The Deep Specialization™️ Podcast

"What most people are trying to talk about when they talk about scale, but that's really leverage."– Greg Hickman, Founder of AltAgency Leverage is everything when it comes to growing a successful agency or service offering. And that’s exactly what today’s guest helps develop for his clients: Leverage to grow and develop their business to the level and direction they want to go. This week, welcome Greg Hickman on the show. He is an industry veteran and Founder of AltAgency, a consultancy that helps agencies, service providers, and freelancers drive growth without sacrificing their nights and weekends by packaging their expertise, installing systems for growth, and leveraging automation to save time. Greg is all about setting up systems, defining your core customer base, and productizing your offering to enable repeatable growth. What’s more, he’s throwing in a hot take or two on services (But you’ll have to listen in to learn more!). In this episode, Greg sits down with Corey to share his philosophy to helping agency owners, breaking down the common pitfalls and challenges riddling business owners and independent consultants alike. Here’s what we cover: - The evolution of Greg’s company, his founder journey, and how the offering has shifted over time. - The concept of affinity in verticalized businesses and why specialization wins. - Greg’s take on customized offering versus productized services. - Scaling through monetizing expertise, not just headcount. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - Scaling isn’t about arriving at a destination, it’s about having a continuum where you have room for growth. - You need to have affinity with the vertical you’re serving; empathy builds success. - Starting out, try different things to find your sweet spot, but then narrow it down. - Productizing services creates efficiencies, and efficiencies grow businesses. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Greg on Linkedin Here - Learn more about AltAgency Here  👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Episode 3 Chapter Three of Anyone, Not Everyone underlines the importance of careful and informed selection when choosing a vertical market to specialize in, warning that a hasty or ill-informed choice can lead to significant loss of time and potential revenue. It encourages agency founders to use their client history data to make an educated decision and highlights the characteristics of a desirable vertical, advising to start with a generalist approach before specializing to gain a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics. Reminder that this is Chapter Three in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.  If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.  This episode was produced by Reignite Media.

"Acquiring a service you want to offer helps your company leapfrog years of trial and error. " – Sam Shepler, Founder of Testimonial Hero We welcome back Sam Shepler, Founder of Testimonial Hero, a global video testimonial company that helps B2B SaaS companies close more deals through customer stories.  After a quick recap on what Testimonial Hero does (listen to episode 55 for part one), Corey and Sam get into the topic of acquisitions. Testimonial Hero recently acquired a company named Case Study Buddy that, just as the name suggests, provides written customer content like case studies.  Sam’s clients kept asking for case studies and written content as a service, and the fastest path to offering that at the level of quality Testimonial Hero’s clients expected was to acquire a shop that already knew the ropes.  Beyond the acquisition, Corey and Sam also cover topics like productizing services, sales process, and leadership lessons. Here’s what we discuss in this episode: Testimonial Hero’s latest acquisition of Case Study Buddy. The evolution from video-only to various forms of customer content. The various types of customer content Testimonial Hero offers. Agency sales challenges and how to navigate them. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Customer testimonials accelerate sales cycles because they build trust. Challenge your preconceived notions as a leader not to miss out on business opportunities. Successful M&A calls for the right timing, alignment, and mutual respect, so start building relationships early on. For mentorship, seek out advice from people at a level you want to reach next; people who are several years but not decades ahead of you. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Sam on Linkedin Here- Learn more about Testimonial Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.  

Episode 2 Chapter Two of Anyone, Not Everyone outlines six compelling benefits of becoming a vertical market specialist, drawing on the real-world transition and success of marketing agency Gorilla 76, which honed its focus on industrial manufacturing clients.  The chapter highlights how specialization simplifies sales and marketing, improves sales confidence through deep industry knowledge, removes friction from the buying process by becoming an insider, makes agencies extraordinary by developing nuanced expertise, scales business through systematization, and accelerates word-of-mouth referrals within the networked ecosystem of a vertical market. Reminder that this is Chapter Two in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.  If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy. This episode was produced by Reignite Media.

"We’ve chosen to focus. And that focus is powerful. It delivers value to the end customer. – Ron Callis Jr., CEO of One Firefly Ron Callis Jr., is the Chief Executive Officer of One Firefly, an award-winning marketing agency that has consistently ranked in the INC 5000 list for its impressive growth. With a laser focus on the custom integration, security, and clean tech industries, Ron brings invaluable insights into scaling a business through the power of specialization and dedicated team development. Here's what we discuss in today's episode: Ron’s journey from being a tech contributor within the custom integration space, to becoming a successful marketing agency CEO within this vertical. How Ron escaped founder-led sales  The role of education and industry events in building credibility and trust. How One Firefly achieved consistent year-over-year revenue growth and maintained positive net profit One Firefly's approach to maintaining client relations and loyalty through specialization, dedication, and empathy. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Establishing a sales playbook to ensure knowledge transfer and scalability. Adopting business philosophies that promote team unity and client satisfaction. Prioritizing hiring practices that align with the agency's culture and values. Cultivating leadership skills that foster both personal and company growth. As agency founders, embracing change  and investing in people—for both team members and clients—is at the heart of creating a thriving, sustainable company. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Ron on Linkedin Here - Check out One Firefly Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Episode: Introduction  The Introduction of Anyone, Not Everyone sets the stage by emphasizing the significance of niche marketing for businesses. It explains how focusing on specific audiences rather than a broad market can lead to more meaningful engagement, efficient use of resources, and ultimately, greater success.  Episode: 1  Chapter One of Anyone, Not Everyone illustrates the pitfalls of generalist agencies that stretch themselves thin by saying yes to too many types of clients, leading to stress and lack of progress toward growth goals. It contrasts this with the benefits of focusing on best-fit clients, who bring profitability, satisfaction, and are a natural fit for the agency's unique strengths, advocating for vertical specialization as the key to standing out and securing sustainable growth in a competitive market. Reminder that this is Chapter One in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.   If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.  This episode was produced by Reignite Media.

