The Agency Profit Podcast

Ryan McNamara, Head of Operations at Rise at Seven, shares his journey from startup founder to agency operations leader. He discusses the agency's rapid growth and the critical role of operational leadership in navigating challenges. Highlights include adapting to competition, the significance of Personal Development Plans, and balancing rigid processes with creative flexibility. McNamara also emphasizes the importance of managing team growth and mitigating churn while fostering a culture of performance and innovation.

The discussion highlights the pitfalls of benchmarking in agency performance, revealing how reliance on external metrics can mislead. Marcel emphasizes the inadequacies of comparing rates, particularly with the shift towards value-based pricing. He introduces the average billable rate as a more insightful metric, advocating for a deep understanding of one’s own agency model. The need for agencies to focus on internal metrics rather than external validation is stressed, establishing a path toward enhanced profitability and operational efficiency.

Points of Interest00:47 – 01:38 – Chris’s Background: Chris shares his experience supporting consultants and facilitators in achieving measurable impact.02:07 – 03:04 – The Challenge of Change Management: Agencies face difficulty educating stakeholders and driving meaningful organizational change.04:03 – 05:26 – Behavior Change Precedes Results: Chris explains the importance of tracking behavior shifts that lead to KPI improvements.05:26 – 06:33 – Ambiguity in Brand Strategy: Marcel highlights challenges caused by subjective opinions and delayed results in brand strategy.08:31 – 09:44 – Three Requirements for Behavior Change: Chris identifies a clear path, motivation, and knowledge as key to driving behavioral change.13:43 – 15:06 – Chunking Tasks into Smaller Steps: Chris emphasizes reducing ambiguity with small, actionable steps to drive progress.19:01 – 20:14 – Feedback Loops and Impact Signals: Self-reported change helps measure progress before observable or KPI results emerge.21:56 – 23:10 – Connecting Daily Actions to Outcomes: Chris stresses clarifying small tasks that contribute to long-term project success.23:10 – 24:36 – KPIs and Leading Indicators: Identifying relevant KPIs and leading indicators creates measurable goals for success.26:04 – 27:45 – Aligning on Success Metrics: Chris highlights the importance of aligning with clients on clear success metrics and tracking progress.27:45 – 29:30 – Behavioral Change Before Visibility: Change begins internally and becomes externally observable over time.34:36 – 36:00 – Triple Double Framework: Chris introduces a structured approach—double down on strengths, double back on gaps, and double click on new information.Show NotesConnect with ChrisLinkedInActional.coBehavior Change ToolkitLove the PodcastLeave us a review here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Carson Pierce, a lead consultant at Parakeeto specializing in agency data operations, shares insights on navigating the evolving landscape for agencies. He discusses the financial challenges faced in 2024, including cash flow issues and tighter margins, and explores how AI can enhance operational efficiency. Carson also highlights the metrics crucial for profitability, like cost per hour and average billable rate, and debunks common myths about utilization. Their conversation emphasizes the shift towards quality and specialization for sustainable success.

Points of Interest00:47 – 01:46 – Meet Patrick O’Connell: Marcel introduces Patrick and previews their discussion on building a profitable design or creative services business.01:46 – 02:41 – Patrick’s Journey to Success: Patrick shares how he transitioned from a nine-to-five to running a design agency, helping clients bring physical products to market while mentoring other designers.02:41 – 03:44 – The Chocolate and Broccoli Approach: Marcel and Patrick discuss the balance between delivering what clients want (chocolate) and the deeper strategies they need (broccoli).03:44 – 07:07 – Two Key Challenges for Creatives: Patrick outlines common struggles—spending too much time on craft over strategy and not understanding the math behind profitability.07:07 – 10:10 – Selling Outcomes, Not Features: Patrick explains the importance of focusing on the value of transformations for clients instead of relying on accolades, experience, or features to justify pricing.10:10 – 12:01 – Positioning for Success: The conversation shifts to the importance of starting with the client’s desired outcome and framing your services to match that need.12:01 – 14:34 – Value Pricing Done Right: Patrick emphasizes that charging based on value requires understanding the percentage of responsibility you’re taking for the client’s desired results.14:34 – 19:00 – Efficiency in Service Delivery: Patrick explains how focusing on reducing unnecessary steps in your processes leads to more profit and faster client results.19:00 – 21:31 – Solo vs. Team Business Models: Marcel and Patrick discuss the trade-offs between staying a solo consultant and scaling a team, emphasizing that the right choice depends on personal goals.21:31 – 25:55 – The Importance of Gross Margins: They dive into delivery margin basics, discussing the importance of average billable rates, efficiency, and cost control in scaling profits.25:55 – 33:54 – Creating Leverage with IP and Consulting: Patrick highlights how adding intellectual property or advisory components to your services can drastically increase value without adding significant cost.33:54 – 40:06 – Balancing Lifestyle and Growth: Patrick shares his personal experience of scaling down from a large team to a lean model to achieve more creative freedom and work-life balance.40:06 – 52:44 – Building Your Ideal Business: The episode closes with actionable advice on defining your ideal lifestyle and designing a business model that aligns with it, whether that’s staying solo or scaling strategically.Show NotesConnect with PatrickInstagramYouTubeWebsiteLove the PodcastLeave us a review here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kristen Kelly, Director of Operations at Parakeeto with 20 years of agency experience, shares her passion for operational leadership. She discusses the challenges of integrating complex data sets and the harsh realities of fragmented reporting systems. Kristen highlights the misconception that automation can solve all data issues and the need for human oversight. They also tackle the importance of aligning metrics across teams for better decision-making and the financial implications of effective data management.

Chris DuBois, a seasoned coach and founder of Dynamic Agency OS, shares invaluable insights for agency leaders. He introduces the Prism Model for evaluating business ideas, emphasizing the importance of identifying problems worth solving. DuBois warns against service saturation that can harm profitability and discusses the critical need for agencies to niche down by focusing on specific problems rather than just services. He also highlights the value of unique points of view and presents frameworks to balance efficiency with innovation in agency practices.

Points of Interest00:01 – 01:00 – Introduction to Data Systems: Marcel introduces the episode’s focus on designing data systems that empower agencies and businesses to make data-driven decisions with clarity and alignment.01:00 – 02:30 – Why Agencies Struggle with Data: Marcel explains why many agencies face challenges in getting value from their data, often due to incorrect frameworks and a lack of process around data management.03:00 – 04:20 – The Pendulum of Tools: Marcel discusses how agencies often swing between using specialized tools and all-in-one platforms, creating unnecessary change management that doesn’t solve core data issues.05:00 – 06:15 – Outdated Billing Models in Agency Systems: Marcel explains how traditional agency frameworks assume time-and-materials billing, which isn’t suitable for many agencies today that use retainer or project-based models.07:30 – 08:45 – Misconception: Data Problems are Tool Problems: Marcel describes how agencies mistakenly frame data issues as tool problems, leading to constant tool changes without solving underlying issues.09:15 – 10:45 – Introduction to the Core Framework: Marcel introduces the three key elements for a high-functioning data system: data, framework, and process, with each playing a unique role in creating reliable insights.11:30 – 12:45 – The Four Essential Data Sets: Marcel explains the four critical types of data needed: finance, people, projects, and time, and why these are fundamental to any data system.13:00 – 14:30 – Framework: Metrics, Formulas, and Relationships: Marcel breaks down the importance of a clear framework to define which metrics to track, their formulas, and how they relate to each other and the business.15:30 – 17:00 – Challenges with Data Hygiene and Consistency: Marcel highlights the need for a process to maintain clean data and handle changes in structure, such as renaming teams or changing project codes.17:15 – 18:45 – Importance of Change Management in Data Systems: Marcel emphasizes that change within the business, like adding new services or tools, can disrupt data systems, requiring adaptable frameworks.19:30 – 21:00 – Realistic Expectations for Automation: Marcel cautions against fully automated data reporting, explaining that human oversight is essential for data hygiene and quality, even with AI assistance.22:00 – 23:45 – Cadences for Accurate Reporting: Marcel discusses the need for regular cadences, such as weekly time tracking, to ensure data accuracy and completeness before analysis.24:00 – 25:45 – How Parakeeto Helps Agencies with Data Management: Marcel concludes by inviting agencies to reach out if they need support with data frameworks and processes, emphasizing that Parakeeto’s approach can save agencies time and improve profitability.Show NotesConnect with Marcel:Connect with Marcel via LinkedInAgency Profit ToolkitThe Parakeeto Foundations CourseLove the PodcastLeave us a review here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Points of Interest00:01 – 00:42 – Introduction to Guest: Marcel introduces Dr. Kristian Alomá, PhD, an expert in narrative psychology and author of Start With the Story, to discuss the power of storytelling in agency service design.00:48 – 01:14 – Background on Narrative Design: Kristian introduces his agency, Threadline, and explains narrative design as applying storytelling principles to branding, marketing, and business strategy.01:52 – 02:18 – What is Narrative Psychology? Kristian describes narrative psychology as the study of how people make sense of experiences through storytelling, emphasizing its importance in understanding client relationships.03:10 – 04:20 – Power of Storytelling: Marcel and Kristian discuss how storytelling resonates with both logical and emotional thinking, making it a powerful tool in sales and brand connection.05:38 – 06:30 – Changing Agency Landscape: Kristian explains how agency success has shifted from mere service delivery to forming meaningful client relationships that support brand values and identity.08:27 – 09:30 – Beyond Behavioral Marketing: Kristian discusses moving from a behavior-driven marketing approach to one focused on narratives that align with both client goals and agency values.10:23 – 11:33 – Client Relationships Across Career Stages: Kristian highlights the importance of adapting agency services to fit the evolving needs of clients as they grow from entry-level to executive roles.11:47 – 12:40 – Differentiation in a Specialized Market: Marcel and Kristian talk about how understanding clients’ unique stories allows agencies to differentiate in an increasingly specialized market.15:08 – 16:15 – Hero’s Paradox: Kristian explains the concept of the “hero’s paradox,” where placing the client as the hero ultimately strengthens the agency's role as a trusted partner.18:50 – 19:18 – Identifying Client Struggles: Marcel asks Kristian for tactical advice on understanding client struggles, which Kristian breaks down through his STORY framework.19:17 – 20:25 – Introduction to the STORY Framework: Kristian outlines his framework: Struggle, Tools, Objectives, Rewards, and Yearning (STORY), as a guide to designing client-centered services.23:29 – 24:45 – The Importance of Understanding Struggles: Marcel and Kristian discuss the importance of going beyond surface-level problems to truly understand a client’s struggle for deeper impact.27:39 – 28:32 – Focusing on Individual Challenges: Kristian emphasizes the need to view client challenges from the individual’s perspective within the organization, making service solutions more impactful and personalized.Show NotesBook: Start with the Story: Brand-Building in a Narrative EconomyThreadline: Visit the WebsiteConnect with Kristian A. Alomá:LinkedIn ProfilePersonal WebsiteLove the PodcastLeave us a review here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this engaging discussion, Carson Pierce, Parakeeto's head consultant with over 20 years of agency experience, shares his unique journey from daycare owner to project management leader. He tackles common agency challenges, like ineffective resource management and the pitfalls of misused utilization metrics. Carson emphasizes the importance of leveraging accurate data over precise but misleading figures. The conversation highlights the need for structured frameworks in decision-making to maximize client success and navigate operational inefficiencies.