RECALIBRAGENCY: Recent Episodes
Danielle Fauteaux
The place for Creatives turned Leaders at marketing agencies to hear transformation stories of when things were out of whack and how others pushed through the barriers to get the situation back in order, all so you can rebalance your agency too. We'll talk all things agency life so that you can have a real life too.
Ft. Abby Gallo Owner at Terrain Bookkeeping
In this episode, Danielle and Abby discuss how look at your pipeline and prepare your budget.
Other topics of discussion include:
- Measuring Performance
- Sales Forecasting
- Time Tracking
In this episode:[00:24] Meet Abby.
[02:15] How Time Tracking In Your Agency Relates to Preparing Your Annual Budget
[5:57] Why, and How, to Create Budget Scenarios
[7:30] Measuring Your Performance; How Often to Check Actual Figures Against Budgeted Figures
[9:50] In What Ways a Budget Year Over Year Should Look the Same and Different
[16:32] Sales Forecasting and Looking at Your Deals Pipeline to Inform Your
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Ft. Leisa Reid, Owner at Get Speaking Gigs Now
In this episode, Danielle and Leisa discuss how to get focused and prepared for your topic and speech.
Other topics of discussion include:
- Addressing your own perceptions on public speaking
- Next steps after a speech
- Avoiding a cold pitch
In this episode:
[00:35] Meet Leisa.
[01:50] Addressing your own perceptions of public speaking.
[03:57] Step 1 in starting the road to more public speaking.
[5:50] How to get focused on the right signature topic that is going to move the needle in your business.
[8:40] What to do next once you are prepared on what your talk will be about everything else starts falling into place.
[9:50] How to avoid cold pitching.
[16:32] How speaking can help imposter syndrome.
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Ft. Sarah Durham, Owner at Compton Durham, LLC
In this episode, Danielle and Sarah discuss the pros and Cons of Various Exit Strategy Options including employee ownership options.
Other topics of discussion include:
Lessons Learned in Coping with Changes
How to Think About Your Exit Strategy
Addressing Common Fallacies and Misconceptions Pertaining to Business Exit Strategies
In this episode:
[00:28] Meet Sarah Durham.
[02:30] How to Think About Your Exit Strategy
[04:00] Pros and Cons of Various Exit Strategy Options Including Employee Ownership Options vs Selling/Merging.
[07:03] Addressing Common Fallacies and Misconceptions Pertaining to Business Exit Strategies.
[09:07] Lessons Learned in Coping with Changes.
[11:00] Lessons Learned in Getting Ahead of the Matter.
[16:12] Lessons Learned in Delegation and Building Others Up to Lead.
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Ft. Noel Andrews, Owner at Jobrack
In this episode, Danielle and Noel discuss how to handle new employee onboarding the right way and the implications involved when you hire early vs late.
Other topics of discussion include:
- Preventing new hire failure
- Right sizing and upsizing
- The interview process
In this episode:[00:29] Meet Noel.
[02:27] Implications of hiring early vs hiring late.
[07:45] Signs you need to be right sizing instead of upsizing.
[11:08] How to prevent new hire failure at your agency.
[11:28] Tips on how to do new employee onboarding the right way.
[14:53] How many interviews to conduct for new agency hires.
[16:32] How many team members to involve in the interviewing process.
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Ft. Jeff Meade, Owner at Meade
In this episode, Danielle and Jeff discuss how to find new clients and increase recurring revenue for your marketing agency.
Other topics of discussion include:
· Missed opportunities
· Thought Leadership
· Partnership marketing
In this episode:
[00:31] Meet Jeff Meade.
[01:33] Missed opportunities when growing your agency.
[02:43] Focus on you the agency leader and the agency as an expert.
[04:18] Thought leadership through content.
[07:00] Investing in thought leadership will increase the clientele you want to work with.
[09:25] Partnerships and partner marketing.
[13:43] You can do a lot more if you bring the right people in.
