Agency Blueprint

How clear is your long-term vision, and is your business model in alignment with it? Having a clear vision of where you’re going and why it’s important helps you create a strategic plan and shift your mindset.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Crista Grasso, a strategic planning expert for leading global businesses and online entrepreneurs when they want to scale. She has the ability to quickly cut through the noise and focus on optimizing the core things that will make the biggest impact to simplify and scale a business. She explains her Lean Out Method – context, clarity, commitment, and kaizen and how it applies to business.   Don't miss this episode to learn more about the simple and sustainable Lean Out Method! Key Questions:   [2:22] What would you say someone should think about when it comes to finding and reclaiming their time? [6:10] What is your experience with time blocking, and what is your belief system around it?  [17:24] Would you mind sharing the concept of the combination between lean and scaling?  What You’ll Discover: [2:30] Get clear on your vision and ensure that your work is aligned to reclaim your time.   [6:19] The impact of time/focus blocking on productivity and results in teams. [8:38] How to consistently work harder and make little improvements to have your desired outcome. [12:36] The four overarching pillars of the Lean Out Method are context, clarity, commitment, and kaizen.   [17:35] How combining lean with scaling will get you a customer-centric and high-profit business.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

How can you improve upon what you already have in your business instead of constantly putting something new? Reducing noise and complexity in your agency is about optimizing what already exists and having streamlined systems in place.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Crista Grasso, a strategic planning expert for leading global businesses and online entrepreneurs when they want to scale. She has the ability to quickly cut through the noise and focus on optimizing the core things that will make the biggest impact to simplify and scale a business. We discuss agency complexities, symptoms that your agency is complex, and how to shift your mindset and streamline your business.  Listen in to learn the importance of creating a system around what you do to be successful.  Key Questions:   [1:40] What are your overall thoughts on agencies adding more complexities in order to grow?  [4:26] What are some ways you can highlight as symptoms of a too-complex agency?  [16:49] What other stories do you find with clients when you’re working with them on operational problems and things? What You’ll Discover: [2:04] Avoid adding more complexities to your business and optimize what already exists instead.  [4:43] The top symptoms that indicate your agency’s operations are too complex.  [6:49] Have a core framework that you’re known for to give you scalability and carve out your niche. [11:43] Shift your mindset and become the CEO of your business to create a repeatable system.  [17:02] How to create systems so that everything doesn’t have to be dependent on you.  [20:17] Crista’s guide that helps you assess and minimize waste in your business.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

Do you want to feel less stressed out and not have to sacrifice your personal life to grow your agency? You should set a boundary to prioritize what’s important to you because compounding success comes when you focus more and do less. In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, we discuss how to strategically create a plan to help you take more time off from your agency. We also discuss how to plan your day/week by design, so you get to prioritize tasks that help you accomplish your goals.  Listen in to learn how recognizing your little wins gives you the energy to do better for yourself and your agency.   Key Questions:   [5:25] How do you create a framework and a structure that allows the day to no longer just happen to you but be by design? [10:20] How can you create a plan to prioritize the important things for you?  [17:42] What high-leveraged tasks will help you accomplish your goals? What You’ll Discover: [1:36] How the feeling of needing to be needed can negatively impact you as an entrepreneur. [5:36] How to plan your day by design and have a structure in place to enjoy the fruits of your labor.  [7:01] How to create a boundary for yourself that doesn’t allow for you to consume your personal time.  [10:20] The steps to help you prioritize your priorities and acknowledge your wins.  [13:20] Invest in your future self, make a habit of delegating, and allow your team to make mistakes.  [15:14] Know what’s important to you and set your boundaries to succeed.  [17:42] Why you have to choose what you can fit into your time and utilize time blocking.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

