Build a Better Agency Podcast

For entrepreneurs, business decisions always are a blend of the head and heart. You need data and research in hand to make smart, informed decisions. But it also needs to feel right. Episode #161 is about those head-and-heart decisions. It's about making mistakes and starting over. It's about not settling for only one side of the equation. Some learn these lessons sooner than others. We all know college kids who started their own thing and made it work brilliantly. Back when I was in college, that didn't even cross my mind. But today, it's becoming more of the norm. Today's young adults have a different script and a different sense of what's possible. And they are far from crazy. Exciting things are happening, big problems are getting solved, and a larger purpose is being fulfilled. And people like Jonathan Grzybowski are just jumping in and doing it. For 29-year-old Jonathan, part of the problem was his own dissatisfaction. Running a full-service agency was not fulfilling. Money as the sole motivator was not working for him. That led him to set out to solve a business problem along with his own dissatisfaction. His agency excelled at design. Why not take that design excellence and use the platform they were developing to manage their internal projects to provide design as a on demand service? Jonathan Grzybowski is now co-founder of Penji, a subscription-based design service for agencies and other businesses. Beyond the business problem, Grzybowski also wanted a business that made a difference in the community where he lived and worked – Camden, New Jersey. One of the things I love most about the agency owners I work with is their generosity. They have a pay it forward mentality. Jonathan is finding the ethos of Penji to be extremely fulfilling. And he's finding that when you love Camden, Camden loves you back! This is a great conversation about finding the right fit, starting over, serving clients and the community, and following your head and your heart – really, everything you could hope for in an episode of Build a Better Agency! What You Will Learn About in This Episode: The potential downside of being a full-service agency How people just starting out in the world of work are viewing entrepreneurship as a viable path Why the hard work of entrepreneurship should not be glossed over Why offering a suite of services sometimes is not enough differentiation The freedom that comes from specialization How to build a business model and platform that serves both agencies, individual companies, and your community How vision and purpose beats trying to be the next Tai Lopez or Gary Vaynerchuk Why an agency might hire out a core function like design The power of connecting with your local community The importance of research in finding your niche Ways to contact Jonathan Grzybowski: Website: https://penji.co/ We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

One of the challenges for all of us as agency owners and leaders is finding the balance of creating a relationship with our employees, but also being the leader and helping them recognize their blind spots, areas of growth and when they've messed up. This requires the courage to have candid conversations with your team members. It's never easy or all together comfortable, but to truly be a leader in our agency – this is not an optional skill. I see the avoidance of these conversations when I'm on site with an agency, when I'm on a coaching or and when I'm with a group of owners, talking about their employees. We don't address behaviors that we know are unacceptable or not up to par. We may joke about it, or hint at it, or even deal with it passive aggressively – but we don't tackle it head on. We hide behind silence, email exchanges, and even through text messages – all to avoid that face-to-face conversation. I get it — you're afraid of what your employees' reaction will be, or what it would do to the agency if they quit. You feel as if you're between a rock and a hard place. So you tolerate the behavior. You make your staff and clients suffer from the behavior. You risk losing employees and clients rather than addressing it. And worst of all — you greatly diminishing your reputation as a leader because everyone around you is wondering why you're letting it continue. And quite honestly — they're wondering why they should follow the rules if others don't. The skill of having difficult conversations and course correcting your team is vital. And we as agency owners need to get good at it. There may be a few of you who are really great at this. You give really honest, candid, specific feedback, and you'd do it early on when you first see the behavior, attitude or bad decision, not after it's been happening for months and months. But for the vast majority of you, this is not your gift, but if you think avoiding difficult conversations isn't affecting your agency…you're wrong. You're absolutely wrong. This is a skill that you must own if you want to grow your agency in terms of profits, respect, and your people. And that's why talking through how to get better at having difficult conversations with your employees will be our focus during this solocast. What you'll learn about in this episode: Why employees become more engaged and committed when they receive honest feedback from you. Why leaders who are rated the highest are the ones who most actively give and seek feedback from their team. Why caring about your agency's culture is about more than just "Beer Fridays", the