Agency Journey

Brent Weaver is the founder of UGURUS and the author of the book "Get Rich in the Deep End." UGURUS helps digital agencies get more leads, win higher-value deals, and delight clients. A key to their secret-sauce is helping agencies zero-in on the audience they serve and become respected as experts by that audience.

Full show notes at zenpilot.com/post/luke-trewin-offer-services-you-love.

Read Full Show Notes---It's rare to speak with a podcast guest who has had multiple near-death encounters.We'll come back to that, but for now, just keep in mind that Zeb Evans is not your typical SaaS CEO.I first met Zeb back in early 2018.We'd been trying out ClickUp since late 2017 and we couldn't believe their consistent product development velocity.Between that velocity and their vision for the platform, Andrew (my business partner) and I made the decision to double down on ClickUp; first for ourselves, then as the core platform we helped agencies implement as we streamlined their operations.That early bet on ClickUp has paid off in spades, as they've rapidly emerged as a major force in the project management space.---Read Full Show Notes

Sharon Toerek joins us on this week's episode of Agency Journey to discuss common legal pitfalls for digital agencies, revenue-sharing relationships, and much more.Sharon operates Toerek Law, based out of Cleveland, Ohio, and specializes in intellectual property and marketing law for agencies.A few of the most common legal areas that cause headaches to digital agencies include:Ownership rights to client workLiability and indemnification issuesPortfolio display rightsIndependent contractor agreementsOwnership Rights to Client WorkWhile it's standard practice that clients will ultimately own the work produced by an agency, negotiating the timing of the transfer of ownership is crucial.Sharon points out that you need your agreements to tie the transfer of ownership to payment requirements. This requires clients to complete payments in order to secure ownership to the work you've done on their behalf.Liability & IndemnificationAgencies should be responsible for the quality of their work.That said, you don't want to put your firm in a position where you are legally liable for variables that you cannot control.You may build a fully functional site today that breaks when the client adds in new plugins next month. Hopefully that's not the case, but you need to protect your downside against unforeseen circumstances.Portolio Display RightsSharon's advice is to have the correct terms written into your standard agreement to allow you to demonstrate your past work without needing client approval every time you'd like to cite your success.The extent to which agencies publicize client work varies broadly across service types, but you never have more leverage than at the beginning of a relationship, so negotiate for the best terms upfront.Independent Contractor AgreementsMost agencies work with independent contractors or 3rd-party vendors in some capacity.If you don't have a strong agreement in place to govern that relationship and accompanying rights, you run a number of legal risks.Prioritize building proper agreements with any contractors, suppliers, or vendors to make sure you don't wind up in a compromised position.To connect with Sharon or learn more, you can check out her site, Legal + Creative, and her podcast, The Innovative Agency.

Mike Michalowicz is the author of Profit First and he joins us to share the counter intuitive approach that can transform your agency finances. Enjoy! *** More Information *** Want to learn more about ZenPilot? https://www.zenpilot.com Want to join the Agency Journey Insiders group on Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyjourneyinsiders Want to see how your agency revenue lines up with industry benchmarks? https://www.zenpilot.com/benchmark Want to learn the EXACT process we use to help marketing agencies implement processes and systems they need to scale without reinventing the wheel? https://www.zenpilot.com/freedom #AgencyJourney

Steven Perchikov, CEO @ Art of Sales Academy joins us to talk about how you can leverage outbound strategies in an inbound way to connect with dream clients. *** More Information *** Want to learn more about ZenPilot? https://www.zenpilot.com Want to join the Agency Journey Insiders group on Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyjourneyinsiders Want to see how your agency revenue lines up with industry benchmarks? https://www.zenpilot.com/benchmark Want to learn the EXACT process we use to help marketing agencies implement processes and systems they need to scale without reinventing the wheel? https://www.zenpilot.com/freedom #AgencyJourney

Pete Caputa, CEO at Databox and former lead of HubSpot's Agency Partner Program, joined us for an interview about the Predictable Performance methodology and advice for agency owners. *** More Information *** Want to learn more about ZenPilot? https://www.zenpilot.com Want to join the Agency Journey Insiders group on Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyjourneyinsiders Want to see how your agency revenue lines up with industry benchmarks? https://www.zenpilot.com/benchmark Want to learn the EXACT process we use to help marketing agencies implement processes and systems they need to scale without reinventing the wheel? https://www.zenpilot.com/freedom #AgencyJourney

John McTigue from Riptide Business Press joined us for an interview about growing agency revenue by focusing on ideal customers. *** More Information *** Want to learn more about ZenPilot? https://www.zenpilot.com Want to join the Agency Journey Insiders group on Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyjourneyinsiders Want to see how your agency revenue lines up with industry benchmarks? https://www.zenpilot.com/benchmark Want to learn the EXACT process we use to help marketing agencies implement processes and systems they need to scale without reinventing the wheel? https://www.zenpilot.com/freedom #AgencyJourney

Kevin Barber, CEO at Lean Labs, joined us for an interview about building an agency brand that stands out from the crowd and how to sell growth to clients. *** More Information *** Want to learn more about ZenPilot? https://www.zenpilot.com Want to join the Agency Journey Insiders group on Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyjourneyinsiders Want to see how your agency revenue lines up with industry benchmarks? https://www.zenpilot.com/benchmark Want to learn the EXACT process we use to help marketing agencies implement processes and systems they need to scale without reinventing the wheel? https://www.zenpilot.com/freedom #AgencyJourney

Tim Delhaes from InboundLabs joined us for an interview about fixing the gig economy and building a more meaningful, more productive workforce in the 21st century. *** More Information *** Want to learn more about ZenPilot? https://www.zenpilot.com Want to join the Agency Journey Insiders group on Facebook? https://www.facebook.com/groups/agencyjourneyinsiders Want to see how your agency revenue lines up with industry benchmarks? https://www.zenpilot.com/benchmark Want to learn the EXACT process we use to help marketing agencies implement processes and systems they need to scale without reinventing the wheel? https://www.zenpilot.com/freedom #AgencyJourney