How do you make the onboarding process great in a way that maintains an ongoing good client relationship? An organized onboarding process is guaranteed to build a trusting relationship between you and your client.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Taylor McMaster, founder of DOT & Company. She and her team help digital marketing agencies with full-service client account management so they can get out of the day-to-day and grow their agency. We discuss the dos and don’ts of the onboarding process and the power of proactive communication with your client.  Listen in to learn more about non-salesy communication and the successful onboarding of clients.  Key Questions:   [1:39] What would you say that an agency can go about wowing their customer during their onboarding time? [6:03] What are the things to avoid and things to do during the onboarding process?  [11:22] What is the best non-salesy way to ask for a testimonial from a customer after a successful onboarding?  [17:15] How often should and would you recommend that agencies communicate with clients? [21:34] What are your thoughts on the client gifting strategy?  What You’ll Discover: [1:46] How to start the onboarding process from the sales perspective.  [4:43] How to show prospective clients that you’re listening and care.   [6:08] The importance of proactive communication and transparency during onboarding. [11:39] The best strategy to get testimonials from your customers without coming off as salesy.  [17:24] The daily pause – the practice of proactively and effectively communicating with a client.  [21:44] How to have the gifting process in place and get creative with how you gift your clients.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

What does it take to generate leads effortlessly at zero cost and still scale your agency? Referrals are not scalable, but getting in places where your audience already exists is and at no cost.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I talk about leveraging the centers of influence who regularly come across your ideal client. I describe how this method allows you to build a network with these people and generate leads. Listen in to learn more about recognizing these opportunities and building long-term relationships.  Key Questions:  [1:23] How are you leveraging centers of influence to generate leads with little effort that allows for exponential growth?  [3:32] Who is getting in front of your audience daily so you can reach out and build a relationship with them? What You’ll Discover: [3:32] Build a network with centers of influence who regularly come across your ideal client.  [4:00] How to build a list and reach out to these people who get in front of your audience daily.  [5:15] Look at the media where your audience is hanging out, reach out, and build relations with them.  [7:35] How to craft the email to reach out without pitching yourself.  [9:11] Take time to know this person and see if there’s potential to help them and generate business.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

How do you start attracting the right type of client to your creative agency? Having the right clients can make all the difference in your agency’s success, but it’s also not an easy task. In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, we discuss the different ways to help you stop chasing and start attracting your dream clients. We explain why authenticity, communication style, and building authority are some of the ways to become attractive to like-minded prospects. If you want to learn more about this subject, then tune in to this episode!  Key Questions:   [2:46] Are you living authentically, and is your agency projecting its values for you to attract a similar client?  [7:10] How are you consistently communicating with your clients and directly speaking to their pain points?    [11:52] How do you go about making it easier for your prospect to choose you?  What You’ll Discover: [1:13] The importance of having the right energy with your client to support your growth. [2:46] Why you have to be authentic and live the values of your dream client.  [4:47] Learn to use your clients’ language and speak to them in words they understand.  [7:10] Be consistent in your communication and build a frequency with content production.  [11:52] How to build authority and create trust for your prospect to choose you.  [12:47] How to consistently add value to your prospects as a way to build a relationship.  [15:54] Make sure you put the client first and recognize there’s more to it than your deliverable.  [18:06] Develop a belief system that your client needs you just as much as you need them.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

How are you implementing software to improve operations and grow your agency? The sooner you start using the right software systems in your business, the quicker it will be to take care of your pain points. In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by Jamie Hawk, CEO, and Co-founder of Altitude Operation, Fractional COO, and operations expert. We talk about the impact of implementing software systems in your business, the types of software for agency owners, and how to evaluate their impact. Listen in to learn more about selecting the right software to benefit your agency’s individual needs.  Key Questions:   [1:47] How do you evaluate the type of impact software will have on your business? [8:50] What types of evaluation would you be thinking about when selecting a project management software system? [17:45] How do you get your people to want to implement the software systems and change their habits? What You’ll Discover: [2:04] The importance of starting with the right software sooner and giving it a thought. [4:36] How to plan for the future with software by looking at it as a stack and researching.  [6:48] Tips on selecting software that works for your agency’s needs.  [9:01] How to approach selecting a project management software system.  [12:16] Why ClickUp is the best agency-oriented project management system.  [13:57] Jamie shares how she recently transformed a company from paper to automation. [18:21] How to work with your team and get them to change and implement software systems.  [20:14] When to start looking at software and the software to prioritize as a new agency owner.Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