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Ft. Alyson Caffrey, Owner at Operations Agency
In this episode, Danielle and Alyson discuss how to be the best parent-preneur you can be.
Other topics of discussion include:
· Stress testing
· Messy bedroom syndrome
· Burn out
In this episode:
[00:24] Meet Alyson.
[04:33] Is my business a function of my life or is my life a function of my business?
[06:55] The sabbatical method for stress testing your agency to be better parentpreneurs.
[09:30] The importance of letting go of your perfectionism and be more hands off.
[11:20] Messy bedroom syndrome.
[17:30] If you are feeling burnt out and don’t feel you have the back up Loom is the answer!
[25:15] Have the resources in place because you don’t want your kids to look back and say that you were vacant.
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Ft. Joel Eschenbach , Partner atNotion Design Group
In this episode, Danielle and Joel discuss how to build recurring revenue and productized service models for your website development agency.
Other topics of discussion include:
👉 Value based pricing
👉 Leveraging add-ons
👉 Raising pricing with existing clients
In this episode:[00:45] Meet Joel Eschenbach
[04:00] How to Treat the Ongoing Costs of Website Development Clients
[08:48] Joel's Perspective on Value Based Pricing
[11:00] Considerations When Evaluating Using a Menu of Add-Ons
[12:36] Calculating Profit, Using Recurring Revenue Models, and Determining Your Pricing
[17:26] How to Protect Your Web Dev Agency When Pursuing Recurring Revenue and Productized Services
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Ft. Will Smith, Partner at IMPACT
In this episode, Danielle and Will talk through some of of the impacts of AI and how agencies and individuals alike can respond to the increasing pressures and pace of the digital environment.
Other topics of discussion include:
- Authenticity and Trust Building
- ChatGPT and AI In Your Agency
- Making Time and Space to Think
- Finding Balance in the Age of AI
In this episode:
[00:25] Meet Will Smith.
[02:53] How "hacks" erode trust with your clients.
[04:50] Addressing shiny object syndrome.
[06:25] Will's take on how to use ChatGPT the right way.
[08:42] Doing less but better.
[10:45] Addressing how we have never really been taught how to focus.
[14:48] If it is not on the calendar it isn’t going to happen.
[19:40] Your team is key when evaluating "hacks."
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Ft. Ryan Watson, Partner at Upsourced
In this episode, Danielle and Ryan discuss the agency lifecycle and the importance of measuring the right KPIs.
Other topics of discussion include:
- Hierarchy of Needs
- AGI:FTE Ratio
- Breaking down the agency lifecycle
In this episode:[00:30] Meet Ryan Watson.
[02:24] Breaking down the agency lifecycle as related to your agency finances.
[06:06] Measuring the right KPIs.
[10:20] Understanding Your AGI:FTE Ratio.
[12:32] Establishing Habits - The Second Cousin of Processes.
[15:12] Building Momentum Through Financial Health During Your Agency Lifecycle.
[17:45] Assessing Your Agency's Hierarchy of Needs.
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Ft. Andrew Litchford, Partner at StarlingIn this episode, Andrew discusses the importance of creating a Referral Network & Strategic Partnerships.
Other topics of discussion include:
- Building Trust
- Reducing Assumptions
- Developing Case Studies
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Wayne Pelletier, Partner at Resonant Pixel Co.In this episode, Wayne highlights the importance for agency owners and hiring managers at agencies to facilitate open and honest discussions with employees about growth paths of them as an individual and about the agency as a whole.
To navigate the nuances of creating an environment of open support and growth among individuals will inevitably lead to some growing out of your agency, so Wayne and Danielle also discuss how to navigate those situations.
Other topics of discussion include:
- Disclosing growth paths during the interview process
- Separating your expectations of a role from the individual in the role
- Additional means of creating stability in your agency
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Danielle Russell, President at Builder Funnel
In this episode, Danielle Russell shares her perspective on learning to develop teams within your agency. She clarifies the debate between the benefits of onboarding new teammates and promoting from within. She also talks about what success looks like in a talent-hiring role as an agency grows.
We vouch for all the tips and recommendations that Danielle R. is giving here in this episode since it has been learned over many years. She has adapted and been a witness to different techniques that work out within the context of an agency.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Danielle R. and I discuss:
- Maximizing talent density at your agency brings strong team leaders and clientele.
- What happens when the team culture is shaken by a new hire?
- The importance of being able to give meaningful feedback.
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Sarah Perry, Senior Marketing Director at Third Angle
It’s not easy to find the right tech stack for your agency, but it can make a huge difference in how smooth your processes are. Are you considering switching tools in your agency? Don’t miss this episode.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Sarah and I discuss:
- Is there a perfect project management tool for all agencies?
- How much of an agency’s success with tools is based on the tool versus the actual human behavior behind the tool?
- What to keep in mind when switching tools in your agency
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Kayla Baretta, Vice President of Operations at Paper Leaf
Managing managers and managing teams is hard work, especially when going through a big transition within your agency. Listen in on Kayla Baretta’s experience in her leadership role at Paper Leaf, which has doubled its team size since she started working at the agency.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Kayla and I discuss:
- How to deal with big changes within the agency
- Using a level system to reduce bias and ambiguity
- Helping team members grow and firing when there’s not a good fit
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Chris Manley, CEO of Engenius
Like many agencies, Engenius started in 2008 doing everything for everyone. After years of niching down, internal conflicts, and external changes in brand positioning, Chris found Engenius’ superpower and shouted it from the rooftops to help as many clients within their target market as possible.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Chris and I discuss:
- Trying to do everything for everyone in a new agency
- Differentiating one core service from a target audience
- Leveraging agency partnerships to hone in on a core service
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Steve Guberman, owner of Outsight Consulting
Your agency can quickly become a burden instead of the blessing that you wanted it to be. Especially when you’re not making enough sales, not having enough new projects coming in the door, or feeling like your cash is just dwindling down as all of your expenses come flying out the door. So in this episode, we want to talk through some strategies for selling agency services.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Steve and I discuss:
- Inbound vs. Outbound
- Setting up sales systems, and actually using them.
- Outsourcing biz dev; is that an option?
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Ryan Masuga, founder of Masuga Design & Shopmode Digital
At the start of his agency, Ryan Masuga had new clients come in the door continuously through referrals and luck. Now, 16 years later, it’s not as easy to find new clients. Marketing and sales have not always been easy for him as an introvert. Tune in to hear how Ryan overcame these challenges and launched a new brand alongside his existing agency.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Ryan and I discuss:
- Marketing and sales strategies for introverted agency owners.
- How to deal with failures and pivots.
- Advice for agencies who are positioning themselves on top of a tool.
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Jim Remsik, founder of Flagrant
How can an agency scale successfully across matters of agency culture, cash flow, and leadership structure?
One recurring issue for agencies is to securing a resilient future. The reality that comes with running and expanding an agency is something you must confront and navigate. Tune in to hear how Jim Remsik overcame growing pains in his previous and current agencies.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Jim and I discuss:
- How to overcome agency growing pains
- Strategies that Jim has seen impact an agency's ability to scale quickly
- How to hire different managers as you scale
- Safeguarding tribal knowledge loss
- Mistakes to avoid when scaling your agency
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Rachel Segal, Managing Director at Briteweb
Is it possible to humanize a digitized workforce, without ever meeting face-to-face in an office?
Virtual teams face different challenges compared to in-office teams. For example fragmentation within the agency, team bonding, and asynchronous communication across different time zones. Today, Rachel Segal will share how she overcomes those challenges and humanized the digitized workforce at Briteweb.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Rachel and I discuss:
- Her lessons learned in managing teams in a digitized workforce
- How and why she is restructuring the agency’s team structure
- The benefits and challenges of remote, asynchronous communication
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Be sure to 👉 subscribe to this LinkedIn newsletter 👈 so you never miss a new release.