parties, or the fun. It's about the level of candor you have inside your shop. How not addressing bad behavior and course correcting an employee early on causes you to lose the respect of your team. How to take and apply a sample script for starting off a difficult conversation with one of your employees the right way. How to prepare yourself to have a difficult conversation with one of your employees. How to apply the elements of having a difficult conversation — the pieces of doing this well. How to focus on specific issues during the difficult conversation. Why creating an action plan for correcting the behavior is not your responsibility – it's your employee's. Why if you're not having difficult conversations on a regular basis, or not celebrating your people by praising them, or coaching them so they get even better — that you're not doing your job. Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew's unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams Offering AE Bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog "One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read." Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Client relationships is a frequent topic on this podcast. In this episode, we focus on what it takes to cultivate strong and mutually beneficial relationships with clients. Dr. Mario Vafeas is on the faculty at The University of the West of England in Bristol. His work in agency-client relationships is the result of research, study and real-world experience. He brings a pragmatic approach, backed by the data, into the conversation. Buckle up because it's a deep conversation, packed with takeaways to use in your own agency. Through deepening your relationship with clients, and providing the right kinds of ideas, training and other added value, you can really set agency apart, increasing your client and employee retention. You will truly be a trusted ally and co-creator with your clients and prospects. Prior to joining the faculty at UWE, Mario spent 20 years in branding and design consultancy and several years in brand management at HJ Heinz and Harveys of Bristol. As well as undergraduate and masters teaching, Mario is involved in knowledge exchange projects with SMEs, and research in the field of buyer-seller relationships and value co-creation. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and a Fellow of the Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing. He is also a DMA (West) Regional Council Member, and a Certified Digital Marketing Professional (Professional Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute). What You Will Learn About in This Episode: How to both share ideas with and learn from the client Drawing from other industries to bring depth to your work in the clients' industry Why external agencies need to focus less on producing "stuff" and more on producing insights and big ideas Communication with clients does not come with a template – each client relationship is unique Why you get more business opportunities when you take time to meet and check in with clients How to build relationships through coaching clients in best practices Adding value through offering training opportunities to clients Being proactive in making clients' lives easier How to behave less transactionally so clients believe you really want a relationship How coaching hits all the big C themes Why great work with clients is co-creative Ways to contact Mario Vafeas: Website: people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/MarioVafeas LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mario-vafeas-4581298b We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Remember when it sounded crazy to remote employees scattered all over the country? Or even crazier, in multiple countries? The truth is today, it's becoming the norm rather than the exception. Many agencies are choosing a hybrid approach, with a central office and staff in a brick and mortar location, but also with remote full-time and part-time workers. Some agencies are going all-in on remote work, ditching the central office and becoming, in the words of my podcast guest for this episode, "location-agnostic." I am intrigued by this, to say the least. I worked for and built businesses in an era when you went where the work was, whether you loved that particular center of commerce or not. But our business is changing, and the agency owners I work with are shifting into this new normal as well. I had some big questions about becoming totally location-agnostic. How do you develop a strong culture when you all work in different places? How do the clients feel about it? How do you do the collaborative work that agencies are known for when you are scattered all over? My guest on this episode is Brendon Craigie, co-founder and managing partner at Tyto PR. Tyto is a pan-European company with a fully location-agnostic staff. Is building a healthy and happy work culture possible with an all-remote team? Brendon is finding the answer to that is a resounding "yes!" But there is more to his company than a remote workforce. They are intentionally flat, hiring well-seasoned creative "black belts" rather than having junior-level staff as worker bees. They are finding this to be a business model that's rewarding to clients as well as the firm itself. In his role, Brendon leads the agency and is heavily involved in counseling clients on strategic and creative matters. As an experienced global CEO, he also enjoys working closely with other CEOs on broader