GYDA Initiative

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In this GYDA Talks, Rob talks to Ryan Hall of Friday Solved, a consulting company that helps businesses solve their sales problems with sustainable and scalable solutions.

Over the last 20+ years of experience in positioning, proposition design, and sales strategy, Ryan has helped lead global brands such as Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Sky, M&S, First Direct, Trainline, Vodafone, The Independent, UBS, Bank of America and The Times buy market-leading solutions.

His passion is to share his expertise and insights with other founders, CEOs and business leaders who want to create a market position that stands out in a B2B market.

Rob and Ryan discuss strategies for digital agency owners to attract clients and help their clients do the same, focusing on Ryan's "don't sell" philosophy outlined in his book, which aims to build trust and buyability rather than pushing services.

They address the common issues of broad agency positioning, challenges with founder-led sales, the importance of systemising sales efforts, and shifting from being service-led to solution-focused by understanding customer needs.

Ryan emphasised that providing value and knowledge freely is key to effective sales and building authority.

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Will is SUSO’s founder and CEO. He started the company in 2014 as a two-person consultancy business and has transformed it into a team of forty specialists providing technical SEO services for clients in a wide range of industries.

While building SUSO, he has gained experience scaling a team of SEO experts and developed an international team based in Poland. Will values a people-first culture, which allows every one of SUSO’s employees to strive for the best in a safe, stimulating, and supportive environment.

Robert Craven interviewed Will Bagnall about Suso Digital's history, growth, and adaptation to the evolving digital landscape, including their specialisation in SEO, overcoming scaling challenges through talent strategies, and successful white-label partnerships.

They also discussed the significant impact of AI on search and Suso Digital's proactive approach to integrating AI into their services and strategies for the future. Will Bagnall advised new agencies to prioritise brand building and maintain perspective in their work.

Introduction to Suso Digital
Evolution from Full-Service to Niche Focus
Breaking the Growth Barrier
The White Label Strategy
Strategy vs. Luck in Business Growth
Impact of AI on the Agency Landscape
Suso Digital's Approach to AI
The Significance of Thought Leadership and Brand Building
Future Outlook for Suso Digital
Advice for Small Agencies

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This podcast features a conversation between Robert Craven and John Readman, discussing John's career in digital marketing and the evolution of agency models.

John has over 25 years of experience in sales and digital marketing, scaling martech, SaaS and agency businesses.

Currently, he’s building ASK BOSCO® - Marketing Analytics AI and Modo25 - Digital Marketing Inhousing - a business he set up with Bonamy Grimes, the Founder of Skyscanner, to revolutionize the way brands and agencies work with their performance data and teams in increase sales and reduce ad spend.

Here are the key points:

John Readman's Career Journey

Started in marketing technology, selling postcode software and email marketing solutions
Worked with several digital marketing agencies, including Epiphany and Search Laboratory
Helped grow Search Laboratory from 10 to nearly 200 people over three years
Attempted to buy businesses he worked for, which led to starting his own agency, Modo 25

Evolution of Agency Models

Traditional agency models are changing due to clients bringing some execution work in-house
Modo 25 positions itself as a hybrid agency, supporting clients' journey to in-housing while providing strategic guidance
This model focuses on more enjoyable, profitable work and is less stressful when executed correctly

Adapting to New Technologies

John organised an internal competition at Modo 25 to encourage the use of AI tools like ChatGPT to improve efficiency and client experience
The agency is exploring the use of AI tools like N8N for automating tasks and improving productivity

Work-Life Balance

Modo 25 operates on a 4-day work week, which has led to lower sickness rates and better work-life balance for employees

Future of Agencies

Discussion about the potential for AI-driven agencies with minimal human involvement
Speculation on the possibility of running high-revenue agencies primarily using AI tools

The conversation highlights the ongoing changes in the digital marketing industry and the need for agencies to adapt to new technologies and client expectations

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In this GYDA podcast Robert talks to Rory Spence of The Wow Company. Key points of the talk are:

Introductions
The Issue of Agency Pricing
Profit First Mentality .
Understanding Financial Data
Presenting Financial Information Effectively
Developing Business Acumen
The Importance of Forecasting and Planning
Customizing KPI Dashboards
The Golden Nugget: Obsess About Gross Profit

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-spence-63023884/

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Tom supports agency founders and leadership teams to solve gnarly issues. As Co-founder of Agency by Agency, he heads up product development and leads on bespoke research and work with M&A advisors.

A people-centric business leader, strategist and marketer, Tom works with agency founders and management teams to develop differentiated propositions, improve operations and manage change.

He has held several agency leadership roles, including as MD of the c. £12m t/o performance agency Epiphany (now Jaywing plc).

Tom, an ex-agency MD and founder of Agency by Agency, joins Robert to explore why so many agency leaders are forced to make crucial decisions in the dark, relying on patchy data and hearsay.

Together, they discuss the surprising truths uncovered by mapping the UK agency landscape—revealing the sector’s diversity, the dominance of micro and nano agencies, and the dangers of one-size-fits-all advice.

Expect lively conversation, honest insights, and a commitment to comparing apples with apples. Whether you’re running a boutique agency from your kitchen table or scaling a team of fifty, this podcast is here to help you see the sector—and your place in it—with fresh eyes and better data.

Join us as we challenge the “cult of growth,” question loaded terms like “lifestyle agency,” and celebrate the full spectrum of agency life. If you want to make smarter decisions and understand what’s really happening in the agency world, you’re in the right place.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to John Readman of Modo 25 and Ask Bosco. John has over 25 years of experience in sales and digital marketing, scaling martech, SaaS and agency businesses.

Rob and John discuss the current state of the digital agency market and strategies for success in a challenging environment. Key points from their conversation include:

Market Conditions

2024 was a tough year for many agencies, with most considering it a success to remain flat
The market is currently challenging, with 9 out of 10 agency leaders at a recent dinner agreeing it's the worst time to run a digital agency
However, about 1 in 10 agencies are thriving, particularly those with specialised niches

Agency Landscape

There's an increase in the number of agencies and experienced freelancers in the market
The market is oversaturated with generalist agencies, but not with specialised ones
Many agencies try to be "all things to all people" instead of focusing on specific niches

Strategies for Success

Specialisation: Agencies should focus on specific niches or industries rather than being generalists
Client Selection: Regularly review client profitability and team satisfaction with clients
Pricing: Many agencies haven't increased prices despite inflation, but those who have often see little negative impact
Team Satisfaction: Conduct internal surveys to understand which clients the team enjoys working with

The Star Principle

Robert mentions Richard Koch's "Star Principle" for successful strategy:

Be in a growing market space
Have a tightly defined niche that is growing
Aim to be the number one player in that niche

The podcast emphasises the importance of specialisation, strategic pricing, and focusing on profitable, enjoyable client relationships to succeed in the current agency landscape.

askbosco.io
modo25.com

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Robert Craven and Amanda Walls of Cedarwood Digital, a Manchester-based performance marketing agency, discussed their client acquisition strategies, focusing on mitigating "ghosting" through initial calls and pre-qualification based on budget (£5,000-£15,000) and ideal client profiles (finance, insurance, healthcare sectors). They emphasised a multi-pronged approach, including LinkedIn case studies (at least one weekly), industry events, and a strong brand presence, while acknowledging AI's impact on SEO and the increasing importance of digital PR.

Amanda described Cedarwood Digital as a performance marketing agency specialising in SEO, PPC, and digital PR, with a team of 15 based in Manchester. They highlighted their recent record year despite challenging economic conditions

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Description:
”With well over 25 years of extensive experience both in depth and breadth at the heart of technology, business, eCommerce and digital marketing, I am considered a founding member of the eCommerce and online industry. I enjoy challenging situations, complex problem solving, developing teams and people, and integration of online and offline worlds.

I am the CEO at Diginius, a London based software and services company with a performance driven approach designed to help you grow your business online.”

The Future of Agencies - the next year or so…

This podcast features Robert Craven interviewing Nate Burke, CEO of Genius, about the challenges and opportunities for agencies in the current environment.

We discuss common issues that prevent agencies from scaling, such as the tension between winning and delivering work, financial discipline, and team retention.

We also touch on the importance of specialization, innovation, and adapting to the ever-changing technological landscape, particularly the impact of AI.

The conversation explores the qualities that differentiate high-performing agencies, emphasising the need for engaged leadership, efficient operations, and a focus on client retention.

There's no one-size-fits-all playbook for success but we stress the significance of specialisation, strong relationships, and continuous innovation to avoid stagnation.

Challenges for Agencies

Balancing Sales and Delivery: Agencies often struggle to balance winning new clients with delivering quality work to existing ones.
Financial Discipline: Deciding when to hire new staff and managing finances effectively is crucial.
Client Retention: Retaining clients long-term is key to profitability, as the initial onboarding phase is expensive.
Differentiation: Agencies need to innovate and offer unique services to avoid client churn.

Keys to Success

Engagement: Agency owners must be fully engaged in the business rather than treating it as a lifestyle venture.
Specialisation: Focusing on a specific vertical or niche can improve efficiency and profitability.
Strong Relationships: Building deep, trusting relationships with clients is essential, especially for family-run agencies.
Adaptability: High-performing agencies are willing to put in systems and processes and position themselves as unique in the market.
Understanding Client Needs: Being on top of the numbers and understanding what clients truly want is crucial for growth.
Honest Assessment: Agency owners should be honest about their skill sets and address any gaps.

No Magic Formula

There is no one-size-fits-all playbook for agency success. Different models can work depending on the owners' backgrounds, specialisations, and the specific market they serve.

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In this episode, Remeny Royle and Robert Craven pull back the curtain on the all-too-common pitfalls in agency-client relationships.

Remeny helps agency owners and professional services to understand what their clients truly think of them. By listening to their clients, she can help proactively turn clients into advocates.

From poor communication and lacklustre onboarding to a surprising disconnect between agencies’ self-perception and clients’ real experiences, they explore why so many agencies fall short… and what it takes to stand out.

Remeny and Robert share candid stories and practical insights, emphasising the power of proactive engagement, personalised service, and truly understanding the client journey.

They champion the idea of treating every client like a VIP… what Robert refers to as the "celebrity service" approach… backed by thoughtful gestures, robust processes, and genuine human connection.

Whether you’re an agency leader or a client looking for better partnership, this episode is packed with actionable advice on mapping the customer journey, improving communication, and building relationships that last.

Discover how small touches and a focus on the human side of business can transform agency service and why it’s the key to happier clients and greater success.

We covered a lot:

Poor Agency Service
Communication Breakdown
Lack of Onboarding
Importance of Client Understanding
Building Relationships
Proactive Engagement
The Value of Human Touch
Client Perception of Agency Services
Addressing Client Concerns
Profitability and Customer Service
Customer Journey Mapping
The "Celebrity Service" Approach.

Tune in and find out how to take your agency service from average to extraordinary.

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The podcast is a conversation between Amanda and Robert Craven discussing Amanda's new book "Unblock" about productivity in organizations.

Amanda Sokell is a process and productivity expert who helps companies thrive. She’s also a popular speaker, author, entrepreneur, creative, polymath and educationalist; lover of learning, chocolate, dancing and difference.

In a 25-year career spanning public relations, software development, coaching, mentoring and training, Amanda has helped transform the productivity culture of organizations from global pharmaceuticals to family-run microbusinesses.

Amanda and Robert discussed:

Book Background
Amanda wrote the book based on her extensive experience in project management, particularly in software development and system implementations. She noticed that many projects fail to deliver significant productivity improvements when not aligned with broader business strategies

Productivity Insights

Amanda highlights a critical observation from a Vistage behavioral economist who suggested that to meet pension demands, businesses need to become three times more productive

Productivity Measurement
Amanda discusses a key productivity metric called output per worker, which is:

Calculated as gross value added (revenue less external invoiced costs) divided by the number of full-time equivalent employees
A universal metric recognised by the Office of National Statistics
Currently not widely used by most companies across industries

Digital Agency Context

Most digital agencies currently measure productivity through utilisation rates
Typically, only fee-earning staff are included in productivity calculations
The current approach doesn't capture the productivity of the entire business system

Broader Implications
Amanda argues that the lack of productivity focus contributes to:

Stagnant economic growth since 2008
Challenges with standard of living
Potential economic challenges for younger generations

The podcast aims raises awareness about productivity measurement and its critical importance for business performance and economic development.

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This podcast features Robert Craven interviewing Will Roberts from Webbox Digital about their journey, repositioning their agency.

Webbox Digital initially tried to be a "full-service" agency serving all sectors. However, they realised the needed to narrow their focus to gain a competitive edge.

