the way * The 5-step roadmap to decouple yourself from the agency * How creative agency owners can productize their services to facilitate SOPs * The roadblocks agency owners face when stepping away from the day-to-day * Acting like an entrepreneur vs. an employee * Leveling up as an entrepreneur * How agency growth is linked to your success in the decoupling process
Shifting agency culture has been a huge point of contention for many agency owners since the beginning of the pandemic. For some, it’s brought a lot of challenges in understanding how we can work as a team while being scattered around, while others have embraced the changes and have tried to adapt the best they can. However, it can still be challenging to fully adapt to how quickly agency life has changed in just a few years. Our guest today, Gustavo Razzetti, has one simple message for us — it’s time to accept that agency life as we know it has changed forever, and we need to figure out what that means for us and our teams.
Agency culture may never be the same, but we shouldn’t be less successful because of it. Join us in listening to our discussion about creating an effective agency culture for you and your team, whether hybrid, remote, or trying to figure out something entirely new. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but we can at least help get the wheels spinning so you can figure out where to begin.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why agency culture is so important today compared to in past decades * Creating a workplace culture that makes people want to work there AND stay * Welcoming communication and collaboration in remote or hybrid teams * Getting a facilitator involved in agency culture shifts * Trialing new ideas and work strategies before fully committing * Workplace trends that are coming, and what’s here to stay * Why the 9-5 is dead, but the 4-day work week isn’t the solution * Flexibility goes both ways * Helping clients overcome common remote workplace challenges * Involving employees in problem-solving earlier in the process * How owners and leaders can create a strong agency culture in a new modern work environment
No matter how experienced you are, everyone gets nervous before getting up in front of a room full of people to speak. The adrenaline starts pumping, and you start doubting yourself and your ideas a little bit. It’s a universal experience we’ve all felt at least once in our lives. Michael Weiss is here to teach us that giving presentations doesn’t have to be the stressful, nerve-wracking experience we often make it out to be. When you boil it down, it’s just an exchange of ideas you’re gifting to your audience. And with enough rehearsal and understanding of your speaking style, it can be engaging and fun, too.
If you have a sales pitch, an important client presentation, or even a big presentation on stage at a conference coming up, be sure to refer back to this episode to learn professional strategies for how to deliver an informative presentation while keeping your audience engaged and interested.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Helping people recognize they’ve earned the right to be on stage * Understanding that the audience wants you to succeed * Why you must always rehearse before presentations, and for how long * Getting more comfortable with rehearsing presentations * How agency leaders can set great examples for the team with presentations * Finding a groove when presenting with multiple speakers * Honoring your speaking style and giving engaging presentations * How to have brilliant and clear slide decks * Reading the audience and keeping them engaged
With new client acquisition at an all-time low, it’s more important than ever to focus on growing your existing client base. In fact, 60 to 70 percent of your net new revenue should now come from existing clients to continue being profitable.
This means it’s time to teach your AE’s how crucial it is to know how to navigate agency math, foster agency growth, and sell new, innovative ideas to your existing clients. Many AEs don’t realize it’s their job to do these tasks, which means there’s room for improvement from agency owners to teach them these skills so your agency can continue to grow in a difficult economic time.
In this episode, we’ll cover topics like the roles AEs play in agency growth and growing existing clients, how to adjust your work scope over time to remain profitable, the importance of bringing innovative ideas to your clients, and many more actionable items for your team to learn and grow from.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to get 60 to 70 percent of your net new revenue to come from existing clients * The cost of acquiring new clients over growing existing ones * How to adjust a growing work scope with a client over time * The importance of teaching AEs agency math and how we make money * Where AEs need to step up to help grow the existing client base * Allowing clients to talk about the problems they need to be solved * How we frustrate our clients by being too timid * Being a catalyst for bringing experts together to solve your client’s problems
There’s more M&A activity amongst agencies than ever before. As agency owners get older and running the business becomes more stressful, many owners are running out of gas and looking for a reset. This means there has never been a more perfect time if you’re looking to buy an agency. And if you’re looking to sell, it might go faster than you anticipate.
We know that M&As are stressful on both sides of the deal, no matter how much you plan ahead. So this week, we’re taking a deep dive into the whole process — how far in advance to plan your sale, valuation, succession planning, dealing with the emotions behind it, and much more.
Even if you’re not planning to sell your agency right now, eventually, this will become a reality, and it’s always better to be ahead of the curve. So don’t miss this longer episode packed with tips for passing the torch and preparing for the future of your agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why M&A activity is so high right now * The strongest factors that will determine agency valuation * How to assess your agency valuation * Preparing 3-5 years in advance for an M&A * Passing the torch to a new owner and being the buyer’s cheerleader * Giving your employees the opportunity to be an internal buyer * Preparing for an M&A for both a buyer and a seller * Expenses to expect when preparing for a sale on both sides
Does your agency have what it takes to provide best-in-class service to your clients? According to Susan Quinn’s research, there are 9 traits that an agency should have in order to get there.
It’s not always about being the fastest or having the best prices. In fact, it’s almost never about price when you’re providing top-notch service. What it ultimately comes down to is living by your agency’s core values, innovation, and an intense focus on quality.
Susan Quinn and her team have been living by these traits so well that they began studying them to find out just what makes the best client experience and best-in-class service. So, if you’re ready to take your agency to the next level and partner with next-level companies, tune in to learn how they constantly improve their client experience and how you stack up against the competition.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The basis for the research about the 9 traits of agencies with best-in-class service * Breaking down each trait * Why adopting the 9 traits will set your agency up for continued growth * How Susan’s agency conducted their research * The 3 ways C-Suite employees categorized their best-in-class status * How niching down has changed Susan’s agency over decades * The importance of partnering with other agencies with the same core values * Why you and your agency should always be learning and innovating
Do you know the “why” behind the work you do? If not, it might be time to find out. Understanding the motivation behind why we show up and feel connected to our work is key to personal happiness and effective interpersonal communication.
As it turns out, there are nine “whys” that we could categorize ourselves into that affect agency communication and connectivity. Knowing where we fall on that spectrum, especially as agency owners, can remove blocks and help your agency reach its goals faster and more effectively than doing things the same old way we always do them.
If your agency has a lot of goals, but the team sometimes struggles to execute them, it might be time for the “why” mindset strategy that our guest, Linda Perry, is teaching us about in this episode. Because at the end of the day, your people are your greatest asset, and knowing how to communicate with them how they receive it best is a recipe for success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The mindset perspective that helps agencies reach their goals faster * Getting to the bottom of limiting beliefs that prevent us from growing * The what, the why, and the how for better agency communication * Creating connectivity between agency owners, leadership, and team members * The agency owner’s responsibility is to create moments of connection * How to navigate different “whys” and assign tasks accordingly * How the “why” mindset strategy aligns with the agency’s mission, vision, and values * Understanding a client’s “why” for better sales strategies
When you think about how you do business, do you find that you’re purposefully taking longer to respond to inquiries because you don’t want a client to believe you’re not busy enough? Or do you hesitate to answer right away because you don’t want that to be their new expectation of your agency?
Unfortunately, this is where many agencies get it backward. Clients already expect quick responses, regardless of how fast or slow you were the first time. In fact, speed is one of the most important factors for client happiness, and it will only go higher on the priority list from here.
Jay Baer has done intense research on this very topic and is sharing his findings with us. As many of you know, he’s always ahead of the curve when it comes to agency trends. And he’s passionately confident that agencies need to get faster so they’re first in line when a prospect calls them up. Because if he’s learned anything, it’s that speed will beat out price almost every time.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The generational differences in patience in business settings * Speed is the most important factor for client happiness * The psychology of speed and how it equates to caring * Closing uncertainty gaps with clients * Creating a “fast pass” lane for impatient clients * The “Got it Audit” for the customer journey * When fast is too fast * The hierarchy of when speed is most important for client satisfaction * Where we get speed wrong in business decisions
As your agency grows, your leadership team must grow alongside it. You’ll notice as your team gets bigger, the day-to-day operations become more complicated, and you might want to start taking a step back from certain tasks altogether.
That’s where a COO comes in to save the day. A successful, growing agency must have someone to handle day-to-day operations and implement systems and processes properly. And if you have the right person to take some tasks off your plate, that opens you up to focus on the parts of the business you’re most passionate about, like being a visionary.
This week, I’m talking with Carolyn Lodge about the signs and symptoms of when it’s time to grow your leadership team and hire a COO. We discuss how to identify the right person for the job, their roles and expectations, how to integrate them with the rest of your team to build trust, and what traits are most commonly needed in the COO position.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The clues that show it might be time to hire a COO * What size agency is too small to have a COO role * The skills and traits of a good COO * Implementing the founder’s or owner’s vision * Building trust within your leadership team as you bring on new team members * Ensuring your COO is a good culture fit for the job * How a COO changes the day-to-day of a CEO * Go-to questions to vet a potential COO
One of the most powerful new business tools to establish credibility as an agency is right at our fingertips. Finding speaking opportunities at conferences, trade shows, and even as a podcast guest is a great first step to entering the world of thought leadership.
While it may seem daunting initially, especially if you’re new to this, thought leadership is about as easy as simple networking. Your network can get you into spaces you’ve never dreamed of if you have the right tools to navigate it.
This week, Katy Boos is giving us those tools to show us how practical and valuable thought leadership and public speaking can be for agency owners and leaders. With in-person events making a huge comeback post-Covid, the need for the best and brightest speakers is on the rise, too. Tune in to learn how to get your ideas in front of the right audience and establish yourself and your agency as one of the next great thought leaders.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The top most beneficial reasons for speaking at an event * Speaking at a big event vs. the right event * Looking beyond the room you’re speaking in * Determining who’s the right person to put on the stage * Narrowing down your topic and finding the right-fit audience * The post-Covid trade show and conference outlook * How to get conference organizers hyped up on your thought leadership * Getting in front of the right podcast audience * Creating content from your speaking event * Common mistakes that get us a “no” from conference organizers * Getting your foot in the door
Lately, agency owners and leaders have been hitting their heads against a biz dev brick wall. With increased sales cycles, difficulty getting clients to start projects, tightened budgets, and more, it seems like we’re in a cycle of never-ending struggle.
Even if the future looks bleak, there are always more things that can be done and new strategies to try to help push through a difficult time. That’s why now more than ever, it’s critical for agency owners and leaders to track certain metrics to ensure you’ll end 2023 in the black, even as everyone is seemingly tightening their belts.
This week, I’m sharing five metrics you should be tracking with your teams to ensure you’re making the right strategic decisions during heightened hardship. From taking a closer look at your numbers to ensuring client satisfaction, we have the tools to help you end the year in the black against all odds.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * Tracking your 55-25-20 AGI metrics more closely * Deciding where to move money around to keep good employees * Doubling down on biz dev efforts * Getting your existing clients to spend more money on you * Why AEs should be helping to grow the existing client base * Why client satisfaction scores are more critical than ever * Good employee retention sends a positive message to customers
In-person networking and relationship building are not dead. For agencies, it remains one of the most important methods of building your client base. And unfortunately, odds are you’re not doing it enough.
Showing up is a huge part of the biz dev battle that a Zoom call or Slack channel just can’t fix. And in a time when many of us have to rely on current clients to keep ourselves afloat, cutting corners on new business opportunities won’t get us very far.
For Hank Blank, some of the biggest red flags from the clients’ perspective directly result from our increasingly virtual ways of doing business. In his eyes, you will struggle to find new clients if you’re not attending events, doing in-person networking, inviting people into your agency’s space, or making philanthropic efforts in your community.
If you want to learn what always stands the test of time for agencies battling it out for new clients, don’t miss this conversation with one of the best in the business.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How smaller agencies can stand out against large agencies with in-house teams * The biggest mistakes agencies make when searching for new business * How agencies make themselves look unavailable or uninterested in new clients * Why in-person networking is still imperative for growing a client base * How agencies can develop a meaningful brand for themselves * Letting creativity guide you in your networking and biz dev * The 3 things that win new business * Making working at an agency fun again * Getting ahead of the competition to educate clients on new technology
The workforce has changed forever, which has brought change fatigue along with it. This means how we navigate problem-solving and facilitate change amongst our teams has to change, too.
This week, I’m chatting with Jenny Magic, an expert in all things change and team morale. For almost 20 years, she’s been working with agency leaders and their teams to help implement strategies. She noticed that there were often major disconnects between agency leaders and their team’s opinions on new strategies and changes to SOPs. She set out to discover what makes teams get on board with change without getting burnt out.
We’ll discuss the best ways to facilitate change with your teams, get employees on board with your ideas and strategies, and the importance of psychological safety for employees to share openly. When you know how to facilitate change effectively, you’ll be surprised how much easier it is to get your teams on board with new ideas and strategies.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How the world of change has changed * How to line up change so that it actually gets implemented * The cost of change * The real roots of change fatigue * Why so many employees start “treading water” when you try a new strategy * The value of co-creating change with your team * Utilizing confidential inquiries to get honest responses from employees * There is no “one-size fits all” training model that actually works * Creating psychological safety among team members
AI has been at the top of everyone’s minds this year, particularly with the birth of ChatGPT in November 2022. We’re currently in a renaissance where AI innovation and creativity are fusing to push the limits of what we ever thought was previously possible.
With these new AI tools comes a lot to look forward to, but also a lot of fear and uncertainty. Many of you are worried about job security, work expectations, and getting left behind in favor of faster, newer technology. In this episode, we’ll address these valid concerns with AI expert Paul Roetzer.
Paul has been at the forefront of AI innovation for most of his career and has some ideas to share with us about how this all started, where it’s at now, and what’s possible for the future. While the uncertainty is scary, one certainty is that we must lean into the AI movement with an open mind and be ready to adapt alongside it.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How clients are starting to wise up to AI use for projects * Copyright concerns for agencies using AI * The real threats agencies should be looking out for with AI innovation * The move to client-agency co-creation * Always be testing * Helping clients pilot AI tools in their strategy and operations * The evolution of agencies that utilize AI innovation * How to vet new AI tools in a sea of uncertainty * The future of AI integrations
The idea of agency culture has been on my mind a lot lately, especially now that we’re all settling into new post-covid workplace structures. Without as much face time in an office, many of you are starting to wonder how to continue cultivating a healthy workplace environment for your employees over video calls and Slack channels.
For this week’s solocast, I’m sharing what research shows are the four core pillars of a healthy agency culture that will ensure your employees feel seen, heard, safe, and valued. It’s not just about proximity and having office parties or team outings anymore. And as agency leaders, it’s essential that we lead by example in creating the right environment for our teams to thrive.
If you can weave these four concepts into how you run your agency and build up your teams, your agency will be set up for success, no matter if you’re in the office, fully remote, or somewhere in between.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Thinking about agency culture differently * Why agency owners must lead the charge in creating a healthy agency culture * Creating an environment of inclusivity for all team members * Leading with love and being curious about your people * Creating learning opportunities for yourself and the team * Encouraging quarterly growth goals for employees * Celebrating contributions and identifying employee strengths * Leaving space for employees to challenge the status quo * Making it ok for people to disagree respectfully
Agency culture has encountered a massive shift post-pandemic. With hybrid and remote work more common than ever, weaving our missions, goals, values, and purpose into our teams requires a different approach than before.
This week, we’re talking to Chad Kearns, an agency culture expert, to discuss how agency leaders are at the forefront of agency culture and should run their agency according to their core values. If you don’t align yourself with your own mission and values, your team won’t be operating at its peak, which can throw the whole agency off balance.
If it sounds high-stakes, it’s because it is. Everything starts with agency culture — from screening a potential new hire to your employee retention rate. Tune in to learn how to align your agency to your core values and discover what people value the most when choosing to work for an agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * People are at the core of the agency world * How cultural concerns have changed post-pandemic * Challenges that clients face today with agency culture * Finding right-fit employees who will embody your agency culture * Aligning yourself and exemplifying your mission, values, and goals to your team * Where agencies often fail to uphold their core values and missions * Culture goes beyond social interaction * How to attract better talent aligned with your agency values * Why good onboarding is imperative for healthy agency culture
With the elongated sales cycles we have all seen throughout 2023, knowing your lifetime customer value is more important than ever. It’s essential not only for you as an agency but also to calculate that data for your clients.
Clients are looking for the most value for their money, and everyone is tightening their belts. Gone are the days of patient clients willing to wait around for results. Now, it’s all about data-driven, proven results that your agency can provide ASAP. If you can’t provide everything they need, they expect you to find the people who can partner with you to get it done.
In this episode, we’re discussing how you can adapt to the new era of agency ownership with data-driven metrics and proven results for your clients and their customers. We know it’s hard to adapt to a fast-changing and ever-adapting world of work, but we’re here to help you work through it and find innovative ways to stay ahead of the curve.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Defining lifetime customer value * How an agency can help a client calculate their lifetime customer value * The trends and metrics that non-commerce agencies can analyze for their LCV * How LCV calculations can help you and your clients get smarter about budgeting * Why agencies are struggling to acquire new customers and how to adapt * The growing importance of agency syndication * The swinging pendulum of agency hiring * The 3 pillars of customer value optimization * How agencies can troubleshoot for their clients and course-correct their offerings
It’s that time of year again — we’re evaluating the 2023 Agency Edge Research study, where we polled people who hire agencies about what they expect from agencies and what gets them to open their wallets for us.
Despite a challenging year of having to find creative ways to get existing clients to spend more money with us, a lot of good news came out of this study. Overall, existing clients with larger budgets are much more willing to stick with an agency and spend more money if we present them with a compelling reason to do so.
What do we do with that information? We’ve been preparing you for months leading up to this study, covering many of the topics we’ll see today. So, if you missed any of those episodes, be sure to go back so you can be on top of your game going into 2024.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The three main client archetypes * How the three archetypes spend their money * How clients use agencies to fill their different needs * The revenue and budget breakdowns of each existing client group * What makes a current client want to spend more money with us, and when * The biggest motivation existing clients have for increasing their spend * What clients believe makes the best agency * The increased importance of client love and getting to know their teams * Why we should be pitching new ideas to our clients and asking them to experiment with us
Part of being an agency means that you solve problems for a living. Clients come to you with a problem, and it’s up to you and your team to figure out the solution and present it to them in a neat package. Simply put, creative innovation is woven into the DNA of an agency.
Under pressure and deadlines, creative innovation can quickly be squashed, rushed, or underprioritized. But Carla Johnson, an ideation and innovation expert, has studied and produced an effective formula for how agencies can reinvigorate their creative strategies.
Her methodology can be incorporated with client projects and daily agency strategy to improve systems and processes. Innovation doesn’t always have to be creative, but getting creative about innovation can change how your team solves problems and could even save you time and money when putting it to the test.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What our clients are really hiring us to do * Figuring out how to connect the dots more efficiently * Innovative ways to approach creative ideation on your team * Bringing clients into the creative innovation process * Getting creative about systems and processes during growth moments in the agency * The 5-step Wheel of Innovation * Weaving creative thinking into everyday life * The intersection of business strategy and creative innovation
It’s that time of year again — we’re going over the top agency trends we’re noticing so far in 2023 and going into 2024. A lot has changed since the last time we went over the data, which means we have a ton of information that you’ll hopefully find valuable and can use as a compass for where to lead your agency through the rest of the year heading into 2024.
As we exit the pandemic era and move into the AI era, there’s a lot to consider in how agencies function regarding what our clients want, how fast our sales cycle moves, how we hire, where we should focus our biz dev, and more.
One thing is certain — many agency owners like you feel re-energized and reinvigorated coming out of 2022. Let this episode be a ray of light that gives you an extra boost of encouragement for the rest of 2023, and keep that momentum going for as long as possible.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The impacts of recession fears on AGI and revenue * ROI — the new agency buzzword * A growing agency trend in having amazing teams * Rebalancing overservicing and overstaffing issues * The fading trend of over-specialization of agencies * The PPC, SEO, and data analyst job boom * A positive trend in agency owner happiness * The continued importance of thought leadership and community spaces * The agency employee trends of 2023 * Embracing AI and using it as a tool for your work
Keeping up with data protection and privacy laws is exhausting. Nearly every month, new legislation is being introduced state by state to help keep users’ data protected online. And while this is overall a good thing, it can get really messy if agency owners aren’t educated and informing their clients about what this means when they build out their websites. Luckily, our guest today, Hans Skillrud, has collaborated with his wife to create an easy, self-updating tool that agency owners can implement on their own websites and the sites they build for their clients. He has committed himself to ensuring that data protection tools and documentation are easily accessible for anyone without needing a legal degree to make sense of it all.
In this episode, you’ll learn why you must educate yourself and your clients on the most current privacy policy and data protection laws, why not to cut corners in this department, and why you should never collect more data than you actually need.
Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal right now, with the constantly changing environment of privacy laws, you never know when you could end up in a mess, even five years later. Don’t delay on this, and get your documentation in check today.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What is Termageddon? * What agencies are required to provide to their clients in terms of documentation * The risks for smaller businesses and agencies for not practicing good data protection * Why agencies should embrace data protection policies, even if it seems complicated * Can chatGPT write our policies for us? * Why copying and pasting someone else’s policies is a bad idea * How data protection lawsuits happen * How the Termageddon team keeps up with constantly changing data protection laws * The confusing future of privacy law * Three best data protection practices for agencies and website builders
Marketing today is not absolute. It’s experimental, iterative, and ever-changing. And with that comes many challenges that we have to overcome and adapt to as agency leaders. One of those challenges is offering data analytics services to our clients. Many of us got into the industry, hoping to avoid doing math. And yet, here we are again, going over another way tech and mathematics are imperative in our industry. While it might be exhausting or frustrating, a subject matter expert is joining us to help make it a little less confusing for everyone.
This week, I’m interviewing Jim Sterne, a data analytics expert who knows so much about the industry. Jim started the Data Analytics Association and wrote 12 books on the topic.
In this episode, he’ll share the importance of offering data analytics expertise to better serve clients, how to hire either in-house or third-party data analysts, and tons of resources on where to look for advice and find other experts to help get you started.
Those who adapt survive. Don’t wait on this one, and don’t try to be a hero. The more we can help our clients reach their goals, the better off we are as an industry. Get help, look to the experts, and start offering your clients data analytics services as soon as possible.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why data analytics is more about the questions you ask rather than the answers you get * The biggest hurdles agencies face when presenting data to clients * Should you go third-party or stay in-house? * What to look for when hiring a third-party data analytics expert * How to make data useful to the client * Data reports vs. data alerts, which is better? * How to become a data storyteller * Helping clients embrace experimental results over having absolute certainty * The best resources for wannabe data analysts or those just starting out
AI-generated content is rapidly finding its way into professional spaces and changing the way we work forever. This fact is especially important for creative agencies that are quickly realizing there could be legal implications for using AI to create work proposals, creative IPs, legal documents, and more. And like most legal questions, the answer to “Can I use AI to generate work for clients?” is, “It depends.” We’re in such a gray area with AI right now that the legal system hasn’t had a chance to catch up to technological advances. So how do agencies protect themselves, their workers, clients, and their IP when everything is so up in the air right now?
Sharon Toerek has some common sense advice for approaching AI in the workplace to avoid a potential legal nightmare. In this episode, we’ll cover human-generated vs. AI-generated content, the gray areas we need to look out for when using AI, how to protect client and agency copyrights, how to avoid infringing other copyrighted content, and so much more.
AI-generated content is an incredibly important and ever-changing topic. And if you’re an agency owner, this needs to be addressed in your agency today.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The top 3 questions lawyers are receiving about AI * Having conversations with clients about the use of AI-generated content * The gray area between AI-generated and human-generated content * The ownability of AI-generated output * Creating documentation about implementing AI tools in a typical workflow * Including AI prompt strategies in trade secrets documentation * Can we protect the data we’re inputting into the collective that is AI? * Addressing the use of AI in SOWs * Should we use AI tools to create legal documents?
We all want to get paid what we’re worth. But it’s more than likely that we’re downplaying our agency’s value because we’re too worried about pricing ourselves out or overcharging. This week, our guest, Casey Brown, will explain why that’s wrong and how to get out of a fear-based pricing mindset for good. Casey has been serving small to mid-sized agencies for the past 15 years to bring her corporate pricing expertise to private companies. She’ll teach us why it’s probable that we’re talking ourselves out of charging what we’re worth and giving discounts where they’re not needed.
Our time is valuable in a typically creative industry, and we deserve to be paid what we’re worth. Get ready to take action after listening to this episode so you can start having better pricing conversations with customers and stand up for your true worth as an agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why you should never pre-discount in pricing conversations * The questions you should be asking when a client pushes back on price * How to establish pricing integrity that establishes trust between you and the customer * How to gauge if a client’s low budget is real * Building confidence in your pricing * How to get out of a fear-based mindset * The best approach to raising prices on legacy clients * Protecting your margins in this current economy * How to know if your pricing is right
This week, I’m covering an important topic I haven’t covered on a solocast before — agency owner work balance. Often, agency owners get pulled into too much of the day-to-day client work or aren’t correctly staffing the agency to get the support they need on the work they have.
There’s a formula you should be following for how you break down your workday or workweek to be a successful business leader, and I’m going to map it out in an easily applicable formula. It’s not always easy to get ourselves out of the daily client tasks, but the recipe I’m sharing with you today will help you block out more time for the things that matter the most.
If you’re not doing your job, nobody else is going to do it, either. And your job is the most important job in the entire agency. So tune in to learn how to map out your days better, get out of the day-to-day, and focus your attention where you’re needed most.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Getting out of the day-to-day client work * The percentage breakdown of how an agency owner should spend their day * Why blocking your time efficiently and effectively is incredibly important * The key factors that add value to your agency * How to shift to this new breakdown of work * Why biz dev is the most important task * How to delegate and divide tasks between you and your business partner * The importance of making yourself unavailable sometimes
Podcasts, radio, and TV are all similar mediums with a broad reach across the US. But over the years, younger audiences have moved away from radio and TV in favor of other platforms that offer ad-free subscriptions. Quickly rising to the top amongst millennials and Gen Z is podcasting. So how do we still reach people who are consistently opting out of popular advertising avenues? Tom Webster has some answers for us.
He’s on the podcast today to break down the findings from The Media Moves the Message study that his firm, Sounds Profitable, did on advertising performance between cable TV, AM/FM radio, and podcasting.
This deep dive will give you all the evidence you need to understand that podcasting has a bright future. And as long as we don’t oversaturate it with advertising, it will be here to stay amongst audiences, both old and young, as the medium grows.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How we can take advantage of the podcasting medium as advertisers * The Media Moves the Message study * The most noteworthy takeaways from the study * How podcast listeners skew age-wise and where we can make improvements * What the study results mean for agency owners and leaders * Will we eventually oversaturate podcasts with ads? * What the study means for content creators and podcast hosts * Trusting that a podcast host knows how to advertise to their audience * Areas where podcasting is lacking * The power of small podcasts
Many of us didn’t initially set out to become agency owners when we first started working in the business we’re in now. It sort of happened accidentally, and we put our agency together on an as-needed basis as the clients kept coming in and our services and offerings evolved. As accidental agency owners, we’re left with a lot of room for error as we try to scale our agencies to fit our core values while also turning a profit. That’s where Herb Cogliano’s expertise comes in.
As an entrepreneur for over 30 years and a consultant helping scale and grow businesses, he knows all the pain points for agency owners as they navigate growing an agency.
Herb will teach us three major barriers to growth: hiring people in line with your core values, identifying general manager-level leadership, and remaining profitable as you and your team adapt to changes along the way. Herb wants us to run our business rather than the business running us. Tune in to learn how to go from an accidental agency owner to an intentional one.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Three major barriers to our growth as agency owners * The decisions around people, strategy, execution, and cash that we need to get right * What we often get wrong about scaling * How to improve cash flow and profits inside the business * How to evolve the business in the right direction * Establishing your core values and sticking to them * What to look for in good leadership as you plan your leadership succession * Creating processes to boost efficiency * How to take the fear out of change for your employees
How you lead your business is critical to its success. People are the most important assets in our agencies, and without them, we can’t deliver our best work to our customers. That’s why it’s critical to prioritize agency leadership so your teams can do their best work and grow alongside your organization. Dr. Amin Sanaia is an expert in leadership development with extensive experience studying what attributes make the most successful leaders. Today, he shares the top five personality traits of a good leader, also known as CRAVE, and how we can bring leadership development and growth opportunities to our employees.
If you’re ready to take your leadership to the next level and start showing up for your people with more empathy and authenticity, Dr. Amin has the tools to get you on the right path.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What gets in the way of being a great leader * Finding the balance between servant leadership and honest feedback * Balancing employee wants and running your business profitably * Offering fringe benefits over more money * How agency leadership can show up with more empathy without going overboard * Setting the tone of your agency culture * Coaching and mentoring new agency leadership * How to start behaving like a leader
So many of us hate selling or feeling like we are “being sold to” because it has the old reputation of being manipulative, exploitative, and too pushy. Thanks to the sales tactics of the old days, our sales prospects have walls up before a call or meeting even starts.
When we know the psychology of sales and truly understand how people want to be sold to, that’s where the magic begins. Jeremy Miner, voted in the top 50 best salespeople worldwide, has some knowledge to share with us about approaching the sales process in a way that sets you up for success from the beginning.
Not only can you ditch lengthy sales pitches and pretend to care about the weather in your prospect’s city, but you can also get to the root of their needs much more efficiently and teach them how you fit into that equation. Your prospects win because they learn about their company’s problems, you win because you know how to solve them, and you both win again because fixing those blind spots helps you both make more money. What do you have to lose?
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Jeremy’s first door-to-door sales job * How to get sales prospects to pull you in rather than you pushing them to make a decision * Getting to the bottom of your prospect’s problems and figuring out how to solve them * The least persuasive way to sell * Leading sales conversations with emotion instead of logic * The NEPQ approach to sales conversations * How Covid impacted selling to prospects * Building a visual gap between where your sales prospects are and where they want to be * Asking the right questions
This week, I’m using this episode to talk about some questions I get asked a lot, and that is what we offer in AMI memberships. Many of you want to know what our different tiers of memberships include and what other services we offer. If you’re curious about AMI and our membership offerings, this episode is for you. I will break down what we offer for agency owners and leaders and how you can get involved in the AMI community if you feel compelled to do so. We have a ton of different ways to become a community member, get consulting and one-on-one coaching, access our peer networks, and even get help with succession work.
Our goal is always to help small to mid-size agencies reach their goals and get access to the best network possible. You’re never too small or far away from us to participate, so if you’re feeling compelled to join the community in some way, I’m giving you all the details here today.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The free resources we always offer agency owners and leaders * Our workshops, both online and in-person * Online and onsite consulting with experienced business leaders * Creating a network of agency leaders with Peer Networks and Virtual Peer Groups * How we can help in succession planning and coaching new buyers to acquire an agency * The BABA Summit * How to get involved if you can’t travel or just want some content from us * The members-only perks as an add-on to our free content
You need innovative ideas to stand out and be ahead of the curve. We often get caught up in the chaos of day-to-day agency operations and retreat into the comfort zone of doing things the same way we’ve always done them. Today, we’re talking you out of that way of thinking and giving you an entirely different framework for approaching client projects. Stan Phelps, an author and keynote speaker with prior agency experience, has a whole new way of thinking about client projects and asking the right questions to build out innovative ideas that will keep clients coming back to you for more.
When we make the time, space, and budget to allow our teams to think outside of the box and take more creative risks, we make space for better, more trusting clients who know you’ll hit a home run for them every time.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Creating innovation through action and insights * Why we need to be incentivizing our teams and clients to think outside the box * The IDEA Framework for mapping out innovative ideas * Sometimes it’s about learning what our clients don’t value * Using attribute and journey mapping to learn about customers and how they interact with us * How to start asking your clients the big questions that lead to big ideas * What to internally evaluate before taking your ideas to a client * How to infuse innovation into agency operations as an agency leader
Think about some of your favorite brands for just a moment. What aspects of those brands make you feel the most connected to them? Do you ever find yourself talking to your friends or family about a company you love so much because of what they stand for or how they connect with people? Enter community building as a marketing strategy — the next big thing in brand marketing, according to Mark Schaefer. This week, he will teach us why brands need to hop on this trend as quickly as possible and how agencies can join in on the fun, too.
As business leaders, the best way to reach our audience is to turn that audience into a community and connect with the people who are your biggest advocates. In this episode, we’ll talk about the role of creating emotional connections to your brand, the difference between an audience and a community, how agencies can become leaders in community building for brands, and so much more. Mark will leave you thinking about how your agency can evolve into a thriving community while growing your brand organically.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Mark’s inspiration for writing his book on the next big brand marketing strategies * The 3 trends that came together to bring community building to the forefront of brand marketing * The importance of having an emotional connection with your community * The major difference between audience and community * How can agencies begin helping brands with community building? * Nurturing organic advocacy for your brand * Perfecting community building in both online and face-to-face interactions * Some pitfalls to avoid when beginning to dabble in community building * Can/should agencies create their own communities?
There’s no denying that when the pandemic hit, the workforce changed forever. We experienced some of the most rapid shifts in our economy and lifestyles this century, and we still feel its effects today.
Most notably, our work standards morphed along with how we view leadership and hustle culture. The old ways of working longer hours and devoting yourself to a company to climb your way to the top have dissolved.
This week, Heather McGowan is joining me to talk about the major shifts we’ve recently experienced and will shed some light on how agency owners can adapt to better fit the new roles employees expect leadership to fill. She’ll talk about “The Five Greats” that led to these intense shifts, and four leadership adaptations agency owners should consider making to support the new-age workforce best.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How Heather accidentally became an expert in human work culture * “The Five Greats” that collided all at once to shift the workforce * How to change the mindset around hustle culture and where it still has its place * Four shifts an agency owner needs to make to align themselves with the current workforce * Moving from competition to collaboration to motivate your workforce * Polling your workers and being open to feedback as you make changes * How agencies are successfully building a remote culture * What are the new standards of effective leadership today?
If you’re tired of assessing your agency’s project values based on an average hourly rate and having your team constantly updating timesheets, you’ll want to take some notes on this episode. Today’s topic is all about restructuring pricing models to focus more on the scope value rather than an average billable hourly rate. Our guest, Jonathan Stark, is a former software developer on a mission to rid the world of hourly billing. He’ll teach us to reevaluate the work scopes we’re pitching to prospects and customize it so you can focus on their actual needs rather than what they think they need.
By using this method, you will not only remove the headache of hourly billing but also have better conversations with prospects, establish yourself as a thought leader, and have the potential to increase your profit exponentially — just by changing this small aspect of your sales and discovery calls.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How and why Jonathan became so passionate about eliminating hourly billing from his agency structure * Why fixed pricing models based on scope value are both easier and more profitable * Asking the right questions to get to the bottom of your prospect’s actual needs and weed out bad clients * Talking about the value of the outcome of the work you’re going to do for clients * Building proposals with 3 budget options based on a fixed-price value * How to engage with a prospect to discover what they need and how to price it out * The pros and cons of changing your pricing strategy * Productizing some of your services as “off-the-shelf offerings” * How to implement this strategy as a smaller agency without too much risk
One of the most common traps we fall into as agency owners is making decisions based on our fears. Every day we have to make hard choices, and it’s easy to fall victim to a fear-based narrative when trying to make everyone happy while keeping a business afloat. But fear not — I have some advice for you that will help you see the bigger picture of where you are likely making fear-based decisions for your agency. This week, my goal is to help you identify the most common fear-based business decisions, understand why this happens almost universally, and learn some tricks to rewire our thinking around these decisions.
As you listen to this episode, take stock of when you’ve made decisions out of fear. Fear of losing a good employee, fear of losing money, fear of missing out on a good project or client — and see if you can find a better approach to tackling even just one of these examples.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The biggest, worst fear-based decision agency owners often make * Acknowledging the truths behind our fears and putting action behind them * Financial decisions (and mistakes) we make when we’re afraid * How we hand over control to our clients when we’re acting out of fear * The vital role of client and employee satisfaction surveys * The psychology behind fear-based decisions * Why you should step away from a problem and ask for help * How to rewire our thinking around decisions and get out of the fear narrative
To continue on the sales theme this week, we’ll dissect everything you need to know about winning and retaining right-fit clients, honing in on your agency vertical, and strategizing your agency growth plan. Our guest, Corey Quinn, has a 25-year track record of extraordinary success as an entrepreneur, sales leader, and CMO for a $150M+ company. Today, he helps B2B SaaS and Agencies grow from 7 figures to 8 by doing less, not more.
In this episode, Corey will share some wisdom from his successful business career to teach us how we, as small agency owners, can implement an effective agency growth plan. He’ll teach us how to keep right-fit clients on our roster and establish a vertical that gets even more customers coming to you for your expertise and fantastic customer service.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Growth and retention strategies that are applicable to small agencies * Honing in on your agency growth plan * The power of niching and word-of-mouth connections * Leveraging both inbound and outbound sales tactics * The common mistakes people make when trying to increase sales * How much time an agency owner should dedicate to biz dev * Why specializing in specific customers and industries works so well * 2 or 3 things you need to have exponential growth * Sales strategies that will have new customers coming to you for work
Sales — the dreaded word that most of us cringe when we think about it. It brings up thoughts of manipulation, forced conversations, and fear of rejection. It’s one of those necessary evils that come with being a business owner that’s essential if you want to keep growing. For many of us, we fear hearing the word “no.” Once it’s out there, we drop the conversation, take the loss, and move on. But if you want to sell effectively AND create a pleasant sales experience for yourself and your prospects, you must rethink your sales strategy.
Today, I’m talking with Richard Fenton, a seasoned expert in all things sales prospecting, selling styles, and getting to the other side of the “no.” It didn’t always come naturally to him, but after a long time in the business, he’s learned that an initial rejection can be a huge win later in the sales process. Whether you like sales or not, you have to get better at it to keep new clients coming through the door. So join us to learn how you can rethink your sales process and become a better salesperson, even if it doesn’t come naturally.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Richard’s “aha” moment that made him rethink sales forever * Why “no” isn’t the end of the sales process * The four types of salespeople and the one we should all strive to be * The intersection of caring about relationships and caring about results * Why you need to ask better questions in the sale process * Getting a prospect to know, like, and trust you * Staying in touch even after an initial rejection * The reason sales has gained such a bad reputation * How to sell without being manipulative or shark-like
It’s no secret the job market has shifted immensely over the past 3–4 years. One minute, we’re hitting the brakes and halting all new hires. The next, we’re kicking things back into gear and going through a hiring frenzy with inflated salaries. And now, we’re entering a recession but still need to hire top talent at an affordable price. How do we keep up? This week, I’m talking with Art Boulay and Sue MacArthur, two experts in talent management and agency staffing. They created a perfect formula for assessing potential new hires’ strengths, weaknesses, and full-on red flags that could save you a lot of time before even starting an interview.
This episode is packed with information about how agencies can optimize their hiring in a job market where you only have a few days — rather than a few weeks — to decide on a candidate. I hope you grab a pen and paper and take some notes on this one because this could change your entire approach to hiring new team members.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How hiring has changed rapidly in the past 3–4 years * What agencies should have in place before they begin looking for a candidate * Why you need to try your best to lock in a new hire in under a week * Don’t be afraid to make a candidate sweat a little * Why trying too hard to sell your agency to a candidate could lose you a great hire * Identifying yellow and red flags for in-office, hybrid, or remote positions * How to handle and possibly prevent a bad Glassdoor review if you encounter one * Pay attention to the little things — body language, demeanor, and even their background in the Zoom call * The most critical things to consider to get the right candidate to accept your job offer
One of the biggest sticking points with agencies is establishing tried and true onboarding and training SOPs. Over and over, we find that new hires aren’t pleased with how their onboarding process went, despite agencies and larger companies investing billions into this one area.
Poor training and onboarding experiences can result in disaster and influence how long your new hire will want to stick around after the fact. It can be even more challenging for remote agencies to establish cohesion in SOPs when a team is remote or hybrid. That’s why it’s essential to have well-established training SOPs that are easy to follow and help your new hires understand their purpose within your agency.
In this episode, I’m interviewing Jennifer Smith from Scribe to teach us how to make SOPs that are quick, painless, transferable, and digestible. She knows what remote teams need to get everyone on the same page quickly, and she has a lot of knowledge on how to make that happen. Tune in to listen and learn great ideas from Jennifer to make a typically painful process seamless and much more organized.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The importance of having tribal knowledge in an agency * Where agencies often fail to have proper documentation * Establishing the why, the who, and the how of your agency to new hires * Creating proper SOP documentation to onboard new team members * Where agencies can improve on building a remote team * How to demonstrate skills and tasks to new hires with training SOPs * How to make SOPs and documentation pain-free and easy to share amongst your team
With a heavy heart, I’m recording this week’s solocast to commemorate the life of a cherished and respected team member of AMI, Craig Barnes. I have known Craig for 25 years, and we became great friends and colleagues over our time together as fellow agency owners. I want to use this solocast as an opportunity to honor the legacy Craig left behind and share with you all some of the core values he taught me over our long time working together, the most important one being to lead with love.
Whether you were part of his family, community, colleague, or client, Craig always made sure that people knew he loved them. He was never afraid to shower others with love and celebrate their wins in life, no matter how big or small. He did everything in a big way, whether that was making a huge business decision or taking up a new hobby — and he wasn’t afraid to go after it with genuine, whole-hearted passion.
I’m heartbroken to be recording this episode. Still, I hope this allows everyone the chance to reflect on his incredible life and legacy and encapsulate everything that Craig taught us in the AMI community.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
In This Episode: * How Craig Barnes became a part of my life and the AMI community * What we can learn from Craig’s life and professional life * Keep evolving * If you’re going to do it, do it big * Strategy is critical * There is no substitute for integrity * The more you teach, the more you learn * Lead with love
As agency owners, we’re always looking for ways to get great customers that increase our profitability while decreasing the length of the typical sales cycle. That’s the dream, right? This week, I have Tom Schwab on to talk about one of the best ways to make that dream a reality — being a great guest on other people’s podcasts. As a great guest himself, Tom has a gold mine of valuable information to share with us about getting featured as a guest on podcasts, the ROI that it brings to your agency, and how to track the results you’re getting from being a podcast guest.
Great conversations lead to great customers, and Tom will teach us exactly how to turn all that talking into gold. Don’t miss out on this information-packed episode so you can start your year right by setting the stage for increased profitability in 2023.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why you don’t need to host your own podcast to get your name out there * How to use podcast guesting as a way to achieve your goals * Why podfade is such a common occurrence * How to identify which podcasts need your voice as a guest * Leveraging a podcast to attract great clients, not more leads in the sales funnel * How to be a great podcast guest and get the host to sell you to the audience * Pre- and post-interview podcast guest best practices * The importance of having a tracking mechanism for performance and conversion rates
As agency owners, we’re always looking for ways to get great customers that increase our profitability while decreasing the length of the typical sales cycle. That’s the dream, right? This week, I have Tom Schwab on to talk about one of the best ways to make that dream a reality — being a great guest on other people’s podcasts. As a great guest himself, Tom has a gold mine of valuable information to share with us about getting featured as a guest on podcasts, the ROI that it brings to your agency, and how to track the results you’re getting from being a podcast guest.
Great conversations lead to great customers, and Tom will teach us exactly how to turn all that talking into gold. Don’t miss out on this information-packed episode so you can start your year right by setting the stage for increased profitability in 2023.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why you don’t need to host your own podcast to get your name out there * How to use podcast guesting as a way to achieve your goals * Why podfade is such a common occurrence * How to identify which podcasts need your voice as a guest * Leveraging a podcast to attract great clients, not more leads in the sales funnel * How to be a great podcast guest and get the host to sell you to the audience * Pre- and post-interview podcast guest best practices * The importance of having a tracking mechanism for performance and conversion rates
Diversity in the workplace is the cornerstone of running a modern and successful agency. Without it, you’re not only selling your agency short, but you’re also passing up on an immense pool of talent and ideas that you won’t find by staying in a comfort zone. This week, we have Dr. Ella Washington, a professor, organizational psychologist, and DEI expert, on the podcast to share the purpose, pitfalls, and progress behind effective and measurable DEI work. Whether your agency has fallen behind the times or you just need a fresh perspective, we all have work to do in this area.
So, take this episode with an open mind, actively listen to it, and use it as a guide for refocusing your DEI efforts in 2023.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The metrics for tracking DEI work progress * The three P’s of starting DEI work * How hybrid work environments promote diversity in the workplace * Inviting more diversity into your organization * Why diverse backgrounds of all kinds matter at work * Inclusive leadership * Acknowledging and addressing microaggressions * How to create a safe space as a leader and invite conversations about DEI
With agency ownership comes big ideas, a lot of creative energy, and infinite passion for your work. Chances are you have a million ideas floating around your head with nowhere to put them. Why not compile them into a book? We’ve talked about why creative thought leadership matters for finding right-fit clients and aids in biz dev for your agency. This week, I’m bringing back Henry DeVries to discuss finally putting all those ideas into action and writing your book.
We have a fun episode planned today with tons of advice for creating the blueprint for your book, how to finally get started with writing (and get help doing it), and some of the common roadblocks we create for ourselves when it’s time to finally go to the printer.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Building the blueprint of your book * 7 questions to answer when creating the book outline * Why writing is a team sport * How to solo write a book in a way that’s manageable (if you choose to go it alone) * The best approach to co-authoring a book * Discovering your hidden assets and turning them into content * The roadblocks we create for ourselves in the final stages of publishing
Business development will always be necessary for keeping your agency alive. Many agencies are great at marketing for clients but historically fall flat when it’s time to market themselves to prospects. Peter Levitan knows this very well and has some tips to share to help us get creative about our agencies and prospecting for them. Whether aggressively pursuing a dream client or breaking into thought leadership, Peter knows the ins and outs of getting your agency’s name out there to just about anyone.
Tune into this episode to learn Peter’s business development expertise, hear his thoughts on thought leadership and writing, and see what’s on the horizon for agencies going into 2023.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Peter’s strong background in business development and agency consulting * The top 3 ways to get more business and keep it * The importance of standing out from the crowd when marketing your agency * How to do direct marketing * Fresh and new topics that your agency can write about * Dabbling in thought leadership * What’s on the horizon in 2023? * Being aggressive and persistent with agency goals without overloading the team
Time tracking is one of the most overlooked resources in an agency’s day-to-day operations. Without it, you’re missing out on valuable data about where you need more training, more staff, or even if you’re charging enough for your services. That’s why I’m talking today about incentivizing daily time tracking with your employees. The first thing a lot of your team will say is, “I don’t have time to do this every day.” But, with a little incentive and some tenacity, you can reach 95% to 98% compliance on daily time tracking in no time at all. Tune in to learn my step-by-step plan for starting the conversation, implementing it, and keeping the momentum once you get your team on board.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The reason why timesheets matter for more than just hours worked * Why timesheets should be done every single day * How to start talking to your team about daily time tracking * Incentivizing the team to track time consistently * Holding the team — and yourself — accountable * The psychology behind my time-tracking accountability method * How to use the data that daily time tracking gives you
Weary is a great word to describe a lot of agency leaders right now. It comes up again and again that we’re just tired, overworked, and running on fumes. It’s not our fault, but there are things we can do to get back to feeling a little more balanced and less like we’re about to snap.
I brought Jeff Salzenstein on this week to teach us some good habits that we can work on little by little to improve our personal lives and help us be better agency leaders. As a former tennis pro, he knows what it’s like to be under pressure and have people counting on you to perform at your peak at all times.
We’ll talk about how he made the difficult decision to move from playing tennis to doing leadership coaching. He’ll cover everything he knows about getting your mental, emotional, and physical health to its optimal level so that you can show up as your best self for the people counting on you the most.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to stay strong and committed in the face of challenges * Navigating the weariness that comes with agency leadership * Shifting a negative mindset into a positive one * Focused breathing as an effective technique to recenter yourself * The importance of good sleep for good leadership * How incremental changes create significant shifts in our lives * The importance of having well-rounded emotional health
If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’re thinking, “I’m doing too much,” or “I don’t have time to be creative anymore,” get comfortable because this episode is for you. Today, we’re talking about optimizing your agency workflow through outsourcing and hiring so that you can get your hands out of everything and get back to doing more of the work you love.
Manish Dudharejia of E2M Solutions is an expert in white-label outsourcing, agency workflow optimization, and hiring the right people to do the tasks you don’t need to be completing. In this episode, we’ll discuss what a white-label agency is and the value it can bring you, how to find the right mix of experience and trainability in new hires, project management, niching, and why you must find more free time as an agency owner.
Don’t be an obstacle to your growth. Instead, outsource and hire people who want to scale with you. You’ll quickly find that your time finally becomes yours again.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why agency owners are frequently stretched too thin * The right combination of experience, value, and trainability to look for in new hires * What can white-label outsourcing do to ease your workload? * The importance of having solid processes and workflows * Why niching matters when scaling your agency * The do’s and don’ts of niching and scaling * Why you should be obsessed with freeing up your own time
If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’re thinking, “I’m doing too much,” or “I don’t have time to be creative anymore,” get comfortable because this episode is for you. Today, we’re talking about optimizing your agency workflow through outsourcing and hiring so that you can get your hands out of everything and get back to doing more of the work you love.
Manish Dudharejia of E2M Solutions is an expert in white-label outsourcing, agency workflow optimization, and hiring the right people to do the tasks you don’t need to be completing. In this episode, we’ll discuss what a white-label agency is and the value it can bring you, how to find the right mix of experience and trainability in new hires, project management, niching, and why you must find more free time as an agency owner.
Don’t be an obstacle to your growth. Instead, outsource and hire people who want to scale with you. You’ll quickly find that your time finally becomes yours again.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why agency owners are frequently stretched too thin * The right combination of experience, value, and trainability to look for in new hires * What can white-label outsourcing do to ease your workload? * The importance of having solid processes and workflows * Why niching matters when scaling your agency * The do’s and don’ts of niching and scaling * Why you should be obsessed with freeing up your own time
Marketing agency culture is constantly changing, but adapting the best we can is important. And one of the most important ways we need to be adaptable is by identifying where we can bring more diversity and new perspectives into our company culture.
Sometimes when you’re sitting in the boss’s chair, there can be a disconnect between knowing what your people want and need and seeing who might be missing from the room altogether. This is where this week’s guest, Farzana Nayani, comes in to save the day. She has over 20 years of DEI work experience and knows how to get straight to the core of what employees want from their employers.
In this episode, we’ll talk about how to create safe environments for everyone, communicate that you’re open to having tough conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion, quiet quitting and labor hoarding, and how to set boundaries around polarizing topics in the workplace.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How employee resource groups are beneficial to employees * How DEI work has changed since Farzana began this work * What can we do as business owners to create a safe environment? * How to communicate that you’re open to difficult conversations around differences * How to learn more about our employees without creating more discomfort * How to invite more diversity into your agency culture * The rise of quiet quitting and labor hoarding * How to avoid polarization around politics in the workplace
Creating content and having a content marketing strategy have become the bread and butter of marketing agencies, and we have the research to prove it. In fact, many agencies are now saying that 75% of their revenue is coming from content.
This week, I’m talking with Steve Pockross and Ryan Sargent of Verblio to go over some interesting research they did about content creation, content ROI, what types of content they create, and more. This episode is packed with information that will hopefully give you some valuable insights into why having a good content marketing strategy is so important these days.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Steve and Ryan’s key takeaways from Verblio’s research on content marketing strategy * Why it’s okay to outsource content creation * The shocking ROI of content marketing * How to sell clients on the value of content * The challenges of creating good content * The importance of finding subject matter experts * What types of content are the best to reach an audience * Why clients are more willing to pay more for high-quality content
Creating content and having a content marketing strategy have become the bread and butter of marketing agencies, and we have the research to prove it. In fact, many agencies are now saying that 75% of their revenue is coming from content.
This week, I’m talking with Steve Pockross and Ryan Sargent of Verblio to go over some interesting research they did about content creation, content ROI, what types of content they create, and more. This episode is packed with information that will hopefully give you some valuable insights into why having a good content marketing strategy is so important these days.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Steve and Ryan’s key takeaways from Verblio’s research on content marketing strategy * Why it’s okay to outsource content creation * The shocking ROI of content marketing * How to sell clients on the value of content * The challenges of creating good content * The importance of finding subject matter experts * What types of content are the best to reach an audience * Why clients are more willing to pay more for high-quality content
For 2021 and 2022, we’ve been in a job seeker’s market where potential employees have more power to make demands. But now, this period is cooling off as we head into a recession. This means you should be able to find good talent for less money and with fewer demands.
We know it’s hard to compete with big corporations for what we can offer, but many people choose to work with agencies because they’re unique and go against the corporate grain. So once you have your star employees, how do you keep them around? This solocast, I’m focusing on how to invest in employee retention, particularly for your star players.
This episode will cover three key areas where you can get creative in making your team feel valued and how to implement them in meaningful ways. It’s time to put your money where your mouth is and show your team that they matter — because that’s almost half of the employee retention recipe. Stick around for the full episode to learn the rest!
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The biggest challenge for agency owners in 2021 and 2022 * How to creatively compete with big corporations in your employee compensation * Why it’s so important to invest in your employees’ career growth * What star players look for when choosing to work with an agency * Developing a greater purpose for the work you do * Why your employees care more than just money * How caring more will make your team stick around longer
For 2021 and 2022, we’ve been in a job seeker’s market where potential employees have more power to make demands. But now, this period is cooling off as we head into a recession. This means you should be able to find good talent for less money and with fewer demands.
We know it’s hard to compete with big corporations for what we can offer, but many people choose to work with agencies because they’re unique and go against the corporate grain. So once you have your star employees, how do you keep them around? This solocast, I’m focusing on how to invest in employee retention, particularly for your star players.
This episode will cover three key areas where you can get creative in making your team feel valued and how to implement them in meaningful ways. It’s time to put your money where your mouth is and show your team that they matter — because that’s almost half of the employee retention recipe. Stick around for the full episode to learn the rest!
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The biggest challenge for agency owners in 2021 and 2022 * How to creatively compete with big corporations in your employee compensation * Why it’s so important to invest in your employees’ career growth * What star players look for when choosing to work with an agency * Developing a greater purpose for the work you do * Why your employees care more than just money * How caring more will make your team stick around longer
Fear is a familiar feeling in agency ownership. It’s easy to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing or might be missing something important, especially if you’re doing it all yourself.
In this episode, I’m delivering advice on how to conquer the biggest agency owner fears in a Collabs & Cocktails event hosted by Predictive ROI. Whether it’s imposter syndrome, money worries, figuring out how to manage employees, or learning how to collaborate with other agency owners, I have some advice that will help ease your mind and get you back to focusing on the important things.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The four biggest fears of agency ownership * How to eliminate money fears by running things by the numbers * Taking care of your employees so that they stick around * Why you shouldn’t operate on only referrals and word of mouth for biz dev * The importance of becoming an authority in your industry * Generating right-fit leads * Navigating imposter syndrome * The right way to collaborate with other agency owners
One of the best ways to establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and get more right-fit clients is by publishing a book. Often, the people who don’t want to publish a book fall into one of two categories: those who don’t think they know enough (or think everyone knows what they do) or those who think they have the “secret sauce” and don’t want to give it away willingly.
Our guest, Henry DeVries, is here to tell us why everyone has it in them to get published, why it’s the best way to find new clients who are a great fit to work with your agency, and the seven best ways to market the book once it’s written.
This episode is packed with tips that will teach you exactly how to set yourself apart from other agencies and get clients contacting you for work, not the other way around.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why a book is the #1 marketing tool for an agency * How to identify the topic of your book * Why giving away your secrets will leave potential clients wanting more * Why you know more than you think you do about your industry — so write about it! * The “Magnificent Seven” of marketing your new book * The spectrum of “getting published” and building your body of work * Having a book as a legacy piece for your agency and your accomplishments
Today on the podcast, we’re challenging how you approach B2B prospecting. If you’ve ever been afraid to openly advertise your pricing, roll out a free offer for new customers, or try something completely different from the agency norm, I hope this conversation inspires you to take the risk.
In this episode, David Valentine and I discuss how his businesses have grown incredibly by using unorthodox methods to drive sales and keep clients for longer through “Outrageous Offers” and case studies. His agencies have closed 75–85% of their sales by giving clients nothing to lose in working with him. He knows that what companies need most are results — and fast.
Tune in to hear what he’s learned over ten years of agency experience, the different methods he uses to drive sales, and how he guarantees his clients’ happiness.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What is an “outrageous offer”? * How to stop creating roadblocks for your agency to obtain new business * The effectiveness of case studies in showing clients how you can guarantee results * How to sell results over selling a product * Why attaching free offers to a guaranteed outcome works * Why transparency will generate new business for you * Making yourself irresistible and undeniable to prospects
We always say, “What you measure matters,” on the podcast, and today is no exception. To keep you and your team fed, you need to measure metrics in your agency. Without this vital system in place, you likely have no idea how much money is coming in or being spent, which directly affects your team.
That’s why we have Marcel Petitpas here to teach us all about running your agency by the numbers. He’s the expert in AGIs, delivery margins, and profit and loss statements, and he knows how to keep agencies on the right track.
In this episode, we’ll discuss the most important metrics agencies should already be measuring, how to improve time utilization, calculate billable rates, and the importance of excellent project management. It might seem like an intimidating topic, but we promise that it’s not as painful as it looks, and it will make your life so much easier once you make the changes we discuss in this episode.
Marcel Petitpas is the CEO & Co-Founder of Parakeeto, a company dedicated to helping agencies measure and improve their profitability by streamlining their operations and reporting systems, a problem he discovered while running his own agency back in his early 20’s.
He’s also the fractional COO at Gold Front, an award-winning creative agency in San Francisco working with brands like Uber, Slack, Keap, and more. As well as the head strategic coach at SaaS Academy by Dan Martell, the #1 coaching program for B2B SaaS businesses in the world.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The importance of measuring metrics and agency finances * The difference between delivery margins and delivery costs * Three ways to improve delivery margins * How to approach employee utilization differently to boost profitability * Why time tracking shouldn’t go out the window * What to consider when setting billable rates * The imperative role project managers play in measuring metrics * Where agencies might face challenges in 2023
We’ve all been hearing it: a storm is coming. Or maybe it’s not. Depending on who you ask, we don’t know what our economic future holds. But one thing is for sure, if you stay prepared with recession planning, regardless of what the economy is doing, you can hold strong against those unexpected changes much more easily.
In this solocast episode, I will share with you the best ways you can start recession planning even if your agency is financially okay right now. It’s never the wrong time to start looking at how you can operate better, earn more profit, and keep great clients and employees, no matter the economic outlook.
Instead of waiting out the economic storm and wishing you had been better prepared, start making changes today and know that you have the power to pull yourself through anything while still making a profit. You just need to be smart about it.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Things you should already be doing for recession planning * Why you should be raising your hourly rates * How to prepare yourself against a longer sales cycle * The importance of renewing contracts and locking in good clients now * The good and the bad of employee staffing during a recession * Why having too much money in your agency is a bad thing * The importance of maintaining a good attitude with your team * Why you can still be profitable even if there’s a recession
What do you think of when you hear about Disney? Fireworks, castles, and happy families all probably came to mind for a moment. But you probably didn’t think of dishware — and we’re not talking about those cups from the 90s with Lion King characters on them that were in every family’s kitchen cabinets.
Today’s guest, Alvaro Melendez, knows brands deeply in a way that most of us could never even imagine. If you think you know the core of what makes a brand who they are, think again. Alvaro has been developing and using machine learning to measure brand awareness or “Brand Love” for years to help companies, both big and small, understand what makes people connect with them.
In this episode, we discuss how Alvaro uses technology to help brands reach a bigger audience. He speaks about how to advertise effectively, how DEI is imperative for brands, and how creativity and technology go hand-in-hand in brand innovation.
And, if you’re still wondering why Disney is defined by dishware, you’ll just have to tune in to the podcast to get your answer.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How Alvaro and his team are using machine learning to make brands trackable * Why organic social is the best way to advertise and promote your brand * How machine learning has taught major brands things they never knew about themselves * What the PPAI branding framework is, and how to use it to identify major brand metrics * How smaller agencies can learn from the experimentation of big brands * The importance of making DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) a huge part of your brand identity * Why creativity and storytelling must still be people-centered and collaborative in an automated world
What makes an employee want to stick around at your agency? Every year since 2014, we’ve been doing the research and compiling it into our Agency Edge Research to help agency owners get to the bottom of how to maintain employee satisfaction.
We expected certain things like financial compensation and work-from-home flexibility to be most important this year. Still, we were surprised to find many other desires shining through that have nothing to do with money. This year, Susan Baier returns to help me break down our findings.
In our analysis, we’ll highlight three categories that most agency employees fall into and how their needs, wants, and levels of loyalty differ across the board. Each group has their own unique way of viewing their role in the agency, how they want to be cared for, and what’s missing that would make them want to stay. We’ll talk in-depth about each group and how we can best address their concerns to boost employee satisfaction.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What is the Agency Edge Research Series, and what agency-specific issues does it address? * What questions do we ask agency employees when compiling the research? * The three categories that most agency employees fall into when looking at employee satisfaction * The most important things that employees feel are lacking in the agency culture * Where millennials stood out more than other age groups in certain categories * What are the driving reasons behind an employee choosing to leave an agency? * How to build loyalty in your agency and take care of employees * How to identify employees who might be at risk of leaving your agency or agency life altogether
Are you making yourself irrelevant in your agency? We’ve been talking a lot lately about how important it is to have systems and processes in place so you can work less and get back to doing the parts of agency ownership that you love. But if you or anyone in your agency becomes irreplaceable, you will be stuck in your 60-80 hour work weeks.
This week, our guest Jesse Gilmore gives us a thorough breakdown of how to identify single points of failure in an agency—Hint: it’s often the agency owner—and how we can create a better flow that helps everyone work together more successfully. When we give our employees the tools they need to work effectively and delegate with other team members, our whole workflow improves no matter who’s out of the office that week.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to identify single points of failure in your agency * If you’re the single point of failure, how do you make yourself more irrelevant? * Why removing single points of failure is vital for scaling your business * How to create systems and processes that aren’t cookie-cutter solutions * How to carve out time in your already busy schedule to put systems in place * What is the difference between a bottleneck and a single point of failure? * Timing out changes to your agency’s systems and processes * How removing single points of failure can improve agency culture
If you’re in a creative role at your agency, you’re probably familiar with receiving creative briefs that just don’t measure up. Instead of getting inspired to do great work, you’re left wondering where to start or what the point of the project is.
If you’ve ever created or pitched a brief, on the other hand, you’ve probably worked from a template or simply checked off the boxes of the bare minimum — it happens to the best of us!
This week, I’m interviewing Tim Brunelle, a creative director with decades of experience in marketing and advertising. Over the years, he has seen hundreds of creative briefs that span the whole spectrum between gold and garbage.
When our brief falls flat, it won’t inspire our creative minds to do great work. In this episode, Tim challenges us to think bigger and better rather than checking off the boxes and reading from a sheet of paper in our briefing meetings. When we think creatively about our creative briefs, we get a wealth of inspiration in return.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why creative briefs often fall flat for creative teams * Why brief-makers should care about the project just as much as the creative team they’re hiring * The two core functions of creative briefs * What the pipeline of the creative briefing process should look like * How to mentor and inspire creativity across teams to collaborate on the briefing process * Why location is important when discussing your vision * Determining when a creative brief is necessary to inspire a team to do ground-breaking work
When you’re running an agency, you know you will not have it forever. While your goal could be to sell it eventually, you must consider retirement, career pivots, or plain old ownership fatigue as part of your succession planning strategy.
Most of us aren’t thinking about what’s happening 3, 5, or even 10 years down the road in day-to-day agency operations. But, it’s very important to understand how your decisions today could impact the future value of your business. Today’s solocast covers everything you need to know about what you should focus on to increase your valuation and why it matters to start thinking about your succession planning strategy right now.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why your agency isn’t as valuable as you might think * The importance of thinking toward the future when making current agency decisions * The recipe to increase your agency’s valuation when it’s time to sell * Why profitability and where it’s coming from matters * Why you should be making yourself irrelevant as your agency grows * How agency culture plays a role in your succession planning strategy * Why you should avoid “gorilla clients” that make up too much of your AGI * Where else you should invest your money outside of the agency
Now that we’ve discussed what systems and processes are, the tools we can use to implement them, and how to integrate them into team culture, let’s talk about what happens when we start to use these processes as we scale our agencies.
This week, Juliana Marulanda of ScaleTime shares her 20+ years of knowledge with creating systems and processes in agencies and how it frees up more time to do what we love. We discuss how to get your agency unstuck from bottlenecks in productivity, reduce day-to-day chaos, and, most importantly, how to stop leaving money on the table from disorganized management.
Featured by Forbes and Entrepreneur, Juliana helps uplevel businesses into lean, mean, profitable machines. On average, she and her team create ways to free up at least 30 hours per week for her clients so they can have successful agencies that run without them. Agency owners can find themselves saying, “I do what I want, how I want, whenever I want — now, that is freedom.”
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to free up more space in your business for creativity * How to create systems and processes that work whether you’re in the office, hybrid, or 100% remote * The clearing of the storm after you establish systems and processes in your agency * Where money is being left on the table without proper procedures in place * The trajectory of emotions agency owners experience as they change their day-to-day * How Juliana helps agencies wrap their heads around management, HR, and hiring challenges * The importance of creating culture in your agency and why that affects day-to-day operations * How to get unstuck if you’re stuck in a loop of unchecked chaos
When running an agency, efficiency is key. While we would probably prefer to focus on any other task, establishing effective systems and processes is imperative to our agency operations. The systems we create and teach our team members will ultimately define our day-to-day, client satisfaction, and employee retention.
This week, Marquis Murray of Ditto will share his knowledge on implementing agency operations adjustments into our team culture. Whether it’s project management software, a well-organized Excel sheet, or simply improving team communication across the board, Marquis knows exactly how to work with agencies to identify where they have the most room for improvement.
When everyone gets on the same page and knows exactly where they belong and what is expected of them, the whole team can focus less on who’s doing what and more on what’s important to their specific role. It doesn’t need to be complicated or high-tech, but it does need to be sustainable, scalable, and repeatable so your team members can do what they do best, effectively.
Marquis Murray is the CEO and Founder of Ditto, a systems and processes consultancy for organizations who need help creating clarity around the work done inside their companies. Partnering with companies like Asana, HubSpot, PandaDoc, LogicGate, and Kanbanize allows him to offer some of the best in class solutions for clients.
His goal is to eliminate team burnout for good so that teams can focus more on the work they do without the stress of not knowing where or how the work is happening.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why it’s so important to implement and codify SOPs in your agency, especially if your team is growing * Identifying where your agency has room for improvement and how to start making changes * How to set boundaries around SOPs to get your employees to adopt the same agency operations strategies * Why having agency owners and leaders on board with systems adjustments matters * The bumps in the road agencies often face when switching up agency operations * How to make the changes stick beyond the 45-60 day adjustment window * The most broken areas of systems and processes and what you can do to improve on them * Everything you need to know about project management tools—which ones are right for your agency, how to get started using them, and how to vet these tools within your team
The talent we hire is often one of our greatest assets as agencies. Building our talent pool and promoting connectedness is integral to agency culture, and we spend a lot of time finding the perfect fit for our team.
On one hand, you want a team that can come together, easily collaborate on tasks, and understands one another closely. On the other hand, casting a wider net can find you more people who are good at helping get specific jobs done independently. How do we marry these two ideas together?
Noel Andrews of Jobrack has some answers for us. This week, we’re talking with him about what he does best—helping agencies hire remote talent who want to be part of a team and can do great work at a lower cost. It’s truly a win-win, and we can all have this. In this episode, he will teach us how to build a remote team, how to create a positive agency culture, and what to look for when hiring remote workers.
Noel Andrews bought Jobrack in 2018 after 10 years of building and leading large teams in the corporate tech world. Since then, he has helped businesses all over the world hire more than 1,000 remote team members from Eastern Europe.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How do you make workers physically distant from one another feel like they’re part of the team? * What do you need to do as an agency owner to hire remote workers successfully? * Why you should reconsider doing a standard interview to vet remote talent and instead assess their skills directly * How to take the stress out of hiring by leveraging the talent you already have in your agency * Changing our thoughts around remote workers as only “task-doers” * Why it’s essential for agency culture to make remote hires feel like they belong to the team * How to manage and build a remote team across multiple time zones * How to build agency culture and promote connectedness around remote teams * How to set expectations and compensate your remote teams well for their skills
For many of us, agency ownership means that most of our time and energy goes into our work. Even when trying to sleep, we’re replaying a frustrating conversation we had earlier that day, doomscrolling, or even dreaming about everything on our to-do lists. When we can’t turn off our minds at the end of a long day, we set ourselves up for occupational burnout.
As some of you know, I learned the hard way that staying overly connected to our work can have severe consequences. I brought Dr. Gerry Farris on the podcast today to talk about how we can take care of ourselves to feel better daily, stay mentally strong and healthy, and why taking breaks is so important. With many years as a physician and working with patients who have experienced occupational burnout, Dr. Farris is the perfect person to educate us on how to be smarter about living our overly-connected lives.
Dr. Gerry Farris has been an Emergency physician for 30 years and a Functional Medicine physician for 10 years. His current practice focuses on healthy living and age management and he is a former triathlete who competed for 31 years. His goal is to help patients and persons be healthy, mitigate disease and aging, and live well for a long time. He is a double Board Certified physician with a wealth of experience and knowledge. He is practicing the “Medicine of Tomorrow, Today!”
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to know if you’re experiencing occupational burnout or heading in that direction * How information overload leads to hypervigilance and why it happens * The effects that elevated cortisol levels have on our brains and bodies * How to build resilience against neuroinflammation and bodily dysregulation * What does burnout recovery look like? * Why sleep is one of the most essential things for recovery and burnout prevention * What 37 minutes a day can do to improve your overall health * How to make healthy lifestyle changes that you can stick to
Some of the most significant innovations have been born out of the most challenging hardships, and agency innovations are no different. For the past two years, agency owners have been through the wringer. Some of you have even wondered if it’s time to shut your doors and move on to something different. You’re all. Just. Exhausted.
I often use the analogy that your agency is a ship, and you are the captain. It’s your responsibility to make sure that the ship doesn’t sink. For the past 24 months, this meant finding shelter and waiting out the storm. But we must rethink that analogy for the new times we’re finding ourselves in. With pandemic days easing up, I’m now telling you it’s time to head back into open waters.