business and communications strategies. Prior to launching Tyto, Brendon was the global CEO of Hotwire. As part of Hotwire's founding team, he rose through the ranks to become CEO, and during his six-year tenure in the position he doubled the company's size and repositioned it into a top 50 global challenger brand. Brendon's achievements were recognized through multiple awards. Brendon has worked across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. with a host of global names including Cisco, Microsoft, and Google. During his career, Brendon has helped to devise strategies and support campaigns for high-growth companies entering Europe to grow their brands and business. These campaigns often extended several years and included several early-stage companies, such as GoPro and BlackBerry, that have become multibillion-dollar successes, while others achieved the exits they desired. What You Will Learn About in This Episode: The virtues of being a location-agnostic company The logistics and financial implications of an all-remote workforce Creating a culture in a virtual agency Building a flat organization with seasoned, high-level, customer-facing staff When you meet with colleagues, how to meet with a purpose How to bring the best ideas forward through a "creative sprint" process When and how a virtual workforce can get together in the real world – preferably for a mix of work and play A cost/benefit analysis of having a staff of seasoned professionals How to angle for that non-contested pitch to your ideal clients Baking insight and research into the way you do business and how you get new business. Ways to contact Brendon Craigie: Website: tytopr.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brendoncraigie We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

We are hip-deep into 2018, and the new tax law is fully in effect. It's past time to get a handle on the implications of the new law for your business because we only have a few months left to do any sort of planning before year end. Many agency owners are not exactly "numbers" people. The default, too often, is to let other people handle the money, then go off and focus on the creative or strategic side where we can play to our strengths. On episode #157 of Build a Better Agency, I talk with CPA and tax advisor, Craig Cody. Cody definitely wants you to partner up with a professional when it comes to number-crunching. But in our conversation, he makes no bones about it: you've got roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. You can't check out of your business' finances, no matter how much you trust your internal or external advisors. So, this is a great and very timely conversation. Did you know you can hire your kids and enjoy some significant tax advantages? Craig serves up a ton of tax tips, deduction hacks and best practices on everything from dispelling the myths about deducting a home office to paying for medical expenses, along with the basics of keeping up with the books. A tax advisor – not just a tax preparer – can be a huge benefit for your bottom line. I had a great time talking with Craig. I learned a lot, and I know you will too. Craig Cody is a Certified Tax Coach. His practice is rooted in tax planning. His philosophy is to find ways to legally reduce tax liabilities and keep more of what clients earn in their own pockets. As a Certified Tax Coach™, Craig belongs to a select group of practitioners throughout the country who undergo extensive training and continued education on various tax planning techniques and strategies in order to become, and remain, certified. With this organization, Craig co-authored an Amazon best-seller, Secrets of a Tax-Free Life. In addition to tax planning, Craig's practice offers traditional tax services as well as remote CFO services. What You Will Learn About in This Episode: The big differences between a tax preparer and a tax advisor Why tax planning for entrepreneurs can make a huge difference in how you manage your finances Passthrough income potential in Section 199 of the new tax code How long it should take to gather P and L information for the previous month Aspects of the new tax laws that you might not have considered How frequently to be in contact with your tax advisor How to find a good match for you in a tax advisor The wrong kinds of tax deductions to take Tax benefits of hiring your school-age children Steps to take in order to avoid fraud and theft within your business Ways to contact Craig Cody: Website: craigcodyandcompany.com Free resource: craigcodyandcompany.com/buildabetteragency We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Building genuine relationships in our industry is one of the best parts of being in the business. The point is not to build transactional relationships that will end in a big "payoff" for you. When you focus on real relationships, you wind up bringing people into your life who you actually want to work with, and when you're really fortunate, end up being good friends. I firmly believe in this philosophy and the value of those relationships, both professionally and personally. These days, relationship-building often starts online. James Carbary has raised LinkedIn updates and interactions to an art form. I wanted to explore his strategy and the benefits he'd seen in this episode. James generously shared some great tips on how to create good content that gets noticed and builds both engagement and relationships online. His LinkedIn prowess grows out of his larger interest