How To Create a Monthly Engagement with Your Clients That Allows for Creative Flexibility Wouldn’t it be great to develop an ongoing relationship that allows for creative flexibility with your clients? There are a couple of ways to set up monthly engagements that work around flexibility and allow your client to feel in control.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I discuss two pricing models that create a retainer or monthly engagement with your clients and allow for creative flexibility. I explain the benefits of setting up an ongoing monthly relationship depending on where you are in your agency path, especially as you scale. Tune in to learn more about the credit and future planned-out pricing models.  Key Questions:  [2:47] How can you set up monthly engagements that work around flexibility with your clients? [9:35] What is best for the relationship between you and a client that helps them accomplish their goal? [14:18] Are you in a place where you feel you’re working hard to stay in the same place and want to get off? What You’ll Discover: [2:55] The credit model – you have some credits for a client based on their spending. [4:13] Think about how long you want the credits to run for and have it predefined. [4:49] The future planned out model – you have a predefined monthly amount a client is committing to.  [6:02] How the future planned out model offers the beneficial consultative nature relationship with your clients. [8:33] Stop focusing on how to sell to your client and focus on how to provide value.  [11:45] Be selective with who you work with to form a beneficial relationship with them. [13:42] The benefits of an ongoing monthly relationship with your clients as you scale. Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

What is the best pricing structure for your agency? Are you just at the start of your journey, or do you have a better understanding of your client and the deliverables? Each of the pricing models can be beneficial to your agency at different stages of your journey.  In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I discuss the two most used pricing models: hourly and fixed pricing. I explain the pros and cons of each and at which stage of your agency you should consider each.  Listen in to learn which one between the hourly rate model and fixed pricing model suits your agency! Key Questions:   What do you have to consider to ensure you’re super clear on how the hourly rate looks like for you and your team? (4:18) What is the benefit for your team, agency, and you to build expertise and knowledge and do the work better? (9:21)  Are you further along in your journey as an agency to start using the fixed pricing model? (11:49) What You’ll Discover: The hourly model – billing the client for every hour of work you’re producing (1:14) The rate sheet – considering and billing based on the cost for every level of seniority (2:07) The blended rate – a simple way where you understand everything and what you can go for (2:34) The anxiety that comes with both the rate sheet and blended rate for clients (3:00) Things to consider to ensure you’re super clear on how the hourly rate looks like for you (4:18) The pros of the hourly rate in theory and practicality (5:20) The cons of the hourly rate model – difficult to scale and creates anxiety for clients (7:00) The fixed pricing model – used by agencies further along in their journey (11:40) Why you have to set client expectations very well with the fixed pricing model [12:56] The pros of the fixed pricing model – faster turnaround time and offers client value (14:46) The cons of the fixed pricing model – you can lose money as an agency (15:55)Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.

Are you providing purpose and energy? Are you living in your true core expertise? Do you have authority within the space of who your ideal client is while still having profit and revenue assured? In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, we discuss the framework for building an agency that allows you to live in your core expertise and have true authority. We also explain how to approach selecting a niche, the power of owning your true authenticity, and differentiating your agency with your uniqueness. Tune in to learn more about selecting a niche and attracting and connecting with your ideal client! Key Questions:  What are the steps needed when selecting a niche and a specialization? (5:13) How do you assess if an industry can afford you, if it’s growing, and if there are enough of them? (7:41) What’s the authentic reason you’re here, and what’s your unique offer to the world? (9:47) How can you have a meaningful impact on a person’s life whether or not they decide to work or engage with you? (18:08) How are you carving out a pathway for you and your team to be successful? (22:40) What You’ll Discover: How to select your niche which allows you to have a true differentiator and provide meaningful impact (1:22) The right steps to follow when selecting a niche without too many variables (5:21) The process of brainstorming industries you’ve worked with and then eliminating and filtering (6:08) The three variables that you’re going to filter out your niche to end up with 3-5 industries (6:47) Think about the data behind an industry – can it afford you, is it growing, and is there enough of them (7:35) How to differentiate yourself by highlighting your unique expertise and experience (9:40) How owning your true authentic self attracts and connects you to your ideal client [11:24] How to nail your positioning by putting yourself in the position of your ideal client (16:33) The importance of organizing your operations by creating a repeatable process that works for you (21:22) How to get into a reoccurring revenue model that prioritizes scalability and chooses the right pricing model (23:13)Free Copy of The Practical Agency Book.Real Life Agency Success StoriesWeekly agency tactics YouTube ChannelProfitability Accelerator Call - If you're looking to make a change today schedule your profitability accelerator call to define what is possible for your agency in the next 90 days.