While things haven’t completely settled down yet, this is our time to shine. We’ve spent the past two years adapting, changing the game plan, and moving through a figurative storm of hardship. But that has primed us for greatness and equipped us to move forward into a new renaissance of ideas and agency innovation. It’s time to relinquish control, take new risks, and see that these hard times have made you and your agency stronger and ready for brand new ventures.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * I made a mistake in overemphasizing the importance of finding a safe harbor to get us through the pandemic. We need to rethink this. * Where your focus should be turning now to drive your agency innovations * Why control and leading with a type-A personality was suitable for the pandemic but might not be as supportive now * Why creativity and agency innovation is so important right at this moment * How taking risks will push your agency forward into the new era * What past tragedies and renaissances can teach us about where we’re heading in the future * That your only choice as an agency owner right now is to leave safe harbor no matter whether you’re ready to close up shop or move forward as an agency * The questions you should be asking yourself as an agency owner to be a renaissance leader
As agency owners, we’re often dedicated to the niche we’ve carved out for ourselves and can get very comfortable serving our clients within those parameters. It’s easy to become highly committed, and stubbornly so, to that one niche. When it stops working for us the way we want it to, deciding to pivot can be difficult.
Today, the CEO of PredictiveROI, Stephen Woessner, came on the podcast to share his experience with this exact situation. His agency had been working in a niche for many years as a podcast shop that helped clients produce content. After some time, it started to become clear to the team that there was a better way they could be approaching business. Thus, a new agency niche was born, which began their great pivot to becoming the authority in teaching clients how to be the authority of their industries.
Stephen shares with us what led to the decision to pivot, the decisions he and his team made during the shifting process, and how they re-established their cornerstone content to align with their new niche.
If you take nothing else away from this very transparent and open discussion today, you should at least know that you have permission to think differently about how you want to position your agency to potential clients and that it’s okay for your agency niche to not be permanent. Sometimes, to build better, you need to pivot.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why choosing your agency niche doesn’t have to be a permanent decision * How Stephen Woessner of PredictiveROI knew it was time to pivot to a new niche * Why sometimes throwing out the playbook and rebuilding in a different direction is a better move for your agency, even if it doesn’t seem that way at first * What pushed Stephen and his team to rethink their agency niche and the value they were providing to their clients * How to know which types of clients you’re already serving the best (this could be your new niche) * What is cornerstone content, and why is it so important to establish? * The importance of building a community of people wanting to learn from you and others to make more effortless sales * You have permission to think differently about your agency and how you want to position it in your industry
We all know the phrase, “what we don’t know, can’t hurt us.” But, it also can’t make us any more money. That’s why this week, we’re kicking things off with another solocast episode where I’ll be discussing the two agency growth secrets that are guaranteed to put more money in your pocket and bring clients to you effortlessly.
To demonstrate this, I’m using Flying Camel as an example of how a few small tweaks can up-level you from an A– to an A-grade agency. They’ve already established themselves as an agency that has honed its expertise within a niche, they’re sought-after to speak at events all over the world, and are overall doing everything right. But, they knew they could be doing more, and they contacted me to help them figure out how to tackle it.
While we didn’t need to change much, we still gave them two areas to work on that will almost instantly make their agency even more attractive to potential clients. And on today’s episode, I’m going to break down those topics so that you can start up-leveling your agency, too.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The agency growth secrets that can uplevel your agency, even if you’re already doing everything right * Two ways that you could easily improve your agency’s profitability and bottom line every year * The value of understanding the money metrics in your agency, even if you’re not a numbers person * Why carving out a niche and honing your expertise will establish you as a leader in your industry * The reasons you should not be dismissing your own expertise, but rather, magnifying it * How to be sought-after specifically for your expertise with very little change to your day-to-day operations * Why being a thought leader matters when running an A-tier agency * How to carve out time to create content that sets you apart from other agencies
This holiday week, the idea of freedom is at the forefront of many people’s minds. It’s a topic that touches so many facets of our lives every day. In today’s episode, I want to turn my focus to agency owners, and what freedoms we should be taking full advantage of that will ultimately benefit your agency culture.
Many of us chose to start our own agencies because it granted us privileges that being an employee did not. And while we may think we’re taking full advantage of them, the reality is that we could be offering ourselves so much more.
Today, I’ll cover seven freedoms that agency owners can (and absolutely should) be taking advantage of. From who you work with and hire, how you spend your work time, to your own role in your agency, and more. You chose to work for yourself, and now is the time to reflect on if you’re making it work for you.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why we should take full advantage of our freedoms as agency owners * What specific privileges we have, and how to leverage them to work for you and your agency * Why agency owners shouldn’t hire employees based solely on their talent * Why it’s important to share your vision when choosing who you hire * How putting up with bad attitudes from employees limits the freedoms we have as agency owners * Why we should have more freedom than our employees when it comes to our schedules * Why your time should work for your life, and not the other way around * What you should be doing when it comes to leveraging your financial freedoms as an agency owner * The freedoms agency owners have when it comes to walking away or staying in the business * Why agency owners take on the risk of running a business but aren’t comfortable taking the rewards
We all wish we had more time in our schedules, right? We long for a day without interruptions so we can just focus and do our best work. Or, even worse, we’ve finished all of our work, and now we don’t know what to do with ourselves. These are two different problems, but, according to today’s guest, both have the same solution that starts in our agency operations.
This is where Joe Martin has a thing or two to teach us. He changed how his entire agency operates and meets its goals by switching to a 6-week cycle work schedule. This means four weeks on, two weeks off, and a lot of room for adjustment and flexibility for maximum efficiency.
Today, he teaches us how this benefits every level of agency culture, how to begin implementing it into your agency, and why it’s so effective. We’ll also learn why it might not be the best idea to bring this structure into your dating life.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to maximize efficiency and productivity in your agency * Why it’s not about the hours we’re buying from employees, but rather their skills and ability to accomplish tasks * How to break the 40-hour work week mindset and have more productive employees * Why it’s important to learn what value you are offering to clients before implementing a strategy * What is a 6-week cycle, and why does it work so well for agency operations? * How to begin implementing this structure into agency culture * Why this structure is even better than the popular 4-day work week model
This week on Building a Better Agency, we’re jumping right back into our breakdown of 2022 Marketing Trends. Last time, we talked about noticeable trends in agency spending, shifting client expectations, and not missing out on opportunities for business development. This time, we’re taking things a bit closer to home by talking about trends we’re seeing in our own marketing tactics, in our employees, and in ourselves as agency owners.
If you didn’t catch Part 1 of this conversation during our last solocast episode (#345) — no worries! There’s still plenty of time to go back and catch up. Then join us here for Part 2 of our discussion on the industry trends, insights, and predictions that agency owners should know about before entering the second half of the year.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The marketing trends we’re seeing with agency owners, employees, and tactics * Why agency owners across the board are so dang exhausted (nope, it’s not just you!) * Why Drew believes that agency owners aren’t just tired, but tired of being afraid * Where are agencies at with the whole “work from home” situation? What’s working and what isn’t? * Why employees have never been more expensive than they are right now — and when that pendulum will swing back. * Which marketing and sales tactics are working best for agencies right now
The market right now for attracting and retaining the best employees is insane. It feels like only three people on the planet are looking for work, and they all want $3 million, plus a signing bonus. Owners are in panic mode when they think about attracting and retaining the best employees. They’re struggling to find good candidates. Or, by the time they get a candidate through their 12-step process, they miss out because they accepted a different position.
So how in this environment should we be hiring? What should the process look like?
I invited Heenle Turner to join me for this episode of Build a Better Agency because she holds the golden ticket to your agency having a great rest of 2022.
She believes that not only should we all have a 5-star employee, but that we should have ALL 4- and 5-star employees in our agencies. She believes that this is absolutely possible and critical to our success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What does a 5-star employee look like, and why Heenle believes you can have an agency full of them * How you can level up your employees, especially in this market when it’s hard to find anyone to take a job * How you can find, hire, and keep 5-star employees * What are the five distinct qualities of a 5-star employee * What are the 11 universal qualities 5-star employees share * What questions should you ask during an interview to ferret out if someone is a 5-star candidate before you hire them
As agencies, we tend to overlook certain platforms and channels when it comes to their perceived relevance to our audiences or bottom-line ad potential. That bias is one that Lindsay Shearer overcame to help her clients win new business and earn 2-3 times their initial ad spend on what most of us would consider an unlikely platform — Pinterest.
During our conversation on this week’s episode of Build a Better Agency, Lindsay talks about what led her to experiment with Pinterest in the first place and why she quickly adopted the platform into her agency’s diversified ad strategies. If you’re wondering what advertising on Pinterest looks like, how it works, and why you might want to consider incorporating it into your ad strategies, then you’re in the right place. Join Lindsay and I as we talk about using Pinterest — part social channel and part interest-based search engine — to win high-quality, top-of-funnel business for ourselves and our clients.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What led Lindsay to experiment with Pinterest in the first place * Why an entire department of Lindsay’s agency is now devoted to Pinterest ad strategies specifically * How Pinterest functions as both a search engine and a social media site — and why that’s a game-changer * The major role Pinterest plays in consumer behavior and the intentional purchasing decisions of its users * What types of brands play well in the Pinterest space — and why * How to set expectations for yourself, and your clients, about this channel that plays a bit differently than most * Where Pinterest could fit into your current cross-channel ad strategies and how to get started
What happens to our agencies when something happens to us? No one likes to think about the day that they’re no longer around, and it’s no secret as to why. The conversation can feel more than a little uncomfortable. But as agency owners, it’s one that’s far too important for us to avoid or ignore. If we want to ensure that our businesses —and more importantly —our people will be taken care of should the unexpected happen, then we need to make sure that we have a plan in place that allows our agencies to keep living on even after we’re gone.
On this episode of Build a Better Agency, I sit down with attorney Andrea Shoup to start the conversation and hopefully, to help you all do the same. Andrea holds a depth of expertise in both estate planning and business law — making her the perfect person to help us wrap our heads around this tricky but critical subject.
During our conversation, Andrea offers up her invaluable insights into navigating different succession plan options, learning how, when, and with whom those plans need to be created and communicated, and what happens when we don’t have a contingency plan in place.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How legacy planning can protect your business —and your people— should something happen to you * The key differences between a will and an estate plan * Everything that goes into a contingency plan — and how to get yours started * Who needs to be involved in your contingency planning, and how those plans should be communicated * How long it will take you to gather the information you’ll need for your plans * What happens when we DON’T have a contingency plan in place * When is the “right time” to start planning your agency’s succession?
Women own less than 1% of the ad agencies in North America. This gender gap is disappointing and staggering, but in this episode of Build a Better Agency, our guest expert Christy Hiler reminds us that bridging that gap is far from impossible.
During our conversation, Christy helps us unravel this alarming statistic by exploring the barriers that may be keeping the women we lead and work with from pursuing ownership roles or viewing ownership, not just leadership, as an end goal in the first place. In addition to discussing the things that may be holding women back, Christy and I also discuss the progress from encouraging, elevating, and celebrating women-owned agencies, and what we can do as agency owners to help empower more women within our networks to pursue ownership roles.
This topic is near and dear to me as both an agency owner and someone who has the privilege of working alongside the women-led agencies represented in AMI. My hope is that you will not only enjoy this conversation with Christy, but that you will link arms with her and leaders like her so that we can all work together to tackle problems like this in our industry.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What the “Own It” initiative is, and what inspired Christy to launch it * Why women own less than 1% of all ad agencies in North America * The barriers that may be preventing women in the industry from becoming agency owners * Why inviting and empowering women in these spaces is a benefit for everyone * How women-led agencies are doing things differently — and why that’s so great * What current agency owners can do to mentor, encourage, and empower the women they work with to seek ownership opportunities * How you can help Christy identify, support, and celebrate women-led agencies in the industry
Summertime is just around the corner, which means now is the perfect time of year for agency owners like us to take stock of where we’re at now and where we want to be sitting by the end of the year. How can we get a clear picture of how 2022 is stacking up against 2021? By taking a close look at the trends that have, and will continue, to affect our industry as a whole.
On this week’s solocast episode of Build a Better Agency, we’re taking a look at the marketing trends that have shaped the first part of the year so we can mitigate the bad, take advantage of the good, and come into the second half of 2022 stronger than ever. As the title suggests, this discussion is being split into two parts — so be sure to keep an eye out for Part 2 during our next solocast!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Which marketing trends are in Drew’s crosshairs — and why * How 2022 stacks up against 2021 so far * Why so many agencies are feeling the pinch more this year than last * The metrics agency owners aren’t paying enough attention to * How those metrics can help you add 5% profit to your bottom line this year * Business development opportunities that you don’t want to miss out on — and how to make sure you don’t * How client expectations have changed in the past few years
As agency owners, the work environments we create are a direct reflection of our leadership styles. In a trust-led environment, our people should feel safe to speak up, take risks, and take ownership of the work they produce. Trust is the cornerstone for strong communication, creativity, and the innovation that fuels our business. So, what happens when trust isn’t part of the equation?
Our guest for this episode of Build a Better Agency, Sue Dyer, is an expert on all things leadership. She wrote the book on trusted leadership (literally) and has seen firsthand how teams and even entire agencies tend to fall apart when the people at the helm aren’t leading with trust.
During our conversation, Sue and I unpack what it means to be a trusted leader, how agency owners can determine their leadership style, and what it takes to build successful organizations based on trust.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What it means to be a trusted agency leader * Why trust is the cornerstone of success for any business * How to create a high-trust environment at your agency * Ways to help new team members adapt to a trusted environment * Why “fear-led” environments have wiped out so many businesses * How to determine whether or not you are a trusted leader * What to do in order to start becoming a trusted leader
Whether we realize it or not, artificial intelligence (AI) has already impacted countless aspects of our everyday lives. And as the technology we rely on continues to adapt and change, those changes will inevitably shape the future of our businesses, our industry, and our society. As agency owners, it’s our job to stay ahead of those changes — even if the thought of an AI-driven agency is, understandably, a little intimidating.
Our guest on this episode of Build a Better Agency, Paul Roetzer, is not only an expert on all things AI, but he’s also someone who is dedicated to helping agency owners and other industry professionals. Paul teaches those agency owners and industry professionals how to pilot and scale AI technology so they can use it to drive efficiency, growth, and creativity for their business.
During our enlightening conversation, Paul demystifies the fascinating realities of artificial intelligence by walking us through what it really is, how AI agency tools can help make us better at our jobs, and why shaping the future of marketing starts with understanding how to use AI platforms, programs, and services responsibly.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How artificial intelligence will — and already is — shaping the future of agency tools * Why AI is NOT here to take your job * Where you’re already seeing AI in your everyday life, and where you WILL see it in marketing in the marketing world * What AI technology can do to help you make your agency smarter right now * Why Paul says that you don’t need to go shopping for AI tools — and what to do instead * How AI agency tools can be used to drive efficiency and growth for your business * What Paul believes a “Next Gen” agency looks like — and how to become one
As agency partners, we have access to an insane amount of backend data and insights into our clients’ business. Now what? How can we use all of that data to build momentum in our clients’ revenue pipelines and translate those insights for them so that they can make the case when they’re at the table with the decision-makers on their team?
On this episode of Build a Better Agency, we’re joined by CRM and sales expert Eric Stockton, VP of Demand Generation at SharpSpring. Eric gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the industry-wide shift in focus from outbound marketing to inbound lead generation. We talk about what this means for agencies and how we can help our clients adjust to a “quality over quantity” mindset — without freaking them out.
Eric is a past keynote speaker at a series of marketing-related trade shows, including MarketingSherpa events, eCommerce Retail Executive Summit, Email Summit, B2B Demand Generation Summit, ContentBiz, MarketingExperiements virtual events, and Affiliate Summit.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why the industry is shifting its focus from outbound to inbound leads — and what that means for agencies * How to help our clients make that shift without freaking out * Why focusing on quality over quantity does NOT mean you’ll be getting fewer leads * What Eric means when he tells his clients to focus on their “North Star” metrics * Whether or not the “quality game” is truly sustainable * Ways we as agency partners can help clients divorce themselves from metrics they don’t — or shouldn’t — care about
How does your agency show up in the world? As agency owners, we have a responsibility to know what’s going on — with our business, our employees, and our clients. There’s a lot going on in the world, and understanding how these things affect the worldviews of others in our space is the first step in deepening our agency relationships, elevating our business, and making sure we go beyond the “one-word” values our industry seems to be riddled with.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Karley Cunningham of Big Bold Brand joins me to talk about ways agencies can actually implement their mission, vision, and values into their processes in order to leverage them as strategic branding tools. She also offers expert insights into identifying the worldviews of the audiences who matter most to you, knowing when to take a stance on the important issues, and what to do when your worldviews no longer align with those of your clients.
Brand Strategist and Business Growth Accelerator Karley Cunningham takes businesses from overcrowded, competitive spaces out into blue ocean territory where they can confidently stand out and thrive as brand leaders in their sector.
Having built three successful businesses, Karley knows what it takes to start, develop and lead a company that delivers results. Her entrepreneurial success story is featured in the awarded book: The Widest Net by Pamela Slim. In addition, she’s a sought-after mentor and speaker for national and international business organizations and the host of The Made Possible Podcast.
Believing deeply in the practice of givers gain, she is well-known and networked and rarely goes a day without making a referral or connection. As a former pro athlete, Karley is performance-driven. An avid mountain athlete, she is a two-time finisher of the BC Bike Race, a seven-day, 325 km mountain bike stage race, and is always looking out for her next trail running adventure. When not focusing on the business or expanding her network, she can be found somewhere in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest with her wife and dog in their 4×4.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to proactively influence the way your agency shows up in the world * Why it’s important to understand our client’s worldviews, how they align with our own, and what that means for our business * Ways to implement your mission, vision, and values as strategic branding tools * How to accelerate your business, improve employee retention, and deepen client relationships by taking your mission, vision, and values “off of the page” * When it’s important to take a stance on important issues, and how to start those conversions with clients * What your consumers want to know about where you stand * How to identify and align the worldviews of the audiences who matter most to you
One of the unfortunate truths of our business is that as agency owners, we are almost never in the driver’s seat when it comes to sales engagements. At the end of the day, we have no way to inspire, incent, cajole, bribe, or trick someone into buying agency services until they have a genuine need for them. But, with so much of our focus centered around not making an ask at the wrong time, it’s no surprise that so many of us are left with the same question — when CAN we sell?
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, we’re going to answer that question in a few different ways. First, we’re going to talk about what the “right time” to sell looks like not only for our prospects but also for existing clients and former clients. We’re also going to explore ways we as agency owners can accelerate the sales process (because yes, that’s a thing we can do), provide value to our prospects long before we’re in their consideration set, and use our positions of authority to grow our reputation and crush our business development goals — all without selling.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency owners can know whether or not it’s the right time to sell * What the right time to sell looks like for your prospects, existing clients, and even for clients who’ve parted ways with your agency * Why agency owners are not always in the driver’s seat when it comes to engaging business development opportunities — and why that’s ok * How to ensure that you’re providing value to your prospects long before they’re on your radar * What agency owners can do to accelerate the sales process * The reason Drew says you shouldn’t try to sell until after you’ve been helpful * How agencies are crushing their business development goals — without selling
Running an agency in a post-COVID world means growing more and more comfortable operating in a virtual environment. This collective shift in our industry has been happening for a while, but after navigating a global pandemic, agency owners have had to pivot more rapidly than in the past. As a result, agency owners are left wondering how they can genuinely connect with their prospects and invest in those relationships when the human aspect of interaction has shifted to a digital one.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, I talk with encore guest, Tom Martin. Tom is the Founder and CEO of Converse Digital, and he knows a thing or two about the collective shift into the digital world – a shift that isn’t going to reverse anytime soon. Tom and I discuss how sales strategies, pitches, and the dynamics of client interactions have been influenced by this digital shift.
You’ll probably be just as relieved as I was to hear Tom share why that shift, while uncomfortable for many of us, is actually a GOOD thing for agencies. We also delve into the importance of strategically creating your prospect lists and how you and your pitch teams can use social media, the internet, and other digital environments our clients rely on to your agency’s advantage. Tom gives expert advice on successfully attracting, building, and effectively selling agency relationships in a virtual world.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What sales, prospecting, and effective agency relationships look like in a post-COVID world * How Tom went from being “unemployable” to owning his own agency * Why Tom emphasizes the importance of strategically attracting your prospects * What it means for your pitch teams to “do their homework” — and why it’s usually the key to winning a sale * How sales strategies and client relationships have adapted to an increasingly digital environment * Why Tom believes that your prospects list is ultimately worthless if it’s impersonal * How investing the time in getting to know your prospects will place you leaps and bounds over your competitors * What it means to be a “conversation catalyst,” and how you and your pitch teams can use what Tom calls “social reconnaissance” to offer more value to your prospects * Why the industry-wide shift to virtual sales and virtual relationships is actually a GOOD thing for agencies
Time sheets. Taxes. Annual reviews. There are some things we don’t love as agency owners and leaders. Cybersecurity and compliance are absolutely on that list. But much like taxes, it’s a necessary evil today. The risks are too great, and the reality is – our clients are going to demand it. We’re far better off to get out ahead of it before we’re asked.
Even my guest, Nathan Maxwell, refers to cybersecurity and compliance as “necessary evils.” But, as the CEO of CCITeam, Nathan also knows better than anyone that in a world filled with data breaches, security risks, and unpredictable online attacks, avoidance simply isn’t an option.
Nathan isn’t one to sugarcoat the daunting realities of implementing solid defenses, navigating cyber insurance options, or tending to the growing list of compliance concerns we’re all getting from our clients. But during our conversation, he reminds us that those processes, while painstaking at times, are never insurmountable. In fact, when we take the time to do these things the right way, our efforts won’t just make our companies safer — they’ll make them better.
Founded in 1995, CCITeam (formerly Communication Concepts, Inc.) is a full-service cyber security, compliance, and IT firm, headquartered in the US heartland. President and CEO, Nathan Maxwell saw an important unmet need for a quality IT and cyber security provider that treated their clients more like family, rather than just a ‘number’. With over twenty years of experience in enterprise-level corporations, Nathan founded CCITeam with four core principles; care, ownership, sharing knowledge, and loyalty. Each of these principles is what makes CCI one of the most trusted managed IT and security providers in the region.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What effective cybersecurity looks like for agency operations — and why you should care * The risks every business should be aware of (yes, small agencies too) * How cybersecurity and compliance are the same, and also very different * Why your policies need to match your practices and how to make sure they do * How your employees can either strengthen your cyber defense…or be its greatest weakness * What to do to protect your business from big risks — including the ones lurking in your inbox * When to start shopping for cyber insurance and how to know how much you need * The ROI for agencies who “do all of this right”
As agency owners, we tend to view sales as a necessary evil. Even when we love what we do, believe in how we do it, and have proof that we do it well, having to put on our “sales hats” can still feel, well, gross. But…maybe we’re going about getting those sales in the wrong way.
Nobody likes sales…except for David Priemer. David loves sales. In fact, he loves sales so much that he opted to leave his non-sales background to deconstruct the traditional sales approach and develop his own methodology based on consumer science, research, and psychology.
David has built a wildly successful career around his methodology: Cerebral Selling. And lucky for us, he uses it to help other business owners revamp and rethink their sales process to make it more efficient, effective, and most importantly, more human. I’m so excited to share our conversation with you so that you can start loving sales too — even if you hate selling.
As the Founder and Chief Sales Scientist of Cerebral Selling, David’s unique science and empathy-based approaches to driving revenue and talent growth have been published in the Harvard Business Review as well as Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc. magazines. Often referred to as the “Sales Professor,” David is also the author of the Bestselling book, Sell The Way You Buy, and an Adjunct Lecturer at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and the London Business School.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to sell your business even if you absolutely hate sales * What it means to “sell the way you buy” * The biggest mistakes agency owners make when trying to sell their business * How giving people the opportunity to say “no” can win you more “yesses” * Why your CTAs might be scaring your customers away — and how to fix them * The one thing that customers buy 100% of the time (yes, 100%) * Why your sales pitches should be focused on problems, not solutions * How taking the pressure to sell off of yourself will take the pressure off of your customers too — and why that’s a good thing for both of you
Like so many other business environments, our industry is one that is undeniably extroverted on the surface. Agency work is collaborative, relational, creative, and dynamic — all attributes that seem to be catered almost exclusively to extroverted individuals. So where does that leave our introverted counterparts?
Monica Parkin, my guest for this episode, is not only an award-winning public speaker, an acclaimed author, and an engaging business leader; she’s also a total introvert (a title she wears with pride). Like so many, she used to think that gaining momentum in this industry as an introvert was an uphill battle — that is until she decided to flip those false assumptions right on their head. And now, she’s here to help us do the same.
Monica knows firsthand that introverts offer a host of hidden talents and superpowers that are invaluable for all agency teams, talents that are often overlooked or overpowered by the “louder” voices in the room. During our awesome conversation, she reveals what those superpowers are, how introverted individuals can harness their unique skills to find success without pretending to be someone they aren’t, and how agency leaders can create environments that allow the introverted voices within their own teams to rise above all the noise and truly shine.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why introverts are natural relationship-building masters * How career paths look different for introverts and extroverts, but lead to the same level of success * Tips, tricks, and tactics for introverts looking to magnify their ideas, form meaningful business relationships, and make their voices heard * Why marketing “like an extrovert” simply doesn’t work for introverts — and why that’s ok * How agency leaders can create environments that empower introverted talent to thrive * Why introverts and extroverts are both invaluable agency resources * How to create magic by mixing introverted and extroverted talent into your agency teams
Today, we’re delving into a topic that’s been on my mind, and on the minds of agency owners in general, for quite some time: employees.
No matter where you are or how big your agency is, staffing is a challenge for everyone right now. Every time the subject comes up during my conversations with agency owners, there are two frustrations in particular that bubble to the surface time and time again:
- It is hard to find and attract qualified agency talent
- It is hard to retain the qualified and talented people who already work for us
To tackle those frustrations, let’s explore several things agencies can do right now to counter the rival opportunities your current team members are being poached and approached with on any given day (and yes, it is happening.) We’re also going to get to the heart of what it takes for agencies to create an environment that is attractive to new employees, and a culture that makes your current team want to stick around — and not just for a year or so.
For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agencies can attract new, qualified talent * What it takes to keep your agency employees around for more than a year or two * What agency employees are looking for in a great employer, and how to be one * How to create an agency environment that is attractive to both new and current employees * How to utilize other tools for retention instead of relying solely on wage increases * Why you should be sharing your agency’s vision with your employees as often as possible * The massive value career paths offer agency employees — and owners too * The importance of cultivating your culture not for, but with your employees
The last few years have thrown a lot at us — both professionally and personally. While we’ve done our best to navigate all of that unpredictability, many have struggled to not only react to these changes but adapt. As agencies continue to reframe and take stock of where we’re at in this “new normal,” I can’t think of a better time to dive into some impressive research just released in RSW/US’s 2022 New Year Outlook report.
RSW/US talked to marketers, CMOs, business owners, agencies, and the people who are seeking out their services to get a diverse and balanced read on how these groups see the world right now — and what they anticipate for what lies ahead. In this episode of Build a Better Agency our guest, Lee McKnight, shares some of the most surprising and invaluable insights uncovered during those conversations. Then together, we break them down into key takeaways and actionable next steps that agencies can take to adapt and thrive in this climate of constant change.
Lee is no stranger to the podcast, nor is he a stranger to building and maintaining solid agency relationships — even in times like these, when the landscapes of client communication, lead generation, and sales elevation seem to be shifting indefinitely.
As Vice President of Sales at RSW/US, Lee drives sales efforts to bring ad agencies and marketing services firms on board with RSW, creates content around successful new business tactics, and takes part in RSW/US marketing objectives, including social media channels, blog content, webinars, video and speaking engagements.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Key takeaways from the RSW/US 2022 New Year Outlook survey, and what they mean for agencies * Surprising insights from marketers on spending, specialization, and shifting sales landscapes * Why so many marketers are pulling back on their non-marketing activities — and what that means for agencies * What agencies can do to elevate their sales process when face-to-face networking isn’t on the table * The not-so-hidden benefits of being a specialization agency * How agency relationships work differently in the virtual space — and how to adapt * Why it is crucial for agencies to alternate their content and sales platforms * How to build strong client relationships long before the initial pitch
For an industry that is heavily dependent on effective sales practices, many agency owners are intimidated by the “s” word. It conjures horrible imagery of vacuum salesmen trying to trick people into making purchases they don’t actually want or need. Hiring sales teams might seem like the right step but the results are often disappointing and it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly why. This can turn one of the most important aspects of building a successful agency into the most strenuous aspect.
Kevin Snow is dedicated to helping businesses and business owners think through their approach to selling, while also helping them get more comfortable with the process. He believes strongly that shifting from a sales pitch to a simple conversation is key to making the outcome more pleasant and effective on both sides of the table.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Kevin and I demystify what it means to have a successful sales model. We look at ways to approach sales comfortably, regardless of your personality type. We unravel what it means to have sales automation that doesn’t feel phony or contrived, and we ultimately hope to help business owners reimagine this “necessary evil” as an enjoyable conversation with an outcome.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The best small business sales model * Sale tactics for introverts * Making the most of sales automation * The important shift in how to approach sales
Business development is a complicated and challenging aspect of agency life for many owners. The same rules that applied when the agency was new no longer apply once it starts to settle into its identity. But what is that identity, and how can it best be leveraged for business growth? And what if you want to shift that identity to better define how you want to be seen and known?
After five episodes talking about the various pieces of the Biz Dev puzzle, this final episode in the mini-series pulls it all together into an action plan. It’s not enough to want to do better; you have to do the work, identify the goals and put an accountability process into place.
Here, we’re going to explore specific, tangible steps for making Biz Dev at your agency a success.
For example — you might be considering hiring someone to manage your business development. We’ll look at the reality of that route.
We’ll also do a short recap of the topics covered in this series, and then we’ll dive into a game plan that starts with dividing the sales funnel into four sections, each with its specific approach.
And by the end of the discussion, you’ll be ready to take your biz dev plan to the next level.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Thoughts on hiring new business development managers * Recapping Episodes 1-5 of this biz dev series * Steps of a Biz Dev System * Identify sweet spot prospects * The need for accountability * A sales funnel exercise
Agency life has evolved dramatically since the era portrayed in shows like Mad Men. We used to be the keepers of the “secret sauce” for making the magic happen, and now we’re the keepers of the secret knowledge for using that magic to its greatest potential. Agencies used to be expected to be generalists, but now clients and prospects are looking for specialists with a depth of strategic expertise. And part of that specialty is having a clear point of view. But you can’t just whisper it; you have to shout it from the mountaintops.
Agency life has evolved dramatically since the era portrayed in shows like Mad Men. We used to be the keepers of the “secret sauce” for making the magic happen, and now we’re the keepers of the secret knowledge for using that magic to its greatest potential. Agencies used to be expected to be generalists, but now clients and prospects are looking for specialists with a depth of strategic expertise. And part of that specialty is having a clear point of view. But you can’t just whisper it; you have to shout it from the mountaintops.
This episode continues a short series dedicated to improving your agency’s biz dev efforts. We’ve discussed the importance of finding a niche several times on this podcast. But here — our focus will be to go a step further. We’ll look at the importance of claiming and declaring your agency’s point of view — and how to do it.
There are questions you can ask of your agency to finetune your POV. There are ways your agency can be findable without needing to continuously create and churn out original content for each different platform. And you might think you need to speak to a large audience but focusing smaller is actually easier and faster to monetize. Putting the ideas spelled out in this conversation into action will help set your agency on a course toward success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The timeline of how agency life has changed * The importance of declaring your point of view * Questions to help you define your agency’s point of view * The cornerstone & cobblestone content concept * Why it’s easier to monetize a narrower audience
Agency business development has to consider many things when setting goals. There is new business to be found, existing business to expand, and lost business to make up for. It can be difficult to juggle all of this information as the agency owner, but it can be challenging for an agency’s AEs who aren’t clear on how to best leverage their position.
Today’s episode continues the series dedicated to improving your biz dev efforts. The first three episodes were focused on you as the business owner, but here in Part 4, we shift the focus to your AEs and helping them grow their book of business and your agency’s bottom line.
There are many ways AEs can be better equipped, and it starts with giving them a stronger toolbox. Their outside perspective is a huge asset that is often overlooked, but they first need to understand “agency math” and exactly what you need from them. Their book of business is key to your agency’s success, and only by clarifying, training, and mentoring can they make the most of it. When they are given the tools and the space to make informed decisions, you set them–and your agency–up for success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What agency owners get wrong with their new business goal numbers * How to plan for attrition * Understanding “agency math” * Tips for helping AEs grow their book of business * How to utilize your AEs outside perspective * The agency owner’s role in helping AEs grow business
Agencies often pose important questions to our clients in order to help steer them into good decision-making. We talk to them about the need to be findable, to understand the customer’s buying journey, to be helpful to clients instead of selling to them, and being aware of how far prospects are into the buying decision by the time the client is actually aware the prospect exists. We are great at teaching this to our clients, but many agencies aren’t so great at taking their own advice.
Today’s episode is continuing our deep dive into agency biz dev with Part 3 of our series. Building up the previous discussions surrounding niching and the different stages of business development during its lifetime, Drew looks at the 6 kisses of death that undermine biz dev for many agencies and how to avoid them.
The conversation explores how successful biz dev often flies in the face of our comfort level. We have to make bold decisions and proclamations in order to own our authority and stand out in a crowded marketplace. If you can learn to be not only aware of but vigilant in avoiding these common mistakes, you set your agency up for tremendous success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * 4 questions we teach our clients that we need to ask ourselves * How consistency in the right biz dev areas rewards your agency. * How to stop looking and sounding like everyone else. * Why generic content hurts you. * What it takes to do more than whisper your niche. * Miscalculating the number of new clients needed to grow your agency. * How passivity creates problems for your agency.
During the lifetime of an agency, how that agency/agency owner approaches business development evolves. In the beginning, an agency’s first clients are people the agency owner knows personally. From there, as the agency matures and grows, it morphs into working with people who have been referred to the agency by happy clients. Many agencies never evolve past this level of business development. It can be challenging to see options for the continuum of business development beyond the normal routine.
Today’s episode is continuing our deep dive into agency biz dev. Building up the previous discussion about the importance of finding a niche, Drew looks at the 5 stages that create the continuum of business development and explains why 85% of agencies never reach the most effective and sophisticated of levels.
You get to decide where on the continuum your agency lands. But to make an informed decision, you have to know your options.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The five stages on the continuum of business development * Why offering deals never serves in the long run * The need to be interesting instead of interested * Statistics related to how prospects find their agency * The ideal structure for an agency
As we start to dip our toes into 2022, many agencies have been pretty quiet on the biz dev front for the last 4-6 weeks. By the time we emerge from the holiday hibernation, we’re approaching February and our pipeline is feeling a little weak. I decided to help you jump-start your agency biz dev efforts with a series of podcast conversations just between you and me.
I’ve decided to mix things up a bit. 2022 is my year to shake things up a little and why not start in January? Rather than my usual guest interviews, I’m going to spend this month with you, focusing on helping you take a serious look at how you approach biz dev. Here in episode 1, we focus on something fundamental to many agencies’ success: defining a niche.
I’m going to start by looking at why the old-school approach to biz dev no longer works and why selling has evolved into helping. From there, we’ll explore why many agencies approach biz dev backwards and the list of criteria to consider when working to find your agency’s niche.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why old school agency biz dev no longer works * How selling has become about helping * Why many agencies approach biz dev backwards * The brutal truth about the need to niche down * AMI as a niche case study * The criteria to use when thinking about how to niche
There’s no denying that artificial intelligence isn’t just part of the future, it’s here today. But the concept is overwhelming for many agency owners. It’s hard to know where to begin when you don’t even know what questions to ask or how to find answers, especially when you are already pulled in so many directions every day. Who has time to add learning something as complex as AI to their TO-DO list?
After running her own agency and then spending a decade at Content Marketing Institute, Cathy McPhillips joined the Marketing AI Institute earlier this year as the Chief Growth Officer. She comes at AI through a marketing-practitioner’s lens which gives her a more approachable perspective for people who might be curious but confused by AI.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Cathy and I give a beginner’s overview of the crossroads where marketing meets artificial intelligence. We look at the ways to approach AI, how agencies are using it, and the tools that make dipping your toes in the water manageable, clear, and helpful without a huge time commitment. It’s the goal of this conversation that you will leave feeling inspired to take your first steps into understanding the potential of marketing AI.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Two ways to approach AI * The purpose and goal of the Marketing AI Institute * What agencies are looking for in terms of AI * How AI can help with efficiency * The difference between marketing automation and AI * Why AI can never fully replace the need for people * Some tools available to get started with AI * The easiest first step
In response to the changes brought about by the pandemic, many agency owners have turned to fear-based decision-making. Employee turnover and demands coupled with an erratic market and global uncertainty can make things feel out of control. Trying to steer an agency with a vision requires decision-making that might put you at odds with your team so it might feel wise to placate rather than push. But it’s not.
In this solocast, we’re going to take a hard look at the fear-based leadership that has come to plague many of us during the challenges of the last few years. I’m going to explain why the fear won’t change the outcome, a couple of universal truths about what it means to run an agency without this fear, the level of decision-making that needs to return to the forefront, and why it’s so important to embrace once again the joys of being an agency owner.
There’s no doubt that we live in uncertain, confusing, and scary times but we cannot let these challenges define us as leaders. It’s my hope that this conversation will inspire you to march into 2022 with a renewed sense of peace and purpose.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why many agencies are currently run based on fear * Why fear-based decision making won’t change the outcome * The universal truths of not running an agency based on fear * Three levels of decision making * The need to embrace again the joy of owning an agency
Diversity and inclusion have never been more front and center and the workplace is being called upon to better reflect the world around us, especially by our younger employees and potential employees. Agencies are trying to do their part, but many are feeling lost because they simply don’t know what they don’t know. If we want to continue to attract young talent, we have to crack this code.
Over a year ago, brand consultant and marketing specialist Michael Barber published a post about spending time in a high school class talking about careers in our industry and diversity in the workplace. I’ve known Michael for years and knew that conversation was one I’d have loved to eavesdrop on if I could. I decided to bring him on the show so we could all listen in!
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Michael and I have a wide-ranging conversation about what he learned from his discussion with these students. We talk about what they are looking for in potential employers, what Michael believes is a missing piece in modern education, and the tactics for building and creating a more diverse and welcoming environment. It’s hard work but important work and I hope you find the discussion as inspiring as I did.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What young people are looking for in a workplace * The missing piece in modern education * The vast choices available to professional young people * Young people’s thoughts on the responsibilities of diversity and inclusion * The changes coming to our audiences * Tactics for creating a workplace that attracts diversity
When things are going well in our agencies and our personal lives, it’s easy to relax into the comfort of that success. One of the risks of that comfort is missing the signs that trouble is brewing below the surface. There’s a difference between living in fear and anticipating challenges. No one is suggesting we live a life of paranoia where we’re constantly waiting for things to fall apart, but a vigilant approach to life and business can help us steer clear of troubled waters before we’re knee-deep in them.
Author Len Herstein started as a consultant in consumer-packaged goods marketing before life took an expected turn that led to him becoming a police officer at age 45. Though these worlds seem vastly different on the surface the through-line he discovered was one about the risks and dangers of complacency.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Len and I take a deep dive into complacency: how it’s defined, the damage it can do, and why agency owners are among the most susceptible to its dangers. We discuss tangible tactics for creating awareness in your agency, the importance of transparency, and how to successfully self-assess your own complacency. It’s a big conversation about an important topic meant to inspire you to be vigilant.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Where complacency comes from and why it is so dangerous. * Why agency owners are among the most susceptible to complacency. * Why you need to “articulate your why” * The opposite of complacency * The dangers of having a lack of engagement * What it means to get off the “X” * The need to be transparent * How to brief and debrief successfully * 3 questions to self-assess complacency
Understanding how clients view the agency relationship is key to making the most of that partnership. Every year since 2014, AMI and Audience Audit have brought you The Agency Edge Research Series to hopefully give helpful insights into what clients and prospects are looking for when working with agencies. The 2020 research correctly indicated that 2021 was going to be very robust for agency business. This year’s study was built to better understand the thinking behind this growth on the client side, in particular how this explosion in engagement affected how they thought about their agency relationships.
The Agency Edge Research Series is a collaboration between AMI, Audience Audit, and Dynata. Where other studies focus on industries or the size of client companies, we were interested in how these clients were feeling about a handful of topics. Audience Audit’s Susan Baier is here to give an overview of the 2021 findings.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Susan and I explain the methodologies used in creating the Agency Edge Research Series. We give an overview of the three client segments that revealed themselves, explain how an agency can diagnose clients and prospects in order to best serve what they are looking for. In the show notes below you will find a link to the 17-page executive summary and we hope this information will help you make the most of your client relationships.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The methodologies used in the Agency Edge Research Series * The insight that revealed itself for the first time this year * The focus of this year’s study * How the three segments of this study are defined: Committed, Concerned, and Close * How agencies can diagnose clients and prospects to know what segment they are in * Ways to work best with each segment * How agencies can manipulate the data for their own needs
Everyone wants to make and have more money but understanding all the available financial options and opportunities can be overwhelming. Many agency owners are juggling debt, income, personal and professional mortgages, and complex investment plans, most of which are managed by advice we were given by our parents when we were young. We’ve heard of ways to use our money to make money, but it all sounds a little impossible to believe.
Adam Carroll is one of the nation’s top financial educators and he is here to cut through the confusion and show how viable many of these options really are. Adam is a long-time friend of the Agency Management Institute, and this conversation is his third visit to the podcast and follows his well-received appearance at the Build A Better Agency Summit.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Adam and I discuss a lot of the available tools and methodologies available for helping people reach financial security and freedom faster and in much bigger ways than might seem possible. We look at ways to double your money in 3 years, better understand the power of compound interest, and identify the different kinds of legacy. We talk about how we all need to start thinking about wealth differently by starting to ask ourselves bigger, different questions about our goals and dreams.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Understanding the “Shred Method” for reducing debt * How to double your money in 3-5 years * Why it doesn’t make sense to hold onto a long-term mortgage * The power of compound interest * Identifying the 4 kinds of legacy * Equity planning * How to start thinking differently about wealth * The importance of joining a Mastermind
As part of our succession planning work, we have seen and worked with owners going through every stage of agency life. We’ve seen agencies evolve and dissolve and there are complexities along the way regardless of the journey. One of the most complicated relationships can be between partners, whether that be partners who own and run an agency together, or an agency owner who is transitioning to selling his agency to one or more employees.
In this solocast, we’re going to look at the important elements that make a strong partnership agreement. These documents can be created internally or developed with outside guidance but regardless of how it comes together, it must clearly define how all opportunities and challenges will be met as the agency moves forward. Think of it as a prenuptial agreement. You want to write it when things are good and the future is bright so you have a rulebook to turn to when things get difficult.
Agency partnership is a thrilling but complicated relationship. If you take the time to clearly define the rules of the game, you set a solid foundation on which the agency can grow. AMI is here to help you make the most of this adventure.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Who benefits from a Partnership Agreement * The need to outline out the company is established and divided * If and how ownership percentages can change * The importance of spelling out each partner’s contributions and responsibilities * Why you need to specify how money is handled * What it means to have partnership authority * Outlining conflict resolution * The important clauses of partnership agreements * The need to include incapacitation, divorce, and death language in these agreements * Explaining the methodology by which you will define valuation * Defining how the business can be dissolved
As agency owners and leaders, we all want to succeed at the long game. We plan and work with the hope that it will lead to long-term success. But it can be difficult to hang in there when faced with uncertainty, and we constantly wonder which bets are going to pay off and when we need to pivot. Fear can paralyze us or force us to make decisions that undermine a potential payoff because it all feels a bit like a guessing game.
Author and keynote speaker Dorie Clark is a world-renowned teacher and coach. She’s been on the podcast before (episode 152) and returns with tips and insights for how to leverage the long game, based on her new book of the same title, to avoid a lot of mistakes created by this fear and uncertainty.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Dorie and I discuss a lot of tools that help build a successful long game. We talk about ways to build more breathing room into a busy life, the need to track progress, and how to recognize the indicators that you’re on the right track. We look at the importance of building the right support system, how to find more focus, and why it’s so important to acknowledge and celebrate the small successes along the way.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Defining and Creating “White Space” * The need to track progress * The indicators that create success in The Long Game * The importance of having people around you who understand your business * How and where to focus for The Long Game * Why it’s important to acknowledge the successes
Putting yourself in the center of a community is a powerful tool for any agency owner, but that just scratches the surface of what is possible — if you make one small tweak. Imagine putting your client at the center of a community instead of yourself. An ecosystem of businesses, experts, and tools, all designed to help your clients become even more successful. This shift allows us to completely redesign how many of us think about biz dev and how best to serve our audience. And this is also how we can keep leveling up without having to know it all ourselves.
As many of you know, community is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, which is why I was excited to talk with my guest, Pam Slim. Pam is a 30-year plus business veteran, coach, and author with decades of experience building communities. Her latest book, “Widest Net” is all about helping companies reach their audience. If you have ever caught yourself thinking, “I know my thing. I know my point of view. I know who I want to reach, but how in the world do I reach them?” then you should probably be reading Pam’s book.
Pam was also our guest back on episode 142 for anyone who wants to soak up even more of her brilliance.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency — Pam and I address the myth of the sole owner needing to hack their way through the wilderness, and instead, how to provide agency owners with a way to see themselves as part of a coalition striving to help their clients.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How you can show up as a strong member of the community. * How to embrace the ecosystem model because you are in it either way. * The benefit of using the community around your clients to define your niche. * How to get intentional about building your community. * The benefit of being the “weirdo” in the room. * How to select the right community, so it isn’t a competition. * Why this sort of strategic work helps you win long-term. * Why PB&J relationships are the gold standard. * How you can feel like you are everywhere to your clients and prospects.
The federal government and 36 of 50 states in the U.S. have research and development tax credits that many agency owners incorrectly believe our agencies are not eligible to receive. In reality, many AMI agencies take full advantage of these credits, sometimes earning back in excess of $100,000 a year. Needless to say, it’s important for your agency to explore whether or not you are eligible for these benefits because the impact on your bottom line could be a huge win.
Mike D’Alessandro owns a company called Research Tax Credits. For 14 years he has been specializing in research and development (R&D) tax options. These benefits are designed to stimulate the economy by creating competitive tax advantages for small business owners, including advertising and marketing agencies.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Mike and I take a deep dive into the R&D tax credits that many agencies mistakenly believe they are not eligible for. We look at the history and eligibility of these credits, how they are determined, and what parts of agency work would be covered. We talk about whether these credits carry forward and if you can retroactively apply. We also discuss if these credits can increase the likelihood of an audit and the process for applying. It’s a big opportunity that man
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The history of the R&D tax credit * What does it mean to be eligible for an R&D tax credit? * What is a wage-driven credit? * The parts of the marketing business that is included under this credit * Does the federal credit carry forward? * Why wouldn’t someone utilize this credit? * Can you retroactively apply for these credits? * Does applying for this credit increase the likelihood of an audit? * The application process
Ways to contact Mike D’Alessandro:
- Websites: http://researchtaxcreditsllc.com
- Email: miked@researchtaxcreditsllc.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedalessandro1/
Tools & Resources:
- Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book)
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
- My Future Self Mini-Course
The conversation of diversity, equity, and inclusion and DEI policy creation is something on the minds of many agency owners. How to tackle such a delicate and complicated topic can be overwhelming and confusing. The fear of getting it wrong or not doing enough can lead to no action at all, which we can all agree does nothing to further the cause. But how exactly do we begin and how do we get it right?
Nikki McCord returns to expand upon the conversation we started in Episode 304 (“The ROI of DEI). Nikki consults people and companies on how to make committed changes, in both policy and behavior, surrounding the topic of DEI. She’s a passionate expert on the subject and the discussion is sure to inspire ideas and action.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Nikki McCord and I talk specifically about the concept of DEI policies and how to best approach them. Beyond that, we look at the way tiny shifts can make a big impact and why we need to give ourselves permission to make mistakes along the way. Beyond our own agencies, we also discuss how to incorporate these challenging conversations into our work with clients and vendors.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What should be included in a good DEI policy * The difference between a policy and a statement * How to rethink your approach to a DEI policy * Tiny shifts that make a big impact * The importance of authenticity * How to guide clients through DEI conversations * How to get through the fear of making mistakes surrounding DEI
Ways to contact Nikki McCord:
- Websites: http://mcconsultgroup.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McCordConsult/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-mccord/
- Twitter: @McCordConsult
Tools & Resources:
- Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book)
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
- My Future Self Mini-Course
Laurence Lameche is a London-based real estate investor and coach who has mastered the art of buying properties through creative terms-based deals and cutting banks out of the equation. In this episode of the Smart Real Estate Coach podcast, Laurence shares how he was able to purchase three valuable properties in London for just the price of a football ticket, and he explains how to build a powerful network of connections in the real estate business even if you’re a shy introvert.
Resources:
- Website: www.ZeroToPropertyHero.com
- Website: www.PropertyRentalSecrets.co.uk
- Website: www.PropertyBookSecrets.com
- Website: www.InnerHeroSecrets.com
- Website: www.NetworkingSecretsOnline.com
- Website: www.TicketsOnDemand.live
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/laurencelameche/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaurenceLamecheTV/
- Instagram: @laurencelameche
- Twitter: @LaurenceLameche
Additional resources:
- Follow Chris and Zach on Club House to learn even more about deal structures and how to get 3 paydays from your real estate investments.
- If looking to secure some lines of credit for your business, check out Fund and Grow – Visit our Resource page at https://www.smartrealestatecoach.com/resources
- Schedule a FREE Strategy Call: SmartRealEstateCoach.com/action
- Register for our free masterclass: www.SmartRealEstateCoach.com/mastersclass
- Real Estate on Your Terms by Chris Prefontaine
- SmartRealEstateCoachPodcast.com/webinar
- SmartRealEstateCoachPodcast.com/ebook
- SmartRealEstateCoach.com/QLS
Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast Sponsor:
- Paul G. Dion CPA, CTC
At Agency Management Institute, we are often called upon to help agency owners plan their next steps when it comes time to sell. This may lead to the owner wanting to hand the reins to a current employee that has proven to be the right person to take over owning and running the agency. There are challenges that the seller has to contend with, but there are just as many challenges, and mistakes, the potential buyer needs to keep in mind.
As an employee presented with the chance to take over ownership of the agency, it can be a daunting undertaking. To try and offer some guidance, I’ve identified the five most common mistakes that I’ve seen made by employees who are buying the agency from the current owner. We’ll look at the importance of pushing for a clear process and plan for the owner’s exit strategy and how to avoid miscalculating the risks. I’ll share some of the emotional challenges to expect, as well as the importance of tough conversations. Finally, I’ll explain why it’s not only helpful but necessary to put together a team that can help guide you through the transition period, and beyond.
Agency ownership is a thrilling undertaking. If the opportunity presents itself, you should absolutely give it serious consideration. Just be smart about the steps you take. AMI is here to welcome you to the adventure.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The need to push for a process and plan when buying an agency * The error in miscalculating the risks * The emotional challenges of agency ownership * The missed opportunity in tough conversations * The need to put together a support team
“Culture” and “Brand” are two concepts that are often thought about and discussed as completely different topics. We don’t often consider how one might not only affect but define the other. But the truth is, they are very much the opposite sides of the same coin, if that coin represents the calling card for your agency or your client’s company.
Agency owners and authors Mark Miller and Ted Vaughn have literally written the book on the connection between culture and brand. In examining the challenges and successes of both their own clients and research into other companies, they defined six patterns that define culture and the traits that make these patterns successful.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Mark, Ted, and I take a deep dive into these six patterns – or “layers” – and how come to define an agency’s success. We explore everything from different kinds of trust to the need to sometimes fire a rockstar employee. We look at ways to inspire an invitation to difficult conversations and why it’s so important for creatives to advocate for themselves. We even define the first step an agency can take on the quest to improve, fix, or define a company’s culture in a way that leads to a winning brand.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The links between a winning culture and brand * Why culture is so important in a conversation about brand * Functional vs. relational trust * 6 layers of marque culture * How to tell if a problem is caused by a system or a person * Why creatives need to advocate for themselves * How agency owners can inspire a truth-telling environment * Where to begin on the journey to fix culture
There is no shortage of advice on how to be a better agency leader, but much of the advice out there is esoteric or theoretical. The ideas are grand, but a solid, tangible game plan is rare. Without clear steps to take, old habits and behaviors easily return before these new ideas have a chance to create lasting change.
Author Jonathan Raymond’s diversified background led to an interest in figuring out how leaders could grow their business in a way that was in alignment with their values. He has developed some interesting ideas and action plans for how to inspire your team to want to follow you.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Jonathan and I take a pragmatic approach to leadership. We examine how to recognize when you’re undermining the team and how to create clear expectations. We explore a 5-step method for managing performance. And we discuss the link between personal and professional development. Becoming a better leader starts with a desire, but requires a plan of action. Hopefully, this conversation offers a bit of both.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to recognize when you’re disempowering your team * The need to set clear expectations * A 5-step method for managing performance * Understanding the time limit on feedback * Why pattern recognition is important in agency leadership * The power of uncomfortable silence * Why personal and professional development aren’t different * 3 reasons why poor behavior isn’t called out
The world of neuroscience might seem like an odd place to seek out powerful marketing tactics, but there’s no denying that effective marketing isn’t just about being great creatively. Art might draw attention, but human nature and how our mind works is what inspires the buy. Understanding neuro-marketing and what triggers the mind of an audience can only improve the rate of success.
Dan Russell runs Vivid Labs, a conversion optimization agency that has developed neuroscience-inspired marketing strategies. He moved out of the service space so he could teach agencies and other businesses how to utilize these techniques for business growth and success.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Dan and I talk about the different ways neuroscience insights can be used effectively in marketing. We discuss how his team determines what tests to run that are both practical and ethical. Using real-world examples, we take a closer look at a few effects that marketing agencies absolutely need to know about and incorporate.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What is neuro-marketing? * How to determine what scientific tests apply to marketing * Ensuring tests are both practical and ethical * Why the physical world can trigger more effects than the digital world * Nuero-marketing effects agencies need to incorporate * The importance of video to increase conversion
No one needs to tell you that it’s easier and more cost-effective to keep existing clients rather than continuing to hunt and pitch for new ones. There’s an obvious need to genuinely nurture these relationships, but oftentimes this advice is more theory than tangible. It’s rare to find a clear game plan for creating lasting change that is simple, even if it’s not always easy. This conversation sheds light on that challenge and how to solve it.
Author and keynote speaker Shep Hyken is one of the world’s most well-known and well-respected experts on client service. He is dedicated to helping companies create customer experiences that bring them back over and over again. He does so with insights and gusto intended to challenge how you approach your crew, clients, and customers.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Shep and I discuss more than just the theories of creating good client relationships. In addition to talking about the need to create a sense of amazement and the downfall of settling for “fine,” Shep outlines the specific, tangible steps that can be taken to create a culture that is focused on the customer experience and how to make sure your clients won’t even consider looking anywhere else for what they need.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why it’s important to measure a client’s likelihood to return * How to create a sense of amazement with your customers and clients * The problem with “fine” in client service * The #1 culture-changing tool * A 6-step process for creating a culture that is focused on the customer * Precisely how to create an “I’ll be back” experience
At Agency Management Institute, we have repeatedly found ourselves in the position of helping agency owners figure out their exit strategy. Ideally, we’re talking about this many years before they’re ready to execute on whichever outcome makes the most sense for them and their agency. The typical scenarios are: Just making a fantastic living off the agency until you’re done and then closing up shop. Others want to sell to an outside buyer. But for many, the ideal scenario is to sell the agency internally to someone they’ve been grooming as a successor. This is often where we come in to assist.
Any sale is complicated, and everyone wants it to go as smoothly as possible. Which is why we’ve identified some common mistakes and the best ways to avoid making them. They’re all understandable and easy to make choices, but fortunately so are the fixes so you can just avoid them all together.
Whether you’re thinking of selling your agency in a year or it’s much further down the road, knowing what to avoid now is the best first foot forward.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The problem with gifting employees shares * The importance of hiring outside guidance * The need to fully structure the deal * The lack of an owner’s transition plan * The mistake of not being prepared emotionally
Creativity lives at the center of every agency, but finding, nurturing, and retaining the best fit creatives can feel like an impossible task. Someone with an impressive resume who interviews wonderfully can suddenly feel like a mismatch once they’re actually in the role. It can feel like a guessing game, which is especially daunting for such an integral part of the team and your agency’s success.
Jamie Roberts has been a creative at agencies large and small. She grew up on the art side of the business and realized that all creatives are not wired the same. They might have similar skills but where they live on the spectrum of that skill defines their strengths and weaknesses. With this knowledge, she identified five key traits that can help agencies find creatives, or better understand the creatives they already have.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Jamie and I explore the spectrum of these five key skills. We discuss how understanding them can simplify hiring decisions that lead to long-term success for both the agency and the new employee while also giving more insight into how to best leverage your existing creative staff. I even put Jamie’s skills to the test with an off-the-cuff discussion on where she believes I fall on the spectrum of these five skills.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to rethink the approach to creatives * Understanding creative traits on a spectrum * Responsive vs. deliberative adaptability * Abstraction vs. analytical curiosity * People vs. process agility * Collaborative vs. independent confidence * Broad vs. deep commitment
All agency owners strive to be great leaders but that can be a daunting task when there are so many things that demand attention on a daily basis. And understanding what defines a great leader and how to learn and implement those skills can be equally overwhelming. When it feels like the focus needs to be external on building the company and growing client relationships, time dedicated internally to processes and staff development is often rushed, minimized, or pushed to another day.
Author Deborah Coviello has studied what it takes for a CEO to elevate not only their companies but also their people for long-lasting impact. Defining an agency’s “True North” creates the guiding star to ensure the entire team is moving in the same direction. She also believes a focus on people development sets the foundation for the greatest success.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Deborah and I look at various elements that create a great CEO. We talk about the need for clear processes that have the future in mind, the importance of prioritizing proactive internal growth, and how any team member can be a high performer if you have the right conversation with them. We also discuss the insights an agency owner can gain by taking time away and why mentors and coaches may hold the key to a CEO’s success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The elements that make up a “CEO’s Compass” * How a company benefits from defining their “True North” * Why the right processes are critical to success * The need to rethink leadership to prioritize doing something proactive to grow your company internally * What are we doing that’s right and wrong for growing our emerging leaders * How to improve the way we give feedback * The importance of finding a coach * The insights gained from three words: continue, start, and change
As we continue the push into a post-pandemic world, many agencies are taking a hard look at how they approach business and what they want this new future to look like. Many are implementing long-term changes inspired by what the last 18+ months has taught them. Others have been inspired to make changes toward a more focused vision. Success with these changes starts with becoming crystal clear on what kind of agency you want to be.
In over 300 podcasts, I have never repeated or reposted an episode. Until now. Episode #100 entitled “Are You A Wonderbread Factory or An Artisanal Bakery?” is probably the single most common episode people mention when they bring up past episodes. The response has been so positive and consistent that it felt like a perfect episode to revisit as a guiding light toward defining your agency’s next chapter.
In this solocast, I discuss the spectrum of how agencies can do business, from the creative-driven, custom-designed artisan way to the numbers-driven, one-size-fits-all factory approach. There are pros and cons of both sides, and many agencies live somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. But having agency clarity about where you are and where you want to be is the surest way to ensure the kind of success you are striving for.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why this topic seems more relevant today than when originally recorded * How agency focus sets up agency success * Defining the two ends of the spectrum of how agencies can approach business * The pros and cons of running a wonderbread style agency or an artisanal bakery * How to approach shifting your agency’s focus
An agency’s success or failure is reliant upon the owner’s leadership skills to a certain extent. There are many elements that ultimately create an agency’s legacy, but the strength of the leadership is one of the cornerstones that holds it all together. Most teams are built with people who have come up and through the agency world, so by the time they step into a leadership role, there’s a risk that they’re doing it the way everyone else has done it. If you want to have a next-level agency, it might be worth the effort to reexamine and sharpen your leadership approach.
Ryan Carey is a ranger-qualified army vet who now heads up White Label IQ, our presenting sponsor here at the podcast. His background and experience have given him unique insights into leadership that allow him to come at agency life with an inspiring perspective.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Ryan and I explore military-inspired leadership and how it can benefit agencies. These worlds might seem vastly different but they both share a need for clarity, communication, trust, respectful disagreements, and unflappable dedication to the team. We talk about all of these things, sprinkled with Ryan’s true-life stories from the front lines, with the hope of challenging and improving how you think about leadership.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The need to ensure clarity on a client’s definition of success * Tips for avoiding micromanaging your leadership * The need for clear processes * Why it’s important to not get complacent, even when succeeding * Absolute vs Participatory Leadership * How to respectfully disagree * The importance of trust * Challenges of splitting-focus * Military experience that benefits agency success
“As you continue to develop a project with a client, you’ve got to continue to ensure it’s aligning with where they’re wanting to go because they’re learning too in the whole process.” - Ryan CareyCLICK TO TWEET“In leadership, it’s easy to get into a micromanaging scenario, especially when it’s client-facing.” - Ryan CareyCLICK TO TWEET“I think it’s very easy to become a line item on an expense report and not a benefit to the company.” - Ryan CareyCLICK TO TWEET“The more that you build trust with people, the more that they’re going to be able to say something when it matters.” - Ryan CareyCLICK TO TWEET“People can do amazing things and when you give them leeway and trust, they can take that very far.” - Ryan CareyCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Ryan Carey:
- Special offer: Get 10 Hours FREE on Development of any kind at www.whitelabeliq.com/ami
- Websites: https://www.whitelabeliq.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-carey-wl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteLabelIQ/
- Email: ryanc@whitelabeliq.com
Additional Resources:
- AE Bootcamp — September 14 & 15 in Chicago, IL
- Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book)
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
- My Future Self Mini-Course
Whenever I fly, I wear a t-shirt that says “Be Good To People.” It’s a simple message that I sincerely believe in but the response to the shirt, especially during the pandemic, has been something I wasn’t expecting. It has inspired people to quite literally reach out and touch me with a pat of gratitude for the reminder.
We are overwhelmed, exhausted, confused, and scared, all things that can bring out the worst in people, so a reminder that kindness exists, is possible, and can feel almost revolutionary. The generous response to my previous solocast about anxiety has inspired me to take a closer look at the message literally stamped on my chest, in hopes of finding ways to expand on self-care in a way that more fully benefits our teams and clients.
In this solocast, I’m talking about the various ways we can be good to ourselves, our team, and the clients we serve. We’ve all been in survival mode and now it’s time to remember who and what we were surviving for. This is about relationship care.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Recognizing the ongoing challenges created by the pandemic * A call to take better care of yourself * A reminder to reconnect with the people that inspire you * The need to think about your team * The power of learning opportunities * Tips for enhancing client relationships * Relationship care as a holistic approach
There’s no denying that the call for diversity, equity, and inclusion has never been louder. In the middle of it all, agencies are trying to embrace change internally at the same time they are guiding clients on how to incorporate genuine representation, making us students and guides at the same time. It can be uncomfortable, awkward, and overwhelming, especially to dominant communities who have no real-world experience with marginalization.
Nikki McCord turned her political science degree into a career dedicated to influencing change and policy. When she started her own consulting firm eight years ago, she chose to focus on three things: strategic facilitation, board governance, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). She does so from the crossroads of compassion and urgency.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Nikki and I dive into all the difficult topics, starting with why she didn’t want to do this podcast. We talk about the ways agencies get stuck when trying to diversify, the costs and ROI of DEI, how to handle the necessary discomfort of open conversations, and the roles we all need to play in order to create a better world for everyone.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Where we get stuck in the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) * The costs associated with DEI * How to handle the discomfort of diversity discussions * The ROI of DEI * The need for dominant communities to be a voice for change * What to be thinking about in the quest for a diverse agency * The importance of management buy-in for DEI * How to begin a DEI integration
Creating a solid tax strategy for your agency might not seem like the most exciting thing to think about but doing so has the potential to put a lot more money directly into your pocket. It can be daunting to try and understand all of the options available, especially when a lot of the COVID-related aid adds to the confusion, so having a solid tax advisor in your corner is more important than ever. But how can you make sure you’re getting the guidance you need if you don’t even know what questions to ask?
Craig Cody is a tax strategist and planner who has helped many AMI members better manage their money. His insights and guidance are hugely beneficial to any agency owner wanting to save money while also leveraging income and assets for personal and professional goals.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Craig and I discuss all things taxes. We look at COVID-related strategies that are still available. We explore surprising deductions to be found by better leveraging your home and how to get the most out of your relationship with your tax advisor, all with the goal of setting up you and your agency for the best possible financial success.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * COVID-related tax strategies that are still available * Understanding The Augusta Rule * How putting in a home pool can be tax-deductible * Knowing the difference between a tax strategist and a tax preparer * What to expect tax advisor conversations to look like * The Defined Benefits Program * Common missed opportunities in tax preparation * Questions to ask a new tax advisor
We all know how critical account service people are to the success of our agencies. It’s a tough job. Account service people must balance the needs of the agency, the internal team, and of course, the clients. A rock-solid account service person can help you retain and upsell clients, delivering a higher percentage of profitability on both counts. Creating a strong and dependable account services team and process is key to your success.
Taylor McMaster is a former agency owner who discovered what she loved most about the work was the account services side of it. This realization inspired her to start a company that outsources account service people to agencies with the goal of improving agency-client relationships and allowing agency owners to step back from the day-to-day so they can concentrate on scaling their business.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Taylor and I look at several different elements to building successful account services. We discuss how to onboard new clients, ways to ensure you’re hiring the right account services people, and making the most of client relationships by understanding what they want and need from your agency. Strengthening your approach to account services gives you as the agency owner the freedom to put your focus on building your business.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to onboard a new client * Why agency owners aren’t always great at client services * How to hire strong account service people * Keeping the relationship fresh with long-term clients * What clients want from your client services * How to merchandise a client relationship * What agencies get wrong in client services
We spent a lot of the last year steeped in worry. It was inevitable, given what we’ve all experienced. But even when we’re not facing a global pandemic — it’s easy to get caught up in your own mind, given our work. It’s the nature of the beast for problem solvers like us, working in an ever-changing industry, where our decisions and performance effect so many. Expected but exhausting. In that constant chaos, it can be especially difficult to remember to be grateful.
Author Kristi Nelson turned her journey back from Stage 4 cancer into a mission to remind herself and others of the importance for gratitude. Many of us have been on the receiving end of a wake-up call. The Covid-19 pandemic created that for a lot of people in every corner of the globe. Kristi’s message is all about how to be thoughtful and intentional as we move forward.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Kristi and I explore gratitude, with a particular focus on how it can affect and elevate agency owners and their businesses. We discuss how being grateful can assist problem-solving by reframing challenges as opportunities. We also look at how to show up as a leader who savors uncertainty, why it’s important to cherish connections, and what the “Golden Rule” gets wrong.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why it’s so easy to fall back into an unfulfilling groove * How being grateful can aid problem solving * Reframing uncertainty for gratitude * How to show up as a leader who savors uncertainty * Cherishing connections * What the “Golden Rule” gets wrong * How to find out what your team truly wants * Understanding liminality
Ways to contact Kristi Nelson:
- Book: https://gratefulness.org/wake-up/
- Websites: https://gratefulness.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gratefulness.org/
- Twitter: @GratefulnessOrg
Tools & Resources:
- Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book)
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
- My Future Self Mini-Course
With the realization that this was going to be the 300th episode of this podcast, I unconsciously started to put an extraordinary amount of pressure on myself to create something that was fantastic and perfect. Agency owners live with an immense amount of pressure and expectation every day so this kind of thinking is normal. But that doesn’t make it healthy, helpful, or wise.
In this solocast, I’m going to talk candidly about the anxiety I sometimes create for myself when striving for a perfection that is unachievable. I’m going to invite you to look at all the different pressures you feel in your life and career in order to clarify which ones are real and which ones you’re creating through your own drive for excellence and some unreasonable expectations.
The truth is – our excellence comes from keeping a steady hand at the helm. It’s about the consistency and the tenacity we demonstrate by showing up every day. Our agencies are like ships and we are its captain. Our job is to pilot the ship to its next destination. There are always going to be storms that crop up, big and small. But we have weathered many before and we’ve got this one too. That’s our genius.
And, finally, I’m going to ask you to seriously consider the honest answer to this question: “No, REALLY, how are you doing?”
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * A personal story about creating pressure to be excellent * Recognizing the dangerous expectations we set for ourselves * The importance of self-care as an agency owner * Why simply showing up can build to excellence * Why it’s important to be honest when answering “How are you?”
If there’s one thing every agency has to be able to do, it’s innovate. We are paid to be creative thinkers on command. We have to be able to generate ideas on a regular basis that serves both the agency and our clients. This can be exhausting and stressful to deliver consistently, especially because it’s usually only the agency owner or a handful of leaders who can do this work. What if everyone in the agency had the skills and confidence to be an innovative thinker?
Author Carla Johnson has studied the art and science of innovation. The research she’s done and the methodologies she’s built are both fascinating and super useful. She believes innovative thinking is both innate and teachable. It’s been an integral part of human nature since the beginning of time and it’s her mission to help reignite a passion for it.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Carla and I explore all things innovation. We give this buzzword a clear definition. We discuss mistakes made in trying to find creative solutions. We look at ways innovative thinking can be enhanced and taught, as well as how to create a culture of creative thinkers in your agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Understanding the definition of innovation * Why innovative thinking is a skill we all have * Mistakes that keep meetings from being creatively rich * Is innovative thinking teachable? * Does groupthink help or hinder agency innovation? * Why adults are less innovative than children * The archetypes of innovative thinking * How to create a culture of creative, innovative thinkers
Culture has always been an integral part of any organization. We talk about it in different ways than we used to, but wherever people gather – they create culture. Often, that culture becomes one of the building blocks of an organization’s brand. But not always. The crossroads of brand and culture still holds a lot of untapped potential your agency can leverage both for yourself and your clients.