in fostering genuine relationships. One of the more fascinating projects James has going on are the B2B Growth Dinners he has launched. It may be coming to a city near you and if so – be sure to participate. James' idea was to create an opportunity for six strangers who all worked in tangential fields to have dinner and get to know one another. No agenda, no 30-second elevator pitch. He owns/runs an agency, but James' passion and gift is as a relationship builder. So, we had a lot to talk about! James Carbary is the founder of Sweet Fish Media, a podcast agency for B2B brands. He's a contributor to the Huffington Post and Business Insider, and he also co-hosts the B2B Growth Show, a daily podcast dedicated to helping B2B marketers achieve explosive growth. What You Will Learn About in This Episode: The power genuine relationships have to enrich your life and build your agency Repurposing content to fit the platform you are presenting it on How to create a community of people Working with engagement groups on LinkedIn How to post on LinkedIn for maximum organic views and engagement Why to have conversations over a meal Using LinkedIn to define your brand and attract clients you want to work with How podcasts help you build a relationship first, add value, and find ideal clients Ways to contact James Carbary: Website: sweetfishmedia.com Website: b2bgrowthdinners.com We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

It's a bit of a milestone episode here, episode 155. It seems like an odd number to celebrate, but it means this podcast has been going strong for three years now! (52 weeks = 156 episodes) So thanks for listening, whether you've been around since the beginning, or this is your first time here! As I speak with agency owners and decision-makers every day about their agencies and their business development efforts (or lack thereof!), we talk about the value of niching their agency. It's the old brain surgeon versus general practitioner and the relative value proposition of each. Your niches (note the plural) can be industry-specific, a certain methodology or in some limited cases – a specialty (PPC, etc.). But what do you do when you've narrowed down the niches you want to serve? That's what this solocast is all about. How do you actually walk out your talk and live/sell and profit from your niches? What you'll learn about in this episode: Why establishing niches for your agency is so important How many niches should an agency have and why? How do you promote your agency's special sauce/niches and expertise How sweet spot clients intersect with your niches The business development process to sell to your niches Why helping your clients be better at their job is the heart of your biz dev plan What to do with those clients outside your niches that you don't want to fire Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew's unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner and key executive peer groups Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams Offering AE Bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog "One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read." Helpful Resources from this Episode: Sweet Spot Client Filter: http://bit.ly/2O1m3Y0 Content Marketing For Agencies Workshop: http://bit.ly/2O29OdO Agency New Business Blueprint: http://bit.ly/2MNkGaN Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drewmclellan We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Word of mouth is nothing new. For generations, it's been talking with your neighbor over the fence, at the local watering hole, or telling your co-worker about the latest movie in the breakroom. As a business, word of mouth is sparked by those things that you do that separate you from the pack. These talk triggers are so memorable and unique that your customers can't help but talk about them. My guest Daniel Lemin gives plenty of examples that show us that talk triggers are rarely very expensive, and they tend to be operational differentiators rather than gimmicks or flash in the pan activities. Think Doubletree's complimentary cookie when you check in or the Cheesecake Factory's epic novel of a menu. Daniel has co-written a book with Jay Baer about this powerful marketing technique appropriately called Talk Triggers. In this episode, Daniel and I chat about what he and Jay learned in their research and the insights they gleaned for all marketers. These B2B and B2C brands (large and small) are following a specific pattern as they create and execute their talk triggers and Daniel will walk us through that as well. We look at this topic from many angles – from how agencies can leverage this phenomenon and, of course, how we can put it into practice for our clients. Daniel Lemin is a startup co-founder, trusted advisor and bestselling author on reputation management, digital marketing, and social media customer service. As an early member of Google's global communications team, Daniel led the launch of products in North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, and edited the Google Zeitgeist weekly research report featured in over 40 markets worldwide. His new book with co-author Jay Baer, Talk Triggers, explores word-of-mouth marketing and lays out an indispensable framework for building them in your own organization. Daniel regularly provides expert commentary on TV and in high-profile publications such as the New York Times, USA Today, CBS Radio, and Fox News, and speaks and leads workshops across the nation. In 2015, he