The Happy Clients Podcast

What actually keeps agency clients long-term?In this episode, Alex Schlinsky breaks down the Trust-First Agency Model, and why transparency, communication, and integrity matter more than perfect results.Alex shares real stories from running and scaling his own agency, including:Why results alone don’t guarantee retentionHow transparency creates trust (even in hard conversations)The role communication plays in sales and serviceWhat most agencies get wrong about client expectationsHow honesty can lead to longer relationships and bigger opportunitiesIf you’re an agency owner focused on growth, retention, and building a business that lasts, this conversation will shift how you think about clients, and how you show up for them.[ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

Most agency owners don’t stall because they’re bad at marketing.They stall because they’re stuck in the business instead of running it.In this episode, Chris Rudolph breaks down why so many agencies hit a ceiling around $30k–$80k/month, and what actually needs to change to break through it.We cover:Why agencies stall at predictable revenue plateausThe hidden “operator trap” keeping owners stuck in the day-to-dayWhat changes when you shift from freelancer → CEOThe systems and mindset required to scale past $100k/monthIf you’ve ever felt like:You’re doing everything in your agencyGrowth slows the harder you workAdding more clients just adds more stressThis conversation will hit home.You can contact Chris Rudolph here:https://freedomagencycoach.com/[ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

In this episode, we sit down with Steve Guberman to talk about what’s really happening inside agencies right now.From panic selling and fear-driven exits to AI, layoffs, and shifting deal timelines, Steve shares what he’s seeing across the agency landscape, and why rushing to sell often leaves money and opportunity on the table.We cover:Why many agency owners are panic sellingHow uncertainty, AI, and market shifts are shaping decisionsWhat it actually means to build an agency that’s ready to sell (even if you don’t want to)Smarter alternatives to fear-based exitsIf you’re an agency owner thinking about your next move, this conversation offers clarity without the panic.-----------------------------[HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ onboarding checklist here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

Why are agencies getting fired more often in 2026, even when they’re doing “good work”?In this episode of The Happy Clients Podcast, I sit down with Raul Hernandez to break down what’s really changing in the agency world, and why traditional scopes, services, and delivery models aren’t enough anymore.In this episode, we cover:Why agencies are being fired (even when results look “fine”)What clients actually expect from agencies in 2025The difference between being a vendor vs. a strategic partnerHow top agencies build trust beyond deliverablesWhy “just fulfilling the scope” is no longer enoughWhat sustainable agency growth looks like right nowThis episode is for agency owners who want to retain clients, increase lifetime value, and build relationships that last, not just close deals.-----------------------------[HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ onboarding checklist here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

Drew McLellan, the Founder of the Agency Management Institute, shares invaluable insights on the future of agencies. He discusses how AI is evolving from content creation to enhancing internal efficiency. Drew highlights the shift from traditional account management to strategic client partnerships, emphasizing the importance of understanding client needs. He also explores the nuances of smarter scaling, advising agency owners to decentralize control for better succession planning. Tune in for expert strategies that could redefine your agency's success!

If you’re wondering whether it’s finally time to hire an Account Manager, this episode is for you.In this episode of the Happy Clients Podcast, we walk through the exact checklist we use with agency owners to decide when (and if) it’s time to offload client management.We cover:The subtle red flags that signal it’s time to hireHow client communication is quietly capping your growthWhy burnout doesn’t fix itself as your agency scalesThe danger of letting contractors manage client relationshipsA practical, data-backed checklist to evaluate your capacityHow to look at client load, churn, and MRR realisticallyIf you’re stuck managing clients, drowning in emails, or putting off growth because you “don’t have time to onboard someone,” this episode will give you clarity.-----------------------------[HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ onboarding checklist here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

Many agency owners struggle to let go of client relationships, and that fear often becomes the biggest growth bottleneck.In this episode of the Happy Clients Podcast by DOT & Company, we break down how to transition client relationships from the founder to an account manager without losing trust, control, or retention. We talk about why clients texting you keeps you stuck in the day to day, how to position your account manager as the best point of contact, and what actually works when clients say “I’m only here because of you.”If you want more freedom, less burnout, and an agency that can scale beyond you, this episode is for you.Topics covered:• Founder to account manager transitions• Client trust and authority• Scaling without losing relationships• Reducing owner involvement in client communication[HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ onboarding checklist here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

Many agency owners struggle to let go of client relationships, and that fear often becomes the biggest growth bottleneck.In this episode of the Happy Clients Podcast by DOT & Company, we break down how to transition client relationships from the founder to an account manager without losing trust, control, or retention. We talk about why clients texting you keeps you stuck in the day to day, how to position your account manager as the best point of contact, and what actually works when clients say “I’m only here because of you.”If you want more freedom, less burnout, and an agency that can scale beyond you, this episode is for you.[HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ onboarding checklist here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

How do you actually get the most out of your Account Manager, without falling into scope creep, burnout, or blurred boundaries?In this episode, we dig into the real role of an Account Manager, how to set expectations, and the red flags agency owners should watch for. Jill and Jenna share what they see across dozens of agencies and how to build a partnership that supports retention, communication, and agency growth.[HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ onboarding checklist here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

Explore why communication is the real reason clients leave agencies, not just performance. Discover a case study of a high-performing agency that still lost a client due to a lack of personal touch. Automated reports often miss the mark without context, making proactive updates crucial for trust. Clients want to feel prioritized, and retention hinges on building strong relationships, not just ticking boxes. It's time to audit your communication strategies to ensure no client feels forgotten.