Theresa Agresta is a former agency owner who realized the cultural assessments she was using to build a brand created a whole different business opportunity that would allow her to dig much deeper into the connection between brand and culture. The fascinating work she’s doing through her company CultureTalk is something that could greatly benefit agency clients, as well as their own shops.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Theresa and I look at the ways culture can be used as a tool for agency growth. We take a deep dive into the definition of culture, while also exploring ways to change a company culture, use these insights to improve employee and client relations, and how embracing culture research can easily create additional revenue streams by enhancing what you can offer to clients and prospects.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The data used to study brand and culture * The gap between what is expected and what is tolerated * How systems aid culture-related conversations * Tools for changing a culture * How agencies are using culture insights to better their work * Getting over the hesitation of a culture review * Using the insights in regards to employee relations * Utilizing culture research outside of brand work * Creating AGI from culture assessments
“By measuring organizational culture, there are many different connected business challenges that you can start to solve for.” @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET“Culture exists in the delta between what leaders say they expect and what they actually tolerate day-to-day.” @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET“One of the critical things that a system, a framework, and a language give you is the ability to have a real conversation about culture.” @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET“If you want to help an organization tap into who they are at a gut level and show up authentically, it all starts with understanding their culture.” @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET“It’s about creating awareness and acceptance for the differences and appreciating the value that different people bring.” @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET“Culture can be measured, it can be managed, and it can be led.” @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Theresa Agresta:
- Free PDF – How to use Archetypes to Coach, Lead and Drive Organizational Change
- Expect vs. Tolerate Graphic – this is so simple!
- And, one update: our next CultureTalk Certification class start-date was moved one week to Tuesday, July 13th (10:00 AM NY and 5:00 PM NY cohorts)
- We’d love to offer your listeners a 10% discount if they register for the July class. They can use the coupon code BetterAgency at checkout.
- Websites: https://culturetalk.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/culturetalksurveys
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresaagresta/
- Twitter: @TheresaAgresta
Tools & Resources:
- Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book)
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
- My Future Self Mini-Course
As Stephen Woessner and I teach in our book Sell With Authority, it’s critical for agencies to use content to attract their right fit prospects. When it’s done well and consistently, it can give an agency an unfair advantage over all of their competitors. But what exactly does doing it well mean these days?
Author, speaker, and entrepreneur Joe Pulizzi is credited with coining the phrase “content marketing”. His focus is on teaching marketers how they can build a business by being helpful more than relying on more aggressive selling tactics. He brings a lot of passion and enthusiasm for the work that he hopes will inspire your successful game plan.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Joe and I discuss the various aspects of content marketing. We look at how it has changed, what is being done wrong, and the many ways to improve your content strategy. We also discuss exit strategies, the importance of building a community, and new ways to think about niche marketing.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What has changed in content marketing and why it changed so fast * What is being done wrong by many agencies? * The need for consistency * The importance of exit strategy planning * Can a generalist agency employ a content strategy? * Why you need to build a community * How to build patience into your lead generation * Niche marketing
Content is the cornerstone of any current agency’s ability to position itself as an authority, but many agencies struggle with knowing exactly how to actually create all the content they need for both their clients and themselves. Where do the ideas come from? What if the ideas seem too big or ridiculous? Is it possible to schedule creativity? How is the content leveraged?
Scott Ginsberg is an ultra-prolific creative strategist. He’s written 50 books, released 12 albums of his own original music, produced three films, given over 600 speeches where no two are the same, and he has worn a name tag 24/7 for over 20 years. (Yes, that last one is true.) He knows a thing or two about creating content that connects with audiences and he wants to share his insights with you.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Scott and I have a wide-reaching conversation about creativity, innovation, and content development. We discuss ways to compress time, build an inventory of ideas, reverse engineer content, mentor effectively, and systemize creative development. Hopefully, you leave encouraged to experiment and play in ways that help you become more of what you want to be.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to become more approachable * How to reverse engineer the content creation process * What it means to compress time in order to create content * The importance of building an inventory of ideas * Developing a content curation system * Ways to help employees figure out what they’re good at naturally * How to systemize innovation
To put it mildly, 2020 was a storm none of us saw coming and it lasted for much longer than we expected. Business as usual went out the window and everyone shifted to survival and then re-building mode. Now that we’re moving into a post-pandemic world, let’s explore some of the emerging agency trends that are impacting agencies today and will continue to play a role for the next 12-18 months.
I’ve divided the trends into categories like money, clients, agency owners, employees and tactics that are selling and we’ll go through them all, not just looking at the trends but how you can take advantage of them.
We’ve seen changes in our relationships with clients and our teams. We’ve been inspired to create new products to serve our partners. We’ve learned a lot about what we can do when forced to rethink everything and now we can use the lessons to create a stronger future for ourselves and our agencies.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Agency Trends in 2021 * How the pandemic actually helped many agencies find their footing financially * Why smaller agencies are being invited to punch above their weight * Location is suddenly irrelevant * Why RFPs have gone away for some clients * The need for pricing integrity * Understanding client-pressures post-pandemic * Struggles agency owners are facing * Pandemic-inspired pivots * Employee expectations that need to be addressed * New selling tactics
You have a simple choice when it comes to biz dev. You can chase after strangers or you can attract people who are drawn to you because of your expertise. They’ll come to know, like and trust you and when they’re ready to hire an agency, they’ll reach out. One of the best ways to position yourself as an expert is to be a published author. Many agency owners want to position themselves as an expert but can’t imagine how they’d actually write a book.
Returning guest Dr. Anthony Paustian owns a hybrid publishing company called BookPress Publishing. Stephen Woessner and I worked with Tony as we wrote and published Sell With Authority and he brings with him a wealth of knowledge for those of you wanting to write your book.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Tony and I tackle the many questions that first-time authors need to consider when developing their book projects. We discuss what authors should look for in publishers, writing coaches, and editors, as well as what to expect from distribution, the financial model of hybrid publishing versus traditional, and how to define the goals of your book.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What goes into a book being good * The spectrum of getting your book published * Understanding hybrid publishing * What to expect from distribution * How to select a writing coach * A reasonable timeframe for completing a book * Working with an editor * Defining the goals of your book and how to leverage it to position yourself as an expert * How much to prepare before reaching out to potential publishing partners
I have repeatedly said that many agency owners have earned an MBA in emotional leadership over the last year and a half. It’s been exhausting, frightening, paralyzing, motivating, inspiring, and, at times, you’re simply doing whatever it takes to survive. You’ve done so with grace, authority, enthusiasm, and vision, but I also know that you’re tired and anxious about what’s coming next. The question becomes, how can we best manage and communicate our emotions for the good of our agency, team, and personal well-being?
Author and executive coach Dr. Roger Hall uses his doctorate in psychology to help business owners manage their thinking and in turn, manage their team. His background and expertise has given him insights and tools that we can immediately begin to employ in our emotional leadership.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Dr. Hall and I talk about the emotional challenges many agency owners are currently facing. We explore tools for better monitoring, controlling, and expressing these emotions and techniques for building self-possession and resilience. We also look at 10 habits for leaders who are both happy and productive, and tips for fast-tracking improvements.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why emotional leadership mattered during the pandemic * Tools for thought monitoring, thought stopping, and thought replacement * Why it can be helpful to let yourself worry * How humans can literally smell fear * Techniques for becoming more self-possessed * How to become a better emotionally intelligent leader * 10 Habits of leaders who are both happy and productive * Tips for fast-tracking emotional improvements
You’ve heard me say it a million times. Most agency owners are accidental business owners. Whatever your agency’s origin story, most of us can remember the moment when we looked around and realized, “This is so much harder than I thought it would be and if I’m being honest – I am winging this.” In the beginning, we’re nervous about admitting our uncertainty but at some point, most agency owners are hungry to learn and willing to admit don’t always have the answer. But what if embracing the doubts we all have is actually a sign of great leadership?
Author and executive coach Marc Pitman has spent several decades building his knowledge base around growing strong leaders. His insights not only help agency and business owners become better leaders themselves, but he also shares ways to grow, build, and nurture future leaders throughout an organization.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Marc and I explore a variety of topics surrounding leadership and the need to make peace with your doubts. We discuss changes in leadership brought about by the adaptations required to weather the pandemic. We also discuss different kinds of leaders, ways to assess and clarify the kind of leader you are and want to become, and ways to inspire others as they work on their own leadership.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The changes in the leadership created by the pandemic * Four quadrants of agency leadership * What it means to be a focused leader * Some available assessments to offer insights into what kind of leader you are * The best ways to encourage others to grow into their leadership
The last year has been one for the books as an agency owner and the HR issues we’ve had to deal with have been off the charts! We’ve faced the pandemic, working from home, layoffs, furloughs, understanding what employee assistance was available for our people and been put in the role of mental health counselor to boot! There’s also been a call to build a more inclusive workforce during a time of incredible racial tensions. All of this has challenged us to truly think about what kind of an employer we want to be.
Molly Eyerman owns an HR consulting company that does a lot of work with agencies. She’s here to help us try to figure out how to navigate all of these new challenges so that we can be proud of the way we treat our employees and how we handle some of these hot topic issues in a way that benefits both our team and our clients.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Molly and I discuss a wide range of human resource related topics, including how to best embrace diversity, inclusion, and equality regardless of an agency’s size, the new demands of work-from-home policy considerations, and ways to create and implement boundaries as far as how employees discuss delicate topics and present themselves on personal social media platforms.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What it means to be an agency invested in diversity and inclusion * The importance of looking at diversity in mentorship and internships * How to have difficult conversations within your agency * The proper boundaries for political discussions in the workplace * What is human resources allowed to dictate as far as employee expression outside of the office? * Things some agencies aren’t thinking about in regards to work-from-home policies * Some positives that have come from the demands created by the pandemic * Where to find information on requirements for remote employees working in other states
Every agency is going to have a vaccine policy. You have three choices – you can mandate the covid 19 vaccine, you can encourage it or you can take a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and in essence, ignore it. But each of those choices is in essence a declaration of how you’re going to handle the question of vaccine in your shop. It will become your policy.
Given that truth, you should make a conscious decision and communicate it clearly to your team and clients. I have several agencies who have already had clients and prospective employees ask them a simple question, “is everyone at the agency vaccinated?” How are you going to handle it when you’re asked?
I’m obviously not a doctor or scientist but all of the available information indicates that COVID and the discussion around vaccines is going to be a big part of our shared awareness for at least the next few years. With that in mind, it’s important to make it clear where your agency stands on the issue.
In this solocast, I’m going to talk through the things you need to think about as you begin to approach creating your agency’s vaccine policy. There are basically three options: you can require, encourage, or ignore the vaccine. Each of these creates a series of questions that you as the agency owner has to be prepared to answer and I want to give you as much information as I can to guide your decision.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The importance of having your vaccine policy in writing * The three choices around creating a vaccine policy * How no decision creates your policy unwittingly * The criteria for requiring vaccines * Limitations on what we can do to entire employees to get vaccinated * Questions to consider when creating your vaccine policy * Why this shouldn’t be a group decision
We talk about influencer marketing like it’s a hot new trend. That’s not quite right. Celebrity endorsements have been around forever. The difference is that celebrity is defined very differently today.
It’s a bit of the wild west and we’ve all heard the horror stories. That’s why many agencies and brands have shied away from influencer marketing. What if you could sidestep the risks while maximizing the credibility and trust that the right influencer can bring to our clients?
Jason Falls wrote his latest book Winfluence, Reframing Influencer Marketing to Ignite Your Brand, to help agencies re-think this important opportunity. He’s been an agency leader for many years, owned social media properties, and created an influential blog in the marketing space. Jason believes that if we redefine who we think of as an influencer, we can change the game.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Jason and I dig into his version of influence marketing. We discuss how we need to rethink what it means to be an influencer and why it doesn’t need the celebrity stamp that so many people associate with the word. Among other things, we look at the various ways influencers can work both online and off, where agencies miss the mark with these campaigns, and how to measure and track ROI for influence marketing.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why we need to rethink the definition of influence marketing * Examples of off-line influencers * Where agencies get influence marketing wrong * The correlation between influencer strategies and business driver goals * Ways that influencers are bringing audiences onto platforms owned by an agency or brand * The four key purposes of influence marketing * How to measure and track ROI for influence marketing campaigns
Trust. It’s always been at the core of running and leading your agency. If our teams don’t trust us, they don’t follow us. If our prospects don’t trust us, they don’t hire us. And if our clients lose trust in us, we lose them. The challenge is – how do you know if you’re trusted? You can’t just point blank ask. If an employee doesn’t trust you, they sure as heck aren’t going to say so. And even if you are trusted – how do you level up to an even deeper degree of trust with your team, clients, and prospects?
David Horsager has been studying trust for 20+ years. An author and international researcher, he has dedicated his professional life to helping people see and understand how building trust leads to business success.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, David and I discuss ways we can level up our trust. We talk about options for assessing and proving how much we’re trusted, and how to improve on any weak spots so that we can become more trusted leaders within our organizations and with our clients.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The eight pillars for assessing leadership trust * Ways the pandemic helped humanize some CEOs * What lack of trust costs you as a leader * How to build a better relationship with an employee where trust is lacking * How to handle topics that you can’t discuss in a way that builds leadership trust * Ways to kickstart some trust in an organization * The importance of the word “how?”
In the agency space, we have to constantly be reinventing the wheel because everything keeps changing. By the nature of our business, we are always doing something for the first time which, by default, lends itself to having a nagging doubt now and then. In a world where it’s impossible to have all the answers, but also being a leader in an industry where you’re supposed to understand everything, it’s easy to fall victim to imposter syndrome. Fortunately, you are not alone and there are some fixes you can deploy.
Kris Kelso is here to help silence that nagging voice of doubt. An author and executive coach working mostly with entrepreneurs and doing leadership work, he has literally written the book on imposter syndrome. Kris’ book, Overcoming the Imposter is about silencing your inner critic so you can lead with confidence.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Kris and I discuss many aspects of imposter syndrome. We talk about its prevalence in high achievers and the underlying fear that it represents. We look at what it costs us as creative professionals and the many ways it can weaponize our gifts against us. And, perhaps most importantly, we’ll walk through some tangible reframing techniques that can quiet that inner critic.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why imposter syndrome is not gender based * The reason imposter syndrome is more prevalent in high achievers * The difference between self-esteem and self-efficacy * The underlying fear of imposter syndrome * What does imposter syndrome cost us? * The damage of “productive procrastination” * How imposter syndrome weaponizes our gifts against ourselves * How to quiet the inner critic * Helpful reframing techniques
Every week I get an email or three from an agency owner asking me if I have a contract template or some other legal document that they can just copy and use. My response is always the same. For a few hundred or thousand dollars – do not put your entire agency at risk. It’s dangerous and short-sighted for an agency to use someone else’s agreement as a template. They need to be built for your agency, your clients and your particulars. But when is a DIY approach acceptable? What, exactly, is a “done with you” model? And how can you determine when an actual attorney is necessary? Understanding the when, what and how of various legal tools available is vital to protecting your agency. The good news is that you can spend a little now to avoid paying a lot down the road.
As AMI’s go-to attorney, Sharon Toerek* specializes in working with agencies just like yours and mine. She understands the constraints and challenges of running a small to mid-sized agency and helps clients dodge legal bullets every day.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Sharon and I talk at length about ways agencies need to best prepare their agencies legally. We discuss a wide range of topics, including the need for a legal readiness audit, agency insurance, IP rights, regulatory issues, influencer marketing, freelance contracts, data privacy compliance, the legality of unsigned agreements, if DIY legal agreements are safe, how exactly the “Done with you” model works, and when you need to get an attorney involved.
*Please note, Sharon is here as an educator speaking to her experience and nothing she shares should be interpreted as legal advice.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The three different agency owner personas and how they approach legal decisions * What legal tools are available to you and why they matter. * How to audit your legal readiness as an agency * The need to review agency insurance * A look at IP rights and usage * Regulatory issues and data privacy compliance that need to be considered * Is there any value to agreements not signed by the clients * When DIY legal agreements are acceptable * How a “Done with you” model works * How to know when you need to get an attorney involved
It’s lonely at the top. While that’s a cliché, as agency owners we all know it to be very true. On those days when you’d sell your agency for a nickel, who do you have to confide in? On the flip side – when you land the biggest account in your agency’s history, who can you call who will be as excited as you are? Surrounding yourself with people who care about your success as much as you do is critical. No one gets owning an agency more than another agency owner. And no one gets owning a business more than another business owner. How do you surround yourself with people who genuinely understand your world and are in your corner?
Mastermind groups of various forms have been around for a long time. In fact, Agency Management Institute was founded with agency owner peer groups which are, in essence, a mastermind group. There are plenty of organizations that offer formal mastermind groups but you can also form your own. Either way, it’s essential that you have peers who will be your sounding board, tell you the truth when you don’t want to hear it, and will bend over backwards to help you succeed.
In this episode of Build A Better Agency, I want to talk to you about the value of these groups, as well as outlining several ways to ensure its success, including things to look for in a mastermind, understanding the difference between formal and informal groups, meeting structures to implement, the importance of accountability, and creating a safe space for facing crisis.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The value of a mastermind group * Four things to look for in a mastermind * Formal vs Informal mastermind groups * Models for successful masterminds * Ideal size of an informal mastermind group * The importance of accountability * Deal with crisis in a mastermind * How often a mastermind should get together
“What a mastermind does for you as a business owner is it gives you other people who have some shared experiences, some different perspective on those experiences, and also have your best interest.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“The first thing that matters when you’re thinking about a mastermind is to be in a mastermind with people who genuinely care about you as a human being and who care about you in terms of your business success. They are committed to you being…CLICK TO TWEET“I have often said, the best thing about being a business owner is, you’re accountable to no one. The worst part of being a business owner is, you’re accountable to no one.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“There’s great comfort in knowing that you can command everyone’s attention and they are willing to give you that time and attention.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“There are times when you don’t honor the exact agenda of the mastermind but, honestly, having an agenda is probably one of the most critical elements of whether or not this is going to work.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“The questions they ask me help me see with a clarity that I couldn’t see if I was doing it all by myself.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources:
- Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book)
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
- My Future Self Mini-Course
At AMI we preach the idea of building your wealth outside your agency, while you still own your agency. Sadly, many owners leave too much in retained earnings inside the agency and over time, they piddle that money away. Every agency owner deserves to profit from the risk they took to start the business and the sweat equity they’ve put into it for years. Agency owners often ask me about how other agency owners are building a nest egg outside of the shop. Most will consider real estate but rarely do they think about passive real estate investments. I want to make sure we change that!
Chris Prefontaine is a returning guest (episode 203) who talked in general terms about real estate investing last time. I asked him back to specifically talk about passive real estate investments. Speaking from personal experience, one of the beautiful things about this option is that you can generate a pretty remarkable return without you as the investor doing any of the leg work!
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Chris and I discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of real estate investments, especially passive partnership options. We talk about ways to vet these estate opportunities, what kind of investor would be ideal for this kind of deal, and the questions to ask when considering an investment.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The three paydays of an active real estate investment and which two of those apply to passive real estate investments * What the payouts look like for passive real estate investors * How to vet passive real estate opportunities * Who makes a good investor in passive real estate * What questions to ask when faced with a passive real estate investment opportunity * Does it make sense to invest in multiple properties or a single property? * Specific financial requirements for being a passive real estate investor * How does this work from a tax perspective? * The trends that are happening in real estate investments
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic but many agency owners wonder how, exactly, it can benefit their shop. They get how it works but they think that either a) they don’t understand it enough to deliver on it for clients or b) they can’t afford the AI tools out there for agencies. The truth is – now is the time to experiment. Most agencies are at the infancy stages of learning about AI and how to use it to serve clients better. But we have to get up to speed or we will find ourselves left behind. The good news? It’s within your grasp.
It’s with these challenges in mind that I was inspired to reach out to RJ Talyor and have him on the show. RJ’s SaaS company, Pattern89, works with agencies and brands and improves their ad effectiveness and efficiency by measuring over 49,000 characteristics of a digital ad. With that data, they can provide insights on what’s working and what isn’t, as well as the predicted shelf life of any ad. Through their analytics, they’re also able to predict with over 95% accuracy whether or not a piece of creative is going to work.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, RJ and I discuss the many ways AI insights are quickly becoming a necessity for agencies of all sizes. We look at the specific data it can provide, as well as how an agency can begin to experiment while convincing even the most dubious of clients of its importance. We also talk about the way the creative life cycle is changing, how agencies approach AI wrong, and what is coming next in the world of artificial intelligence.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The specific data AI for marketing can give to an agency * Why AI doesn’t undermine creative * How small to mid-size agencies are leveraging AI marketing insights * Why AI is quickly becoming a need-to-have for agencies of all sizes * How the creative life cycle is changing * How iOS 14 is changing the way marketing will work * Why the speed of change is disruption A/B testing * Ways agencies can begin to dip their toes in AI * Where agencies get AI wrong * What is coming next in the world of AI
Back in the good old days (pre great recession) agencies used research to make their work smarter and more effective. But it became a luxury we trimmed out as we had to squeeze budgets. As we emerged from the recession, we dismissed research as expensive and didn’t build it into our recommendations as often as we should. But what if we could benefit from the insights research provides without busting the budget?
This week’s guest Matt Seltzer has worked in several agencies in a research capacity. A couple years ago he started a market research firm specifically to partner with ad agencies to create more revenue streams and gather insight for themselves and their clients.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Matt and I talk about the many ways agencies of any size can utilize DIY research to build better pitches and client work. We discuss options for reducing bias, increasing response, and minimizing survey fatigue. We also explore ways to approach clients about investing in research, different ways to utilize the insights, and specific areas where agencies get research wrong.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Effective DIY research options * The benefits of simple surveys * Why customer personas are helpful * The way to increase survey response * Ways to reduce bias in DIY research * Why clients appreciate research * How to avoid survey fatigue * How to approach a client about adding research * Different ways to use the research insights * Misperceptions that keep us from DIY research * Ways agencies get research wrong
One of the biggest bottlenecks in many agencies is that the agency owner is the only person who can develop strategies for clients or new business pitches. As you know, this causes a host of problems, not the least of which is then the agency owner can’t focus on doing his/her job. Most owners feel stuck – believing that strategic thinking is not something you can teach. But what if you could?
Adam Pierno has a long resume working with well-known agencies and brands. When his experience on the creative side led to a realization that there was no methodology that could help agencies bake strategic thinking into their business model, he put his research and experience into authoring two books on the subject and now helps agencies looking to enhance their strategic approach.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Adam and I talk about the necessity to expand an agency’s strategic thinking beyond one or two people. We look at specific ways to do this that can empower your entire team to think strategically. We also discuss the errors many agencies make in communicating strategy to clients and prospects and how to leverage strategic thinking as we begin to move beyond the pandemic.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to infuse strategic thinking throughout an agency. * Different ways agencies can approach strategy. * How to soothe the conflict points that can develop when strategy expands to the who team. * Specific ways agencies screw up strategy during a pitch. * The need to create a story connection between the strategy and the creative. * The place for strategy in pitching. * The importance of having a captivating storyteller share the strategy. * How to help a team become better strategic thinkers. * The need to document the steps of your agency’s strategic thinking. * The secret to making clients want to stay with your agency as we begin to move into the next normal after the pandemic.
Over the last couple of years, many agencies have started reaping the benefits of embedding an account executive in a client’s office. By that I mean someone from the agency team literally has a desk or office in a client’s business for a set amount of time every week. This trend was growing prior to the pandemic and actually held its own during the work from home period of 2020. Now that more agencies and clients have returned to the office, this becomes a very viable option again. In this episode, I want to talk about what this means, how to do it well, and both the risks and value of doing it.
As an agency owner, your brain might jump to several potential problems that make you leery of such an arrangement. Truth be told, there are several benefits for your shop and your client. If done well, this can be a huge win for you.
It takes a bit of a learning curve, as well as putting the ideal employee with the right client. But, when done correctly, you create a really great hook that makes it nearly impossible for a client to consider taking their business anywhere else. In the process, as the agency owner, you cultivate a better, stronger, more connected relationship with the client organization.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why clients love embedded employees * How embedded employees guarantee that business’s growth * The dark side of embedding employees * How to protect yourself from having the employee poached * Ways to help your embedded employee stay loyal to the agency * The ideal employee to embed in a client’s office * The benefits to the agency of having an embedded employee
“Without exception, embedded employees are able to grow that book of business.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“You want an embedded employee to remember where they work and where their loyalties lie.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“An embedded employee should be someone who bleeds the agency’s colors.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“This is an opportunity for you as the agency owner to cultivate a better, stronger, more connected relationship with the business owner or CEO of the client organization.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“You are setting a really great hook with an embedded employee and it can be a fantastic thing for both the client and the agency.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources:
- My Future Self Mini-Course
- Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book)
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
About the Author: Drew McLellan For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more.
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Who is responsible for keeping the agency’s work on time and on budget? That is an oft debated topic among agency owners. At AMI we believe that a specific role (Project Manager, Traffic Manager, etc.) to keep everyone and everything on track is a luxury if you have fewer than 10 employees and by the time you’re at 15-20 employees, it’s usually a necessity if you want to keep your team and clients happy. But who you hire and how they go about implementing a traffic system is a challenge many agency owners struggle with.
Ben Aston is a self-taught digital project manager with over 15 years experience in the agency world. Realizing how difficult his own learning path was and how few resources exist for those interested in developing these skills, he turned his focus to training others on how to develop the craft of project management.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Ben and I talk about what a project manager does and how this role will help grow your bottom line. We get into the nitty gritty of what makes for successful project management, including defining the skills for an ideal project manager, injecting flexibility into planning, reframing time tracking, and solving the problem of the dreaded “scope creep.”
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * At what size agency would a project manager make sense * What skills creates an ideal project manager * Why project management is such a challenge for a majority of agencies * How to recognize project management issues * The necessity for creative and craft briefs * Solving the problem of “scope creep” * How to inject flexibility into project planning * Defining negative scope * How to create effective templates * The need to reframe time tracking * Best practices for successful project management
The reality is, we spend so much time thinking and worrying about business development, and in most cases that exuberance is not really matched with the same level of excitement for our existing clients. Which is crazy because we all know that clients get much more profitable the longer we keep them. Despite knowing that – we keep making the same mistakes and jeopardizing our most important client relationships. What if we could avoid those mistakes?
Stacey Singer has a great love of how agencies combine business, creativity, and psychology. She has worked in agencies large and small and now she devotes her expertise to helping agencies build amazing client relationships that really hold up, even when things get rocky.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Stacey and I discuss why paying attention to existing client relationships is even more important than pursuing new clients. She walks through the need to try to imagine your relationship from the client perspective, as well as specific but seemingly small things she has learned that can sometimes damage that relationship.
We also dive into the need for a client satisfaction analysis, as well as why putting the client first doesn’t automatically mean blindly agreeing with whatever they ask for. Sometimes telling the client “no” leads to a stronger relationship.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Specific ways agencies mess up the client experience * The need to see the client experience from the client’s perspective * Simple ways agencies undermine trust with clients * How to get a response from challenging clients * The importance of explaining the implications for actions * The error in interpreting client questions as an indication of a lack of trust * The need for clear service standards * How an exchange program with a client can be incredibly insightful for both sides of the relationship * The danger in letting your agency needs seep through to the clients * Why being invested in the client beyond just what your agency can offer can lead to more business actually * How to tell the client ‘no’ but have it sound like a ‘yes’
Leadership can feel like a loaded word. We often think about leadership as defining how you run your business but, to me, that refers to how you manage, not how you lead. Leadership is how you show up, and great leadership isn’t just about getting people to do what you want, it’s about inspiring them to WANT to do what you are asking because they are invested, emotionally and otherwise, in your goals and the goals of the agency. In this podcast, we’re going to explore how we can get to be that kind of leader.
As a self-proclaimed “snow globe shaker”, Jeff Nischwitz is on a mission to shake up how we lead and the impact of that leadership. A global speaker and coach, Jeff is all about pushing aside our fears and leading from the heart so we can all be better leaders.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Jeff and I talk about the challenges and revelations of agency leadership over the last year during the pandemic. Beyond that we dive into the untapped power of vulnerability, the need for grace, and the biggest fears in modern leadership. We look at the specific skills and tools that leaders will need as we move into the next normal.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The need for vulnerability in better leadership * How fear is driving leadership challenges * Why what you tolerate defines your agency * The importance of creating a “no waiting zone” in your agency * Defining the difference between a good manager and a good leader * How the concept of grace is missing from business leadership * Why leaders need to invest in the physical and emotional safety of their team * Understanding why bad leadership is actually a selfish act * The need to reframe your definition of “nice”
Think about how you build out journey maps or of journey maps you’ve seen if that isn’t something your agency does. They chart out how a potential customer goes from not being aware of the product or service to the point of purchase. Typically, we’re building this journey map to coincide with our work in helping our clients increase their sales. In that way, it makes sense that the map would end at the sale. That’s our job is to get them to that point. But the customer’s experience has really just begun. The real journey begins once you’re in a relationship with the customer and how you nourish and grow the trust and connection with the client moving forward.
The opportunity for our agencies is to help our clients beyond the initial sale. What if our agency also engaged in helping clients build stronger, more resilient relationships with their customers? That’s some very profitable work for us and a lasting value for our clients.
As a certified customer experience professional, Jeannie Walters is an expert on this exact topic. An educator and consultant that comes from the agency world, she has a real passion for improving customer experiences and she’s here to share some insights that will help you serve your clients even better.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Jeannie and I dive into the changes in customer relations that were inspired by the pandemic and how companies were forced to evolve in order to survive. We also talk about how the entire supply chain process has come front and center, as well as the continuing need to be innovative, even though the stakes aren’t as high as they were during the pandemic.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to get your clients to think bigger * The need for a customer experience mission in your agency * Ways to improve journey mapping * The difference between the buyer’s journey and the customer’s journey * Why communication is key to the customer experience * The way the customer experience differs in a B2B environment versus a B2C environment * How to get your whole agency on the same page regarding the expectations of the customer experience * How to use a customer experience success statement to measure what is being done right * The important of including the billing process in the review of your customer journey * How to spot and utilize “micro-moments” to create surprises that delight customers
As we celebrate the most anticipated New Year’s Day in any of our lifetimes, we also find ourselves planning, goal settings, and making resolutions for the new year. Whenever I ask an agency owner what goals they’ve set for their shop, without exception, the first goal (and often the only goal) they can come up with is a revenue goal. I absolutely want you to set revenue goals for this year but you shouldn’t limit your thinking to that one metric. There are other growth goals that are as important, if not more so, than what your gross revenue is for the year.
One of the fallacies that plagues agencies is that the only way to have a successful year is to get bigger (gross billings) but that’s a short-sighted and incorrect notion. There are many ways you can build and expand your agency that have nothing to do with your revenue. And depending on your agency – several of them could be even more fruitful and put more money in your pocket.
In this solocast episode of Build A Better Agency, I’m going to walk you through ten metrics worthy of consideration as you think about your agency’s growth. I’m not suggesting you try to tackle them all, but two or three might be the right number to consider as you plan your way to a good dose of growth for 2021.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Reasonable expectations for AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) growth goals in 2021 * The right way to think about growing your team * How to think about client growth in a different way * How certain employees block growth * The power of focused goals * The growth potential in specialization * How a gorilla client impacts your ability to grow * Taking care of the clients who got you this far * The powerful satisfaction metric that can impede or fuel growth * Why you need to take some time to think about your life goals, and not just your agency goals, and an AMI mini course to get you started
As marketers we understand the power and influence of a brand. We know that every buying decision we make is based on emotion. This helps explain why some brands garner a cult-like fan base. They understand the power of their emotional triggers. As agencies, we should be brilliant at discerning and leveraging a brand’s specific emotional triggers. But sometimes it’s difficult to help a client see the value in what can appear a bit ethereal. But what if there was a tool to help you validate what you know about your clients’ (or your) brand?
Today’s guest has turned the science of emotion into a tangible tool. Brian Gregory comes from a long publishing and advertising background. He has studied the core emotional triggers that lead to a specific brand’s buying decisions and is using this insight to help agencies and their clients build a better business and ROI.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Brian and I discuss the principles of emotion-based buying, including examples of how it has been used successfully by well-known brands. We also talk about the formula that all good marketing follows, what the big brands fear small businesses will figure out, and why it’s important to have an emotional emphasis in all your marketing communication.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The science of emotion buying marketing * An introduction to Admanity, an online tool that defines which of the primal emotions can be best utilized by your clients and your agency * How to use the knowledge of emotion buying triggers to increase sales * How advertising follows a formula * The importance of understanding how emotions are related when it comes to marketing communication * How businesses and agencies get advertising wrong * What the big brands fear small businesses will figure out * Why this is the perfect time for small-to-midsize agencies and brands to embrace the power of emotion buying * How an agency can use emotion buying concepts to sell a client on a new campaign
For many agency owners systems is the S Word. We bristle at the idea of being confined. It feels like an attempt to stifle our creativity and ability to think out of the box. But if we’re honest with ourselves, there’s a lot of wash-rinse-repeat in our work every day. And without systems (which I translate to “the agency’s way of doing something) everyone develops their own way of accomplishing each and every task. Not only does that mean we are inconsistent at best but it also means that if that employees leaves, so does their tribal knowledge. This is a problem we can and should solve.
My guest for this episode is Josh Fonger, a Business Performance Architect and co-founder of the company, Work The System. The company is based on a book by the same name by Sam Carpenter and exists to help people implement the concepts. If you loved Michael Gerber’s book The E-Myth, but wished he’d told you HOW to follow his recommendations, you’ll love hearing from Josh.
In our conversation, Josh outlines not only why systems are important but the specific steps you can take to build them into your agency, no matter how long your agency has been around or how you’re functioning today. While the work may not seem sexy, once the processes are in place, you’ll love the reduction of mistakes, the ability to scale and the increase in profitability.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Practical tips for how to create systems for your agency * Why processes actually create more space for creativity * How the tribal knowledge method can fail you * Examples of how documenting systems allow you to productize your service * How to get started when it all feels so overwhelming * The agency owner’s role in building systems * How to document processes in a way that your team will actually reference them * How to get everyone (including the company owner) to follow the process once it’s in place * Productivity tips for how agency owners can extract themselves from the day-to-day in order to concentrate on business development.
Here are three things I know every agency owner wants. 1) A shortcut to landing new clients. 2) A way to prove ROI for their clients’ marketing budgets. 3) A way to automate tasks around data that allow them to guide their clients in the right direction faster and more accurately. The good news is – we can get all of that from marketing automation. If we use it wisely and well.
Agencies are constantly working to find ways to help their clients attract right-fit prospects, stay relevant to them during their buyer’s journey, and shorten the entire sales cycle. We have many tools at our disposal to accomplish those goals and a sophisticated marketing automation system is certainly one of them. Many agencies have barely scratched the surface of what marketing automation can do for their own agency and for their clients.
When we don’t delve into the power of marketing automation, we’re relying on email marketing circa 2000. But in this era of clients demanding ROI stats for their marketing spend, we are missing out on what can be a very compelling tool that can drive revenue for both our clients and our agency! In fact, my guest, Rick Carlson suggests that marketing automation is an outdated moniker for the tool. He believes we should call them revenue growth systems.
Rick is the founder and CEO of SharpSpring and has seen how a marketing automation system can transform the way you connect and communicate with your leads and clients. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Rick explains how using your marketing automation system to its full extent can enable agency owners to multiply their efforts, expand their communication, and build deep meaningful relationships as they build their agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: A marketing automation system can help agencies shorten the sales cycle and strengthen their client relationships. Learn how to use them in your agency with insights from Rick Carlson about:
- How to think about the tools in a marketing automation system through a different lens
- Stand apart by having true one-to-one conversations at scale
- Best practices for using marketing automation to generate leads
- How agencies can create effective landing pages that align with their marketing goals
- How agencies can communicate with their audience without burning them out
- Different ways agencies can use marketing automation to bridge the gap between their marketing and sales teams
- How agencies are leaving money on the table by not using their marketing automation system to its full potential
“Agencies have been called upon to help their clients fortify relationships with their existing customers, and they have been called upon to shorten the sales cycle. I think marketing automation tools play a role in both of those things.” @sharpspringCLICK TO TWEET“As marketers, the opportunities to spend money on leads are endless. But a disproportionate amount of time is spent on lead generation instead of nurturing the leads we’ve landed.” @sharpspringCLICK TO TWEET“The key to nurturing leads with a marketing automation system is truly knowing your customers’ business so you can apply the tools properly.” @sharpspringCLICK TO TWEET“A marketing automation system is about having a one-on-one conversation with your prospects at scale based on each individual’s interests.” @sharpspringCLICK TO TWEET“Marketing automation is an antiquated term. These tools are revenue growth platforms, and so many of them are geared towards the sales process as well.” @sharpspringCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Rick Carlson: * Demo: https://sharpspring.com/ami/ * Agency Acceleration Series: https://sharpspring.com/agency-acceleration-series/ * Website: https://sharpspring.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickcarlson/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sharpspring/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SharpSpringInc/ * Twitter: @sharpspring
Tools & Resources: * Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book) * Podcast Giveaway * Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast * Agency Edge Research Series
Project management is a challenge for every agency, regardless of their size or tenure. Many agencies have a physical project board on a wall or are using Excel spreadsheets to try to keep everything in check. Unfortunately, these rudimentary project management systems end up costing agencies time, money, and even clients. But it does not have to be a source of frustration or profit evaporation.
If your agency has been resisting a project management system, it’s time to recognize that you are choosing to put your agency at risk. A shop without a more sophisticated tool and process for getting the work done on time and on budget will experience missed deadlines, scope create and frustrated clients. It’s not ideal from your team’s perspective either. No one wants to drop the ball or disappoint a client or teammate.
Agency owner Peter Coppinger knew all of this too well. His own shop, located in Dublin, Ireland was struggling to find a tool that would help them keep everyone in alignment and manage all of the details of every job without fail. That frustration led them to decide to design a project management tool of their own, Teamwork, which is one of the more popular options among agencies throughout the world. His software now powers more than 20,000 businesses.
During our conversation, Peter walks through the common mistakes agency owners make with project management and some best practices for overcoming them – all with the goal of profitably growing and scaling your agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Pitfalls that many agencies face when it comes to getting the work done * Why agencies should be tracking and charging for every little piece of work they do * Peter’s best practices for managing projects effectively in the agency world * What characteristics agencies should look for in their search for a qualified project manager * Why effective project management is the key to growth and scale
“It’s easy to be a busy fool. As you scale your agency and add more people, you need to make sure you are scaling your profits as well.” @irlTopperCLICK TO TWEET“You’re not managing projects effectively if you’re constantly whipping people to get work across the finish line. You want your team to be self-reliant, and project management systems play a major role in that.” @irlTopperCLICK TO TWEET“Some customers are willing to pay more, and you need to have systems in place that can extract that value.” @irlTopperCLICK TO TWEET“People who are managing projects effectively are usually a rare combination of organized and good at dealing with people.” @irlTopperCLICK TO TWEET“Every agency has similar kinds of daily projects. If you don’t write down and organize the steps it takes to get them done, you will never be able to scale your agency.” @irlTopperCLICK TO TWEET Ways to contact Peter Coppinger: * Website: https://www.teamwork.com/ * Website: https://www.instantagencytools.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-coppinger-03284b/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teamwork-com/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamworkHQ * Twitter: @teamwork * Twitter: @irlTopper
Tools & Resources: * Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book) * Podcast Giveaway * Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
As I thought about this solocast and what I wanted to say to you, I came up with a big list. Year-end planning, appreciate your clients, get your biz dev kicked off for 2021. And then I realized you, like me, are on stress overload already and the last thing I needed to do was to add to your To Do list. Instead, the most helpful thing I can do in this episode is to acknowledge what’s going on, how you’re feeling and offer some support. So that’s what we’re going to do together.
You’ve been going full steam ahead at a breakneck speed for almost nine months. You’ve scrambled to replace lost business, get government assistance, shift to working from home and taking care of your team.
You’ve had to make some tough choices, have difficult conversations and yet you’ve rallied each and every time. But no one can sustain the pace and stress you’ve been keeping forever. It’s not humanly possible, even for you. Most of your agencies have fared well through the pandemic and financially, you’re in good shape. But that doesn’t mean you don’t need to focus on giving yourself some respite. And that’s what this episode is all about!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The overarching sentiment of agency owners in 2020 * What agency owners can do to move past the exhaustion and heavy emotions of 2020 * Why it is important to step back and reflect on the hardships and victories of the last year * How agency owners are dealing with stress overload in this fast-paced environment * Why agency owners are particularly affected by being “stuck” in the pandemic * Why agency owners need to put on their own oxygen masks now so they can help their families, employees, and clients down the road
“Whether you have been breaking all records or struggling to keep your head above water, none of this has been easy for anyone.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“I think it is really hard for us to admit that we cannot possibly keep up the pace and the level of stress we have been dealing with for the past nine months.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“We as agency owners are not a group of people that likes to feel stuck or have control taken away from us. I think one of the things that dealing with stress overload does is render us completely out of control.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“Being powerless is not something we are used to—or comfortable with. I believe that we have to take some of that control back.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET“We as agency owners have to find new ways of dealing with stress overload. We need to put on our oxygen masks first so we can fight another day.” @DrewMcLellanCLICK TO TWEET
About the Author: Drew McLellan For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops, and more.
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources:
- Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book)
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
If you’re not new to the podcast or AMI, you know that I am a proponent of agencies differentiating themselves by finding a niche where they can develop a depth of expertise or a position of authority. It’s one of the core messages in the book I co-wrote with Stephen Woessner, Sell with Authority. Which makes Brent Weaver a kindred spirit! Brent Weaver shares our philosophy of niching down, and he joins me to talk about what he believes it takes to become an authority.
Brent is a former agency owner and now focuses on helping business leaders finding their niche. He currently serves as the founder and CEO of UGURUS, a business training and education company dedicated to helping business owners achieve freedom by owning their markets. His work focuses on helping clients overcome their dependence on referrals and word-of-mouth through developing thought leadership. If you didn’t get a chance to meet him during our previous conversation, check out Episode #66 where he explains how to turn a profit doing web dev.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Brent provides valuable insights about finding your niche. He shares his own experience on niching down so you understand what it takes to become the dominant player in a specific market segment, even in times of crisis. Learn how to find your market, own your market, and, as a result, scale your business.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The framework of Brent’s book, “Get Rich in the Deep End” * How finding your niche and serving that audience will make everything in your business easier * The difference between having a lot of clients in a niche vs. being an authority * Why niching down will enable your agency to thrive in good times and bad * How to find time to market your business amidst your chaotic schedule * What type of content is central to developing a position of authority * The correlation between niching and scaling a business * How niching goes beyond marketing
“Finding your niche and serving that audience will make everything else in your agency 10x easier.” @u_gurusCLICK TO TWEET“Having a select market and consistent deliverables makes it easier to sell. It also makes it easier to deliver results for your clients.” @u_gurusCLICK TO TWEET“It’s one thing to have a lot of clients in a niche. When you are the thought leader and the marketing authority in your niche, clients will start coming to you.” @u_gurusCLICK TO TWEET“When you’re a niche agency and times are good, you make more money than anyone else. And when times are bad, you get back on your feet quicker than anyone else because clients are not looking for a generalist.” @u_gurusCLICK TO TWEET“The more complex your business is, the harder it is to scale. Finding your niche simplifies the equation.” @u_gurusCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Brent Weaver: * Book: https://ownyourmarket.com/pre-order * Website: https://ugurus.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentweaver/ * Twitter: @u_gurus
Additional Resources: * AMI Assessment * 2019 Agency Research Study * Money Matters Live Workshop * Build and Nurture Your Agency’s Sales Funnel Live Workshop * Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book) * Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
Successful business development strategies are always a hot topic when I’m talking with agency owners. That was true before the pandemic, so you can imagine how often we’re talking about it now! Business development for agencies has made a 180 over the past decade. Have you changed the way you sell to keep current?
Greg Jacobs is the head of Strategic Partnerships at Schiefer Chop Shop, an Irvine-based brand transformation agency where he developed a unique recipe for successful business development strategies. He also led NASCAR’s unscripted content division and served as Head (SVP) of Monetization at Red Bull & Red Bull Media House. As you might imagine, with that background, he comes at prospecting for his agency in a very different way.
During our conversation, Greg walks us through his approach to creating successful business development strategies and offers up some suggestions for agency owners who are looking to hire a salesperson for their shop. It’s never too late to re-tool your own biz dev strategies and this episode is sure to point you in the right direction.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Greg’s approach to building successful business development strategies and how agency owners can use it in their own niches * Greg’s transition from content creation to biz dev * How Greg mediates between biz dev and content creation teams * How to attract and retain the right biz dev talent * What Greg does to differentiate his agency and make it stand out from the crowd * How content plays a role in Greg’s biz dev efforts today * How newcomers can be successful in an agency biz dev role
“Content can be a universal language. If a brand has an interesting story and you can tell that story in a short form piece of content, the brand now has an asset they can use across their owned and operated channels.” @GregoryJacobsCLICK TO TWEET“The key metric of any piece of content is engagement. Will they click on it, will they watch it, and will they stay for a period of time?” @GregoryJacobs” @GregoryJacobsCLICK TO TWEET“There is no biz dev rep worth their salt that will do one of two things: A) Work on commission only. And B) Claim they can close business in less than six months.” @GregoryJacobsCLICK TO TWEET“Successful business development strategies give reps a window of time to figure it out, proper onboarding, some kind of retainer, and the ability to maintain relationships post-close.” @GregoryJacobsCLICK TO TWEET“Successful business development strategies are all about finding a balance between what you want to make and what fits your partner’s brand.” @GregoryJacobsCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Greg Jacobs: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryscottjacobs/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/schieferchopshop/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearescs * Twitter: @GregoryJacobs * Twitter: @wearescs_
Additional Resources: * December 17th Webinar Registration * Executive Summary * Money Matters Live Workshop * Build and Nurture Your Agency’s Sales Funnel Live Workshop * Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book) * Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
It’s an age-old adage – books are a three-dimensional business card. In today’s vernacular (from the book Sell With Authority) a book is an excellent example of cornerstone content. Many agency owners I know are curious about how to become a successful author but have decided they’ll never have the time or space to actually write that book. Josh Steimle has helped many clients recognize that they actually can get that book written and it doesn’t have to take years or be a painful experience.
Josh is an agency owner and former guest (Episode #182). As his agency (MWI) matured and his partners were running the day-to-day operations, Josh decided to explain what it takes to become a book author to grow their businesses just like he had done for his agency.
During our conversation, Josh explains how agency owners can write a book that demonstrates their expertise and allows them to step into their authority position. He then breaks down the book writing process to make it faster, less cumbersome, and very doable for the busy agency owner who wants to learn how to become a successful author.
This is the episode for you if you’d like to add the title “author” to your list of accomplishments. Josh busts many myths and helps the listeners chart a course to getting that first draft done!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * If you decide to go with a different keyword, make sure to have the keyword listed in at least one bullet point in bold. * How to write a book and use it as cornerstone content * Why a book is a strong way to tie your thought leadership and content creation efforts together * How to become a successful author so you can build your agency’s position of authority. * How Josh helps business owners navigate the book writing process * Why being an author and having a book escalates your agency’s growth and creates new opportunities * How being an author can actually shorten your sales cycle * Different ways you can use storytelling techniques to write a business book * How to organize the content/expertise you already have into an outline for your book
“Thought leadership has a lot of potential, and there are so many different places to publish and promote our content. A book is the glue that binds all of our content creation efforts together.” @joshsteimleCLICK TO TWEET“There are three hard parts to writing a book: getting started, finishing it, and everything in between.” @joshsteimleCLICK TO TWEET“If you have tossed around the idea of how to become a successful author, it is easier than you think. A book helps agency leaders propel their businesses in directions they don’t normally get to go.” @joshsteimleCLICK TO TWEET“We’ve had potential clients call us and say, ‘we read your book, we want to work with you, send us a contract.'” @joshsteimleCLICK TO TWEET“Even if it’s a bad book, it takes so much work for agency leaders to get a book done. That is why you need a process for how to become a successful author.” @joshsteimleCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Josh Steimle: * Website: https://www.mwi.com/ * Website: https://www.joshsteimle.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuasteimle/ * Book: https://amzn.to/2Es5rmI
Additional Resources: * Executive Summary * Money Matters Live Workshop * Build and Nurture Your Agency’s Sales Funnel Live Workshop * Sell with Authority (buy Drew’s book) * Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
How are clients thinking about and reacting to both COVID and the recession it triggered is on every agency owner’s mind. Will our clients go dormant? How are they approaching 2021 budgets and plans? Because we know this is vital intelligence for you, we decided to make that the focus of the 2020 Agency Edge research project. You’re going to find the data insightful and a relief.
The Agency Edge research series is a collaboration between AMI, Audience Audit, and Dynata. Audience Audit’s Susan Baier joins me to walk you through the highlights of the research findings and what you should do next, based on what we learned.
We believe the insights will help you strengthen your relationship with your current clients, dodge some potential landmines, and navigate your biz dev prospecting with more success. After you listen to the podcast, be sure to grab the 30-page executive summary from the show notes.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Findings from the 2020 Agency Edge Research Study * How agency owners are feeling as they deal with the impact of COVID and the recession * The 3 distinct segments that capture agency owner sentiment in 2020 * How the agency relationships of respondents have been impacted by COVID and the recession * What clients want out of their agencies during COVID and the recession * Why the data from the latest research study paints a more optimistic picture than we’d feared * New opportunities for gaining market share in 2020
It’s an age-old discussion. Should an agency specialize and focus on specific niches or should they be a generalist? If you’re familiar with AMI or have read the book I co-wrote with Stephen Woessner (Sell with Authority), you know that I believe there are some huge advantages to claiming your authority position and being a specialist. You don’t have to take my word for it – in this episode, I am going to show you some data to make the point.
But, even if you choose to remain a generalist, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a rock-solid sales strategy that keeps your pipeline full and attracts your best-fit prospects. It’s going to take longer but you can get there.
In this episode of Build A Better Agency, I want to walk you through the stages of an agency’s biz dev evolution and the potential power of holding a position of authority so that prospective clients hunt you down and ask if they can be your client.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why agencies who specialize have a distinct advantage when it comes to sales and retention * Why referrals shouldn’t be the only way you grow your agency * The goal today for agencies is to be sought after * The evolution of how agencies sell * The importance of developing thought leadership and expertise within a niche * The research data behind how and why agencies get hired * How to carve out a position of authority and sell from that position
Thought leadership is one of those buzzwords that has been so overused, it has almost been rendered meaningless. But as Stephen Woessner and I preach to agency owners in our book, Sell with Authority, when done well for the right reasons, being an authority can drive significant revenue for your agency. Stephen’s agency, Predictive ROI, decided they wanted to quantify the value of thought leadership so they engaged Susan Baier (Audience Audit) to do some research to answer the question “is there an ROI to being a thought leader?”
Creating unique, relevant content targeting a very narrow niche is time-consuming. Is there a payoff? How does it impact both new sales and retaining clients? Does it influence the sales cycle? How do people define what is and isn’t a true authority?
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Susan and Stephen join us to share the data that came out of the research and the implications that data has for us as agency owners, both as we think about our own biz dev but also how we advise clients about their own thought leadership efforts.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency owners can use data to measure the value of thought leadership * The origins of Susan and Stephen’s research about the ROI of being an authority * The research methodology Susan used for the ROI of thought leadership study * What Susan and Stephen’s study uncovered about people’s attitudes/beliefs toward experts in their field * The distinguishing characteristics that others use to determine if someone truly is an authority * How referrals are impacted by someone’s position of authority * The big takeaways of the study on the ROI of thought leadership and how to apply them in your agency
After this year, I think agency leaders can all rightfully claim their MBA in leadership! With the recession and COVID-19 rewriting our plans for 2020, we’ve all been challenged to step way outside of our comfort zones. And yet, I believe we can all get even better. How can we level-up as leaders and make sure our team is aligned and bringing their best to the job?
My guest this week, Chad Carden, is on a life mission to improve the way leaders interact with their teams to create greater engagement and better results. His style is very results oriented, but it’s balanced with a goal of helping everyone on the team do their best work and feel good about the contribution. This head and heart combination lines up nicely with how I know agency owners think about and care about their team members.
During this conversation, Chad and I discuss the different ways we can ramp up for success as we build momentum into the 4th quarter of 2020 and head into 2021. Chad outlines how we can show up as better agency leaders, transform our internal environments, and drive results. We all know that when everyone is happily rowing in the same direction – good things happen!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How 2020 has forced agency leaders to level-up their leadership * How agency leaders can carve out time for their people and build stronger connections without taking too much time out of the day * What agency leaders can do to make professional development a consistent part of the day-to-day * Why agency leaders should be focused on creating a sense of clarity, alignment, and purpose within their teams * What agency leaders can do to win the day and maintain the agency’s course to success * How agency leaders can inspire their teams to work better together
Creating content is both a huge opportunity and a big challenge for agencies. How do you elevate your efforts so that the content is actually meaningful to the audience and attracts prospects? How do you properly price your content efforts so you get paid fairly? If you’re looking for good writers – what are the clues that they’ll be able to do the work? All of these questions affect your bottom line. Luckily, there are principles you can follow to ensure your content creation is on-point, whether you are outsourcing writers or doing everything in-house.
My guest for this week’s episode is Steve Pockross, Owner and CEO of Verblio. Steve brings more than 20 years of startup, Fortune 500, and nonprofit experience to his role at Verblio. As CEO, he applies leading marketplace and SaaS principles to create an industry-leading content creation platform with 3,000 writers supporting thousands of clients with their digital marketing.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Steve joins us to talk about trends in content creation. He explains what agency owners can do to work better with outside writers and breaks down the traits you should look for in prospective writers if you want to build out a content creation team of your own. Whatever route you choose to take, Steve’s experience will provide you with insights to take full advantage of the content revolution.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Current trends in content creation * How we can work better with outside writers * What agency owners should look for in writers as they build out their own writing staff * How to achieve quality at scale * How the agency landscape has changed since COVID hit * How content is being refreshed and repurposed to create an immediate impact for clients * How we will consume content differently in twelve months
A.I. As agency owners and leaders, we understand what it is and what it does, but we haven’t quite figured out the best way to use it in our own agencies for ours or our clients’ benefit. Many still believe it’s something inaccessible or unaffordable. But, A.I. can transform our deliverables, change the ROI we deliver to clients, and make us even better at what we do. Today. At an affordable price.
My guest for this week’s episode is Neil Sahota, a professor at UC-Irvine in California. Neil is a specialist in artificial intelligence marketing. He was an IBM Master Inventor and is currently doing some astounding work as an A.I. Advisor for the United Nations. Neil authored the book, Own the A.I. Revolution, and is one of the foremost expert on emerging technologies as they relate to business strategy.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Neil joins us to share his journey and technical expertise. He explains what agency owners can do to harness the power of artificial intelligence marketing so we can use it in ours and our clients’ favor. He also walks us through some of the most progressive A.I. tools marketers are using to communicate with their audiences more effectively.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How we as agency owners can harness the power of artificial intelligence marketing and use the technological disruption in our favor * How to use A.I. to get data and use it in your client interactions * What tools agencies can use to leverage data and turn it into ROI * Where agency owners should look for guidance on what A.I. can do and how to do it * What inspired Neil to write his book, “Own the A.I. Revolution” * Neil’s perspective on the ethics of A.I. in marketing
As agency owners and leaders, we have 90 days to put 2020 to bed and get ready for 2021. To help you prepare, I’ve created a To Do list for every agency owner to work through in the 4th quarter. Use this checklist to dodge the landmines and give your agency a leg up for the new year.
In this episode of Build A Better Agency, I’ll walk you through the To Do list I’ve built out based on what I call the four critical components of a profitable and growing agency. They are leadership, biz dev, getting it done and managing the money.
With some focus in each of these four areas, you can go into the new year with confidence that your agency is ready. The To Dos won’t cost you a dime, but they will cost you some time and attention. Don’t wait until December to start executing on this list. Start today!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What agency owners should be doing between now and the end of the year * The four critical components of a profitable and growing agency * What we can do to replenish ourselves and our teams after all that has happened since March * Why this crisis is a great opportunity to level-up our teams * How to get our finances in check so our agencies are profitable going into 2021 * What we can do to improve our project and client management processes * How to incorporate our new biz dev tactics as permanent pieces of our biz dev strategy
Ongoing professional development is a challenge in most agencies. It’s tough to gather the right tools/resources, some agency owners aren’t sure about how to make it happen and for most the biggest challenge is making the time. And yet we know that one of the critical elements of our agency’s ongoing success is that our team has to keep getting better. I am a firm believer that professional development is a shared responsibility, which means your employees should do some of it on their own time and on their own dime. However, creating a culture of ongoing skills development and contextual learning is vital to stay ahead of the pack. And it’s not as hard as we might think.
My guest for this episode is a longtime veteran of the advertising industry. From print production and creative services to leading employee development within HR, Cecilia Gorman earned her stripes at agencies and brands large and small – most notably Y&R, Oakley, and Innocean. She currently consults on manager development, helping creative-minded companies strengthen the communication, leadership, and effectiveness of managers at all levels.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Cecilia joins me to talk about what it actually looks like to build a team of lifelong learners. She explains how agency owners can integrate professional development into their culture and create an active learning environment that impacts their clients and their team members alike. That not only serves your clients well but dramatically impacts retention and employee satisfaction. Everyone wins.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The number one thing that gets in the way of professional development * Why agency owners need to make professional development a part of the culture * How some agencies are carving out time for professional development, and when is the best time to invest in employee growth and development * What managers can do to create an active learning environment * How we can use storytelling to get more buy-in to our culture * The importance of developing self-awareness on top of technical skills * Four key skills that agencies should never neglect * Cecilia’s background in the agency world, and how she transitioned into professional development coaching
Many of us have earned our MBAs in leadership over this past year. As we wrap up 2020, we have some ground to make up and we can’t do that alone. We need to inspire our teammates to rise to the occasion, overcome their personal speed bumps, and build momentum as we drive to the end of the year. Elise Mitchell’s experience running agencies and coaching business owners provides actionable clarity on how we get there.
Elise Mitchell started Mitchell, her PR firm back in the nineties grew it to a seventy-person shop before selling it to Dentsu in 2013. What she loved most about the agency business was building young leaders so she built a leadership training program over the last several years. She works with emerging leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs, agency leaders, and a variety of others.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, I pick Elise’s brain about how we, as agency leaders, can get the most from our teams during these critical months. Elise’s wide range of expertise can help us inspire and coach our team to a new level of greatness.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Elise’s transition from agency owner to leadership coach/consultant * How agency leaders can better lead their teams through change * Why agency owners should acknowledge that it’s okay not to have all the answers * Critical mindset shifts that enable us to find opportunities in times of uncertainty * How to bring your team through change when everybody is not on board * How to empower your employees by helping them discover their own insights * How to become a more mindful leader and avoid succumbing to burnout
They say that the only thing we fear more than public speaking is death. That’s some pretty deep seeded fear! On top of the fear, many agencies want to leverage speaking as part of their biz dev strategy but there are so many questions. How do you get in front of the right audience? How do you capture email addresses from the stage? How do you convince event organizers that you have something of value to offer? The good news is – it’s not as scary or as hard as it might appear.
We are itching to get in front of our sweet spot clients so we can demonstrate value, step into a position of authority, and walk away with opportunities to make a sale. But results driven public speaking does not happen without a plan. You can get in front of an audience but are they the right ones?
When it comes to public speaking as a biz dev tool, Grant is an expert. He is the founder and CEO of TheSpeakerLab.com, a training company for public speakers. He is also the best-selling author of “The Successful Speaker.”
Grant coaches professionals of all skill levels with the biz dev techniques he uses in his own speaking engagements. He also teaches how to market yourself as a speaker and find the right event and audience for your goals.
Listen to the episode, and learn how to get on the right stage, in front of the right people, so you can demonstrate your expertise and walk away with opportunities to land some business.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Grant’s background in public speaking and how he developed his expertise * How to use public speaking as a biz dev tool * Why public speaking is a great way to step into a position of authority * How a business development mindset can change your approach to public speaking * How to identify natural speaking opportunities in your niche * How to differentiate yourself and stand out from the other speakers in your vertical * The common mistakes speakers make with booking and how to avoid them * How to engage promoters and event planners
Agency growth isn’t easy and it isn’t a given. It’s not because agency owners don’t want to build their agency to be sustainable, scalable, or sellable down the road. It’s because they consciously or unconsciously avoid putting systems and processes into place. Instead of having a “your agency name here” way, every one of your team members has their own way of serving clients and getting the work done. When you’re five people, that’s tolerable. But once you get past ten employees or so, that breaks and you are stuck. Want to get unstuck?
As long you allow everyone to work in their own way and there’s no standardization, there’s a ceiling for how much growth and scale you can achieve. Systemizing your team’s workflow and putting new processes in place can get your agency unstuck.
David Jenyns believes deeply in the relationship between systemization and agency growth. After rolling out new systems and processes within his own agency and witnessing the powerful results, he organized the experiences into a new book called Systemology. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, David shares some of the key lessons and techniques from his book so we can apply them in our own agencies and achieve unprecedented growth.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency growth is hindered by a lack of systems and processes * How David mastered the application of systems and processes in his own shop * What David believes are the mandatory systems and processes for all agencies * How to use David’s “Critical Client Flow” system * Why your systems and processes cannot be dependent on the agency owner * How to get your team members to embrace and appreciate new systems and processes * What characteristics and personality traits we should be looking for as we look for our system or process champion * The outcome and benefits we can expect to see from implementing new systems and processes within our agency
There’s no doubt that covid is going to leave its mark. For most of us, it’s the most disruptive event of our lifetime. The question is – what are those lasting marks? In this solocast, I’m going to walk you the changes that I think are inevitable. Some of them are short term and others will be around for many years. The good news is – it’s not all bad news!
We’re going to look at changes that will impact your staffing, your pocketbook, the work you do, what clients are demanding, and how your work will be measured.
While we’re not completely out from under covid’s crunch, I am already seeing agencies pivoting into these changes and reaping significant rewards for being out in front of the evolution. I want to make sure you’re able to react quickly and fend off the risks and capitalize on the new opportunities.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What we can expect to see in the short and long-term as we sail out of the COVID storm * How agency owners should navigate the post-COVID landscape * What agency owners can do to address the changes that will impact their cash flow * How agency teams can and should change in the post covid world * Why the work week as we know it will never look the same * How the pandemic’s effect on mental health is going to impact your agency * How to deal with skittish clients during the recovery period * Why COVID is a huge kick in the butt to get out there and sell
We all have experienced the membership economy. Disney+, Dollar Shave Club, and a wide variety of meal prep kits delivered to your door. But, does it work in the B2B or service delivery worlds? When we talk about the membership economy, we are talking about something much deeper than the transactional value of memberships and subscriptions we pay for each month. It’s about how we are treated and cared for by the businesses whose programs we join. As we think about how to strategically guide our clients – this is a concept we need to understand.
Robbie Baxter is an author and one of the foremost experts on the membership economy. She has written two books including The Forever Transaction and her earlier book, The Membership Economy. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Robbie explains how the membership mentality benefits a business and its clients, and she walks us through some of the challenges as well.
Is it a viable option for your agency or some of your clients? I think the answer might just surprise you!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The framework of Robbie’s books and teachings * How the membership economy has changed the way we look at our business model * Why the subscription religion is taking over all industries * How the membership model translates in the B2B space * Why membership is still a viable option if you are an artisanal bakery * How to get your clients on board with a membership model if it makes sense for them * The common obstacles we may run into while trying to roll out a subscription service within a client’s organization
Prior to the economic downturn in ‘07-’08, I worked with a lot of agency owners who were very adamant that they would never outsource any of their services. Then the recession hit. Agencies were forced to trim their payroll and job-out projects to 1099s and other partners. Today, 99% of the agencies I work with have a hybrid business model that incorporates some type of outsourcing. When done well, this is actually a benefit to your clients so the question becomes how can you make this work in your agency? Brian Gerstner joins us in this episode of Build a Better Agency to explain how we can build and maintain strong partnerships that work well for all concerned.
Brian Gerstner has over twenty years of experience working with agency owners across the globe. He currently serves as the Creative Services Director for Huebner Marketing and the presenting sponsor of this podcast, White Label IQ. Brian offers a unique perspective on working with freelancers and outsourced service providers because he understands the nuances that influence these working relationships as both an agency creative director and the guy who heads up an outsourced resource.
Like most relationships, making it a rewarding experience for everyone takes work, commitment, and consistent communication. Listen to Brian’s tips and learn how to incorporate outsourced labor into your business model in a way that serves everyone well.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency owners can be a good partner to their outsourced partners and vice versa * How to pick the right outsource partner for your agency’s needs * What outsource partners should bring to the table to improve the workflow * How to manage communication with your partners under a compressed timeline * How White Lable IQ demonstrates technical expertise to people who aren’t technical * How to know when it’s time to pull the plug on a partnership * How to set clear expectations with your outsource partners * Why outsourcing is a great way to try before you buy * How to disclose your outsource partners to your clients
This may be the most unorthodox episode of Build A Better Agency to date. When I met Amira Alverez, who helps agency owners and leaders really harness the power of the subconscious mind, I was intrigued and invited her to be a guest. But then she asked if she could turn the tables on me and do a coaching session with me – live – and we’d let all of you eavesdrop in on the session.
I’ll admit, I was anxious about it. I didn’t want the episode to be about me. But Amira flipped the script and takes us all through a live-action case study using her methodology, with yours truly as the subject. She stops and coaches along the way and in the end, it’s a brilliant look at how we are all the biggest detriment to the success we’re capable of achieving as agency owners.
Amira Alvarez is the founder and CEO of The Unstoppable Woman, a global coaching company helping entrepreneurs, empire builders, athletes, creatives, agency owners, and rising stars in all fields achieve their dreams and goals in record time. Before Amira got clear on her goals, she was making $135k, but only a short while later, she started producing a seven-figure income that she’s been able to sustain to this day.
Amira helps agency owners figure out what they want, and what’s in the way. I encourage you to join in on this unique journey because you might have a breakthrough as well. Follow along and work through Amira’s process with us—it may provide you with clarity in areas you have struggled with for years.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Amira’s entrepreneurial journey * A live-action case study using practices from Amira’s success methodology * How we as agency owners can own the truth about what we really want * How to get clear on your big, audacious goal and make a plan to execute it * Why a timeline is such a huge factor in your ability to achieve your goal * How to understand your subconscious mind and self-image * Tactical strategies and mindset shifts you can use to get out of your own way
As agency owners, we are constantly searching for new ways to harness the power of persuasion and trigger an audience’s buy-button on behalf of our clients. Understanding what’s happening inside the consumer’s head and what drives their behavior is where that effort begins. We’ve always worked to understand how audiences in the past, but what if we could leverage data and science to crack the code and target the decision-making part of a prospect’s brain?
As a neuroscientist and an agency owner, my guest Patrick Renvoise bridges the gap between science and marketing so agency owners can understand what makes different audiences tick.
He has taken an entirely new approach to persuasion that enables agency owners to better recommend marketing solutions to their clients by explaining the science behind them. It is one of the many reasons Patrick co-founded SalesBrain, the world’s first neuromarketing agency, where he currently serves as the Chief Persuasion Officer.
In this episode, we’ll explore the science behind human decision-making and how we can harness that for our agencies and our clients.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How the brain reacts to persuasion * The role of the primal brain in decision making, and how to reach it * The six stimuli of the primal brain and how to leverage them in your work * Why logical and emotional messaging is not enough to impact your customer’s decision * How to position your agency against all of the other agencies in the landscape
In my 250th (man, how times flies!) episode of Build a Better Agency, we look at the next set of client and employee-focused trends from the 2020 Agency Trends Report, picking up where I left off in episode #245, which was me walking you through the first half of the trends. The back half of the report covers everything from employee retention and happiness to the changing needs of your clients as they respond to current events. I am hoping these trends will give you a better idea of what we can do to adapt to this complex economic climate while protecting the health of our agencies.
Every summer, I consolidate the trends that I see every day in the 250+ small to mid-sized agencies we serve and distill them down for you so you can plan for these evolutions in our industry.
With everything going on right now, it is hard to dedicate the necessary time and mental space to focus on running your agency. But, paying close attention to the health of your agency and the trends that will impact its health, is more important than ever before. We have to carve out of the time to protect our businesses and I am hoping that taking a look at these trends will help you do that.
The State of the Agency 2020 will provide tons of insights to push through these difficult times and help your clients do the same.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why agency leaders had to make concessions due to employment shortages and how that trend is shifting * How to regain control of your agency while maintaining employee retention and happiness * How to take advantage of the expanded talent pool created by the pandemic * Why our clients are looking to get a bigger share of wallet from their existing customers * How agencies can capitalize on the need for cause and social marketing * How agencies are stepping over the line and diving into sales strategies with clients * Why clients are seeking out brand activation * Best practices for embedded employees * How we can help our clients create and manage private communities that are loyal to their brand * New areas where agencies are making great money
Most agencies do not have a reliable sales strategy. They either rely on referrals or they employ what I call the feast or famine methodology. Neither strategy actually delivers consistent, profitable prospects or new clients. There’s a new, better way to sell for agencies. I’m a huge believer in an agency owning a position of authority and using it to make sales easier, faster and more profitable. That’s why Stephen Woessner and I wrote a book on the subject! And it’s why I wanted to invite Michelle Prince onto the podcast.
Michelle is a best-selling author, public speaker, self-publishing expert, and CEO/Founder of Performance Publishing Group. She offers a unique perspective on thought leadership to agency owners who are looking to establish a position of authority within their niche. She believes that authoring a book is the strategy of choice.
In fact, Michelle says, “you can’t spell authority without ‘author,’” and while writing a book is certainly not the only way to build your thought leadership position, it is a very effective option. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Michelle shares her process for becoming an authority by focusing on authorship and publishing as a means of bringing significant value to your audience.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What being an authority looks like and how to get there * How Michelle’s experience working for Zig Ziglar shaped her approach to building authority * The power of putting yourself out there as the subject matter expert * Why writing a book can help build your thought leadership and establish your position of authority * Why you have to claim your authority no matter how many agencies do what you do * How to leverage the power of authority * Why backstory is so important in the digital age * How to build your entire thought leadership platform off of a book * How you can use your thought leadership platform to generate multiple revenue streams
The Black Lives Matter movement has triggered a global conversation that has been a long time coming. Like other business owners, agency leaders are wrestling with the questions and concerns about racial equality in their agency and in our industry. How should our agencies respond internally and externally?
The demand for conversations about racial equality is louder and more urgent now than it has ever been. Employment attorney and discrimination complaint investigator Jennifer Long has a scalable, business-centric response to moving towards racial equality that will help us create consequential and sustainable change.
What can we do to take meaningful action? Should we be issuing an anti-racist statement? Or use our social media channels to post memes? How do we handle this well and respectfully while also not taking our eye off the ball and helping our agency recover from COVID and the economic downturn?
It’s critical for agencies to have their house in order before they publicly bang their drum, and Jen can help us understand how that works from a business perspective. Her recent engagements have been focused on helping organizations expand their racial consciousness and messaging around this topic.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency leaders should respond to the need for racial equality * How to provide your team with the right resources to educate themselves about racial equality * How to improve your hiring practices and align them with racial equality * Why implicit bias negatively influences the workplace * How agency owners can put together a course of action that is meaningful but also enables them to continue operating profitably * What you can do to take a stance on racial equality without being criticized as a hypocrite * Examples of companies that are dealing with this issue successfully
There are very few agency owners who love biz dev. It’s time consuming, sometimes it feels like you are trying to target shoot in the dark, and you often end up settling for prospects that aren’t quite the right fit. But at least it’s a win! Your spidey senses are tingling and you know there’s trouble ahead but you ignore that little voice and forge ahead, hoping for the best. What if you could eliminate those near misses?
I’m a firm believer that every agency should have a clear understanding of what their sweet spot client looks like and how to spot them in the crowd. Every client is right for some agency. But not every client is the right fit for yours.
How do you know who your ideal client is? How do you attract them to you so you don’t have to hunt them down and how do you encourage them to give you that first dance?
My guest will be a great beacon and help us gain clarity around all of those questions. I’ve known Matthew Kimberley for about 4-years and love his unique style and outlook on sales. He leads the business building system called Book Yourself Solid Worldwide, which is based on the bestselling book, Book Yourself Solid, written by Michael Port.
Matthew is waving that flag all over the world and helping salespeople understand there is a proven way to literally book yourself solid. The beauty of the Book Yourself Solid system is that when you do it well, you never have to settle for a not quite right fit client again.
Matthew is also the author of a great book entitled, “Get a F*cking Grip: How to Get Your Life Back on Track” and has an online course about writing delightful emails — which I thought was spectacular. He also hosts his own podcast entitled, “How to Get a Grip.”
Matthew and I talk through the concept of Book Yourself Solid and how it pertains to agency owners. We talk through the questions that I know you would ask around sales, prospecting, and how we as agency owners and leaders can better use our day to drive sales into our agencies.
Today (no matter when you’re listening to this) is the perfect time to get a better set of client filters in place so you protect and build your agency by filling your pipeline with those sweet spot clients.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to create a set of criteria so you and your team can quickly filter out the wrong fit clients and spot the right ones. * How to get more right-fit clients than your agency can handle even if selling isn’t your favorite thing to do. * How to apply the “rule of three.” * How to create new business opportunities around things you already enjoy doing. * Why agency owners tend to do well at the top end of the sales funnel but then struggle when it comes time to drive sales into the agency. * How to apply the three guiding principles within the Book Yourself Solid business development system. * Why blending in “non-negotiable” criteria in your client filtering process will help protect your agency. * Why you need a conscious process for developing trust at different points in time for different reasons with your clients and prospects. * How you can develop a “Something to Invite People to Offer” so your prospects have an opportunity to get to know you and your agency better. * How to apply the five things every agency owner should be doing every morning to fast-track biz dev.
Most agencies have yet to harness the power of data automation tools, and the numbers reveal a concerning reality. 60% of all agencies believe that they make at least 6 costly digital marketing mistakes on a client’s account every week. 33% of agencies have eaten between $5-$10,000 to fix a single campaign mistake. And it doesn’t get better with size. The number of mistakes nearly doubles when a digital agency scales from $1 million to $5 million in fees. And that’s not the most horrifying news that came out of a recent study conducted by Morphio.
If there’s one thing most agencies have plenty of—it is data. If there’s one thing agencies struggle with—it’s data. That’s what intrigues me about data automation tools like Morphio. They define themselves as a check engine light for your digital campaigns. I invited founder (and agency owner) Eric Vardon onto the show to talk to us about this very real challenge. Out of his agency’s necessity, Eric’s team has been developing data automation tools baked with AI and machine learning. Eric’s products are helping agencies plug their leaks and become more profitable using data and automation, and he offers his tools at an affordable price point.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Eric shares his journey as a tech entrepreneur and agency owner. He walks us through the lessons he’s learned about refining agency processes, improving team efficiency, and expanding the agency-client relationship using data automation tools. He breaks down the common mistakes agencies make in that arena and explains how we can improve our own systems and processes. Find out how Morphio is working with other small to mid-sized agencies to bring them invaluable AI and machine learning capabilities that don’t break the bank.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How data and reporting have shaped the way clients interact with agencies * How Morphio’s data automation tools help agencies plug leaks in the bucket * When and how Eric decided to offer his automation tool to other agencies * How to leverage AI so you can focus on creativity and client strategy * Why you need a check engine light for your agency’s performance and efficiency * How you can use Morphio to make your agency more profitable * How Morphio has changed reporting, and where it’s headed next * Why data monitoring can help you make more informed decisions as an agency leader
The past three months have felt like a bad sci-fi movie. As agency leaders, most of us have navigated the economic struggles right after 9/11 and the great recession of 07-08’. But nothing has come close to the economic, health, and social impacts that we’ve experienced recently. But we need to stay smart and fight our way out of this economic slowdown. I want to share some trends that will help you do just that.
COVID continues to be a major topic of discussion throughout the world. It is still a hot button issue as many agency leaders work to stabilize their operations. However, the pandemic has had to share the spotlight with the global conversation about racism and it’s reasonable to assume these are both conversations and realities we’re going to be wrestling with for the foreseeable future.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, as I have every summer, I want to look at the trends that are impacting our industry. A couple of them have been altered by COVID but most of these are trends I was talking about in early 2020 and they’re as relevant today as they were in January.
With everything going on right now, it is hard to dedicate the necessary time and mental space to focus on running your agency. The health of your agency is more important than ever before. We have to carve out of the time to protect our businesses and I am hoping that taking a look at these trends will help you do that.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why the health of our agency is so important in the big picture * How to tee up your agency for a great 2021 * What you can to start thriving right now * Trends that agency leaders should be watching for in 2020-2021 * Why AMI agencies have been so much more profitable than average privately held agencies * How our clients’ needs have changed this past year * What we can do to map out our sales funnels and increase efficiency * How to take control of the sales cycle by being direct * Why agency leaders have become a bottleneck for strategy * Why we are seeing more employees buy minority stakes in their agencies
Most agency owners would put attorneys in the cost column. Until they get into legal trouble. Then, they quickly realize how much they could have ultimately saved if they’d been a little more proactive and worked with an attorney before they got into hot water. But with the right attorney who specializes in agencies and understands our world, you can navigate common legal obstacles while saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.
My guest is AMI’s go to attorney, Sharon Toerek. Sharon’s depth of expertise in our world makes her an invaluable resource for agencies who have any sort of legal issue that they’re either trying to proactively resolve or when they’re in a jam.
She speaks our language and has spent the last fifteen years carving out her niche. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Sharon Toerek joins us again to share her expertise and walk us through the new research project that she and her law firm put together, looking at common legal snags that get agencies into trouble.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The most prevalent legal issues that agency owners are currently facing * How to approach client contract negotiations from a legal perspective * How to overcome the legal challenges of working with freelancers * How to protect your agency from copyright and trademark issues * How to move out of the anxious and afraid category by finding an agency attorney you trust * Why putting foundational processes in place can make a substantial difference in the way you handle legal issues in your agency * How the pandemic will change language in contracts * The most worrisome part of Sharon’s research findings
The Golden Nuggets:
There are two questions plaguing agencies in the spring of 2020. The first is how are brands going to respond to covid when it comes to budgets, tackling new projects and their relationships with agencies. The second is how can the agency sensitively and successfully mine for new business while the world is trying to get back on its axis. Fortunately, RSW/US recently released a new study that answers both of these questions and is filled with more good news than you might expect.
The first piece of RSW/US’ research was conducted in March 2020 just as the pandemic was hitting the US. They went back into the field in mid-May to track how things had changed over the previous 45 days and as the US was beginning to re-open for business.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, RSW/US’ Lee McKnight walks us through some of the key findings. He also shares how some of the responses have shifted over the two months in between the studies. There’s plenty of encouraging news in the data and there are also some danger signs. Listen so you can learn what the agencies and brands are thinking, feeling, and saying as the curve flattens out and business begins to pick up again.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The findings from RSW/US’ research in both March and May of 2020 * Why small to mid-sized agencies have a better shot at being “too small to fail” * Why most brands believe that their spending will be unchanged or increased as business gets going again * The surprisingly good news from RSW/US agency research project * What surprised Lee the most on the agency side of the data * How agencies can change their messaging to position themselves as leaders in the crisis * What we should be thinking about as we take a new approach to case studies * What agencies are doing right now to get conversations/meetings with prospects
The most popular relief loan in the US is the Paycheck Protection Program loan or PPP loan. Unfortunately, in a rush to get the funds out to agencies and other businesses, the Small Business Administration and Treasury Department forgot to define how the loan and its forgiveness will work.
There’s a lot of grey area surrounding the PPP, so in this episode of Build a Better Agency, tax advisor Craig Cody joins me to explain what we do know and what we’re still waiting to discover.
Craig is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Tax Coach™, and business owner who has been following developments since day one. Many of us have applied, many of us have received funding, but not one of us knows all the rules. Craig is here to change that, to the extent that he can.
We’ll talk about the SBA’s forgivability application released on May 15th, other forgivability factors, whether or not the expenses we pay for with PPP funds will be deductible and how to manage our finances to weather whatever rules come down.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The PPP relief loan, what we can use it for, and what we can’t * What we know so far about PPP eligibility for deduction * What has changed as a result of the new forgiveness application * Where the forgiveness application gives us the clarity that we didn’t have clarity before * What we can make of the IRS/Congress tussle over the PPP guidelines * Strategies we can use to mitigate our tax liability until the HEROES Act is passed * How the alternative payroll covered period benefits agency owners * How agencies can use PPP funds on expenses other than payroll * How we can reimburse agency employees for working from home expenses * How to avoid mistakes with your application
Very few agency owners are giddy about the prospect of prospecting for new clients. It feels uncomfortable and unnatural. But what if it isn’t that they hate biz dev but that they just weren’t doing it in a way that aligns with their strengths? If sales felt comfortable and easy, wouldn’t you do more of it?
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, we are joined by biz dev expert Jody Sutter of The Sutter Company, a new business consultancy that advises small agencies on organizing and operationalizing their growth strategy. Her programs make it easier for small agencies to embrace and sustain a new business strategy because they take both the agency’s strengths and available resources into consideration. Jody walks us through the steps we can take to bolster our biz dev strategy as agencies and clients emerge from the storm.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Jody’s background and what she is doing to serve agencies * Common biz dev mistakes that agency owners make * How agency owners can overcome fear and rejection in business development * The four strength profiles of agency owners and the nuances of each one * How to identify your strength profile and build a strategy that caters to it * Jody’s “prescriptive approach to new business” * How to stay the course while you’re constantly changing your mind about your agency * How agency owners can move from inaction to action * How Jody is helping her clients redirect their sales efforts during the global pandemic
The panic around COVID lockdown is plateauing. The storm has certainly not passed, but we’ve navigated out of the panic stage and now everyone is realizing they need to get back to business. Whether you live someplace that is still sheltering in place or you are figuring out how to get back to the office — we have to sustain our business through this and come out on the other side. If we do it well, we can not only come out on the other side but we can come on stronger and better than ever.
In this episode of Build a Better Agency, we walk through the five mini plans that I’ve been talking about in our weekly newsletter. I want to help you build them out.
They are:
- Operational/financial plan (how will you get the work done on time and on budget? Then, determine the minimum acceptable profit margin for your agency and use agency math to manage your way to never dipping below it)
- Team plan (how will you keep them motivated, efficient, profitable, and striving to serve each other and your clients)
- Client plan (you need to proactively guide each client into a position of readiness so that when they can step back in — they’re ready and more prepared than their competitors)
- Prospect plan (what can you talk about that will be valuable — based on what your prospects are ready to hear at any given moment in time)
- Vision of the future plan (what parts of normal are worth rushing back to and what could/should be different?)
The danger to every agency right now is that we get stuck in place and don’t shake the panic phase. If you and your team work through these plans it will propel you past the paralysis and into a future with a solid foundation. Don’t wait – get working on these plans today!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to build out an operational plan that enables you to continue completing work on-time and under budget * Financial metrics that agency leaders should be paying attention to * How to keep your team motivated, efficient, and profitable moving forward * How to proactively guide each client into a position of readiness so they are more prepared than their competitors * How to create a solid biz dev plan for your agency’s resurgence * How to make difficult staffing decisions in times of crisis * Different ways that agencies are successfully managing their teams * How agencies are landing new clients in these difficult times
AMI works with agency owners by: * Leading agency owner peer groups * Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams * Offering AE Bootcamps * Conducting individual agency owner coaching * Doing on-site consulting * Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency!
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Resources:
- COVID Resource Page
- Brief video explaining the 55-25-20 ratio
- Blog post: Cover your agency in case your client pulls the plug
- Blog post: What to do when your client is stalled
- Sell with Authority
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
- Giving Your Brain and Your Body Your Best
There’s always been a great debate among agency owners – does cold email work as a new business strategy. Many will argue that given SPAM filters and the volume of email that everyone gets, it’s impossible to break through and actually get the attention of someone in the C-suite. My guest Jeff Winters proves that belief wrong for his clients every day. But will it work for your agency?
There’s always been a great debate among agency owners – does cold email work as a new business strategy. Many will argue that given SPAM filters and the volume of email that everyone gets, it’s impossible to break through and actually get the attention of someone in the C-suite. My guest Jeff Winters proves that belief wrong for his clients every day. But will it work for your agency?
Jeff created a company called Sapper, a service that works with agency owners and brand leaders to help them with their outbound email marketing and sales efforts. Understanding his methodology means you can do this at home—or you can hire a company like Sapper to do it for you.
In this episode, Jeff gave us the scripts, the timing cadence and how you can measure the results. Ours may be an industry that typically does not boast a lot of success from cold calling, but Jeff has many agencies on his roster that are doing things differently and experiencing great success. I picked Jeff’s brain to find out exactly what they are doing so you can do it too.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How Sapper was founded and what they do * How to master outbound email marketing * How agencies perform using Sapper’s sales methodology * Different tactics you can use for macro, micro, and nano tiered clients * How to approach frequency of communication * What to do when somebody actually responds to your outbound marketing * How to rethink your sales strategy in a time of crisis
When you realize that this episode is about holding a virtual event, you might jump to the conclusion that this is a C19 focused episode. Nothing could be further from the truth. Virtual events have been successful for years and are always worth considering, pandemic or not!
Agency owner Nicole Mahoney has always been an innovative marketer on behalf of her agency. Her podcast and other industry-specific content has positioned her agency as one of the country’s authorities on destination marketing.
In the fall of 2019, she knew it was time for them to host a broader event to connect with even more industry leaders and prospects. She briefly considering hosting a live conference but the costs were just prohibitive. That’s when she decided to explore hosting a virtual summit. In November, that’s just what her agency did and the results were impressive.
With the right structure, the right tech stack, the right speakers, and the right audience, virtual summits are an opportunity for agency owners to establish themselves as the experts in their respective industries. Learn how Nicole used this channel to build her audience and lay the framework for significant growth.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why Nicole decided to organize a virtual summit * The benefits and drawbacks of virtual vs. live events * How Nicole structured her virtual summit and who she invited to participate * The technical and production side of Nicole’s virtual summit * How Nicole’s team tracked engagement for their virtual presentations * Where Nicole plans to take her virtual summits in the future * How Nicole is collaborating with other marketers in the travel and tourism industry * The results of Nicole’s summit and what’s in store for the next one
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to Contact Nicole Mahoney * Email: nicole@breaktheicemedia.com * Podcast: https://breaktheicemedia.com/podcast/ * Website: https://breaktheicemedia.com/ * Twitter: @Break_TheIce * Facebook: @BreakTheIceMedia
Tools & Resources: * AMI’s covid-19 survival resources page
Agency owners are scrambling to take advantage of the CARES Act, and in particular the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans but there’s a lot we don’t know because there’s a lot that is not set in stone.
There is a total lack of clarity around this how the PPP works – from application all the way through repayment and potential forgiveness. The 800-page act says one thing and the SBA says another. As I describe it in my conversation with guest Stephen Katz, we are repairing the plane while we’re flying it.
Stephen is the chair of the business practice of Peckar & Abramson, a law firm in New York City with offices in 10 US cities and affiliates in 14 countries across the globe. I asked Stephen to joins us because of his decades of experience working with the SBA and other government programs designed to serve businesses. He’s spent the better part of a month interacting directly with the SBA, Treasury Department and his legal peers to try to wrap their arms around the CARES Act and specifically the PPP loan.
I knew he‘d provide some answers so that we agency owners can plan for the future and protect what they have now. It is important to know what you’re getting into. And as details get locked down, we’ll have Stephen back to help us navigate this murky waters.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How Stephen developed expertise in business law * The economic impact of 9/11 vs. COVID-19 * Everything agency owners should be aware of as they apply for the PPP * What we know about the loan forgiveness provision of the PPP loan so far * How to prove you are using the proceeds of your loan appropriately * Everything you need to know about EIDL loans * Why bigger banks have been hesitant to fund CARES Act loans
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact Stephen Katz: * Website: https://www.pecklaw.com/ * LinkedIn: + https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-katz-88212013/ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/peckar-&-abramson-p-c-/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peckarabramson/ * Twitter: + @katzbike + @PeckarAbramson
Tools & Resources: * AMI’s covid-19 survival resources page
Agency owners wear many hats and certainly one of the most important is leader. There are days when that’s easy and even fun. And then, there are days like the ones we’ve been having lately, when the weight of that role can get pretty heavy. Our employees need us to guide them through these uncharted waters. And to do that, we need to stay calm, confident and compassionate. But how do you do that when you can’t even be in the same room.
The current COVID crisis is pushing teams and agency leaders to their limits. Fortunately, leadership and culture expert Adam Carroll has tools and insights that will help you show up to be the best leader possible; in a time when that leadership is sorely needed.
In this episode, Adam and I talk about how to manage and stay aligned with a dispersed team, how to hold everyone accountable, and how to create connections that will survive and thrive beyond the crisis. Adam’s advice is pragmatic and actionable. You’ll be able to put it into play immediately.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Advice for agency owners on how to lead their team while working remotely * How agency owners can be authentic and compassionate and still hold the team accountable * The HEAT framework and how agency owners and leaders can deploy it throughout the organization * The importance of shared ownership and the elements you need to create it * What agency owners should be aware of as they transition to a virtual environment * How to reinforce the team aspect of your agency, despite not physically being together
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to Contact Adam Carroll: * Website: http://renzoexperience.com/ * LinkedIn: + https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcarrollspeaks/ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/renzoexperience/about/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renzoexperience/ * Twitter: @AdamCarroll
Tools & Resources: * AMI’s covid-19 survival resources page
Odds are you cannot remember a more tumultuous time in your agency. You probably endured through 9/11 but we understood what happened and why. You probably survived the 07-08 recession but we saw it coming and had time to plan and adjust. Covid-19 brings a rare and overwhelming combination of a health scare, human isolation, and an economic shutdown all in one fell swoop. No wonder you’re feeling a bit frantic. That’s why I’m worried about you. If you can’t stand strong through this, your agency is in trouble.
The way we lead our agency through this is by acknowledging how hard it is and taking care of ourselves. We have to recognize that we’re grieving right now and because of that, we’re experiencing a wide range of emotions from terror to anger to a need to just keep moving.
All of that is natural and to be expected. But it’s not helpful. In this episode we’re going to talk about grieving, about accepting the loss and deciding what path makes the most sense for your shop. Beyond that – we’re going to talk about how YOU survive this and lead your team to the better days that we know are waiting for us around the corner.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency owners can overcome the mental hurdles of being the ship’s captain in time of crisis * What we’re going through as agency leaders and what we can do to survive the storm * How to overcome the sense of loss and grief the pandemic has brought upon us * Tools and resources agency owners can use to navigate new challenges brought by the COVID-crisis * Why agency owners need to take care of themselves before they can take care of anyone else * How you can use this period of change to rethink the way you do business
AMI works with agency owners by: * Leading agency owner peer groups * Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams * Offering AE Bootcamps * Conducting individual agency owner coaching * Doing on-site consulting * Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency!
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources (if needed):
- COVID Resource Page
- Brief video explaining the 55-25-20 ratio
- Blog post: Cover your agency in case your client pulls the plug
- Blog post: What to do when your client is stalled
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
US and European based agency owners are fightly vigilantly as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds in their region of the world. It’s affecting agencies and their clients in significant ways. I’ve been talking to agency owners non-stop for the last two weeks and one thing is for sure – one agency’s experience is not like another’s. For some, business and AGI has never been better. In others, 50% of their AGI has walked out in less than ten days. I wanted to connect with an agency owner who had already experienced everything we are going through today and could tell us what’s coming next.
Kiri Sinclair owns the 50-person PR shop aptly named Sinclair. They’re based in Hong Kong with hubs in several cities in China and they are about three months ahead of us in dealing with the coronavirus. Needless to say, there are some good lessons for us to learn from her experience.
Hong Kong and mainland China reacted differently to the initial outbreak than European countries and the US have reacted so our experience may not be perfectly parallel. However, the timeline still provides us with some idea of what to expect moving forward. The good news is – there’s good news.
Two and a half months in, client business in Hong Kong has picked up and things are moving back to normal. Every country and every agency is different, but Kiri’s story serves as a beacon of hope and helps us anticipate what is coming next.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency owners across the globe are responding to the COVID-crisis * The experience of Hong Kong-based agency owner Kiri Sinclair since the outbreak first occurred there over two months ago * How clients responded to the global pandemic in Asia * How to be proactive in protecting client relationships and the team amidst the crisis * How to consider handling internal changes such as pay and lay-offs * Mistakes our guest made and what she would have done differently if she knew then what she knows now
The Golden Nuggets: “Agencies in the U.S. and Europe are very lucky to have an additional two months of knowledge to make difficult decisions.” @SinclairTalkCLICK TO TWEET“Get your contingency plans in order. Then, communicate what those contingency plans are, how your business is operating at this moment in time, and how you are supporting the community to contain this outbreak.” @SinclairTalkCLICK TO TWEET
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact Kiri Sinclair: * Website: + https://www.sinclaircomms.com/ + https://www.sinclairarts.com/ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinclaircomms/ * LinkedIn: + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirisinclair/ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/sinclaircomms/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SinclairComms * Twitter: + @KiriSinclair + @SinclairTalk
Tools & Resources: * Recovery plan for agencies and brands that Sinclair authored * AMI’s covid-19 survival resources page * Sweet Spot Client Filter: agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter * New Book: Sell With Authority
Today’s episode is a twofer – and both topics are going to benefit your shop. The first is the idea of collaborating with your prospects to create content that is valuable for both of you. From there you can leverage that shared experience to create new opportunities for your agency. The second is how you can write that book you’ve been thinking about, despite how overloaded your calendar and life can be.
My guest is James Carbary, the owner of Sweet Fish Media, a podcast-first media company. James was with us once before back in Episode #156 where we talked about James’ approach to networking. And in the latest episode of Build a Better Agency, we dive even further into his creative collaboration methodology as we discuss the writing process and major talking points of his new book, Content-Based Networking: How to Instantly Connect with Anyone You Want to Know.
James asserts that when you partner with your prospects to produce content that will serve their organization’s business goals, you can connect and create the foundation of a relationship. That relationship will serve your agency in a variety of ways, ranging from referrals to a new client. On top of that, the content is also useful to your audience, so it’s establishing your position of authority, as Stephen Woessner and I detail in our new book Sell With Authority.
As if that wasn’t already a value-packed episode, I also asked James how he, as a busy agency owner, found the time to write the book. He reveals all of his shortcuts and secrets and you’re going to want to hear them all!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * If you decide to go with a different keyword, make sure to have the keyword listed in at least one bullet point * The concept of James’ new book, Content-Based Networking: How to Instantly Connect with Anyone You Want to Know * How content collaboration serves your agency’s biz dev efforts * James’ framework for content-based networking and how to apply it * How to write and publish your own book * How to use your book as a biz dev too
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to contact James Carbary: * New Book: Content-Based Networking: How to Instantly Connect with Anyone You Want to Know * Website: www.sweetfishmedia.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamescarbary/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetfishmedia?fref=nf * Twitter: @jamescarbary
Tools & Resources: * BaBA Summit Registration: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/babasummit/ * Sweet Spot Client Filter: agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter * New Book: Sell With Authority
There’s not a small business owner on the planet who isn’t concerned about how the coronavirus is going to impact their business, employees, clients, and family. Those worries are complicated by the fact that this is also a health risk to those you love. I can’t help with the health risk part – but I can help ease your fears about your business. We’re going to survive this together and in this episode, I am going to give you some tips and tactics to get you and your agency through this storm and back to calm waters.
If you’ve owned your agency for a while, you’ve already survived a similar season. We weathered 9/11 and in the U.S the ’07 to ’08 recession. It wasn’t pleasant or pretty — but you got your agency through it and I want you to recognize that you can and will do it again.
I’m going to walk you through steps to protect yourself and your agency in these areas:
- Your team
- Money
- Clients
- Biz dev
It’s going to require strong leadership and a kind, compassionate heart — and following the metrics to get your agency through the next few months. But you’ve got all of that in spades — so let’s get through this together!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How this economic slowdown is not the first we’ve seen * What to keep in mind if you shift to a remote work situation * The place where you’re at the most danger of putting your agency at risk * The financial metrics you cannot afford to ignore * How to take a long-range view of the virus situation and find opportunities in the chaos * The unlikely upsides of this season
AMI works with agency owners by: * Leading agency owner peer groups * Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams * Offering AE Bootcamps * Conducting individual agency owner coaching * Doing on-site consulting * Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency!
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources (if needed):
- Brief video explaining the 55-25-20 ratio
- Blog post: Cover your agency in case your client pulls the plug
- Blog post: What to do when your client is stalled
- Sell with Authority
- Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
The more you know about a person, the easier it is to connect with them. One of the challenges when it comes to biz dev is that we really don’t know too much about the prospect we’re trying to build a relationship with, especially in the early stages of the sales pitch. But what if there was a way for you to gain those insights even if you’ve never met them in person?
Charlie Poulson’s first job out of college was building PPT decks for one of the country’s largest agencies. That experience gave him insights on the technical side of sales. A recent discovery of a tool that adds in some psychological insights has allowed him to build a business helping others succeed at sales.
In the latest episode of Build a Better Agency, Charlie explains how agency owners can structure proposals and presentations in a way that resonates with their audience, because they know who that person is and how they tick, thanks to Crystal, a Chrome plugin that provides DISC assessment information based on their LinkedIn profile and other social channels.
Take a listen and then connect with your prospects at a whole different level.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * If you decide to go with a different keyword, make sure to have the keyword listed in at least one bullet point. * The psychology behind agency sales communication * How agency owners can communicate more effectively with prospects * The art of presentation design for agencies * How Charlie creates presentations and proposals that resonate with decision-makers * How Charlie is using AI (Crystal the Chrome plugin) to gather data and insights about agency prospects * How to create different pitch decks for a variety of personality types
Ways to Contact Charlie Poulson: * Buy The Psychic Proposal: http://bit.ly/PsychicProposal * Work with Charlie: https://calendly.com/hang-with-charlie/exploration * Crystal: https://crys.io/s/gHYTrl * Email: charlie@americano.design * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliepoulson/ * Twitter: @CharlesPoulson * Website: https://www.americano.design/
Tools & Resources: * BaBA Summit Registration: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/babasummit/ * Sweet Spot Client Filter: agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter * New Book: Sell With Authority
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Many agency owners are familiar with the book Traction by Gino Wickman and his Entrepreneurial Operating System. It’s a fantastic methodology for improving your agency’s ability to scale effectively, growing a leadership team and building a more sustainable, profitable agency. If you implement Traction properly. Otherwise, it can be a huge waste of time and money.
Traction” is not just a book — it is a new way of running your business so that you can delight your clients but also make your own agency a priority. No more “cobbler’s children have no shoes” excuses about why your website is never updated, your internal priorities are ignored or your agency is stuck in terms of growth and profitability.
I have served many agencies as their Traction implementer and through that experience have figured out some of the biggest pitfalls, mistakes and challenges that agencies run into when they launch Traction inside their shop. In this solocast, I will walk you through the benefits of Traction and how to get the most from the effort.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How agency owners can benefit from Traction and EOS * How to build your agency’s traction team * How to implement Traction in your agency * What decisions/practices impact the effectiveness of Traction in our agencies * How to navigate the challenging segments of the Traction process
AMI works with agency owners by: * Leading agency owner peer groups * Offering workshops for agency owners and their leadership teams * Offering AE Bootcamps * Conducting individual agency owner coaching * Doing on-site consulting * Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with over 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written several books, including Sell With Authority (2020) and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources: * BaBA Summit Registration: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/babasummit/ * Sweet Spot Client Filter: agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter * Sell With Authority * Traction * Rocket Fuel
I have long preached the concept of being a specialist versus a generalist to my audience, so it should come as no surprise to you that along with my co-author Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI, I have just written a book on the subject.
Sell With Authority is a playbook for agency new business efforts that will allow you to shorten your sales cycle, increase your pricing and profitability and actually attract your ideal customers to knock on YOUR door, rather than the other way around. In this week’s episode, Stephen and I talk about some of the core principles of the book and why we’re both so passionate about the approach.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The inspiration and core concepts behind our new book, Sell With Authority * How to be seen as an authority in your industry * The biz dev decisions that will help you achieve rapid growth * Why you should narrow your agency’s focus * How to differentiate your agency by having a unique point of view * How to use cornerstone content to build authority across multiple channels
Ways to Contact Stephen Woessner: * Website: https://predictiveroi.com/ * Books: Stephen’s Author Page and Drew’s Author Page * Sell With Authority * Podcast: Onward Nation * Twitter: @stephenwoessner * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/
Robert Glazer is the founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners, a global marketing agency that specializes in partner or affiliate marketing. Initially, I planned on spending our time debunking the myths around affiliate marketing space (which we still covered), but our conversation took an interesting turn and instead we focused on Acceleration Partners’ growth journey. Robert described the transformation of his agency from five employees to several hundred in multiple countries – all in less than a decade. As you might imagine, it was not without some difficult crossroads.
Robert is the author of the new Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, Elevate on how to build capacity while setting and achieving agency goals while helping the individual team members do the same. On top of sharing an agency leader’s perspective of the story behind Acceleration Partners’ growth, Robert discusses the inspiration behind his written content and what it means to him.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Robert’s role as the founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners * Robert’s view of affiliate marketing in the agency world * How Robert took his agency of five FTEs and grew it multifold * How agency culture played a role in the immense growth of Acceleration Partners * How Robert holds his team accountable for maintaining Acceleration Partners’ culture
We get hired because our clients want to surround themselves with expertise and a depth of knowledge that they don’t have in-house. They know we have to stay current on the trends shaping our business and theirs if we want to remain relevant. But in a rapidly evolving marketplace, it’s challenging to stay ahead of the curve. Rohit Bhargava and his Non-obvious book series has been a go-to resource ever since the first book appears in 2013.
Back in Episode #33, Rohit walked us through his process of curating and tracking trends as a part of his Non-Obvious book series. In this week’s episode, he comes back on the show to tell us which trends from his new book, Non-Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future, of particular importance to agencies and their clients.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The biggest trends agency owners and leaders face in 2020 * Rohit’s journey through the agency realm * What makes Rohit’s new book, Non-Obvious Megatrends: How to See What Others Miss and Predict the Future a little different from the rest * Critical trends agency owners and leaders should be paying attention to in 2020
Ways to Contact Rohit Bhargava: * Website: https://www.rohitbhargava.com/ * Books: https://www.rohitbhargava.com/books-publications * Twitter: @rohitbhargava * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVogCMB50uIYYdbwv7_w-tQ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohitbhargava/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rohitmarketingauthor
Most of us didn’t major in math or accounting. In fact, many of us were drawn to our industry because it wasn’t math centric! Unfortunately, agency leaders are not math exempt. Without proper financial data, it’s impossible to successfully run a profitable agency. This means your accounting partner, in-house or not, should be your constant companion.
Many agencies are exploring an outsourced accounting solution, just like most of us outsource our tax prep. But there is more to accounting than what meets the eye. Chris Hervochon is the founder of Better Way CPA that was built to serve agencies. Chris and his team approach accounting as a vital source of data that can help us make better decisions in real-time.
Chris joined us to discuss the metrics and best practices we can use to run our agencies better. We also talk about how to automate some of your accounting to really take full advantage of the information you have.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How to maximize the value of an outsourced CFO * Chris’ view on the purpose of accounting * Common mistakes that agency owners make with their books * The automation of accounting and the value it can bring to your agency * How accounting has changed and what it is able to do for us as agencies owners
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! Ways to Contact Chris Hervochon: * Website: https://www.betterwaycpa.com/about/ * Twitter: @ChrisHervochon * Instagram: @BetterWayCPA * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishervochon/ * Wayfinder Service: betterwaycpa.com/wayfinder * eBook: From Agency to Freelancer * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCV47G1cxtV_ElKokUt2ChXw * Strategy Session: Click Here to Sign Up * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BetterWayCPA/
It doesn’t matter if you are a small shop, a specialized shop, in a major market, or based in rural areas – odds are, your biggest struggle right now is attracting and retaining talent. Many agency owners are losing sleep over staffing up or even worse, losing one of their key players. Interestingly, how you’re hiring may be one of the reasons your tenured employees are giving notice.
Right now, employees and prospective employees hold all the cards. They are being recruited by organizations that can pay better than any agency and offer what appears to be a more stable, slower-paced work environment. What is an agency owner to do?
I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but you should make people work harder for the privilege of working for you. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, we’ll walk through how playing a little hard to get will earn you better prospects and future employees and keep your current employees satisfied.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why there is such a high turnover rate in agencies across the country * What you can do to attract and retain top talent * Why you should play hard to get, despite the challenges of hiring * How to strengthen your interview process to make better hires * What to look for in potential candidates for your team
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency!
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources: * Agency Owner Life Plan: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ami-OwnerLifePlan.pdf * Agency One Page Business Plan: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ami-businessplan.pdf * Adam Carroll’s Podcast: https://masteryofmoney.lpages.co/babl-blueprint/
Culture matters. As agency owners and leaders, we get that. And we love creating a “great culture.” But, developing a great culture is about more than beer o’clock and having a ping pong table. Yes, fun is important. But if you want to attract and retain the top talent in your industry, that alone is not going to cut it.
John Waid of Corporate Culture Consulting joins us on this episode of Build A Better Agency to teach us a fresh approach to developing agency culture. He explains how to identify and define your organization’s culture, so you can align it with your strategic goals.
By focusing on organizational culture instead of a more superficial definition culture, we create an environment where the best employees want to stay and thrive. It enables us to map out our core values so we can weave them into the DNA of the agency and establish clear rules of engagement for clients, peers, and leadership alike.
John has a very unique perspective on how culture comes to life and how you can foster a culture that is outcome-focused. This conversation will reshape your perspective even if you think you have this one nailed.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Superficial culture vs. organizational culture * The factors that contribute to a great agency culture * How your culture plays a major role in talent acquisition and retention * How to set behavioral expectations that bring your agency’s core values to life * Why a great culture has the potential to course-correct a poor work ethic * How to introduce new values to your agency and maintain them for years to come
Ways to Contact John Waid: * Website: c3culture.com * Email: jwaid@corporatecultureconsulting.com * Phone: (404) 915-3051 * Twitter: @C3PeopleSkills * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwaid/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/c3culture/
Biz dev, mentorship, and relationship management are critical responsibilities of every agency owner. But the hours in a workday are limited, and if we fail to delegate with confidence, the work that is uniquely ours will not get done. It’s just too easy to get sucked into client work or internal issues that we shouldn’t be focused on. Every agency owner needs a #1 who walks, talks, and leads like an owner because they enable us to actually do our job.
In this episode, AMI’s own Craig Barnes chats with Drew about his observations as to what it takes to recognize, find and keep a great lieutenant from his lens as the facilitator of AMI’s Key Executive networks. Craig also walks us through how to groom an existing employee who you believe has the potential to fill that role.
Throughout his experience running his own agency for 25+ years and his role at AMI, Craig has gleaned some invaluable insights about leadership team level team members in the agency world. If you are interested in learning how to identify that critical player for your team and prepare them for success, this episode is for you.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The common traits of agency key executives * All of the different functions that key executives can serve * How to identify key executives on your team and groom them for success * How you can grow as an agency owner so that your key executive can flourish * Why this is the ideal time to find and nurture a new leader
Ways to Contact Craig Barnes: * Website: http://marketgrowthaccelerators.com/ * Twitter: @CraigSBarnes * LinkedIn: + https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigaga/ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-growth-accelerators/about/ * Facebook: + https://www.facebook.com/Market-Growth-Accelerators-221876281273730/
One of the challenges of agency life is that typically everything we sell is a custom job. It’s tough to build in efficiencies or systemize our production when we never make the same deliverable twice. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Back in Episode 100, we discussed the idea of structuring your agency as a wonder bread factory vs. an artisanal bakery and there are different pros and cons for each.
Website By Tonight’s Jared Gold successfully transformed his agency from an artisanal bakery into a wonder bread factory for web development. And in this episode of Build A Better Agency, Jared joins us to share the lessons he learned throughout the process so you can apply them in your own agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Jared’s journey from artisanal bakery to wonder bread factory with Website By Tonight * The benefits and drawbacks of productizing your agency’s service line * The lessons and insights Jared learned while switching from custom to standardized deliverables * How to determine what parts of your agency can actually be productized * Creating firm boundaries around your productized offerings so that you can always meet expectations * How Jared’s target audience changed when he introduced the productized service line with Website By Tonight
Ways to Contact Jared Gold: * Website: https://websitebytonight.com/ * Free Productized Agencies Directory: turnkeyagencies.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredgold1/
Additional Resources: * Agency Planning Tools: agencymanagementinstitute.com/herecomes2020
* Access Jared’s agency-to-agency project/partner referral Slack group:
https://websitebytonight.com/partner
* Jared’s agency partner program: https://websitebytonight.com/faq-partners
Most agency owners hope to sell their agency someday down the road. If that’s you, understanding how agencies are valuated today will help you maximize that opportunity whenever it comes. Even if you aren’t interested in selling, you can and should still be beefing up your agency’s value.
Gina Cocking joins us for this episode to provide an investment banker’s perspective on the valuation and sales process. She’ll walk us through the key items investment firms look for in your agency’s valuation and explain the technical numbers-side. She’ll also help us identify ways you can add value in advance.
Gina is managing director and partner at Colonnade Advisors, a boutique investment banking firm that specializes in mergers and acquisitions in the business services industry. Colonnade has helped many agencies buy and sell, so Gina understands what it takes to help agency owners get the most out of their purchase deals.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * A glimpse inside the process of selling your agency * How Colonnade Advisors represents business owners selling their companies * The importance of enterprise value, recurring revenue, and client relationships when you sell your agency * How your key employees factor into a purchase deal * The various elements that increase or diminish an agency’s value in the marketplace * How to approach the numbers-side of selling your agency
Ways to Contact Gina Cocking: * Website: www.coladv.com * LinkedIn: + https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginacocking/ + https://www.linkedin.com/company/colonnade-advisors-llc_2/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colonnade-Advisors-LLC/308550405834700
Maybe it’s my age, but there’s a lot more talk about the importance of strengthening my core, to improve balance and stability. The same is true for our agencies. Our reality is always a bit unstable and we often expend a lot of energy anticipating the next storm. But if your agency’s core is strong, you can rest a little easier, knowing you can weather whatever comes. Just like you have for years. We forget how much we’ve already accomplished and survived when we’re heads down all of the time.
Recently, there has been a bit of an undercurrent of worry and tension in some of my conversations with agency owners, so I want to tackle that. In ep. 210 we talked about how even on our worst days, life as an agency owner is pretty darn good. In ep. 215, I gave you some action steps to take to recession-proof your agency.
And in this episode, I walk you through some ways to strengthen your agency’s core so you can approach 2020 with confidence and courage. You and your agency are survivors. Let’s set you up to take full advantage of whatever rocks the boat – good news or bad. Because if there’s one given in agency life it’s that there will be a bit of both!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How to deal with your worries so you can approach 2020 with confidence and courage * How to strengthen your agency’s core * How to take full advantage of the gratitude you have for being an agency owner * The importance of mentorship and one-on-one time with your employees * How to love your clients in bigger, bolder ways * Why your agency should serve your life, not the other way around
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
There was a time when you spent most of your time learning your craft. Whether it was account service or art direction or biz dev – you had to develop the skills to do your job well. There’s no doubt that our world demands on-going education so we can continue to serve our clients. But at this point in your career, you have the luxury of focusing on something a bit deeper — developing yourself as a leader, professional, and human being. That’s why I love John Jantsch’s new book The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur so much. It invites us to do just that.
John has always been about teaching small businesses how to do marketing. His previous five books were all how to guides for everything from selling, using referrals to grow your business, and SEO. But this latest book offers no step by step instructions. In fact, it’s sort of the opposite. It’s a book about you discovering answers to bigger questions that can’t come with an instruction manual.
Each of the 366 chapters is comprised of a quote from a literary great, a reflection by John on the day’s topic (anything from limited beliefs to seizing risk) and then a thought-provoking question. You can consume the book in one big gulp or you can sip it throughout the year.
In this episode of Build A Better Agency, John and I chat about why he made the dramatic shift in writing purpose and style, how he got the book done and how he recommends readers squeeze the full value from the book.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * About John’s new book and why he chose to write a “why to” rather than another how to * How to invest in yourself and how that growth can serve your agency * The book writing process for “The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur” * How to use John’s book to become a stronger, more centered agency leader
Subscribe to Build A Better Agency! * Book: https://www.amazon.com/Self-Reliant-Entrepreneur-John-Jantsch/dp/1119579775 * Website: www.ducttapemarketing.com * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ducttapemarketing * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ducttapemarketing/ * Twitter: @ducttape
Have you ever wished that you had a team member dedicated to helping manage your day, your email, your commitments, and your goals? When we have someone in the office, they often get usurped by other teams or the crisis of the day. That’s one of the many advantages of working with a virtual assistant. Many agency owners are enjoying added productivity and peace of mind that comes with someone always having their back thanks to their VA!
My guest Jess Tyson takes a people-first approach to virtual assistant matchmaking. She facilitates the connection and establishes a professional relationship so you can start delegating and focusing on your highest priorities.. Jess is also the author of Panic Proof: How the Right Virtual Assistant Can Save Your Sanity and Grow Your Business, a speaker, and the Director of Calm at Don’t Panic Management. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, we talk about how virtual assistants can help you get your calm on.
VAs are a flexible commitment that ebbs and flows with your agency. Most agency owners I know use VAs to increase their efficiency and effectiveness, and VAs can become trusted members of your team if you approach the relationship the right way. It’s an option worth considering and my goal with this episode is to broaden your sense of what’s possible with a VA by your figurative side!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How Jess’s new operations audit can help people figure out where to best spend their time and relegate, automate, or delegate the rest * How VAs work and how the relationships are structured * What Jess looks for as she searches for a client’s VA * The advantages of hiring a virtual assistant over a traditional admin * Why agency owners need to delegate * How a VA can manage your biggest time-suck; emails
Ways to Contact Jess Tyson: * Website: https://www.dontpanicmgmt.com/ * Twitter: @jessostroff * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/don’t-panic-management-llc/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dontpanicmgmt
Like every other consumer, your prospects go on a wild and winding journey as they consider whether or not they want to hire an agency and then go about finding that perfect partner. It’s amazing to me that many agencies teach their clients about buying journeys and yet don’t really understand what their prospects go through as they go to market.
Robin and Steve Boehler are the principals at Mercer Island Group and every day, they help brands find that perfect agency partner. They have a unique lens into the emotional roller coaster that prospects ride on their way to hiring an agency. They’ve spent the last few years documenting this journey and now they’re ready to share it with all of us so we can win at each of those milestones.
That’s why I’ve asked Robin back to the podcast, as my first three-peat guest! The Boehlers are just that smart! Take a listen and get a taste of what Robin and Steve have learned through their work with many clients, all on unique but similar journeys that will give us clues on how to win our next sweet spot prospect.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The importance of understanding and anticipating your prospects’ buying journeys * The emotional elements in the prospect’s buying journey * How to help a prospect mitigate the risk they face when switching to a new agency * How to get visibility with your prospects before they’re ready for a change * How to make a lasting impression that helps your agency stand out
Ways to Contact Robin Boehler: * Website: Website: www.migroup.com * Phone: 206.236.0447 * Twitter: @mig_robin
There are very few agencies today who aren’t trying to solve the content challenge. The content creation process is complicated and it’s often difficult to demonstrate the ROI to clients so they will pay you what it takes to actually create something worthwhile. Clients want high performing content but aren’t excited about paying for it. And it can be tough for us to document and demonstrate what’s working and what isn’t.
At this summer’s MAICON (Marketing AI conference) conference, I met Jeff Coyle, the co-Founder and Chief Product Officer for MarketMuse. Jeff and his team are doing incredible work with AI to help agencies and brands better understand how content is performing, what content is missing and how to fill those gaps in a way that is SEO and visitor friendly.
Technology and traditional content production methods are merging, and that’s creating a whole new level of measurability, predictability and performance metrics that can justify the spend. What would take us hours to number crunch and calculate can take tools like MarketMuse mere seconds.
Join me as I explore the possibilities with subject matter expert Jeff Coyle.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The evolution of content marketing * How Jeff Coyle is bringing AI and traditional content production methods together * New tools and insights that agency owners can leverage to create more impactful content * Creating content that has direct conversions * Why you should be updating your content
Ways to Contact Jeff Coyle: * Website: https://www.marketmuse.com/ * Twitter: @jeffrey_coyle
For the last decade, I have been living in the perfect home. I love everything about it— from the size and layout to its waterfront location. I thought I would never move again. But everything changed when I adopted my charcoal lab puppy, Heather.
Heather is about four months old right now and she already exceeds the 30lb weight limit for pets, according to our homeowner’s association. It’s safe to say she’s not getting any lighter, so we don’t have any choice but to pack up and move.
Change is a part of life and yet even though it keeps happening, it’s uncomfortable. We don’t seem to get used to it. We get settled into a direction or path. And suddenly, an unanticipated event triggers change that we weren’t prepared for or can’t control.
In my case – this is change I triggered and I can control. But it’s still unsettling and disruptive. I know most of you are feeling unsettled right now too – because of the economy, which is out of all of our control!
Many agency owners are feeling stuck in a state of flux right now, when it comes to the economy. Every day an agency owner brings up the potential economic downturn and admits that they’re anxious because we don’t know if it’s coming, when it’s coming, or how bad it will be.
Let’s take control of this uncontrollable situation by adopting the best offense is a strong defense stance. In this solocast episode of Build A Better Agency, I am going to walk you through some things you can do to protect yourself IF a downturn or recession is coming. And even if it’s not – this will make you stronger as you enter the new year.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How to prepare yourself and your agency for change * How to balance your client roster during an economic downturn * How to manage your agency finances during a recession * How to strengthen your biz dev program for an economic downturn
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources: * Manual Time Tracker: https://timeular.com/ * Mini Audit: https://www.dontpanicmgmt.com/mini-audit/ * Billing Utilization Calculator: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/onthetable/ * Workshop Calendar: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/advertising-agency-training/workshop-calendar/ * AGI Forms: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/agiforms/
You are agency owners, not career keynote speakers. But that does not mean you don’t earn your living as a presenter. You present every day of your professional lives. You hold one-on-one meetings in your office and lead all-agency meetings. Some of you are speaking at conferences and tradeshows as well.
By sharing your expertise, teaching, and demonstrating that you know your stuff, you will create biz dev opportunities that start deeper in the funnel. It doesn’t matter if public speaking is a strength or a source of anxiety, it is a learnable skill where craft outranks natural talent.
My guest Michael Port has written six best-selling books including Book Yourself Solid and Steal the Show. He has spent the last several years developing and honing the company he co-owns with his wife Amy, Heroic Public Speaking (HPS). HPS conducts training programs for speakers of all walks of life. When I think about great public speakers that are commanding top fees for keynoting, almost all of them have gone through some level of training with Michael and Amy. But they also train people who will never step on a formal stage, but just want to present their ideas in a more compelling way.
The people who go through the HPS program develop confidence and the ability to command an audience. Michael joins us on this episode of Build a Better Agency to talk about the art and science of presentation. He explains how we can use it to serve our agencies, our teams, and our clients in bigger, better ways.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * You are presenting and public speaking every day * Why speeches are an unrivaled biz dev opportunity * Michael Port’s story, and the work he and his wife Amy are doing with Heroic Public Speaking * Why presenting is a combination of art and science * How mastery of public speaking will enable you to become a more effective agency owner
Ways to Contact Michael Port: * Website: https://heroicpublicspeaking.com/ * Twitter: @michaelport
With so many people that have yet to join us on the show, I very rarely ask someone to come back on. But Tamsen Webster is an exception. You may remember episode 61, where Tamsen joined us to talk about speaking at conferences and tradeshows as a biz dev strategy. This time, we are going to take a different tack because Tamsen has been pretty busy since we last spoke.
Every day, I talk to agency owners who struggle to see what differentiates them from their competitors. They fail to recognize their unique reflection in the mirror. Tamsen has developed a methodology for identifying what sets you apart, which is one of many things that we cover in this episode of Build a Better Agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why it is difficult for agency owners to recognize what makes them unique * Tamsen’s methodology for identifying what sets your agency apart * How to use Tamsen’s process internally and with clients * How Tamsen designed her system and why it works
Ways to Contact Tamsen Webster: * Website: www.tamsenwebster.com * Twitter: @tamadear
Every business is struggling to be seen and heard. They spend a lion’s share of their budget fighting to find an audience. Sometimes, it doesn’t have to be that hard. They are often overlooking an incredible resource. Their own employees.
Employees can be some of the best advocates for any business; especially with the right system in place. They know the company inside and out, they talk to current and prospective clients about it and, if they love their work and their employer, they probably share that love when they get the opportunity.
What if you could amplify that critical voice for your clients and help them create a program that encouraged their employees to shout it from the rooftops?
Glenn Gaudet, the CEO of GaggleAMP, founded his company with this idea in mind. GaggleAMP helps companies get the most out of their social media efforts with solutions that help amplify their efforts through employee engagement and interaction.
In episode #209 of Build a Better Agency, Glenn and I discussed employee and brand advocacy at length. We talked about incentivizing employees to engage with their company’s social media, recognizing employees as influencers, using advocacy from raving customers and channel partners, and so much more.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * What employee advocacy is and what it looks like in practice * How to market employee advocacy strategy to employees and clients * Implementing and evolving employee advocacy programs * The myriad benefits of the different kinds of brand advocacy * Specific strategies to incentivize employee advocacy * Common pitfalls when approaching advocacy programs * The mission of Glenn’s company, GaggleAMP
Ways to Contact Glenn Gaudet: * Website: https://www.gaggleamp.com/ * Podcast: www.gaggleamp.com/build
Every year we partner with Audience Audit to conduct research that we know will benefit agency leaders. This year, we decided to re-visit some of the questions we initially asked in 2014 to see if there had been significant shifts. In some ways, the results showed a consistent trend and in some other areas, there’d been some pretty significant changes.
In the 2019 study we included clients from the US, Canada, Australia and the UK and there were over 1,000 respondents who participated.
In this episode we’ll walk you through some of the most significant ah ha moments in the study in terms of what clients value, how they view us, and the kinds of work they think we do best. We will also talk about some of the new questions around agency specialization and agency owner involvement in key accounts.
Listen in as Susan Baier, president of Audience Audit and I explore the insights and talk about the implications of this new research. We’d also like to invite you to join us on November 12th (if you’re listening to this in real time) as we walk folks through every single question and data point in a live webinar just for you!
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * What remained steady and what shifts we saw from the 2014 study * The three distinct audience segments we uncovered and how each of them view agencies * Why over 50% of all respondents work with an agency who is 200+ miles away from them * How you can get the complete download during the webinar on November 12th
Ways to Contact Susan Baier: * Website: www.audienceaudit.com * Email: susan@audienceaudit.com * Twitter: @susanbaier
In the agency world, there are days where it seems like tomorrow will never come. It’s easy to get fixated on what is broken or what else needs to be done. There’s always one more tweak and THEN things will be good.
Actually, no matter where you’re at in the ebbs and flows of agency life, it’s all pretty good.
Even on your worst day, you have it better than most. The problem is, we often fail to realize that. We get tunnel vision digging ourselves out of holes and preparing for the next fallout when things are going well.
In this solocast of the Build a Better Agency podcast, I share the story of a conversation I recently had with a friend who just sold his agency. His perspective was so telling and for me, so inspiring.
My hope is that it will give you a fresh look at how to approach agency ownership, no matter what the day brings.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why some agency owners fail to enjoy the ride * How to show gratitude and the impact it will have on your agency * How to recognize the privileges of being an agency owner or leader * Why it matters that you slow down and appreciate your role * Different ways that you can improve as an agency leader * How to articulate what your clients and employees mean to you
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Our agencies and the work we do will inevitably be impacted by artificial intelligence in the next 3-5 years. That’s just a fact. Odds are, it’s probably already changing the way you do business every day. There’s a lot of hype and buzz about jobs going away and most agencies are struggling to figure out how to keep up.
Questions of what data to use, how to analyze it, what tasks can be automated, and what AI can do for clients pop up all of the time. And it all shifts on what seems like a daily basis.
Fortunately, the agency space has a beacon to light the way into the uncharted territory of AI. His name is Chris Penn, and he is an authority on analytics, digital marketing, and marketing technology. A recognized thought leader, best-selling author, and keynote speaker, he has shaped four key fields in the marketing industry: Google Analytics adoption, data-driven marketing and PR, modern email marketing, and artificial intelligence/machine learning in marketing.
Chris is a generous guy who frequently shares his knowledge over his own podcast, Marketing Over Coffee, as well as through books like “AI for Marketers: A Primer and Introduction.” I was thrilled to welcome Chris as my guest for episode #208 of the Build a Better Agency podcast.
I barely scratched the surface of questions I had but we got a good start, talking about data analysis, keeping up with the flux of AI, and the tasks that agencies can automate to save time and money. The conversation was fascinating and I’m excited to share it with you.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * What data actually looks like in the agency environment * The importance of hiring people with analytics and software skills to an agency * How to keep up with the ever-changing field of AI in an agency setting * Common mistakes agencies make around data and analytics * The most onerous tasks that can be automated using AI * The capabilities of machine learning and where humans come in during the process * What Chris does to keep current with technology in the agency space
Ways to Contact Chris Penn: * Chris’s Blog: https://www.christopherspenn.com/ * Website: https://www.trustinsights.ai/ * Chris’s Podcast: https://www.marketingovercoffee.com/
I’m a big believer in love. Sure — romantic love or the love you have for your family is awesome but that’s not what I am talking about. I am talking about loving the people on your team and your clients. It’s amazing the level of connectivity you can create when you lead with love. It may seem odd, but I think love is especially important in the workplace. Agencies lead with love towards their employees and clients will likely keep those employees and clients and enjoy the fruits of those relationships for many years.
That’s why I knew I’d love Steve Farber’s new book Love is Just Damn Good Business. Steve has decades of experience as a leadership trainer and expert, he’s an internationally sought out speaker and best-selling author. (He was my guest on episode #46 and we mentioned love a few times there too!)
In episode #208 of Build a Better Agency, Steve and I talk about the impact of love on a business’ ROI, employee retention and employer satisfaction. This is one of my favorite conversations I’ve had, and if you only listen to one episode of the podcast, I hope it’s this one.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why Steve’s message is so important in today’s world * The benefits of building a work environment based on love * Building love and relationships with clients * How to demonstrate love to employees * The powerful message of being fully present with people * What empathy really looks like in action * Showing love and kindness in the most difficult times * Serving your employees by being a “strong frame”
Ways to Contact Steve Farber: * Email: steve@stevefarber.com * Website: https://www.stevefarber.com/ * Steve’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Just-Damn-Good-Business/dp/1260441229
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Many agency owners are struggling to not only understand laws like the CCPA and GDPR, but more important — determine what your agency has to do to be compliant and avoid liability. What laws apply to your shop and your clients? What does compliant even mean in terms of practical do’s and don’ts? What is the chain of responsibility if clients make bad choices? What are mistakes we should avoid?
My guest Ruth Carter is an Arizona-based business, intellectual property, and internet attorney; a best-selling author who literally wrote the book on the legalities of blogging; has been living and breathing the new CA privacy law and works with agencies every day to help them manage the hype and interpret the laws accurately.
Ruth and I had a lively conversation about privacy laws and what they mean for agencies. Ruth is a wealth of legal and privacy information for agencies and a brilliant navigator for this tricky subject.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * What determines which privacy laws an agency and our clients need to follow * How agencies can protect themselves if clients don’t follow privacy recommendations and get into legal trouble * Privacy disclaimers, policies, and declarations needed for an agency’s website * Whether your agency has to abide by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and/or the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) * Privacy mistakes that get agencies into hot water * The importance of transparency when adding clients to your email list * Why most agencies can take a deep breath – they’re probably already complying with the law
Ways to Contact Ruth Carter: * Email: ruth@carterlawaz.com * Website: https://carterlawaz.com/ * YouTube: youtube.com/user/CarterLawFirm * Personal Blog: UndeniableRuth.com
There are people who are considered leaders because their title says they are and then there are people who lead, no matter where in the org chart they may be. Agency owners can’t afford to be leaders in title only. We have to step into true leadership if we want our agency to thrive and grow.
David Wood, founder of Play For Real, is my guest on this episode of Build a Better Agency. David is a pro at spotting what it takes to be a strong leader in the workplace.
David was a former consulting actuary to Fortune 100 companies like Sony Music and Procter & Gamble. When he left his Park Avenue job, he began to explore the world in a different way in terms of helping high-performing entrepreneurs, executives and leaders play the game of personal development as well as it can be played.
In this episode of the Build a Better Agency podcast, David and I talk about what it means to show up as a leader who is not afraid to be daring, authentic, and vulnerable. We talk shop on how to encourage employees to be better leaders, how to build an environment of trust, and how true leadership can make all the difference.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Ideal traits and practices for leading people * The differences between relational and posturing leadership * How to recognize leadership flaws and train employees to keep you accountable * The importance of incentivizing employee contributions and collaboration * What being an authentic and daring leader looks like * How your leadership skills translate directly to running a more profitable agency * The power of listening to people’s problems rather than giving advice or trying to fix them * Action steps for becoming a more vulnerable leader
Ways to Contact David Wood: * Website: http://playforreal.life/ * Email: private6@solutionbox.com
As agency owners, we all want to hire the mystical, magical salesperson that will allow us to hand that task to someone other than us. Can it be done? Yes, but probably not the way you think or wish it would happen.
Sales is a challenging activity no matter what you’re selling. Selling for agencies, even more so.
In this solocast, I will walk you through the make-up of that unicorn of a salesperson so you can spot one out in the wild. I’ll help you identify some prime places to search what traits are non-negotiable, and how to build a compensation package, if you happen to find one.
Even if you find this unicorn of a salesperson, you won’t be able to walk away completely. I’ll also discuss the agency owner’s role in the biz dev process. With the right people, the right assets, and the right communication, you’ll be well on your way to a successful sales operation for your agency.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * What makes agency owners uniquely qualified to be the best agency salespeople * What an outside salesperson has to understand about your niche to sell for your agency * The traits of a good salesperson * The different kinds of agencies and how that impacts salespeople’s success rates * A compensation model for outside salespeople and how long it will take them to start making sales * What assets salespeople need to set them up for success * Why salespeople need access to the agency owner
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year, Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan * Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/
Tools & Resources: * Get 10 hours for FREE for a Project with More than 50 Hours with White Label Here.
Lawyers, financial planners and insurance salespeople. You joke about avoiding them at cocktail parties, but they are definitely not who you should avoid as agency owners. Many owners think of attorneys as an expense. I can tell you – the preventative investment you make with a lawyer to get a good contract and other tools is a pittance compared to what I have seen agencies lose when they don’t have those good tools.
If you are a high-risk gambler – grab a contract off the internet and use that.
That’s why I invited Jamie Lieberman, founder of Hashtag Legal LLC, to be my guest on this episode of Build a Better Agency. She has over 15 years of legal experience and specializes in helping agency owners protect themselves before they get into hot water.
Jamie brings extensive experience in contract creation and negotiation IP issues agencies face, web and mobile app terms and conditions, and influencer marketing legalities.
Settle in – she’s ready to give you a free hour of legal counsel!
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why you need to find the right attorney for your agency * The absolute necessity of drawing up the right contracts for your agency and some characteristics of the ideal contract * How agencies can (and should) protect themselves from potentially hazardous legal situations caused by clients * The ins and outs of independent contractors and how to avoid legal headaches and fines * Navigating non-compete and non-solicitation agreements for employees and contractors * The importance of confidentiality agreements and defining what constitutes confidential information * Claiming domain names while avoiding copyright or trademark infringement * Why agencies owners should stay abreast of popular trends in the industry, especially in areas such as influencer marketing
Ways to Contact Jamie Lieberman: * Jamie’s Email: jamie@hashtag-legal.com * Jamie’s Website: https://www.hashtag-legal.com/ * Course: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/ami/ * Get 10 hours for FREE for a Project with More than 50 Hours with White Label Here.
One of the most expensive mistakes many agency owners make is leaving too much money in the business. It’s too easy to forget that the retained earnings in the agency’s checking account is actually your money. You’ve earned it. You’ve paid taxes on it. It should be in YOUR bank account.
But, when you leave it inside the agency you often spent it on bad financial decisions, like staying overstaffed rather than making the tough call to downsize if business shifts.
You need to build your wealth outside of your agency. I dove into that topic in detail in episode 115 if you want to go back and review it.
For many agency owners – when they think about building that wealth outside their agency, they think about real estate I’m a big fan of this strategy and it’s been my go-to for years. But it’s easy to make big mistakes if you aren’t well educated (I wasn’t) or don’t have a good advisor. In the early days, I made some costly mistakes that I’d like to help you avoid.
That’s why I wanted to talk with a true expert in real estate investing so we could all learn from one of the masters.
My guest, Chris Prefontaine, has been creating wealth through real estate and teaching others how to do the same for years. This conversation is going way beyond flipping houses. There are so many ways to make a profit in real estate, and the barriers of entry are much lower than you might think.
Chris has always been a big advocate of constant education which is why he’s written Real Estate on Your Terms: Create Continuous Cash Flow Now, Without Using Your Cash or Credit. He’s also the founder of SmartRealEstateCoach.com and the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast.
He’s been in real estate for over 25 years. His experience includes the construction of over 100 single-family and duplex homes (mostly 1990’s and selectively to date) as well as ownership of a Realty Executives franchise (Massachusetts 1994-2000) as a broker, where he maintained high per-agent standards and eventually sold to Coldwell Banker in 2000.
Chris runs his own buying and selling businesses with his family team, which buys 2-5 properties monthly, so they’re in the trenches every single week. They’ve done over $80 million in real estate transactions and help clients do the same thing around the country.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why you need to start building wealth outside your agency today * How real estate can become a source of income beyond your agency * How to use tax liens as an instrument to earn income via real estate * The wide variety of ways you can earn through real estate * Why you don’t need a massive cash reserve to get started in real estate * How to minimize the outlay and risk in real estate * When to consider remote real estate transactions, and when to work on transactions closer to home * How to ride out market fluctuations to make the most of your real estate investments
Ways to Contact Chris Prefontaine: * Website: https://www.smartrealestatecoach.com/ * Free hard copy (including shipping) of New Rules of Real Estate Investing: http://newrulesforfree.com (this link mentioned in the show seems glitchy. The hyperlinked title should get people right to the site.)
You’ve seen all the stats and you’ve personally experienced the explosive growth of video in the last 5+ years. It is not a channel we can or should ignore for ourselves or for our clients.
But unless you or your client have a skateboarding cat – producing a compelling video that will attract and connect with viewers is no small task. (If you do have a skateboarding cat – can I borrow him?)
In this episode, we’re going to deconstruct what it takes to create a compelling, engaging video that connects you with your ideal audience. My guest is an expert who has spent over a decade exploring and perfecting the art of the marketing video.
Beyond learning how to best our own hang-ups about being on camera, there are even broader questions. What are some best practices? What elements need to be in place to have an effective video? What does effective video even mean these days?
My guest Gideon Shalwick is a serial entrepreneur who has been creating businesses in the online video space since 2006. He’s been experimenting, studying trends and making plenty of money off video for over a decade.
Today, his focus is on his business Splasheo which is a video captioning service where humans manually transcribe your videos and then burn those captions right into your videos using a variety of engaging layouts. They’re perfect for social and if we’re connected on LinkedIn, you’ve seen my weekly video’s new look, thanks to Splasheo!
Gideon also occasionally offers private coaching and training to help people grow their businesses using video marketing.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why video content is not primarily about transferring knowledge * How to connect with your video audience so they want to engage with you * How to structure your video content for maximum engagement * Tips on how to look natural on camera * Why audio is just as important as imagery in creating a video * How to use social proofs both as a novice and after you gain traction in video * Creating video out of your audio content * Why captions make such a big difference in video engagement * How to slice and dice your existing content into valuable video nuggets
Millennials (people born from 1981-1996) comprise the largest and most diverse generation in American history. Most agency owners are either older millennials or Gen X or Boomers. When it comes to leading the team — sometimes those two worlds collide. They’re coming at the world with completely different expectations, wants, needs and goals. Whenever I talk with agency owners, they almost always talk about the frustrations that come from that disparity. Who are these people and how do we manage and motivate them?
In this episode, I ask these questions of agency owner and millennial whisperer Chris Tuff. After living it, researching it, and then literally writing the go-to book on the subject, Chris has some wisdom to share.
The perception is that millennials don’t have the same work ethic that we had at their age. However, the reality is we aren’t from different planets, despite the fact that the world and the work environment today is vastly different from what many of us experienced when we were breaking into the business.
Chris and I dig into perceptions and misperceptions of hiring and leading millennials with the goal of understanding what motivates them, the role of culture, and the fact that we are all people in different stages of life. Hopefully, this will give you some tangible takeaways to help you engage with, inspire, get inspired by, and work with millennials – to everyone’s benefit.
Chris Tuff is a partner at the advertising agency 22squared in Atlanta, GA, where he successfully attracts, motivates, and whispers to Millennials every day. When Chris isn’t working, he kiteboards, mountain bikes, runs and spends quality time with his wife and two daughters.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why managing Millennials doesn’t have to be so challenging for older agency owners * Why transparency is so important for Millennial employees * The kinds of leadership that Millennials are seeking * How to make promoting culture and company goals the job of everyone in the agency * What to look for in Millennial candidates * How to make a contract-to-hire “test drive” worth the risk for both the candidate and you * The benefits that Millennials are seeking * What the Millennial-owned company of the (very near) future will look like * Why diversity and inclusion are not optional with Millennials
Ways to Contact Chris Tuff: * Website: http://www.22squared.com/ * Millennial Leadership Assessment tool: https://www.theMillennialwhisperer.com/Millennial-leadership-assessment/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophertuff/
During the spring gatherings of AGI owner peer network members, I walk them through a presentation on trends that I’m seeing in the industry. Then I devote two solocast episodes to these findings later in the summer.
In episode 195, I covered what’s happening with agency money and finance, along with some trends in ownership, decision-making, and how you and your peers are managing the pace of change in this industry.
In this episode, I talk about employees, clients, and some tactics with which agencies are having great success in terms of winning clients and serving them well.
If the topic of employees gives you a queasy feeling, you are not alone. It’s a big source of concern for many agency owners. I discuss trends I’m seeing in why retention is such a challenge and what you can do to make your agency the best option for employees you don’t want to lose.
What’s happening on the client-side? There are some really interesting findings. I discuss creative ways in which agencies are gaining more clients and more billables from existing clients.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why freelance work is becoming more common and more of a draw to your current employees * How to increase diversity in your agency * What employees are looking for in agency culture * How to set up an attractive incentive program * What agencies are doing to counteract clients doing more work in-house * The most in-demand work with which agencies are engaging clients and for which they are being well-compensated * The four traits that will get you on a client’s radar * How agencies can help clients take a stand on the issues that are important to them and their customers
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Agency Edge 2018: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/agency-tools/agency-edge-research-series/research-2018/ * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
Influencer marketing isn’t new. Remember Joe Namath in pantyhose? (If you don’t Google it)
But what is new is that anyone can harness the power of the internet and attract and monetize an audience. The value to our clients in that new twist is that there is an influencer for any subject, budget, or audience.
This is an area where many agencies are crushing their financial goals. But if done wrong – you can lose your shirt. That’s why I knew we needed to talk to Shane Barker.
Getting to the tactical heart of effective and profitable influencer marketing is what episode #199 is all about. My guest is Shane Barker, who has been doing influencer marketing since before the term was even coined. We talk about finding the right person, the proverbial needle in the influencer haystack, and how to determine the real reach of that individual who calls him/herself an influencer.
Maybe you or your clients are still questioning the ROI of influencer marketing. Shane and I discuss how to do it right from start to finish, so you and your clients get the most bang for your influencer buck.
From working with agencies and brands on influencer strategy and with celebrities on digital reputation management, to obtaining a #1 national ranking with PROskore as a social media consultant, Shane has built an impressive list of accomplishments. As a regular contributor to publications like Salesforce, Yahoo Small Business, Marketing Profs and others, he continues to grow and share his knowledge.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How to vet influencers so you and clients get what you pay for * Why you should interview influencers to find the right fit beyond the metrics * How to A/B test in influencer marketing * What goes into developing a solid influencer marketing strategy * How to be the best choice for the influencers you want to work with * Developing Scope of Work terms with an influencer * The best tools to use to start your influencer search * How to fine-tune your influencer search with the “eyeball test”
Ways to Contact Shane Barker: * Website: https://shanebarker.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanebarker/
In all the years that I’ve been an agency owner (almost 25) and worked alongside agency owners (15+) there is a common pain point — biz dev. We love getting to the table and talking with a potential client about how we can help them. However, getting to the table feels like a slog.
That’s why, if we’re honest with ourselves, we don’t invest as much time and attention as we should to prospecting. The situation becomes a real Catch-22. Sooner or later, that bites every agency owner in the caboose and the bank account.
In episode #198, I talk with Dan Englander, who was on the show a while back (episode #76) and what I appreciate about Dan is that he’s been a student of this challenge. Not only has he analyzed the reasons why we avoid going after new business, but he has developed a process with tangible steps you can take to break the pattern. He’s the proverbial “man with a plan.”
We dig into what makes a good sales team, the right roles for the right people, and how to get and stay on the right biz dev tasks as owners and principals.
Dan founded Sales Schema in 2014 to help marketing service companies reach new heights by aggressively focusing on new business. Previously, he was the first employee business development lead at IdeaRocket. Before that, he was Account Coordinator at DXagency. He’s the author of Mastering Account Management and The B2B Sales Blueprint. In his spare time, Dan enjoys developing new and exciting aches and pains via Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How to set up a biz dev team for success * How to create a 3-person sales pod * The role of a B2B biz dev strategist in your shop * Specific tasks that owners and sales leaders should be completing * How to create a transparent process that leads good-fit clients to a buying decision * How to find enough confidence in your pipeline to be choosy about clients * Ways to back up an abundance mindset with solid strategies and tactics * How to build momentum through your biz dev efforts * How to avoid perfection paralysis in biz dev
Ways to Contact Dan Englander: * Website: https://www.salesschema.com/ * Book The B2B Sales Blueprint: https://amzn.to/2Y2oOtS * Checklist: https://www.salesschema.com/drew
The customer journey, UX, customer experience: buzzwords or actually points of value we can offer clients? I think in the hands of the under-informed and without good data, a process for gathering that data, and a genuine understanding of what the customer journey can tell us, it becomes a matter of hearsay and guesswork.
That isn’t good enough for this week’s guest, so we’re taking the guesswork out of it. I talk with Heidi Trost, owner and CEO of Voice + Code, about how to gather the right data and what to do with it to make that crucial connection between the goals of the customer and the goals of the company.
Heidi Trost has built an agency around those kinds of fixes. Heidi started Voice+Code in 2010 after working at other agencies and being an adjunct professor. She has a passion for helping clients build technology that actually serves their customers and delivers on the experience the customer is seeking. We’re going to dig into all of those topics.
Heidi’s obsession with usability and the user experience began with her award-winning graduate research at Rochester Institute of Technology. Today, her passion is to help businesses measure and optimize the user experience while making the digital realm safe, usable, and accessible.
As a user experience researcher and designer, speaker, and usability expert, Heidi has helped startups and Fortune 500 companies develop digital product strategies that align customer needs with business goals.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The data and metrics to use in understanding the customer journey * The best methodologies for getting input from your clients * How to test your assumptions about a customer persona * How to set up usability studies * How to map out the customer journey * Getting realistic about the customer journey * What prevents a product or service from achieving a great user experience * How to convince clients to invest in research
Ways to Contact Heidi Trost: * Website: https://www.voiceandcode.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-trost-65325433/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voiceandcode/
I know a lot of agency owners think about selling their shop. But do they think about it strategically? Or soon enough? Do they execute on a plan that will set them up for success 5-10 years before they’re ready to sell?
Usually, the answer to those questions is no. And on the flip side, how many agency owners think about growth through acquisition? Selling is a big part of the conversation but buying should be on the table as well.
In episode #196, I talk with Terry Lammers, who has been buying and selling businesses since he sold his family fuel company. We talk about the monetary and non-monetary aspects of getting the most from your agency or being a smart buyer if you’re on that end of the transaction. Most importantly, we dig into how, why, and when to start planning your exit strategy as an agency owner.
Terry Lammers grew up in a little town of 600 people. His family owned a wholesale fuels and lubricants company and when Terry took over as president of the company, he had some big ideas for growth. Out of that experience developed a fascination with the process of buying and selling businesses.
Since then, Terry has formed a business brokerage that helps people who want to buy and sell businesses. He also has his designation as a certified valuation analyst, accreditation through the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. He is the author of You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: Everything You Need to Know to Buy and Sell a Business.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why it’s never too early to plan your exit strategy * How to value a business (like an agency) with little regular recurring revenue * Who to have around the table to plan your exit strategy * Nonfinancial elements of your agency that add or subtract the value * Why culture is so important and why blending two company cultures is so difficult * How agency owners can start thinking about the acquisition as a growth strategy
How’s your year going so far? I might have a pretty good idea already. We work with and see how 250+ small to mid-sized agencies are doing every year and there are always patterns that emerge.
Every spring, I give a trends presentation to all of the agency owners in AMI peer groups. Together we explore how those trends are showing up in our world and how they’re impacting the industry.
Then, in the summer – I share those same rends with my podcast audience. If you’ve been listening for a while, you know this is an annual feature of the show.
In this episode, I share the financial picture that is emerging from the data. How are clients spending their marketing dollars? Is this a good time to be an agency owner? I’ll share what the numbers are saying. We’ll also talk about the mood among agency owners and whether or not they’re bullish on 2019 and 2020.
There are too many trends to cover in one episode, so this is part one. Check it out so you’re ready for part two next month.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Top agency trends in 2019 * Understanding the rise of project work * How to manage after a gorilla client suddenly breaks up with you * Why transparency in markups and commissions is so important * Why agencies are earning more dollars, but those dollars are harder to acquire * How to regain that spark when agency work makes you weary * New trends in agency succession planning
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Agency Health Assessment: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/assessment/ * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
My entreé into agency life was as a copywriter. I loved digging around and finding the story underneath the story. That love was the foundation for my belief in the power of a strong and smart brand. For decades my agency has helped clients define, develop, and deploy their brand both internally and externally. It’s still some of my favorite work to do.
Understanding your unique story is a powerful competitive advantage for our clients and our own agencies. Without understanding what makes us unique – we have to swim in the sea of sameness and that’s definitely swimming upstream!
In this episode, we’re digging into storytelling by understanding it at the root level. There is an architecture to stories and I have gone to the expert to learn more about that structure and how, as agencies, we can better use it to build our clients’ brands – and our own as well.
My guest is Park Howell. For 25 years, Park ran an agency in Arizona called Park & Co. At a certain point in his career, he pivoted his agency to become a storytelling consultant, helping clients learn how to tell their own story. Park founded his consultancy, The Business of Story, on January 1, 2016, so he could partner with leaders of purpose-driven organizations and help them clarify their stories, amplify their impact, and simplify their lives.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How the hero’s journey has been with us since the beginning of storytelling * Why story is one of the most powerful tools in your brand building arsenal * How to help clients live into their most powerful stories * Who should be the hero of the story (the answer might surprise you) * Why it is so hard for agencies to discover and tell their own stories * How storytelling connects with something so primal in all of us * How to use storytelling to help customers fulfill what they wish, will, and want
Ways to Contact Park Howell: * Website: https://businessofstory.com/ * What’s Your Story worksheet: https://businessofstory.com/storytelling-tools/# * Storytelling Workbook: https://businessofstory.com/brand-storytelling-workbook/
The challenge with digital trends is that they are moving so swiftly, it’s hard to keep up. There are so many shiny objects flying around our heads, it’s dizzying. How do you know which ones are worth tracking and learning?
That’s where this week’s guest comes in. Tom Webster is the senior vice president at Edison Research. Edison is probably best known outside our world for being the sole provider of exit poll data during United States elections. But from our agency vantage point, most of us know Edison for their annual study, the Infinite Dial. The Infinite Dial remains the longest-running study of consumer behaviors around media and technology in America, and serves as the digital media trends bible for many since its inception in 1998.
The work that Tom and his team at Edison, along with partner Triton Research, have done for decades is highly anticipated every year and provides mission-critical information to agencies throughout the world. We’re going to dig into the data and find some surprises for you.
Tom Webster has nearly 20 years of experience researching consumer usage of technology, new media, and social networking. In addition to The Infinite Dial, he is the principal author of a number of widely-cited studies, including The Social Habit and Twitter Users in America. He is also the co-author of The Mobile Commerce Revolution, and a popular keynote speaker on data and consumer insights.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How the social media landscape is shifting * Why podcasting is becoming more popular * What works – and what doesn’t – in podcast advertising * The ins and outs of brand lift * Why being a ‘capital S’ show is important in terms of podcast popularity * A deep dive into the data from The Infinite Dial 2019 * Why starting with the audience is critical for all good content * The work ahead of us in entering the voice assistant space
Speaking engagements can be a great way for agency owners to connect with their sweet spot prospects and be immediately perceived as a subject matter expert. Wanting to book speaking gigs and being successful at making that happen are two very different things. Even if you have some speaking engagements under your belt, getting chosen by a conference planner is another challenge to navigate.
Even seasoned pros must keep their eyes on the prize. I have always used speaking as one of my primary biz dev strategies (for both my agency and AMI) but I learned early on that it’s easy to get discouraged, distracted, or dismissed if you don’t have a smart strategy in place.
How do you build a speaking strategy that serves your agency business development objectives?
In episode #192, I talk with Steve Markman, who offers some hard-earned, straightforward advice on preparing a speaker proposal and getting it noticed by decision-makers. We also talk about how to determine whether a particular speaking opportunity is the right strategic move. We even tackle the age-old question of “should I speak for free?”
We’ll dig into all the nitty-gritty details of how to take full advantage of the right speaking platforms and when to stay home.
Steve Markman started Markman Speaker Management, LLC in 1994. It’s a speaker’s bureau with access to an international network of speakers in all fields and industries. He also coaches business owners and professionals on how to best speak for the right reasons to the right audiences.
Steve has over 30 years of experience in the conference, event, and speaker business, working with groups like the Conference Board and Society of Professional Consultants. Having been a conference producer working with some of the world’s largest events, Steve understands the importance of quality speaking engagements from both the speaker and conference planner perspectives.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The key components of a speaker proposal * How to respond to a call for speakers * How to ensure the audience is your target market * How to establish a connection with the conference organizer * The difference between formal and informal speaker submissions * Best practices for organizing your conference presentation * How to measure the value of presenting, even if need to pay your own expenses * How many speaking engagements is too many
Ways to Contact Steve Markman: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemarkman/ * Email: smarkman@markmanspeaker.com * Get More Speaking Engagements: https://www.markmanspeaker.com/staff-training.html * Website: https://www.markmanspeaker.com/
Whether we articulate them or not – we all have dreams. One of mine for me (and for all of you!) is to visit every Disney theme park in the world. Not that I want to mandate your dreams but who doesn’t love Disney?
The truth is, a serious business case can be made for agency owners to help their team members achieve their dreams. I know this from first-hand experience. More than a decade ago, I read the book Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly and began to implement it in my own agency. I believe it’s one of the reasons I have the employee tenure (17+ years on average) that I do. So when I met Dan Ralphs and learned about his company/mission, I knew I had to get him on the podcast.
Dan is the founder of Dream Leadership Consulting and is one of the world’s foremost experts in unlocking the power of dreaming inside a workplace. We often think that someone’s personal goals and dreams should be separate from their work life but that’s so short-sighted when you think about it. Your goal is to create an environment where your rock stars can flourish, be happy, and stick around for a long time. Why not help them achieve their dreams?
Before founding Dream Coach, Dan was the facilitator of the Dreaming Program at Infusionsoft, where he helped its employees identify, articulate, and accomplish their dreams – all based on the work by Matthew Kelly’s book.
Dan has the amazing ability to help people discover their dreams and learn how to go after them. His realistic approach toward dreaming recognizes that dreaming is not a ‘magic pill’ but, rather, a new way of thinking about our ability to create.
He is also the creator of the Dream Leader Certification course, through which he has helped more than 100 leaders from across the world become Dream Leaders to those whom they lead.
Together, they have helped their people accomplish dreams like buying a first home, riding elephants in Thailand, and starting a foundation to help mothers facing infant loss. Due to the efforts of Dan and the Dream Leaders he has certified, thousands have been awakened to their dreams and their ability to achieve them.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The power of helping employees achieve their dreams * Why investing in employees leads them to invest in the agency * How to advocate for people’s dreams without simply writing a check * Why helping employees achieve dreams must be more than a means to an agency end * How to establish systems around dream fulfillment * How to help people understand the price tag attached to their dreams * Why agency owners experience greater fulfillment in their work when they encourage others to fulfill their dreams
Ways to Contact Dan Ralphs: * Website: https://www.dreamleadershipconsulting.com/ * Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/766881.The_Dream_Manager
Figuring out which prospects align with your sweet spot and then doing the work necessary to earn their business are the difficult tasks of agency ownership. It starts with understanding what your sweet spot is. Who do you serve best? Where do you have a specialized knowledge that gives you a competitive edge?
As you have heard me say time and time again, for most agencies, being a general practitioner is neither desirable nor practical. It’s tough to compete on anything but the price when you look, sound and act the same as all of the other agencies out there. The brain surgeon is always more sought after and gets paid more than a general practitioner does.
That’s why I talk so often about positioning your agency. It’s how you find the right clients and focus on the right activities to attract and best serve those clients.
In this solocast, I spell out some of the options you could consider as you think about how to niche your agency. I walk you through the steps to take and areas on which to focus so that you can position your agency as a standout leader in whatever niches you are best suited to serve.
How do you discover your sweet spot clients? How do you hone in on your point of view? How do you demonstrate subject matter expertise that will win the business? In this episode, you’ll get some answers and perhaps come away with a few questions to ask yourself and your team as you move towards that goal.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * The importance of defining who you serve and whom you don’t serve * The 4 ways to think about niches * Ways to narrow your niches * How to position your agency by solving a particular problem * Why POV is so important in positioning your agency * How POV helps you stand out and focus on activities with the highest payoff * Why you must not only claim but also demonstrate subject matter expertise * Why walking away from a big bag of money is sometimes the right call
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Sweet Spot Client Filter: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/client-filter-var1/ * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
Artificial intelligence generates lots of interest and more than a little bit of fear among agency owners. How will machine learning, AI, and all that super-technical stuff change agency life? Will it make agency work irrelevant?
Not according to my guest, Paul Roetzer from PR 2020 and The Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute. In this episode, Paul shared how his agency is leaning into AI because of the power and possibilities he sees in terms of agency efficiency and profitability. He makes a strong case that AI has the potential to make agency work more intelligent and even more human.
AI is one more way agencies can leverage new technology and new tools to serve our clients better, to help them grow their businesses, and to more profitably, efficiently, and effectively grow our own agencies.
I’m sure that some of you find this a little scary to even contemplate. But just like we’ve embraced all of the technologies before AI (the internet, mobile, programmatic media buying, etc.) we’re going to have to wrap our heads around this one too.
One of the best aspects of owning an agency is that we constantly get to evolve and re-invent ourselves to better serve our clients. AI gives us all the opportunity to scale and grow in ways we couldn’t imagine. AI isn’t about robots stealing jobs. It’s about the potential to eliminate the boring, repetitive tasks so we can spend more time thinking creatively.
Paul always sets his eyes toward the horizon. He’s continually wondering what will happen next in our industry and how he and his agency can be at the forefront of that. So, I wasn’t at all surprised when Paul and I were talking a few years ago and AI started to creep into the conversation.
In the last year or so, Paul has doubled down on that, not only in terms of what he’s doing with his own agency but also through his new organization, the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute. Later this summer, the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute is presenting MAICON, an AI convention for marketing leaders (use discount code McLellan19 to save $100 off the registration fee). Its mission is to make AI approachable and actionable for modern marketers so they can use this technology to build a powerful competitive advantage.
Paul has also written two books that I highly recommend: The Marketing Agency Blueprint and The Marketing Performance Blueprint.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How intelligent automation will continue to make repetitive agency work easier * Why AI isn’t after your agency job * How machine learning can help you share data with clients in a cost-effective way * How agencies can understand AI and be a learning resource for clients * How to develop use cases for testing AI in your agency * Why small and mid-sized agencies are well-positioned to pivot into AI
Ways to Contact Paul Roetzer: * MAICON: https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/events/marketing-artificial-intelligence-conference-2019
discount code: MCLELLAN19
* Website: https://www.pr2020.com/
* Website: https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/
* Resources Page: https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/resources
* New Intelligent Automation Solutions Post
* How Do We Prepare College Students for the Age of AI? Post
* Book: AI for Marketers: An Introduction and Primer: Second Edition
For 95% of all agencies, referrals and word of mouth are the #1 method of gaining new clients. On the one hand, that’s great. It means your clients, friends, and peers love and trust you enough to introduce you to their friends and colleagues.
From staffing challenges to constant client demands, agency life can be bumpy. Our industry is in a state of constant change and that’s not going to let up anytime soon. For some owners, that’s exhilarating and challenging. For others, it just makes them bone tired.
Right now, most agencies are enjoying healthy profits, lots of new business opportunities, and a very difficult hiring season. Our employee base is changing and many owners struggle to find and retain talent that will help them grow and strengthen the agency. Clients are demanding more on tighter timelines and budgets.
How do we thrive in this ever-shifting environment?
In this episode, I talk with someone who has seen it all – Nancy Hill. She is a veteran of big box agencies, former president and CEO of the 4As, and, more recently, has started her own consultancy, Media Sherpas. This broad range of experiences has given her important insights into the current climate – the challenges and opportunities we face every day, especially when it comes to staffing and client relationships.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How to think differently about your agency’s staffing challenges * How to get more creative with your benefits package so that you retain younger employees * How to establish mutually beneficial expectations with agency employees * Negotiating with clients about scope instead of lowering prices * Managing just-in-time staffing * Why independently owned agencies need to be nimble in their decision-making * How to boost your agency’s ability to say no * How to thrive in an environment of constant change
Ways to Contact Nancy Hill: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-hill-advertising/
This has happened at my agency and I’m sure it’s happened at yours.
You start a huge client project and are excited to keep things rolling – both to protect your agency’s production schedule and to exceed the client’s expectations in terms of delivering on time and on budget. But then, you hit the roadblock. The cold silence you hear when you ask your client for the assets you need.
Whether it’s images, video, or copy points – you’re stalled until they cough it up. So much for on time or on a budget!
On this episode, I talk with James Rose about how to streamline the content collection process. Back when he was running a web dev shop, this was a major frustration for him and his team. So much so that his company developed what is now its core business: a content collection platform called Content Snare.
As content increasingly becomes central to much of agency work, solving the content collection conundrum is often the difference between profitability and charity work. Take a listen as James offers many no tech, low tech, and SaaS solutions to help us stay in the black.
James and his business partner, Mark Beljaars, started a single-product SEO software company in 2010. As they networked with other business owners, they heard countless stories about website projects that have gone wrong. They thought maybe they could help things go right.
With a passion rooted in software, they identified a few bottlenecks in the web design process. The worst one, which resonated most with other designers, was chasing down clients for their web content. That’s when Content Snare was born.
Clients don’t think about projects the same way we do – they don’t mean to be a bottleneck, even though they often are just that. Finding ways to keep content flowing ultimately helps us deliver an end result worthy of our efforts and our fee.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why gathering content from clients is such a universal pain point for agencies * How agencies can set content expectations as a part of the terms and conditions in a service contract * How to give clients a firm content deadline and make the stakes very clear * Why content collection is more than just setting up reminders * How to stop wasting time chasing after clients * How agency owners can help clients avoid overwhelming deadlines * Why you must manage agency expectations about how much data to expect from clients at one time
Every agency has a culture. The question is – is it intentional? And when I say culture, I’m not talking the beer thirty or holiday party aspects of culture. I’m really focusing in on the shared beliefs and agreed upon “rules” of engagement in terms of how we work together, deliver for the client and push towards our goals.
In too many agencies, this is not as intentional as it needs to be. The agency’s vision, mission, and values may exist somewhere, in a file folder, or at best in an employee manual, and then agency owners check off the box, hoping that their team picks up on it. It’s culture by default, not by design.
I’ve become increasingly convinced that culture isn’t just a nice idea. It’s not simply a day out serving the community or a potluck lunch held the first Tuesday of every month. Those things can be good and a part of the culture but the concept goes much deeper than that and it has implications for the bottom line.
In this episode, I talk with Tristan White, who early on in his business realized that intention and methodology were necessary to build a strong and healthy work culture. He soon realized that culture isn’t a distraction. It isn’t peripheral to business. Culture is everything.
Tristan White is the CEO of a company called The Physio Co. in Australia. Its core purpose is to increase the physical wellness and activity levels of seniors to keep them healthier, happier, and more mobile.
In the process of building The Physio Co., Tristan did a lot of learning and a lot of experimenting with respect to culture and its influence on company performance. He ended up writing a book called Culture is Everything. Inside that book, Tristan lays out a system for building a foundational culture inside your organization. We explore that system and dig into why culture is so critical to running a long-term successful business.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * Why it’s never too late to grow and foster a healthy work culture * How to live the corporate values you espouse * A methodology by which to operate from your core values * Why culture can equal cash * How to design a culture that withstands challenging times * How to develop a culture of substance * Why a healthy work culture must go beyond a day of service and Taco Tuesdays * How to bake things like empathetic connection into your culture * How to interview for alignment with your culture * Where to start in shaping or reshaping your agency’s vision and values
Ways to Contact Tristan White: * Content for Listeners of the Podcast: https://www.tristanwhite.com.au/bba * Culture is Everything Book: https://www.tristanwhite.com.au/product/culture-is-everything-book/
The results are in, and 2018 was clearly a good year in agency life.
On this episode, I unpack and dig deep into the findings of our most recent Salary and Benefits survey. Employees are reaping the benefits of the continued tight labor market. Agencies that want to attract and keep the best and brightest are paying better and providing some robust benefits.
We all know it’s hard to compete against the lure of a corporate paycheck, but agency life has so much more to offer than corporate life. Many of you are finding ways to express that to your employees, and my advice is simple: keep going!
There are many more trends to unpack and some considerations for what the road ahead may look like. The salary and benefits survey always gives us a lot to talk about, and this year is no exception!
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * What similarly sized agencies in your market are doing with salary and benefits * How the focus on content is favoring writer creatives over art creatives * The state of entry-level starting salaries * What agencies are doing to keep their staff from seeking greener pastures * Why agencies tend to be so generous with benefits * How to attract and retain top employees when you can’t compete on price * The intangibles that make agency life so rewarding, and how to emphasize them
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Helpful Resources from this Episode: * 2019 Salary Survey: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/agency-tools/salary-survey-2019/
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
Let’s admit it. Agency owners are reluctant salespeople. However, biz dev should be a significant part of how we spend our days.
When I hear agency owners say that they don’t have to prospect because they get so much business via word of mouth, I always ask, “Are those the clients you would choose to work with or are you simply working with them by default?” When we’re honest with ourselves, the truth can sting a little.
I get it – no one likes to be told no. That doesn’t make selling any easier. But how do we change our mindset? Hearing no (or deafening silence) feels like a failure, so we avoid it at all costs. But what are the costs of fearing the “no” and settling for whatever comes our way?
In episode #184, I talk with Andrea Waltz, co-author of the best-selling book, Go for No. We have to re-think the word no. A “no” is one step closer to a “yes”.
Andrea and I talk about the no, not just in sales, but also in the creative process. Sometimes we phone it in because big, bold ideas have been rejected in the past. So we play it safe, even though we know that’s not in our clients’ best interests.
Andrea Waltz is a keynote speaker, author, and sought-after sales strategist. At the age of 8, she called George Lucas to see if she could work with him on future movies. She was the youngest general manager in eyeglass retailer Lenscrafters’ history. At the age of 24, she launched her own training company.
Hubspot named Andrea one of the “25 Sales Experts You Should Follow on Twitter” while Salesforce.com named her one of the “25 Sales Influencers to Follow on Twitter.” She was also named among the “Top 100 Sales Influencers” and “Top 65 Women Business Influencers” by Tenfold and one of the “47 Top Sales Speakers and Influencers to Follow on Twitter” by SummitSYNC.
What You Will Learn in this Episode:
- How to retrain your brain to accept more “no’s”
- Why setting “no” targets is as important as setting sales targets
- How going for “no” translates beyond sales
- The power of actually wanting to fail
- Getting ready to fail bigger and fail faster to get to “yes”
- Why celebrating failure is so important
- How to encourage the effort and not just the result
Ways to Contact Andrea Waltz:
- Website: http://www.goforno.com/
- Go for No Book: https://amzn.to/2JC7FES
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goforno/
For 95% of all agencies, referrals and word of mouth are the #1 method of gaining new clients. On the one hand, that’s great. It means your clients, friends, and peers love and trust you enough to introduce you to their friends and colleagues.
Unfortunately, they’re not always the right clients for our agency. What if they aren’t a good fit? What if they are the furthest thing from a sweet-spot client for who you are and what your agency does? We have to be more intentional about referral and word of mouth.
That’s why my conversation with Steve Gordon arrived right on time. Steve has developed processes and systems that you can use to leverage word of mouth, qualify referrals, and scale your efforts so you don’t have to spend more time in one-on-one meetings than you have hours in your already stretched-to-the-limit day.
Steve Gordan started the Unstoppable CEO in 2010. He has invested nearly two decades into studying, implementing, testing, and proving the strategies that work to sell professional services.
Through Unstoppable CEO, Steve shares this knowledge with growth-minded professionals who are ready for world-class help with their marketing. He has become an expert at leveraging and scaling referral systems and word-of-mouth marketing techniques.
What You Will Learn in this Episode:
- How to leverage your word of mouth and referrals
- Why you must vet referrals to ensure they are a good fit for your agency
- How to use presentations as referral machines
- The many ways to leverage technology in gaining referrals
- Why human nature creates points of interaction that don’t change over time
- How to become a successful journalist
- How to turn podcasts into referral engines
- What it means to gain total business freedom
Ways to Contact Steve Gordon:
- Website: https://unstoppableceo.net/
- Just for listeners: https://unstoppableceo.net/build/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonsteve/
When you think about or define a global agency, do you think of those giant conglomerates that started on Madison Avenue and have mushroomed into marketing behemoths? Well, that’s one model – but certainly not the only one. What if your global agency was set up more like a series of regional micro-agencies still under one banner?
On episode #182 of Build a Better Agency, I talk with Josh Steimle, who has developed a unique business model that is really working for him and the growing team at MWI.
We dig into it all: how to develop a cohesive culture across multiple locations, how to hire well, and how to niche down. What they are doing is still very unique in the agency world but seems to have the potential for replication – as many successful ventures do.
Josh founded MWI in 1999 while a college student at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. In 2013, he moved from Salt Lake City to Hong Kong to open MWI’s first international office.
Josh is the author of Chief Marketing Officers at Work: How Top Marketers Build Customer Loyalty, a TEDx speaker, and regularly presents at marketing and business events. He has written over 200 articles on marketing and entrepreneurship for publications like Mashable, TechCrunch, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, and Time.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Why there is more than one way to scale a business * How to rethink the global agency * Why hiring the right person is such a critical decision * How a niche service can land you big clients * Why even small events can pay off with good business opportunities * How to build credibility in the marketplace through strategic partnerships * Using credibility to sell your services * The ROI of giving away advice * Challenge and opportunity in building a global group of micro-agencies * Building an agency that is both virtual and face-to-face
Ways to Contact Josh Steimle: * Website: joshsteimle.com * Website: mwi.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuasteimle * Book: https://amzn.to/2Es5rmI
We talk to clients about positioning every single day. We walk them through differentiation strategies. When they don’t take our advice, we walk away shaking our heads. However, guess who is lousy at taking our own medicine!
I say this all the time, but it bears repeating: Being a generalist is not going to cut it in today’s marketplace. Getting clear on your subject-matter expertise – the heart of your differentiation – has never been more important. I don’t think there is a way to overstate that point.
On episode #181 of Build a Better Agency, I talk with David C. Baker, who has seen it all as a consultant, often working with design firms and agencies. It’s why he wrote the book “The Business of Expertise.”
He speaks regularly on more than 70 topics relevant to entrepreneurial expertise and also appears as a guest on many entrepreneurial focused podcasts.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The most egregious mistake agency owners make * Why “seats on the agency bus” does not always equal success * Why establishing subject-matter expertise is more important than ever * The ideal numbers of prospects and competitors that define strong differentiation * How to measure and demonstrate your subject-matter expertise * Why your geographic reach is an important metric * Why employees are not as interchangeable as they once were * How to elevate training in agency culture * Why 85% of agencies are niched vertically
Ways to Contact David C. Baker: * Website: davidcbaker.com
Agencies have an accountability problem and it starts at the top.
Every day, as owners and team members we make promises to our team. I’ll get the copy to you by 5.” Or, “I’ll have my part of the RFP done by Tuesday.” You’ve heard yourself making those commitments and then you hear that voice in the back of your head say, “I hope.”
If we as owners can’t honor our promises, how on earth can we expect our team to honor theirs? As owners and principals, we overfill our schedules. We overpromise – and guess what? The natural outcome of that is we under deliver, let down our team and set up a pattern where pretty soon, they take everything we say with a big grain of salt.
Everything we do, internally and externally, is deadline driven. If you’re wondering why your employees don’t seem to worry about deadlines or other commitments, like budgets, look no further than your mirror. Odds are, without knowing it, you’ve taught them that the promises we make are “fluid.”
We must be accountable – and hold our teams accountable – for time commitments.
This episode of Build a Better Agency is a solocast. It’s all about providing more leadership in our promises to deliver projects (or answers, or whatever the deliverable may be) on time. We’re all incredibly busy, and too often we use that – and accept that – as an excuse.
You don’t want your agency to be a place whose staff members don’t respect each other enough to keep their promises. And you don’t want your agency to let down or embarrass clients because you didn’t deliver something on time. These are the games we play when we don’t take our time commitments seriously, and they have to stop. Accountability is the key to honoring our word and earning our team and clients’ confidence.
Dig into this issue with me and let’s examine a culture that is reluctant to say no. Let’s look at how we track (or don’t track) our time and our employees’ time. Our goal is not to micromanage or pad billable hours but to get a clear handle on whom and what it really takes to deliver on a project so that we are putting enough time in the calendar to get it done on time and within budget.
What You Will Learn on This Episode: * The difference between expectation and agreement * Why accountability for deadlines starts with you * How to put more breathing room into your calendar so you can honor your agreements * The life-changing magic of timesheets * Why internal deadlines are at least as important as client deadlines * How to build a traffic management function into an agency of any size * How to make accountability a lived core value within your agency
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Helpful Resources from this Episode: * Weekly Podcast Giveaway: agencymanagementinstitute.com/podcastgiveaway
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
The number one barrier to growth for agencies in 2019 is staffing. Agencies are struggling to find and keep good talent. And that conversation always leads to the topic of culture. When we think about culture – we often think about the fun stuff – parties, bonuses, and recognizing people for going above and beyond for clients.
All of that is super important but it is also equally critical to instill a culture that seeks, celebrates, and rewards growth. What are the attributes of a growth culture – and how do you make sure your agency has it?
A longtime practitioner in this area of creating a growth culture inside your agency is my guest on this episode: Doug Austin. In this episode, we talk about why that is the key to, in Doug’s words, “having permission to win that business.”
Doug has been doing agency work for many years and now spends his time as a consultant, working with agency owners and leaders to create a culture of growth in their business. We’re going to dig deep into what a growth culture means and how to get it.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The steps of a four-tiered plan for growth and innovation * Why it is important to know your client’s business inside and out * How to build training in the industries you serve into your overall training program * How to write a brief that makes sense to your client * Best practices for setting up training for agency employees * Creating a culture of growth * Building a culture based on the worth of all people and doing the best work you can * The connection between continuous learning and a culture of growth * How to perform a service audit of your agency * Dealing effectively with culture culprits
Ways to Contact Doug Austin: * Website: austinamplifies.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-austin-b978915/
Agency owners are notoriously ill-informed (and uncomfortable) when it comes to their agency’s finances. Which means they make important decisions in the dark. Not ideal and we’re trying to change that at AMI. That doesn’t mean you need to understand all the fine-grain details. But you do have to understand where you stand financially at any given time.
On episode #178, I talk with Jenn McCabe, who started out in accounting at Ogilvy and Mather but soon started her own accounting firm to help small to midsized agencies figure out their numbers.
The numbers you need to know (and if you do any AMI planning, this will sound familiar) should fit on one sheet of paper. We’re not talking about miles and miles of Excel spreadsheets. Just the key figures and concepts you need to understand your agency’s financial health.
We’ll also talk about best practices for preparing your agency for sale when the time comes.
Recently Jenn merged her company with Armanino. They provide, among many other services, outsourced accounting, finance, and HR, working primarily with agencies to create simple accounting dashboards and financial documents that allow the agency owner to make good decisions.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The difference between cash accounting and accrual accounting (and why you NEED to know the difference) * The need for accounting rather than bookkeeping * Understanding run rate, aka your monthly “nut” * Why you need to pay yourself as an owner * Best practices around owner salary * How much cash and cash equivalents to keep liquid and available * How to be an attractive acquisition target * Transitioning your employees to new owners * Managing an internal agency purchase * Why management buyouts are becoming less common
Ways to Contact Jenn McCabe: * Website: armaninollp.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-mccabe-3766283/
Staying on top of the social media landscape and what it means in terms of going from engagement with fans to ultimately generating new opportunities and sales is one of those ongoing tasks in agency life. Algorithms are always evolving, so what got you reach last year – or even last month – might not get you the same reach today.
We are creating social content for clients every day. Add to that the thought leadership we want to develop for our agency – and that’s a lot of social interaction to manage!
On this episode, we dig into the current data. What’s happening on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and, oh, yeah – Twitter.
How do we engage on these social platforms in smart and effective ways? My guest is Scott Ayres of Agorapulse. His Social Media Lab (a literal lab and also a podcast he hosts) digs into this question with gathered and analyzed data to back up any answers given.
Scott has the awesome title of Content Scientist at Agorapulse. He takes what we all believe to be best practices or questions we have around engagement or audience activity or behavior, and he looks for data points that will help us make better choices in terms of how we use these social channels for our agency and clients’ benefit.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * What social metrics to measure, and why * Why local business pages are still thriving on Facebook * How people are using hashtags as “Google” * Whether or not emoji usage changes engagement * Why you might want to post on social networks before or after peak * How social media channels are beginning to segment in a good way * Why LinkedIn text-only posts perform better than FB text-only posts * Data around the resurgence of the Twitter chat
Ways to Contact Scott Ayres: * Website: agorapulse.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwayneayres/
This is one of those episodes that proves that you don’t know what you don’t know. We’re tackling the subject of health insurance – how to manage costs as an employer since it is such a big-ticket cost for most agencies.
I’ve been an agency owner for the past 25 years or so, and health insurance is something I want to offer because I value my team and want to provide a generous benefit package. But when renewal time comes around, I’m always wondering what kind of increase is coming. Like most of you, it’s usually in the double digits and super painful. Someone (me or my employees) has to endure that increase or we have to increase the deductible or reduce features.
One thing I do know: For all of us, healthcare costs typically one of our biggest expenses and feels completely out of our control.
I wanted to tap into the wisdom of Allison De Paoli, who works with businesses to get more out of every healthcare insurance dollar. She offered some incredible insight on managing the costs, increase the benefits to your team and protect yourself when it comes to renewals.
A veteran of the insurance and benefits industry, Allison and her firm are members of Next Generation Benefits Network (NBN). NBN is a national alliance of elite independent benefits firms that are successfully challenging the healthcare status quo to improve benefits for employees, while reducing the costs for employers.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Creative ways to manage your healthcare line item * The difference between a level-funded plan and a standard premium plan * Cost savings and other benefits of telehealth programs * Finding a benefits advisor who will truly advocate for your best interests * How to make sure employees of every age are getting the right kind of medical care * Hidden drivers of healthcare costs * The role and surprisingly affordable cost of a direct primary care doctor * Why self-funded plans are not as scary as you might think * How a health savings account can act as a retirement savings vehicle
Ways to Contact Allison De Paoli: * Website: allisondepaoli.com/build/ * Book: https://amzn.to/2SYJWyM * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-de-paoli-b48825/
When I talk with agency owners, there’s one topic that often comes up in conversation. They say, “I wish my employees would think and act more like owners!” And my question back is, “why would they – they aren’t owners.”
Think about it. As the agency owner, you run the business, and you understand clearly what’s at stake every month. You stand to win or lose something each month when you make or don’t make your adjusted gross income (AGI), and the agency’s performance has a direct impact on your success. If the agency doesn’t do well – you’re the one who does not get a paycheck. But they do.
On the flip side, when the agency does very well, you reap the benefits of that windfall. You might pay out bonuses to your team but rarely do agency owners explain where the bonus came from or what was done to earn it.
Without similar incentives to meet targets, why would the staff feel a sense of ownership that drives their thoughts and actions?
This episode of Build a Better Agency is a solocast – and on it, I walk you through the AMI bonus programs that is designed to teach your team agency math (how we make and lose money) and create incentives so that they do start thinking and acting like an owner.
Ideally, a bonus program educates your team to think like owners, helps with retaining your best people, and shares the spoils from a good year. It also eliminates the obligatory year-end bonus that is not tied to anything but the calendar. As you know, if you give away a bonus a couple years in a row – without tying it to performance metrics, it becomes an entitlement.
Walk through the actual program with me on this episode and be sure to download the PDF so it’s easier to follow along.
What You Will Learn on This Episode: * How to incentivize employees to think like owners * Why automatic raises might start to backfire * Why you should divide quarterly bonus funds evenly * How to tell your team the story of why you did or did not hit your AGI target * How to be reasonably generous and not ridiculously generous with bonus programs * How to adjust AGI goals based on what happened in the previous quarter * Why a bonus program is a good retention tool * How to build behavioral incentives (continuing ed, time sheets) into your bonus program * Why a bonus program can replace conversations about raises
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
Resources: * AMI bonus program document
Agencies are creative spaces. Especially as owners, we may bristle at the thought of being managed. But as your agency grows, there a definite need for systems and processes that ensure that things get done on time, on budget, and as promised.
I understand that even as the owner I get managed in order to keep tasks and projects on track. As agencies grow and need more structured management of tasks and processes and eventually, a full-time project manager. I did a solocast on the role of the traffic manager, if you’d find that useful.
But on this episode of Build A Better Agency, I have Timothy Johnson as my guest who is a seasoned project manager for hire and a professor of project management at Drake University. Tim also has been known to wear a pink bunny suit for reasons I may or may not be at liberty to discuss.
Bunny suit aside, Tim knows a thing or two about getting down to business. We talk about the needs of project managers, agency owners, and the agency staff. Often project managers feel like the odd person out, especially in the agency world. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Project management is necessary, but it is not an evil. Tim is the perfect guest to help us really understand the ins and outs of project management, and maybe even getting a little excited about upping your PM game.
Tim has successfully led many high-end projects and programs, serving as both a project management consultant as well as a business analyst consultant across the U.S. He is the author of Race Through the Forest and other project management books. Timothy believes in delivering value, completing the deliverable, seizing the accomplishment, and getting out.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Working under the triple constraints: on time, on budget, and delivered as promised * Components of a S.H.A.R.P. report * How Agile is so useful in scaling the management to the size of the project * The communication and other skills to look for in a good project manager * How creating quick wins can create buy-in around new process frameworks * Why you should avoid the phrases “we need” or “we have a lack of” * How to ask for project management to share stories in the interview * Why agency owners need to hire people who can manage them * How to define the specific requirements of what done looks like * How to give project managers time to find their way in a new agency setting
Ways to Contact Tim Johnson: * Race Through the Forest Book: https://amzn.to/2QNj9Yx * Website: https://carpefactum.typepad.com/
Maybe things run smooth as silk at your agency. I know that’s what I hope for in mine. It’s more likely to happen on a Saturday or Sunday! One of the ways that we all try to evoke that sense of efficiency and calm is by creating processes that systemize and manage work flow.
Not that many agencies do this (if anything, we are system adverse, not system advocates) you can take it too far. There’s a fine line between creativity and process. But if things can run more smoothly and free you and your team up to do more interesting things like coming up with bigger, more valuable solutions for your clients, then the payoff is worth the challenge of getting it in place.
If you remember my solocast where we talked about being a wonder bread factory versus an artesian baker, that’s part of what I talked about. How much uniformity and what kinds of boundaries do you want to put around your business?
There’s no right or wrong answer – just a right or wrong answer for you.
That’s what I wanted to talk to Michael Koral about, because he’s lived it. Michael started out with a more traditional agency that was primarily a web dev shop with some ancillary services. Their work was very labor and people-intensive. He and his partners decided to make an interesting pivot. They decided to leverage the power of artificial intelligence, data and numbers around advertising on Facebook and Instagram – to get people the best results possible and now they run a very different kind of agency.
Michael is an operations guy, with some fantastic ideas on process and automation –he naturally knows how to get more done, more simply. His company, Needls, helps businesses advertise effectively on Facebook and Instagram, so I am going to pick his brain about what they’ve learned in that arena as well.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How the right processes and automation can help you scale your business * There are lots of right ways to do things * Why taking time to document and develop processes makes for a better agency * What to know about Facebook advertising post-Cambridge Analytica * Click vs. Reach – what you should optimize for * Why you NEED to optimize for mobile * Best ways to capture attention with video * Between Facebook and Instagram, where people are watching longer video content * Why you should put closed captioning on videos * How and why to track your ads
Ways to Contact Michael Koral: * Website: http://www.needls.com/ * Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-koral-01bb159/
Before the ’08 recession, most agency owners couldn’t fathom the idea of remote employees, let alone working with a virtual assistant they’d likely never meet. But with sites like UpWork and elance teaching us that sometimes it makes good business sense to source work from with someone we’ve never met, the concept of working with virtual assistants has grown in popularity.
In my world, on both the agency and AMI side – we’ve found it to be a very effective way to get a volume of work handled effectively and efficiently.
This is definitely an ongoing topic of conversation with agency owners. How do we keep up with the needs and demands of clients in a cost-effective way, without putting quality or the client relationship at risk. For any agencies, virtual assistants are one of the answers to that question.
On episode #172 of Build a Better Agency, I talk with Barbara Turley of The Virtual Hub. She recognized the need for high-quality VAs and decided to create a business around that need.
We discuss the many upsides of hiring one or more VAs – like freeing up your most scarce resource: time. But we also discuss some of the pitfalls to avoid, especially around rigorous training and expectations on both the VA and the agency side. I found it to be a fascinating conversation and I hope it’s incredibly useful for you.
Barbara is the founder and CEO of The Virtual Hub – a business she started by accident that exploded in the space of 12 months to become one of the leading companies that recruits, trains, and manages virtual assistants in the digital marketing and social media space for businesses who need to free up time and energy so they can go to the next level.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How to set expectations for a virtual assistant – and your agency * Understanding the difference between hiring within your national borders and offshoring * The right questions to ask about prior training * How to share processes around tasks and check in * Why you should consider a virtual assistant a permanent and integral part of your team * How to integrate a virtual assistant into your team * How to choose the right virtual assistant for the right tasks * Your role as an agency owner as it relates to virtual assistants * Which unwanted tasks you can hand off to a virtual assistant
How to Contact Barb Turley: * Website: https://www.thevirtualhub.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-turley-b6a981a/
For most people, especially the creative types that tend to inhabit the agency world, time management is a hodgepodge of post-it notes, paper to-do lists, and several online tools – all used haphazardly and resulting in missed deadlines, meetings and a sense of being overwhelmed.
I know for me time management has been a series of constant improvements. While I am 95% happy with the system I have today, I always wonder if I could get little more efficient. I remember when I was first starting out in agency life and had no sense of when to walk away from the to-do list. I felt this sense of obligation to stay until the work was done. My problem, everyone’s problem: the work is never done.
So, being productive when you need to be is an agency imperative. That’s why I was looking forward to talking to Jon Denn. Jon is a creative person and has also done a ton of neuroscience research to understand that—guess what—one size does not fit all when it comes to time management tools and strategies.
In this episode, I ask Jon to share insights from his research and provide some perspective. He is a huge proponent of testing or experimentation. So, you can take his basic framework—3 hours of your day broken into chunks that correspond basically with how much mental energy they require—and test it out. He suggests 90 minutes for deep thinking, but quickly acknowledges that 45 or 60 minutes might work best for you. What time of the day are you at your peak? Use that time for your deep thought projects.
Here’s some good news – there’s are reasons why we work at odd hours. I don’t adhere to a strict 9-5 schedule and neither do most agency owners I know. Jon’s time management framework is at once freeing and very focusing.
Jon is the Chief Thinking Officer of Drumbeat Productivity. His background includes serving as a Hotel Chain CEO. Jon ran an adaptive leadership program for 12 years, and is a publisher, entrepreneur, and has been a Vistage CEO Coach and Group Chair since 2014.
What You Will Learn in this Episode: * How to do small tests to understand when and where your most productive time can be focused * How to take control the parts of your schedule that matter most * The difference between doing meetings and idea meetings, and how to manage both * Why dividing tasks into groups based on the mental energy they require is much more efficient than the traditional “buckets” of work, home, etc. * How dividing time into 90-minute (deep thought), 60-minute (complex communication), and 30-minute (quick to-do) blocks is so efficient * Why you shouldn’t force a fit with time management tools * How to find the time management tools and processes that work for you * Setting up office-wide “don’t distract me” hours, and then other times to just be social together
Ways to contact Jon Denn: * Website: drumbeatproductivity.com * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-denn-20a5805/
It’s something we all dream about – retirement. Selling our agency for big bucks so we can sip Mai Tai’s on the beach. The agency’s name and reputation carrying on with another generation. Or just locking the door and calling it done. All are worthy ends for your shop.
Whatever your dream is – I know that it’s very personal and important to you and I want you to achieve it. But no matter which end game appeals to you, it requires some serious planning (up to a decade before depending on your exit strategy) before you’re ready to walk out the door for the last time. And you’ll need to run your agency differently in terms of how you handle the money and make other key decisions.
Bottom line – the end game is not something you can leave until the end. You’ll need to give it serious thought and as Stephen Covey has long implored us, “begin with the end in mind.”
It starts with some soul searching in terms of how, ideally, you want it to play out and what is possible or at least plausible. Once you’ve figured that out – you need to put your plan into action, so everything is in place when you’re transitioning out and the agency can survive that transition.
Over and over I see agency owners who started too late or didn’t do the homework to build out the details and specificity they needed in their succession plan. That’s the perfect way to limit your options or force you to stick around longer than you want.
I don’t want that to happen to you. In this episode, we’ll take a close look at all of your options and the criteria for each. Hopefully, that will set you up to create a win for you, for your employees, and for potential buyers of your thriving agency.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * Building your wealth while you still own your agency * Succession options for agency owners * Factors that affect the valuation of your agency when you go to sell * Why being a generalist decreases the value of your agency * The value of setting up sources of residual income outside your agency work * Different options if you want to sell your agency * How to have candid conversations with potential buyers of your agency * Why gifting shares of your agency to employees is a bad idea * Baking succession planning into partnership agreements * Why you need to go slow when considering merging with another agency
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
On this episode, we delve into the unconscious mind and the concept of “limiting beliefs.” It’s the idea If I say to you, “I’ll meet you there in five hours” what is the first question you’re going to ask me? Right, meet you where? Finding our way without knowing the destination is impossible. But too often, that’s how we run our agencies.
Both short and long-term planning often gets sidelined in the hubbub of running our agencies. We’re putting out fires. We’re solving client crises. We’re answering employees’ questions. All stuff that needs doing, but for a lot of agency owners, the urgent gets in the way of the important
On episode #169, we get right into it. What does it take to create plans that inspire compliance and action? What does it take to actually follow through? Is there such a thing as work-life balance? I’ll give that answer away for free: no, there is not. (But still listen in!)
That’s why I loved my conversation with Jennifer Dawn. She is a business coach for high-achieving entrepreneurs, and she’s developed some really strong tools for goal-setting and planning.
Jennifer spent years working in the corporate world before taking the plunge and pursuing her passion for mentoring entrepreneurs to grow profitable, healthy, and truly exceptional businesses.
Business plans don’t have to be the Mona Lisa. They don’t have to be epic works of prose. Jennifer and I agree – one page, two max, is a great length for a plan.
If you’re ready to really make time for the important; if you want a plan for work and life that really serves the life you want, this is a perfect episode to dive into. There are tons of practical tips and suggestions about how to get your plans out there on paper, review regularly, and actually, follow through so you get to the defined destination of your choosing.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * How to get your business plan down to two pages or less * The importance of getting an outside perspective on your business plan * Why beginning with the end in mind has not gone out of style * How to make your business plan a living document * Breaking down your goals into tiny, manageable steps * Definition of the “A” task * Actionable ways to manage your work/life blend this week * How to build personal and work components together into your planning * How to plan your business priorities so they are in support of your life goals * Three steps to achieve any goal you set
Ways to Contact Jennifer Dawn: * Website: https://jenniferdawncoaching.com/ * 3 Secrets to Achieve Any Goal You Set (scroll down on the homepage to access this tool): https://bestplannerever.com/
On this episode, we delve into the unconscious mind and the concept of “limiting beliefs.” It’s the idea that our unconscious mind can hold us back without us even realizing it. So, how do we stop something we’re not even conscious of? The good news is that it is possible, and while it does take hard work, the steps themselves are pretty simple.
This limiting beliefs stuff may sound a little new-agey. I’m a big fan of data and looking at the facts at hand. For me, turning those limiting beliefs to unlimiting beliefs is fascinating because of the science behind it. This isn’t some magic act.
My guest on episode #168 is Karen Brown, author of Unlimiting Your Beliefs. Karen is a mentor and coach who works with people to uncover what might be impeding their progress in work and life. Often, our unconscious thoughts and actions are the source of this impediment.
One of the most interesting turns in the conversation for me was when Karen talked about her experience preparing to be an Ironman Triathlete. Her limiting belief had told her for 28 years that she shouldn’t even be thinking about this. She was not a good swimmer. That was a big hurdle. It was limiting. So, she unlimited her belief, telling herself out loud, “I am a good swimmer.” I asked if she suddenly became a good swimmer. As you might imagine, it took more than that. But giving herself that unlimiting belief propelled her to action. She got a swimming coach. She practiced. And soon enough, she was a good swimmer.
Our conversation is a fascinating look at the unconscious (or subconscious) mind and how it works. Listen to learn more about how to uncover the unconscious limits we put on ourselves and what to do to break that pattern.
Karen Brown is CEO of Velocity Leadership Consulting, a Denver-based business psychology executive and coaching company. With more than 20,000 business coaching hours under her belt, she founded Velocity Leadership Consulting in 2012, after finding her own divine potential while training for and finishing the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
What You Will Learn in This Episode: * The science behind limiting beliefs and how to retrain your brain * How to make unlimiting beliefs natural and habitual * Asking the right questions to uncover the limiting beliefs of your unconscious mind * Why writing out your limiting beliefs is so important, and why speaking the opposite out loud is just as important * How the skills used in unlimiting your beliefs in one area will have a broad positive impact personally and professionally * How to counteract the most common and pernicious limiting belief: I’m not good enough * Why our unconscious beliefs and our conscious goals are sometimes at cross-purposes, and what to do about it * How, like most things, you’ve got to use it to lose your ability and reshape limiting beliefs * One way to get yourself into the unlimiting mindset: name and write down just one of your achievements
Ways to contact Karen Brown: * Website: velocityleadershipconsulting.com/build/ * Book: https://amzn.to/2ypriYS
When you started your agency, it was probably pretty exciting and somehow any worries you had were squelched before they could get in the way. But as our agencies get a little more established and we get a little more comfortable, taking a risk seems scarier, doesn’t it?
My guest thinks that’s a problem and he recommends that we re-acquainted with being uncomfortable.
In some ways, I’d like to think my big risk-taking days are behind me. But when I go to manage my business, and in nearly every conversation I have with my AMI colleagues, I know being risk-averse is not a strategy any of us can afford. Staying relevant and successful—according to my guest—requires a level of comfort with being uncomfortable.
It is a bit of bromide that the rapid pace of change is the one constant we can count on these days. How do we manage that change and thrive in the midst of it? That’s what we’re getting at in this episode.
On episode #167, my guest Scott Amyx proves that he knows this topic. From a childhood of poverty in South Korea to a career at the tip of the spear in terms of understanding and embracing innovation, Scott has lived and thrived in this era of discomfort. The upshot of his research is clear: being prepared for change and meeting disruption with a strategy of embracing it and pivoting as needed is a critical skill to survival as a business owner today.
Scott Amyx is the Chair & Managing Partner at Amyx Ventures and Singularity University/Smart City Accelerator Mentor and Startup Board Member. He is a TEDx speaker on disruption and success. Scott is a thought leader, speaker, author, and winner of the Cloud & DevOps World Award for Most Innovative Vendor.
Scott’s book, Strive, is all about how doing the most uncomfortable things leads to success.
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * How to get comfortable with being uncomfortable * What you need to know about decentralized, autonomous organizations * The market imperative of lifelong learning * Why selling expertise and strategy is where differentiation happens * How individual discomfort gets collectivized and creates tipping points for innovation * Why as individuals and organizations, we need to be disrupted in order to be our optimal selves * How process automation is disrupting the work of agencies as much as any other business sector * Why the way we tell stories in our business needs to evolve with the tech and platforms people use to engage with stories * Why the move toward a more agile, freelance workforce in your agency is likely not a short-term trend
Ways to contact Scott Amyx: * Order Strive: https://amzn.to/2yqtMGh * TEDx Talk: https://youtu.be/FXoqlqpWpao * Website: https://scottamyx.com/
Back in my early days of agency life, there was a production or traffic manager in every agency. Their job was to make sure all of the work was in the pipeline and delivered on time and on budget. Somewhere along the way, as agencies streamlined, that position went away.
But now it’s back. And it’s making a huge difference in agencies client retention and profitability.
Back then, the production manager was a combination of what we might think of today as a traffic manager and somebody who negotiated with all the outside vendors like printers or other suppliers providing a service to the agency to solve a client’s problem. The production manager kept track of all the jobs the agency had open, the due dates, who within the agency was working on them — and it was all done by hand without software.
Then in the middle of my career, that position sort of went away as people within agencies started tracking their own jobs using some sort of software. Computers and systems began to replace things that humans did previously.
Because of the complexity of our work today, and how fast it needs to be delivered, many agencies are discovering they need more than just software. They need a dedicated person responsible for driving how the work gets done and how it gets done on a budget.
This is a vital role inside an agency and I’m glad to see it’s back. Depending on the size of your agency, this position, combined with implementing the right software, might be something you want to think about as you prepare to step into 2019.
But before you do, I want to share several best practices, resources to evaluate, and a month-by-month roadmap so you and your team will know what to expect and when.
Quite honestly — on-boarding this new role, especially if you add in new software, will be bumpy. It will be hard on your team. You need to think about it carefully, and if you’re ready to grow, maybe it’s the next step for you. My goal for this solocast is to help smooth out the road for you as much as possible.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why not having a traffic manager may be holding back your agency’s growth * How to decide if and when your agency is ready to hire a traffic manager and onboard the software system * The day-to-day role of a traffic manager and the impact the role can have on your agency’s profitability and client retention * Why the traffic manager is a full-time position, not a hybrid, and definitely not entry-level * Who the traffic manager should report to within the agency and why * The personality and EQ a good traffic manager must have to handle the work and the team * The advantages and disadvantages of all-in-one software solutions versus standalone * What you and your team can expect to happen within the agency during each month of the implementation process and how it gets worse before it gets better * The role of the agency owner throughout the process * What are the success metrics you and your team need to consider before deciding to go down this path
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
Content marketing is growing up. It’s no longer about throwing out random social posts, random blog posts, or making an infographic once a quarter. Instead, we need to begin asking the questions (for our own agency and our clients):
- What are we building?
- What can we become as a brand that is of value to this audience of people we care about?
- Who can we be for our prospects, our customers, and our business partners?
And I think an agency’s role in that can be both exciting and profitable.
Why? Because one of the biggest frustrations for most agency owners is that it’s getting harder to have a seat at the client’s strategy table. Agencies are being commoditized and relegated to the status of order takers all too often.
But when we have strategic conversations with a client around how they can truly leverage content in a way that is much bigger than a set of assets — you help them become a destination. You help them become a media company. That’s when the game changes and you’re back driving the client’s strategy and having significant impact on their goals. You become a must have partner.
My guest today is Robert Rose. He was instrumental in the creation and growth of the Content Marketing Institute working alongside CMI founder Joe Pulizzi. Robert has written several books, including two with Joe. Their latest, “Killing Marketing” is about how innovative companies are using content as a strategy to turn marketing cost into a revenue stream rather than a cost.
I promise you — Robert and I will get you thinking in completely different ways about content, the way your agency delivers content, charges for content, and talks to clients about content.
Here’s the thing — most agencies will not have the courage to implement the future proofing strategies Robert and I discussed in this episode. Be one of the few that does.
I encourage you to take action — do something with what you learn from this episode. If you do that — you will be sought after — and I want that for you.
And if you found this episode helpful — you might also be interested in the 2-day “Content Marketing For Agencies” workshop Robert and I are teaching this January. Learn more here.
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * How using content as a strategy can help solve a client’s business issues — and in the process — future proof your agency * Why your audience — or your client’s audience — should be considered your “pre-client database * Why agencies need to understand how to create content with a purpose and that it is no longer about creating more stuff * How all the content marketing assets created for a client need to connect together to tell a single story * How treating audience members like customers builds trust, then their walls come down, and they become much more open to sales messaging * How to create an owned content experience for your clients and help them transform into media companies * Why agencies need to have some sort of vertical specialization combined with a unique point-of-view of how they approach the world in order to be differentiated * How an agency can go about uncovering its unique point-of-view * Why midsized agencies looking to grow and become trusted business advisors to clients should focus on the strategic side because that is where the value is * Why if you can’t control the media — then becoming the media is a viable content strategy for agencies and clients alike
Ways to Contact Robert Rose: * www.contentadvisory.net * www.robertrose.net
In last week’s encore interview with Robin Boehler — we talked about the biz dev practices that she and the team at Mercer Island Group see when they’re sitting on the client’s side of the room. If you listened to that episode — you heard me say that if you implement the best practices Robin shared, you’re going to see the difference in your win rate.
And because I want you to be as prepared as possible as you step into 2019 — I invited Steve Boehler and Lindsay O’Neil, also from Mercer Island Group, to join me for this week’s episode. Think of this as a new biz one-two punch!
There is nobody more in the fray of seeing why agencies win, lose, or how the pitch process plays out than Steve, Lindsay, and their team. And nobody is more generous in sharing what they observe.
This episode will give you the inside look at how agencies present themselves (accidentally and on purpose) and the influence each nuance has on our prospects as they weigh one agency against the others.
We talked about the prep work agencies need to be doing so they’re ready to make a successful pitch. My guests dove into the details like researching a prospect, building out a business profile, preparing your PowerPoint so it stands out, some best practices around rehearsing, and even how your agency should ask for a client’s business at the end. Because making the “ask” really matters.
Steve and Lindsay also shared examples of case studies from agencies that won a pitch because their teams showcased the client as the hero in the work, as opposed to putting the spotlight on themselves.
Whether you’re pitching a new prospect — or you’re strategically merchandising the work you did for an existing client during the last year — the case study process we discuss is worth the listen alone!
I’m excited for you to listen to these two (this one and episode #163 with Robin) interviews because I know Robin, Steve, and Lindsay will help you put your best foot forward in 2019.
And if you found the episodes helpful – you can get even more by spending 2-4 days learning from Robin and Steve Boehler at AMI’s Win More Business workshops this January. Learn more here.
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * How to build a detailed dossier for your prospective client in about two hours * Why learning how a prospective client talks about themselves is a valuable piece of information to uncover in your research process * How to ask the right questions that uncover a prospect’s business issues while instilling confidence that you understand them and their industry * Why preparing brilliant case studies like those of FIG Agency makes your client the hero — not your work * How to make your client a celebrity as McCANN WORLDGROUP did for its client, State Street Advisors with “Fearless Girl” * Why less is more when it comes to the written proposal and what are the key elements that must be included — and most agencies miss * How to front-load your proposal and presentation so that you focus on the client and not your agency * How and why you should invite your prospective client to your agency for a visit * How to build and document your business issue success experience so it is at the ready for your next presentation * How to let a client know at the end of the presentation that your agency wants their business without sounding schmaltzy
Ways to Contact Steve Boehler and Lindsay O’Neil: * Website: www.migroup.com * Phone: 206.236.0447
Business development is a topic that is always front-and-center for agency owners. So I’m welcoming back one of our most popular guests, Robin Boehler from Mercer Island Group, to talk to us about the observations she and her team have made as they work with both agencies and clients who are asking to be matched with agencies. From those observations, Robin will outline some of the best practices that we need to be mindful of as we work to grow our agencies.
One of my favorite songs from the play Hamilton is “In the Room Where it Happens” where Aaron Burr laments that he’s not an insider, seeing how decisions are made. Mercer Island Group is always front and center in that room, as brands decide which agency has earned their business. You and I, as agency owners, are like Burr. We’re never going to be invited in, but fortunately, we have access to someone who is always there. In this podcast, Robin will help us understand how clients respond to the work we do, our level of preparation before and during a pitch, and how we communicate our understanding of the client’s business issues.
Sadly, sometimes the best fit agency doesn’t win. The agency lined up perfectly with the client and maybe should have been the agency that was selected. But something the agency did or didn’t do take them out of the running. All without them even knowing what they did.
We’ve all made mistakes during a pitch and didn’t come out ahead. Those mistakes are painful and expensive. But they’re fixable if you heed the insights Robin shared in this episode.
I promise you — if you implement the best practices Robin and I talk about in this episode, you’re going to see the difference in your win rate. This is the perfect time of year to put this advice into action so you step into 2019 ready to serve your prospects and build your agency.
If you love this episode – you can get even more by spending 2-4 days learning from Robin and Steve Boehler at AMI’s Win More Business workshops this January. Learn more here.
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * Common mistakes Robin sees agencies make when preparing, or while making, their pitch to a client * How agencies need to stop underutilizing the cover letter to their presentation * How to read, analyze, and uncover what a client is requesting in their RFP / RFI * Why it’s important to focus the majority of your presentation around the client’s business issues — and not your agency * How to evoke curiosity and make your prospects want to lean in when you describe your agency * How to write a cold email to a prospect and stand out from the crowd * How to ensure everyone on your team is telling the same story about the agency and how you serve clients * Why “frame of reference” is important when communicating with a prospect about what your agency does * Why you should put the entire pitch process, assets, and everything you will need to be successful onto an agency calendar — and allow enough time at the end for adjustments * How problems around attention to detail make clients begin to question an agency’s bandwidth and capacity
Ways to contact Robin Boehler: * Website: www.migroup.com * Phone: 206.236.0447
Often on this podcast, I share a wide-ranging conversation with my guest and we bounce around a little bit, even though we are focused on an overall theme. This episode is a little bit different. We going to deep-dive into just one subject: geofencing.
For some in our business who aren’t digital natives, reaching an audience through new technologies like geofencing may seem complicated. When I started the business while still in college, it was all about print, radio, and TV. Now, I turn around without bumping into a new delivery channel or technology, like geofencing.
On episode #162 of the Build a Better Agency podcast, my guest is Justin Croxton. He is the director of sales at Propellant Media, where they serve clients with location-specific methods like geofencing. Their clients are mostly SMBs in both B2B and B2C categories. IN our conversation, Justin compares getting fluent with geofencing as similar to becoming proficient in AdWords.
Justin didn’t start his career in the agency business, but about three or four years ago, partnered with some colleagues to form Propellant, where the main product is inbound and technology-driven solutions for clients.
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * The difference between beacon notification and geofencing notifications * How to build conversion zones using geofencing * Getting over the “minimum spend” hurdle in geofence ad buying * Why you should consider coupling geofencing with search retargeting * How to create the right digital marketing mix with geofencing as a key ingredient * How to target the right people within a geofence with your marketing message * Ways you can keep up the messaging (or not) once someone leaves a geofenced zone * The digital mechanics of how geofencing interacts with apps and sites on your phone * How geofencing works in the B2B space * Why it’s not complicated for agencies to enter the geofencing space
Ways to contact Justin Croxton: * Website: www.propellant.media * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/justincroxton
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
For entrepreneurs, business decisions always are a blend of the head and heart. You need data and research in hand to make smart, informed decisions. But it also needs to feel right.
Episode #161 is about those head-and-heart decisions. It’s about making mistakes and starting over. It’s about not settling for only one side of the equation.
Some learn these lessons sooner than others. We all know college kids who started their own thing and made it work brilliantly. Back when I was in college, that didn’t even cross my mind. But today, it’s becoming more of the norm.
Today’s young adults have a different script and a different sense of what’s possible. And they are far from crazy. Exciting things are happening, big problems are getting solved, and a larger purpose is being fulfilled. And people like Jonathan Grzybowski are just jumping in and doing it.
For 29-year-old Jonathan, part of the problem was his own dissatisfaction. Running a full-service agency was not fulfilling. Money as the sole motivator was not working for him. That led him to set out to solve a business problem along with his own dissatisfaction. His agency excelled at design. Why not take that design excellence and use the platform they were developing to manage their internal projects to provide design as a on demand service? Jonathan Grzybowski is now co-founder of Penji, a subscription-based design service for agencies and other businesses.
Beyond the business problem, Grzybowski also wanted a business that made a difference in the community where he lived and worked – Camden, New Jersey. One of the things I love most about the agency owners I work with is their generosity. They have a pay it forward mentality. Jonathan is finding the ethos of Penji to be extremely fulfilling. And he’s finding that when you love Camden, Camden loves you back!
This is a great conversation about finding the right fit, starting over, serving clients and the community, and following your head and your heart – really, everything you could hope for in an episode of Build a Better Agency!
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * The potential downside of being a full-service agency * How people just starting out in the world of work are viewing entrepreneurship as a viable path * Why the hard work of entrepreneurship should not be glossed over * Why offering a suite of services sometimes is not enough differentiation * The freedom that comes from specialization * How to build a business model and platform that serves both agencies, individual companies, and your community * How vision and purpose beats trying to be the next Tai Lopez or Gary Vaynerchuk * Why an agency might hire out a core function like design * The power of connecting with your local community * The importance of research in finding your niche
Ways to contact Jonathan Grzybowski: * Website: https://penji.co/
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
One of the challenges for all of us as agency owners and leaders is finding the balance of creating a relationship with our employees, but also being the leader and helping them recognize their blind spots, areas of growth and when they’ve messed up.
This requires the courage to have candid conversations with your team members. It’s never easy or all together comfortable, but to truly be a leader in our agency – this is not an optional skill.
I see the avoidance of these conversations when I’m on site with an agency, when I’m on a coaching or and when I’m with a group of owners, talking about their employees. We don’t address behaviors that we know are unacceptable or not up to par. We may joke about it, or hint at it, or even deal with it passive aggressively – but we don’t tackle it head on.
We hide behind silence, email exchanges, and even through text messages – all to avoid that face-to-face conversation.
I get it — you’re afraid of what your employees’ reaction will be, or what it would do to the agency if they quit. You feel as if you’re between a rock and a hard place. So you tolerate the behavior. You make your staff and clients suffer from the behavior. You risk losing employees and clients rather than addressing it.
And worst of all — you greatly diminishing your reputation as a leader because everyone around you is wondering why you’re letting it continue. And quite honestly — they’re wondering why they should follow the rules if others don’t.
The skill of having difficult conversations and course correcting your team is vital. And we as agency owners need to get good at it.
There may be a few of you who are really great at this. You give really honest, candid, specific feedback, and you’d do it early on when you first see the behavior, attitude or bad decision, not after it’s been happening for months and months.
But for the vast majority of you, this is not your gift, but if you think avoiding difficult conversations isn’t affecting your agency…you’re wrong. You’re absolutely wrong. This is a skill that you must own if you want to grow your agency in terms of profits, respect, and your people.
And that’s why talking through how to get better at having difficult conversations with your employees will be our focus during this solocast.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why employees become more engaged and committed when they receive honest feedback from you. * Why leaders who are rated the highest are the ones who most actively give and seek feedback from their team. * Why caring about your agency’s culture is about more than just “Beer Fridays”, the parties, or the fun. It’s about the level of candor you have inside your shop. * How not addressing bad behavior and course correcting an employee early on causes you to lose the respect of your team. * How to take and apply a sample script for starting off a difficult conversation with one of your employees the right way. * How to prepare yourself to have a difficult conversation with one of your employees. * How to apply the elements of having a difficult conversation — the pieces of doing this well. * How to focus on specific issues during the difficult conversation. * Why creating an action plan for correcting the behavior is not your responsibility – it’s your employee’s. * Why if you’re not having difficult conversations on a regular basis, or not celebrating your people by praising them, or coaching them so they get even better — that you’re not doing your job.
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Client relationships is a frequent topic on this podcast. In this episode, we focus on what it takes to cultivate strong and mutually beneficial relationships with clients.
Dr. Mario Vafeas is on the faculty at The University of the West of England in Bristol. His work in agency-client relationships is the result of research, study and real-world experience.
He brings a pragmatic approach, backed by the data, into the conversation.
Buckle up because it’s a deep conversation, packed with takeaways to use in your own agency. Through deepening your relationship with clients, and providing the right kinds of ideas, training and other added value, you can really set agency apart, increasing your client and employee retention. You will truly be a trusted ally and co-creator with your clients and prospects.
Prior to joining the faculty at UWE, Mario spent 20 years in branding and design consultancy and several years in brand management at HJ Heinz and Harveys of Bristol.
As well as undergraduate and masters teaching, Mario is involved in knowledge exchange projects with SMEs, and research in the field of buyer-seller relationships and value co-creation.
He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and a Fellow of the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing. He is also a DMA (West) Regional Council Member, and a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute).
