Small But Mighty Agency: Win clients and build better networks for marketing and consulting agencies

What’s one of the best ways to grow faster and avoid painful mistakes? That’s an easy one for me: getting a mentor. As a business owner, having mentors helped me gain experiences not shared in books found on bookshelves; I’ve benefited from a better understanding of their wins and mistakes. But mentorship isn’t just for a business owner; it's also for your team and helping them reach their highest potential. Today, we’re talking about diversity, equity and inclusion in marketing and marketing agencies and, more specifically, ethnic and racial representation in mentorship.A Harvard Business Review article titled Truth About Mentoring Minorities: Race Matters inspired this episode. It took me back to when I started my agency career and what I wished was more available.If mentorship is important to you, tune into this episode. Show LinksTruth About Mentoring Minorities: Race Matters https://hbr.org/2001/04/race-mattersAsians In Advertising: https://www.asiansinadvertising.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suziebao/“Less is More” is how you scale a service-based businessHow do I know this? I can 100% relate to where you are now.  You feel like you’re wearing too many hats and can’t do it all… I know that if you create a complex business that makes you feel trapped, you will never want to grow your business. You’ll do little (or big!)  things to self-sabotage growth because you don’t want to scale overwhelm; nobody does. I’ve been there.I learned this lesson as the second in command of an agency. I could not turn off my brain and relax because I would worry about what was and wasn’t being done.  It wasn’t until I looked at the business from a productized service perspective. It gave us more bandwidth to double the revenue and sell and exit the business.  Since then, I’ve been behind the scenes of six and seven-figure service-based businesses, helping agency owners who are at capacity get out of being stuck in service delivery to scale. It all starts by looking through the lens of a productized service. Download the FREE productize your service roadmap: https://audreyjoykwan.com/roadmapHey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast-ep56Podcast Edits by Lindsay Curtis 

Do you believe in planning for more happiness and joy in your business? If you’re like me, you got your planning done in December, or maybe, January is the month you start planning.I don’t know a business owner who isn’t doing some sort of planning right now.Whether you do it at the end of the year or the beginning of the year, there’s no wrong or right time.But there is one thing many small business owners don’t do when they make strategic plans: you don’t actively plan for more happiness. That’s why in today’s episode, we talk about making happiness soup in 2023 and the five necessary ingredients to add to your plans for more joy. Show Links:Website: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/Podcast: https://www.katiejefcoat.com/happiness“Less is More” is how you scale a service-based businessHow do I know this? I can 100% relate to where you are now.  You feel like you’re wearing too many hats and can’t do it all… I know that if you create a complex business that makes you feel trapped, you will never want to grow your business. You’ll do little (or big!)  things to self-sabotage growth because you don’t want to scale overwhelm; nobody does. I’ve been there.I learned this lesson as the second in command of an agency. I could not turn off my brain and relax because I would worry about what was and wasn’t being done.  It wasn’t until I looked at the business from a productized service perspective. It gave us more bandwidth to double the revenue and sell and exit the business.  Since then, I’ve been behind the scenes of six and seven-figure service-based businesses, helping agency owners who are at capacity get out of being stuck in service delivery to scale. It all starts by looking through the lens of a productized service. Download the FREE productize your service roadmap: https://audreyjoykwan.com/roadmapHey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one. Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast-ep55

Here are the big four lessons I learned this year that helped me make money and grow my business by 30%. Each lesson is a way of thinking and being as we head into 2023, where the trend points towards buying decisions taking longer because people are more careful with spending.Hear why these lessons make me a better business owner with an even greater potential to accelerate growth in the new year: Welcome the fear of doing something new but keep it simple. Nurturing genuine relationships is marketing, not vanity metrics.Find your pace, don’t race. You can achieve all the goals and still have mindset snafus. “Less is More” is how you scale a service-based businessHow do I know this? I can 100% relate to where you are now.  You feel like you’re wearing too many hats and can’t do it all… I know that if you create a complex business that makes you feel trapped, you will never want to grow your business. You’ll do little (or big!)  things to self-sabotage growth because you don’t want to scale overwhelm; nobody does. I’ve been there.I learned this lesson as the second in command of an agency. I could not turn off my brain and relax because I would worry about what was and wasn’t being done.  It wasn’t until I looked at the business from a productized service perspective. It gave us more bandwidth to double the revenue and sell and exit the business.  Since then, I’ve been behind the scenes of six and seven-figure service-based businesses, helping agency owners who are at capacity get out of being stuck in service delivery to scale. It all starts by looking through the lens of a productized service. Download the FREE productize your service roadmap: https://audreyjoykwan.com/roadmapHey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one. Get the full show notes and more information here: https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast-ep54/

