The Innovative Agency

Intro In this episode, Tory shares her perspective as a woman in the industry and how she felt disconnected from the traditional advice given to entrepreneurs. She challenges the notion that success is only achieved through sacrificing oneself and emphasizes the importance of finding fulfillment along the way. What you will learn in this episode: The dangers of burnout. The role of effective communication and transparency in client relationships. How to attract top talent by being flexible. The core aspect of running a service-based bus. The importance of hiring individuals with specific skill sets for remote work. The value of hiring individuals who possess empathy, care, and passion for their work. Bio Tory Gray is a digital marketing consultant who helps businesses scale through user-generated content strategy. She leverages data to master strategic SEO and digital consumer intelligence for long-term success, effective market research, and growth. In a highly dynamic and sometimes ambiguous industry, Tory brings a refreshing combination of SEO knowledge and a growth-minded perspective rooted in kindness, compassion, and proven results. Before starting The Gray Dot Company, Tory has spent over 13 years engaged in SEO and growth strategy, serving product and marketing roles for both in-house startups and reputable agencies. Resources: Website: https://thegray.company/ Linkedin Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torygray/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/graydotco/

Joe Koufman, a marketing matchmaker and founder of Setup, shares his expertise on the critical elements of successful client-agency relationships. He emphasizes the vital role of chemistry and empathy in building connections, alongside the need for agencies to clearly define their ideal clients. Joe discusses how agencies should approach new business opportunities with desire and insight, advocating for a brave, challenger mindset that encourages creativity and pushes boundaries. Tune in for practical strategies that can enhance agency growth and client collaboration.

Intro In this episode of The Innovative Agency, Kurt Uhlir discusses how agency leaders and owners can get unstuck and propel their businesses toward the next phase of growth. Kurt shares his insights on the role of leaders in motivating their teams and emphasizes the impact that individual agency leaders can have on the overall success of their organizations. What you will learn in this episode: The critical impact of leadership styles on agency growth. The value of servant leadership. How to create a safe environment and culture within an agency. How to identify long-term goals for your teams. Common blindspots that hold agency businesses back. The importance of documenting standard operating procedures. Bio Kurt Uhlir is a globally recognized marketer, operator, and speaker. He's built and run businesses from start-up to over $500M annual revenue, assembled teams across six continents, been part of the small team leading an IPO ($880M), and participated in dozens of acquisitions. He was at the front lines creating several of the marketing channels we all use today, including social media management, influencer marketing, and location-based marketing. In recent years, he has focused on helping individual business owners and marketing agencies, with a heavy focus on real estate. Resources: Website: https://kurtuhlir.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtuhlir/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/expworldholdings/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShowcaseIDX/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/KurtUhlir

Jacob Beckley, EVP of Technology, Product, and Innovation at Fusion 92, discusses the importance of cultivating a culture of innovation in agencies. Topics include thinking broadly about innovation, the value of diverse thinking, scaling team participation, taking calculated risks, and monetizing innovation practices.

David DeMuth, CEO of Doner Partners Network, discusses how agencies can remain relevant in today's landscape. Topics include expressing expertise for smaller agencies, collaboration within agency networks, evaluating opportunities, and navigating smooth collaborations. Also, they explore areas of focus for the upcoming year: investing in AI and data analytics, building production capability, and nurturing client relationships.

Intro Today we're speaking with Darian Kovacs, the Founder of Jelly Marketing, a certified Vancouver based SEO company. We discuss the importance of leveraging your agency's knowledge to create new revenue streams. Darian shares his experience of starting Jelly Academy, a platform that offers courses and training based on their expertise. Tune in to learn how to turn what you know into a profitable opportunity for your agency. What you will learn in this episode: How to shift toward an abundance mindset in your agency operations. Some of the best ways to monetize training solutions. Why it is important to collaborate with educational institutions. How to properly teach agency skills to talent. How to leverage in-house marketers to optimize success. The value of engaging in community impact programs. Bio Darian Kovacs is the Indigenous Founder of B-Corp certified Vancouver based SEO company Jelly Digital Marketing & PR & digital marketing course Jelly Academy. He brings 15 years of marketing experience and a passion for education, and creativity. He is the host of the podcast Marketing News Canada. Darian specializes in mixing PR with digital marketing and has worked with numerous internationally renowned brands on developing and executing their digital marketing and PR strategies. Darian lives in Fort Langley, BC with his wife and four children and likes to mountain bike, watercolor and read in his free time. Resources: Website: https://jellymarketing.ca/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariankovacs/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jelly-marketing/

Intro We're joined by Jason Zotara from Ten26 Media to discuss the impact of agency work through the lens of social impact and sustainability. We explore the creative ideas that agencies bring to their clients and how it goes beyond just metrics, changing the economic picture and culture. This conversation highlights the importance of focusing on work that has a positive ripple effect in the world. What you will learn in this episode: The value of working with purpose-driven organizations. How to screen potential clients to understand their impact. The importance of purpose-driven, sustainable businesses. How to leverage cause-based marketing. How to shift your mindset when running your business. Bio Jason Zotara is the Founder of Ten26 Media and has over 20 years of experience in the marketing industry. Jason is changing the way businesses connect with their target audiences and achieve unprecedented growth through Ten26 Media's trademarked catchphrase, "Advertise with Purpose". Through collaborating with and elevating brands and companies that share a similar affinity for creating positive effects in the world, Jason and his team have been able to exponentially increase advertising success for their clients, enabling long-term relationships that result in meaningful change. Resources: Website: https://www.ten26media.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonjzotara/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ten26media/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ten26media Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ten26Media Get in Touch: https://www.ten26media.com/contact/

Intro Today we're talking with Juliana Marulanda, founder of ScaleTime, about the challenges and strategies for scaling marketing agencies. She discusses the importance of avoiding burnout and finding a balance between growth and scaling. Juliana also shares her expertise in helping agencies navigate the journey of scaling and offers insights from her experience working with various agencies. What you will learn in this episode: Impacting a community through scaling. Common pitfalls to avoid when scaling an agency. The downsides of failing to create process documentation when scaling. How to effectively delegate tasks when scaling your agency. How to manage resources and capacity while scaling. The best ways to maximize client retention after onboarding. Bio With over 20 years of experience across Wall Street, the nonprofit sector, technology startups, and family-owned businesses, Juliana Marulanda, founder at ScaleTime, has served over 500 digital agencies. Featured by Forbes and Entrepreneur, Juliana helps uplevel businesses into lean, mean, profitable machines. On average, she and her team create ways to free up at least 30 hours per week for her clients so they can have successful agencies that run without them. Founders can find themselves saying "I do what I want, how I want, whenever I want" - Now that is freedom. Juliana is passionate about providing audiences with invaluable tools that they can use instantly to start improving their business. Her wealth of agency growth secrets and expertise in growth management will put agency owners and marketers on the path to scaling a business. Resources: Website: www.scaletime.co LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianamarulanda/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scaletime/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/scaletime/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianamarula Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/scaletime

Intro In this episode of The Innovative Agency, Mike Maynard of Napier discusses the challenges and opportunities of working with enterprise-sized clients. The discussion is about the unique concerns that arise when dealing with these clients and the time-consuming nature of negotiating contracts with them. Tune in to gain ideas for operating and growing your agency in the enterprise market. What you will learn in this episode: How to work with enterprise-sized agency clients. How to develop a larger portfolio of enterprise clients. The best way to develop new business through current clientele. How to deal with exclusivity requests. How to negotiate contracts with larger companies. The unique challenges that come with serving enterprise clients. Bio Mike Maynard is the Managing Director/CEO of the Napier Group, a $7M PR and marketing agency for B2B technology companies. He is a self-confessed geek who loves talking about technology. He believes that combining the measurement, accountability, and innovation that he learned as an engineer with a passion for communicating internationally means Napier can help clients achieve their marketing goals sooner. Resources: Website: https://www.napierb2b.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaynard/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/napier-partnership-limited/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mike_Maynard Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NapierPR Marketing B2B Technology Podcast: https://marketingb2btech.napierb2b.com/

Intro In this episode of The Innovative Agency, Shaun Clark, co-founder and CEO of High Level, explores why his company decided to focus on building a community for their customers and the benefits it brings. Tune in to learn more about the power of community in the agency industry. What you will learn in this episode: The value of growing your community. How to plan for the future strategically. How to leverage your community's expertise to improve your agency. How to provide software solutions as an agency leader. The best ways to leverage tools to increase revenue in your business. Bio Shaun Clark is a co-founder and the CEO of HighLevel, the #1 white-label marketing platform for agencies. Prior to HighLevel, Shaun founded, operated, and sold InvoiceSherpa, a SaaS company that continues to help thousands of businesses around the world get paid faster. Resources: Website: https://www.gohighlevel.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunclarkhighlevel/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/highlevel/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gohighlevel/ October Summit: https://levelup.gohighlevel.com/