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * How to both share ideas with and learn from the client * Drawing from other industries to bring depth to your work in the clients’ industry * Why external agencies need to focus less on producing “stuff” and more on producing insights and big ideas * Communication with clients does not come with a template – each client relationship is unique * Why you get more business opportunities when you take time to meet and check in with clients * How to build relationships through coaching clients in best practices * Adding value through offering training opportunities to clients * Being proactive in making clients’ lives easier * How to behave less transactionally so clients believe you really want a relationship * How coaching hits all the big C themes * Why great work with clients is co-creative
Ways to contact Mario Vafeas: * Website: people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/MarioVafeas * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mario-vafeas-4581298b
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Remember when it sounded crazy to remote employees scattered all over the country? Or even crazier, in multiple countries? The truth is today, it’s becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Many agencies are choosing a hybrid approach, with a central office and staff in a brick and mortar location, but also with remote full-time and part-time workers. Some agencies are going all-in on remote work, ditching the central office and becoming, in the words of my podcast guest for this episode, “location-agnostic.”
I am intrigued by this, to say the least. I worked for and built businesses in an era when you went where the work was, whether you loved that particular center of commerce or not. But our business is changing, and the agency owners I work with are shifting into this new normal as well.
I had some big questions about becoming totally location-agnostic. How do you develop a strong culture when you all work in different places? How do the clients feel about it? How do you do the collaborative work that agencies are known for when you are scattered all over?
My guest on this episode is Brendon Craigie, co-founder and managing partner at Tyto PR. Tyto is a pan-European company with a fully location-agnostic staff.
Is building a healthy and happy work culture possible with an all-remote team? Brendon is finding the answer to that is a resounding “yes!” But there is more to his company than a remote workforce. They are intentionally flat, hiring well-seasoned creative “black belts” rather than having junior-level staff as worker bees. They are finding this to be a business model that’s rewarding to clients as well as the firm itself.
In his role, Brendon leads the agency and is heavily involved in counseling clients on strategic and creative matters. As an experienced global CEO, he also enjoys working closely with other CEOs on broader business and communications strategies.
Prior to launching Tyto, Brendon was the global CEO of Hotwire. As part of Hotwire’s founding team, he rose through the ranks to become CEO, and during his six-year tenure in the position he doubled the company’s size and repositioned it into a top 50 global challenger brand. Brendon’s achievements were recognized through multiple awards.
Brendon has worked across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. with a host of global names including Cisco, Microsoft, and Google. During his career, Brendon has helped to devise strategies and support campaigns for high-growth companies entering Europe to grow their brands and business. These campaigns often extended several years and included several early-stage companies, such as GoPro and BlackBerry, that have become multibillion-dollar successes, while others achieved the exits they desired.
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * The virtues of being a location-agnostic company * The logistics and financial implications of an all-remote workforce * Creating a culture in a virtual agency * Building a flat organization with seasoned, high-level, customer-facing staff * When you meet with colleagues, how to meet with a purpose * How to bring the best ideas forward through a “creative sprint” process * When and how a virtual workforce can get together in the real world – preferably for a mix of work and play * A cost/benefit analysis of having a staff of seasoned professionals * How to angle for that non-contested pitch to your ideal clients * Baking insight and research into the way you do business and how you get new business.
Ways to contact Brendon Craigie: * Website: tytopr.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brendoncraigie
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
We are hip-deep into 2018, and the new tax law is fully in effect. It’s past time to get a handle on the implications of the new law for your business because we only have a few months left to do any sort of planning before year end.
Many agency owners are not exactly “numbers” people. The default, too often, is to let other people handle the money, then go off and focus on the creative or strategic side where we can play to our strengths.
On episode #157 of Build a Better Agency, I talk with CPA and tax advisor, Craig Cody. Cody definitely wants you to partner up with a professional when it comes to number-crunching. But in our conversation, he makes no bones about it: you’ve got roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. You can’t check out of your business’ finances, no matter how much you trust your internal or external advisors.
So, this is a great and very timely conversation. Did you know you can hire your kids and enjoy some significant tax advantages? Craig serves up a ton of tax tips, deduction hacks and best practices on everything from dispelling the myths about deducting a home office to paying for medical expenses, along with the basics of keeping up with the books.
A tax advisor – not just a tax preparer – can be a huge benefit for your bottom line. I had a great time talking with Craig. I learned a lot, and I know you will too.
Craig Cody is a Certified Tax Coach. His practice is rooted in tax planning. His philosophy is to find ways to legally reduce tax liabilities and keep more of what clients earn in their own pockets.
As a Certified Tax Coach™, Craig belongs to a select group of practitioners throughout the country who undergo extensive training and continued education on various tax planning techniques and strategies in order to become, and remain, certified. With this organization, Craig co-authored an Amazon best-seller, Secrets of a Tax-Free Life. In addition to tax planning, Craig’s practice offers traditional tax services as well as remote CFO services.
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * The big differences between a tax preparer and a tax advisor * Why tax planning for entrepreneurs can make a huge difference in how you manage your finances * Passthrough income potential in Section 199 of the new tax code * How long it should take to gather P and L information for the previous month * Aspects of the new tax laws that you might not have considered * How frequently to be in contact with your tax advisor * How to find a good match for you in a tax advisor * The wrong kinds of tax deductions to take * Tax benefits of hiring your school-age children * Steps to take in order to avoid fraud and theft within your business
Ways to contact Craig Cody: * Website: craigcodyandcompany.com * Free resource: craigcodyandcompany.com/buildabetteragency
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Building genuine relationships in our industry is one of the best parts of being in the business. The point is not to build transactional relationships that will end in a big “payoff” for you. When you focus on real relationships, you wind up bringing people into your life who you actually want to work with, and when you’re really fortunate, end up being good friends.
I firmly believe in this philosophy and the value of those relationships, both professionally and personally. These days, relationship-building often starts online.
James Carbary has raised LinkedIn updates and interactions to an art form. I wanted to explore his strategy and the benefits he’d seen in this episode. James generously shared some great tips on how to create good content that gets noticed and builds both engagement and relationships online. His LinkedIn prowess grows out of his larger interest in fostering genuine relationships.
One of the more fascinating projects James has going on are the B2B Growth Dinners he has launched. It may be coming to a city near you and if so – be sure to participate. James’ idea was to create an opportunity for six strangers who all worked in tangential fields to have dinner and get to know one another. No agenda, no 30-second elevator pitch. He owns/runs an agency, but James’ passion and gift is as a relationship builder. So, we had a lot to talk about!
James Carbary is the founder of Sweet Fish Media, a podcast agency for B2B brands. He’s a contributor to the Huffington Post and Business Insider, and he also co-hosts the B2B Growth Show, a daily podcast dedicated to helping B2B marketers achieve explosive growth.
What You Will Learn About in This Episode: * The power genuine relationships have to enrich your life and build your agency * Repurposing content to fit the platform you are presenting it on * How to create a community of people * Working with engagement groups on LinkedIn * How to post on LinkedIn for maximum organic views and engagement * Why to have conversations over a meal * Using LinkedIn to define your brand and attract clients you want to work with * How podcasts help you build a relationship first, add value, and find ideal clients
Ways to contact James Carbary: * Website: sweetfishmedia.com * Website: b2bgrowthdinners.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
It’s a bit of a milestone episode here, episode 155. It seems like an odd number to celebrate, but it means this podcast has been going strong for three years now! (52 weeks = 156 episodes) So thanks for listening, whether you’ve been around since the beginning, or this is your first time here!
As I speak with agency owners and decision-makers every day about their agencies and their business development efforts (or lack thereof!), we talk about the value of niching their agency. It’s the old brain surgeon versus general practitioner and the relative value proposition of each.
Your niches (note the plural) can be industry-specific, a certain methodology or in some limited cases – a specialty (PPC, etc.). But what do you do when you’ve narrowed down the niches you want to serve?
That’s what this solocast is all about. How do you actually walk out your talk and live/sell and profit from your niches?
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why establishing niches for your agency is so important * How many niches should an agency have and why? * How do you promote your agency’s special sauce/niches and expertise * How sweet spot clients intersect with your niches * The business development process to sell to your niches * Why helping your clients be better at their job is the heart of your biz dev plan * What to do with those clients outside your niches that you don’t want to fire
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner and key executive peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Helpful Resources from this Episode: * Sweet Spot Client Filter: http://bit.ly/2O1m3Y0 * Content Marketing For Agencies Workshop: http://bit.ly/2O29OdO * Agency New Business Blueprint: http://bit.ly/2MNkGaN
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Word of mouth is nothing new. For generations, it’s been talking with your neighbor over the fence, at the local watering hole, or telling your co-worker about the latest movie in the breakroom. As a business, word of mouth is sparked by those things that you do that separate you from the pack. These talk triggers are so memorable and unique that your customers can’t help but talk about them.
My guest Daniel Lemin gives plenty of examples that show us that talk triggers are rarely very expensive, and they tend to be operational differentiators rather than gimmicks or flash in the pan activities. Think Doubletree’s complimentary cookie when you check in or the Cheesecake Factory’s epic novel of a menu.
Daniel has co-written a book with Jay Baer about this powerful marketing technique appropriately called Talk Triggers. In this episode, Daniel and I chat about what he and Jay learned in their research and the insights they gleaned for all marketers. These B2B and B2C brands (large and small) are following a specific pattern as they create and execute their talk triggers and Daniel will walk us through that as well.
We look at this topic from many angles – from how agencies can leverage this phenomenon and, of course, how we can put it into practice for our clients.
Daniel Lemin is a startup co-founder, trusted advisor and bestselling author on reputation management, digital marketing, and social media customer service. As an early member of Google’s global communications team, Daniel led the launch of products in North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, and edited the Google Zeitgeist weekly research report featured in over 40 markets worldwide.
His new book with co-author Jay Baer, Talk Triggers, explores word-of-mouth marketing and lays out an indispensable framework for building them in your own organization.
Daniel regularly provides expert commentary on TV and in high-profile publications such as the New York Times, USA Today, CBS Radio, and Fox News, and speaks and leads workshops across the nation. In 2015, he released his first book, Manipurated.
A native of Ohio, Daniel earned his MA in communications and leadership from Gonzaga University. He lives in Los Angeles with his cocker spaniel Truman and enjoys the simple joys of gin martinis, jazz, and eating his way around the world—he’ll try nearly anything as long as it doesn’t bite back.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to put structures in place to create WOM talk triggers * Why it’s got to be remarkable to be a talk trigger * How something as simple as a cookie or a deck of cards can get people talking * Why talk triggers are so often about operational differentiation * Why talk triggers need to be available to everyone—it’s not about exclusivity * The best examples of word of mouth are never complicated or expensive * Why metrics for word of mouth are more complicated than other marketing metrics * What metrics you CAN use to measure the impact of word of mouth * An unexpected benefit of well-done talk-trigger campaigns—they make the workplace more enjoyable for employees
How to Contact Daniel Lemin: * Website: daniellemin.com * Book: talktriggers.com * Email: daniel@talktriggers.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
As agencies struggle to attract and retain top talent, it’s natural that we’re having a lot of conversation about culture.
We’re in a creative industry, and I find that most owners are pretty self-aware. We want to love the business we’ve built, and we want to do right by our employees. Everyone wants their agency to have a culture that employees value and enjoy, but some owners don’t really know how to be intentional about it.
Gina Trimarco is the chief results officer and founder of a company called Pivot 10 Results. In this episode, I wanted to get her take on some of the challenges owners are facing in the current business climate – mainly getting and retaining the right employees. Work culture is a big part of that equation.
We get into a lively discussion about core values and how they can either sit unremembered in an employee handbook or be pivotal in shaping culture. What does it take to keep core values front-of-mind for both owners and employees? How does that help attract and retain the best people? These are questions I am asked every day, so I was glad for Gina’s perspective on all this. I think you will be too.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to define a healthy work culture * Creative ways to thank employees for a job well done * Putting your best foot forward when an applicant is interviewing you as a potential workplace * Empathy-based training and emotional intelligence to create a positive work environment * The critical role of stated, repeated, and lived-out core values in establishing a healthy work culture * Using your story to sell services, and attract and retain great people * How a team of happy employees that has bought in to the core values can be your best recruiting tool * How to listen to employees’ hopes and dreams and develop strategies to retain them longer * Creating a positive culture that stays positive when the owner is away
Ways to contact Gina: * Website: pivot10results.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ginatrimarco
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” That’s the standard advice of any investment advisor. But that investment can only happen once we’ve actually made the money. But maybe the concept of diversification is equally applicable to the first stage – making the income in the first place.
Having multiple sources of income builds wealth more quickly and mitigates risks inherent in having just a single source. The logic of that seems simple enough. But the execution – that’s a whole different animal.
My podcast guest Dorie Clark has a very interesting perspective on this topic and I was excited to pick her brain for all of us. Her most recent book, Entrepreneurial You, is a blueprint for developing multiple income streams without losing your sanity.
Building these income streams involves tough decision-making but it doesn’t have to mean you take huge risks along the way. Dorie suggests a more measured approach and walks us through some of the methods we can explore as we expand our ability to accumulate wealth.
Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker, and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. She is also the author of Reinventing You and Stand Out, whichwas named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine and one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes.
The New York Times described Clark as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.” Clark consults and speaks for a diverse range of clients, including Google, the World Bank, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Yale University.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Creating diverse income streams without jumping into big, new, risky ventures * Guiding people through the sales funnel by offering incrementally advanced services * The importance of living beneath your means as an agency and as a person * Minimizing risk over time through developing diverse income streams * How to be the person that makes the hard choices * The meaning of the word “perspicacity” * The biggest obstacle to being entrepreneurial * How making introductions with no expectation of anything in return can be a superpower * The difference between a mindshare activity and a market share activity
Ways to contact Dorie: * Website: dorieclark.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
In any trade, mastering the work is just the first of many hurdles. But one of the most daunting for most agency owners is pricing. What is the work worth? Who is my competition, and what if they offer services for less? What is the true value of the work we’re doing and what’s the ROI for our client?
There will always be someone (agency or freelancer) who is willing to do the same work for less. But how does that influence our pricing strategy and should it? This episode is all about the value conversation that leads to identifying a price based on the value you are offering. We’re going to dive into both the theories and principles and how to get over the discomfort of putting these pricing principles into practice.
Blair is an expert in sales, particularly in the creative services industry. He started his career working for a number of Canadian ad agencies and design firms. In 2000, he struck out on his own with a consulting practice named Win Without Pitching. In our conversation, Blair will walk us through a framework developed over decades of learning, trying, failing and perfecting value-based selling for creatives.
Blair is the author of Win Without Pitching Manifesto. He has just written a brand-new book called Pricing Creativity. I have spent some time with it, and the cool thing is, it's not really a book – or more precisely, it’s not only a book. It's more of a training manual – a three-ring binder full of all kinds of tips, tricks, and the psychology of pricing strategy.
This is a meaty episode and I promise – it’s going to give you plenty to think about.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to effectively price your creative work * Why a one-page proposal beats a 75-page presentation every time * The value of silence in the sales process * Moving from vendor to valued expert early in the sales process * Making the closing on the sale a “non-event” * The four-step framework for mastering the value conversation * How to discipline yourself to not offer solutions too early in the process * The mindset shift needed to improve selling skills to become a pricing expert * Having value conversations with the right decision-makers * How to move from agreeing with sales principles to making them standard practice
Ways to contact Blair: * Website: winwithoutpitching.com * Ebook/Training: winwithoutpitching.com/pricingcreativity
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Before we dive into today’s topic — I first want to say thank you for your listenership and loyalty! We are downloaded in over 85 countries and I’m grateful for every listener. This solocast is Episode 150 of Build a Better Agency and I’m grateful for your time and the conversations we’ve had over the last three years.
Way back in Episode 35 (in early 2016), we talked about the employee shortage and the challenge the shortage was creating for agencies and agency owners. If anything – things have gotten tougher.
As you know, I see the financials for about 120 AMI agencies a year. I review their P&Ls, balance sheets, ratios, and some other information. And I will tell you that even though agencies may have had a good year financially in 2017 — they didn’t actually get to keep a lot of the money they earned. And the reason why they didn’t is because their employees are taking more and more of that money. This is happening because of scarcity. The truth of it is...scarcity wins. And right now, your employees are in control.
There are fewer good agency employees than there are agency needs and jobs. And I don’t think this is going to change any time soon. I thought it might be helpful if I shared how some agencies are addressing this challenge. I will walk you through some creative benefits employees consider to be brag-worthy, as well as the benefits that scored at the top of our research with over 1,000 agency employees. The truth is, 401k programs and insurance coverage no longer differentiate you from your competitors — they are table stakes.
Here’s the reality — we have to understand what today’s workforce wants and you have to make sure that your culture and your benefits package match those expectations if you want to attract and retain the talent you need to grow your agency.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to attract and retain quality talent using today’s tools and why you need to build a pipeline for talent in the same way you build a pipeline for new business * How long you should reasonably expect your employees to stay with your agency * What are some brag-worthy benefits that will get your employees talking about your agency with their fellow professionals * How you can provide your employees the opportunity to have flexible work hours or work from home days without losing the valuable in-office collaboration * Why your employees will actually take less time off if you provide them with unlimited PTO * Why we cannot dismiss the changes in the needs of today’s workforce as just a millennial thing * What your employees consider to be the most important thing keeping them in a job – or – how they decide to accept a job they are offered * How treating all of your employees fairly does not mean you have to treat them all equally * Why just because someone is good at their job does not mean they’re going to be good at supervising other people doing that job * What are “boomerang employees” and why you should consider circling back to them
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Resources: * Unlimited PTO examples
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
In our industry, storytelling is one of those words that is so overused, it can lose its meaning pretty quickly.
Great stories stick with us. My guest, the co-author of The Storytelling Edge, Joe Lazauskas, understands that good storytelling gives you an edge. In a world where content can be all-but-meaningless pablum, it can also tell a story that moves a customer and makes a connection with them.
As a writer and storyteller myself, I always soak up any time I can spend with someone who’s as passionate about this subject as I am. Joe gets into the brain science of why stories are so powerful – they are a way to understand each other and ourselves better. He takes that knowledge and helps brands tell better stories.
For agencies and our clients, stories are how we build trusted connections with customers. In an era where there is pressure to churn out content, Joe helps us take a step back and understand why story is so important, and the key ingredients and tactics for telling good stories.
Joe Lazauskas is an owner and the director of content strategy at Contently. If you're not familiar with Contently, it is a content strategy practice. It offers a dashboard, but they also help big-brand clients create stories and content for those brands.
Joe was also one of the founding editors of the New York Egotist. After that, he became a tech and marketing journalist for FastCompany, Digit Day, and Forbes, among others. He joined Contently in the early days of their formation and in the beginning, he served as editor in chief.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How the brain engages with story, and how you and your clients can benefit * The four elements of good storytelling * Why content without a story is missing something * Key tactics for good storytelling, and how to apply them in your agency * How to help clients have less fear about sharing the gap between what is and what could be in their business * Discovering what the customer is interested in, and telling compelling stories around that * Educating clients about the power of content that tells a story. It’s not checking off the “wrote a blog post” or “sent out some tweets” box * The companies doing storytelling content well, and how you can scale it * Implementing editorial boards and newsrooms to get strategic about using content to tell stories
Ways to contact Joe: * Website: Storytellingedge.com * On Twitter/Instagram: @JoeLazauskas
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
If there is a common pain point for agency owners today -- it’s recruiting and retaining talent. It’s a conversation I am having every day and it’s more difficult than it’s been in quite a while. Unfortunately, I don’t see that trend reversing any time soon. Which means we’d all better improve our ability to keep the good ones that we either have or can attract. It’s starts with hiring the right person for the right reasons.
What are the most effective questions to ask during the interview process? What do you need to know about the candidate? What do they need to know about you, your agency and the culture there?
For my podcast guest Steve Lowisz, it all comes down to purpose. Are you clear on the purpose of the position your hiring for? Are deliverables clearly spelled out in the job description you are posting? It’s critical to discover if the candidate’s purpose actually aligns with your agency’s purpose, and if they do – you’d better have a plan for nurturing that shared passion.
Steve Lowisz is an expert on talent acquisition, talent assessment, personal development, diversity & inclusion, and business performance. He has more than two decades of research and practical business experience allowing him to serve hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals.
As CEO of the Qualigence Group of Companies that he founded in 1999, Steve regularly contributes to Industry events and publications and has been featured in Fortune Magazine, CNN Money, The Detroit Free Press and on Bloomberg Radio.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why job descriptions often don’t provide the right information to get the right candidate for the job * How to look at capacity, character, competencies, and culture when interviewing candidates * How to discover what is motivating someone’s job search * Identifying what a candidate is looking for that they don’t have now * The different competencies needed for working on site compared with working remotely * How facts, feelings, focus, and fruit can help get you through difficult, honest feedback conversations * Numerous strategies for hiring and retaining great talent * How to engage on LinkedIn, rather than using it as an “as needed” resume database * Why having one-on-one meetings still matter and how to fill them with purpose
Ways to contact Steve: * Website: stevelowisz.com * Website: qualigence.com/recruiter-fuel-directory
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Business development does not just happen. For most of us as agency owners, sales is one of those things we wish we didn’t have to do.
In this episode of Build A Better Agency, we’re going to really dive into sales. I think the reluctance comes down to a fear of rejection. Because of those fears and insecurities, we don’t prioritize biz dev. We don’t put it on the calendar. We don’t make it a must do.
I think the biggest change we can make, and this is my challenge to you, is to just carve out time to connect with your ideal clients. Maybe it’s one morning a week. But as my guest says, if it’s not on the calendar, you’re not going to do it.
My guest for episode #147 is Michelle Weinstein. Michelle has done it all. She's been on Shark Tank. She has raised over a million dollars for her last company, and she now teaches entrepreneurs how to sell.
At the end of the day, Michelle is a sales strategist. She teaches mission-driven entrepreneurs how to sell without being sleazy.
I think we make sales harder than it needs to be. That’s why I wanted to bring Michelle on to have this conversation. She generously shared some incredible ideas and strategies that you can implement right now.
What if you could make a list of your ideal top-tier clients and actually have the confidence and the plan to demonstrate to them that they’re be losing out by not working with you.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of our discussion. This is a must hear episode if you are looking to enjoy biz dev and ultimately the fruits of that labor in increased profits.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why saving those email and text “thank you’s” and testimonials from clients is so important * Why service-based businesses like ours are easier to sell than products * How to block out time for business development * The most useful tasks to tackle during your biz dev time * Why “bumping into” your ideal clients at a trade show can be a truly winning strategy-and how to prep for it * How to research and strategize for your pitch * Creating and managing a list of your top 20 ideal new clients * How to offer a gift that is something of value, without giving away the store or your trade secrets
Ways to contact Michelle Weinstein: * Website: www.thepitchqueen.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Why do some agencies seem to “get” digital transformation and others struggle to cross that hurdle? Even more puzzling – among the ones who do get it – why are so many of them struggling to make money at it?
These are some of the daunting questions I’m exploring in this episode with my guest Chris Aarons. We all understand that digital transformation is happening. Few understand this as well as he does.
What does it mean for an agency to have digital-first DNA? Chris Aarons’ book Digital Helix explores this idea and I asked him about it when we spoke. Part of this concept is understanding that everything is connected, and a digital asset is never “done” or complete. When we approach our work with that understanding, what we do for and with clients becomes less about putting out emergency fires or checking off the boxes on the latest trend. It becomes about a consistent and constant state of evolution.
Chris believes the larger value we can all offer clients is helping them recognize and embrace that reality and then together, looking out over the horizon and planning for tomorrow’s opportunities rather than focusing on today’s fires.
That’s how we add incredible value and earn our seat at the client’s table. In this episode we talk about how to make that vision a reality for your agency.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The importance of an exploration mindset in moving you and your clients forward * What it means to operate with a digital-first DNA as an agency * How to encourage digital-first DNA thinking in your clients * How to develop ongoing conversations with clients rather than operating from a one-off proposal framework * Why talking with a client’s customers is at least as important as talking with the clients themselves * How sales are connective moments – not a journey * Why identifying the current problem is not the agency’s primary job * How to be relentless about getting better over time * When and how organic influencer models can beat the pants off of paid reach
When you’re busy running an agency, it can be hard to take a step back to see broader trends. What is currently happening and what is on the horizon regarding client relationships? What tactics and deliverables are hot and making agencies money? This is the second part of a discussion I started last month about the we’re tracking at AMI.
One of the best aspects of our work with agency owners from all over the world is that it affords me perspective. In episode 140, Top 2018 Agency Trends Part 1, I talked about trends that were related to money and the changing structures of our teams. And in this episode, I’m going to talk about the trends that I did not have a chance to get to in that episode.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How retail-facing companies are transitioning those skill sets into B2B space * Why big consumer brands are decreasing their marketing spend and what it might mean down the road for small to mid-sized agencies * The continuing rise of video and how to avoid the urge to over-produce video content * Why clients are coming back to integrated agencies after splitting their marketing dollars among smaller agencies focused on narrow tasks * What tactics and deliverables are earning agencies solid revenue in 2018 * The rise of influencer marketing * The fascinating ways in which voice is changing search and how to stay on top of the trend * The love/hate relationship we all have with chatbots and what that might mean for their future
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
I’ve always described our work as being called upon to be creative on demand. Whether an agency employee sits in the creative department, codes apps, builds strategy or works on new business – we are all tasked with being fresh thinkers.
Our clients hire us to ask the right questions. We feel the pressure to provide answers or at the very least, to know the next right question. It’s incredibly satisfying when a prospect or client says, “I’ve never been asked that before.”
My podcast guest Larry Robertson, encourages his clients – and us – to sit with questions – to not look for quick and easy answers. But to recognize that the real insight rarely comes from the first layer of questions. The paradox is that in times of frenetic change, having the right answers are more important than having the quick answers. Organizationally speaking, it’s a matter of life and death.
Larry Robertson is an innovation and strategy advisor. He is the author of two award-winning books: A Deliberate Pause: Entrepreneurship and its Moment in Human Progress, and The Language of Man: Learning to Speak Creativity, honored with a combined 16 awards.
During our conversation, Larry talked about the research he did as he was prepping to write “The Language of Man.” He interviewed recipients of the McArthur “Genius” award to gather their collective wisdom on creativity and staying power in business and life.
Along with being an author, he’s also a columnist for Inc. Magazine and The Creativity Post, and a regular contributor to Fast Company. He also has been featured guest on or in MSNBC, the Chicago Tribune, AdAge, SmartBrief, and in numerous podcasts.
He is a Graduate of Stanford University and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a former Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to help clients recognize their value proposition * The five layers of “why” and how it can be a powerful tool for agency * How to answer the “so what?” question about what you do and why it’s important * The importance of staying curious and open-minded no matter how long your agency has been around * Cultivating the Five Habits of the Mind in your agency and weaving it throughout your discovery process * What prospects are looking for when picking an agency * The two things you can’t do as you implement the Five Habits of the Mind * Your role as an agency during the discovery session * Larry’s perspective on change and how it affects your agency and clients * The three key things you need to do to expand your agency’s brand lifespan to last longer than 15 years * The benefits of implementing “play“ as a habit and how it can help you become a better on-demand creative * How to encourage better micro-habits as a leader within your agency
Ways to contact Larry Robertson: * Website: larryrobertson.me
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
We live in the ratings and review economy. While our clients (and I suspect we are guilt of this too inside our agencies) are busy chasing after the new customer, the truth is – if we don’t create an amazing experience for our existing clients – we’re sunk. It’s tough to attract new business when your current customers are giving you mediocre reviews or rushing to social media to share your customer service blunder with their connections.
Never forget that 70% of your net new revenue should come from existing clients. Odds are your clients are in the same boat. In today’s world of commoditization, the experience we create is often our point of difference. And let’s face it – you’re probably not on the front lines with your agency’s clients. Your team is.
That’s why I was eager to speak with my guest Stan Phelps – an expert in customer experience and employee engagement. Among the many things on his plate, Stan runs purplegoldfish.com where he digs deep into these topics in his best-selling book series and on stages across the globe.
I wanted to ask Stan about the links between customer experience, embracing weirdness, employee engagement, and above all – purpose in an organization – how they are all tied to one another; how they are often the difference between surviving (or not) and thriving as a company.
Stan Phelps is an IBM Futurist, TEDx Speaker, and Forbes Contributor. He has spoken at over 250 events on every inhabited continent, in over a dozen countries for Fortune 100 brands such as IBM, Target, ESPN, UPS, GlaxoSmithKline, and Citi.
Prior to focusing on writing and speaking, Stan held leadership positions at IMG, Adidas, and the PGA. He also spent seven years as Chief Solutions Officer at Synergy, an award-winning marketing agency. At Synergy, he helped create larger than life brand experiences for brands such as KFC, M&M’s, Walmart and Starbucks.
Stan received his BS in Marketing and Human Resources from Marist College, a JD/MBA from Villanova University and a certificate for Achieving Breakthrough Service from Harvard Business School. He is a faculty member on ANA’s School of Marketing and also serves as an adjunct instructor at Rutgers Business School.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How exceptional customer experience means current customers will be eager to bring you, new customers * What the concept of lagniappe (pronounced, “LAN-yap”) – a tradition in New Orleans – is all about and how you can use it to go that extra mile for your clients * The bottom line importance of warmth and competence * Making your best clients aware of your full range of services * How to embrace weirdness as a business development strategy * The 5 things that impact the growth and health of a goldfish – and what that means for your business * The correlation between the first 4 months of your business and its overall health to this day * How to put purpose at the bullseye of everything you do * The law of worthy intentions
Ways to contact Stan Phelps: * Website: stanphelpsspeaks.com * All the “Goldfish” books: stanphelpsspeaks.com/author
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Obstacles are a given. We don’t get to waltz through life without facing some tough days, barriers and people who are pretty convinced we’re crazy. As a result – we all have “those days.” Those days of doubt, of worry and of asking ourselves, “what am I doing?” I don’t know about you, but there are days when I wonder how I got on this crazy roller coaster. But then I realize that I stood in line just for a shot at the ride and most days, I love it. Every day we make choices and those choices have consequences.
The choices we make lead define the life we live. I work hard to come at life from a growth mindset. I know there will be uphill days, but I am going to tackle that hill and figure out how to avoid having to climb it again. My only other option is a limiting mindset.
My guest for this podcast is a person I’ve followed and admired for years and I couldn’t wait to speak with her – in fact we planned a return visit to the podcast not even halfway through this one! Pam Slim digs deep to get to the bottom of those tough questions that keep business owners stuck in place or afraid to step out into the light. Her goal is to find answers that allow us to face and overcome those inevitable challenges, so we can enjoy the ride.
Pam had just embarked on some pretty incredible research on this very subject of overcoming or not overcoming challenges right before we got together. I wanted to get a sneak peek at the findings and Pam delivered! We talked about the power of building a community around you and the power that unleashes as you both get support and support others.
Pam Slim is an award-winning author, speaker, and small business coach. Most of you probably know her from her book, Escape From Cubicle Nation, but there is a lot more to tell.
Pam spent the first 10 years of her solo practice as a consultant to large corporations like HP and Cisco and to worked with thousands of employees, managers, and executives. Then came then Cubicle Nation, the blog which led to the book. Her latest book, Body of Work was released with Penguin Portfolio in 2015. In her hometown of Mesa, AZ, Pam has opened up what she calls a business learning library called K’é, which is a Navajo word meaning “a system of kinship connection.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What kinship has to do with building a business * The impact of your attitude toward obstacles * Why people gather in ecosystems of shared values and experiences * What it means to have a “growth” vs. a “fixed” mindset * How to course-correct your business whether you’ve been in it for a year or 30 years * Why a great business ecosystem is like the ultimate dinner party * What the High Council of Jedi Knights can teach us about sharpening our business outcomes * The toll that a lack of shared values will take on you in a business (or any) relationship * The results of a major research study on overcoming obstacles * The power of a group of people who both have your back and hold you accountable
Ways to contact Pamela Slim: * Website: pamelaslim.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
I hang out with agency owners every day and 95% of them resist proactive business development for as long as they can. Until that big client starts to give “I want to break up” signs, they are happy to rely on referrals and anyone who crosses the threshold as a substitute for a true biz dev program.
Most owners will tell me that they either hate sales or they’re terrible at them. But the reality is – you are all brilliant sales people because you are not a sales person. You are uniquely skilled at having business conversations at a level that no average salesperson can have.
The other excuse some owners will offer is that they are introverts, which means they can’t be good at sales. Again, I disagree. The key to good sales is asking better questions and listening with more intentionality and no one is better at that then someone who is more introverted.
All of this is why I invited Matthew Pollard to be on the show. He’s here to share insights from his work and from his forthcoming book, The Introvert’s Edge. He’s got some really great things to share to get us out of our reluctance about selling and networking.
Can narrowing our niche help us sell better? Matthew thinks so. Should we get beyond describing our work as a functional skill – the same skill everyone in the marketplace has? Matthew knows getting beyond functional skill is a crucial step.
Matthew is the Rapid Growth Guy. He's dedicated to helping small business owners succeed by giving them methods that helped them transform their business from struggling into profitable success stories. He is the founder and executive director of the Small Business Festival, ranked among the top five conferences in the nation by Inc. magazine. He is in the international sales blogger awards hall of fame and has been featured in Entrepreneur, CEO magazine, Fortune, you name it. But what we care about is that he's going to help us be smarter about selling.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to craft a unified message about why people should work with you * The difference between your functional skills and the reason people actually work with you * The three-step process to rapid growth * Why you don’t have to be an extrovert to be excellent at sales * Plenty of life hacks for your next networking event * How to stand out when your services have been commoditized * Why bending yourself to perceived market “needs” will leave you tired and frustrated * How niching narrows your market in all the right ways * The folly of sharing a bland message in a crowded market – and what to do instead * Why a small niche you are excited about is better than a giant market you don’t care about
Ways to contact Matthew/Resources: * Website: matthewpollard.com * Podcast: matthewpollard.com/better-business-coach/forget-about-goals-why-is-the-key-to-success * Free chapter: matthewpollard.com/theintrovertsedge/book
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
I have the good fortune of hanging out with agency owners and their teams every day of the year. We work with over 250 agencies that range from a handful of employees to several hundred team members. While every agency is absolutely unique – there are some common themes and trends that bubble up as we work alongside our agency clients.
Every year I pull together the trends I see time and time so the agencies we serve aren’t surprised by any of them. I’ve categorized them into some big buckets: money, employees, agency structure, clients, tactics, and revenue opportunities.
There were too many trends to pack into one solocast, so I’ll cover half this time and the other half in July.
Here’s the good news – it’s a great time to be in the business. As always, both challenges and opportunity abound. My goal is to help you spot the opportunities so you can maximize them while sidestep the trouble spots.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How agencies fared financially in 2017 * Why 2017 was a great year for agencies to make money – and where that profit got re-allocated * The factors complicating employee hiring and retention * Agency structure changes in terms of both department structure and employee life/work models
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Every agency has an internal culture. The only question is – did you build it on purpose. Intentionality. That is the bottom line. If you want to consciously create your team’s functionality and effectiveness, what kind of clients you attract, and where your own focus should be – that takes intentionality. That level of thinking has helped Raman Sehgal build an agency that allows him to work with clients from all over the world and enjoy a staff retention rate of 80%.
Raman Sehgal is the owner of a UK-based marketing agency called Ramarketing, an award-winning, creative, digital and PR agency. They are in the business of helping fast-growing companies in the life science, pharma, and manufacturing sectors get noticed.
Nine years ago, he was working from a desk in his home. His agency has now grown the agency to a staff of over 20 and they working with clients across the UK, the US, and Europe, and still have the very first client that they landed almost a decade ago.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What it looks like to go from freelancer to running an agency * How the job of owner changes over the lifecycle of an agency * Why it’s possible to run an agency from a kitchen counter or a big corporate office * How most agency owners become accidental business owners * How Raman’s agency model compares to how a traditional agency runs * How to build a family first, work second culture in your business * What it takes to serve clients in multiple markets around the globe * The power of being “meaningfully specific” in an agency * Raman’s agency billing structure and the difference between billing by the hour for the US compared to the UK * Building a fee structure on deliverables * The correlation between giving clients a good return and the margin you receive on your work * The red flags you can use to vet prospects and make sure they are a good fit for your agency * How trying to make a difficult client happy can actually cost you and your staff * Best practices to keep your team productive
Ways to contact Raman Sehgal: * Website: www.ramarktingpr.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ramansehgaluk
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Making a profit is the goal of any agency owner. But too often, the way we think about profit actually hurts our agency. The standard equation (sales - expenses = profit) can lead to bad decision-making. We are willing to accept the leftovers (profit) rather than running our business to deliver profit as a key outcome. I’d much rather have you determine the amount of profit that is acceptable to you and then you manage your business to that goal.
This is a more effective way to look at the profit equation – one that helps agencies thrive and gives you the ROI you deserve for taking the risk of owning an agency.
Michael Michalowicz founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies. Then in his mid-30’s, he went broke. Starting over again, he was driven to find better ways to grow healthy, strong companies. Among other innovative strategies, Mike created the “Profit First Formula,” a way for small to mid-sized businesses like our agencies to ensure profitability from their very next deposit forward.
Michael is now running his third million dollar venture, is a former small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal, the former MSNBC business make-over expert, a popular keynote speaker on innovative entrepreneurial topics, and is the author of Profit First, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The two questions Michael asked himself that allowed him to find his calling to become an author * Why leaving too much money in your agency leads to bad decisions * What it means to run the Profit First system within your agency * Basic principles to help your agency get ready to use the Profit First system * Why you aren’t limited by a lack of resources * The parallel between Pumpkin farmers and business regarding organic growth * Key takeaways agency owners can apply to their biz dev strategy using the principle of “growing the strong sprout” * Why it’s important to serve the verticals your agency knows well, and that will allow three or four of those legs to support your stool * Consequences you may face when you put too much focus on your weakest clients * Why entrepreneurs struggle with being profitable * A better way to calculate profit for your agency so you can stop using the “Frankenstein Formula” * Principles taken from health and fitness industry you can apply to manage your money better and simplify your agency
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
No matter what kind of agency you own, where it’s located, or how large it is – there is a truth about your business. You are literally and figuratively on stage every single day. Whether you're on the phone with a client, sitting across the table from a few people, or standing on the stage at a national conference, we are constantly presenting.
We can’t afford to be shy about presenting. I’m not suggesting you do a TED talk but I am suggesting that you can’t afford to shirk away from any stage, big or small. You’ve heard me talk about the value of speaking as a way of creating cornerstone content but today I want to focus on a different aspect of presenting – selling from the stage (whatever that stage may be).
This week’s podcast guest loves to talk to business owners about how to do that bigger and better, and bolder. Dustin Mathews is an author of many best-selling books, and he has shared the stage with athletes, business celebrities, and titans of business. His latest book, "The No BS Guide to Powerful Presentations: How to Sell Anything with Webinars and Online Media Speeches and Seminars" is going to be a book that you are going to not only read but underline and highlight and share with others. That I promise you.
Dustin is known for creating content that drives people to buy products en masse. His companies and private clients have been featured on Forbes, Entrepreneur, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Inc magazine. He's literally marketed and filled over 3,000 events and has led 10 online product options. He and his work had generated over $43 million in sales. So he knows how to package and sell value.
As a part of prepping for the work that he's doing today, he did some recent research and has identified a process for creating and selling products and services that he calls the Irresistible Offer Architecture that is so unique that he was able to get recognition by the US Patent and Trademark Office.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why it takes practice to get comfortable with public speaking * Testing and getting feedback on material before presenting it to a large audience * Why it doesn’t matter how qualified you look if you’re able to speak to someone’s pain point * Giving a speech that gets people to take the next steps you want them to take * How to sell at conferences when you’re told “don’t sell from the stage” * Creating excitement about your offer by teasing coming next in your presentation * The five elements every presentation should have * Giving people value in your speeches before giving them the ask * Separating your agency from your competition by giving your processes a name * Why you need to showcase case studies in your presentations to show off your expertise * The nine elements of the irresistible offer architecture * Why you should give people a physical giveaway (book, flash drive, etc.) whenever you can * How to overcome your prospects’ objections * Reverse engineering your presentations based on what you want to offer at the end * Why you have to get good at speaking now
Ways to contact Dustin Mathews: * Book: nobspresentations.com * Website: www.speakingempire.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thedustinmathews
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Branding has always been a cornerstone of my own agency. We've spent a ton of time and effort building brands for clients. We have, like all of you, created what we think of as a proprietary process around brand, and it's a topic that I have a great passion around.
Many of you are either too polite to ask or have point-blank asked me, "Drew, what is the deal with you at Disney." Brand is part of why I love them so much. One of the aspects of Disney that I really admire and connect to the most is that I think they're just about as good as it gets in terms of understanding their brand, building their brand, and evolving their brand over time.
One of the guys in the agency space who I think is really brilliant at branding is an Iowa based agency owner named Nick Westergaard. His new book, Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World, just came out and it is a brilliant blueprint for how to create a memorable, meaningful brand in today's chaotic time and space.
Nick and I talked about are how building a brand has changed in this digital crazy, crowded, distracted time, and what are some of the elements that we as agencies can really spotlight and offer as a huge value to our clients. How do we use brand as an agency offering to stay sticky with our clients rather than a one and done project?
Nick is a strategist, speaker, author, and educator. As Chief Brand Strategist at Brand Driven Digital, he helps build better brands at organizations of all sizes — from small businesses and Fortune 500 companies to President Obama’s Jobs Council. In addition to his new book, Nick is also the author of Get Scrappy: Smarter Digital Marketing for Businesses Big and Small.
Nick is a sought-after keynote speaker at conferences and corporate events throughout the world. He teaches at the University of Iowa where he sits on the Advisory Council of the Marketing Institute at the Tippie College of Business and the Professional Advisory Board for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He is also a mentor at the Iowa Startup Accelerator.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Working with brands in a distracted, digital age * How the world changed our views about how we should be looking at branding * Why simplicity in branding is more critical than ever * How agencies can help their clients understand what storytelling really is and how to help them construct better brand stories * Why “Story” is a buzzword and how we can rescue it * Why the main character in the story shouldn’t be the brand and why it should be the client’s end user * Why making sure employees understand the brand is so important for your agency culture and the work that they do for clients * The role agencies play in building brands and moving the brand forward * How to provide real value to clients in this era of distraction and rapid change * The opportunities agency owners are missing out on during the brand discovery process * Why a brand is everything a company does – and why that doesn’t have to be overwhelming * Why it’s important for you to plant your flag for your brand * How Nick’s book can help agencies work together on their own brand * The value of getting outside perspective on your own agency
Ways to contact Nick Westergaard: * Website: www.nickwestergaard.com * Website: www.branddrivendigital.com * Book: Brand Now: How to Stand Out in a Crowded, Distracted World
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
If you’ve ever hung out with me for more than 10 minutes, you’ve probably heard me say something like “there are no bad clients. But there are bad clients for YOUR agency.” I do believe that there’s an agency out there for every client. But it very well may not be yours. One of the most critical skills an agency owner/leader must develop is the ability to discern if a prospect belongs on your client roster.
Many of you have been emailing me lately asking me questions about problematic clients. And in some cases — they’re clients you never should’ve taken in the first place. You either haven’t yet developed the processes or the spidey sense to sniff out a bad prospect or even worse, you ignored that spidey sense.
We’ve all seen the money on the table and thought to ourselves, “Okay, I'm going to ignore that nagging feeling in my stomach and I’m going to take that client.” I’ve owned my own agency for 23 years and believe me, I’ve made that expensive mistake more than once. Every time I’ve ignored that little nudge saying, “Don’t do it Drew...don’t do it” — the nudge was right and I was wrong. I regretted taking that client and I’m guessing you’ve had the same experience.
The wrong clients, even if they have buckets of money, can literally kill your agency. A client that is not the right fit for your agency is almost impossible to make happy. So what do we do? We run around scrambling trying to make them happy. We do extra rounds of revisions that we don’t charge them for, and in the end, they’re still not happy.
Now we’re underwater and have lost money. We’ve literally paid for the privilege of serving that client. Or worse — the client berates your employees. They micromanage your team. They call or text 24/7 with no respect for boundaries.
And when you don’t step in to negate the situation because the client is giving you a lot of money, you’re at risk of losing your employees. In today’s tight labor market, your employees don’t have to stick around to work for in that environment.
Everyone thinks about “How do I find clients that make me money?” — but quite honestly, the first thing we should be thinking about is “how do I get rid of the clients that cost me money and how do I avoid them down the road?”
That’s what this episode of Build A Better Agency is all about. How you can find and keep clients who don’t cost you money. You can absolutely do this for your agency. And I’m going to show you how.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How agency profitability begins with attracting the right fit clients * How to identify the tangible and intangible things that make a client fit the “sweet spot” of your agency * Why you should rank every prospect whether they are knocking on your door, or you’re putting together a prospect list, or you’re getting ready to respond to an RFP * Why you should consider creating a “Biz Dev” committee within your agency to decide which prospects are the right fit prospects to pursue * How to put the “Sophistication Level Factor” to work inside your biz dev process * A specific process and tool you can use to kick-off your agency’s relationship with a new client in the right way — so it feels like a celebration and everyone is on the same page * How to provide a new client with the proper orientation of what it is like to work with your agency and the team they will be working with on a daily basis * The two key pieces to effective client communication and why staying in touch by email is not the answer * How a weekly status update can help your AEs gently nag a client so they stay focused on what they need to be doing and providing to your team * Why and how you as the agency owner should be spending time with the top 50 percent of your clients — demonstrating how much you love them and how committed you are to their success
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
Resources: * Sweet Spot Client Filter * NB criteria form * Client Scorecard
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
One of the most rewarding aspects of AMI is that we can give agency owners a sense of perspective. Owning and running an agency is lonely and isolated. You make decisions based on what you know and usually you only know your own reality. I love it when I can shine a light on how other agencies are doing something or a best practice or metric that gives owners confidence that you’re on track or even that you’re ahead of the curve.
Hubspot recently completed a survey of over 1,200 marketing agency decision makers and I was invited to comment on some of the findings. After reading the report, I knew the insights were something we needed to explore together on the podcast.
Tim Dearlove is the Growth Marketing Manager at Hubspot, which as you know is a market leading inbound marketing and sales suite of tools that is very agency centric and they invest a huge amount of time and effort to support agencies all over the globe. (Note: And the presenting sponsor of Build A Better Agency)
Some of the findings will touch on themes you live with every day – the fears and frustrations of any agency owner. There are some trends and practices we’ll call to your attention and some opportunities for you to take the lead over your competition.
We’ll also look at how you can stay ahead of your clients – and the importance of ongoing learning not just for you, but for the talent you hire as well.
It’s an episode full of big ideas and targeted actions you can take to make your agency better and your life a bit easier.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Retainers/long-term relationships: why they are great for your agency as well as your clients * Retainers that allow your agency to provide services on an ongoing basis while keeping control * Some of the mistakes agencies make by not clearly defining what the service is and tying the value directly to the offering * Going through the process and making sure the decision to work on a retainer basis is thought out and not just tacked on at the end * Why the paid discovery process is the ideal way to enter into a retainer agreement (and why it’s not always possible) * The three categories a retainer should have to provide value to the client: optimization, insurance, and strategy * How to talk to prospects so they understand the value of an ongoing relationship * Three great ways to clearly define and price your services * Why your clients will test the boundaries of your agreement if you don’t clearly define them * The importance of saying “no” and the right and wrong ways to do it * Why consistent, clear communication with ongoing clients is a great way to upsell services * Building systems and processes for great internal and external communication * Why you have to work on your processes in small increments or they will never get done
Ways to contact Tim Dearlove: * Twitter: @tdearlove * Research Report
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
A frustration for many agencies today is that it’s tough to get clients to commit to ongoing retainers. Post recession, clients are drawn to project work as opposed to the longer-term, on-going work that agencies prefer. There are many factors that play into this and some agencies have cracked the code of earning a client’s confidence and being positioned as an on-going partner.
Barry O'Kane has cracked the code. He has over 18 years of experience as a digital agency owner and a web developer. He and his team work in partnership with social impact organizations and creative agencies to solve their toughest challenges. Barry runs a virtual dev shop called endzone.io, and he also teaches web agencies how create recurring revenue for their shop and recurring value for their clients. He really believes that there are internal processes and systems and that agencies need to consider so they get compensated differently and create a whole new value proposition for themselves and their clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Retainers/long-term relationships: why they are great for your agency as well as your clients * Retainers that allow your agency to provide services in an ongoing basis while keeping control * Some of the mistakes agencies make by not clearly defining what the service is and tying the value directly to the offering * Going through the process and making sure the decision to work on a retainer basis is thought out and not just tacked on at the end * Why the paid discovery process is the ideal way to enter into a retainer agreement (and why it’s not always possible) * The three categories a retainer should have to provide value to the client: optimization, insurance, and strategy * How to talk to prospects so they understand the value of an ongoing relationship * Three great ways to clearly define and price your services * Why your clients will test the boundaries of your agreement if you don’t clearly define them * The importance of saying “no” and the right and wrong ways to do it * Why consistent, clear communication with ongoing clients is a great way to upsell services * Building the systems and processes for great internal and external communication * Why you have to work on your processes in small increments or they will never get done
Ways to contact Barry O'Kane: * Website: endzonesoftware.com * Podcast: happyporchradio.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/barryokane
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
It started with the cats. Who knew cats were trend setters but when it comes to video they were on board long before we were! One of the biggest trends I’ve seen over the last five years is the proliferation of video. You can’t go anywhere (Online, mass transit, Times Square or your home security system) without seeing a video these days. And these are not the videos of old. When I started in the business, we make gorgeous videos, shot on film and painstakingly edited for days. Today’s videos can certainly be that but more often than not – they’re run and gun videos that are often shot, edited and posted the same day, if not in real time.
To think any agency can avoid getting proficient at video is a fool’s folly these days and I don’t want ignorance, fear or the “I hate the way I look on video” worry to keep you from evolving your agency’s skills in this area. You simply can’t afford not to be good at video, not to understand how to leverage video and most important – how to create videos for yourself and your clients in a cost effective, profitable way.
That is why I invited George B. Thomas onto the Build A Better Agency podcast. This guy gets video and has a passion around it that is infectious.
George has an interesting past – he’s a recovering youth pastor, a former pub bouncer, but no matter what his title was, he's always been about helping people at different points in their journey. Now he is the Resident Nerd at the Sales Lion, an inbound and content marketing agency helping businesses become rock stars in their markets.
George believes that video is the next step of the inbound marketing evolution. He loves helping businesses wrap their heads around video. As he is quick to tell you – he’s a branding guru, a video marketing ninja, and an inbound Jedi. A little peek into George right there!
When he's not running video workshops or speaking around the world, he's hanging out with his family enjoying the beautiful world that is North Carolina. What I love about George is that he's got an energy and a passion for this, which you will feel in this episode, but he also brings the goods in terms of expertise and he's going to get down to the really needy gritty of telling us not only what to do, but how to do it.
I want you to listen to this conversation through parallel tracks. First, I want you to listen to it while thinking, “how can video help our clients grow their business and improve their customer’s experience?”
But the other lens I want you to be using is, “how do I use video better for the agency and our biz dev efforts?” Some of you are already swimming in these waters but many of you are not. Time to get to it!
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why George believes that getting great at video is the difference between having a successful agency and closing your doors * The difference between creative, big budget video that dominated agencies of the past and the much cheaper, revenue-driving videos of today * Making quick, easy videos that answer the questions your sales people get the most * How to sell clients on making these quick videos * The kind of equipment you need to own to make video for yourself and your clients that looks great * Everything you need to know to pick the right editing software * The skills needed to be great behind the camera and in the editing room * The kinds of videos your agency should be producing * Why every person in your agency needs a video of themselves in their email signature * The danger of being too salesy in your videos * How to become more comfortable on camera * Why you don’t have to be afraid of live video * Misassumptions agencies and other businesses make about video that consumers don’t make * Matching the right video to the right platform/audience
Ways to contact George Thomas: * Free video assessment: thesaleslion.com/assessment * Content video workshop: thesaleslion.com/video * Facebook: www.facebook.com/Mr.GeorgeBThomas * Twitter: @GeorgeBThomas
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
When I think about this episode, it’s all about voice but not just in the way that you might first assume.
Stephen Woessner and I taught a workshop together in January called Creating Content that Creates Revenue. One of the big themes from that workshop was the idea that most agencies really haven’t defined their distinct point of view. I did a whole solocast on that that really does a deep dive on the topic. But it’s really all about finding your agency’s unique voice and weaving that through all of your content, your website, your new business decks, and your agency’s work.
The second way you can see the theme of voice in this podcast is in the idea of using content as the Trojan Horse of sales, as my guest Stephen coined the phrase. When you give your prospective client a voice through your cornerstone content (podcast, book, video series, blog, etc.) by putting the spotlight on them as a guest or subject matter expert, you can leverage that invitation to create a relationship with them that they’d never welcome if you were just trying to sell them something. Giving them exposure and a voice is the door opener that actually gets them to be interested in you and how you work.
I believe this is one of the most effective and least exploited sales techniques in our space and the agencies who master it will be several steps ahead of their competitors. It completely changes the landscape of the relationship you have with prospects.
Finally, we explore the idea of voice from a channel perspective. Voice controlled devices are becoming very mainstream and there are some huge opportunities for agencies in that space. We explore some of the possibilities as we wrap up the episode.
As you can see – this is an episode that is packed with content and thought ticklers. I can't wait to hear your reaction.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: 1. Why success is not only about creating great content but it’s also about creating content that creates revenue for your agency either in the form of sponsorships, new clients, or other opportunities. 2. How your agency can create your own Trojan Horse of Sales to open doors with your Nano 25 prospects, have a different kind of conversation than what most agencies are having with prospects, and all without your prospect ever feeling like they were a prospect. 3. How to spotlight the wisdom and insights you collect from your Nano 25 and share that knowledge with your audience – and what happens when you do. 4. A specific script you can use for a phone call with your Nano 25 to move the business development process forward. 5. Why it’s important to plant your flag in firm ground using a channel agnostic content strategy. 6. How monetizing your content extends much further than just attracting new clients sponsorships, speaking engagements, or books. 7. How “Voice” has become a fast-tracking trend that will be a cultural norm within a year or two. 8. How strategy and content creation for voice controlled devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home represent opportunities for agencies to jump in and help clients make sense of it all. 9. How to restructure website content pages to make them more voice search friendly. 10. Why the agencies that understand how to produce content around their point-of-view that then becomes the search result for voice activated search are going to have a huge advantage over competitors.
Ways to contact Stephen Woessner: * Website: www.predictiveroi.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
A lot of agency owners say to me, “Drew, I know you’re running your own agency and I know you’re running AMI. I know you've got some other things on the side like real estate. How in the world do you get it all done and how do you keep yourself organized, on track, and on-time?” So for today’s solocast, I want to talk about how you can get more out of your day.
I know that I may give the impression of being able to get it all done – but I never do. Let me be very clear about that. I don’t. I don’t want to say to you that my “To Do” list is ever empty because it’s not. But it’s manageable and I keep everything moving forward like I need to.
Like many of you, I have spent years trying to crack the nut of my own productivity. I’ve tested tools, tried tricks and heaped hacks into my day. Over the years, I’ve developed a reliable system for managing my world and my day so the most important things get done every day.
And that’s what I’d like to share with you in this solocast. It is my own blend of habits, tools and disciplines that allow me to consistently get all of the important things within AMI, my own agency and the rest of my business dealings done while still being able to take time away to relax and be with family and friends.
It’s possible and it can happen for you, too. I am going to share all of the tools I use, my daily habits, and what I think is my secret weapon for how I move through my day to make it all work.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How I use a task list management tool or electronic “To Do” list to keep myself on track * Why I break my to do list into “buckets” so they are easy to manage and less daunting * How I use my “secret weapon” to prioritize all my buckets and identify my the three things that absolutely must get done the next day * Why I think it is important for me to own and manage my own calendar * How I take control by chunking my calendar into time blocks that give me the space I need to get all of the daily priorities done * How a simple tool like an orange traffic cone could be a game changer for you and everyone on your team * Why I am a huge fan of taking time out and being absent from the office * My travel routine for how I set up my hotel room, how I unpack everything to stay organized, and the stuff I keep with me at all times * My thought process for deciding if I should keep a task on my list or delegate it to someone on my team * My biggest time saving tip * How I knit all of this together into a system that keeps me on track and on time
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by:
- Producing the weekly Build A Better Agency podcast
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE Bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
A healthy agency, on average, loses about 10-15% of their AGI every year through client attrition. That means that just to stay even, you have to sell. If you want to grow – you have to sell. If you want more money to give raises, bonuses or take a little for yourself – you have to sell.
Unfortunately, 95% of agency owners hate to sell. You hire sales people so you don't have to do it. Sadly – they rarely pay for themselves. If you have one that does, do what you have to do to keep them! But in most agencies, the best salesperson is the owner. You can have very different conversations with prospects than anyone else in your shop and based on the research we’ve done with CMOs – those are the conversations that move them through your sales funnel.
That’s why this topic is so vital. You can’t get or keep any momentum in your agency if you’re afraid of sales. Which is why I invited Anthony Iannarino onto the show. He’s a highly respected international speaker, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and sales leader. He specializes in complex B2B sales, which is the world that we are all living in. He’s also a founder and managing partner of two closely-held, family-owned businesses in the staffing industry, and he leads both entities in strategic planning while growing sales.
Anthony is best known for his work on The Sales Blog, which has helped him gain recognition as a top thought leader in sales strategy. He’s also designed what he calls the Level 4 Value Creation and Building Consensus methodologies that help sales organizations achieve transformational, breakthrough results.
A well-known author, Anthony recently released "The Lost Art of Closing: Winning the Ten Commitments That Drive Sales," and man, is that book brilliant. A few years ago he wrote "The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need." I highly recommend them both.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why most entrepreneurs go into sales with the wrong mindset that makes selling an unpleasant experience * Why the sales process isn’t linear and how to shift the conversation with a prospect based on where they are in the process * The Ten Commitments: the agreements that you need from your prospects along the sale’s path in order for a sale to happen * How giving a prospect the price too early can blow the sale * Why it’s so important to slow down and build trust * Talking to people with genuine interest in them and what they need * Consistently providing a ton of value to your prospects so that you stay top-of-mind when something changes in their business and they have a need * Why getting to the point where you get to have a conversation with a prospect is the most difficult part of sales (and how to actually reach that point) * Why you should never let a prospect sit alone with a proposal and the specific language you should use so that it doesn’t happen
Ways to contact Anthony Iannarino: * Website: thesalesblog.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
The truth is that our world as agency owners is in constant flux. Think back to the Mad Men days when we didn’t charge clients anything for creative or strategy. We lived and died off media commissions. That wasn’t hundreds of years ago, that was just a few decades ago. So it’s no big shock that our industry is, yet again, undergoing a transformation.
We’ve seen it coming for a while and for many of you, this may be something you’ve already been thinking about or experimenting with inside your shop.
Most agencies have been playing footsie with content. Your shop may be the exception but for most agencies, they’re good at creating content in volume but we’ve been too focused on getting done and not the true strategy underneath. It’s time for us (for both ourselves and our clients) to get serious about what thought leadership means, owning a distinct point of view/position and leveraging that point of view to generate revenue.
That’s why I was excited to have Robert Rose on the podcast. Robert’s most recent book that he published in September with colleague Joe Pulizzi from Content Marketing Institute is called "Killing Marketing” and it’s going to really stretch your mind in terms of what is possible and what’s coming next for us as agency folks.
Robert Rose is the Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the Content Advisory which is a consulting and advisory group of the Content Marketing Institute. As a strategist, Robert has worked with over 500 companies including global brands like Capital One, Dell, Ernst & Young, HP, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
He's the author of three books including "Experiences: The Seventh Era of Marketing," a book about how marketing is shifting. It was called "a treatise and a call-to-arms for marketers to lead business innovation in the 21st Century."
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The rapid changes in the agency business and why those changes are coming more fast and furious than ever before * Why agencies need to make a big investment if they want to survive (and why so often they just splash around in the water until it’s too late) * Using content marketing to build an audience for your clients based on their specific needs * How to use your engaged audience to find more people like them with Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube’s lookalike audiences * Why you can’t expect clients to want to work with you if you don’t invest in your own marketing * Why Robert believes that your agency blog isn’t usually the best place to host your content (and where you should write instead) * Getting back on track when you find yourself falling into the trap of creating generalist content * Building client trust by helping them transform into something new * Why agencies have always been good at creating stuff for clients but why strategy and measurement need to be our new norm * How to start working with a C-Suite level person when your current client contact is not as high up * Why a media centric agency is the best kind of agency to build today (and how to retrofit your agency to become a media centric agency)
Ways to contact Robert Rose: * Website: contentadvisory.net * Website: robertrose.net
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Agencies are in an all-out talent war these days. New business is coming faster and easier. Your clients had a good year and so did you. But if you’re like many agency owners, you’re actually considering shutting down the biz dev spigot because you can’t find and keep the staff to service the new growth. When you see it in writing, it’s ridiculous, right? But if you’re struggling with staffing, you’re not alone. Agencies like yours are the training ground for other agencies, clients building an in-house department and corporations who are going to pay a premium for your best talent.
We have to find ways to attract and keep key hires or we’re going to be on a treadmill forever. We can talk culture, we can talk creative benefits like sabbaticals, and we can even talk about assessments that identify people who are born to work in an agency. As compelling as all of that is, it’s tough to compete with money.
That’s what intrigued me about Kevin Monaghan and his strategies to help protect, incentivize, and compensate minority owners and key employees. Kevin and his team at Intuitive Compensation Group work with businesses to create compensation packages that keep your people in place, feeling rewarded and valued.
Today, Kevin speaks all over the country and helps business owners, partnerships, business brokers (buyers & sellers), and key employees align their goals with workable compensation models that incentivize over time without running into some of the roadblocks of giving away equity or being stuck with a minority stake in a company where you can’t control dividend distribution.
Interestingly, while taking a break from the business sector early in his career, Kevin briefly worked as a writer’s assistant for two of NBC’s top comedies, “The Office” and “Parks & Recreation.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why giving equity to employees can be a dangerous situation * Cash value life insurance is a way to fund a golden handcuff plan that ensures you get money back if the employee leaves (the employee can’t touch this money for a certain amount of time passes) * Putting money behind compensation promises so that both the business owner and the employee knows what they’re walking away from if they decide to part ways * Different ways to structure cash value life insurance policies so that the burden of tax falls to the agency, the employee, or a combination of the two (and examples of times where each of these would be appropriate) * How to use these cash value life insurance policies to set up your agency to be sold when you’re ready to retire * Figuring out what matters to the seller and the buyer when heading into an agency sale * What happens when an agency owner sticks around after selling the agency * The right and wrong ways to compensate young employees that you want to keep but you know aren’t even close to being ready for any agency ownership * What benefits young employees really want * Why it doesn’t hurt to start planning for your retirement / selling of your agency early
Ways to contact Kevin Monaghan: * Phone: 877-70LEARN * Website: www.intuitivecompensation.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
I don’t believe in life/work balance. When I was a kid, my “work dad” would come home from the bank in his three-piece suit and he’d go upstairs and my “home dad” would come downstairs in jeans, looking for his martini and the download of our day while my mom cooked dinner.
Sounds very Leave it to Beaver, doesn’t it? It really was. My dad didn’t have a computer or a cell phone. I can remember the only time the office called him at home – the bank building was on fire. But other than that – there was complete separation of work and home life.
We do not have that luxury. At best, we can strive for life/work blend. Our personal lives will seep into the work day and our work will seep into our personal time. But for many agency owners, what that translates to is that you are always on and always working.
That’s not only unhealthy for you but it’s unhealthy for your business. You simply can’t grow your agency if you have to do everything that’s mission critical.
That’s the conversation I wanted to have with Scott Beebe who is a strategist, teacher, and business coach for My Business On Purpose. He is also the host of the Business on Purpose podcast.
Scott is all about about liberating small business owners from the chaos of working in their business and helping them get their lives back by being really clear about what their business is about, what they want to get out of the business, where they have unique opportunities to contribute to the business, and where they need to get out of the way.
His background includes direct and B2B sales, designing and implementing organizational strategy, training and development, marketing and fundraising, along with teaching and speaking.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The two biggest non-negotiables for agencies today * The value in building out a detailed company vision and reinforcing it regularly in team meetings * Understanding what clients you should and should not work with based on your company vision * Your mission statement: a portable, 15-word version of your vision story * Why you need to have 3-5 core values that are unique to you (hint: not table stables like respect, responsibility, excellence, etc.) * Scott’s spreadsheet for figuring out what tasks you can keep as the agency owner and which ones you should delegate * How to document processes so everyone is on the same page and can wear multiple hats * Using team meetings to stay on top of the week’s work and why you should end every team meeting with training * How to delegate to people who may not be your direct reports without throwing your agency into chaos and confusion * The four steps to achieving business freedom * Reinvesting your time into things that matter once you’ve delegated tasks away and have significant free time
Ways to contact Scott Beebe: * Website: MyBusinessOnPurpose.com/vision * Twitter: @scottbeebe * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/scottebeebe * Facebook: www.facebook.com/mybusinessonpurpose
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Have you ever walked around Times Square? I was in New York City last week, and if you’ve ever been here before, you know it’s crazy. With all the lights, the billboards, the chaos, the signage, and the people dancing and handing out flyers – it’s just sensory overload.
The eight blocks or so radius that makes up Times Square is a study in advertising and in messaging, sort of both from an old school and new school perspective.
It made me think about one of the realities in both life in general but certainly in our life in the marketing and agency business, and that is that there is no such thing as a constant. Even the most constant of constants, like out-of-home advertising, keep changing and evolving over time. The truth of the matter is, for all of us, no matter what channel we display our message on, no matter where we are talking about the work we do and the kind of clients we serve, the channel is changing.
So if you’ve got a robust Facebook page for your agency, that’s awesome, but you know that in five years, it’s going to be something different. If you are writing incredible blog content, or you’re producing a podcast, whatever it may be, there may be remnants of what we’re doing today around in five years, but the odds are that it’s going to look different, just like these outdoor boards here on Broadway look very different than they did back in the ’40s and the ’50s.
The other thing I noticed was I was watching the messaging for the plays and the restaurants and the souvenir shops, all of them, they all look and sound the same. We all face that problem too. I think one of the biggest challenges for agencies is how do you not look like everybody else? How do you differentiate yourself? We’re great at doing this for clients, but when it comes to doing it for ourselves, we really, really struggle.
This was actually a big part of the conversation that we had in the Creating Content That Creates Revenue Workshop back in January. We started day one by talking about how the reality for all of us is that the channels keep changing and so our presence in a channel isn’t enough to differentiate us. We have to have something that makes us stand out.
We talked a lot about having a unique point of view and about really understanding what your agency was all about. Where do you plant that flag? How do you plant that flag in firm ground so that, no matter what changes, that belief is rock solid? It needs to be so firmly anchored in the ground that you know it’s not going to be blown away by whatever fad or change is coming down the pike.
And that’s what we’re going to talk about today. For agencies, we all have to be able to define that for our prospects and clients. Why us? Why us over somebody else?
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Staying on top of the ever-changing channels for distributing our messages * The struggle agencies face in differentiating themselves * Planting the flag of your unique POV so firmly that you don’t feel tempted to change away from what’s important to you when a new fad comes around * Why you can’t afford to compete on price or proximity * Your unique POV: what you know to be true that you talk to clients about all the time * Figuring out what your best, most profitable clients have in common, even if it’s not an industry (and it often isn’t!) * Why you should have three different niches * How your unique POV combined with your niche industry knowledge makes you look and sound different from your competitors * Building your website to show off your POV * Infusing your POV into every piece of content you create * A litmus test for figuring out if you’ve defined your POV * How your POV attracts the right prospects and repels the wrong ones
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
I don’t know about you, but I never feel quite caught up. Thanks to my high tech Post It Note strategy (Every night I list the 3 things, and no more, I must get done the next day and put it on my laptop) I get the most critical things done but there’s always more to do.
What saves my bacon every day is that I have a superb team around me and they have systems and processes that allow them to work miracles and keep me on the straight and narrow. Like most agency owners, I have a short attention span and it’s easy for me to get distracted. Our systems pull me back to center.
Every business is made up of processes and systems, whether you have them documented or not. If your systems are informal or tribal, then odds are you and your team aren’t being as efficient or effective as you could be. You are literally trying to shove more work into a system that is simply too small.
That’s where my podcast guest, Terry Ogburn comes in. He works with entrepreneurs and their teams to create repeatable success through a system he developed through his own experience and the teachings of some of his favorite business books.
Terry Ogburn is the owner and Lead Business Coach of Ogburn’s Business Solutions. His proprietary coaching system and personal devotion to the development of others has contributed to the success of hundreds of small to large business ventures.
Terry began his business career in 1979 when he invested his last $118.42 to start an air conditioning service business. At that time, he had no car or truck, but he did have the knowledge and ability to build relationships. By 1983, he was a top 5 nominee for Small Businessman of the Year. In 1985, successful in his business and recognized as a leader in the business community, he began to mentor other small business owners.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How the absence of good, repeatable systems keeps a business from growing * Terry’s eight steps of business development that can be applied to every business * Why you need job descriptions for every process inside your agency (and why each description doesn’t need to equal a full time employee) * Removing your ego from your business * What numbers agency owners need to look at, even if you don’t like numbers * Protecting your bottom line by passing costs on to your customers * How to carve out the time to work on your business when you are busy working in the business * Creating a business development plan
Ways to contact Terry Ogburn: * Website: www.terryogburn.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
It doesn’t matter if I’m wearing my agency owner hat or my AMI hat, branding is one of the topics that I always love to talk about. It's one of the few things in our world that has stayed consistent. It's very difficult today to survive and thrive if you are indistinguishable from your competitors. I know many of you spend a lot of time and energy developing brands for your clients but struggle when it comes to articulating your own brand in a way that is easy to grasp and actually is distinct.
When I think about brand, Derrick Daye, one of the preeminent thought leaders in branding for the last ten years or more comes to mind. You may be familiar with Derrick; in 2006 he launched a website called Branding Strategy Insider. Back in the day it was a blog about branding, and today, it still functions that way, but for many people, it’s a branding bible of sorts. Derrick and his team use real examples and case studies to teach the art and science of brand.