Here's a breakdown of their journey:

Version 1.0: Webbox transitioned from serving all sectors to focusing on sport, health, and leisure organisations. This decision was driven by the team's enjoyment of these sectors, their existing client base, and revenue streams.
Key Learnings: Will emphasises the importance of speaking to other agency founders who have gone through similar repositioning. This helped him realise potential pitfalls and the fact that it's a "marathon, not a sprint." He also highlights the difficulty of selecting specific sectors and the need to commit to a niche.
Execution and Future: While version 1.0 was a step in the right direction, he scores the execution a 6 out of 10. He acknowledges that they could have narrowed their focus further and gotten to market quicker. Version 2.0 will involve targeting specific sub-sectors within sport, health, and leisure, even though their website will still lead with the broader categories.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Paul Sullivan, a published author and creator of the ARISE™ Go-to-Market methodology, Paul spent over 15 years shaping GTM strategies for tech and service companies. This experience led him to develop ARISE™, a comprehensive framework that combines proven optimisation techniques with cutting-edge technology to drive growth for B2B SaaS, Fintech, and technology-enabled businesses. Its comprehensive nature ensures that no aspect of your go-to-market strategy is overlooked, giving you a sense of security about its thoroughness.

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BOOK REVIEW

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Will Roberts from WebBox about their journey, repositioning their agency.

WebBox initially tried to be a "full-service" agency serving all sectors. However, they realised the need to narrow their focus to gain a competitive edge.

Here's a breakdown of their journey:

Version 1.0: WebBox transitioned from serving all sectors to focusing on sport, health, and leisure organisations. This decision was driven by the team's enjoyment of these sectors, their existing client base, and revenue streams.
Key Learnings: Will emphasises the importance of speaking to other agency founders who have gone through similar repositioning. This helped him realise potential pitfalls and the fact that it's a "marathon, not a sprint." He also highlights the difficulty of selecting specific sectors and the need to commit to a niche.
Execution and Future: While version 1.0 was a step in the right direction, he scores the execution a 6 out of 10. He acknowledges that they could have narrowed their focus further and gotten to market quicker. Version 2.0 will involve targeting specific sub-sectors within sport, health, and leisure, even though their website will still lead with the broader categories.

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Link to the book review.

The podcast is a conversation between Amanda and Robert Craven discussing Amanda's new book "Unblock" about productivity in organisations.

Amanda and Robert discussed:

Productivity Insights

Amanda highlights a critical observation from a Vistage behavioural economist who suggested that to meet pension demands, businesses need to become three times more productive.

Productivity Measurement
Amanda discusses a key productivity metric called output per worker, which is:

Calculated as gross value added (revenue less external invoiced costs) divided by the number of full-time equivalent employees
A universal metric recognised by the Office of National Statistics
Currently not widely used by most companies across industries.

Digital Agency Context

Most digital agencies currently measure productivity through utilisation rates
Typically, only fee-earning staff are included in productivity calculations
The current approach doesn't capture the productivity of the entire business system.

Broader Implications
Amanda argues that the lack of productivity focus contributes to:

Stagnant economic growth since 2008
Challenges with the standard of living
Potential economic challenges for younger generations.

The podcast aims to raise awareness about productivity measurement and its critical importance for business performance and economic development.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Dan Fallon of Fresh Ventures. Dan Fallon is an optimist, marketer, entrepreneur, and investor with a strong expertise in business growth, online advertising, and marketing. He is known for his clear-sighted and straightforward approach to identifying what makes a business thrive and has the drive to make that happen.

Dan successfully exited SearchStar by selling it to Welocalize and remains a minority shareholder in ZapMap.

Through Fresh Ventures, Dan is creating a portfolio of consultancy roles and investments that align with his passions, skills, market needs, and potential for reward. If you'd like to start a conversation, feel free to reach out.

Rob and Dan discuss:

Is Exit so clever?
And then you become an employee…
What is your identity post-exit?
You need a clear idea of what you are going to do next.
Are you an entrepreneur or an agency owner?
You can scale a business like a pyramid.
You can just see what you’d look like at double the size.
In AI , agencies will still have a role.
The story of the deal.
Run a great business then people will buy it.

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In this GYDA Talks, Janusz talks to Steve Grant of Figment. Steve Grant is the founder of Figment, a multi award-winning UK SEO agency with a holistic approach that gets results. Figment makes it easier for healthcare practitioners and professional service providers to get found online by their ideal clients and grow healthy, sustainable businesses.

Janusz and Steve discuss health and how it is impacted by running a business. Steve talks candidly about becoming ill and being vulnerable in the early days of Figment.

Stress, work vs homelife
Trauma, hospital visits, symptoms, diagnoses and understanding the underlying problem fuelling it.
Taking a holistic approach to wellbeing and pain. - the mind/body connection.
The connection between emotional and physical pain.
Finding resilience to break the negative cycle of being unwell.
The Curable App - accepting and reframing pain. Strategies to complement your wellbeing.
What worked and the tactics to being well
- Getting to the bottom of stress
- Creating a sustainable balance to counter stress
- Prioritising wellbeing and bocking a set amount of time out of your diary
- Pacing yourself to accommodate your stress threshold
- The compound benefit of small, consistent habits
- Learn to listen to your body, if you haven’t got time for wellbeing, then it’s time for wellbeing!

QUOTE for social: Everyone has a stress threshold. Learn ways to counter yours.

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The podcast features a conversation between Robert Craven and Phil from Yardstick, focusing on Phil's experiences as a business owner and the lessons learned from both successes and failures in his career.

Key Themes and Highlights:

Introduction to Phil: Phil discusses his background, including his experience as a financial adviser and the establishment of his marketing agency, Yardstick, which specialises in serving financial planners. He emphasises the importance of niche markets in building resilient businesses.
Business Journey: Phil recounts his journey starting in 1995, moving from telesales to becoming a financial adviser. He shares the pivotal moment when he decided to start his own financial planning practice in 2006, fuelled by ambition and some initial success.
Acquisition Challenges: The conversation delves into Phil's experiences with acquiring other businesses. While the first acquisition was successful, the second one faced significant challenges due to poor due diligence, personnel issues, and market downturns, leading to cash flow problems.
Red Flags Ignored: Phil reflects on the red flags he overlooked during the acquisition process, including unhappy employees and a strained relationship with the vendor. He discusses how emotional investment and sunk costs influenced his decision-making.
Decision-Making Struggles: The discussion highlights Phil's struggles with timely decision-making amid financial difficulties. He acknowledges that optimism led to slow responses to emerging problems, which ultimately exacerbated the situation.
Crisis Management: A critical moment in the narrative involves a leaked restructure plan that was mistakenly distributed to all employees, creating further turmoil within the organisation. This incident underscores the challenges of managing communication and transparency during crises.
Takeaways: The podcast concludes with insights on resilience in business, the importance of recognising when to pivot or cut losses, and the value of learning from both successes and failures.

The conversation is characterized by an honest exploration of the complexities of running a business, emphasising that success is often intertwined with setbacks and difficult decisions.

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Description: Watch as Robert Craven looks at the state of the nation in January 2025. We preview what's on the horizon and the steps that you need to implement to get ahead in the coming year.

Robert discusses:

Being clear on the thinking behind what were doing
What are the winners, the high-performers doing?
What are the opportunities out there?
How do you break the glass ceiling?
AI predictions for the coming year.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Ben Lee, Head of Data and AI at Bidwells.
Ben Lee, a Cambridge-born former journalist, has cultivated a diverse media and PR career, giving him a deep understanding of the property market. He played a key role in Bidwells' award-winning Radical Capital campaign, which positioned the company as a thought leader and secured a government advisory role. His expertise in technological, political, and societal trends provides valuable insights to Bidwells' leadership.

An advocate for artificial intelligence and Web3, Ben frequently delivers seminars and participates in panel discussions on integrating AI into marketing and communications. His work ensures that Bidwells remains at the forefront of industry developments, benefiting clients and communities alike.

Rob and Ben discuss::

Exciting in the medium-term but not so exciting in the sort-term
30-40% efficiency gains
AI & Hype
The Hype Cycle
What do agencies need to do
The dangers

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Iain Scott of Base Creative. Iain is CEO // Director of Growth @‌basecreative. Founding Partner @‌exceptional™. Digital strategy & marketing for B2B, & organisations driving positive change. Speaker. Author of ‘Socialise’. Angel Investor in tech for good.

Rob and Iain discuss:

Background
Why publish?
What was the purpose?
Story-telling as a differentiator - we all love sharing
The costs and benefits of publishing
How it makes you stand-out
Timing is longer than you imagine, plan it, get help from outside, it is hard to do it on your own, have a budget and a plan to promote it

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Chris Budd of Ovation Finance. Chris Budd is the author of The Financial Wellbeing Book (2016) and The Four Cornerstones of Financial Wellbeing, and the founder of the Institute for Financial Wellbeing. An expert on Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), he serves as a NED and consultant.

In 2000, Chris founded Ovation Finance Ltd, a financial planning practice. In 2018, he sold the majority of the company to an EOT, which now controls it for the benefit of its employees. Having transitioned his own business to an EOT, Chris now provides coaching and consultancy to owners and employees looking to pursue this route.

Chris authored The Eternal Business, published by Harriman House in September 2018. The Eternal Business Consultancy offers individual advice and support from Chris or his associates to help businesses create sustainable models that last beyond their current owners. The consultancy also runs an online program to assist businesses in this transition.

A qualified business coach with an Advanced Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring from the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, Chris is also a novelist and podcaster, producing the Financial Wellbeing podcast. As a seasoned speaker, he addresses topics such as coaching skills for professionals, financial wellbeing, and employee ownership at conferences and events.

Chris has served as a non-executive director for various private businesses and organizations, including Penny Brohn UK and Thriving Places. His specialties include business coaching and consulting, and understanding and embracing employee ownership.

Rob and Chris discuss:

What is the EOT, how does it work, and what are the steps you need to take now to get the best possible exit???
You will be hard pushed to find a digital agency owner who sold their business and got what they expected
As business owner you are trapped.
The Fish and Chip deal
EOT is…?
How is £ shared?
From 10 staff….
Not the same as B- corp …
EOT is about change of control
Transition before transaction
A tax-free exit
How much do you NEED to sell the business?
Become the least important person in the business
3 stage process
- owner and core proposition document
- gather key people and educate
- announce it and run shadow process
What next?
- What’s next for the owner - get a financial planner
- Is EOT the the exit you want?
- Start making self the least important person … create a functioning board…

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Barnaby Wynter of The Brand Bucket Company. Barnaby Wynter is a strategic brand creation expert with over 457 brands to his name, dedicated to helping businesses become the go-to brands in their industries. Entering the marketing industry in 1987, Barnaby quickly rose to become the youngest MD of a UK Top 200 fully integrated advertising agency in London, where he spent 10 years developing the definitive Brand Bucket® Programme to optimize marketing in the knowledge economy.

Since 2010, Barnaby has been embedding The Brand Bucket® approach in a wide range of corporates and SMEs globally through his fully outsourced business communications agency. In 2021, he co-founded a Community Interest Company (CIC) to support black business owners with mental health challenges and has raised funds to build a new school in Uganda, set for construction in 2024.

Barnaby enjoys a portfolio career as a published author, professional speaker (addressing over 17,000 businesses globally), mentor, NED, and marketing expert. As a Founder Freeman of The Company of Entrepreneurs, he is working hard to achieve full Livery Company status in the City of London as a sponsorship lead.

Married to a medical director of one of the UK's largest out-of-hours GP services and a father of three grown-up daughters, Barnaby also enjoys DIY projects and holds a season ticket at Chelsea Football Club. He collaborates with C-Suite executives to ensure businesses are marketing-led, helping them define their value propositions, identify ideal target audiences, and build operations focused on long-term commercial relationships.

Barnaby's expertise includes creating presentations for fundraising or exit, aligning systems and processes with customer expectations, and designing seamless online and offline experiences. He is passionate about supporting challenger businesses in finance, professional services, education, technology, and charity, aiming to make the world a better place. His mentoring approach ensures skill transfer to internal teams, making his role redundant while leaving businesses with a comprehensive Brand Bucket® Programme manual.

Rob and Barnaby discuss:

The new book, ‘Become the Go-To Brand - mastering inbound marketing strategy’.
88% decisions start online
People contact you when they are 57% along their decision process
People look for information and help to buy… so demonstrate you care about them… then focus on execution
Creating the value proposition: get out of the way… differentiate in the style of your ideal buyer (especially in a commodity market)
Be clear about the difference between brand and branding
How to differentiate: engage and activate
- insightful/helful content (FOMO)
- demonstrate value
- test drive
- deliver
Distnguish between the business owner and a business leader

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Greg Gifford of Search Lab Digital. Greg is an experienced Local SEO consultant specializing in the automotive industry. An experienced conference speaker, his movie-themed slide decks are always audience favorites.

