The Digital Agency Growth Podcast

Our guest this week has built his marketing firm by acquiring other agencies so that his firm can be a one-stop shop for serving their clients. This approach is different from most of our guests, but with almost 30 years under their belt, it’s working for them! This week, episode 163 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Kevin Lee is about acquiring eleven agencies and being a marketing mad scientist! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Kevin Lee shares the importance of understanding your client roster so that you can make better long-term decisions. Kevin Lee Co-Founded Didit, a leading digital-first marketing firm, in 1996. He also founded GivingForward.org, a cause-marketing nonprofit focused on generating revenues for other nonprofits. Previously to Giving Forward, Kevin founded We-Care, a cause marketing platform that generated over $8 million for nonprofits, becoming the “inspiration” for Amazon SMILE ($350 million in donations). Kevin is also the CEO of the eMarketing Association. Kevin invents marketing technology solutions for Didit clients and has written 4 books, spoken at more than 500 events, and published 700+ articles on marketing.In this episode, Dan and Kevin Lee discuss the following:What someone looks for in an acquisition and things that make for a great one.Big mistakes Kevin has made and how you can learn from them.The importance of diversifying your client base and getting beyond big client problems.The process of having fun and finding your superpower. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH KEVIN LEE: LinkedInDiditCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales Schema

It can be challenging to determine if niching down and building a more specialized practice in your agency is the right move. Today, Brent is sharing why you should niche down and get specialized. Episode 162 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about the importance of specializing and getting rich in the deep end! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Brent Weaver is sharing the importance of specialization and actionable steps you can take right now to niche down. Brent Weaver is on a mission to help 10,000 digital agency owners achieve freedom in business and life by helping them own their market. Brent is the founder and CEO of UGURUS, a business training and education company dedicated to this mission. He also hosts one of the leading podcasts in the business niche—The Digital Agency Show. Brent is in partnership with UnlimitedWP—a scalable white-label WordPress development team to help digital agencies grow without all the headaches of hiring and managing people. He is also a Brand Ambassador for Cloudways, a WordPress hosting company, helping them evangelize their platform.In this episode, Brent Weaver and Dan Englander discuss the following:How much easier Brent believes it would be to have agency success now vs. back when he started his agency in High School to pay for his hobby of building websites.Why Brent believes niching down could save your agency or business in the long runHow to know when and what to niche down to as times change through looking at your existing clientele and marketing channels.Brent’s suggestions around launching multiple business models at a time, or trying to diversify your agency through multiple business models at a time, and though it worked for him, why he doesn’t recommend it for others.Niching down is far better, and far more lucrative, than remaining a generalist in your business model practices, and even pandemic statistics will prove that to be true. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH Brent Weaver:WebsiteEmail: brent@ugurus.com for field guide and additional resources for listenersCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales Schema

With over 30 years of experience in branding, our guest today has seen it all, and this episode covers all the reasons a company might need a rebrand and how to get all parties to buy into a rebrand.  Even if you are not involved in the branding space, you can still get something from this episode that you can use with your own clients. This week, episode 161 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about rebranding the largest companies on earth! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Jim Heininger share the importance of upfront education with potential clients so they become stakeholders in the full process. They also discuss actionable steps you can take right now to navigate how much information to share during the initial assessment and what to save for the consulting period. Jim Heininger is the Rebrand Man. He leads the efforts of The Rebranding Experts, which he founded in 2017 after 30 years of business and brand strategy experience for P&G, McDonald’s, Anheuser-Busch and others. Jim has designed the methodology used by the firm and merged the many disciplines necessary for successful rebranding. Jim coaches CEOs through the rebranding process, aligning their executive team, and helping to execute complete name changes and new customer promises. In this episode, Dan and Jim Heininger discuss the following:What actually encompasses a rebrand during planning, implementation, and launchHow to effectively communicate the many moving parts to clients who think what you do is “easy”.Reasons why a company might need a rebrand or why it should be focusing its efforts elsewhere.Strategically placing your agency in a box and how that can actually boost your credibility.Using thought leadership content to draw in potential clients who are searching for your services.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH JIM HEININGER:LinkedInTwitterWebsiteCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales Schema

People are looking for more from brands than interruptions and superficial messages. They are looking for brands to move people’s lives forward, one small step at a time. Everybody wakes up in the morning wanting one thing: they want to be better than they were the day before. It’s at the heart of the human experience. So when brands seek to empower people, they are drafting off of millions of years of evolution. This week, episode 160 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Jeff Rosenblum is about agency growth and culture over 20 years! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Jeff Rosenblum share the importance of redefining advertising. We also discuss actionable steps you can take right now to find leverage all along the customer journey to connect and convert with your marketing beyond paid advertising. Jeff Rosenblum is a Co-founder of Questus, a digital advertising agency that has worked with many of the world’s most influential brands, including Apple, Capital One, Disney, The NFL, Samsung, Starbucks, Universal, Wyndham, and Verizon. Jeff is the author of Exponential, which discusses how to transform brands through empowerment over interruptions. He is also the creator of a documentary about the advertising revolution called The Naked Brand and the groundbreaking book Friction, which explained how passion brands are built. Jeff has lectured at some of the top universities in the world, including Yale, Cornell, Columbia, and London Business School. He has won some of the ad world’s most prestigious awards and presented at many of the industry’s largest conferences.In this episode, Dan and Jeff Rosenblum discuss the following:Building an agency over the course of 20 years.Why everything revolves around culture and how that can serve your agencyThe importance of risk in building an agency.Using empowerment instead of an interruption to transform brands.Figure out what people are looking for. Identify their unmet needs both emotionally and functionally. Then create content that moves them down the funnel.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH JEFF ROSENBLUM:LinkedInTwitterInstagramQuestusCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales SchemaLINKS MENTIONED:Who by Geoff Smart (Amazon)Friction by Jeff Rosenblum (Amazon)Exponential by Jeff Rosenblum (Amazon)

Once you hit a certain revenue level, things tend to plateau. What worked to get you to this point won’t necessarily get you to the next level. If your goal is to get to that next level, you’ll need to shift the way you view your business and start stepping into the CEO role of your company. This week, episode 159 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Hunter Lowder is about how what got you here won’t get you there! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleHunter Lowder is co-owner of Tortoise & The Bear, a business strategy, operations, and mindset coaching company that supports visionaries in bringing their wild and crazy dreams to life. Coupling her past business experience as CEO of a multi-million dollar company with mindful coaching approaches, Hunter helps service-based business owners create and prioritize a strategic plan to grow their impact and move their business forward in a sustainable way.After suffering severe burnout as a CEO, Hunter is passionate about building a business in alignment with her values. When she’s not helping clients fine-tune their operations, she’s likely dancing and singing karaoke with her husband, feeding her son’s football team, or hanging out at the beach with her fur babies.In this episode, Dan and Hunter discuss the following:Balancing the extremes of either being too tactical or too woo when it comes to changing yourself as a leader. What it takes to step into the CEO leadership role and the different factors that have to be considered. The number one area in the client journey that people tend to forget about and how to understand cues that a prospect is ready to buy.Signals that you might be on the brink of burnout and how to avoid burning out as business owners.Hunter would love to share her FREE customer journey audit with your audience.  She’ll review listeners' current customer journey and record a personalized video in 3-5 business days to get them on the right path to creating a customer journey for consistent leads and sales.  The link for that customer audit will be https://www.tortoiseandthebear.com/podcast Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH HUNTER LOWDER:FacebookInstagramLinkedInWebsiteFree GiftCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales Schema

Living in a world run by content marketing, it is time we start looking at more diversified, different, and arguably better ways to solve the problem at hand than just offering a service. This week, episode 158 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about diversified content marketing! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Joe Pulizzi shares the importance of diversifying your product portfolio and actionable steps you can take right now to build a roadmap towards these launches that are in alignment with where your business is. Joe Pulizzi is the founder of multiple startups, including content creator education site, The Tilt, and is the best-selling author of seven books, including Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. Joe is best known for his work in content marketing, first using the term in 2001, then launching Content Marketing Institute and the Content Marketing World event. In 2014, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Content Council. He successfully exited CMI in 2016 and consequently wrote an award-winning mystery novel, The Will to Die.In this episode, Joe and Dan discuss the following:Deconstructing what it takes to run an agency and exploring more diversified ways to solve problems with the new technology at hand. Goal setting and getting into the routine of reviewing them on a daily basis to keep them in alignment. Becoming the best at one thing vs. diversifying your offering. How you can still have a diverse offering while also being the leading expert in a specific niche.Starting with one thing and building upon it as you learn, launching as you go. Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH JOE PULIZZI:Thetilt.comJoePulizzi.comContent Inc. BookThe Will to Die BookTwitterLinkedinFacebookCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales SchemaLINKS MENTIONED:rally.io

How can you stand out from the competition in your industry? This is a question we’re all trying to answer through our marketing. We want a dedicated following of people who love our products and services, but how can we achieve that? This week, episode 157 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast with Michael F. Schein is about the power of creating hype for your business! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Michael F. Schein share the importance of understanding the mass psychology principle and then playing with it. They also chat about actionable steps you can take right now to stand out in your industry using hype. Michael F. Schein is the Head Hype Artist at MicroFame Media, a company that specializes in idea-driven businesses famous. Some of his clients have included eBay, Magento, The Medici Group, University of Pennsylvania, Gordon College, University of California Irvine, United Methodist Publishing House, PopUp, Pugpig, LinkedIn, and Citrix. His writing has appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Psychology Today, and Huffington Post, and he is a speaker for international audiences spanning from the northeastern United States to the southeastern coast of China. His book The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers, published by McGraw Hill, appears where books are sold.In this episode, Dan and Michael discuss the following:Attracting attention from the people that matter on a macro level.Ethically harnessing the power of human emotion to create hype and cause people to take action.Powerful ideas on how to make war, not love so that you build up the right attention.Creating useful content that gets attention and can be replicated to get results.How ad fatigue and industry evolution can impact how we use hype.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH MICHAEL F. SCHEIN:TwitterLinkedInFacebookMichael ScheinMicroFame MediaCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales Schema

Most people have an issue with thinking of themselves as a salesperson. Yet, every one of us is a salesperson. We are always marketing and selling ourselves. You make friendships, you network with people. You sell your passion and personage through conversation. That is you. But if you are someone who now has to sell a product or service, you need to come to terms that you are a salesperson, and that’s not a bad thing. This week, episode 156 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about sales training and entrepreneurship over decades! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Michael share the importance of practicing different methods of selling to become an expert in the science of selling.Michael Gansl is a hands-on entrepreneur and "The Seasoned Voice of Reason℠" specializing in working with “The Accidental Business Owner ℠” and with teams of individual contributors to implement business development and revenue growth opportunities. With over 30 years of experience, Michael is an expert in growing companies, problem-solving across marketing, sales, and operations, and understanding what business owners need to do to achieve success.In this episode, Dan and Michael Gansl discuss the following:The most important quality to look for in sales talent.What building a sales team looked like historically, and what can be learned from that experience.How to think about sales KPIs and quotas that inspire the team to move in the right direction. Effectively communicating with the individuals you sell to and being confident in that.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH MICHAEL GANSL:LinkedInVoice of Reason ConsultingMind Your Own Business Video PodcastCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales SchemaLINKS MENTIONED:The Lean Methodology (book)

In a world where social and search are dominated by platforms that don’t always make our lives easy, our guest has looked for a way to bring those marketing tools into a more analog channel like direct mail. This week, episode 155 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about digitizing direct mail and the power of being mission-driven! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Dave Fink share the importance of storytelling, brand development, quality product and services, and understanding your customers when you are marketing, no matter if it’s using Facebook ads or sending direct mail.Dave Fink thinks the best-kept secret in marketing is hiding where you least expect it — your mailbox. Over a 20-year career, he’s generated hundreds of millions of dollars in ad revenue, powered viral sensations like Dollar Shave Club, and helped launch celebrity startups for Jessica Simpson, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Kate Bosworth. Now, as founder and CEO of Postie, he’s out to reinvent direct mail marketing for a digital world.In this episode, Dan and Dave Fink discuss the following:The pros of using direct mail over running ads on platforms that underperform.Being an early-stage partner with Dollar Shave Club.The value and meaning of building a mission-based business.Virality and what it meant 10+ years ago, what it means now, and what it can mean for your clients.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH DAVE FINK:LinkedInPostieCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales SchemaLINKS MENTIONED:Working Backwards

Vetting, interviewing, and hiring new employees is a ton of work. It’s important that you find someone who not only fits your company culture but also works well with the tasks and working environment you’ll be placing them in. Finding the right people to fill open roles is the key. This week, episode 154 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about building an employee pipeline! Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Andrea MacKenzie share the importance of having a pipeline of potential employees and actionable steps you can take right now to make sure future employees align with your company and values. Andrea MacKenzie helps companies to hire, build, and lead teams so they can improve their business growth and workplace well-being through her company Lead With Harmony. She works with growth-oriented small business owners along with executives to achieve higher performance and stronger leadership while lowering stress. She combines her 20+ years experience in corporate roles and consulting with her unique approach to serve her clients, which span from small businesses to Fortune 500s across almost every business function. In this episode, Dan and Andrea discuss the following:The Kolby process to understand a new employee’s working personality. Common mistakes business owners make during the hiring process.The value of gut feeling and where it should live What to do to build a candidate pipeline and get rid of the urgency bias that tanks effective hiring.Don’t forget to check the show notes for access to your FREE Delegation Visualization Guided Audio to help you unlock what’s possible when you stop managing and start delegating!  Use this guided audio and the companion worksheets to tap into your desire to let go, get back your time, and grow... through delegation!Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!CONNECT WITH ANDREA MACKENZIE:LinkedInFacebookTwitterInstagramLead With HarmonyTeam Success Bi-Monthy BlogFREE with Special Code ($37 Value) Delegation Visualization Guided Audio - use promo code SALESSCHEMAFREE Job Advertisement ChecklistCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales SchemaLINKS MENTIONED:Working Backwards Book