It was also the launching pad for Derrick and his company, The Blake Project. It's where they launch research around branding, and dissect the best brands and what they're doing. It's a great resource for agencies and client side professionals to learn about cutting-edge thinking when it comes to branding.
My conversation with Derrick was all about what he’s learned about defining and building brands like the White House Press Corps, Coca-Cola, and the National Parks of New York Harbor, when they were trying to re-think the Statue of Liberty and how it could continue to be an icon for tourists and for all Americans in NYC and throughout the country.
We got into methodologies, branding clients, getting back into the C-Suite and much more. I think you’re going to find yourself taking notes.
Before Derrick launched The Blake Project, he spent about 20 years in advertising. He worked for Saatchi & Saatchi and several other agencies and then decided that he wanted to change his career a little bit and he wanted to go on the consulting side of the business.
Since then, Derrick has been working in many countries across the world, working with national brands. He has worked with everyone from He's done some really interesting work.
Today he spends a lot of time helping agencies to figure out how to articulate their own brand and how they can work with clients to put together the strategy behind a client's brand.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Derrick’s work helping brands figure out their unique value in their own marketplaces * How brand consultancies (like The Blake Project) do strategic work that define the brand and then hand it off to brand agencies who take that strategic work and bring it to life * Why you’ll never be able to differentiate your agency with creative, people, process, methodology, global network * How to rely on your relationship skills to develop new business * Why your agency’s brand is all about your distinct POV and why you need to focus on the customers that love that POV, not the customers that are the easiest sale * The three things brands need to lead today * Why consultancies have better access to CEOs than agencies do and how agencies can get into the C-Suite conversation * Turning prospects into clients by showcasing creative that had a great ROI rather than touting awards * Figuring out what a brand is fighting against and making sure that fight aligns with their goals * Derrick’s Un-Conference which is built on the idea that people learn better in small groups and groups marketers up in teams for “competitive learning”
Ways to contact Derrick Daye: * Website: www.brandingstrategyinsider.com * Website: www.theblakeproject.com * Twitter: @DerrickDaye * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theblakeproject
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
One of the most common challenges agencies of all sizes are facing right now is the finding the right people to add to the team. Client budgets and programs are growing, new business is getting a little easier and so everything should be rosey. But when you don’t have the right team to get the work done – it’s frustrating and frightening.
10-15 years ago the prevailing attitude was that agencies needed everyone under one roof. After all the work is so collaborative. But when the recession hit and people had to reduce fixed expenses to survive, many agencies who swore they would never use freelancers or hire someone virtual crossed over and did just that.
That’s why I was so interested in talking to Nathan Hirsch, the co-founder and CEO of FreeeUp.com, the hands-on hiring marketplace connecting hundreds of online business owners with reliable, pre-vetted remote workers. Nathan can also be found on leading podcasts, such as Entrepreneur on Fire and Eventual Millionaire, speaking about online hiring tactics.
If you listen with an open mind and a willingness to consider something different – I think you might get some interesting ideas about your own talent pool.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Remote workers give business owners an opportunity to level up their talent at a cheaper cost than traditional employees * The advantages freelancers bring to agencies * The idea of creating your own marketplace with your freelance pool so they compete with each other and always deliver their best work * How the freelance business is changing and freelancers have their own team working for them * Why Nathan believes you should pay freelancers on an hourly model * How Nathan’s company Freeeup helps its freelancers work with agencies so everyone wins * Minimizing risk when working with freelancers and what Freeeup does to make its freelancers less risky than other freelancers * Structuring interviews to weed out the wrong freelancers before you start working together * Tools to work more effectively with freelancers and virtual employees * The pros and cons of having your employees work remotely * Creating a feeling of collaboration and teamwork when your team doesn’t see each other regularly * Why allowing an in-office employee to go virtual rarely ever works * The importance of diversifying when you’re hiring
Ways to contact Nathan Hirsch: * Website: freeeup.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/freeeupcom * Twitter: @freeeup * Instagram: @freeeup_ * Email: nathan@freeeup.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Joe Kashurba started a freelance web design business when he was in high school and grew it into a digital agency with a world-class team and clients around the world. He went from building $300 websites to building $30,000 websites and managing 6-figure digital advertising budgets for some of the largest manufacturing and construction companies.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Joe’s agency that started when he was in high school * Why you’ll never get consistent clients without consistent marketing * Selling results instead of technology and why prospects respond better to that approach * How to know whether it’s better to have in-house employees or an outsourced team in any given area in digital * Evaluating digital partners that offer services that you understand but don’t know how to do * Using analog marketing tactics when you have time but not money to devote to your marketing * Why it’s hard to scale when you try to be everything to everyone * The cost of offering complex services * How Joe manages his completely virtual team * The differences between selling products and services * Clearly defining what you offer in a package to prevent scope creep * What to do to get caught up on digital trends if you feel you’re really far behind (and how to stay ahead if you’re on top of it)
Ways to contact Joe Kashurba: * Website: joekashurba.com
Resources: * www.thehoth.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
It’s funny what a single question can do. I was all set to record this week’s solocast about the content from the workshop I taught earlier in the week and then someone asked me a question that took me in a completely different direction. The direction of how much agency owners need a posse.
I’ll get to the workshop content next time but for this solocast I followed the nudge of the question and talked about how agency owners can surround themselves with people who understand the grind and who can make the journey a little less lonely and frustrating.
We’ll talk about the different kinds of groups out there that serve as coaches, mentors, support teams and accountability buddies. We’ll explore why this matters and how it can serve you and your business. But most of all we’ll talk about how much easier life and work can be when you have a posse!
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The pros and cons of local business networking groups and what you can hope to get from one * The importance of creating genuine connections inside your posse so they become your greatest supporters on both the best and worst days as a business owner * How to build a mastermind group from scratch and fill it with the right peers * The accountability that comes from having a strong peer group * Being a good member of a peer group is about giving first. You will gain in proportion to what you give * Why being an agency owner is one of the toughest jobs in the world and why AMI was started to give agency owners other owners in noncompetitive markets to confide in * The virtual and in-person peer networks that AMI offers to pair agencies up with other agencies in non-competing markets
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Duane Melius has worked eight years in journalism, social enterprise, and media production in London and over six years across Southeast Asia in a digital agency environment. He’s previously had clients in banking, automotive, food & hospitality, FMCG, entertainment, and more, and those clients have been both B2B and B2C. He has millions of dollars of Digital campaign experience. Duane specializes in growing teams that use digital channels to reach niche and mass audiences with ROI-enabled campaigns, activities, and retainers.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The challenges traditional agencies are facing in going digital * Why you need to use digital in your personal life to be able to sell it (and why your team needs to do the same to create great digital content) * The importance of mastering the area of digital your agency has as its core competency while keeping familiar with other areas * Staying on top of what’s new in digital * Qualities that make for great digital employees * Using reporting to show your clients how your digital efforts are improving * Ways to interview for new digital skillsets that you don’t have inside your agency yet * Using a multi-step approval process to make sure mistakes don’t get made with digital content * Making the content approval process easier on clients -- especially when there is compliance involved * The good and the bad of digital tools (and why there’s often more bad than good, especially with social media) * Why clients might start to take their social media in-house and what agencies can do to stay invaluable * Unlocking the competitive advantage which exists within your people
Ways to contact Duane Melius: * Twitter: @dmelius
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
As soon as I heard the tax law had passed, I made one call – to Eric Levenhagen, my personal tax advisor who has helped me craft my own tax strategy for years and today works with many agency owners across the country.
I had two questions for him: 1) How do we need to alter the tactics we’ve been applying for my businesses and 2) Will you be on my podcast and help my listeners understand how the tax laws will impact them?
As you’ll hear, we got right to the heart of the matter and spent the entire episode talking specifics about how we can take advantage of the new law and what we’re going to have to shift because it’s no longer advantageous or possible.
I hope you’ll listen and walk away feeling like you have a better handle how the new tax law is going to impact your agency and your personal finances.
Eric Levenhagen founded ProWise Financial Coaching (formerly known as ProWise Tax & Accounting) in 2005 Eric’s mission is to perform a comprehensive service for his clients, unlike any other firm out there, and help clients lead a life of financial abundance.
Eric is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Tax Coach who integrates both disciplines into a holistic, client-centered approach towards maximizing his clients after-tax income and wealth.
Outside of the office, Eric enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. His hobbies include reading, following college and professional football, and music. Finally, Eric is an aspiring traveler and hopes to be able to take his family many places around the world someday.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What isn’t changing with the new tax law * The big deduction changes you need to know about (both for S Corps and C Corps) * Income pass through: the specifics of the 20% deduction you will now get on income that rolls down to your personal taxes from your agency and any other businesses you may own (as long as you don’t make too much) * Why we don’t know everything about the new tax law yet (and why it will take months or years to figure everything out) * The loopholes that are going to appear in the next few years and why you need a tax strategist (and not just a tax preparer) to find you those loopholes * How the new tax law will impact agencies that make stuff for clients and those that consult and sell their knowledge as a stand alone product * How the way C Corps get taxed will help those making over $100,000 in net income but hurt those making under that threshold * Are there any things that agency owners should shift from their personal taxes back to the business? * Keeping versatility in your tax plan so you’re not stuck if and when things change again when the tax law changes again * How to get your money out of your agency to invest elsewhere under the new tax law (and why it differs for S Corps and C Corps)
Ways to contact Eric Levenhagen: * Website: www.prowisefinancial.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jeremy Knight spent 20 years as a B2B publisher creating publications for the private equity and fast growth business sectors. With digital technology, the Internet, and social web Jeremy believed making clients the publisher in a new media age was not just a good idea, it was the foundation for building a business. After all, building an audience was a better proposition than renting a list or leveraging third party routes to market, right? He launched Equinet Media in January 2009.
Discovering HubSpot in 2011 was a game changer. The blending of a content marketing play with an inbound methodology propelled the business forward as everything we did for clients had measurable outcomes. Today Equinet is an Inbound Agency, working specifically for the manufacturing and professional services sectors, operating on the EOS system and delivering services through an agile scrum process.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jeremy’s transition from publisher to agency owner and the challenges he faced in that transition * How Hubspot changed the game for Equinet -- even when it was far less powerful in 2011 than it is today * Why CMOs are going to lead revenue and why sales and marketing are two halves of the same whole * Hiring for attitude and training for aptitude instead of hiring based on skills alone * Why you need to focus on developing different skills in all your team member when you keep all the work inside your agency and never outsource anything * Why your team needs to have access to and understanding of the tools inside a tool like Hubspot, even if using them is not part of their day-to-day job * What Agile is and how its point-based system works * Learning how to implement Agile into your agency so that it matches up with inbound * Why Agile doesn’t work the same for every agency and why you need to be ready to customize it * Using Agile to figure out what works needs to be done to achieve the best results * Why Jeremy uses two sets of points within Agile -- one for the value it provides a customer and another for the effort it takes his team
Ways to contact Jeremy Knight: * Website: www.equinetmedia.com * Twitter: @TheJeremyKnight * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyknight * Email: jeremy@equinetmedia.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Lindsay Grinstead & Bill Boris-Schacter have lived and breathed the experiential marketing space collectively for over 50 years. They started Tonic Consulting Group to take that experience and help other live event agencies, and their partners, grow both their top and bottom line. Through their combined experience, they bring an operations and sales expertise to their clients.
Lindsay has worn a sales & marketing hat for her clients and her agency throughout her career. In her 15 years at Jack Morton Worldwide, she grew small accounts into huge ones and created a few award-winning programs along the way. Lindsay understands the challenges in finding and winning new business and how to organically grow business. She expertly navigated Fortune 500 companies, maximizing opportunities for revenue growth.
Every client calls Tonic looking to "grow". Lindsay & Bill help their clients identify what is hampering their growth, develop a roadmap to success and then roll up their sleeves & help implement the recommended changes.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Treating your employees as your first audience * The importance of continually refining your agency’s message * Why your agency must specialize * Why agencies struggle seeing themselves (and their problems) clearly * What happens to your agency if you take an opportunity that doesn’t fit your niche * Using working documents to continually hone your agency’s message and why you need to have your team define your agency in their own words * Why your clients need to have relationships with more than just one person inside your agency * The dangers of keeping around employees that aren’t pulling their weight (even if they’ve been incredibly loyal to your agency for a long time) * Why social media may not be the best place to get on your prospects’ radar screens * Increasing the amount of work you do for clients who already love you * Learning how to build your budgets and staff accordingly with the AOR relationships on the decline
Ways to contact Lindsay Grinstead: * Website: www.tonicconsultinggroup.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/10478278 * Email: lindsay@tonicconsultinggroup.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. For the past 23+ years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Agency ownership is challenging – be sure you maximize the benefits as well * Get real about your compensation – chart out all of the ways the agency compensates you with pre-tax dollars for things you’d spend post tax dollars on otherwise * All of our compensation isn’t monetary. You also have other amazing benefits and perks that come with owning the joint * Putting your agency at the core of your retirement plan -- even if it doesn’t sell (most don’t) * Building your wealth outside your agency while you still own it * The danger of leaving too much of your own money inside the business * Ways to invest your agency profits
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Based in Dallas, Stephanie Chung and Associates offer sales training, executive coaching, and small business mentorship services nationwide. Among her products is the High Ticket Selling Made Simple course, designed to help small business owners sell more and make more. As a former sales executive in the aviation and private jet industry, Stephanie has mastered the art of high ticket selling and has mentored, coached, and developed some of the highest paid, most elite, sales professionals in the country.
Serving business leaders, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals, Stephanie Chung uses her proven executive coaching and sales training expertise to drive your top line sales. Chung is an executive coach, trainer and advisor backed by more than 25 years of team management, business development, and sales leadership experience. Chung is also a public speaker, a contributor on ABC, CBS, NBC and author of “Profit Like a Girl: A Woman's Guide to Kicking Butt in Sales and Leadership” and “Embrace the Suck: How to Grow and Succeed in Business.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Doing sales right by caring about who you’re selling to and solving their problem * How to identify your ideal prospects and actually get in front of them * The importance of adding value beyond what you broadcast on your website * How letting people talk about themselves increases the chance of a sale * Why the agency owner is the best person to make the sale * What to do to get comfortable with sales * The five stages of sales * Making the close extremely easy by setting it up from the beginning * The importance of not being vague about when you’re going to follow up * The preemptive strike: overcoming common objections from buyers by bringing them up yourself first * Using silence as a tool when selling * Why you can’t afford to spend time chasing people around * How to get people to want to be your client
Ways to contact Betsy McLarney: * Website: www.stephaniechung.com * Book (free download): "Profit Like A Girl: A Woman's Guide to Kicking Butt in Sales and Leadership"
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
With 19 years of Outdoor Advertising experience, Betsy McLarney has planned, managed, and executed many fully integrated Out of Home (OOH) advertising campaigns throughout North America and worldwide.
Today she leads a team of experienced, dedicated strategists who help clients maximize the potential of Outdoor advertising (OOH), by complementing a robust integrated media plan. EMC Outdoor works seamlessly with their agency clients or direct with a brand’s media department to deliver pitch-perfect programs and outstanding results each and every time. Complete client satisfaction is their ultimate goal.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Out of Home (OOH) media: what is it? * How digital outdoor advertising really makes the experience come alive for consumers * Using OOH to hit consumers with messages at multiple touch points throughout their day * It’s not just for B2C: how B2B can utilize OOH to enhance their campaigns * Using street teams effectively to get your message out to live people * Why OOH isn’t just for national brands and can be used effectively for even local campaigns * Matching the budget to where the OOH campaign can be the most effective * Can OOH still be the main means of advertising? * How OOH makes digital advertising more effective * Creating buzz by finding creative ways to place ads outdoors * Why outdoors isn’t the place to tell a big story
Ways to contact Betsy McLarney: * Website: www.emcoutdoor.com * Email: bjm@emcoutdoor.com
Resources: * Outdoor Advertising Association of America: oaaa.org
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Ryan O'Donnell is a midwest kid who moved to NYC after college and landed a job on Wall Street making 500 calls a day. He hated it, followed a passion for tech, and ended up joining a company early that eventually sold to Yahoo for $850M. He grew a business unit from $0 - $20M and left Yahoo to startup.
Fast forward 3 meandering years trying to generate sales and Ryan decided to build a product to speed up the time to revenue for any business selling a product or service B2B called Sellhack. He’s successfully running this company today, helping his clients get in front of the right prospects faster and with a better close rate than they’d been doing on their own. He’s a father of 3, husband, and hobbyist prepper, and he’s in relentless pursuit of scratch golf.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why sales is all about automation and efficiency * Using data to take the guesswork out of the prospect search * Crafting compelling emails to prospects based on what you know about their competition (that you already work with) * Figuring out how many prospects you need to capture every week at the top of your sales funnel in order to get the number of new leads you need at the bottom of the funnel * SellHack’s algorithm for verifying the email address of a person who you might just know their name and company * Replyify: a tool specifically devised for sending out cold email campaigns and building a sales process to contact prospects in other ways * Strategies for crafting an email that works for cold selling B2B products and services * How and when to ask to schedule time with a prospect * Tiering your offerings and basing communication with prospects based on the tier * Using the ideas from this podcast not only inside your agency, but also with your clients
Ways to contact Ryan O'Donnell: * Email: ryan@sellhack.com (email Ryan for the special offers)
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Sam Mallikarjunan is a Marketing Fellow at HubSpot and former Head of Growth at HubSpot Labs, the somewhat-secret experimental arm of the world’s #1 Sales & Marketing platform. Sam teaches Advanced Digital Marketing at the Harvard Division of Continuing Education, and he is also the co-author of the book How To Sell Better Than Amazon (which, thanks to the publisher, is ironically available for purchase on Amazon).
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The way the internet has changed selling so that there’s almost too much information * How salespeople can help consumers sift through the breadth of information out there * Structuring sales calls so they’re all about asking the buyers questions about their business * The power of inbound: competition where no one else is competing * Learning to say no to bad revenue * Why you need to build buyer personas -- both for your ideal customers and customers that you don’t want to do business with because they’re going to cost you money * Why clients need agencies to teach them what to do -- not how to do it * Getting involved with your client’s complete business -- including the sales side of their business * How to get your clients to treat your agency like a partner instead of a vendor
Ways to contact Sam Mallikarjunan: * Website: www.mallikarjunan.com * Twitter: @Mallikarjunan * Website: thinkgrowth.org
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. For the past 23+ years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why all agencies weren’t made to grow to the same size (and why that’s okay) * Why agency owners have to work extremely hard when they’re at 0-5 employees and why all the employees in an agency that size have to wear multiple hats * The bench strength problem for agencies with 5-12 employees and why there might only be one employee with a certain skill and no one to back them up * Why the systems in processes must change for an agency once it hits 12 employees * The change around 15 employees that takes an agency from being a family to being a team * The decision-making process: why decisions are made collectively before agencies reach 12 employees and why agency owners need to take more autonomy at times as the agency grows * Why around 35 employees is a great size for agencies in terms of cash flow (and why a gorilla client can be very dangerous at this point) * Bigger, better clients and bigger, better employees: why 35-65 employees is the point where agencies “level up” * Why bigger doesn’t equal more profitable for agencies anymore
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Joe Pulizzi is the founder of Content Marketing Institute which is now a UBM company. It is the leading education and training organization for content marketing, which includes the largest in-person content marketing event in the world, Content Marketing World. Joe is the winner of the 2014 John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Content Council. Joe’s fifth book “Killing Marketing” was just released. His third book, “Epic Content Marketing” was named one of “Five Must-Read Business Books of 2013” by Fortune Magazine.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The evolution of content marketing * Focusing on your core verticals to help clients out with some part of the process that they’re terrible at * How agencies can help clients build an audience of people that knows, likes, and trusts them and how that has a large impact over time * Why elevating someone to the status of an expert with content marketing is a long-term process * Focusing on clients that already value and have a budget for content marketing * How delivering value to prospects on a long-term basis will all you to do business with them without going through an RFP * How getting your audience to know, like, and trust you with content marketing will allow you to sell easily * Some of the many different ways to monetize your customer list * Changing the defined idea of marketing to match consumer behavior * Why you can’t be everything to everybody and need to focus on a niche * Why your sliver of opportunity to get started in on a niche is right now
Ways to contact Joe Pulizzi: * Twitter: @joepulizzi * Website: www.joepulizzi.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Steve Boehler is a founding partner at Mercer Island Group - a strategic management and marketing consultancy. The company has three key practice areas: strategic business consulting, organization effectiveness, and client-agency relationships. They help companies and executives succeed. One of the ways they do that is by helping them better position themselves and sell more effectively by better bonding with prospects around the prospects' needs. They work with agencies of all sizes and types as well as consult to major clients in the US and across the globe like Microsoft, Ulta Beauty, PetSmart, Starbucks and many other fine firms.
Steve started his career at Procter & Gamble - in his decade there he was the second youngest brand manager in that venerable company's history, turned around the Pringle's business, led Jif Peanut Butter to market leadership, and turned around the Tide business.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why clients likely don’t know about your agency and why you have to make yourself findable * The importance of consistency with content creation * Making your pitch unique so that it stands out from other agencies (and why agencies struggle with this so much) * Selling and pitching: why it’s all about the prospect and their business and not about you * The importance of doing your homework and actually bringing that homework into your presentation * What to ask every client person in a pitch meeting to get them all involved * Why you need to get prospects to agree to an agenda for a pitch meeting * How getting prospects to define a problem helps to get them to buy into your solution * Why you need to limit how you introduce your agency in a pitch to five slides (and what should be on those slides) * What to leave with a prospect after the pitch * Why you have to pitch to win
Ways to contact Steve Boehler: * Email: steveb@migroup.com * Website: www.migroup.com * Phone: (206) 236-0447
Resources: * Layers of Sales episode
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Luke Summerfield wakes up each morning excited to discover, experience, and share moments of inspirations. He does this at HubSpot, advising startups, writing, and speaking.
He founded the Growth-Driven Design movement which is transforming the world of web design. In the first twelve months, they grew from 0 -> 940 agencies in 50 countries offering GDD services to clients. Previous to HubSpot, Luke helped grow a digital marketing agency until it was acquired in 2014.
Outside of work, he trains Mixed Martial Arts / Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and rough houses with his pug puppy, Mac.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Growth-driven design: what this “smarter way to do web design” is all about * Why the platform you use for your website doesn’t matter with growth-driven design * How growth-driven design was born out of the pain both agencies and clients felt around web development and why this system is so much better than previous ways of doing web dev * Step 1: getting an empathetic understanding of your client’s audience’s world * Step 2: building a “launch pad” website -- something that looks and performs better than what the client already has but is not the final product * Step 3: continually improving websites * How to sell and price growth-driven design to clients * Why you should always sell at least 15 hours a month of growth-driven design and why you need at least a six month engagement from a client * The stats that prove that growth-driven design gets more leads than traditional design * Why growth-driven design still works great when you outsource the coding piece of web design * All the assets Luke has on his website
Ways to contact Luke Summerfield: * Website: www.growthdrivendesign.com * Report: www.growthdrivendesign.com/report * Directory: www.growthdrivendesign.com/directory * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lukesummerfield
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Gerald Sexton is Director of Employee Enablement at Goodway Group.
Gerald joined Goodway in early 2016 and brings significant experience in leveraging human resources to improve business performance and employee experience. Throughout his career, he has worked in the consulting, medical, aerospace and defense, and satellite-entertainment industries. His most recent position as Senior Human Resources (HR) Manager for DIRECTV’s premier customer-retention center in Boise, Idaho, allowed him to demonstrate just how much impact a strong HR partnership can have. Using an integrated approach with site leadership, Gerald helped the site reduce attrition by 7 percent, creating three million in cost savings.
He holds a BS in psychology and an MA in organizational psychology. His fascination with solving complex problems in organizations led him to a career in HR with a strong emphasis on talent and organizational development.
Gerald has a passion for cooking and enjoys traveling (and eating food from) all over the world. He lives in Boise with his wife, Robyn, and daughter, Rowan.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The history of Goodway Group * How Goodway succeeds with a virtual company with employees in 41 states * The best tools for managing a virtual company * What Gerald looks for in the hiring process to figure out if someone is suited for the hiring process or not * Why Goodway looks at their team members results -- not their hours working * How to build and maintain a strong company culture when running a virtual team * Goodway’s twice-yearly all company meet-up * The costs involved in a virtual team * The benefits of working from home -- both on personal and business life * Giving your team the freedom to plan out their day in a way that works best for them * Why leaders of virtual teams need to be great at giving feedback and being transparent * Why -- if you’re not comfortable going all virtual -- you should start small -- but not too small -- and build from there * Benefits Goodway offers their employees that they couldn’t offer if they had a physical location * How to get started trying going virtual
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 23 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why the days where creative led agencies have passed and why creative has been replaced by strategy, content, and lead gen * The shortage of writers compared to the abundance of art directors and why that’s a pretty big issue for agencies * Why creative directors aren’t in that high of demand anymore, and what traditional creative directors look like in the agencies that have them * Administrative, account service, and creative services: the three departments that make up most agencies today * The triad of leadership - a writer, art director, and digital producer lead the creative services department in lieu of a creative director * Why you don’t usually even need to produce spec creative for a pitch anymore * Figuring out which roles inside your agency you still need * Allocating funds from cut positions elsewhere to serve your clients better
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Ryan Meo has worked with hundreds of agencies and built thousands of websites over the years. About 10 years ago he started a company called Sitetology which turned into TheWebsiteProject.org and has been recently re-branded to ScaleSquad.com. They are a private label website services outsource solution for freelancers, small agencies, and even big agencies. They have helped more agencies than they can count go from trying to do everything on their own, to having a dependable, scalable, and affordable solution.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Ryan started selling websites — even though he didn’t know how to build them * Taking a custom service like web design and making it scalable * Why you have to prevent scope creep by being firm with clients on what their deliverables are (or by moving them up to a higher package) * How Ryan is able to charge a low, flat rate for his websites and why he puts a lot of focus on what isn’t included in those packages * Why you shouldn’t turn away customers who can’t afford your bespoke services * Why agencies make a big mistake by talking too much in the initial call with a prospect * Building a strong relationship with an outsourced web-dev shop like Ryan’s * Why your project manager makes or breaks your agency * The importance of over-communication * How to mitigate unrealistic expectations * What the ideal agency looks like for Ryan
The Golden Nugget: “The only way to scale a service-based business is by learning how to say ‘no’ appropriately.” – Ryan MeoCLICK TO TWEET
Ways to contact Ryan: * Website: scalesquad.com * Email: ryan@scalesquad.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
John Hall is co-founder and CEO of Influence & Co., a content marketing agency that helps companies and individuals extract and leverage their expertise to create, publish, and distribute content to their key audiences.
In five years, John has grown Influence & Co. into one of the largest providers of high-quality expert content to more than 1,000 of the world’s top publications. Under John’s leadership, Influence & Co. was ranked No. 72 on Forbes’ “Most Promising Companies in America” list in 2014 and was named Empact’s “Best Marketing and Advertising Company of 2014” at the United Nations. Influence & Co. was also recently mentioned in Inc. as the No. 1 company dominating content marketing.
John has weekly columns for Forbes and Inc. and has contributed to more than 50 publications, including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, The Washington Post, and Mashable. John was recently recognized as a “must-see” and one of the most authentic speakers in Forbes. His talks have inspired thousands of leaders, marketers, salespeople, entrepreneurs, and others to improve their performance.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Thought leadership: why it’s something you have to do * Creating a thought leadership content marketing blueprint * Why your blogs should have the author’s name for a byline -- not the agency’s name * Strategies for creating content that isn’t generic * How to build thought leadership into your schedule so that you actually spend time on it -- and what to do if you can’t * Finding the ideal mix for publishing content on your own site vs. externally * Big mistakes agencies make with their content * Why thought leadership content marketing is here for the long haul
Ways to contact John: * Email: john@influenceandco.com * Twitter: @johnhall * Website: www.influenceandco.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnhall4 * Book: “Top of Mind: Use Content to Unleash Your Influence and Engage Those Who Matter To You”
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Mark Winters’ passion is helping entrepreneurs get unstuck so they can pursue their freedom. Depending on the unique situation, Mark’s talent for introducing just the right combination of perspective and process sparks teams to start moving, move faster, or begin moving in the proper direction - with clarity. As a teacher, coach, and facilitator, Mark spends most of his time directly engaged with entrepreneurial leadership teams as a Certified EOS Implementer—helping them implement EOS in their own companies. He's delivered over 400 full-day EOS workshops with companies from around the U.S.
Mark has been an entrepreneur since the age of 28, after catching the “bug” during B-school at the University of Chicago. At last count, he's started/bought/sold/shut down 11 different companies. One recent venture, as a Founder and CEO, had a very successful exit – yielding a 100x cash return in less than 3 yrs. All this activity has led to some recognition, including being named a Tech Titan finalist as an emerging company CEO, and listed as “40 Under Forty” by the Business Journal in both Milwaukee and Dallas. Mark is a "Freedom Forum" member as an EOS Implementer. He was also awarded Rookie of the Year and Chair Excellence distinctions by Vistage International.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The “visionary” and the “integrator” from “Rocket Fuel” by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters * How visionaries and integrators can build trust so that integrators can take control of what visionaries create * What business owners need to do when they are an integrator and they need a visionary (most owners are visionaries) * If you are a visionary, how to determine if you have an integrator on your team and what to do if you don’t * The seven-step visionary integrator connection process for finding the right integrator * How to know if you’re going to be able to sell your agency to your integrator or not (and what your exit plan can look like in both scenarios) * Things that make visionary-integrator relationships fall apart * The five rules and five tools for visionaries and integrators * Assessing whether you need an integrator * Why you need to read “Rocket Fuel” * The Rocket Fuel Maximizer for getting more out of this topic
Ways to contact Mark Winters: * Website: www.rocketfuelnow.com * Twitter: @MarkCWinters * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/markcwinters * YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/PelotonVentures
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
John Rossman is Managing Director at Alvarez and Marsal, a keynote speaker, and an author. John is an expert at crafting and assisting clients to implement innovative and digital business models and capabilities including Internet of Things, marketplaces, and API driven platform business models. He is a sought after speaker on creating a culture of operational excellence and innovation. John has worked with clients across various industries, including retail, insurance, education, forest products, industrial products, and transportation.
John’s notable assignments include The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft, Nordstrom. and several of the world’s leading retail and insurance organizations. Prior to A&M, John was an executive at Amazon.com where he launched the third party selling platform and ran the merchant services business.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you need to get really clear on what your future looks like * John’s favorite Amazon leadership principles * Why you need to be proactive and take action * The importance of prioritizing getting to the right answer over getting along * Structuring interviews so you find the employees that are actually willing to grow and improve * Amazon’s “think big” and why it’s all about experimentation * John’s best hiring practices like getting independent opinions before making a hire * Strategies for breaking something down to its simplest form * How to get your employees to take ownership in your business * How to communicate principles in a way that everyone understands they’re the standard * How John helps companies figure out their principles * The impact having clear principles has on a business
Ways to contact John Rossman: * Website: the-amazon-way.com/build
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Two types of agencies: “Artisan bakery agencies” (every project they produce is custom made for a client) and “Wonder Bread factory agencies” (where they follow systems and processes to produce the same limited set of things for every client) * Why clients often work with both of these kinds of agencies, sometimes even at the same time * Misconceptions owners of both kinds of agencies have about each other * Assessing what type of agency you own (and why it may fall in the middle of these two types) * Some of the pros of running an “Artisan bakery agency”: you can hire millennials, you can be a partner for your clients, and the prestige that comes with the work * Some of the pros of running a “Wonder Bread factory agency”: you have a lot of clients and losing one won’t kill you, cheaper employees, the agency is easier to sell, and clients are easier to obtain * Why “Artisan bakery agencies” still need to specialize and focus on their niche * Aligning your goals with the kind of agency that helps you fill those goals
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
David J.P. Fisher (D. Fish) is a speaker, coach, and best-selling author of 7 books including the best-selling “Hyper-Connected Selling: Winning More Business by Leveraging Digital Influence and Creating Human Connection” and “Networking in the 21st Century: Why Your Network Sucks and What to Do About It.” Building on 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and sales professional, he combines nuanced strategy and real-world tactics to help professionals become more effective, efficient, and happy. He helps them understand the new landscape of Hyper-Connected Selling, where social media, networking, and old-school sales and communication skills are the key to providing value and staying relevant. He lives in Evanston, IL – next to a huge cemetery which helps him appreciate the value of every day.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you can’t rely on referrals for new business * Networking: why it’s relational -- not transactional * How to build your network so it's stronger and serves your business better * Why size matters in your network -- and why not every connection has to be a strong one * Leveraging the social capital you create and making the ask at a time where you don’t come off as desperate * How to build and nurture relationships * Why young professionals really need to work on building their network * The power of the one-on-one and taking the opportunity to build deep relationships with people * Making sure social media is actually in service of your network building * Why the way we sell has to change in response to the change in the way people buy * How to sell by being the expert and guiding people through the information they already have * Using thought leadership to position yourself to be the one people turn to for help * Why you should aim to be a micro-influencer for a specific niche instead of trying to influence a broad topic (like marketing, PR, digital, etc.)
Ways to contact David Fisher: * Website: davidjpfisher.com * Twitter: @dfishrockstar * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/iamdfish * Books: www.amazon.com/David-J.P.-Fisher/e/B00SF5CXQQ/
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Robin Boehler is a co-founder of Mercer Island Group, a boutique Marketing and Management Consultancy, a pre-eminent agency search consultant to clients and growth advisors to agencies of all sizes in the world. She loves making matches between agencies and clients. She thinks of the review process as a form of dating and loves helping agencies put their best feet forward.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Getting the agency-client relationship right from the very beginning * Why truly differentiating your agency is so crucial * The importance of doing your research on a prospect before ever speaking to them and how to do it well * Why you should never start out a pitch talking about your agency (and when is the right time to do so) * Why networking is the best way to get the opportunity to have quality conversations with prospects * How to spark curiosity in communication to prospects * Robin’s strategy for reaching out to connections that you haven’t spoken to in a while * Why you shouldn’t hold back a really smart question just because you don’t want a competing agency to hear it * Why each conversation you have with a prospect is the only one that matters * Why you must show true interest in a prospect’s business and then learn from what the prospect tells you
Ways to contact Robin Boehler: * Website: www.migroup.com * Phone: (206)236-0447
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Rob Walch was inducted into the Podcasting Hall of Fame in 2016. Rob is the Vice President of Podcaster Relations for Libsyn (LSYN) having joined Libsyn in 2007. Prior to joining Libsyn, he founded podCast411, Inc in 2004. Rob is Co-Author of the book “Tricks of the Podcasting Masters” in 2006, an editors pick as a Top 10 Reference book for 2006 by Amazon.com. Rob was listed as the 5th most influential person in podcasting according to the book “Podcasting for Dummies” Wiley Press 2005. He has consulted on podcasting for Jack Welch, Senator Edwards, Governor Bill Richardson, Noah Shanok (Stitcher), Tim Ferriss, Dr. Mark Hyman, and the Sacramento Kings/Monarchs to name just a few. He is also a monthly columnist for Podertainment: The Podcast Magazine. Rob is a member of the IAB Podcasting Working groups.
Rob started podcasting in 2004, and is the host of the award-winning podCast411 podcast, where he has interviewed such prominent podcasters as Quincy Jones, Walt Mossberg, Colin Ferguson (Eureka), Ronald Moore (Executive Producer of Battlestar Galactica), Phil Gordon (World Series of Poker), Larry Kudlow (CNBCs Kudlow and Company), and Leo Laporte (TechTV, G4 TV). Additionally, Rob is host of Today in iOS (iPhone) Podcast, the first and largest podcast about the iPhone and also the KC Startup 411 podcast which covers the Kansas City Startup scene.
Since 2004 Rob has presented at well over 100 events about podcasting.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Rob moved podcasting from his hobby to his career * The biggest and most important trends in podcasting * Why you should record a couple podcasts before you release your first one -- but not so many that you never release one * The importance of having a way for your podcast listeners to contact you * Editing: an absolute must when it comes to podcasting * How many downloads the average podcast gets and how many downloads you need to make money * Different ways to monetize your podcast * How often to release an episode * Why you should never release an episode if it’s not ready * How to find great guests * Why you should edit out when a guest goes into full sales mode * The things you must do for your guests as a host * Why you shouldn’t ask the same questions to every guest * The mistake podcasters make when they feel indebted to their guests instead of their audience * How to start being a guest on podcasts you like * Why your podcast has to be about what you’re interested in regardless of whether that is popular or not * Why podcasts are much better than blogs
Ways to contact Rob Walch: * Email: rob@libsyn.com * Website: www.podcast411.com * Website: www.libsyn.com * Book: "Tricks of the Podcasting Masters"
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Justin Christianson is a 15-year digital marketing veteran and #1 bestselling author of “Conversion Fanatic: How to double your customers, sales and profits with A/B testing.” He is also the co-founder and President of Conversion Fanatics, a full-service conversion optimization company, and the host of the weekly podcast CMO Roundtable.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Conversion Fanatics was born * Why you have to track and learn why people do what they do * The basics of conversions * Big mistakes people make when attempting to get people to convert * How to start testing for conversions * How to get your clients to actually do case studies * Some of the most surprising things Justin has learned from conversion testing * What makes an employee good for conversion work * Why split (A/B) testing and conversion optimization are two very different things * Why you must approach working with other agencies for a client with no ego * VR and video: why these two technologies are only going to grow in the future * How Justin stays on the cutting edge * How to pick the clients that are right for your agency
Ways to contact Justin Christianson: * Website: conversionfanatics.com * Book: "Conversion Fanatic" * Podcast: blog.conversionfanatics.com/podcast
Resources: * Meclabs Institute * Conversion XL
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Reasons to build a leadership team * Why you should never start a leadership team out of frustration or overwhelm * Why your leadership team is a great place to mentor employees ready for the next level * How building a leadership team fits into your succession plan * What kinds of employees should be on your leadership team (and why you shouldn’t just look at employees with certain titles) * The huge decisions that you as the agency owner have to make before having your first leadership team meeting * What leadership team meetings should accomplish * Why every leadership team member needs to leave the meeting with a goal to accomplish before the next meeting * How to decide when to include your leadership team in the decision-making (and the three levels of decision-making you can use) * Why you need to have SMART goals for your leadership team
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Gene Hammett turns everyday entrepreneurs into FORCES of nature in their market. He sorts through the complexities of business strategies to help you “be THE choice, not just a choice.”
Gene has been a business leader for 20+ years. He started and ran multiple million dollar companies. He succeeded, failed, reinvented himself, and succeeded again. He can pass along to you the key lessons he’s learned in the process so you can have a business that is both successful and fulfilling.
On his podcast, Leaders in the Trenches, Gene has interviewed hundreds of world thought leaders and best-selling New York Times authors. Gene has been featured in Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, and INC Magazine. Gene is also a regular contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine.
In all of his keynotes, Gene uses personal stories and humor to clarify key points. This message is a unique approach to how stepping out of your comfort zone, thinking differently, and innovating can lead to increased market share and trusted authority status. Gene always gives powerful strategies to be implemented right away to create immediate results.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Gene became a coach after losing 3 million dollars * The real reasons you should be speaking (it’s not a speaker’s fee) * Why you shouldn’t shy away from the “breakout” sessions at conferences as a speaker * The opportunity for diverse speakers * Why being a generalist is dangerous for speakers * Why great content rules over speaking skills * Giving attendees permission to come and find you instead of trying to sell from the stage * Why you need to build relationships before filling out the speaker submission form * How to figure out what to speak about * Getting on the radar of the conferences by you want to speak at through writing * Gene’s 5-day “authority gap” challenge
Ways to Contact Gene Hammett: * The “Authority Gap” challenge: leadersinthetrenches.com/challenge * Free researched list of conferences and guide typically only available for Gene’s clients: leadersinthetrenches.com/ami
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Not only does Lisa believe in enduring partnerships that matter, but she actively participates in creating them. Having consulted on and managed agency reviews including Lee Jeans, Panera Bread, and Subaru - just to name three of the reviews AAR has conducted for clients in virtually every major industry - Lisa tackles and solves the most vexing agency search challenges and has enabled hundreds of marketers to meet and/or exceed their business goals. Described as an agency search consultant whose unique perspective is highly valued, Lisa counsels both marketers and communications agencies on their business and branding efforts.
In addition to her role as a consultant, she has created a new business service center for agencies by co-founding Access Confidential in 2005. The comprehensive new business research tool has become the go-to resource helping communications agencies to prospect smart and avoid the pitch!
Lisa also works with the academic world including Wharton's Future of Advertising Program, as well as teaching as an adjunct advertising professor at NYIT. Many of her articles on the subject of client/agency relations have been printed in industry trades such as Forbes, Huffington Post, Advertising Age, Adweek, and HubSpot Blogs Agency Post. Lisa is also part of the industry speaking circuit presenting at national conferences including AAF, HOW Design Live, Mirren, and Ad Age Small Agency Conference.
Lisa recently wrote the book "@AARLlisa: New Biz in 140 Characters (or less)."
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The simple mistakes agencies make in the new business search process * Why complacency is a big problem for agencies * The importance of continuing to court your current clients * Why chemistry is so vital in an agency-client relationship * Prospecting smarter with Lisa’s Four T’s * Building relationships by teaching * Why you need to know what your agency is -- and isn’t -- good at * What to do when executives change (both on client and agency sides) * Finding project work for your agency (and growing that into a larger relationship) * The danger of coming off as desperate to leads * Why you need at least one person whose job is new business * The importance of an integrated new business plan
Ways to Contact Lisa Colantuono: * Email: lisa@aarpartners.com or l2@aarpartners.com * Book: "@AARLlisa: New Biz in 140 Characters (or less)"
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
John Heenan is a former Chief Marketing Officer / New Business Leader at a variety of small and mid-size agencies responsible for business development and agency marketing. Before that, he worked on the client side managing advertising and agencies for big global brands like Sony, Phillips, and Uniden.
He has created and managed successful business development programs for small, medium, and large agencies generating millions of dollars in agency revenue. He has managed multi-million dollar ad budgets as a client, hired talent, built competitive advantage, and inspired great outcomes in support of business objectives.
John has also worked with some of the top innovative brands and aggressive advertising agencies in the world in both traditional and digital channels. Having been on both sides of the client-agency relationship, he has a unique understanding of what clients want and what agencies deliver. Today he is putting that experience to work for a small group of agencies who struggle to grow.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The experiences John had on the client side that led him to working on matching up agencies and clients * Why cohesive culture throughout the agency matters for clients * Why you must treat your agency as your #1 client * Crafting the first impression that leads will have of your agency * The importance of getting crystal clear on what your agency is selling * Director of Delivery: an important role inside modern agencies to make sure agencies deliver to clients * Why agency owners need to get out of the day-to-day and focus on new business * What John does differently to help agencies with new business * Why your agency needs to be rapidly changing
Ways to Contact John Heenan: * Website: www.jheenan.com * Email: john@jheenan.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
C.C. Chapman describes himself as a New England raised storyteller, explorer, and humanitarian. Others have described him as a thought leader in the online marketing space, a grounded futurist and one the nicest guy on the Internet. Over the years of his career, he has worked with a variety of clients including Nike, HBO, American Eagle Outfitters, ONE, Verizon FiOS, and The Coca-Cola Company.
He is the co-author of the International bestseller “Content Rules” and is also the author of “Amazing Things Will Happen.” He travels the world speaking in front of audiences to do more in the world and how to understand content marketing better. C.C. has taught classes for Lynda.com, CreativeLive and now as an adjunct professor at Bentley University (where he also graduated from).
C.C. is an advocate who speaks about building passionate communities and the strategic values of content-based marketing. He is a Samsung Imagelogger, the original ONE Dad and a UN Foundation Social Good Fellow. As a storyteller for hire, his work has appeared on the pages of Rolling Stone and The Wall Street Journal.
C.C. serves as the Chairman of the Board at Wediko and serves on the board of The Hockey Foundation. He happily lives in the woods outside of Boston with his loving family.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Social Good: giving your employees an opportunity to make a difference * How to pick the right cause for your agency to support * Don’t be too humble: why you need to talk about the non-profit work that you do * The International bestseller “Content Rules” C.C. co-authored * Speak Human: the most violated rule from “Content Rules” * Differentiation: what makes your agency different? * Creating content that plays to your strengths * Why you can’t afford not to have content for yourself (and how to get it produced if you honestly don’t have the time to do it personally) * Building trust by giving away at least pieces of what you do * How to make your content stand out from all the other content out there * Connecting your offline life with your digital presence * Doing a regular social media audit to make sure your content is presenting your agency the way you want to be presented
Ways to Contact C.C. Chapman: * Website: www.cc-chapman.com * Twitter: @cc_chapman * Book: "Content Rules"
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Augmented reality and virtual reality: what you need to know about this technology that is coming fast * Influencer marketing: connecting your client’s brand with their audience through social influencers who have built an audience around a specific topic * Ratings & Reviews: How agencies can turn a profit by solving this problem for existing clients (and how to use it as a door-opener for prospects) * Why agencies are developing relationships with more people inside companies than just CMOs * Why you need to play nice with the other agencies that you share a client with * If you’re not being offered exclusivity, do you need to offer it in return? * Selling what you know and what you think instead of “stuff” * ROI: why it’s not an optional conversation * Why you need to be transparent on your fees * Bragworthy benefits like a student loan repayment program
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Simon Thompson is the founder of Content Kite, a content marketing company that helps digital agencies increase their quality and number of leads through content marketing.
Simon has held content marketing roles for some of the largest digital publishers in Australia such as Mi9 (Microsoft + Ch9), Daily Mail, and MTV. He’s worked on content projects for major global brands such as L'Oreal, Nissan, BMW, Adidas, Disney, and Mondelez, to name a few.
Whilst he was in a good place in his publisher roles in Australia, the entrepreneurial bug eventually took hold, and he decided to go out on his own and start Content Kite. He now runs Content Kite full-time and hasn't looked back.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Keeping your content interesting and on topic for the problems your customers need solving * Focusing all your content so it moves toward the same goal * Optimizing your content to collect email addresses and then regularly engaging with those people * How to effectively repurpose content across multiple mediums * The frequency which you must create content * Why you need to spend as much time promoting a piece of content as you do creating it * Influencer outreach: how to actually get people to share your content by positioning them as authorities * Tools for mapping out your editorial calendar * Why you must share a piece of content more than once * How Content Kite works with agencies to create amazing content
Ways to Contact Simon Thompson: * Free 7 Day Email Course: contentkite.com/baba
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Alex Berman is the founder and SVP of Operations of a marketing and lead generation firm Experiment27. Alex is responsible for generating over $2.5 million in B2B sales and over $50 million in leads for his clients. He also creates weekly videos to help agency owners grow their businesses and bring in more revenue teaching them how to optimize B2B sales cycles and put inbound marketing strategies in place.
Alex was also Chief Marketing Sumo at InspireBeats, a company valued at over $100 million, former Director of Marketing at three time INC 5000 company Dom & Tom. He is also a network video partner for Entrepreneur Magazine.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The massive opportunity outbound marketing provides for agencies * How to know if your marketing strategy is the right marketing strategy * What to measure with your tracking software to make sure your leads are working * The best channels for capturing leads * Tailoring cold calls to the target * Why cold emails need to be short and to the point * Partnering with other agencies to take on overflow work/give away your overflow work * How to capture leads at meetups/in-person events * Making yourself memorable by connecting people * How to do the follow-up right (it differs if you’ve actually met them or not) * Why you need to set a KPI
Ways to Contact Alex Berman: * Email: alex@experiment27.com * Website: experiment27.com * YouTube: b2bsalestraining.org
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Craig Barnes consults with owners of small to midsize advertising agencies to improve their people, processes and profitably. It’s the sum of a lot of experiences across 30+ years of owning and operating an advertising agency.
He learned early on that operating an agency was both rewarding and challenging and benefitted from seeking the counsel of others to help guide a path to growing his three-location agency.
As a 15+ year member of an AMI owner network group, Craig has fully lived AMI’s mission “to help agency owners increase their AGI, attract better clients and employees, mitigate the risks of being self employed in a such volatile business and best of all — let the agency owner actually enjoy the perks of owning the joint.”
While still involved with his agency, Craig now spends the majority of his time working with owners who seek AMI’s assistance to achieve their goals.
He has a passion for a hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves approach to analyzing issues and developing actionable solutions.
An amateur chef, Craig enjoys cooking for family and friends and has a not so secret desire to spend part of the year in Italy. He’ll also gladly share recipes with you.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The key executives (#1s) group Craig facilitates for AMI * What makes key executives so valuable * Integrators: the employees that don’t want to be owners and just want to pull the levers * How we as agency owners make life hard for integrators by not letting go of control * Having an empowerment agreement with your #1s for setting expectations for who gets to control what * Setting regular meetings with your key executive that you do not break * How agency owners can know whether or not they’re ready for a #1 to take things over * Traits that make for a great key executive * How to compensate your #1s * The impact key executives are having on agencies by committing to goals
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Dave Currie is the CEO of List Partners Inc., the home of: Winmo, Localead, and Catapult. He is a leading entrepreneur in sales intelligence and lead generation for the advertising, media and tech industry. Having joined List Partners Inc., in 2005 when he was 26, he has led the company and its brands on a rapid growth path, one recognized by their customers and the industry at large as one of the leading and fastest growing private companies in America.
Best known as the agency new business implementation go-to-guy, Dave has lead proactive and organic business development programs for regional, national and global agencies for the past 16 years. When you commit to growing your agency, Dave and his team are one of the very first ports of call.
Dave collaborates with agencies, their owners, leadership teams and new business directors, helping them calibrate their agency to market, and most importantly implementing effective new business programs that produce the desired sales results.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How the List has evolved over the years and what they do today to help agencies grow through * their three brands Winmo, Localead, and Catapult * The biggest mistake agencies make in their business development efforts: not having a plan * List’s CMO tenure study * How successful CMOs keep agency relationships longer than their less successful counterparts * Why agency-client relationships moving away from AOR engagements is a great opportunity for agencies * Separating marketing and sales and giving them their own plans * Building sales plans for both growing business with existing customers and bringing in new customers * How small agencies can win huge projects * Why being the one to implement shouldn’t be the goal of your first conversation with a marketer * Why you must keep your nano list -- your list for sales -- to 25-30
Ways to Contact Dave Currie: * Email: davec@thelistinc.com * Twitter: @NewBizDingo * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/davecurrielpi * The List: www.thelistinc.com * Winmo: www.winmo.com * Localead: www.localead.com * Catapult: www.catapultnewbusiness.com
Resources: * CMO Tenure Study Report
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why agency owners are confident again and why new business is easier to come by right now * The trend where talent inside agencies has become a scarce resource * What to do about having to hire underskilled employees * The challenge of providing clients with the right data * Having an answer when clients ask agencies about diversity * Opportunities for agencies with old school media * Why you have to be great at marketing automation
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
Tim Sanders is a veteran sales, marketing, and HR leader with expertise in sales collaboration, relationship management, leadership, and customer experience design. For almost 20 years, Tim Sanders has closed deals and led B2B sales teams to victory using his Dealstorming methodology. He was an early member of Mark Cuban's broadcast.com and then later, CSO at Yahoo during their best days. Today he consults with leading companies on how to drain their pipeline, secure major accounts, and beat the competition with teamwork. Financial Times calls his latest book, “Dealstorming: The Secret Weapon That Can Solve Your Toughest Sales Challenges” a 'force multiplier.' He gives some unconventional insights that just may get you to the finish line on your next big selling opportunity.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Tim’s start in sales working for a radio station * Dealstorming: how Tim took dealmaking and brainstorming and put them together * The difference between collaboration and cooperation * How to strategically build your dealstorm team * Turning your peer group into “competimates” that you can collaborate with to make each other stronger * Why you absolutely need diverse perspectives in the room (and why you should have an external voice on your dealstorm team) * The secrets to making your dealstorm meeting a magic meeting with results * New business through rapid problem solving * The hacker, the chef, and the artist: the three personas for solving different problems * How leaders lead culture
Ways to Contact Tim Sanders: * Website: timsanders.com * Free chapter of “Dealstorming”: dealstorming.net/free
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
For several years Jake owned a video production agency. His business partner was the brilliant technician and he was the guy who got the agency the work. Jake landed multiple Fortune 500 clients and A-List touring artists by running a dream client campaign.
After leaving the video agency, Jake went out and worked as a digital marketing and web consultant for several years and eventually realized that he was much better at getting the work than he was doing it. At that point, Jake started pairing with other agencies to help them win more clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you need to look at new business as an art form * How to get started getting better at new business * How to make the most of your time at conferences as it relates to new business * How to effectively follow up with contacts you make at conferences * How to stay top of mind with people who aren’t ready to buy now * Why your prospect list can’t be too big and why you need to stay very personal with them * Why strategic partnerships have gotten even more important as agencies become specialists * Why you need to carve out at least an hour a day for working on new business (and why it’s a good idea to do it away from the office) * Why you need to figure out what your actionable objectives are and then break them down * How to get referrals that are exact fits for the kinds of clients you want
Ways to Contact Jake Jorgovan: * Website: Jake-Jorgovan.com * Upcoming book: WinYourDreamClients.com
Resources: * Blog: How to 10x the results from the next conference you attend by Jake Jorgovan
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
John Hall is co-founder and CEO of Influence & Co., a content marketing agency that helps companies and individuals extract and leverage their expertise to create, publish, and distribute content to their key audiences.
In five years, John has grown Influence & Co. into one of the largest providers of high-quality expert content to more than 1,000 of the world’s top publications. Under John’s leadership, Influence & Co. was ranked No. 72 on Forbes’ “Most Promising Companies in America” list in 2014 and was named Empact’s “Best Marketing and Advertising Company of 2014” at the United Nations. Influence & Co. was also recently mentioned in Inc. as the No. 1 company dominating content marketing.
John has weekly columns for Forbes and Inc. and has contributed to more than 50 publications, including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, The Washington Post, and Mashable. John was recently recognized as a “must-see” and one of the most authentic speakers in Forbes. His talks have inspired thousands of leaders, marketers, salespeople, entrepreneurs, and others to improve their performance.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * John’s new book "Top of Mind: Use Content to Unleash Your Influence and Engage Those Who Matter To You" * How John’s book fits into his thought leadership strategy * Why staying top of mind is a great strategy for developing trust * Short-term to long-term memory: consistently engaging people so that they remember forever * Why you need to make yourself approachable * Why showing your failings and foibles does not diminish your thought leadership * Why you must understand what is truly helpful for individuals * Why you must help people without expecting anything in return * How to tell people how you helped them without it sounding self-serving * Why you shouldn’t be too aggressive and should build a relationship over time * Why you need to start small with changing how you relate to others
Ways to Contact John Hall: * Email: john@influenceandco.com * Twitter: @johnhall * Website: www.influenceandco.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnhall4 * Book: "Top of Mind: Use Content to Unleash Your Influence and Engage Those Who Matter To You"
Christopher Lochhead is co-author of Harper Collins' instant classic “Play Bigger” and host of the Legends and Losers podcast.
Christopher is a retired three-time, Silicon Valley, public company CMO, entrepreneur and category designer. Fast Company Magazine calls him a "Human Exclamation Point and The Economist calls him "off-putting to some. He can recite much of The Big Lebowski but can't remember his wife's phone number. He's a proud advisor to nonprofit 1 Life Fully Lived, an ass-kicking public speaker, and surf / ski bum living happily ever after in Santa Cruz California with a wonderful tribe and 7 beautiful hens.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Chris’ career journey that took him from Silicon Valley CMO to coach to podcast host * Chris’ book: “Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets” * What category design is and why every agency needs to get great at it * Why “category” is as important as “product” and “company” * How to position your agency in a category that you can dominate * The two kinds of problems that need solving * The three questions to ask to start creating your category to dominate * The three ways service-based businesses make money * Why your client base may change after you define your category (and why that’s perfectly okay) * Why your agency can still do work that doesn’t fit exactly in your category if needed (the kids gotta eat!) as long as the perception of your agency stays within your category * Why legendary category designers always expand what they do * Why becoming a category king is going to take a leap of faith * And tons of examples of category kings that have done what it takes to stand out amongst the competition
Ways to Contact Christopher Lochhead: * Podcast: www.legendsandlosers.com * Book: "Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets"
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you need think long and hard before making employees partners * Why partnerships will look different if you’re a C Corp than any other structure (S Corp, LLC, etc.) * Why you need to make sure someone actually wants to be a partner before you offer them a partnership * Why you need to sell shares and not gift shares * Why you should only bring on one partner at a time * Why -- if your employee doesn’t have the skills they need to be a partner -- and they probably don’t -- you need to teach them * Why it usually takes about 10 years to groom someone to take over for you * Why you really need to decide if you’re ready for all of your autonomy to go away * How to finance partnerships (odds are they can’t afford it on their salary) * How to start having the conversation about funding your buyout
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
Aaron Agius is one of the world’s leading digital marketers according to Forbes. He is CEO of Louder Online, one of the world’s leading digital agencies with a global reach.
Louder Online is an inbound marketing agency, working globally with clients such as Salesforce, IBM, Coca-Cola, Intel and scores of leading brands, showing them how to technically optimize their sites, perform influencer outreach and link acquisition and produce and distribute content that drives significant lead generation and ROI.
Aaron is a highly sought speaker at Search, Content Marketing and Growth Hacking and many other conferences around the globe including the U.S, U.K, Brazil, London and Australia. His passion to help businesses is driven from his own experience. Aaron was at the cutting edge of the emerging digital marketing field over 10 years ago. He uses that lived experience and now translates it into revenue for clients.
He is also a regular contributor to some of the world’s largest editorial publications, including Entrepreneur.com, Hubspot.com and many more, with thought leadership on marketing and business growth.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you absolutely must work on and invest in the business (no excuses!) * How Aaron established himself as a thought leader through guest blogging and what he would recommend doing today * Why you need high-quality proposal documents * Why you need to be cooperative rather than competitive with agencies that you share a client with * Why Aaron has created smaller sister agencies in other countries instead of using freelancers * Aaron’s genius strategy for leveraging LinkedIn * How to prove the ROI of your work to a client * Why it’s the CEO’s job to stay on top of what’s coming next * Resources that Aaron himself uses to stay current * How continually writing blogs, being on podcasts, hosting webinars, etc. helps you keep the clients you have * Why you have to write for readers, not search engines
Ways to Contact Aaron Agius: * Website: louder.online * Welcome page: louder.online/build * Twitter: @IAmAaronAgius * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaronagius * Blog: How the Pros Track Conversions and ROI With These Content Marketing Metrics
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Marcus Blankenship is a management consultant, trainer and executive coach for software managers and leaders. He helps companies hire the right people, create the right culture, and set up the right process which achieves their goals. Managing a team isn’t something learned in college. In fact, his clients often tell him “I never prepared for this role, I always focused on doing the work.” If you’re ready to improve your leadership, process and team then you need to know Marcus.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you must identify your high and low performers * Why you shouldn’t be a passive-aggressive leader * Why you can’t hire anyone you can’t fire * Structured management: why you can’t set people free without management and why you need to set up strong management systems when your agency is small * Why consistent one-on-one meetings are so crucial * What happens in your employee’s head when you cancel a one-on-one meeting * How to create a safe environment where the people below you are willing to give you the feedback you need * Why you shouldn’t let feedback sit more than a week * Marcus’ one-on-one framework guide
Ways to Contact Marcus Blankenship: * Website: marcusblankenship.com * Email: marcus@marcusblankenship.com * Book: "7 Habits that Ruin your Technical Team" * Marcus’ One-on-One Meeting Framework * Email list with articles on running your team, daily management tips and guides for running your team: marcusblankenship.com/list
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
John Jantsch is a marketing consultant, speaker, and author of “Duct Tape Marketing,” “Duct Tape Selling,” “The Commitment Engine,” and “The Referral Engine.” He is also the founder of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network. His latest book, “SEO for Growth - The Ultimate Guide for Marketers, Web Designers, and Entrepreneurs,” is changing the way the world thinks about SEO.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The big changes SEO has undergone recently * Why you need to re-engineer a client’s editorial approach when you're assisting them with an existing website * Some of John’s favorite web/SEO tools * Why content and SEO can’t be thought of as two different things * Big mistakes people make with SEO * How to charge for SEO and demonstrate ROI * How John uses an editorial calendar to plan and write all of his content * Why you need content built for every stage of the customer journey * Why SEO is all about consistency * Why backlinks are still important in 2017 and how to do them right without getting penalized * Resources that John recommends to grow your digital know-how
Ways to Contact John Jantsch: * Book: "SEO for Growth: The Ultimate Guide for Marketers, Web Designers & Entrepreneurs" * Website: www.ducttapemarketing.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Dan Englander is the founder of Sales Schema, where he helps marketing agencies grow by way of done-for-you lead generation and consulting. He's the author of Mastering Account Management. Previously, as the first hire at the animation studio IdeaRocket, he brought the company from zero to seven figures, encompassing dozens of Fortune 500 clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Dan helps agencies fill their sales pipelines * Why you can’t rely on referrals from your network for sales * Why creating content is not a sales strategy * Why you need to systematize pipeline work and why you need to allot daily time for working on your pipeline * Honing in on a particular niche when generating leads * Why driving prospects to your website is not what you want to be doing * Why you need to have a follow-up plan in place for your cold emails * Why you need to get on the phone with a lead as soon as possible * How to word cold emails so they actually resonate with cold leads * How Dan’s company helps agencies hone in on their niche * Why cold emails have to come from a real person (and which person inside an agency they should come from) * Why you need to get the right clients for your agency * Why you shouldn’t overinvest in tools * Some good tools that Dan likes * Dan’s book: “Mastering Account Management”
Ways to Contact Dan Englander: * Free copy of Dan’s book: www.salesschema.com/buildabetteragency * Website: www.salesschema.com * Twitter: @DansPalace * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/danenglander
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * A CPA I recently met in San Diego who built his life around being able to go surfing every day
- An exercise a coach I had about 10 years ago would put me through so that I would envision my future as if it had already happened
- Why my life would not look like it does today if 10 years ago I had not visualized what I wanted it to look like today
- Why it’s okay if everything doesn’t play out exactly the way you visualize
- How to do the Reporter Exercise my coach gave me (linked below)
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
Resources: * The Reporter Exercise
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jason Keath is a refreshing voice on creative culture and digital trends. He is a keynote speaker, writer, and entrepreneur.
Jason is the founder and CEO of Social Fresh Conference, the leading social media and digital marketing conference for major brands and agencies. More than 150 of the Fortune 500 have attended Jason’s training sessions, workshops, and presentations.
Rooted firmly in the creative arts, Jason brings an innovative approach to marketing and internal culture. With a BFA in Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, he focuses on how creative thinking can drive businesses forward and improve employee satisfaction and productivity.
He is routinely quoted by media in the NY Times, USA Today, MSNBC, the LA Times, AdAge, the Washington Post and other outlets. Jason is also the author of the forthcoming book, The Case for More Bad Ideas (revealing the counterintuitive secrets of creative leaders).
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jason’s background * Why Jason started Social Fresh * How to get your whole team to be creative * Why you need to hear bad ideas and how to manage your team so they aren’t afraid to voice them * Why you should brainstorm at least 50-100 ideas for every one that you actually put into place * How having your team prepare ideas anonymously in advance will save you time and result in a discussion that’s more free * Why creativity comes from having at least one core competency (and how to figure out what your core competency is) * The filter phase of the process post brainstorming where you take ideas and combine and eliminate ideas until you’ve broken them down to where you’re happy with them * Why you should try to come up with three great ideas and keep the two that you ultimately don’t go with for later * Why you need to make the space where your team has creative meetings a different space than where they would sit through boring meetings * What you can do in your free time to boost your creativity * Why your brainstorming teams should be a mix of people who have brainstormed together in the past and those who haven’t * Jason’s upcoming event this summer all about the future of the industry
Ways to Contact Jason Keath: * Twitter: @jasonkeath * Social Fresh Newsletter: www.socialfresh.com/subscribe * Website: www.jasonkeath.com * Social Media Newsletter: www.SMcurrent.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Judy Robinett has led both public and private companies as CEO and served in management positions at Fortune 500 companies. She is on the advisory boards of Illuminate VC, Pereg VC, and Springboard Enterprises. Judy previously served as a managing director of Golden Seeds Angel Network and as a member of the faculty of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Business Program. Judy’s book, “How to Be a Power Connector: the 5+50+150 Rule,” was named the #1 business book of 2014 by Inc. She has been profiled in Entrepreneur, Vogue, Fast Company, Forbes, CBS, Huffington Post, and Bloomberg Businessweek.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Judy’s background * Why networking is crucial for biz-dev (and why referrals alone is not a biz-dev strategy) * The 5+50+150 Rule: why you need to target 50 people * Why there is no lack of money keeping you from getting funded * Positioning yourself to be invited to the right events (and which events you should target) * Judy’s strategies for being a good networker and how she interacts with strangers * How to deepen the relationships you already have * Why you need to kick fear to the curb and just talk to people * How to provide consistent value to your network so that you keep relationships fresh * Why you should reach out to people you feel like are above you * Judy’s Top Ten Power Connecting Tips
Ways to Contact Judy Robinett: * Website: www.judyrobinett.com * Email: judy@judyrobinett.com * Twitter: @judyrobinett * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/judyrobinett * Book: "How to Be a Power Connector: The 5+50+100 Rule for Turning Your Business Network into Profits" * eBook: "Crack the Funding Code" * Judy’s Top Ten Power Connecting Tips
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Susan Baier began her career as a brand manager for companies like Dial and Conoco-Philips. She also worked agency side and within client companies in their research departments, honing her skills as a research professional.
Recognizing that primary research was often too expensive for small to mid-sized agencies, she launched Audience Audit, where she conducts quantitative attitudinal audience segmented research. She helps her agency clients develop marketing strategy for their clients based on customer insights. They find it much easier to develop messaging, strategic plans, and business development plans with real data that helps them understand how customers who look (demographically) the same behave in very different ways and what motives those choices and behaviors.
Over the past few years, AMI and Audience Audit have partnered together for studies on how business owners find agencies, their attitudes towards working with agencies, and more.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Our 2016 Agency Workforce Report * What made our 2016 research different from other research projects we’ve done in the past * How we crunched our data * The three types of agency employees that we found in our research: agency advocates, prosperity partners, and “millennial mindset” (and why the majority of millennials don’t fall in the “millennial mindset” group) * What your agency can do to have less “millennial mindset” employees than average * Why the opportunity to learn and grow is the most important thing to all employees (especially millennials) * How to give your employees ways to learn and grow that don’t break the bank * Why your employees have to be willing to come back from training and events ready to teach the rest of your agency * Why treating your employees fairly does not mean treating them equally * Why making agency advocates happy is easy (and how to cultivate them into the agency leaders of tomorrow) * Why you have to help prosperity partners develop their own brand * Why you should avoid using the word millennials
Ways to Contact Susan Baier: * Website: www.audienceaudit.com * Email: susan@audienceaudit.com * Twitter: @susanbaier
Resources: * 2016 Agency Workforce Report * AMI Audience Audit Webinar * One on One Meeting Form
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Ryan Ayres shows his clients what they can't see, says what no-one else will say, and helps them accomplish what they don't experience on their own. Through deep, bold, and customized coaching and consulting, he finds what they really want and helps them use their God given talents! His mission is to serve his clients so powerfully that they have life changing insights that change the trajectory of their life.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Ryan got himself out of the day-to-day and got his team to take things off his plate that he did not need to be doing * Why great employees will help you when you reach the point when you’re forced to sell what your business does instead of selling what you do * Why -- if you can’t get rid of 100% of what you’re doing -- that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get rid of any of it * Why you need to make sure everyone understands and buys into your vision and why it benefits them * Ryan’s employee rating matrix * Why people very rarely stay or leave based on money (and why this means you don’t need to give as many raises as you think) * How to deal with employees who get jealous of what perks you give to other employees * How to have tough conversations with “C Players” * Why you should journal your time to make sure you’re spending your time where you need to be spending it
Ways to Contact Ryan Ayres: * Website: www.focus53.com * Podcast: www.focus53.com/podcast-home
Resources: * Ryan’s employee rating matrix * Cameron Herold’s Vivid Vision
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why short term nonprofit projects don’t do much good for your agency or a nonprofit * Creating a contest for nonprofits where the winner will become your client for a year * How this contest and resulting year-long relationship will bring in a ton of PR * How this lengthy commitment with a single nonprofit allows you gracefully turn down other nonprofits that you don’t have time to work with * What to ask for in applications to find the right nonprofit to work with * How your relationship with a nonprofit can be a great business development opportunity * Why you need to get in front of the nonprofit’s board of directors * How this relationship will dramatically change the impact that the nonprofits you adopt can make * What your process for setting up this yearly project should look like * Why your team will love doing work with a nonprofit
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
Resources: * Charity Application (Word Version) * Charity Application (PDF Version) * Charity Press Release (Word Version) * Charity Press Release (PDF Version) * Charity Scorecard (Word Version) * Charity Scorecard (PDF Version)
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Mark Duval is the founder of The Duval Partnership, helping agencies win new business through a variety of strategic services including prospecting and lead generation, sales training, and agency auditing and diagnostics. Mark formerly headed business development efforts for Univision & CBS. He brings over 25 years of client direct sales experience to his work.
The Duval Partnership’s average client tenure easily doubles their competitors. They are the only firm in their space that offers sales training & coaching, and they are also the only firm in their space that employs strategists.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Mark’s background and how he got into the business of helping agencies * Why you need a written new business plan * Why you need to work on your differentiation * Finding the right number of clients (and finding the right amount to bill them) * The danger of sounding desperate to clients * The importance of attitude and behavior * Questions any agency should ask their prospects * Why you need to serve up who you are and what you do on your website * Understanding what your prospects consume and figuring out how to position yourself as a thought leader in those spaces * Making introductions between prospects and the people you know that they need to know * Why you should set up Google alerts on prospects you really want to work with * Figuring out how to start your new business process program * Why you need salespeople to manage sales people
Ways to Contact Mark Duval: * Website: duvalpartnership.com * Email: mark@duvalpartnership.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Recently named one of the Top 30 Under 30 by Marketing magazine, Bram Warshafsky is a Founder and Partner at 5Crowd: a Toronto start-up that provides on-demand marketing production to a growing list of clients like Labatt, J&J, Hershey, Twitter, Telus, and more. We operate a curated network of freelance professionals in over 150 cities through our own digital platform to help enterprise marketing teams bring their strategy to life, faster and for less.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Bram started his agency, and why he went with the freelancer model * What Bram’s internal team is like and how they use freelancers to offset those positions * Why 5Crowd focuses on production rather than strategy * What a strong freelancer vetting process looks like * Why 5Crowd needed to build their own software * How being a production based agency has led to high client retention for 5Crowd * What good marketing looks like * Why you need to tell the story of how you save clients money * The three questions 5Crowd asks to figure out if they will take on a project * Why 5Crowd has freelancers set the price * How 5Crowd picks what freelancer to use for the right project * Why you need to fully embrace technology to succeed * How to get started with freelancers
Ways to Contact Bram Warshafsky: * Website: www.5crowd.com * eBooks: www.5crowd.com/ebooks * Twitter: @BramWarshafsky * Twitter: @5CrowdTO
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jason Blumer is the Chief Innovative Officer of his firm, Blumer & Associates, CPAs. The firm was one of the first to move from a traditional office to a virtual environment, where they serve digital, marketing, and design agencies. He focuses heavily on business coaching and consulting, while his team meets the technical and compliance needs of the customer.
Jason also founded the Thriveal CPA Network in 2010 as a way to help CPA firm owners connect. Since that time, Thriveal has helped many firms grow by providing an online community, coaching services, webinars, and live events.
Jason is the host of two podcasts, the Thrivecast for the CPA community and The Businessology Show for the creative community. He speaks and writes frequently for CPAs and design agencies, his firm's chosen niche. He has been honored as one of the 40 under 40 in the profession (CPA Practice Advisor) as well as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting (Accounting Today). Jason loves to watch documentaries on just about anything and is working on his personal bests in Crossfit several times a week. He lives in Greenville, SC with his wife and their three daughters.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Jason and his team got into the agency niche * Mistakes agencies and agency owners make regularly * Why going virtual doesn’t automatically save your agency money * How to legally save your agency money in taxes in ways that make sense for your agency * Employment benefit plans which benefit agency owners * P&L and AGI numbers to know * Why you shouldn’t be struggling to make payroll if you have a strong value proposition * Why being a successful creative director doesn’t mean you should open your own agency * Why you need to be willing to sacrifice services, clients, and your team * How to know whether the metrics that you’re tracking are worth tracking * Things most if not all agencies should track * Why you should outsource your accounting * Jason’s recommended resources
Ways to Contact Jason Blumer: * Podcast: www.businessology.biz * Website: www.jasonblumer.com * Website: www.blumercpas.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jasonblumer * Twitter: @jasonmblumer
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Brent Weaver became obsessed with creating websites when he was 15 years old. He realized he could create and share information with anyone in the world with the click of a button. His first business was a web design agency turned marketing firm. That business was named in the top-five fastest growing businesses in Denver, Colorado two years running leading to a successful exit/sale to another Denver-based agency. In 2012, he formed uGurus, a business dedicated to helping other web professionals succeed at building profitable businesses without needing to go through twelve years of roller-coaster pains. uGurus has now graduated over 600 web professionals from their Bootcamp. Graduates consistently use words like "transformative" and "life changing" to describe the results they achieve from the program. When not focused on the business, Brent loves hanging out with his wife and two year old son. Other favorite activities: writing, swimming, and snowboarding.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why agencies have a hard time making money creating websites for clients * Why bad discovery leads to scope creep * Why you should spread discovery over multiple meetings rather than one long meeting * Why you need to niche down to find the quality and quantity of clients that you need * Why you need to treat your website (and your clients’ websites) like a kid * Working with your clients to develop a web strategy that fits their budget * Establishing a communication pattern with your clients * Not letting clients delay because a website isn’t perfect * How to focus on the right platforms * How to know whether to bring web-dev in-house or use a partnership * What agencies need to know about the web to capitalize on the opportunities out there
Ways to Contact Brent Weaver: * Website: uGurus.com * Email: brent@ugurus.com (this is where to reach Brent for the terrific offer given at the end of the podcast)
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why you have to measure inside your agency * The AGI/FTE ratio: why you should be aiming for this to be 150,000 (and why many agencies struggle to reach this goal) * Measuring over/under on projects: how often are you over, how often are you under, and by how much? * Why you need to look at profitability on a client by client basis (and how to know when to fire a client due to profitability) * Why you need a minimum standard AGI for all your clients * Why you absolutely need to use timesheets inside your agency (and why this doesn’t mean you should bill by the hour)
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Andy Crestodina is a co-founder and the Strategic Director of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person web design company in Chicago.
Over the past 15 years, Andy has provided web strategy and advice to more than a thousand businesses. As a top-rated speaker at national conferences and as a writer for many of the biggest blogs, Andy has dedicated himself to the teaching of marketing.
Andy has written hundreds of articles, many of which have been published on the top marketing blogs and media websites. Favorite topics include content strategy, search engine optimization, social media and Analytics.
Andy was named to Forbes Top 10 Online Marketing Experts to Watch in 2015 and Entrepreneur Magazine Top 50 Marketing Influencer in 2016, and is a mentor at 1871, the #1 incubator in the US.
He is also the author of “Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Andy started his web design company and how it’s evolved since then * Doing important tasks before urgent tasks * Why you need to write your content marketing mission statement * Why delegating is so crucial (and why Andy hired a boss for himself) * Why you don’t need to publish every week * Why you should publish answers to questions you get frequently instead of constantly writing emails with similar content * Measuring the performance of content * How to construct your content so that it will perform * “Content Chemistry”: Andy’s book about how to repurpose content * Building your website with what people are searching for in mind * Winning the SEO battle and turning visitors into leads * Steps agencies can take right now to improve their content to convert more leads
Ways to Contact Andy Crestodina: * Blog: www.orbitmedia.com/blog * Book: "Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing" * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andycrestodina
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
A leader of such national accounts as Home Shopping Network, The Disney Channel, CitiFinancial, and Papa John’s Pizza as the founder and sole principal of $110 million Atlanta-based Fricks/Firestone agency, John Fricks is focused on the same kind of growth at AntonWest. In the seven year transition from Fricks/Firestone in Atlanta to AntonWest in Jacksonville, he consulted with CEOs of major corporations and agency owners all over the country.
John Fricks believes the key to problem solving is listening to clients describe their challenges so the agency can creatively advance a solution through its full arsenal of resources digital, broadcast, print, and public relations. He will tell you that the proximity to navigable water was not part of the lure to Jacksonville, but you are sure to find him relaxing by a dock when not behind his desk.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How John managed to get huge accounts at his small agency (Fricks/Firestone) * How to appeal to a CEO’s insecurities * What John does at his new agency AntonWest * Why agencies need to get involved in all areas of their client’s business, not just the advertising * Staying up to date on new technology and ideas * Having great relationships with vendors that make them feel part of the business * How to recruit and retain top talent * What a culture must have to be truly collaborative * How to position your agency in the marketplace * How account people can gain the trust of their creatives * Why it’s important to allow your employees to fail (when trying) * What agency CEOs need to be focusing on today
Ways to Contact John Fricks: * Website: antonwest.com * Email: jafricks@antonwest.com * Phone: (904)701-4140
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Joe Calloway has been speaking to business audiences for about 30 years. He’s written seven books, including the just released “Keep It Simple.” He has served as the first Executive In Residence for Belmont University's Center For Entrepreneurship, and he invests in and advises start-up companies, including Gilson Boards, a snowboard manufacturing company. Joe is an active investor in a real estate development group with current projects in Louisville, Nashville, and Chattanooga. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Annette, and our daughters, Jessica, and Cate.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Joe wrote “Keep It Simple” and how it’s different from his other books * What all effective leaders have in common * What your vision/mission statement should sound like * Why you need to follow Warren Buffett's advice and say no to almost everything * The Gold Standard: doing what you say you will do, the way you said you will do it, when you said you would do it * Why you have to set the example inside your business * Why you can’t get stuck doing what used to work * Being better tomorrow than you are today * Why you need to be so good at the basics that you are cutting edge * Why you need to work on the relationships with everyone you work with * Being your authentic self and believing in yourself * Why -- whatever happens -- that’s normal * Improving upon your strengths * Why your success is dictated by your culture * Why you need to get clear on the three things you need to get right
Ways to Contact Joe Calloway: * Website: joecalloway.com * New book: "Keep It Simple: Unclutter Your Mind to Uncomplicate Your Life" * All books: joecalloway.com/books
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Part "idea whisperer," part message strategist, and part presentation coach, Tamsen Webster helps people and organizations like Verizon, State Street Bank, Ericsson, Johnson & Johnson, and Disney find and communicate the power of their ideas. She is the Executive Producer of TEDxCambridge, one of the oldest and largest locally organized TED talk events in the world. She is also Executive Communications Coach with Oratium, a messaging consultancy. In former lives, she worked in both agencies and at nonprofits heading up brand, marketing, and fundraising communication strategy, along with a brief but enduring turn as a change management consultant. She’s also a retired Weight Watchers leader and an accidental marathoner.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why speaking is the best tool for convincing someone that your agency is the best agency for them * Why you need to make your speeches about your audience and not about you * Mistakes that agencies make in pitches all the time * How to structure your new business presentations so that you win the business * Why you want people to remember the one big idea of your presentation -- not specific tactics * How to develop a thought leadership presentation * Why niched presentations are a lot more effective than broad ones * “Why,” “what now,” and “how” talks: what’s different about these kind of presentations * How to structure a talk when you are given a general topic that you have to speak on * Why you should stop before the sell when you’re presenting to gain awareness for your business * Why creating an event is a great way to get good at speaking * How to find other speaking engagements * Why you need to grab testimonials from speaking engagements and video of your speeches * How to unravel a failed speech to make sure it works in the future
Ways to Contact Tamsen Webster: * Website: tamsenwebster.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why I absolutely believe Jim Rohn’s famous adage that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with * Why you should go back and take a look at the one page life plan I outlined in episode 10 * Spending time with the people who inspire you to commit to excellence in every aspect of your life * Spending time with the people you learn from that challenge you to think in different ways * Spending time with people that you can teach * Hanging out with people who see you more clearly than you see yourself * Spending time with people who will call you out when you need to be called out * Having people in your life that make you push harder than you would on your own * Spending time with the people that fill you with joy
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Phil Gerbyshak is a speaker and a trainer, who delivers programs on the power of technology, social selling and connection. With a unique speaking style—part technology and sales expert, part entertainer—Phil keeps his audiences awake and engaged while providing micro-tactics to help you get more leads, earn referrals, and improve your business. When he’s not traveling, speaking, or making new connections, Phil writes. He’s published 5 books, including "10 Ways to Make It Great" and "#TwitterWorks," more than 2,500 articles, and has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Financial Times, and more.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Social selling: getting people to convert for you * Making a connection with someone online (this isn’t a follow or a like) * Why keyword targeting isn’t necessarily the best path to success * Why Phil actively connects people he thinks should know about each other * How Phil uses LinkedIn as a powerful sales and research tool * Why you have to share content that isn’t your own * Why you should congratulate your competition -- and why you need to be genuine about it * Phil’s strategy for creating content people need and starting conversations * Cultivating and leveraging testimonials * How to use your pinned post wisely * Things you can do right now to start putting into practice the ideas from this episode * Phil’s podcast “Conversations with Phil”
Ways to Contact Phil Gerbyshak: * Website: www.philgerbyshak.com * Podcast: conversationswithphil.com * Twitter: @PhilGerb * Email: phil@philgerbyshak.com * Text: (414) 640-7445
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Kris Hoet has a broad experience on both the client and agency side and brings a unique perspective to his work at the crossover of creativity and technology. His passion for technology and how to translate that into change and impact first came through when he was working as a client enabling better connections with consumers by building some of the first online cinema experiences in the late 90s and kickstarting some of Microsoft's first influencer marketing activities in the early 2000s.
Currently Kris is heading up the innovation initiatives at Happiness, an agency he co-founded, a role he also fulfills for the global FCB network to which Happiness belongs. Before joining Happiness, Kris was part of the management team at Duval Guillaume responsible for some advertising classics such as TNT's Push to add drama & Carlsbergs Bikers. During his time there the agency became Digital Agency of the Year twice and following that was elected Agency of the Year for three consecutive years.
Kris is also a renowned speaker at international marketing conferences. He was one of the Advocates of the TED Ads Worth Spreading program and is still a curator of All Gunns Blazing, a selection of some of the most innovative worldwide creative work of the famed Gunn Report.
He is an avid mountain biker and a self-proclaimed petrolhead with a special love for vintage cars.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Kris made the jump to the agency side -- and why he started his own agency * Innovation initiatives and driving change in every aspect of a company * Why small changes across a company are better than one big change * Getting ideas for change from other industries * Some feeds that Kris follows to get inspiration * Finding the time to focus on innovation and learning for learning's sake while also running a client-driven profitable business * Why everybody needs to be involved in an initiative * Working in a messy way with these innovation initiatives and why that demands more trust between agency and client * Why you can do this with your employees you have (if they’re actual good employees) * How to inspire your team to want to innovate * How to get innovation started
Ways to Contact Kris Hoet: * Twitter: @krishoet * Newsletter: crossthebreeze.com/warped * Company Twitter: @hppnssanywhere
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Chris Wilson is the Founder and Chief Client Advocate of Function Point Productivity Software Inc.
As the company’s leader, Chris wants to create the world's leading digital tools for managing the day to day hassle of running a professional service firm. Chris’ focus is on creating a place, a team and a culture where the best creators, communicators and collaborators can grow.
Chris has an extensive understanding of the operation, management and workflow processes of Design studios, Advertising agencies and Architectural firms, with experience assisting thousands of firms in standardizing their business of design.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Service Industries.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The typical reasons that agencies decide they need to get better systems in place * What Chris’ company Function Point does * Mistakes that agencies make when it comes to starting to think about workflow and using a tool like Function Point * How to figure out if your workflow process needs improving * Why workflow allows people to put their brain flow in the right place * Why systems have to be easy to use * Why timesheets are absolutely necessary and why agency owners can’t be exempt from them * Warning signs that your workflow needs improvement * Making sure you have strong creative briefs * Steps that you can take right now
Ways to Contact Chris Wilson: * Website: www.functionpoint.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/3802657 * Facebook: www.facebook.com/functionpoint * Twitter: @functionpoint * Email: chris@functionpoint.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Daniel Lemin, the founder of One Good Brand, is a digital reputation and online marketing veteran with deep agency and digital brand strategy experience. He was employee no. 400 at Google where he served on the global corporate marketing and communications team. He is the author of “Manipurated,” an Amazon bestseller, that exposes the inner workings of online review sites. Daniel also serves as the head of consulting for Jay Baer’s Convince & Convert consulting group, where he provides digital marketing and customer experience counsel to global brands and organizations including the United Nations (Food & Agriculture Organization), Best Buy, Petco, BMC Software, Telogis and Pella Windows and Doors. He’s been seen in the New York Times, USA Today and on Fox News, CBS Radio and many other news outlets.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why online reputation work is such a great opportunity for agencies * How Daniel got into online reputation work and how came to write “Manipurated” * What makes this kind of work more profitable for agencies than SEO work * Tools that are great for this kind of work * Why every person inside an agency needs to be good at this -- and why Daniel advises against having a dedicated team that does only this kind of work * How agencies can price this kind of work out * What agencies can do to get B2B clients that aren’t as concerned about reviews as B2C businesses like restaurants to understand the importance of this kind of work * Why agencies need to be aware of their own reviews (typically from employees) * What agencies that have bad reviews can do to improve that * Why negative reviews on social media are more urgent and need to be acted on quickly * How agencies can structure this out in terms of packages to offer clients * The Snapchat-like video reviews that are coming soon * What agencies can do right now to start doing this kind of work * Some resources to help with this
Ways to Contact Daniel Lemin: * Website: www.manipurated.com * Twitter: @daniellemin * Email: daniel@manipurated.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why the speed of change is the new normal and why you have to embrace that * How what agencies sell has changed from the Mad Men days to today * Why you need to tie marketing, sales, and customer service together to be a great agency in 2016 * Why data analysis is more important than it ever has been * Leads, sales, and retention: why you need to focus on these at a much higher level if you want to keep charging a premium price * The importance of making real time decisions and adapting based on data * Why we need to work with clients who may be resistant to experimentation * How to assess if your agency is up to par on these ideas, and what to do about it if the answer is no
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Andrew Dymski is a co-founder of DoInbound, a process and project management platform for inbound marketing agencies and GuavaBox, an inbound marketing agency. He is a lacrosse coach on the side and loves doing almost anything outside. He is also the co-host of Inbound Agency Journey, a weekly podcast for agency pros.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Andrew and his business partner Gray MacKenzie started their agency while they were still in college and the transformation that GuavaBox has overwent since then * How Michael Gerber’s “The E Myth” transformed how Andrew’s agency was ran * Using blogging as a method for separating yourself * Why clients will leave if communication is poor -- even when you’re doing great work * DoInbound: a tool for creating templates that power the delivery of services just for inbound marketing agencies * How creating DoInbound has helped the way Andrew works with his clients * Why you need to figure out your vision and share that with your core team * Listing and pruning your agency’s list of deliverables * How to create processes with your employees and get them to actually follow the processes created * How many processes are too many processes? * Why you need multiple iterations of processes * What meetings about processes with your employees should look like * What you can do right now to put some of the ideas from this episode in place without freaking out your team
Ways to Contact Andrew Dymski: * Podcast: www.doinbound.com/podcast * Twitter: @AndrewJDymski
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Greg Verdino is a highly regarded authority on “the digital now.” He is known for his uncanny ability to get ahead of trends, spot the difference between fads and the future, and apply his understanding of the rapidly changing global landscape to solve pressing business challenges.
Greg’s perspectives have been shaped by more than 25 years spent working at the forefront of change, during which time he has advised hundreds of organizations including more than 50 of the Fortune 500; has served in senior leadership positions at a half-dozen technology start-ups; and has launched innovative products, lines of business, and divisions from within traditional companies. Through his work speaking, writing and consulting on digital strategy, transformation and innovation, he helps business leaders build thriving 21st century companies.
Greg is also managing partner and chief strategist at VERDINO & CO, the consultancy he started with his wife to help companies create the content-driven digital experiences their customers demand.
Before VERDINO & CO, he was Executive Vice President at social business firm Dachis Group, where he worked with clients including BIC, Citibank, Fidelity, GE, Michaels Stores, Nestle and others to formulate and execute best-in-class digital strategies. He joined Dachis Group (now Sprinklr) through its acquisition of crayon, the social media consultancy at which he served as Chief Strategy Officer and in which he was the second largest shareholder. Previously he was digital strategist and head of emerging channels for Digitas, and served in media, marketing, sales and general management roles at ROO Group (now Piksel), Akamai Technologies, Arbitron, Wunderman, and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Greg is the author of microMARKETING: Get Big Results by Thinking and Acting Small (McGraw-Hill, 2010), and a contributing author to Reinventing Interactive and Direct Marketing (ed. Stan Rapp, McGraw-Hill, 2009). Throughout his career, he has served as a go-to expert for a wide range of media outlets including Advertising Age, Bloomberg Business, CNN, Cablevision News12, Fox Business, Investor’s Business Daily, the New York Times, Newsday, and the Wall Street Journal. He has given speeches, led panel discussions and facilitated workshops at more than 100 corporate and association events throughout North America, in Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
He lives on Long Island with his wife, tween daughter, baby boy, and the world’s most disobedient cat.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What has changed since the beginning days of when agencies began to do social * Why content needs to expand past “content marketing” and must be infused into every single interaction inside and outside your organization * How to help clients understand the value of content * The importance of analytics and content metrics that Greg uses with clients * Why Greg and his wife decided to go it on their own instead of taking positions inside other agencies * How Greg differentiates his agency from other agencies * How Greg has been able to recognize trends that matter and ignore the ones that fade * Tips and tricks for getting everything done that you want as an agency owner * The shift from pipeline business to platform businesses * Why it’s so important for agency leaders to stay on top of trends * Why small agencies are often the best at adapting to change * The rules that agency owners should never break
Ways to Contact Greg Verdino: * Twitter: @gregverdino * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gregverdino * Facebook: www.facebook.com/gregverdino * Personal website: www.gregverdino.com * Agency website: www.verdino.co
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Henry Corona graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa, moved to Los Angeles, and earned an MA in Economics from UCLA. He worked as an Economist for the Rand Corporation, and while at Rand, Henry earned an MBA in Finance & Marketing from USC. Upon graduating, he joined the M&A department of a conglomerate.
He went to work for Lucasfilm Ltd. in various financial management positions during the first Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark film series. His experience included cash and investment management, comptroller for profit sharing, merchandising, publishing and music. Following Lucasfilm, Henry worked in various film and entertainment companies including 20th Century Fox and New Line Cinema.
He went into the Advertising business by working for Dave Martin, founder of the Martin Agency, and has worked in financial and transactional management in marketing, advertising, communications technology ever since. His experience in marketing communications has included mergers & acquisitions, business valuation, and serving as CFO for ad agencies, tech start-ups, film and video production companies, and other communication technology businesses.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Henry’s transition from the film business to the advertising business * Mistakes agency owners make that hinder their ability to sell their agencies * Where agencies need to be investing * Why tracking hours is critically important * What to do about employees that cost your agency money * Why your agency should have a profit sharing system * AGI numbers you need to know * What diminishes the value of an agency * Charging brain surgeon prices vs. charging nurse prices * Training clients so they don’t feel like they’re getting the “B Team” * What agency owners can do right now to improve on the ideas from this episode
Ways to Contact Henry Corona: * Phone: (305)748-0888 * Email: henry@financesur.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Tom Schwab knows how to grow a business online using content as fuel. Marketing at its heart is starting a conversation with someone who could be an ideal customer. Tom's company, Interview Valet, partners with agencies to get their clients featured on leading podcasts their prospects are already listening to. This provides traffic that has been shown to convert 25 times better than blogs.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why podcasting is so relevant today * The benefit of being a podcast guest * How Tom’s clients are able to sell being on podcasts to their own clients * Benefits of podcasting over other forms of content * Why podcast traffic converts higher than blogs * Message, market, and machine: what you need to have a successful podcast interview * What you (or your clients) need to be a great podcast guest * Why you need to bring a giveaway when you are a guest on a podcast * What not to do when you are a guest on a podcast * Is it appropriate to suggest questions to your podcast host? * How Tom helps agencies look good * The podcasting niches that Tom focuses on * Things you can do right now to put these ideas in place
Ways to Contact Tom Schwab: * Freebies: interviewvalet.com/BetterAgency * Email: tom@interviewvalet.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/thomasmschwab
Resources: * Drew’s podcast audio quality guide
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why about 70% of your new revenue should come from existing clients * How to teach your AE’s to grow the business that they’re serving Strategies for you the business owner to focus on new business * The four areas of the sales funnel and how to work with all four * The system for reaching out to your 25 best prospects
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Dr. Anthony Paustian was given a rare opportunity in life to create and design a technology-focused college campus from scratch. That was fifteen years ago. Since then the campus and its innovative advances in technology-based instruction have appeared on CNN, CNBC, Wired, USA Today, NPR and other national media and won numerous awards for leadership in innovation including being featured on the InfoWorld 100 List (#51) of the nation's most innovative organizations.
In 2006, Anthony created the Celebrate! Innovation Exhibition; a new type of campus learning environment where students are surrounded by the stories of great innovators through larger-than-life visuals, technology-focused exhibits, and through an annual Celebrate! Innovation Week (ciWeek) where the people behind the stories come from all over the world to tell those stories firsthand. The Celebrate! Innovation Exhibition is currently on the Iowa Department of Tourism's list of places to visit.
From his Air Force days on F-111s to building national brands to coaching a very talented group of educators, Anthony has developed a unique skill set that is quickly apparent in every aspect of his life as a leader, educator, entrepreneur, inventor, designer, author and speaker.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Anthony decided to become an author and a coach * What keeps someone that wants to write a book from actually doing it * How to get past the thought that your book won’t be valuable enough * The process for getting a book from your head and into an actual book * How to turn your blog into a book * How to successfully proof your writing * Why you need to speak about the topics you write about * What the editing process is like once your book is in the hands of an editor * What you need to have for your book to appear in a library * Why you don’t need (or even necessarily want) your book to be on shelves at Barnes and Noble * The best way to sell your book * What kinds of e-books you should sell * First steps people can take right now to get going
Ways to Contact Dr. Anthony Paustian: * Website: bookpresspublishing.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Chantell Glenville is the author of “What Clients Really Want (And The S**t That Drives Them Crazy)” the first ever book on how to create great client/agency relationships written by an ex-client. Winner of the WACL Future Leader's Award 2013, Chantell has worked at some of the UKs top creative communications agencies such as AMV BBDO, VCCP, and Dare as well as client-side at Vodafone, a multinational teleco.
Her experience both client and agency-side has given her a unique insight into the situations and behaviours that can really break client/agency relationships or make them excellent. Chantell has worked with and for agencies with varying specialties and on a broad range of clients; from international blue chips such as Johnson & Johnson, Barclaycard, Molson Coors, and Henkel through to high profile UK and pan-European accounts.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Things agencies do over and over that drive clients crazy * The small behaviors that break apart relationships * What agencies don’t know about the world clients live in * The complexity of the structure of clients’ systems * How agencies can help clients manage the revision process * Why you need to know more than one person inside your client’s company (and get to know them face-to-face) * The working hour differences between agencies and clients * Why you should never overpromise and underdeliver * The two things that create great agency-client relationships * Why attention to detail is so important for agencies * How to get to the top of a client’s to-do list * Reasons clients will fire agencies (and why they never want to do that) * Things agency owners can do right now to help their account executives improve agency-client relationships
Ways to Contact Chantell Glenville: * Book: "What Clients Really Want" * Website: www.masteringaccountmanagement.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
John Warrillow is the author of books “Built to Sell” and “The Automatic Customer” and founder of The Value Builder System™ where advisors help company owners increase the value of their business. Previously, he founded Warrillow & Co., a subscription-based research business dedicated to helping Fortune 500 companies market to small business owners. A sought-after speaker and popular Inc.com columnist, John lives in Toronto.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * John’s book “Built to Sell” * The very easy path for agencies to follow that make it extremely hard to sell * What services look like that make an agency sellable * Why you can’t confuse the doing with owning a business * When is it time to say no to business? * What to do after you sell your agency * Things to avoid when exiting your agency * Services agencies can offer on a subscription model * Standardizing a process and giving that process or product a specific name * Why you shouldn’t surround yourself with journeymen agency employees * How to assess how sellable your agency is and what can be done to make your agency more sellable
Ways to Contact John Warrillow: * Website: valuebuildersystem.com * Website: www.builttosell.com * Website: www.automaticcustomer.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Steve Farber is listed as one of Inc’s global Top 50 Leadership and Management Experts. He is a Leadership Pioneer, Strategist, Keynote Speaker, and Bestselling Author on Extreme Leadership. His expertise is in creating organizational cultures where leadership is not just an opportunity and obligation for those in authority, but for everyone at all levels.
Steve is the President of Extreme Leadership, Inc, and the founder of The Extreme Leadership Institute, organizations devoted to the cultivation and development of Extreme Leaders around the world. His accessible, deeply inspirational, and eminently practical Radical LEAP framework is widely used across the business, non-profit and education spectrum. He has been credited with redefining leadership in deeply personal yet practical terms and re-energizing thousands of people to make a significant difference in their businesses, lives, and the world around them.
His third book, “Greater Than Yourself,” was a Wall Street Journal® and USA Today® bestseller. His second book, “The Radical Edge,” was hailed as a playbook for harnessing the power of the human spirit. And his first book, “The Radical Leap,” is already considered a classic in the leadership field. It received Fast Company magazine’s Readers Choice Award and was recently named one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Defining “Extreme Leadership” * What an extreme leader does * Love in the business place * Putting in more energy into your business than you take out * Why leaders need to be audacious and willing to fail * What agency owners can do to become more audacious * How a business that embraces extreme leadership looks different * Steve’s book “Greater Than Yourself” * How to become one of the greatest leaders by lifting others up * What agency owners can do right now to start working on the ideas from this episode
Ways to Contact Steve Farber: * Website: www.stevefarber.com * Twitter: @stevefarber * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stevefarber * Book: "Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson of True Leadership" * Book: "The Radical Edge: Another Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership" * Book: "The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership"
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The daily traffic / huddle meeting for discussing daily vital priorities and how to make this meeting work regardless of agency size * The monthly all-staff meeting for informing and inspiring your team * The twice a year to quarterly meeting for team building and planning
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Peter Shankman is a spectacular example of what happens when you merge the power of pure creativity with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and a dose of adventure, all to make it work to your advantage. The New York Times has called him "a public relations all-star who knows everything about new media and then some," while Investor's Business Daily has labeled him "crazy, but effective."
He founded Help A Reporter Out (HARO) in 2010 from his apartment before selling it to Vocus. Peter is the also founder of ShankMinds: Business Masterminds, a series of small business entrepreneurial-style masterminds in over 25 cities worldwide. Additionally, Peter is also the founder and CEO of The Geek Factory, Inc., a boutique Social Media, Marketing and PR Strategy firm located in New York City, with clients worldwide.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Innovation through exploration * Why you need to hold your ground with clients and force them to trust your expertise * How to get your customers to tell your story for you * Peter’s book “Zombie Loyalists” * Peter’s company The Geek Factory * How agencies can make customer service attractive for their clients * Why rewarding someone for being your 10,000th follower is an insult to the rest of your followers * Why everything you create has to have value for someone * How to create invested customers with the way you respond through email * How Peter carves out time in his schedule for everything * Peter’s preferred methods for professional development * What Peter’s agency of the future would look like * How Peter helped his employees with professional development * The things that get in the way of corporations hearing their customers * Things agencies can do right now to implement the ideas from this episode
Ways to Contact Peter Shankman: * Book: "Zombie Loyalists" * Twitter: @petershankman
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Paul Roetzer is founder and CEO of PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and HubSpot’s first Agency Partner. He is author of “The Marketing Performance Blueprint” (Wiley, 2014) and “The Marketing Agency Blueprint” (Wiley, 2012); creator of Marketing Agency Insider and Marketing Score; a regular contributor to leading marketing industry blogs; and a frequent speaker on content marketing, inbound marketing, performance and strategy.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Paul started PR 20/20 * Standardizing pricing to prevent scope creep * Paul’s point system for pricing * How to create a content strategy that works today * Top of the funnel content vs. bottom of the funnel content * Using the point system for professional development * Where to find the great content writers that you will need to hire * How PR 20/20 decides if a client is a good fit * The Marketing Score * Automated Insights * Steps agencies can take right now * How to keep employees around and enthusiastic
Ways to Contact Paul Roetzer: * Website: www.pr2020.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Michael Gass is the founder of Fuel Lines Business Development, LLC, a firm that provides business development training and consulting services to advertising, digital, media and PR agencies.
Since 2007, Michael has pioneered the use of social media, content and inbound marketing strategies specifically for agency new business. Michael has originated a system that makes targeting, positioning, and differentiation easier and helps agencies to find, attract and engage their best prospects online. He has trained over 200 agency CEOs and their senior management teams in all 50 states here in the U.S. and agencies in over 21 foreign countries.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Generating new business through niche blogs * Making these niche blogs truly niche (hint: “healthcare” is not a niche) * Why these blogs need to be written by one or two visible authors * The pace these blogs have to be written, at least initially * Why you should start out with just one niche blog * Why a person should be the face of only one blog * How to keep this process running smoothly and consistently * Why agencies have to add consulting as a service line * The differences agency websites and niche blogs have to have * The time commitment this kind of program requires * The steps your agency can take right now to get this program up and running
Ways to Contact Michael Gass: * Website: michaelgass.com * Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelgass * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgass * Twitter: @michaelgass * Google+: plus.google.com/108664560492921436543
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Michael Farmer grew up in the Midwest and was the first child in his family to go to college. He went to Princeton on an NROTC scholarship and worked at various jobs to pay the difference. After that, he spent 5 years as a naval officer, 3 years at sea, and 2 years teaching NROTC at Iowa State University. Then he was off to Harvard Business School and a one-year research assignment writing cases and teaching marketing in Lausanne, Switzerland. He then joined some consulting firms and worked all over the globe. Eventually, he ended up at Bain & Company where he spent three years in Boston, and then nine years in London, Munich, and Paris. Bain then started his own consulting firm, Farmer & Company, specializing on solving agency / advertiser problems. He stayed in London until 2001, and then returned to the States and continued his work. He wrote Madison Avenue Manslaughter between 2009 and 2015, and the book was published in 2015.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Some of the big problems agencies face today * Why the future is bright for small to mid-sized independent agencies * Why your agency needs a uniform approach for working with clients and an example of what that looks like * The documented scope of work document: what should this look like? * Why it’s harder than ever for agencies to make money * Michael’s “price for the work” metric * Creating accountability with client heads * Why agencies probably will have an easier time fixing scope of work than they think * What agencies can do right now to start fixing some of these mistakes
Ways to Contact Michael Farmer: * Website: farmerandco.com * Twitter: @farmerandco * Email: mfarmer@farmerandco.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfarmer * Book: "Madison Avenue Manslaughter"
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency over the last 20-years. And all through the year, he straddles the fence of working in his agency and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies in a variety of ways.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with a lot of agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Gross Billings vs. Adjusted Gross Income * How agencies lose money when pricing * Why scope creep leads to little or no profit * Why your agency needs to issue change orders and how to turn this into a process * Why you need to use the one page business plan * How to know if you need a better new business plan (hint: you probably do) * Why you need a tax advisor not a tax preparer
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jason Swenk calls himself the defender of truth, justice, and effective business practices. 16-years ago, he founded a digital agency and they worked with clients like AFLAC, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and LegalZoom. He sold that agency and is now working with agencies, teaching them to use cutting-edge business strategies to defend themselves against the competition. His website, www.jasonswenk.com, has a plethora of information dedicated to educating agency owners including Agency Insights, his weekly newsletter.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Jason prepared his agency for sale * The importance of systems inside an agency * What to do when the systems you put in place make you nonessential for day-to-day operations * Lead generation: why is this the biggest pain point for agencies and what can be done about it * How agencies can deliver exceptional value to clients willing to pay a premium price and how to get those clients in the first place * How to recognize which clients to seek out and which to avoid * Jason’s Agency Playbook * Things agencies do to get in their own way * Agencies and niche: why you need to start very, very small * What can agencies do right now to take action on the ideas in this episode
Ways to Contact Jason Swenk: * Website: www.jasonswenk.com * Playbook: jasonswenk.com/playbook * Podcast: jasonswenk.com/category/podcasts
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Joe Pulizzi is the founder of Content Marketing Institute, the leading education and training organization for content marketing, which includes the largest in-person content marketing event in the world, Content Marketing World. Joe is the winner of the 2014 John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement Award from the Content Council. Joe’s fourth book “Content Inc.” was just released. His third book, “Epic Content Marketing” was named one of “Five Must-Read Business Books of 2013” by Fortune Magazine.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What agencies and clients need to do to develop a content marketing strategy that actually succeeds * Why you need to focus on your email list more than people you are connected with on social media * How agencies can leverage their own content better * Why you need to focus on content in specific platforms over trying to be everywhere * What differentiates the agencies that do content marketing extremely well * Old school deliverables that still work today * Why you need content marketing mission statement * Why the editing process is a crucial part of content marketing * The ways smart agencies get smart enough to create valuable content * Things agencies can do right now to get the content marketing techniques discussed in this episode rolling * Joe’s events
Ways to Contact Joe Pulizzi: * Twitter: @joepulizzi * Website: content-inc.com * Website: epiccontentmarketing.com * Website: contentmarketinginstitute.com * Event: www.intelligentcontentconference.com * Event: www.contentmarketingworld.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Donya Powell has been a CPA and consultant for 23 years in the advertising/marcomm industry. She learned the industry working as a contract CFO for an agency early in her career and continues to serve as a remote CFO for agencies today. She has worked through several merger and acquisition deals with agency clients as she consults with agencies across the US on operations, agency compensation agreements, merger and acquisitions and succession planning.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Misconceptions agency owners have about the value of their agency * Donya’s spreadsheet for assessing your financial picture during retirement * Understanding your agency’s normalized EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) * Factors that severely impact your agency’s value in a negative way * What you may need to change in your agency’s books * Things on the financial statement that agency owners often ignore that they really need to pay attention to * What financials agency owners should be looking at every week, month, and quarter * Budgets: can modern, project-based agencies use them? * Mistakes agencies make in regards to taxes and tax strategies to take advantage of * How to know if your agency is structured as a corporation in the correct way * Things to think about when planning the selling your agency * Factors that play into an agency sale falling through * Things agency owners can do right now to start improving their agency’s financial health with the idea of an eventual sale
Ways to Contact Donya Powell: * Email: donya@consultiium.com * Phone: (303) 932-1193
Resources: * AMI Monthly Financial Report (Mac) * AMI Monthly Financial Report (PC)
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Don Beehler has worked with news media from local to international levels and has won numerous professional awards throughout his career. He also has co-authored or ghostwritten three books for clients and has a blog called The Art of Telling Your Story.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The dramatic changes PR has seen over the years * How agencies can use PR as a strategic tool to drive new business * How to determine what stories to pitch * Ways you can become discoverable so that reporters can find you * The kind of news that is truly newsworthy for agencies * Why you shouldn’t think about using PR with the expectation that people will write stories about your agency * How agencies can get the right kind of attention * Incorporating PR into your business plan * How to correctly use PR in relation to speaking engagements * How to use Google Alerts to capitalize on PR opportunity * The steps to take right away to boost your PR
Ways to Contact Don Beehler: * Email: don@abcdcommunications.com * Website: www.donbeehler.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency over the last 20-years. And all through the year, he straddles the fence of working in his agency and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies in a variety of ways.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with a lot of agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The employee shortage: why it’s happening right now * What agency employees want most (and how to use this to attract and retain them) * Things that will cause employees to leave * The best benefits you can offer to attract and retain employees * How you can compete with the corporate world for employees * Why you need to be actively looking for employees, even if you don’t need them right now
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Gareth Kay is a strategist by trade. He’s co-founder of Chapter, a creative business partner dedicated to solving the wicked problems facing pioneering businesses. Prior to setting up Chapter, Gareth was Chief Strategy Officer and Partner at Goodby, Silverstein and Partners and the Head of Planning at Modernista! In his decade in the US, Gareth has led strategy on brands including Google, Cisco, TD Ameritrade, the NBA, General Motors, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. and (RED).
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Gareth’s decision to venture off and start Chapter * What makes Chapter truly unique * How to build a business model and hire employees when the work you do is very diverse * Becoming a client’s partner through absolute transparency * How to generate new business when you’re in the project based business * Creating ideas and solutions vs creating “stuff” * How Chapter develops and retains its staff * The importance of transparency with your employees * How Gareth’s perspective has changed since making the jump into ownership * Things agencies can do to move away from widget sales to selling ideas and problem solving
Ways to Contact Gareth Kay: * Twitter: @garethk * Company Twitter: @chaptersf * Email: gareth@chaptersf.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support
Rohit Bhargava is a non-obvious trend curator and an expert in helping brands and leaders be more influential. He is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of five books on topics as wide ranging as the future of business, building a brand with personality, and why leaders never eat cauliflower. Rohit has advised hundreds of global brands as the Senior Vice President of Global Strategy & Planning at Ogilvy and with his own firm, Influential Marketing Group. He also teaches marketing at Georgetown University. A two-time TEDx speaker, Rohit has keynoted events in 31 countries and is regularly featured as a marketing expert by media such as The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and NPR.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Working as a solopreneur vs. working in an agency * Rohit’s trend report that started as a blog post * Habits for being a trend spotter * Big trends for 2016 * VR: How Virtual Reality can become important to agencies * Data overload: what will happen when all the data available to different parties eventually gets pooled together? * Understand your clients’ true needs and becoming their true partner * Architecting an Innovation Day to open up your clients’ wallets * How to teach trend-creating thinking to employees coming out of college
Ways to Contact Rohit Bhargava: * Website: www.rohitbhargava.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rohitbhargava * Twitter: @rohitbhargava * “Non Obvious” Book Website: nonobviousbook.com * More Books: www.rohitbhargava.com/books-publications
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Tom Martin, author of “Invisible Sale,” has been in the agency life for many years. He has spent 20 years driving new business for agencies. In 2010, he created Converse Digital, an agency that focuses on doing business differently.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How new business has changed over the years * Why clients no longer believe in hiring just one agency * How to define your value to your clients when delivering ideas instead of “stuff” * Correctly positioning your agency in the days when your client first discovers you * Painless Prospecting: how to get great leads to find you * Can Painless Prospecting work for generalists? * The risks of delegating the Painless Prospecting process * What your content has to do for your Painless Prospecting process to work * Why giving away your secret sauce is never going to implode your business * Tom’s propinquity theory on marketing today * What you can do right now to get started on the business development path discussed in this episode
Ways to Contact Tom Martin: * Website: www.conversedigital.com * Twitter: @TomMartin * Book: "Invisible Sale"
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Ron Baker is the founder of VeraSage Institute, a leading think tank dedicated to educating professionals internationally, and a radio talk-show host called The Soul of Enterprise: Business in the Knowledge Economy. Ron is the author of seven best-selling books, including “The Firm of the Future,” “Pricing on Purpose,” and “The Soul of Enterprise: Dialogues on Business in the Knowledge Economy,” co-authored with Ed Kless.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Ron believes that the billable hour and the timesheet need to go
- Value pricing: the differences between different pricing plans
- Ways to add in additional value that isn’t more “stuff”
- How to start a value conversation
- The typical agency objections of value pricing and why they’re false
- How to succeed at the transition to value pricing
- Other kinds of mistakes agencies make when shifting towards value pricing
- The major benefits for focusing on value and the customer
- Action steps that agencies can take when deciding whether or not to utilize value pricing
Ways to Contact Ron Baker: * Website: www.verasage.com * Email: ron@verasage.com * LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ronbaker1 * Twitter: @ronaldbaker * Radio Talk Show: www.thesoulofenterprise.com
Ron's Books: * "The Firm of the Future" * "Pricing on Purpose" * "The Soul of Enterprise: Dialogues on Business in the Knowledge Economy"
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency over the last 20-years. And all through the year, he straddles the fence of working in his agency and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies in a variety of ways.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with a lot of agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Common ways internal fraud is committed and ways to prevent it from happening * How agencies are targeted with email scams * The ways Drew has seen agency employees embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from agencies * The systems you need to put in place to prevent fraud
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
When Google wants to explain innovation and marketing to the top brands in the world, they bring Mitch Joel to the Googleplex in Mountain View, California. Marketing Magazine dubbed him the "Rock Star of Digital Marketing" and called him, "one of North America's leading digital visionaries." Mitch Joel is President of Mirum – a global digital marketing agency operating in 20 countries with over 2500 employees (although he prefers the title, Media Hacker). He has been named one of the top 100 online marketers in the world and was awarded the highly prestigious Canada's Top 40 Under 40.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Mirum’s unique structure * Generalists vs specialists: the philosophical and financial reasons agencies should specialize instead of generalizing * How to figure out if a client is a good fit for your agency * Mad Men vs Math Men: how to blend creative and data * Why it’s more important than ever to stay hungry and keep learning everything you can * Do your homework: how to balance learning time with time spent on client work * “Algorhythm”: Mitch’s upcoming book * Tools Mitch uses for consistent learning
Ways to Contact Mitch Joel: * Website: mitchjoel.com * Agency website: www.mirumagency.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jody Sutter started her career in sales and ended up working in agencies leading the new business teams. Today she runs The Sutter Company, a business development consultancy. She spends a lot of time working with agencies to take a more proactive approach to growing their business with a special emphasis on how they communicate and tell their unique story.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why strong writing is more important than ever in our digital age * The major mistakes that agencies make when presenting themselves in writing * How to avoid making the big mistakes agencies make when responding to RFPs * Why editing is so important for improving your team’s writing, how to get good at it, and what you should keep in mind if you are outsourcing the editing * How agencies can differentiate themselves through storytelling * The Pixar pitch * The “5 things that you can do to make your writing better right away” checklist * What you need to do to assess whether or not your writing needs improvement
Ways to Contact Jody Sutter: * Website: www.thesuttercompany.com * Email: jody@thesuttercompany.com * Twitter: @jodysutter
Resources: * Points of Contact Matrix * Pixar Pitch/Writer’s Checklist
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Nick Westergaard is a strategist, speaker, author, and educator. He is the chief brand strategist at Brand Driven Digital, where he helps organizations build better brands online. He teaches at the University of Iowa in the Tippie College of Business, is a regular columnist on The Cedar Rapids Gazette, and is also the host of the popular podcast, “On Brand.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Nick took his traditional agency and transitioned it to becoming a digital powerhouse * The differences and similarities between traditional and digital marketing and why they really aren’t all that different * Social Brand Forum: Brand Driven Digital’s yearly live event * The business strategy behind having a live event * Why you should get out and attend events * The importance of prioritizing your agency as a client * Why experimentation is so important for your agency’s success
Ways to Contact Nick Westergaard: * Website: www.branddrivendigital.com * Twitter: @NickWestergaard
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Lee McKnight Jr. is the Director of Business Development for RSW/US in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are a new business development firm that works solely with agencies and marketing services firms. After graduating law school, he ran away as fast possible from that profession and worked for an internet healthcare start-up until the bubble burst and his magical stock options disappeared in the late 90s.
Fast forward through some interesting marketing and sales positions to RSW/US where Lee has spent the last 8 years working with agencies of all types to help drive their new business efforts. A big fan of history, comics and horror novels, he’s currently in a few bands in Louisville and Cincinnati and likes to pretend that chicks dig married, 44-year-old guys with kids that play in cover bands.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to prevent your agency from making the major mistakes that agencies make all the time * Why agencies need to specialize instead of generalize * New business: how to develop a better, simpler process * How to use a delicately balanced process that uses all different kinds of marketing * Why patience is so key in closing on new business * The importance of having one person who is the leader on a project * Why there needs to be a balance between showcasing the figurehead and the agency * The tools you’re going to need to put into practice the objectives discussed in this episode
Ways to Contact Lee McKnight Jr.: * Website: www.rswus.com * Email: lee@rswus.com * Twitter: @LeeMcKnightJr
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency over the last 20-years. And all through the year, he straddles the fence of working in his agency and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies in a variety of ways.
AMI works with agency owners:
- By leading agency owner peer groups
- Offers workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offers AE bootcamps
- Conducts individual agency owner coaching
- Does on site consulting.
Because he works with a lot of agencies every year -- he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Stale employees: how to recognize them and why they’re holding your agency back * Can these employees be saved? It’s a firm maybe. * How to have the necessary conversation with stale employees -- you owe them honesty * The kinds of goals to set to see measurable change and growth before determining their place inside your agency * The costs to you as an agency owner for working with stale employees to up their game * How to recognize if you really do have to let the employee go * How to make a decision while realizing that you aren’t the only person it affects
Ways to contact Drew McLellan: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Art Boulay is the owner of Strategic Talent Management and offers common sense solutions for hiring better employees and making current employees stronger. Art has partnered with AMI for years and has created (through testing A players) profiles for the ideal candidates for most agency specific positions.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Assessment tools for hiring the right employee lead to more objective and effective hiring * How Art’s tools can assess agencies, what makes them unique, and how that will help to find the right future employees * From hire to retire: what employers and employees should do to ensure that employees don’t leave right away * How to use assessments to counteract biases that we bring to the table during the hiring process * Why asking specific types of questions and having at least two people conducting an interview will reveal what you actually need to know about interviewees * Tips for making ads as attractive as possible to the people you want to hire and unappealing to people you don’t even want to interview * Why age is not an indicator of knowledge and skill: hire leaders, not experience
Ways to Contact Art Boulay: * Website: www.strategictalentmgmt.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Ann Handley speaks and writes about how you can rethink the way your business markets. Cited in Forbes as the most influential woman in Social Media and recognized by ForbesWoman as one of the top 20 women bloggers, Ann Handley is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs, a training and education company with the largest community of marketers in its category. Her book, "Everybody Writes: Your Go-to Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content," is a Wall Street Journal bestseller.
She is a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur magazine, a member of the LinkedIn Influencer program, and co-author of the best-selling book on content marketing, "Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, eBooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business." She currently has 290,000 followers on Twitter and writes about content, marketing, and life at AnnHandley.com.
A pioneer in digital marketing, Ann is the co-founder of ClickZ.com, which was one of the first sources of interactive marketing news and commentary. She started her career as a business journalist and editor.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How agencies can educate their clients * The MarketingProfs B2B Forum * Strategies for working on better content instead of lots of content * Why you need to focus on writing during the hiring process and throughout your agency’s work * Resources for editing whether you have the budget for a human editor or not * Why you need to find writers with an audience-centric point of view (and the pros and cons of hiring journalists) * Tips for creating spaces for creating your best writing
Ways to Contact Ann Handley: * Website: www.annhandley.com * Twitter: @annhandley * Twitter: @marketingprofs * Company website: www.marketingprofs.com * B2B Marketing Forum: mpb2b.marketingprofs.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jami Oetting is the editor of Hubspot’s Agency Post, which is a blog for advertising and marketing agency professionals. She led the launch of the publication in 2011 and its growth before Hubspot acquired it in 2013. Hubspot works with about 2,500 agency partners and about 15,000 customers worldwide. Now, Jami’s blog is one of the largest blogs for agency professionals. It offers incredible content to help agency leaders grow their business.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How agencies can and should be getting clients now that we’re not bound by geography * Why getting business through referrals is still viable -- but why the source of those referrals is changing * Why buyers have as much if not more information than sellers and what that means for your agency * Using inbound marketing to attract the right kind of clients (and turn away the wrong ones) * Why you need to stick with inbound marketing content creation * Why you absolutely must specialize on a niche if you want to survive * Why you will struggle to attract great employees if you don’t have a strong new business plan * Why you need someone on your team who is responsible for marketing your agency * How to come up with content for your blog * Why interviews are a great way to create content * What agency owners can do right now to get the ideas from this podcast into place
Ways to Contact Jami Oetting: * Website: blog.hubspot.com/agency * Email: joetting@hubspot.com * Twitter: @jamioetting
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Gavin is a marketing technologist, strategist, and advisor. He is the founder of the Disruptor’s Handbook, a network of entrepreneurs and innovators that help businesses innovate like startups, which Gavin calls “marketing lead innovation.”
He has led new venture startups for organizations like PwC, developed digital strategy and execution for global brands on both the agency and client sides, and spent some time as an analyst in digital transformation for award-winning analyst and advisory firm, Constellation Research.
He also has extensive international experience in driving measurable outcomes via digital customer experience platforms, digital strategy, and executing innovative content driven campaigns.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Gavin’s long road that ultimately led him to become a marketer * Creating value for customers by working on their problems * The evolving role of agencies * Why you have to be transparent about what it is that you do * How to get your employees to become better strategic thinkers * A “lean canvas” and creating a business out of the problem that has an idea as a solution * How to have better business conversations * Improving your business by bringing together your best advocates and harshest critics * Getting past the fear that comes with working transparently * What agencies can do today to become better at honing in on their clients’ problems * Tips for fostering innovative thinking throughout your entire organization * Why you need to start thinking like a startup
Ways to Contact Gavin Heaton: * Website: www.servantofchaos.com * Handbook website: disruptorshandbook.com * Twitter: @servantofchaos
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The things we say about our agencies that make them all sound the same * The terms every agency uses to describe themselves * Why you can’t say you’re good at everything * Finding clients that are the right fit * Understanding who you are as an agency * The benefits of defining your “why” * Remembering that hiring your agency is a huge risk for the person making that decision and what you can do to alleviate that person’s fears * An example: how my agency McLellan Marketing Group defines itself
Ways to contact Drew: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Brian Shea is the founder of Shea Consulting where he helps companies streamline their business development systems so they can enjoy consistent, sustainable success. Most business owners flinch at the word “systems” but in reality a system that is simple and repeatable helps free business owners to be more creative, more successful and more profitable.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Brian’s background in consulting * What is keeping smaller companies from utilizing processes and systems * Why systems and processes are so crucial for scaling * Freeing up capacity through delegation * Why processes and systems can often fail inside agencies * Making sure the system or process matches the actual problem * The four-step assessment Brian uses with his clients for finding the right systems * The importance on getting clear with specific goals * Who in an agency keeps systems from succeeding * How to bring processes to agencies that pride themselves on their creativity * What happens when systems aren’t put in place * How to solve the scope creep problem * What systems every agency needs to have * What you can do today to begin being more process driven
Ways to Contact Brian Shea: * Consulting website: www.sheaconsulting.biz * Blog and newsletter: www.sheaconsulting.biz/blog
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Adam Carroll is quickly being recognized as one of the top financial educators in the country based on his core message of “you are the architect of your own life.” Adam has presented all over the globe. Over 500 universities have been lucky enough to host him and he has presented some amazing TedTalks all over the world.
In 2014, Adam successfully crowdfunded a documentary on student loan debt titled Broke, Busted & Disgusted, and he raised nearly $70,000 for the film in 45 days. The mission of the film is to start a national debate about changing the way we fund college and not crippling 20 something’s with mountains of debt.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Adam’s documentary “Broke, Busted, & Disgusted” * Accountability and business owners: why you need accountability partners * What agencies should be doing at the tail end of the year * How Adam saves time for his family by using a Power Priority List * What to look for (and look out for) in an accountability partner * What different kinds of accountability partners you should have (hint: they shouldn’t all be entrepreneurs) * Mastermind groups vs. accountability partners: do you need both? If not, which one is right for you? * The commitment required for mastermind groups and accountability partners * What you can do right now to act on the ideas from this episode
Adam Recommends: * Book: Essentialism by Greg McKeown * Book: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill * Podcast: Dream, Think, Do by Mitch Matthews, episode: "Masterminds"
Adam Carroll's Websites: * Business Website: www.adamspeaks.com * Podcast: www.buildabiggerlife.com * Film: www.brokebusteddisgusted.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jay Baer is known for many things. He’s the world’s most retweeted digital marketer. He is also a renowned business strategist, keynote speaker, and The New York Times bestselling author of five books.
He also travels the globe helping people get and keep more customers. He’s the founder of Convince & Convert, a strategy consulting firm that helps prominent companies gain and keep more customers through the smart intersection of technology, social media, and customer service. His company’s media division owns the world's number one content marketing blog, the world’s top marketing podcast, and many other educational resources for business owners and executives.
Jay has created five multimillion-dollar companies and is an active venture capitalist and technology advisor as well as an avid tequila collector and certified barbeque judge. His new book, Hug Your Haters, is coming out on March 1st.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Jay’s new book “Hug Your Haters” and what you need to know about the people who complain on social media * How to use this information to increase your customer advocacy * Why complaints are going to continue to go more and more public * Defining customer experience in the modern age * Why this creates enormous opportunity for B2B buyers * Why haters are your most important customers * The problem with surveys * The Honest Audit: what this is and how to put it into place * Things that agencies have to be careful of when discussing these issues with clients * Software solutions that agencies of all size can leverage * How agencies should package and price this sort of work * What agencies can do right now to get started
Ways to contact Jay Baer: * Website: www.convinceandconvert.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Bob Sanders is a powerhouse in the marketing industry. He has previously worked with Agency Management Group, a firm that specialized in the operations, finance, and technology consultations for multinational agencies around the world. Since then, he has become the leader of Sanders Consulting Group, a leading consulting firm specializing in helping agencies implement best practices faster and more effectively.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How agencies can manipulate chemistry to their advantage * The four quadrants people fall into and why this is an important thing to be able to assess when pitching new business * Why you should never stop generating new business * What agencies can do to get better at closing sales * Strategies that work with big and small accounts * Why spec creative isn’t something to be feared * How to play on the misperception that agencies live exciting lives * Why you need to alter your pitch based on who you’re pitching to * How to be persistent to the point where potential clients are always thinking about you * What your agency needs to do today to get on the right track in terms of new business
Ways to contact Bob Sanders: * Website: www.sandersconsulting.com * Twitter: @newbusinesshawk * Email: bob@sandersconsulting.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How you are preventing your employees from becoming the employees you want them to be * Why every employee needs weekly one-on-one meetings with their direct supervisor * How to get your employees to run these meetings * The form that needs to be filled out before one of these meetings takes place * How these meetings can help you celebrate the wins you might not know about if you didn’t have these meetings
Documents: * Direct Report Form
Ways to contact Drew: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Susan Baier began her career as a brand manager for companies like Dial and Conoco-Philips. She also worked agency side and within client companies in their research departments, honing her skills as a research professional.
Recognizing that primary research was often too expensive for small to mid-sized agencies, she launched Audience Audit, where she conducts quantitative attitudinal audience segmented research. She helps her agency clients develop marketing strategy for their clients based on customer insights. They find it much easier to develop messaging, strategic plans, and business development plans with real data that helps them understand how customers who look (demographically) the same behave in very different ways and what motives those choices and behaviors.
Over the past few years, AMI and Audience Audit have partnered together for studies on how business owners find agencies, their attitudes towards working with agencies, and more.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How the research that Audience Audit does differs from a lot of the research that’s out there * How your agency can leverage research inside your agency-client relationships * The ways agencies can better sell the value of research to existing and prospective clients * Why agencies can’t build their business around “shiny toys” * The ways research has changed and why agencies shouldn’t be afraid to bring it to clients that they haven’t done research with in the past * How bringing research to clients can give them a sense of relief and make it easier for your agency to retain their business * A specific example of how this kind of targeted research helped a client in a big way * The mistakes agencies make when trying bring research into their shop * Why niche really matters when it comes to research * Baby steps agencies can take to start incorporating research
Ways to contact Susan Baier: * Website: www.audienceaudit.com * Email: susan@audienceaudit.com * Twitter: @susanbaier
Resources: * 2015 research * 2014 research
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Chuck Meyst has been in sales all his life, from his childhood bike route to CEO and founder of AgencyFinder.com, a matchmaking service for agencies.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Chuck started AgencyFinder and how it works * Why agency descriptions of themselves should be results-focused * What both clients and agencies need to do well to find the right partner * The big mistakes agencies make with their websites * Sales: why do agencies not like this word? * The traits Chuck sees in terrible employees * Why processes are so important, especially when it comes to sales * The characteristics in agencies that clients love to see * How agencies win business through pure chemistry * What AgencyFinder does to assess agencies and how to receive that perfect score of 100 * How AgencyFinder helps agencies team up with clients that are great matches * Things agencies can do today to improve upon the topics discussed in this episode
Ways to Contact Chuck: * Website: www.agencyfinder.com * Email: chuck@agencyfinder.com * Phone: (804)346-1812
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Karl Sakas served as the #2 man in a couple different digital agencies before he created the Marketing Agencies community at Inbound.org, which has over 1,000 agencies in 48 countries. As president of Sakas and Company, Karl advises agencies worldwide about strategy, operations, and leadership.
He also volunteers as a bartender on a 1930’s railroad car. He has recently published a book entitled, “The In Demand Marketing Agency: How to Use Public Speaking to Become an Agency of Choice.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why Karl launched Sakas and Company * High-growth agencies vs. lifestyle agencies * How agency owners can do what they love without getting sucked into the day-to-day client work * How to turn a high-growth agency into an asset that can actually be sold * Things that get in the way of the growth and scaling of agencies and how to fix them * Karl’s Time Bucket Template for improving time management * How agency owners looking to sell their agency should spend their time * Action steps agency owners can take to put these theories into practice
Recommended books and resources * The In-Demand Marketing Agency: How to Use Public Speaking to Become an Agency of Choice * Karl's Time Bucket Template * Don't Just Make the Logo Bigger: Taking Clients from Painful to Profitable * Don’t Be the Shoemaker: And 11 Other Easy-to-Implement Ideas to Improve Your Agency * Escape Plan: Your Guide to Finally Getting Out of the Office * Website: www.sakasandcompany.com * Email: karl@sakasandcompany.com * Twitter: @karlsakas and @sakasandco
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Before Trent Dyrsmid started a digital agency called Groove, he founded Dyrand Systems, a managed IT service provider that was recognized twice as one of Canada’s PROFIT Magazine’s 100 fastest growing companies. During his 8 years as CEO, Trent was fortunate to have been recognized as one of the Top 40 under 40 business people in Vancouver, B.C.
In addition to overseeing Groove, Trent is also the host of the Bright Ideas podcast, where he regularly publishes interviews with some of today’s brightest entrepreneurs.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Trent’s journey into entrepreneurship, leaving to become an employee, and his return to being his own boss * Why Trent created Bright Ideas and Groove Digital Marketing * The importance of creating a business that works within a niche * Generating leads through a lead magnet * Why you should be targeting leads on Facebook * How to make your agency more valuable by creating systems and getting out of the client work * What’s next for agency owners that have successfully built the systems that allow them to take a step away from their agency * Action steps for putting in place the topics discussed in this episode
Trent Dyrsmid Recommends: * E-myth by Michael Gerber * A Stake in the Outcome by Jack Stack * www.brightideas.co/whats-next * Bright Ideas interviews Brian Clark: www.brightideas.co/145
Contact Trent Dyrsmid: * Website: www.brightideas.co
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. For the past 21 years, he has also owned and operated his own agency. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an active agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year, give him a unique perspective on running an agency today.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why planning ahead is so important and why your agency can’t ignore it * The Agency Owner Life Plan * The One Page Business Plan * Steps you can take to hold you and your leadership teams accountable on the goals you set together
Documents: * Drew's completed 2016 Agency Owner Life Plan document * Blank Agency Owner Life Plan document * Blank Agency One Page Business Plan document
Ways to contact Drew: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jay Friedman is a nationally recognized and accomplished digital media expert, speaker, and author. You will often find him speaking at conferences, writing for lead publications, websites, and books. He recently authored the incredibly well written, information packed 7th edition of “Thirty Days to PAID Digital Media Expertise.” He is, without question, a well-versed expert on digital media and programmatic buying.
In 2006, Jay joined Goodway Group to launch the digital division. Now in 2015, Goodway has more than 200 clients across the country.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Programmatic buying: what is it? * Why programmatic buying is much more effective than traditional ad buying models * How to know whether to bring programmatic buying in-house or work with a partner and rules for both options * Jay’s action plan for jumping into programmatic * Why programmatic partners have to continually educate their agencies * The qualities that the agencies that do programmatic well all have in common * How agencies can succeed by adapting the Airbnb and the Uber model * What agencies need to do to be good partners to their programmatic partners
Websites Jay recommends: * www.AdExchanger.com * www.goodwaygroup.com * www.mediapost.com
Ways to contact Jay: * Email: jay@goodwaygroup.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Douglas Burdett is a B2B marketing agency principle. He is a former artillery officer, and his agency, Artillery, helps agencies get found online, convert website traffic into leads, and nurture leads towards a sale. Douglas authors two marketing blogs, Forward Observer and Fire Support, and he hosts The Marketing Book Podcast.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The importance of niche for creating a market * How to run a niche blog that acts as lure for your other services * Why buying email addresses is a bad idea * Why absolute patience is key whenever you are creating content * The Marketing Book Podcast * How Douglas automates the promotion of his evergreen content * Why Douglas only conducts one podcast interview per week * Great productivity software Douglas and his team use * Tips and resources for getting your own podcast started
Ways to contact Douglas Burdett: * Agency website: www.artillerymarketing.com * Email: douglas@artillerymarketing.com
Douglas Burdett’s Blogs and Podcast: * Forward Observer: http://www.artillerymarketing.com/blog * Fire Support: http://www.defensecontractormarketing.com * The Marketing Book Podcast: http://www.artillerymarketing.com/marketing-book-podcast
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Mitch Matthews is a keynote speaker, a success coach, and a bestselling author. He has an amazing podcast titled Dream, Think, Do. Mitch works with leaders from companies such as NASA, Disney, Booking.com, and more. He is passionate about coaching entrepreneurs and leaders to dream bigger, think better, and do more of the stuff they love.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why mentoring your employees is so important * Mentorship 2.0: how to structure your mentor/mentee relationships to draw out the best results * The dangers of “getting a PhD in mentoring” * Mentoring with the CEO vs. CFO model * How to equip employees to make decisions * The fundamental differences between how we were brought up and how millennials were brought up and how to deal with these differences * How to mentor someone who is skilled in areas that you aren’t * Mitch’s “Mentor Manager Cheat Sheet”
Book Recommendations: * "Drive," by Dan Pink * "IGNITE" (2nd Edition), by Mitch Matthews * Mentoring Cheat Sheet
Ways to Contact Mitch: * Website: www.mitchmatthews.com * Podcast: www.mitchmatthews.com/blog
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Sharon Toerek is an intellectual and property law attorney. Her national firm, Toerek Law, works with clients all over the country, devoting time to helping creative professionals protect, enforce and monetize their creative assets. Sharon consults with clients on legal issues surrounding copywriting, content protection, licensing of creative content, trademark and brand protection, and more.
She is the former President of the American Ad Federation (AAF) Cleveland and serves on the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) Legal Consultant panel.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * The most common legal concerns agencies have * The big misperceptions that get agencies into hot water * How and why you need to structure agreements with freelancers and clients * The Legal and Creative Agency Protection System * The big legal issues that are holding agencies back * Employees and social media: the policies you need to put in place with your employees to protect your agency * Some things you can do at low to no cost to protect your agency legally
Resources Sharon provides: * Website: www.legalandcreative.com * Website: www.agencylegalprotection.com
- Developed as a result of FAQ’s Sharon was receiving, Agency Legal Protection is a legal toolkit for marketing agencies.
Ways to contact Sharon: * Email: Sharon@legalandcreative.com * Twitter: @SharonToerek
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Drew McLellan is the Top Dog at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency over the last 20-years. And all through the year, he straddles the fence of working in his agency and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies in a variety of ways.
AMI works with agency owners by:
- Leading agency owner peer groups
- Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams
- Offering AE bootcamps
- Conducting individual agency owner coaching
- Doing on-site consulting
- Offering online courses in agency new business and account service
Because he works with a lot of agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How to know if you are spending too much time on client work * Why your agency’s growth suffers when you spend your time on client work * The specific areas where you should actually be spending your time
Ways to contact Drew: * Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Stephen Woessner is CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the brilliant Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, The Small Business Owner’s Handbook to Search Engine Optimization and Increase Online Sales Through Viral Social Networking. His digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Inc. Magazine and more. His agency blends education in very transparent ways for clients.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * How Stephen’s agency blends education into what they do for their clients * How you can charge a premium fee while building trust and proving expertise * What needs to be changed to fix the money draining mistakes that are sucking money out of your business * Predictive ROI’s scorecard * The modern agency ecosphere * Data vs. traditional creative: how do you blend them? * Why Predictive ROI had to completely rewrite their client contract agreement * How their money-back guarantee has helped them retain clients longer * Strategies to use to assert your intelligence to clients and earn them money * How to combat the fear of criticism
Ways to contact Stephen: * Company Website: www.predictiveroi.com * Podcast Website: www.onwardnation.com * Email: stephen@predictiveroi.com * Twitter: @StephenWoessner
Books:
- The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization
- Increase Online Sales Through Viral Social Networking
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Peter Levitan builds successful brands, digital technologies, publishing and advertising environments, and highly effective marketing programs for Fortune 500 companies. He has 30 years of experience running Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide, his own Portland Agency, and as the CEO of two Internet start-ups.
What you'll learn about in this episode: * The major mistakes agencies make in regards to bringing on new business * How to create distinction using your website and the reason most agency websites aren’t attractive to clients * The ways agencies are doing sales wrong and what can be done about it * Specialization vs. generalization: how to specialize and still have fun * The kind of research Peter’s agency does that helps them look better than their competition * Why you should stop using the term “full-service” if you want to position your agency against your competition * They ways many agencies and agency owners are failing when it comes to their content
Recommended books and resources: * The Levitan Pitch. Buy This Book. Win More Pitches.
Websites (not his):
- www.londonadvertising.com
- www.frankpr.com
- www.L2inc.com
Books (not his):
- Seth Godin’s books
- Poke the Box
- All Marketers Are Liars
- We Are All Weird: The Rise of Tribes and the End of Normal
- Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
Ways to Contact Peter: * Website: www.peterlevitan.com * Email: peter@peterlevitan.com * Twitter: @PeterLevitan
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Jason Falls is one of the most widely read and respected voices in digital marketing and social media industries today. He leads digital strategy for Elasticity and he also shares his no-nonsense ideas regularly on his own website, www.jasonfalls.com.
He is the author of some great books, including “No Bullshit Social Media” and “The Rebel’s Guide to Email Marketing.”
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * Why social cannot be an upsell * The benefits of putting your pride aside, admitting you can’t do everything, and partnering your agency up with other agencies * Why you need to be truly honest with yourself about what your agency’s strengths and weaknesses are * How to protect your agency when partnering with other agencies * How millennials are changing the entire landscape of our world and what we need to do to adapt * The action steps you can take to start partnering up with the right agencies
Recommended books and resources: * No Bullshit Social Media * The Rebel’s Guide to Email Marketing * Website: www.jasonfalls.com * Twitter: @jasonfalls * Website: www.goelastic.com
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!
Scott is an international recognized leader in digital communications, digital transformation, social media, and marketing. He is the principal of Scott Monty Strategies where he counsels brands and agencies on strategy, executive communications, influencer management, customer experience, and digital innovations.
He has extensive experience in communications and marketing agencies, including a client base of IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences, Coca-Cola, American Airlines, T-Mobile, GE Software, and more.
He has also authored the widely acclaimed Week in Digital newsletter at ScottMonty.com and is the executive editor and co-host of the Sherlock Holmes website and podcast “I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.
What you’ll learn about in this episode: * What Scott learned about agency/client relationships while working at Ford * The qualities in agencies that clients want to keep around * The things agencies tend to do that get on clients’ nerves * How Scott sells his consulting services by having a side career giving speeches * Why understanding humans on a deep level is an important strategy to work on * “The Week In Digital”: Scott’s weekly newsletter * Scott’s great strategy for getting to the core of ideas
Ways to Contact Scott: * Company Website: www.ScottMonty.com * Sherlock Holmes site/podcast: http://www.ihearofsherlock.com * Email: scott@scottmonty.com * Twitter: @ScottMonty
We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!