What is a significant advantage of a small agency?It’s the ability to stay in its lane and go deep into a niche. Today, we’re talking to an agency owner about her niche in cultural intelligence. Cultural intelligence is not just a hot topic but a much-needed one. Authentic representation matters because it empowers. I’m speaking from my own experience as an Asian-Canadian who grew up seeing very few, if, at all, Asians represented as business owners (except for the stereotypical laundry mat or corner store owner). Cultural intelligence supports responsible brands in learning the difference between authentic and inauthentic ways to have diverse representation. I’m all for the authentic; I hope you are too. If that’s you, tune into this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency to hear how cultural intelligence in indigenous communities connects this agency owner to big brands. Show LinksWebsite: https://deplume.ca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/design_de_plume/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/design-de-plume/“Less is More” is how you scale a service-based businessHow do I know this? I can 100% relate to where you are now.  You feel like you’re wearing too many hats and can’t do it all… I know that if you create a complex business that makes you feel trapped, you will never want to grow your business. You’ll do little (or big!)  things to self-sabotage growth because you don’t want to scale overwhelm; nobody does. I’ve been there.I learned this lesson as the second in command of an agency. I could not turn off my brain and relax because I would worry about what was and wasn’t being done.  It wasn’t until I looked at the business from a productized service perspective. It gave us more bandwidth to double the revenue and sell and exit the business.  Since then, I’ve been behind the scenes of six and seven-figure service-based businesses, helping agency owners who are at capacity get out of being stuck in service delivery to scale. It all starts by looking through the lens of a productized service. Download the FREE productize your service roadmap: https://audreyjoykwan.com/roadmapHey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one. 

Can I tell you about a scenario I’ve encountered many times?I speak to service-based business owners who get stuck spending 9-5 every day in client meetings, and there’s no space for other things that need to happen.On the one hand, there’s plenty to celebrate because they have a fully booked service business. On the other hand, they are at capacity and the bottleneck in their business.They have a good team, but the challenge is that the team who got them here isn’t going to get them to the next season.Nothing puts that to the test than a burst of growth in your business because when that happens, it requires you to think differently about your leadership, culture and team structure.And different thinking doesn’t require you to work more in your business; you need to work less.Hear how this small business CEO changed her thinking and evolved her team so she could step into her CEO role and focus on crossing the seven-figure mark. Show LinksWebsite: https://redstartcreative.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redstartcreative/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccateaff/“Less is More” is how you scale a service-based businessHow do I know this? I can 100% relate to where you are now.  You feel like you’re wearing too many hats and can’t do it all… I know that if you create a complex business that makes you feel trapped, you will never want to grow your business. You’ll do little (or big!)  things to self-sabotage growth because you don’t want to scale overwhelm; nobody does. I’ve been there.I learned this lesson as the second in command of an agency. I could not turn off my brain and relax because I would worry about what was and wasn’t being done.  It wasn’t until I looked at the business from a productized service perspective. It gave us more bandwidth to double the revenue and sell and exit the business.  Since then, I’ve been behind the scenes of six and seven-figure service-based businesses, helping agency owners who are at capacity get out of being stuck in service delivery to scale. It all starts by looking through the lens of a productized service. Download the FREE productize your service roadmap: https://audreyjoykwan.com/roadmapHey thanks for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one. 

A potential client comes to you with a project, and the scope (a.k.a objectives, requirements and outcomes) is unclear. It happens to all service providers, and it can drain time, money, and your team It can distract you from scaling what works well in your business. The challenge is that unclear scopes can come disguised as opportunities, especially if you’re unclear about your business vision and where you want to spend time and resources.Listen to this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency, where we look at how to handle unclear scopes and the power of the discovery process. Show LinksProductize Your Service Roadmap: https://audreyjoykwan.com/resourcesEp 50: 5 Pillars of a Productized Service That Help You Grow (even if you’re at capacity): https://audreyjoykwan.com/podcast-ep50“Less is More” is how you scale a service-based businessHow do I know this? I can 100% relate to where you are now.  You feel like you’re wearing too many hats and can’t do it all… I know that if you create a complex business that makes you feel trapped, you will never want to grow your business. You’ll do little (or big!)  things to self-sabotage growth because you don’t want to scale overwhelm; nobody does. I’ve been there.I learned this lesson as the second in command of an agency. I could not turn off my brain and relax because I would worry about what was and wasn’t being done.  It wasn’t until I looked at the business from a productized service perspective. It gave us more bandwidth to double the revenue and sell and exit the business.  Since then, I’ve been behind the scenes of six and seven-figure service-based businesses, helping agency owners who are at capacity get out of being stuck in service delivery to scale. It all starts by looking through the lens of a productized service. Download the FREE productize your service roadmap: https://audreyjoykwan.com/roadmapHey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll ese you on the next one. 

Let’s grow a complicated business that feels like a ball and chain. Said NOBODY. I’ve been there.I learned this lesson as the second in command of an agency. I could not turn off my brain and relax because I would worry about what was and wasn’t being done. It wasn’t until I looked at the business from a productized service perspective. It gave us more bandwidth to double the revenue and sell and exit the business.  Since then, I’ve been behind the scenes of multiple six and seven-figure service-based businesses, helping agency owners who are at capacity get out of being stuck in service delivery to scale. It all starts by looking through the lens of a productized service. Listen to this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency to get the 5 pillars of a productized service that can help you grow (even if you’re at capacity) Show LinksEP. 49: Why A Productize Service Agency? Do You Need ItDownload the FREE Productize Your Service RoadmapHey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one. 