released his first book, Manipurated. A native of Ohio, Daniel earned his MA in communications and leadership from Gonzaga University. He lives in Los Angeles with his cocker spaniel Truman and enjoys the simple joys of gin martinis, jazz, and eating his way around the world—he'll try nearly anything as long as it doesn't bite back. What you'll learn about in this episode: How to put structures in place to create WOM talk triggers Why it's got to be remarkable to be a talk trigger How something as simple as a cookie or a deck of cards can get people talking Why talk triggers are so often about operational differentiation Why talk triggers need to be available to everyone—it's not about exclusivity The best examples of word of mouth are never complicated or expensive Why metrics for word of mouth are more complicated than other marketing metrics What metrics you CAN use to measure the impact of word of mouth An unexpected benefit of well-done talk-trigger campaigns—they make the workplace more enjoyable for employees How to Contact Daniel Lemin: Website: daniellemin.com Book: talktriggers.com Email: daniel@talktriggers.com We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

As agencies struggle to attract and retain top talent, it's natural that we're having a lot of conversation about culture. We're in a creative industry, and I find that most owners are pretty self-aware. We want to love the business we've built, and we want to do right by our employees. Everyone wants their agency to have a culture that employees value and enjoy, but some owners don't really know how to be intentional about it. Gina Trimarco is the chief results officer and founder of a company called Pivot 10 Results. In this episode, I wanted to get her take on some of the challenges owners are facing in the current business climate – mainly getting and retaining the right employees. Work culture is a big part of that equation. We get into a lively discussion about core values and how they can either sit unremembered in an employee handbook or be pivotal in shaping culture. What does it take to keep core values front-of-mind for both owners and employees? How does that help attract and retain the best people? These are questions I am asked every day, so I was glad for Gina's perspective on all this. I think you will be too. What you'll learn about in this episode: How to define a healthy work culture Creative ways to thank employees for a job well done Putting your best foot forward when an applicant is interviewing you as a potential workplace Empathy-based training and emotional intelligence to create a positive work environment The critical role of stated, repeated, and lived-out core values in establishing a healthy work culture Using your story to sell services, and attract and retain great people How a team of happy employees that has bought in to the core values can be your best recruiting tool How to listen to employees' hopes and dreams and develop strategies to retain them longer Creating a positive culture that stays positive when the owner is away Ways to contact Gina: Website: pivot10results.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ginatrimarco We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." That's the standard advice of any investment advisor. But that investment can only happen once we've actually made the money. But maybe the concept of diversification is equally applicable to the first stage – making the income in the first place. Having multiple sources of income builds wealth more quickly and mitigates risks inherent in having just a single source. The logic of that seems simple enough. But the execution – that's a whole different animal. My podcast guest Dorie Clark has a very interesting perspective on this topic and I was excited to pick her brain for all of us. Her most recent book, Entrepreneurial You, is a blueprint for developing multiple income streams without losing your sanity. Building these income streams involves tough decision-making but it doesn't have to mean you take huge risks along the way. Dorie suggests a more measured approach and walks us through some of the methods we can explore as we expand our ability to accumulate wealth. Dorie Clark is a marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker, and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. She is also the author of Reinventing You and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine and one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes. The New York Times described Clark as an "expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives." Clark consults and speaks for a diverse range of clients, including Google, the World Bank, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Yale University. What you'll learn about in this episode: Creating diverse income streams without jumping into big, new, risky ventures Guiding people through the sales funnel by offering incrementally advanced services The importance of living beneath your means as an agency and as a person Minimizing risk over time through developing diverse income streams How to be the person that makes the hard choices The meaning of the word "perspicacity" The biggest obstacle to being entrepreneurial How making introductions with no expectation of anything in return can be a superpower The difference between a mindshare activity and a market share activity Ways to contact Dorie: Website: dorieclark.com We're proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!