Jon Tsourakis, agency owner and entrepreneur, discusses the power of peer knowledge and Digital Mastermind Group. Topics include benefits of peer groups, challenges agency leaders face, understanding agency profitability, navigating cultural challenges, and agency growth strategies.

"All 14 of our clients got the product. We got them onboarded and they all loved it and paid a fee to use it, which was incredible." Robin Alex, Founder of HighLevel. Usually, it takes a long while for a B2B software product to find traction. That wasn’t the case for today’s guest, who by luck and brilliant vision found success from the get-go. A lifelong entrepreneur, Robin joins The Deep Specialization Podcast to share his founding story, going from building companies in his dorm room to a successful exit. While his early career days were spent working for a few startups, Robin quickly realized that his technical and IT skills could be turned into services, and he started offering advertising and consulting help to small businesses. What started as a phone call with his soon-to-be co-founders quickly evolved into a product seeing immediate success, and today, HighLevel, a company that empowers businesses to grow their businesses by generating reviews from their customers, managing their listings across 80+ sites on the web. Robin and Corey discuss how HighLevel skyrocketed to 60,000 customers in just five years. Remarkably, Robin and his co-founders conducted onboarding calls personally well up until the 10K customer milestone, gathering feedback and insights that turned the company into a flywheel of growth, attracting a sizable outside investment in 2021. Here’s what we cover in this episode: Founding story and selling to an entire room at Mastermind as a launchpad. What an immediate product-market fit looks like. Scaling a company to 60K customers, and bootstrapping much of the success. Taking 60M from a minority investor. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Be nimble with your sales efforts during the early days, and adjust your pitch as you go. Networking through authentically helping others is the best way to build lasting business relationships. Onboarding calls give you valuable insights to better define your ICP, sales process, and product. Convey a culture of service where customers truly feel like they are taken care off, and you’ll win. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Robin on Linkedin Here- Check out Robin’s firm HighLevel Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

"Unlike other professions, there's a helping atmosphere in law. They're always networking and talking with each other." Brendan Chard, Founder of The Modern Firm. And, it was those initial referrals that got Brendan into many of the local attorney firms in Ann Arbor some 20 years ago. Born into a family of lawyers, you could say that the legal vertical is in our guest’s blood, and he almost went to law school himself.  But destiny had other things in mind: Brendan somewhat accidentally founded his agency, The Modern Firm, while still in college, and has been running it successfully for over 20 years. Now that’s a story worth telling on the Deep Specialization Podcast! Brendan and Corey dive into the long journey of The Modern Firm, how it has grown from a one-man show into a 17-person strong team that still mostly grows through referrals and inbound leads, and all the management and agency leadership advice Brendan has accumulated along the way. Here’s what we cover in this episode: - How Brendan got into building websites for the legal vertical. - Going from a one-man show to a team and learning to let go and delegate. - How Brendan’s firm acquires repeat business and why lawyers are a special breed of buyers. - Positioning your business tightly to drive inbound. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - High-performing teams have leaders who also think of the career development of their teams. - Being great at storytelling can be a great differentiation for a website agency. - When you’re high on inbound leads, sales is more about connecting and assessing the fit. - If you’re hiring for content and marketing, you need to look for deep vertical knowledge in the candidates. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Brendan on Linkedin Here - Check out Brendan’s firm Here 👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

"You have to go slow to go fast." Damon Burton, Founder and President of SEO National. It’s not only a catchy saying, it’s true in many facets of building a verticalized business. And who better to dive into the long-tail of agency building than a founder who’s built a seven-figure business over 17 years?  Damon joins the show to recount his founding journey from the beginning, which wasn’t devoid of twists, turns, and even FTC raids (although, it wasn’t his business that got raided!).  What’s unique about Damon’s company today is that it boasts over 80 clients across varied verticals: travel, software, hospitality, medical, professional sports, and more. So it’s not our usual VGTM episode. But, starting out, it was a gradual growth story.  Tune in to hear how Damon went from delivering landing page designs to building a fully-bloomed business on the side, and how the company evolved from a one-man show to an agency with solid processes and systems involving a mix of offshoring and local talent.   Here’s what Corey and Damon cover in this episode: - How Damon built his seven-figure business from a side hustle, and without paid advertising! - Transitioning from a hands-on leadership role to onboarding a COO. - The kind of challenges come with different phases of scaling an agency. - Why Damon did not niche down. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: - Don’t be afraid to walk away from toxic people and situations; values persist, success follows. - If you haven’t proven your value yet, find business models that are win-wins for both prospects and your bottom line. - Recognize when it’s time to delegate as a founder so you don’t jeopardize performance. - Document your company processes from day one to prepare for the day you need to hire more people and onboard them.   The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Damon on Linkedin Here- Get Damon’s SEO Book Outrank Here👍 If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔 😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound?  I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.