Rob and Greg discuss:

COO vs CEO - ideas vs making it happen
Work ON or IN the agency
Lessons
- Documented processes (track time for selling time) - efficiency leads to profitability… so we must avoid screw-ups… or lose clients/team - so reduce the bumps in the road
- Do client work for too long
- Dependent on referrals - get a sales team or process
- HR Leader
- No business education
Use Culture Index
Customer Service Rapport: Kaizan.ai
Service is easy but business growth is hard
Don’t be scared to let go and let others do the work

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In this hour-long workshop, Ben Potter explores the importance of pre-qualifying leads and gives his tips on how to master this conversation at the start of the sales process.

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In this video, I discuss the concept of director fatigue and how it is affecting various aspects of our lives. I highlight the current state of affairs, including the sluggishness in pipelines, the prolonged duration of tasks, and the exhaustion experienced by agency directors and clients alike. I also touch upon external factors such as upcoming elections, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, post-COVID hangover, and the inflationary economy. Through this video, I aim to shed light on the challenges we face and encourage a deeper understanding of the impact of director fatigue on our work and personal lives.

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In this GYDA Talks, Janusz talks to Jon Waring. Jon is the Founder & CEO of digital agency 3sixty. They design, build and maintain websites exclusively for the travel industry. 3sixty’s work is recognized industry-wide for performance and conversion rates.

Janusz and Jon discuss pitching. Listen as they give their insight into the process and why they have an enviable track record of pitch wins.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Sam Hurley. Sam is Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at NOVOS. He previously headed up SEO for Made.com across all major European markets. His achievements include growing Made's non-brand SEO traffic by over £10.4million. NOVOS has grown from 0 to 45 people in 3 years. They've won numerous search & drum awards and were most recently voted 5th Best place to work in the UK.

Robert and Sam discuss the growth and sale story of NOVOS, the highs, the lows and the journey to an Employee Ownership Trust.

THE GROWTH STORY

False starts
Doing what others don't do
create a structure/framework from day one
write it all down and share it
Specific niches are a good thing
Think Tank model

THE EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP STORY

Employee Ownership Trust
Standard sale destroys the culture
Did EMI first then EOT
How it all worked
All the pros (and a bit of downside)

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Andy Lambert of ContentCal. Andy is one of the founding team and director of growth at ContentCal. From starting out as an agency and then launching their software product in 2017, ContentCal is now used by over 40,000 businesses in over 140 countries. In December 2021, ContentCal was acquired by Adobe.

Robert and Andy talk about Andy’s new book ‘Social 3.0: How forward-thinking B2B’s can unleash the power of social media.’ Plus Andy gives his insight into the journey of building and selling ContentCal.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Sabrina Chevannes. Sabrina is the Managing Director of Complex Creative. She started her first business in 2008 so has a wealth of experience in running companies. Having made many mistakes along the way, Sabrina is keen to help prevent others from making the same mistakes.

With clients as high profile as UNICEF, Pirelli and the Ministry of Defence, she is in a position to give some tips as to how to land major names.

Sabrina specialises in everything creative, holding qualifications in design, development, and marketing.

Sabrina is also a professional chess player and often applies her expert logic and strategy skills to her business. She has written two chess books for children which have been published in over 20 languages and are selling rapidly all over the world!

Robert and Sabrina discuss why there is such a lack of diversity in the creative sector.

The No BS Agency - what does that mean, and what is the BS that you avoid?
Why is diversity an issue?
How does it come about and what are the consequences?
What is wrong when provincial white males create an agency employing their white male mates?
How does diversity help the agency ad its clients
Running an agency when you are not a white male

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In this GYDA Talks, Janusz talks to Carl Sargunar. Carl is a technical consultant with a wide range of experience in the field of web and application development. From being the CTO of a thriving agency to helping his clients grow their technology to meet their ambitions, he can also be found tinkering in his garage with IoT devices.

Janusz and Carl talk about the role and importance of the Chief Technology Officer in agencies:

What is a CTO?
What makes a good one or a poor one?
Do they need to be from a tech background?
Being a great leader and the main challenges
What should you look out for when recruiting a CTO?

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In this GYDA Expert Seminar, Leon Milns of We Are Adam, joins Robert Craven to talk everything recruitment in 2022. They discuss what's happening in the digital agency space and the top five challenges facing every agency when recruiting.

The key points;

Shortage of talent and huge demand – how do you attract / entice / seduce the best people to leave and join you?
Retention – there’s a lack of stickability, heads are constantly being turned and people are jumping ship
Affordability – salaries are sky-rocketing, it’s a sellers market
Uniqueness of proposition – how are you standing out in a crowded market? Top candidates will have a handful of agencies chasing them!
Creating a compelling culture – the evolving post pandemic world. Remote vs in office, permutations of what people want vs business demands.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Mike Pagan. Mike is an expert in helping you achieve positive mental wealth through building hand-picked support networks. Surround yourself with your personalised Mental Wealth team, become happier in life, be more successful in business, and become mentally and physically stronger to navigate the path ahead.

Robert and Mike discuss:

Why Mental Wealth?
Mental Wealth not Health
How does this apply to the agency owner?
The four areas:
- Sorting your Self as a priority
- Getting a coach
- Getting a professional team
Masterminding
How does this apply to running your team?

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Nigel T Packer. Nigel is a Digital Customer Experience Consultant and Trainer. He is also an author and digital business speaker. For over twenty-five years he has used his extensive knowledge and broad range of experiences to engage, educate and entertain business audiences across the UK and Europe. His subject expertise includes customer experience optimisation, customer experience journey mapping, e-Business strategies, effective website development, and International digital business strategy. He heads a consultancy practice: PelaTis Online Ltd.

Your team make your business happen but without customers you will not have a business for long. This GYDA Talks will challenge your perceptions of your digital customers, helping you understand the digital journey and get ahead of your competitors through better customer experience.

Robert and Nigel discuss:

The customer is cross
Effective vs efficient work
Tribes are bad
Why is it so bad now?
Think customer
Start with the customer needs first
CX vs CS
Speak their language

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest sign up for GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Paul Holbrook. Paul is an author and leadership rebel who, after 20 years managing rapid technology change in the City of London, decided that he’d had enough of standing by, watching the toxic effects that accidental managers had on their people and themselves. From that moment, he decided he wanted to spend his time creating a world of better-led people.

As an all-round optimist and creator of the Diary Detox®, Paul believes the best way to eradicate accidental managers is to make sure they don’t become managers in the first place.

The missing piece is to promote only those people who genuinely love people and fix the foundations of management training to transform how managers use their diary.

Robert and Paul discuss the uncomfortable truth about how we WASTE time at work. Why you need to Diary Detox to become more productive and why you need to plan the life that you really want.

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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Welcome to another GYDA Masterclass with Michael Tipper on productivity. This presentation will help you and your busy agency eliminate distractions, get laser-focused and achieve much more with just a handful of tiny tweaks to what you’re already doing. Michael ends his presentation with a Q&A from the audience.

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Simon Akers. Simon is Founder of Archmon, a growth marketing consultancy that delivers actionable media strategies that deliver performance and new customers. Simon is a regular contributor to the industry press and events, and is also author of the book Back to Basics. He documents his experiences from 15+ years working performance-first campaigns to some of the UK & world’s leading brands.

Simon gives his insight into the agency world and how to market a digital agency in 2022.

Robert and Simon discuss:

Back to Basics: 21 ways to increase marketing performance and success – Simons new book
Partnering with specialists
Running an agency – why are you doing it?
Why there is no silver bullet for growing an agency
Entrepreneurial Mindset – why it agency owners loose it over time
Utilising video for performance and engagement
Simon’s insight into the future agency model

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to James Ashford. James helps accountants and bookkeepers to grow their firms into profitable businesses by pricing consistently, selling more confidently and minimising risk.

He first achieved this in his own firm – MAP – where alongside Founder Paul Barnes, they first developed GoProposal & implemented a sales culture to ensure they were maximising the value of their clients.

Now, as Vice President of GoProposal by Sage, he continues to help thousands of accountants and bookkeepers worldwide to achieve the same success with their businesses. Not only through the software, but by sharing his philosophies and strategies in his books, training courses, video content and keynote talks.

A really exciting, honest and upfront interview in two parts…

Part 1: The GoProposal thinking and how it makes businesses more effective

How people sell
The psychology that stops us from charging more
How we sell, how they buy
Charging the right price (for you)

Part 2: The Sale of Go Proposal to Sage and what agency owners can learn from someone who has been there and done it.

It was built to have options (including sale) from day one
The sale
The valuation
The sale process
The due diligence

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Itai Sadan. Itai is the CEO and Co-Founder of Duda, a professional website builder for agencies and SaaS Platforms. Under Itai’s leadership, Duda rapidly expanded its professional website builder product suite with an emphasis on empowering web professionals with cutting-edge tools to help them create beautiful conversion-driving websites at scale. To date, Duda hosts more than a million active websites that have been built by over 17,000 customers globally. Itai’s expertise in the online presence and web design space has been cited by USA Today, Forbes, Inc., HuffPost, Search Engine Land, and more.

Robert and Itai discuss:

Marketing Digital Marketing Agencies
Duda – the platform and tools
Who are the ‘agency’ clients?
Why agencies should differentiate
Why agencies should niche and how
Getting the infrastructure and processes in place
How to charge and why you should have a subscription system

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest sign up for GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Masterclass, John Jantsch of Duck Tape Marketing, gives his insight into the Customer Journey.

Marketing today is less about demand creation and more about organising behaviour – marketers must understand how to guide customers through a full marketing journey.

John will take you through the framework that has been created by Duct Tape Marketing and has been employed in thousands of businesses and consultants to make their own customer journeys a success.

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Expert Seminar, Paul Barnes of MAP shares his insight into the key financial metrics that agencies should focus on.

Whilst every agency is unique and should develop their own tailored business plan that meets it’s own vision and ambition, there are some key metrics that every agency should pay attention to. Paul explains not just what good performance looks like, but how to track and improve in these key areas.

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Shashwat Singh. Shash has over six years of experience in the digital marketing space, he is the CEO and head strategist for Linx Digital, and has extensive experience with both Facebook and YouTube ads. He has a passion for scaling businesses through paid traffic and helping clients achieve massive growth.

Robert and Shash discuss:

Why do people resist YouTube Ads?
The attribution issue
The marketing and sales issue
How to introduce YouTube ads to your agency portfolio
Top questions:
- 1) what works?
- 2) how to optimise?
- 3) how to do the creative?

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Michael Knorr. Mike has over seven years of providing hands on strategic internet marketing recommendations to clients and prospects. In his consultative business development role he helps companies (representing both That Company! and it’s numerous white label and affiliate partners) identify the digital marketing channels that will best help the prospect attain the greatest return on investment. Once Michael has developed the high level strategy he then puts it into the hands of That Company’s digital marketing professionals who work with the client on day to day execution of the strategy.

Michael Knorr has directly worked on marketing projects for prestigious clients such as The Orlando Magic, The Orlando Solar Bears, and Western Union a Fortune 500 company.

Robert and Mike discuss:

The three things agencies need to do:

1) Elevate every activity

2) Centres of influence a) land b) retain c) expand

3) Rest

White label agencies:

– What can go wrong?

– How much do they cost?

– How to integrate them or start using them?

– Supplier or partner?

The future agency landscape

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this presentation Luke Judge talks through the strategies that you need to build and sell an agency vs buying one to build your empire. He ended the session with a Q&A, so the video has loads of awesome insight from someone who’s been there and done it!

If you want to talk further on the subject, send Luke an email here.

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Jon Tsourakis. Jon is a serial entrepreneur, seasoned leader and strategist. As a sales and marketing expert, he is constantly studying brand identity, business communications, buyer behaviour, sales conversions, marketing systems, product/service design and all things digital.

He has created two companies that average 4X’s ROI for businesses with branding and marketing models. In 2019, he merged his agency and became co-owner of Oyova. As President and Chief Revenue Officer he’s responsible for the sales and growth of the company.

Robert and Jon discuss:

What Jon is seeing right now
How are agencies responding to the new world?
What are their biggest issues?
How do they resolve them?
What do find yourself telling agencies all the time?
Why don’t they act when they know what they should do?
How should agencies look at the future? What do they need to deal with?

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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Watch this masterclass in Content by Andy Lambert of ContentCal. Andy takes us through a How To session on content marketing. Including: Where content marketing fits in our marketing mix. What a good strategy looks like. How it can be done. Plus loads more!

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Marcus Sheridan. Marcus is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker known for his unique ability to excite, engage and motivate live audiences with his simple, yet powerful transformational business approach. Marcus has been dubbed a “Web Marketing Guru” by the New York Times and in 2017 Forbes names Marcus one of 20 “Speakers You Don’t Want to Miss.” Not one to be limited to the stage, Marcus is most often found walking through the crowd, calling audience members by name, and bringing them into his presentation.

As author of the content marketing guidebook, “They Ask, you Answer,” Marcus has not only inspired thousands to achieve their potential but has given them the tools they need to get there. Mashable rated his book the “#1 Marketing Book” to read in 2017. Forbes listed it as one of “11 Marketing Books Every CMO Should Read.” Marcus has been featured in the New York Times, Inc., The Globe and Mail, Content Marketing Institute, Social Media Examiner, and more. He has inspired thousands of audiences and helped millions of people from all over the world to achieve their own success with his “They Ask, You Answer” philosophy.

Robert and Marcus discuss:

The Backstory to They Ask, You Answer
Why should marketing agencies follow the system?
Why don’t they?
Who does it well?
What will agencies look like in 2-3 years time – how will they respond to the vast change all around?
If you were an agency thinking of adopting TAYA principles what would you do?
How to differentiate yourself from other TAYA agencies

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Ben Potter. Ben helps agencies to win the right clients. He is a mentor for agency owners and business development managers. In this session Robert and Ben discuss how to master qualifying.

What is qualifying?
How can you implement it in your agency?
How to use qualifying to help you win new business

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Adam Graham. Adam is founder of Gray Matters and is a creative, commercially focused new business and marketing specialist, driven by a desire to help B2B businesses stand out and grow by building reputable brands. He has honed his craft over the last ten years, having worked in new business consultancies and in-house for RAPP, Omnicom, Vizeum, Dentsu Aegis and Isobar. He’s experienced in brand building, marketing and sales pipeline development as well as running hundreds of successful multi-million pound pitches. He believes strongly that business owners need to be braver and more honest to create authentic and differentiating brand stories, so that they can attract the right, long-term clients. This belief, coupled with a more scientific approach to new business, gives business owners the confidence and rigour they require to succeed.

Robert and Adam discuss:

Commoditisation of offer
What’s changed and what works post Covid?
Quick wins or sustainable bizdev?
How do you attract new business?
What are people doing wrong?
What is the secret sauce? Is there one?

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Expert Seminar our special guest Pete Everett discusses Entrepreneur Mindset – why what got us here, might not get us there, and what you can do about it. Featuring David Gilroy of Conscious and led by Robert Craven, this hour-long video holds great insight for any digital agency leader.

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Expert Seminar Gareth takes you through four strategies to help you with your people puzzle. Including: ‘Enabling and encouraging people to achieve greater knowledge, capabilities and performance.’

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Paul Barnes. Paul is Managing Director of MAP, who specialise in helping digital creative agencies to climb the maturity curve and grow more profitably. They do this by giving the agencies total visibility and understanding of their finances, so they can make better and more timely decisions.

An agency’s growth often outpaces the effectiveness of their finance function; while a well optimised back office can be an essential component in ensuring you are growing in the right way. The Agency Maturity Curve is a way in which digital agencies assess the strength of their operating model, by pegging the strengths and weaknesses of their finance function against a set of disciplines with clearly defined outcomes.

The more established the business, the further along the Agency Maturity Curve we would expect them to be, but this may not actually be the reality. Identifying areas for development shows where improvements can have the greatest impact, and how long it might take to get there.

Whether you are looking to scale, sell or just run a more operational slick agency, you will be held back if the finances don’t stand up to what the business needs. Ultimately you will not have access to the data you need to make informed decisions and you will leak profit.

Robert an Paul discuss:

Asking the right questions
Poor financial education is ubiquitous in many agency boards
You need to link strategy to the numbers and tell the full story
Agency Maturity Curve and Scorecard

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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Tom is insisting about the critical nature of leadership in current conditions. These tumultuous times demand deep engagement, human connection, and, yes, EXCELLENCE. In response, Tom has started his Excellence Now Campaign, a trio of tools intended to be his final lessons in Excellence. Lessons which focus on these topics of surpassing importance; topics which are, in fact, more important now than ever. The tools are Excellence Now: The Forty-Three Number Ones eBook, Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism hardback, and Excellence: Now More Than Ever six-part course series. Check it out today!

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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Our GYDA Talks special guest for June 2021 needs little introduction…

Bo Burlingham is an editor-at-large of Inc. magazine and the author of five books, the most recent being ‘Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top’ (Portfolio/Penguin, 2014). A previous book, ‘Small Giants: Companies That Choose To Be Great Instead of Big’ (Portfolio/Penguin, 2006), was one of five finalists for the 2006 Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award.

Burlingham joined Inc. in January 1983 as a senior editor and became executive editor six months later. As executive editor, he was involved in much of the magazine’s early coverage of innovative companies that have since emerged as leaders of the so-called New Economy. In 1990, he resigned that position so that he could do more writing and assumed the title of editor-at-large. Subsequently he wrote two books with Jack Stack, the co-founder and CEO of SRC Holdings Corp. (formerly, Springfield Remanufacturing Corp.) and the pioneer of open-book management. One of the books, The Great Game of Business (Doubleday/Currency, 1992), introduced the concept of open-book management, has sold more than 300,000 copies, and was named one of “the 100 best business books of all time.” The other, A Stake in the Outcome (Doubleday/Currency, 2002), recounted how SRC built its culture of ownership while developing the business model that has allowed it to grow from $16 million to $600 million in revenue as of this writing.

Burlingham also co-authors with Norm Brodsky the popular column in Inc. called “Street Smarts,” which was the winner of a gold Azbee award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors in 2008, and a finalist for a National Magazine Award in 2006 and 2008. He and Brodsky also wrote The Knack: How Street-Smart Entrepreneurs Learn to Handle Whatever Comes Up (Portfolio/Penguin, 2008). (When the book was reissued in paperback a year later, the title was changed to Street Smarts: An All-Purpose Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs.)

A former Fulbright Scholar and a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Burlingham graduated from Princeton University in 1967 with a B.A. in public and international affairs. He subsequently served as managing editor of Ramparts magazine, contributing editor of New Times magazine, and a member of the editorial board of Working Papers, and wrote for numerous publications, including Harper’s, Esquire, Mother Jones, The Boston Globe, and Boston magazine.

In the early 1980s, he joined Fidelity Investments, the mutual fund company, where he worked with fund managers and top executives, including Peter Lynch. Burlingham was a founding member, with Tom Peters, of PAC/World, an international organization of business leaders and observers. He served on the board of The Body Shop Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the international skin and hair care company, from 1992 to 1997.

Bo and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 44 years and live in Oakland, California, and Sancerre, France. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Robert and Bo discuss:

Why Bo wrote Small Giants and Finish Big
Where are the Small Giants now?
Post-Covid – is there a greater call for a Small Giants philosophy?
How does Finish Big sit against the Small Giants philosophy?
Finish Big – what does this mean in practice?
Bo’s top tips and pearls of wisdom

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest visit: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Serena Humphrey. For almost 30 years Serena has been on a mission to help business owners get the life they want and deserve. She’s spent that time growing her knowledge around why, despite years of hard slog, most small businesses either fail or just survive.

In the early ‘90s three things happened that changed the course of Serena’s life and set her on a journey to help businesses. First she lost her home, due to interest rates at reaching 15%. Then the business she worked for went bust overnight. Finally she watched her parents lose their dream business, a hotel in Scotland, because of the recession.

Serena needed answers, so set out on a mission that still drives her to this day; Get business owners the financial rewards, freedom and lifestyle they thought owning a business would give them, instead of a life of stress, financial worry and compromise.

In 2012 Serena set up The F Word, to achieve her mission. They provide high impact training and coaching, helping put critical financial skills into businesses.

Robert and Serena discuss:

– What is the mission and why?

– Why don’t people get finance?

– What if they did get it?

– Is there a way to take control?

– Weekly flashes

– What’s next for Serena?

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest visit: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Michael Tipper of Peak Performance Productivity. Michael is on a mission to help busy professionals squeeze even more juice out of this thing called life by helping them cross the bridge from overwhelm to overachievement. From distraction to disciplined delivery. From procrastination to purposeful progress.

His specialities include: How To Be Productive Working Remotely, Finding Focus In A Distracted World, Eliminating Procrastination To Get More Done and Taking Back Control Of Your Email.

Robert and Michael discuss:

“Productivity is a habit!”
What is your definition of productivity?
Is personal productivity (for the CEO) the same as productivity for the team?
How do you improve their productivity?
How do you improve your own productivity?
Why does productivity matter? We’ve all done the courses…
There is no shortage of productivity gurus… who do you rate?
How do you differ from the run-of-the-mill productivity trainers?
Do you rate the get-up-at-4 brigade?
Michael’s recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Byron Marr. Byron is head of paid search at Aira. A self-taught digital media specialist, Byron has worked in paid media for eight years and in 2020 was ranked in the Top 50 Most Influential PPC Experts by PPC Hero. In 2017 he joined Aira, a Google Premier Partner and Facebook Marketing Partner who work with medium to large businesses across a range of industries and sectors.

Robert and Byron discuss:

Agencies rising to the challenge
What is the challenge?
How to add value
Becoming more strategic
Changes as a result of COVID
Changing the proposition
What is the real problem?
Hard to compete on the what
What does the client really need and not just want
The irritating 4-year old
Levitt, differentiation and segmentation
Changes in the market
How to create differentiation
Dangerous being too niche
And YouTube/video?
Think about the core problem, don’t assume the answer. What is the highest purpose?
Are you able to change quickly?
What’s next for Byron?

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Lee Goff. Lee is an entrepreneur who grew up in Mississippi. He started his first agency, Getuwired, in 2003 in his upstairs bedroom with absolutely nothing and grew it into a multi-million-dollar agency. He retired from the agency in early 2014. Then in June of 2016, sold out the remaining shares to his long-time partners to pursue his passion of mentoring small businesses. Lee now focuses all of his energy on creating and implementing guaranteed ways to make starting, scaling, running, and potentially selling a successful agency easier, dramatically faster and more enjoyable… while still being very profitable.

Lee has developed a way of working that gives entrepreneurs the business and life they deserve. Work smarter by working less – give yourself the time to take care of yourself and your family – therefore, allowing a high quality of life.

Robert and Lee Discuss:

Been there and done it
Are there secrets of success
Is the niche the clever thing to do?
How do you say niche?
Will it ever return to normal?
If it does, what will it look like?
A third digital revolution
What will a fit agency look like?
How to fly by numbers?
How do you know if a business is healthy/fit?
What next for Lee?
What recommendations or pearls of wisdom: find a source of knowledge you can trust.

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Farhad Divecha. Farhad is Managing Director of AccuraCast. His vision, technical know-how and drive have been instrumental in turning AccuraCast into London’s leading search engine marketing firm and one of the UK’s top search agencies. His experience includes the successful launch of numerous online companies, management of an $80 million+ product line and winning a pie-eating contest.

Robert and Farhad discuss the last 12 months: what happens when the world goes into lockdown and the industry you specialise in grinds to a halt? Plus looking to the future: What Farhad predicts will happen with client contracts and the wider digital agency industry. Plus, he shares his top tips for running a successful agency!

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Cate Sevilla. Cate is an author and journalist who has led and managed editorial teams for some of the world’s largest media and tech companies – including Google, BuzzFeed and Microsoft. She was a founding member of BuzzFeed UK and later became Editor-in-Chief at The Pool, at the helm when the company collapsed. Cate is the host of the careers podcast ‘The Heart Of It’, and her writing has appeared in The Independent, Stylist, The New Statesman and Business Insider. Her first book ‘How To Work Without Losing Your Mind’ is out now.

Robert and Cate discuss:

The background to the book
The key messages
How have we got here?
Is it just for women?
How to deal with the manager from hell
How to avoid burnout and protect your mental health
How to decide whether to quit your job
How to ditch the comparison culture, set boundaries and work out what you want from your career

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Mark Wilkinson. Mark is a multiple business owner, coach, speaker and published author. Originally, music was Mark’s life as an international house music DJ and record producer. He was resident DJ at the famed Ministry of Sound in London, played music in 65 different countries, and achieved a UK Top 10 hit!

At 33 years of age, Mark collapsed with an incurable disease. It was the start of a hellish experience as his body froze up over the next 18 months resulting in him being unable to walk. He was in constant agony and lived on painkillers. His loss of health and financial setbacks eventually led to bankruptcy, depression, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts. On a detox in Scotland, Mark was given a DVD of The Secret. In it, he learned from Bob Proctor that disease is two words: dis-ease. This brand-new information completely opened Mark’s mind to new ways of thinking, feeling, and being. He began to study philosophy and personal development to detoxify and cure his body, eventually completing four marathons.

