The Innovative Agency

Intro Today's episode features Solomon Thimothy, a highly accomplished entrepreneur who emphasizes the significance of thinking big and aiming for 10x growth rather than settling for 2x. The conversation highlights the role of agency owners in shaping the vision for their businesses and challenges them to expand their thinking about growth strategies. By listening, you'll learn how to elevate your agency's growth mindset and start pushing the boundaries of success. What you will learn in this episode: How to think big when striving toward business growth. The realities of 10x thinking vs. 2x thinking. How to harness the power of focus and intentionality when growing an agency. Where to start leveraging technology to scale your agency. The benefits of developing a niche focus when scaling an agency. Bio Solomon Thimothy is a highly accomplished entrepreneur with over 17 years of experience in marketing and sales. As the co-founder and CEO of IMS, a leading inbound marketing and sales agency, as well as Clickx, he has helped businesses increase their revenue using the 10X Framework. Solomon is also an expert in lead generation and customer acquisition, as well as a USA Today and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. In addition to his work, Solomon is also an angel investor and startup advisor. He has helped numerous startups grow and scale, leveraging his expertise in marketing, sales, and business strategy. Resources: Website: http://Thimothy.com Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/SolomonThimothy/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solomonthimothy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sthimothy

Intro Today we're discussing the importance of SEO and SEM for marketing agencies with guest Michael Fleischner, Founder of Big Fin SEO. We dive into the topic of agencies needing to stay current with SEO strategies to attract the right clients. The conversation also explores how agencies can prioritize their own SEO efforts to make a strong impact in the digital landscape and offers tips on operating and growing innovative agencies in today's competitive market. What you will learn in this episode: The issue with agencies neglecting their own site's SEO. How agency leaders can leverage thought leadership. The importance of quality over quantity in SEO campaigns. Recent evolutions in SEO standard practices. The impact of AI technology on SEO services. How to effectively integrate SEO in your marketing strategies. Bio As an entrepreneur, marketer, author, and speaker, Michael Fleischner has worked with a variety of businesses in the Education, HR, Finance, and Technology sectors to improve online marketing effectiveness and results. He is the Founder of Big Fin SEO, a digital marketing agency that specializes in Search Engine Optimization, Paid Search, and Website Development. Michael has appeared on the TODAY Show, ABC World News, Bloomberg Radio, and featured in USA Today discussing marketing best practices. Michael has authored a variety of marketing related books including, The 7 Figure Freelancer and his top selling search engine optimization guide, SEO Made Simple (10th Edition). From a volunteer perspective, Michael serves as the President of the American Marketing Association's Professional Chapters Council that works with more than 70 individual AMA chapters across the United States and Canada to support the marketing profession. Prior to his board role, Michael served as the President for the American Marketing Association of New Jersey. Resources: Website:https://bigfinseo.com Facebook Bisness:https://www.facebook.com/bigfinseo LinkedIn Personal:https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleischner/ Twitter:https://twitter.com/mfleischner

Intro On this episode, we're discussing the evolving landscape of social media and its impact on agency strategies with guest Lisa Nicholls, Founder of Tira! Strategies. Lisa delves into how AI is influencing content creation and execution on social media platforms, highlighting the need for agencies to adapt their strategies accordingly. The conversation also highlights different strategies that can be leveraged when navigating the changing social media landscape and staying ahead in the industry. What you will learn in this episode: The recent evolution of social media strategies across several industries. How to identify the best social media platforms for engagement. The best methods for managing and monitoring social media campaigns. How to diversify your agency. Recent impacts AI has had on content creation. Bio Lisa Nicholls is a consummate networker and community builder who intuitively understands how to form genuine connections with people in real life and online. After a career holding customer-focused positions across a variety of industries, in 2010 Lisa founded Tira! Strategies, a consultancy dedicated to helping small business owners navigate the complex and dynamic world of social media. Lisa leverages her deep expertise in relationship building and communications to help her clients form meaningful relationships with customers online, building communities of loyal and devoted customers. Lisa has held several volunteer leadership positions and is the past President of the National Association of Women Business Owners' DC Chapter, former board member of the Reston Chamber of Commerce, and former co-chair of the American Cancer Society's Reston Relay for Life. Resources: Website:https://tirastrategies.com/ Facebook Buisness:https://www.facebook.com/tirastrategies LinkedIn Personal:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaanicholls/