Culture has the potential to make or break your agency. Keeping leadership involved, modeling the behaviors you want, and keeping true to your core values is a must. Hear this turnaround story that demonstrates that it is never too late to make changes and improve your agency’s culture and client delivery process to keep the doors open.
Ft. Mark Miller, Co-Founder and President of Historic
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Mark and I discuss:
- How company culture affects an agency's value to clients
- Reasons why culture can become toxic and symptoms to watch for
- The effects of modeling the behaviors that drive the company culture you want for your agency
For full show notes & to watch the video version of this interview, visit gettingmomentum.com
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Ft. Bart Mroz, CEO of SUMO Heavy Industries
"Remember that one time we did all that work for Client X and they never paid us....those were good times....." Said no-one ever. Yet, many agencies struggle with cash flow management and accounts receivables because of the billing model they utilize. There are different ways!
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Bart Mroz shares about that time when he had to drive through a snow storm, right before Christmas, to Collect just $10,000 out of $100,000 owed by the client. Then Bart and Danielle talk through how SUMO Heavy changes to avoid that kind of situation in the future.
Top topics include:
- Overcoming Cash Flow Challenges in Getting the Agency Off the Ground
- Getting Away From Hourly Billing
- Converting the Agency from Variable to Fixed Expenses
Ft. Paul Murphy, Principal at 3Advance
For centuries, as technologies have changed, the exclusivity and skill required to perform various creative, development, and marketing services has eroded. This pattern will continue, thus, it's essential that as the skills required to be a creative, web dev or marketing professional are automated and cheaply outsourceable that your agency adapt and reposition it's value and offerings to the marketplace.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Paul and Danielle talk about:
- The need to avoid becoming commoditized as marketing service providers
- How reinventing your agency as technologies change related to your hiring strategy and agency's marketing strategy
- The benefits of learning with other people's money
- Creating a stable work environment for developers/creatives amidst constant change
- Giving autonomy and trust to your team; sustaining a culture that takes measured risks
Ft. Paul Murphy, Principal at 3Advance
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Paul and Danielle talk about:
- Hiring for candidate aptitude and attitude
- Responsibilities for marketing your marketing agency, conducting business development, and performing sales functions
- Considerations for positioning and differentiating your web development firm or marketing agency to thrive on the basis of trust amidst an industry of constant change
Ft. Sara Mannix, Founder of Mannix Marketing
When it comes to building a successful agency, anything successful, really, it's the amount of margin, or the room for error that you have to work within that can dictate your success or failure. In this episode, Sara and Danielle talk through ways to create margin in your fiscal, temporal, and emotional situations in order to build a resilient marketing agency.
We talk about:
- Stress testing your agency
- Overcoming lack of margin in your time
- Exploring revenue diversification to create margin
- Evaluating pricing strategies
- Creating margin in personal lives and for the sake of mental health
- Scaling down and outsourcing options to increase margin
- When to hire and delegate
Ft. Megan Conley, Founder of Social Tribe
As social media algorithms change and the utility of social media becomes more nuanced, digital marketing agencies need to maintain awareness of where social media companies are headed and how user preferences are changing in order to best advise and advertise for clients.
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Megan and I discuss
- Managing the impacts of third-party platform changes on your agency
- Leveraging team wide brainstorming meetings for what changes to bring to the attention of clients when third-party algorithms change
- How the social media environment is changing because of customer usage and attitude changes
Ft. Megan Conley, Founder of Social Tribe
What is the proper place for company culture in the ever expanding list of priorities that Agency Owners must grapple with day to day?
In this episode of RecalibrAgency, Megan and I discuss
- How Important Company Culture is Comparatively
- Company Culture Ownership
- How Team Culture Arises
- Managing Gen Z Employees Within Your Existing Company Culture
- Ways to Give Feedback to Build a Healthy Agency Culture
On your quest to build an agency culture that is strong, don't neglect what really matters. Recalibrate your perspective on company culture in order to build a resilient agency.