After hitting rock bottom, Mark took positive action, overcame his health issues, and re-educated himself in a new career in construction health and safety. He worked at the London Olympic Stadium for the 2012 Games and then at London Heathrow Airport as HSE Manager overseeing their entire commercial construction portfolio. He next became Head of HSE at a division of a residential home developer having overall HSE responsibility on a 90-acre, £1 billion project.

During this time, Mark Wilkinson was introduced to the UK’s largest landlord and self-made millionaire, Kevin Green, and completed his Kevin Green Wealth (KGW) property wealth coaching programme. As a result, Mark was asked to join the KGW coaching team to share his knowledge of business, property investing, and wealth management.

In 2018, Mark set up his own Health and Safety consultancy, which meant he could also focus on his various property businesses and develop as a coach and speaker. Mark Wilkinson’s debut book Life Remixed™ launched in February 2021. The book tells the story of his roller coaster life as a DJ, how he lost everything, and how he remixed his life. Mark is now a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership & Management (FInstLM) and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Safety and Health (CMIOSH). He holds an NVQ7 Master’s in Strategic Management and Leadership (MPhil) and plans to study next for a PhD in Directional Leadership. He is also an E-Colors practitioner and coach.

Robert and Mark discuss:

Mark’s history – living the dream
The point that Mark’s body said No
The mental toll of illness
The DVD the Secret – Bob Proctor
Taking action, a purpose, vision and goals
Bankruptcy, coming back from hitting bottom
Add value, give service, entrepreneurs
Mindset shift to running businesses
Having multiple sources of income
Kevin Green – You must have products and services
Keep learning, repetition is everything
Invest in yourself
What separates a successful from an unsuccessful business?
Dedicating time to mindset
Why should people buy Mark’s book?
Finding purpose – to bring joy, knowledge, inspire and create
Be happy in the moment
What’s next for Mark
Mark’s pearls of wisdom

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Gordon Glenister. Gordon is an influencer marketing strategist trainer and speaker He is also the Global Head of Influencer Marketing at the Branded Content Marketing Association and the CEO of Membership World. Gordon was formally the director general of the British Promotional Merchandise Association for 11 years then launched his own membership consultancy in September 2018. From there he went on to launch a new influencer marketing channel at the Branded Content Marketing Association and still remains the global head of influencer marketing. He is also the host of Influence the global podcast shining a spotlight on the influencer marketing industry where he interviews all sorts of brands and influencers.

In March 2021 he had his first book released on influencer marketing strategy with global publishers Kogan Page. Within the membership community he launched Membership World in July 2020, a podcast and community site for membership professionals supported by regular CEO roundtable discussions. Gordon is also the author of the Covid19 impact study which explored the challenges faced by professional bodies, trade associations and charities in the Pandemic. Gordon runs successful strategy workshops for membership bodies, mystery member audits and general advice on running successful organisations.

Why Influencer Marketing Really Does Work.

What does Influencer Marketing mean?
Just Gen Z?
What does IM done well look like?
Campaign results
What does IM done badly look like?
What do the highly successful do differently?
How to find influencers?
Attribution… how to link it into PPC, SEO, content marketing activities?
Where does it sit in the funnel
Gordons final words of wisdom

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Tim Butler Founder of Innovation Visual. Tim has a background in marketing, sales and consultancy as well as having deep digital expertise. He has worked in a wide variety of sectors such as marketing services, technology, banking, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, professional services and finance, giving him a very broad and in-depth view of business. Using this business acumen and knowledge, and applying it as a ‘digital marketing expert’, Tim has led professional teams delivering digital marketing strategies for a large array of UK and international clients.

Innovation Visual are one of the those brilliant UK agencies that keeps on delivering.

Robert and Tim discuss:

Just another agency or some things you do differently?
Corporate responsibility and paying it forward. Why? Where’s the ROI?
Are there secrets of success? What do you need to do to grow an agency?
What does success mean? How do you know if you have been successful?
Success is not selling out for £20m.
The balance between running a ‘great place to work’ and running a profitable business
How have you responded to the last nine months?
How have customer habits and behaviours changed?
What separates the successes from the failures?
Your recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets you‘d like to share: “The work of the CEO is to make decisions. Get informed so you can make decisions.”

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video… to watch the rest please visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Mike Lander. Mike is a successful entrepreneur and expert negotiator with a proven track record of buying, growing, and selling businesses for seven-figure sums. He’s raised over £6.5m of acquisition/growth capital in his career and grown companies to over £20m revenue and £4m EBITDA.

Mike has a uniquely valuable perspective on negotiating commercial deals, having worked on both sides of the table as a Procurement Director and an entrepreneur. In one of his roles, Mike worked as a Procurement Director for what is now one of the world’s largest RPO/MSP organisations worth in excess of $1bn, where he negotiated hundreds of deals with staffing agencies.

He launched Piscari in 2010 and leveraged his specialist knowledge and experience negotiating hundreds of deals worth over £400m in total to empower leaders and sales teams to negotiate more profitable deals, especially when procurement is involved.

Robert and Mike discuss:

Dealing with procurement
– what’s the backstory where you end up discussing this?
When do we see procurement?
Is everything true that they say about procurement?
Where is the sweet spot under the shadow of procurement?
How is it different from dealing direct with the owner-founder?
What are the bear traps, tools, tips, techniques… What to do with an RFP?
Negotiating and selling a business – what are the bear traps? What are the rules?
Agency growth: are there secrets of success? What do you need to do to grow an agency?
What would a ‘fit’ agency look like in 12 months?

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head on over to www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Stefan Bardega. Stef is Co-Founder of Traktion, a new SaaS platform that helps businesses discover and hire the best freelance marketing talent. Stefan spent the previous 15 years building various agencies including two that reached number one spot: MediaCom and iProspect. He grew the MediaCom digital agency business from 14 to 300 people during tenure and was most recently CEO of iProspect in the UK, an operation with 700 people.

Robert and Stefan discuss:

What can others learn or try to emulate from the big players in the market?
Clients want deep specialism
The change is that clients know more
Everything and nothing has changed
Independent businesses don’t know what to buy or who to hire or what to measure
Talk to us about the new model that Traktion is building for marketing-led growth – more project-based, agile, lower overheads and data-driven
What does it feel like to be in the shoes of a “start-up”/new kid on the block?
Stefan’s recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long interview. To watch the rest visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Mark Haslam. Mark is the Founder and Managing Director of Loud Mouth Media in Belfast. Establishing Loud Mouth in 2011 after gaining valuable experience as a Web Consultant in the telecommunications industry, Mark’s fervent passion for digital instilled his vision to set up a specialist PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising agency. His aim has always been to do PPC differently, creating more transparent, measurable, digital experiences and building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with clients.

Mark has a no-nonsense approach to running his agency. He does the basics brilliantly, listening to what his customers want and delivering it. And it has paid off for Loud Mouth Media. Mark tells us how he sees the world.

Robert and Mark discuss:

Pure PPC or full service?
Putting stuff where people want to see it
No big business plan
How to move from pure PPC
How client buying habits and behaviours have changed
Who are we competing against?
Are there secrets of success? What the best do differently
What would a ‘fit’ agency look like in 12 months?
Recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets you‘d like to share…

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest, head on over to www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Amanda Barry. Amanda is a business and personal development coach who works with entrepreneurs, focussing particularly on those running ethical, environmental or social impact businesses. She qualified with the Co-Active Training Institute, one of the world’s leading coaching training organisations and is certified with the International Coaches Federation. She spent the first part of her career as a PR and Comms Consultant, which included running her own award-winning agency, and in the last 15 years has been specialising in sustainability and environmental issues.

Robert and Amanda discuss:

- Coaching aha moments
- Burnout – from the inside
- What is coaching and how and why is it different from consultancy and training?
- B-corps – what are they and why should we know about them?
- Are there any studies that demonstrate anything more than a correlation that some good guys are also profitable
- Won’t larger businesses greenwash and pay lipservice…. Get the consultants in like they do?
- Are there corporate examples of good practice – go to sustainablebrands.com
- Your recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets you‘d like to share…

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Rand Fishkin. Rand is the Co-Founder and CEO of SparkToro. He has dedicated his professional life to helping people do better marketing through his blogging, videos, speaking, and his book, ‘Lost and Founder’. When Rand’s not working, he’s most likely to be in the company of his partner in marriage and (mostly petty) crime, author Geraldine DeRuiter. If you feed him great pasta or great whisky, he’ll give you the cheat code to rank #1 on Google.

Rand dropped out of the University of Washington in 2000 to work full-time at his mother’s small business marketing firm as a web designer. In 2004, he created the SEOmoz blog, which, over the next decade, became the world’s most popular community and content resource for search marketers. In 2007, Rand became CEO of SEOmoz, Inc (now called Moz), the software company he co-founded with his mom based on the blog’s success. In seven years as CEO, Rand grew Moz from seven employees to 134, revenues from $800K to $29.3m, and traffic from 1 to 30m annual visitors.

In 2018, Rand founded SparkToro and published, with Penguin/Random House, Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World. See review below.

Robert and Rand spend an hour discussing the state of play for digital and Rand’s insight into how to run a successful agency.

Robert and Rand discuss:

Are there secrets of success?
What did you learn from the Moz experience?
What are the myths of start-up/business growth?
SparkToro– why? And why another ‘start-up’?
What have you done differently this time?
What separates the successes from the failures?

Rand then answered questions from our agency owner friends.

This is a bite-size version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest head over to GYDA Member Hub

Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Gareth Hoyle of Marketing Signals. Straight from university, Gareth started his own digital marketing agency from which Marketing Signals has grown. A commercial mind with a deep technical understanding, he conveys comprehensive digital marketing knowledge in a straightforward and easily understandable way to stakeholders at all levels. An investor in people.

Robert and Gareth discuss:

How is your agency different? Why do people buy from you?
Are there secrets of success? What do you need to do to grow an agency?
How did you respond to COVID-19?
You refer to the ‘bull***t’ that goes with the models of running an agency – why?
Is the agency model dead?
Is it a hamster wheel or a flywheel?
Are agencies short-changing clients?
Why don’t clients in-house more agency services… or go to Bangalore…?
Recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets.

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please head over to www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Dixon Jones. Dixon Jones is a multi-award winning entrepreneur who has helped to build the Internet Marketing industry for over 20 years. He is currently an investor and CEO of Inlinks.net which is the first entity SEO toolset built from the ground up around its own Knowledge graphs and NLP algorithms.

He is best known in the industry for building up Majestic, the link intelligence search engine as marketing director from 2009 to 2018. In that time the company became a Deloitte Fast 50 company winning multiple awards including two Queens Awards for Enterprise. Whilst Dixon remains their Global Brand Ambassador, he has also diversified in 2018 to become involved in several new innovative ventures within and beyond the search industry, including Power 2 Me, which aims to bring personal energy harvesting the world.

His involvement in the Internet Marketing space began in earnest in 1999 when he co-founded the UK Search Agency Receptional, which he eventually sold in a management buyout. Even before that, Dixon succeeded in the original .com boom writing and selling Murder Mystery Games online.

Robert and Dixon discuss:

- What Dixon is doing right now
- Why is Entity SEO so important? Just another trend?
- A start-up in the middle of a recession… what is the upside?
- How to get traction
- Fortune favours those that turn up
- As agency ‘poacher’ turned gamekeeper’ are there secrets of success?
- What do you need to do to grow an agency?
- What separates the successes from the failures?
- What would a ‘fit’ agency look like in 12 months?
- Marketers can learn from agile developers
- Dixon’s recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Kostas Petrou. He is the founder of the creative agency, Ascend Digital. He fell involve with digital marketing 8 years ago and studied through the CIM (Chartered Institute Of Marketing) at Loughborough College. He then worked in- house for a few years learning and perfecting the art of marketing but very quickly realised that his skillset and passion was in digital marketing.

He then deep dived into disciplines such as SEO and Digital PR and quickly discovered that the way SEO agencies were doing things did not quite make sense to him.

Kostas found that many agencies were focusing purely on satisfying an algorithm instead of focusing on actual human beings and so immersed himself in what he calls Creative SEO. The art of combining SEO, Digital PR, Creative Content, data and a sprinkle of social media, to create the perfect search cocktail. The Ascend slogan is – Creativity In Search.

So, he decided to launch Ascend Digital in March (Yep, just when lockdown happened) with the understanding that businesses will very quickly need to adopt a digital approach to how they do business because during lockdown, that will be the only way to do business! One of Ascend’s first clients was an electrical contracting business in Nottingham and after just a 3 month period of working with them, they went from page 3 on google to ranking in the top 3 on page 1 and 10x their traffic! As a result doubling their revenue.