Intro In this episode, Gregory Rosner demystifies the basis for strong sales procedures and highlights the importance of aligning marketing and sales efforts within client organizations. He emphasizes the need to refocus sales strategies and steer away from solution-based selling. This conversation offers immense insights on improving client counseling, enhancing business development, and fostering collaboration between marketing and sales teams. What you will learn in this episode: How to embrace a problem-based sales strategy. The best methods of identifying, understanding, and acting on your customers' needs. How AI will impact the marketing, sales, and overarching business landscape. Why agencies need to implement effective, well-thought-out policy procedures. How to assess the risk of leveraging AI in company procedures. Bio Gregory Rosner is a fractional CMO and the Founder of PitchKitchen. PitchKitchen is a sales enablement agency that helps funded CEOs and their leadership team align around a core message that drives sales, amplifies marketing, and attracts capital, by fixing confusing websites and ineffective sales presentations. Resources: Website:www.pitchkitchen.com LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Gregoryrosner/

Intro Today, we've invited Kurt Kleidon to discuss the significance of celebrating creativity and participating in award cycles within the marketing industry. He explores the value of pursuing awards, the cynicism surrounding them, and their overall impact on agencies. Kurt also shares his experience with the Addy Awards and sheds light on the effort and time involved in pursuing such awards. What you will learn in this episode: What marketing agency awards are and why they are important. How to actively pursue agency awards to improve industry recognition. The benefits of attaining awards within the marketing industry. How to celebrate your work achievements and creativity, even when you don't win. How the resources produced for award submissions can be repurposed effectively. Bio Kurt Kleidon is the President of Kleidon & Associates, a marketing communication agency in Akron, Ohio. Kurt has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, communications, and branding. He was the founding editor of Akron Life magazine and has also served as a college professor. In his professional capacity, Kurt focuses on marketing strategy and helping his clients find the right balance between digital opportunities and traditional marketing effort. With a background in storytelling, he truly enjoys developing new ways to convey a message within all the possibilities that are possible in social media and digital marketing. As the host of his own podcast, Three for Three, Kurt interviews business owners on tips and tricks that have helped them build a successful business. Kurt is avid in his volunteer work in the Akron area and has a passion for helping organizations that aim to improve the lives of children. He currently serves on the board of Summit Artspace and the Akron PRSA chapter. He is also a published writer and photographer with more than 100 articles and photos that have appeared in print in various magazines and journals. Resources: Website: www.kleidon.com Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/KleidonandAssociates LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/214248/admin/feed/posts/ Twitter: https: //twitter.com/kleidon

In today's episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast, we talked with the visionary Nicole Mahoney, the Founder of Break the Ice Media, a PR and digital marketing agency specializing in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, and also serves as the CEO of Travel Alliance Partners. Nicole joined us to share the game-changing impact a dynamic vision has made on her agency's growth trajectory and spills the secrets of transforming podcast gold into a rich vein of thought leadership content. Tune in to hear how Nicole's strategies have not just grown her agency, but also created a community and a presence that stands out in the crowded world of travel and tourism. What you will learn in this episode: Why a clear vision is crucial for guiding agency growth and how it can be a compass during times of opportunity and uncertainty. The transformative power of thought leadership and how investing in it can enhance your agency's profitability and industry authority. Strategies for measuring the return on investment for thought leadership and navigating the challenges that come with these non-traditional marketing efforts. The innovative approach to repurposing content effectively across different platforms, including blogs, white papers, books, and virtual events. Insights on the practical impacts and growth potential when expanding an agency's reach beyond traditional geographic boundaries and client bases. Tips on how to confidently increase agency rates in response to enhanced team abilities and market respect. How integrating and aligning multiple brands within an agency model can create diverse revenue streams and insulate the business from industry fluctuations. Bio Nicole Mahoney is an entrepreneur, speaker, and podcast host with a passion for business. She's the Founder of Break the Ice Media, a PR and digital marketing agency specializing in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, and also serves as the CEO of Travel Alliance Partners. In her weekly podcast, Destination on the Left, launched in 2016, she interviews tourism professionals from all over the globe on creativity and collaboration. She commissioned a first-of-its-kind research study in 2020 to examine what makes partnerships successful and explore the role collaboration is playing in helping the industry recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Those results, her recorded conversations with more than 300 podcast guests, and her personal experience formed the basis of her book, Stronger Together: Building World-Changing Business Collaborations. Nicole resides in Canandaigua, New York. Resources: Website: https://nicolemahoney.com/ Destination on the Left: https://breaktheicemedia.com/podcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolemahoney/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BreakTheIceMedia Twitter: https://twitter.com/Break_TheIce Tap Into Travel: https://www.tapintotravel.com/ Research: Collaboration in the Travel, Tourism, & Hospitality Industry: https://breaktheicemedia.com/collaboration/