What makes a service business high ticket and sets you up to get paid like an expert? Here’s the thing to know, it’s not about doing more in your business; it's actually about doing less. Hear why productized services and the agency model support you to do less while providing exponential value to your clients and how it gets you out of being the bottleneck in your service business (hint: it has something to do with your intellectual property and how the agency model has changed.) -Episode 48: Success: How to get more time freedom in your service business and make money (even on vacation) with Justin Salters-Case Studies: audreyjoykwan.com/case-studiesDid you know that I have a coaching program called the Mighty Pod Model? You can get the Free Mighty Pod Model Cheat Sheet here:https://audreyjoykwan.com/cheatsheetIn the high touch program, we help our clients go from solopreneur to an agency model, so they gain more freedom by having a service business where client work isn't dependent on them to scaleMaybe you started as a solopreneur with zero people in your business.Eventually, you bring in an assistant and contractors, but you continue to hold onto the strategy and direct communication with your clients.Before you know it, you’re at capacity.So, what happens if you want to grow bigger?Meet the Mighty Pod Model.The Mighty Pod Model isn’t just a business model. It's a high-touch coaching program that helps you go from solopreneur to agency owner with a profitable, streamlined and strategic roadmap.If you’re feeling like the bottleneck in your service business, download our FREE Mighty Pod Model Cheat Sheet: https://audreyjoykwan.com/cheatsheetHey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one. 

Do you want more time to work on the business rather than in it?When Justin reached out to me for help, he was the bottleneck in his business. His service delivery processes lived in his head, so he spent his day-to-day implementing services, managing clients, and providing client strategy. He was doing it all with little time to focus on real business growth. It wasn’t sustainable, and he didn't have the time and freedom he craved. We made changes that supported him to streamline his business, gain more freedom and take time off without worrying things would fall apart. Six months later, Justin shares what’s happened since working together and how he is now leading a scalable company that no longer rests only on his shoulders. He has a service business that can run without him and continues to make money even when he’s on vacation. Justin's journey through entrepreneurship will inspire you no matter where you are in your business. And suppose you want to get service delivery, client management and strategy off your plate. This episode just might give you the confidence to take the next step in that direction.In this episode, we’ll discuss Why focusing on streamlined service delivery processes earlier creates exponential growth How he stopped being a bottleneck in his business and gained more freedomHow service delivery processes helped him transition from consultant to CEO How to have exponential growth without working more hours or compromising service deliveryShow LinksWebsite: heysalty.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/justinsalters/Did you know that I have a coaching program called the Mighty Pod Model? You can get the Free Mighty Pod Model Cheat Sheet here:https://audreyjoykwan.com/cheatsheetIn the high touch program, we help our clients go from solopreneur to an agency model, so they gain more freedom by having a service business where client work isn't dependent on them to scaleMaybe you started as a solopreneur with zero people in your business.Eventually, you bring in an assistant and contractors, but you continue to hold onto the strategy and direct communication with your clients.Before you know it, you’re at capacity.So, what happens if you want to grow bigger?Meet the Mighty Pod Model.The Mighty Pod Model isn’t just a business model. It's a high-touch coaching program that helps you go from solopreneur to agency owner with a profitable, streamlined and strategic roadmap.If you’re feeling like the bottleneck in your service business, download our FREE Mighty Pod Model Cheat Sheet: https://audreyjoykwan.com/cheatsheetHey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one. 

What is the greatest asset for a multiple seven-figure agency?After ten years as the CEO of her agency and another 12 years before that working as a creative director – thats’ 22 years - Jenny Smith knows her team is the greatest asset. In this episode, Jenny shares how transparency about her agency's profit and losses helped her team understand the financial basics and raise the level of trust, ultimately leading to committed and engaged team members.If you want to hear how transparency and being imperfect helped her have a multiple 7 figure business, keep listening.On this episode of the Small But Mighty Agency: The power of being an imperfectWhat her previous agency life taught her about growing her team How to help your team feel part of something bigger What strengths does she lean into to lead a multiple 7-figure agency Breakthrough and break down moments of running her multiple 7-figure agencyShow LinksWebsite: https://rayagency.ca/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-smith-3631308/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayagency/Did you know that I have a coaching program called the Mighty Pod Model? You can get the Free Mighty Pod Model Cheat Sheet here:https://audreyjoykwan.com/resourcesIn the high touch program, we help our clients go from solopreneur to an agency model, so they gain more freedom by having a service business where client work isn't dependent on them to scaleMaybe you started as a solopreneur with zero people in your business.Eventually, you bring in an assistant and contractors, but you continue to hold onto the strategy and direct communication with your clients.Before you know it, you’re at capacity.So, what happens if you want to grow bigger?Meet the Mighty Pod Model.The Mighty Pod Model isn’t just a business model. It's a high-touch coaching program that helps you go from solopreneur to agency owner with a profitable, streamlined and strategic roadmap.If you’re feeling like the bottleneck in your service business, download our FREE Mighty Pod Model Cheat Sheet: https://audreyjoykwan.com/resourcesHey thank for hanging out with me at the Small But Mighty Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to me if you hit the follow or subscribe button in your podcast app and share it with a friend. And I’ll see you on the next one.