Since then Ascend have been working with businesses in Finance, Retail, Pharmaceuticals and more.

A refreshing interview with a start-up agency, full of enthusiasm and passion to make a difference.

Here’s what they discussed:

What are you known for?
What are you doing right now?
What was the spark that made you want to run an agency?
Where did you go for advice to start-up the agency?
What would you do differently?
How do you put together your business plan?
What do you measure in terms of KPIs?
How did you deal with COVID-19?
What does success look like?
What would more experienced agency owners say to you right now?
What would a ‘fit’ agency look like in 12 months?
Kostas’s recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets.

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. Want to watch the rest? Head on over to www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Patrick Gilbert. Patrick grew up in Long Island, NY. He studied marketing and economics at the Pennsylvania State University and currently serves as the Executive Director at AdVenture Media Group. He is internationally recognised by Google for his expertise with automation, having been asked to deliver presentations at Google conferences held in NYC, London, and Dublin.

Goodfirms.co recognised Patrick as a Top 10 Thought Leader for PPC Machine Learning, and PPC Hero listed Patrick among the Top 50 Most Influential PPC Experts of 2020. If the Buffalo Bills ever win the Super Bowl, Patrick hopes you think of him and say, “Good for him. He never gave up on that miserable franchise.”

In his latest book ‘Join or Die’, Patrick shares how he transformed AdVenture Media into a modern, automation-driven advertising powerhouse. From the failures and mistakes that nearly lost the agency multiple clients and millions in revenue, to the exaltation of successful breakthroughs, Join Or Die is brutally transparent, honest and best of all, practical. Gilbert’s writing is replete with specific strategies you’ll be able to implement in your own campaigns right away.

Robert and Patrick discuss:

“AI is here” (again)
Join or Die – why did you write it?
Google etc want us to succeed, of course…
“They” are large and have their own agenda
Many agencies blame things they can’t control, eg the platforms
Often it is not real machine-learning
Everyone claims to be part of the new future
We need to be hybrid – automation + humans
What is the one-liner from the book?
What does automation-driven mean?
What are the big takeaways?
Patrick’s rookie errors…
What would a ‘fit’ agency look like in 12 months?
Patrick’s recommendations, top tips and advice for other agency owners

To watch the rest of the video and hear Patrick talking more about Google, visit: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Warren Knight. Warren is an award-winning keynote speaker, a top 100 Global Influencer and top 100 Tech Influencer. He is internationally recognised as a speaker, trainer and coach on Digital Leadership & Digital Transformation, with nearly 15 years digital experience he’s an award-winning technology entrepreneur, certified Agile leader and author of Think #Digital First.

Change agent Warren Knight’s personal approach to transforming how we view disruptive technology is to empower individuals with positive choices to reach business objectives and as a result builds stronger companies and more engaged communities.

His vision is to, by 2035, help 1,000,000 leaders globally build a workplace based on culture, community, and technology for generation Alpha.

Robert and Warren discuss:

A controversial and feisty interview challenging the norms that most agencies have followed. A clarion call for agencies to be more adventurous and less conservative. Now is the time to bold and brave. Watch it at your peril. You may not like what is discussed.

Back Story
Digital Agility
Digital Leadership
Nurturing and engaging
Value proposition
Make it easy for clients to buy
Find a niche within a niche
The power of three
Lifetime value of the customer
Love the opportunity
Where to create new value
The two warrens
Now is the time to perfect and build the business you will love

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit www.gydamemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Jason Barnard. Jason is an author, speaker and consultant on all things digital marketing. His specialist subject is Brand SERPs (what appears when someone googles your name). He teaches Brand SERP optimisation to students at Kalicube.pro. He also hosts a marketing podcast, where the smartest people in marketing talk to Jason about subjects they know inside out. The conversations are always interesting, always intelligent and always fun!

Over 2 decades of experience in digital marketing: he started promoting his first website in the year Google was incorporated and built it up to become one of the top 10,000 most visited sites in the world (60 million visits in 2007).

The Brand SERP Guy

Why “The Brand SERP Guy”? Because Jason has been studying, tracking and analysing Brand SERPs (what appears when someone Googles your name) since 2013…

Conclusion: Brand SERPs are your new business card, a reflection of your brand’s digital ecosystem and an honest critique of your online marketing strategy. That could well be enough to pique the interest of any marketer and any brand… in any industry

Jason challenges some basic assumptions about the best use of our time and why we should focus on Brand SERPs – ignore them at your peril. Here’s why…

What are you known for?
What are you doing right now?
Aren’t Brand SERPs a bit niche?
Why do you think agencies often overlook the Knowledge Graph?
What are agencies missing by not tracking Brand SERPs?
Isn’t managing your Brand SERP just really simple SEO?
What’s next for you?
Your recommendations/pearls of wisdom, golden nuggets.

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. Want to watch the rest? Visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Anton Shulke of SEMrush. A mathematician by education, Anton is now head of influencer marketing at SEMrush and the brains behind all of their informative webinars.

Robert and Anton discuss:

Background, Anton’s history
Webinars – live or recorded
Experts as ambassadors
Core audience growth as the KPI
How to create awareness
35% attendance the stadrad metric; half that for paid traffic
It is a long game
How to differentiate your webinar
Quieter over COVID but now it is business as usual
The most popular topics: SEO audience, local SEO and experts
How does influence marketing differ from traditional marketing?
Growing one’s experts
The influence of Covid
Get/Create your own influencer inhouse ASAP

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In this GYDA talks, Robert talks to Bibi Raven. Bibi the Link Builder is the crazy founder over at Bibibuzz – where her wild gang of outreach Jedi create powerful backlinks for her awesome clientele. She’s infamously known for doling out world-saving link building advice, creative link training and endless, utterly pointless dad jokes.

Robert and Bibi discuss:

How is running a team in the Philippines?
Being a personality online
Transactions vs Relationships
Filter off rather than volume up
Vulnerability and Listening
Guarantee deliverables and not results
Manage expectations
Success and Failure
Is Link-building dead?
Biggest growth pain is Operations
Scale issues lead to doing more training and consulting?
Post-COVID plans
How to get more clients – send them to the service page, client qualify with questionnaire leads to the filter.
Put up prices x2
Self-fulfilling process – better/richer clients that know better/richer clients get attracted

To watch the full video please visit: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Geoff Burch. Geoff is an internationally acknowledged authority on Change, Leadership, Sales and Customers. An inspirational speaker who has a genuine in-depth understanding of business. Geoff is one of the most respected authorities speaking today.

A best-selling author and business guru, Geoff has been voted ‘Business Communicator of the Year’ by the UK Speechwriters’ Guild and is considered to be one of Europe’s most exciting and motivational business experts, working extensively with major global blue chip and FTSE 100 companies to inspire, motivate and inform their people. His entertaining and engaging presentations deliver powerful business principles and key ideas on subjects as diverse as disintermediation, energising teams, improving working culture and how to seize opportunity from change, making them relevant to organisations of all sizes.

*Robert and Geoff discuss:

How did you get to 2020? The journey
What of management consultants?
What’s holding people back from running the business they really want to run?
Why do people succeed?
Why do they fail?
What do you think of the concept of “high performers”?.. and guru authors…?
Speaking the truth (as a professional service firm)
How is marketing/sales different post-covid?
Show the client how difficult it is
How do you create an entrepreneurial culture?
Business rescue and COVID-19
KPIs – what should they be?
Top tips to someone running an agency now…

*Bad Language alert

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long interview, to watch the rest please visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Jonny Tooze. Jonny is the founder of LAB and has been part of the UK digital community for the last 20 years. LAB is a digital agency specialising in human behaviour and innovation. Jonny has recently formed a group and started to acquire other agencies. He’s an advisor to many agencies outside of LAB, and has helped them grow and tackle complex challenges. He has also obsessed about leadership and decision-making for the last decade and coaches many leaders.

Robert and Jonny discuss:

Mindset
Pillars of growth
Whack-a-mole
Barriers to growth
Fear of letting go
Glass ceilings
Leadership from fear
Acquisition
Suppliers not partners
Getting too comfortable
Reverting to type
Acquisition at Lab
CFO-based acquisition strategies
What next in the agency landscape
Top Tips – understand yourself and your motivation

This is a bitesize video of the hour-long video on GYDA Member Hub. Head on over and sign up for membership to watch the rest!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Adam Harris of Freshmindset. Adam specialises in providing leaders with the insights and tools they need to develop expertise in making the right introductions, and leverage this knowledge for strategic sales success. In other words, he’ll help you determine who and what you need to know, and who and what they need to know, to produce measurable and sustainable business results.

A dynamic and powerful speaker – really, though, he’s not just saying that – Adam brings audiences to their own “edge of glory,” pushing them to question their status quos and affect positive change within their organizations through introductions and the leveraging of networks and contacts.

Robert and Adam discuss:

Great questions to ask
B- Corp.s
Purpose – does it matter?
Don’t be afraid to walk away
What to do: be reactive or proactive to clients… every 90 days
Businesses don’t know where they are heading
Become a trusted advisor/partner
Where do you want to sit in the market?
BNI: 90% lifestyle of whom 50% content and 50% are deluded into thinking they are entrepreneurs
Decide what it is you want to be
3 questions for high growth potentials:
what is the product/service and why is it different
how will you fund your growth goals because it can’t be funded organically
Who will be your people?
Is there a recipe book for success? Success is a function of the person that you are… the market is irrelevant
If you are young enough(!), create the conditions for success
Resolve to pivot or die
“Where, what, how?” can we do things differently?
So much money around now that you should consider M&A
Adam’s Pearls of Wisdom
surround yourself with smarter people – you are +/-10% of the people you surround yourself with
find people who will challenge you – not about the right answers to the questions but about hearing your questions questioned

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Jeremy Jacobs. Jeremy ‘JJ’ Jacobs is the genuine article, a true Sales Rainmaker. He has devoted his life to understanding sales issues. He continues to research and share evolving as well as new insights into sales interactions. Unlike many of the profession who continue to preach out-of-date systems (methods) from the 1980s and 1990s he looks to the future. The way we buy and sell has undergone a radical shift in expectations and behaviours. What used to work often now seems hackneyed and artificial. JJ gets to the heart of current issues with his mentoring and shows clients and customers a better, more sustainable way to engage. The digital age, with new brain science, makes the old techniques appear false and forced.

Robert and Jeremy discuss:

What is the Sales Rainmaker?
You start with the person
Understand the client first
Bricks & mortar, selling online or both…?
How easy is it to do business with you?
“Go the extra mile”
Experience fails – plenty of them
What should a PSF do?
Customer Experience
Hunt or farm?
New or existing customers?
Become a disruptor with new clients
The biggest problem – the status quo bias
Give a compelling reason to buy
Closing = manipulation – people have seen it all before.
Not closing a deal but opening a relationship
Be of service
Everyone has a different ‘pennydrop’ moment
See the long-term picture

Final one-liners

1) don’t lose money out the backdoor

2) know who are your best clients

3) explain the value

4) don’t sell too cheap

This is a bitesize version of the hour-long video. To watch the rest please visit www.gydamemberhub.com

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Robert and Andy discuss:

The journey to 2020
Managing content in a crisis
V.O.I.C.E.
What does ‘good look like?
Authenticity with your audience
Biggest challenge to doing good content marketing
Copywriting
6-step proven formula that took ContentCal to 40,000 users in 3 years
The challenge of deliberately funding your growth from Day 1. The challenges that creates.
Andy’s top tips for other agency owners

This is a bitesize video of the hour-long video on GYDA Member Hub. Head on over and sign up for membership to watch the rest!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Geoff Ramm. Geoff is an expert in Customer Service / Experience and Marketing. He is creator and author of Celebrity Service. He’s challenged and inspired audiences across 43 countries to create award-winning ideas to outperform the competition. Geoff’s clients include, Emirates, Warner Brothers & McDonalds. FORBES called him…. ‘A Game Changer’.

Robert and Geoff discuss:

Service – how would you service change if Brad or Angelina was coming in to see you?
Isn’t Celebrity Service just about B2C?
Everyone says, “Go the extra mile and exceed expectations”
Put the Celebrity Service into every touchpoint and then the gap will be filled, and no-one could compete with the experience
The great accountant
Commoditised business need to out-market out-content and out-serve the competition
Customer experience doesn’t start with a P so isn’t part of the 7 Ps
Celebrity Service starts with the culture – examples of getting it into the business
Do you have the happiest workplace? Ask your people what they want and give it to them
Authentic? it needs to be personalised – deliver internal experience
They’ll remember what we said and what we sent:
Consistency
Excitement
Love
Engagement
Bravado
Response
Independence
Thankyou
You and Your Team
Excite people (Elliot’s Magic Ticket)
Put a ‘Loves’ column in the CRM

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Garry Hamilton. Garry is the Chief Growth Officer at the digital transformation agency, Equator. Over the last twenty years he and his two partners, have built the agency into a UK top 5 independent agency (Econsultancy 2019) with 180 experts in Glasgow and London. Equator currently serves as the digital transformation partner for FTSE 100 companies and world-renowned brands including AXA, Virgin Active, Santander, SSE, Phoenix Life and more.

Robert and Garry discuss:
• Digital Transformation
• Increase Prices
• Created the role of Trusted Advisor
• Be a partner and not a supplier
• The risk/reward model
• Growth ‘secrets’
• You need to make yourself redundant
• We all exit via death, going bust or selling our share of the business
• You need to become a board with actions and accountability
• Consequences of underperforming in the board room
• COVID-19 and its impact
• Brexit sorted then COVID-19….
• You need to be brave; you need to be seen
• Lead gen is low cost now
• How to stay entrepreneurial?
• Felt like an oil tanker at 100 staff and chopped the business into tribes
• What next? The industry will need to get into digital business transformation
• Even more consolidation
• Too big to be small, to small to be big offer opportunities…
• Gary’s advice for agency leaders

This is a bitesize video of the full hour-long interview with Garry. To watch the rest visit GYDA Member Hub!

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Ben Afia. A recognised tone of voice pioneer and global expert, Ben uses language to help companies change culture, improve performance and forge deeper connections with their customers.

As one of the first people in the world to establish and manage tone of voice, he cut his teeth with Wallgreen Alliance Boots, helping them improve relationships internally and with customers.

He then set up Afia and has since helped companies like Allianz Insurance to win more customers, BP to develop their employer brand and Google to help marketers understand digital better.

Ben’s strategic consultancy and change programmes helped Vodafone boost their customer satisfaction to its highest ever level and took E.ON on a journey to change their culture. And his claim to fame is helping Ronseal to work out what to say on the tin.

Robert and Ben discuss:

How Ben got to where he is
How words matter – internally and externally
A model for creating great briefs
The doughnut model
Books to read
How culture determines all, including brand
What’s next for Ben

To contact Ben and for some free resources on Language Strategy and the language Manifesto Click Here. This is a bitesize version of the interview. To watch the full video visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Simon Jacobson of Microsoft. Simon is the UK Business lead at Microsoft and has had a diverse career working in agencies, consultancies and platforms which has given him an amazing insight into the world of search.

In the interview Robert and Simon discuss the state of play with agencies right now, during the COVID crisis, plus much more!

Robert and Simon discuss:

The early agency response to Covid-19
What are the good agencies doing?
Furloughing
The future of the economy and the advertising market
What’s holding agencies back?
How to get close to Microsoft Advertising
Smaller is better
Agencies becoming more commercial in their contracting with advertisers
There are opportunities in the right places
Simon’s advice for agency leaders

This is a bitesize version of the full hour-long interview. To watch the rest visit GYDA Member Hub.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Joe Hine of SI Partners.

Joe’s passion lies in advising entrepreneurs to create and realise value in their businesses.

He is a European partner at SI Partners, specialising in corporate finance and driving value prior to sale. SI Partners is a global team focused on advising creative, technology and consulting businesses.

Joe has spent 20 years in M&A environments both as an advisor and in-house working on over 100 transactions. He brings his technical and practical insight to bear on each deal with extra ordinary focus on achieving successful outcomes.

In recent years Joe has sold digital agencies to all the major buyer groups; management consultancies, tech consultancies, emerging groups, PE backed, minor and major marcomms.

Robert and Joe discuss:

The players and the M&A world pre-Covid
EBITDAC
Death of deals over £100m
Everything quicker now
Agglomeration and distressed business deals are still there
Valuations still come in by rule of thumb of 10x EBITDA with a 3y earn-out
Performance agencies are attractive right now
More value in consulting and adding value by moving up the food chain
Focus on revenue and GP per head.
What you should do right now if you want to sell in 2020

This is a bitesize version of the full hour-long interview. To watch the rest visit GYDA Member Hub.

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In this GYDA Talks Robert talks to Lucy Hall from Avviso Media. Lucy is a speaker and educator on Digital marketing. She is a director of Avviso Media, a digital , social and content marketing agency. Lucy also runs the three day media marketing festival and digital media awards, Social Day.

Lucy is one of the UK’s most influential female leaders. Robert spends 45 minutes getting to the heart of this wonder woman’s success!

Robert and Lucy discuss:

Intro to Lucy and her history
Social Day, Avviso Media and Awards
New Business – Hunting or Farming?
Why do people buy from you?
Is there a secret sauce for agencies?
Digital Women
Resilience – a balancing act
Biggest challenges of running an agency
Long term challenges
Lucy’s advice for other agency owners

This interview was recorded prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

To watch the rest of the video visit GYDA Member Hub.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Dean Seddon of Maverrik. Dean founded Maverrik in 2013 as a consultancy and business development company. Having delivered growth in several small and large businesses, he embarked on building an organisation which would help business cut through the fog and grow people, sales and profit.

Dean is a practical, hands-on business speaker and trainer. Supported by the Maverrik team, Dean speaks at over 100 events per year, consults with large and small businesses across the world and is passionate about getting results for people.

Robert and Dean discuss:

What Dean and Maverrik do
How did you get to 2020? The journey.
Utilising LinkedIn as a sales tool
How can agencies use it on behalf of their clients… any examples…?
What are the clever things we can do with LI? How can it be embedded or linked into a bigger campaign… any examples…?
And what of LI advertising… examples…? Can it be compared pound for pound with Google or Facebook advertising?
DIY or can a Done For You service actually work?
What next for Dean
Top tips … for other agency owners

This is a bitesize video of the full hour-long interview with Garry. To watch the rest visit GYDA Member Hub!

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In this New Business discussion, Robert talks to Ben Potter. Ben helps agencies to win the right clients. He is a mentor for agency owners and business development managers.

Ben and Robert share insight into:

How to get more clients
Why agencies struggle with getting new clients
Culture, attention and focus
Silver Bullet approaches don’t work
Referrals, Farming, Hunting
Examples of what works – closing the gap
The future of business development
Taking ownership of business development
Executing the right things at the right time
Keeping the tap running on your sales pipeline
Getting your positioning piece nailed

This is a bitesize version of the interview. To watch the full video visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Talks Robert interviews Digital Marketing and tech media expert Dan Sodergren – investor in FLOCK. As a digital marketing consultant, Dan has worked with social, mobile and gaming clients ranging from high growth start-ups to well-established household names like O2.

With active experience in topics as varied as gamification, geo location, augmented reality, social media excellence, and PPC, at FLOCK Dan is in charge of marketing and innovation. FLOCK itself being the digital transformation of a client’s consultancy business in early 2018.

In the interview – Robert and Dan discuss remote work company culture, diversity and inclusion, what to do with a non-diverse agency, the future of digital agencies and the agency world right now.

To watch the rest of the video visit GYDA Member Hub.

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In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Andy Lopata about his new book Connected Leadership. How Professional Relationships Underpin Executive Success. In the book Andy explores just how important strong relationships are and how to build a network of people who are:

In a position to support you
Want to support you
Know exactly what support you need
Why this book? Why now? How is it different from what you have done before?
How is it different from other books on the subject?
What are top 2/3 key ahas/takeaways/models?
Does covid-19 make all this even more important?
How is this all relevant to leaders of digital agencies….? How might they use this book to help grow their business?
What will sort the successful agencies from the rest in 2020?
What’s next for Andy?

https://lopata.co.uk/

This is a bitesize version of the full hour-long interview. To watch the rest visit GYDA Member Hub.

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In this interview Robert talks to Jonathan Jay. For over 20 years, Jonathan Jay has bought and sold companies, restructured groups, bought out competitors and successfully completed private equity deals both buy-side and sell-side.

Robert and Jonathan discuss:
Schoolboy errors when buying and selling
The process of buying and selling
Restructuring accounts
Buying an agency without your own cash

This is a bitesize version of the full hour-long interview. To watch the rest visit GYDA Member Hub.

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Our June Expert of the Month is Paul Stephen of Sagittarius. With over 20 years in marketing, Paul is one of the UK’s leading experts on digital marketing. He oversees the agency and often lectures and consults within the industry on digital and marketing related subjects and has a particular interest and skills in the travel and tourism sectors.

Paul operates nationally and internationally, helping brands to think outside the traditional horizontal and vertical channels and transform their business with creative multi-channel marketing and digital re-invention.

Robert and Paul discuss:

Who are Sagittarius?
Paul’s Story
From being a lifestyle business to a big agency
Meeting other peers
Marketing and sales
Retainers and a slow client lifecycle
Niche
Strangers, Friends and Lovers
What’s happening in Sagittarius during the COVID-19 crisis?
What will the successful agencies be doing differently from the rest in the future?
What’s next for Sagittarius?
Paul’s advice for other agency owners

To listen to the rest of the podcast visit www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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Here’s a bitesize version of May’s GYDA Member Hub Expert of the month. This month Robert interviews Sammy Mansourpour of Agency UK. AUK are an integrated brand communications agency based in Bath. They are privately owned and proudly independent, helping businesses grow by creating more meaningful brand experiences.

They discuss:

What makes AUK unique?
Embracing conflict
Creative for creating brand success
Strange times and how AUK are addressing the crisis
Client base and projects – what’s going on
New business pipeline – pitches during lock-down
Growing through a recession
Predictions for post lock-down business
What will the new normal look like
Remote working and coming out of it
To small to be big and being to big to be small – agency sizes
Business Development
Pausing the business
What does the Financial Director look like in AUK?
Being excited about the future
Running a virtual agency
Sammy’s top tips for running an agency

In this bitesize video you can hear Sammy talking about what makes AUK unique. To watch the rest of the video please visit GYDA Member Hub.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert sits down with Timothy Armoo. Timothy is the CEO of Fanbytes, a digital agency which helps the world’s largest organizations like UK Government, Apple and Deliveroo win the hearts of younger audiences on Snapchat and Tiktok.

As we watch the events in the US unfold and the #BlackLivesMatter movement grow globally, we discuss how it’s unfolding and reflect on the world that we live in… how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.

Robert and Timothy discuss:

How we can make a change towards a new, equal future
Timothy’s experiences from education to founding a business
How the Digital Agency world can make a difference

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In this month’s GYDA Member Hub interview, Robert interview Jason Swenk. Jason is an ex-digital agency owner who now runs a unique consultancy helping marketing agency owners grow their agencies faster.

Jason has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to an eight-figure agency. He is one of the most sought out advisors to agencies in the World, by showing them an 8 system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, Lotus Cars, and eventually lead to selling his agency.

Jason is now the agency advisor and mentor that guides marketing agencies through a proven framework for growing their agency faster.

They discuss:

Characteristics of agencies struggling or thriving
Growing a successful agency
Living the lifestyle – is it possible when you’re growing an agency?
The five roles of an agency owner
Snake oil salesmen
Self-sabotaging – what do you want, what sort of agency do you want to run?
Growing an agency – does the reality live up to the dream
Seth Godin’s favourite agency
Jason’s framework for growing an agency
Differentiating your agency – how to position yourself
Business development and sales
Price discounts – Jason’s opinion
Jason’s golden nugget advice for agency owners

This podcast is vibrantly rich with snippets to take away and implement into your own Digital Agency! To watch the rest of the video sign up to the GYDA Member Hub: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this GYDA Member Hub Talks – Robert interviews the awesome Tom Peters. Tom is one of the world’s most respected Management Gurus. He’s an Author, Business Expert, Thought Leader, Speaker.

Tom is co-author of In Search of Excellence—the book that changed the way the world does business and often tagged as the best business book ever. Seventeen books and thirty-five years later, he is still at the forefront of the “management guru industry” he single-handedly invented.

What’s new? A lot.

As CNN said, “While most business gurus milk the same mantra for all it’s worth, the one-man brand called Tom Peters is still reinventing himself.”

His most recent effort is The Excellence Dividend: Meeting the Tech Tide with Work That Wows and Jobs That Last (Vintage, 2018). Tom’s bedrock belief: “Execution is strategy—it’s all about the people and the doing, not the talking and the theory.”

In November 2017, Tom received the Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award. (Effectively, All of Tom’s written and speech material covering the last 15+ years is available— free to download—at tompeters.com and excellencenow.com.)

This video is six minutes from the hour-long interview… Just a flavour of the rest of the interview that you can view on GYDA Member Hub: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode features expert guest, Rob Walsh — Client Account Consultant at OnlineMarkethink.com.

They discuss:

How to streamline your financial plan to optimise income and budgets in COVID
What to outsource to accountants and when
How to be authentic in your financial plan
How to create and understand a beneficial financial forecast
How you can improve as a leader in the COVID crisis

This episode was recorded on 20.05.20

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode features expert guest, Arnout Hellemans — Founder of OnlineMarkethink.com.

They discuss:

The way you are reporting to profitability impact
How to make clear choices to position your agency in; (PR / Outreach / PPC) > Work with marketing departments CRO, Analytics, Tech SEO and Site Performance > Work with operational departments
How to search for potential collaborations (outside online marketing or inside)
Embedding works, working at the client's location (for employees as well as clients
Help clients above and beyond; set alerts, be proactive (GA works really well); help the people who hire you to look good (be their 2nd bencher).

This episode was recorded on 23.05.20

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode features expert guest, Adam Graham — Founder and MD of agency Gray Matters.

They discuss:

Business development in May 2020
What is good business development
What doesn't work
Why are agency websites so rubbish
Show passion or frustration
Stand for something
Marmite is OK
How to pitch
What do people really buy

This episode was recorded on 06.05.20

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They discuss:

Work lost
Personal financial cuts
The last 10 years have been a cakewalk
Only the strong will survive
Smart people are available
Dealing with the competition
T-shaped consultants
4-day weeks

This episode was recorded on 08.04.20.

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This episode was recorded on 06.04.20.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Kevin Gibbons of Re:Signal.

They discuss Coronavirus and dealing with staff and clients, mindset, attitude and making sense of the future. This episode was recorded on 01.04.20.

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A quick podcast in which Robert Craven explains the parallels between COVID-19 the Kübler-Ross model. A model which forms the '5 stages of grief' but here he talks about the change curve that we are all experiencing. This podcast is more about how organisations and companies are responding to the change that is happening right now. An insightful listen!

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Rob Sayles a Campaign Strategy and Paid Media Consultant. Rob provides his Partners with campaign strategy, creative, funnels, and ads services. With over 20 years experience in digital (working for a broad range of clients across the globe), he's spent his career working on innovative ways to scale agencies. This episode was recorded on 30.03.20.

They discuss:

Changing the narrative
Business development
Getting proactive and productive in this New World

Connect with Rob Sayles here.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Daniel Barnett, an Employment Law Barrister on Employment, Staff and COVID-19 during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode was recorded on 27.3.20.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode was recorded on 25.3.20.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode was recorded on 20.3.20.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak.

This episode was recorded on 19.3.20.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak.

This episode was recorded on 18.3.20.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Jenny Plant. Jenny started her career in account management in the early 1990’s and apart from five years working client side as a marketing manager, she has spent her career in agencies managing client relationships. Jenny started Account Management Skills in 2010 to help creative agency leaders retain and grow existing clients by training their account management team.

Robert and Jenny discuss:

Account Management and Sales
What makes Jenny different
Project Management and Business Development
What are customers buying and the AM relationship
Listening to and understanding clients
How do AM identify opportunities
Project Success
Specialising and a narrow focus
The future of agencies
What’s next for AM
Jenny’s top tips

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Leon Milns. Leon is a founder of We Are Adam a recruitment consultancy specialising in the Digital sector. Leon has spent 15 years building Adam into an award-winning consultancy. They create long term relationships with clients, partnering with their management team to ensure talent acquisitions fulfils their growth journey.

In this episode they discuss:

Leon and We Are Adam
Recruitment and Setting up a Recruitment Consultancy
Evolving the business into Digital Niche
Why are people so hostile towards recruitment consultants?
Operating at a higher level and becoming a partner
The value that Adam adds to their clients
Client relationships – immersing in the business
Recruitment, Values and Culture
Millennial’s and snowflakes
How Adam has grown and who they’ve engaged with along the way
Leon’s top tips for agencies

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Tamer Saglambilek, founder and Managing Director of Elevate Digital. Elevate are a full-service growth marketing agency based in the Netherlands. Tamer first met Robert at the 2016 Google Premier Partners Summit in Amsterdam and in 2019 completed the Google Elevator program with our team. His insight into building a successful 25 strong agency is valuable for any agency owner wanting to grow.

Robert and Tamer discuss:

Who are Elevate Digital?
The Google story – putting up prices
Google Elevator
Dashboards and working on, not in, your business
Issues facing agencies – changes in the market
Being an advisor and inspiring clients
Being responsive
What makes Elevate different?
Choosing the right clients
The future of Elevate
Hiring the right staff
Training rather than recruiting
Doing it all again, what would Tamer do differently
Advice for other agency owners

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Robin Waite. Robin ran his own agency for 12 years before deciding to take a break and re-evaluate. He is now a twice published author and runs Fearless Business, coaching SME’s to grow their businesses by adapting their strategy of selling time for money to being results orientated.

Robert and Robin discuss:

Growing an agency and closing it down
The Ah-Ha moment – what made the change
Marketing agencies – streamlining the process with the client
Coaching clients – transforming businesses
Robin’s Book – Take your Shot
Silver Bullet promises
Micro commitment – making the sale
Making it easier for clients to buy from you
The internet makes business 10x harder
Understanding the customer
The best advertising book in the world
What works today won’t work tomorrow
Challenges facing agencies today
Niche and finding clients
What’s next for Fearless Business
Robins top tips

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In this episode of GYDA Talks Robert talks to Antoinette Dale-Henderson. Antoinette is a globally recognised expert and speaker on leadership and gravitas. In 2015 she published her first book ‘Leading with Gravitas’ which was based on three years research into six qualities shared by successful leaders.

Four years later, Antoinette’s new book ‘Power Up’ has just launched! The book focuses on real world challenges faced by women and aims to empower ambitious women to unleash their potential and have their voice heard.

Robert and Antoinette Discuss:
The Gravitas Program
The journey from agency to business owner
Why is gravitas so important
Woman and gravitas
Women in leadership
What are the issues facing women as they go into leadership
Power Up – the book
A new power dynamic
How does this connect with agency owners?
The change of power balance from men to women
Key takeaways from the book
Power Pose
Antoinette’s advice

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Paul Barnes. Paul is Founder and Managing Director of MAP, the UK’s leading accountancy firm and outsourced finance function exclusively for digital creative agencies.

They talk about:

Being underwhelmed by the accountancy arena.
Identifying the niche.
Accountants missing a trick and not adding value.
Working with agencies.
Standing out in a busy market.
Being an agency partner.
Strategy and why it’s so important.
KPIs and Dashboards.
Profitability and what metrics are actually important.
Paul’s key advice.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Tim Dunton of Nimbus Hosting. Tim has worked in hosting for over 20 years and in 2011 founded Nimbus. After seeing a gap in the market for agencies, Tim and Nimbus launched STORM, a hosting platform designed specifically for creatives.

Tim and being more than an MD
Price Points and differentiation of hosting providers
Specialising in Digital Agencies
The Platform and how it helps agencies
Benefits – a seamless process and good customer service
Biggest challenges facing agencies
What’s the future for web and video?
Processes and KFC
Words of wisdom for Nimbus customers

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In this episode Robert talks to Steve Kuncewicz a partner at BLM Law.

Working out of the Manchester office, Steve specialises in intellectual property, media and communications-related issues, working mainly with the creative, digital, technology and advertising sector with a nationally-recognised niche specialism in issues involving social media.

Steve is our co-host for our first GYDA Summit on October 23rd 2019. We can’t wait to hear more from him on the day. Here’s a preview of what’s to come!

Robert and Steve discuss:

Lawyers and the creative hub of Manchester
The misconceptions surrounding lawyers
Lawyers and Creative Agencies
Adding value to clients
Engaging a lawyer and building the relationship
The Bulletproof Network
What are Steve’s aims and what’s next
The new BLM product
GDPR
Steve’s key insights and advise for agency owners

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Amy McManus of AM Marketing, a Kent based marketing agency and Google Partner specialising in digital marketing.

Amy and Robert discuss:

The growth of AM Marketing and what size they’re aiming for.
Is being out of London an advantage or disadvantage?
Sacking Clients and Being Sacked.
Burnout and Mental Health.
Being a Small Fish in a Big Pond.
Agency Culture.
Where AM gets New Business.
Facebook Live and Video.
Amy’s advice for Agency Owners.

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In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Andrew Ellis founder of Eye to Eye one of the worlds first new media agencies who designed and built some of the very first websites in the UK. Andrew is also founder of We are Like Minds, a thought leadership platform, holding events in London, Exeter, Helsinki and New York.

Robert and Andrew discuss:

Events and where it all started
Andrew’s History
Agencies and Agency Owners
Clients and what they actually need
Challenges that agencies face
The future of agencies
Productisation and having a side hustle
Entrepreneurial world
Being an owner vs an employee
We Are Like minds – conferences and events
Doing it all again, what Andrew would have done differently
Andrews key advise for agency owners

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In this GYDA Initiative Talks, Robert Craven talks to David Gilroy. David is the fearless leader of Conscious, a Bristol-based agency specialising in Digital Services for legal firms.

David talks candidly on:

Specialising in a niche – the upsides and downsides
Dealing with conflicts of interest
Building a great business and being a great leader
Approach to mental health in the business
Exit, Valuation, Sale
How to grow consistently
2020 Prices
Advice for other Digital Agency owners

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In this episode Robert talks to Steve Hyde, co-founder and CEO of Push, an award-winning Google Premier Partner agency.

Push offer PPC and digital marketing services which are based on their own in-house developed technologies. They are globally the only agency to have won a Premier Partner Award three years running.

Steve shares the history, growth and future of Push. Insights which are priceless for any Digital Agency Leader.

Robert and Steve discuss:

Push – The History, where it all started.
The Agency’s Growth – How it happened. Breaking the ceiling and the barriers to get there.
Diversity in the Agency – Attracting the best staff and multi-cultural agency life.
Winning Awards – Google Premier Partner Awards
The Future of Digital Agencies
The Changing Role of Digital Agencies – challenging clients
Doing it all again – What would he do differently.
What the secret sauce is for agency success

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Sophie Bennett is a motivation expert, bestselling author, champion dressage rider and qualified ski instructor.

In this episode of GYDA Initiative Talks, Robert Craven talks to Sophie about her latest book ‘Find Your Flame. Why Motivation Matters More Than Talent’

During the video Sophie and Robert discuss:

Being driven and having success
The Five Flames of motivation
Using the flames – Flow, Inclusion, Results, Expression, Discovery
Why entrepreneurs are different
Accountability
Using the book
How people are using the book
Your identity as a leader, your team's identity, relating the two,
The BIG message to Agency Owners

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In this podcast Robert Craven discusses how to measure KPI’s with Marcel Petitpas of Parakeeto.

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GYDA Initiative Talks where Robert Craven of GYDA Initiative and Delyth Parsons of This is Plenary discuss client servicing in agencies.

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Get a cuppa and get comfy. This 46 minute podcast is a whopper from Robert Craven and Dennis Yu.

Robert Craven is our GYDA Initiative chief. He also runs the Directors’ Centre, a business growth consultancy and is internationally renowned for his Digital Agency focused Keynote speeches.

Dennis Yu is CEO of Blitz Metrics and equal to Robert as another International heavyweight Digital Marketing Keynote speaker. Dennis is passionate about nurturing the next generation of digital marketers.

In this GYDA Initiative Talks, the two digital gurus talk frankly about:

– When businesses fall apart and what to do about it

– Facebook Advertising – Processes, systems and checklists

– Millennials – The challenge of employing (young) people and keeping them

– What do agency clients really want?

– Why 50 staff is a ceiling for most

– How to grow your agency

– Why you need a heart and a mission

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In this GYDA Initiative Talks, Robert Craven interviews Pete Bennett, an entrepreneur and founder of ReviewYoo.

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In this episode Robert Craven talks with Alex Langshur, founder and co-CEO of Cardinal Path, an award-winning consultancy that leverages data and advanced analytics.

Alex works closely with Google, including being instrumental in the creation of the Google Partners Elevator Program and the Google Partners Podcast.

He is a keynote speaker, writer and tutor of digital marketing optimisation. In this podcast he shares his knowledge of the digital agency world.

Robert and Alex discuss:

Alex’s five ‘non-bromide’ key things to managing an agency for growth
How to mindfully steer into conflict and turn this into a superpower
The role, value and benefits of having the right partners (and dangers too)
Using the Greiner Curve to predict your future
“I either win or I learn. I never lose”: following Nelson Mandela’s advice after an unsuccessful pitch
Why you can’t scale without systems, and the value they deliver
The criticality of managing yourself (you can’t manage others if you can’t manage yourself)
Why when something is emotionally satisfying, it’s probably bad for business
Persistent effort, consistently applied = results
The two critical numbers you need if you are thinking of selling your agency

GYDA Initiative - Grow Your Digital Agency: Recent Episodes