Intro Today's episode of The Innovative Agency dives into the importance of account management skills for agency owners and leaders. Our guest, Jenny Plant, discusses the common focus on new business rather than nurturing existing client relationships. By listening, you will discover why caring for current clients is crucial for agency success. What you will learn in this episode: A brief description of what account management means in agency environments. How account managers can identify qualified talent. How to grow specific accounts using account management techniques. The best ways to leverage different skill sets in specific roles. How to plan effective strategy sessions with your clients. What it takes to grow accounts organically as an agency. Bio Jenny Plant left Publicis LifeBrands (a global healthcare communications agency) as General Manager in 2010 to start Account Management Skills Ltd, a training company dedicated to helping agency account management teams retain and grow existing client relationships. Her client retention and growth for agency training has been running since 2016, promoted and endorsed by the Pharmaceutical Marketing Society. Jenny's career in account management spans 30 years and includes working in both network and independent agencies. It also includes agency acquisition management, relationship audits for agencies and her current role as agency board advisor for strategic branding agency Made Brave. She has worked client-side in marketing for a pharmaceutical company in Barcelona, Uriach and Iberia Airlines in London. Jenny spent three years as a student of Sandler sales training and has a CIM Diploma in Marketing and BTEC Diploma in Business & Finance. She is an authorized partner for Everything DiSC by Wiley. Jenny hosts the "Creative Agency Account Manager" podcast dedicated to helping agency account managers improve their account management skills. Resources: Website: https://accountmanagementskills.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyplant/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/school/account-management-skills/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AccountManagementSkills/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jennyplant

Intro Today on the Innovative Agency Podcast we welcome Steve Mudd from Talentless AI. He shares his insights on how AI can be adopted by marketing agencies, setting the stage for a conversation about the risks and benefits of this evolving technology and how agency owners can navigate them. He also talks about the content creation tools offered by Talentless AI and their scalable and adaptable business model. What you will learn in this episode: The impact of synthetic media on the modern agency landscape. How to set effective guardrails for synthetic media production. The necessity of authenticity in the marketing space. How to leverage AI in creative industries. The potential challenges and opportunities presented by leveraging AI. Bio Steve Mudd is the Founder and CEO of Talentless AI, a new Austin-based creative agency that uses real and artificial intelligence to deliver provocative content with synthetic media. He's also currently the host of AIAF, a next-gen creative podcast featuring artificial conversations about real intelligence. Steve has a long history as an IT storyteller, he most recently ran strategic messaging and content marketing for NetApp and previously worked for Ogilvy on brands such as IBM, Lenovo, Level 3 Communications, and Iron Mountain. He was also the host of the popular Ogilvy Podcast. Resources: Website: http://www.talentless.ai/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemudd/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentless-ai/

Intro Today we're joined by Jim Scott, CEO and Co-Founder of Mono, an award-winning agency in Minneapolis. The conversation explores agency culture as well as Mono's accomplishments and the hard work that led to their recognition in the industry. Through this episode, expect to learn how to leverage business partnership, scale your agency's culture, and truly have an impact. What you will learn in this episode: How agencies are uniquely positioned to move culture and commerce forward. The importance of setting clear expectations with clients and employees. The value of establishing boundaries within an agency. How to develop impactful initiatives for BIPOC communities. How to position your agency to have an impact within its community. Bio Jim Scott has established MONO as a nationally recognized agency known for punching above its weight while earning Small Agency of the Year recognitions from Ad Age and the 4As five times. Having seen the inside workings of some of the most admired brands in the world— Apple, Google, PepsiCo, Harley-Davidson, and Target—he leverages a breadth of industry experience to help the curated list of clients navigate the toughest business challenges. Along with growing and managing the agency, Jim is deeply involved in leading MONO's clients through the reinvention of tired advertising models. Jim is also passionate about giving back to the industry and was instrumental in creating MONO's Brand-In-Residence Accelerator Program, designed to help diverse entrepreneurs in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area scale their businesses. Resources: Website: https://mono-1.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimscott3/ Linkedin Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mono/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MONOadagency/

Intro In this episode, Jhana Li discusses the importance of efficient operations for marketing agencies. She highlights how effective operations can be a competitive advantage and shares insights from her experiences working with small to midsize agencies. Jhana emphasizes the fact that operations should not be seen as a burden or a hindrance, but rather as a way to enhance agility and scale. Tune in to learn how to optimize your agency's operations for greater profitability and success. What you will learn in this episode: How profitability is directly tied to operational workflow. How to integrate artificial intelligence in agency operations. The importance of leveraging artificial intelligence in agency leadership. How to manage the shifting priorities of agency team members. Which technologies are impacting agency operations in 2024. Bio Jhana Li first became COO for a 7-figure agency while making her way through North & South America. Later, as COO & Head Operations Coach at Agency Lab, she coached hundreds of companies scaling towards 7 & 8-figures. After seeing countless founders stall out & trap themselves without the proper Operations, Jhana decided to start her own company, Spyglass Ops. Through Operations consulting, recruitment, and training, Spyglass Ops empowers founders to simultaneously scale their businesses while regaining their personal freedom. Resources: Website: https://spyglassops.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhana-li/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spyglass-ops/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejhanali