Build a Better Agency Podcast

We spent a lot of the last year steeped in worry. It was inevitable, given what we've all experienced. But even when we're not facing a global pandemic — it's easy to get caught up in your own mind, given our work. It's the nature of the beast for problem solvers like us, working in an ever-changing industry, where our decisions and performance effect so many. Expected but exhausting. In that constant chaos, it can be especially difficult to remember to be grateful. Author Kristi Nelson turned her journey back from Stage 4 cancer into a mission to remind herself and others of the importance for gratitude. Many of us have been on the receiving end of a wake-up call. The Covid-19 pandemic created that for a lot of people in every corner of the globe. Kristi's message is all about how to be thoughtful and intentional as we move forward. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Kristi and I explore gratitude, with a particular focus on how it can affect and elevate agency owners and their businesses. We discuss how being grateful can assist problem-solving by reframing challenges as opportunities. We also look at how to show up as a leader who savors uncertainty, why it's important to cherish connections, and what the "Golden Rule" gets wrong. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why it's so easy to fall back into an unfulfilling groove How being grateful can aid problem solving Reframing uncertainty for gratitude How to show up as a leader who savors uncertainty Cherishing connections What the "Golden Rule" gets wrong How to find out what your team truly wants Understanding liminality Ways to contact Kristi Nelson: Book: https://gratefulness.org/wake-up/ Websites: https://gratefulness.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gratefulness.org/ Twitter: @GratefulnessOrg Tools & Resources: Sell with Authority (buy Drew's book) Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast My Future Self Mini-Course

With the realization that this was going to be the 300th episode of this podcast, I unconsciously started to put an extraordinary amount of pressure on myself to create something that was fantastic and perfect. Agency owners live with an immense amount of pressure and expectation every day so this kind of thinking is normal. But that doesn't make it healthy, helpful, or wise. In this solocast, I'm going to talk candidly about the anxiety I sometimes create for myself when striving for a perfection that is unachievable. I'm going to invite you to look at all the different pressures you feel in your life and career in order to clarify which ones are real and which ones you're creating through your own drive for excellence and some unreasonable expectations. The truth is – our excellence comes from keeping a steady hand at the helm. It's about the consistency and the tenacity we demonstrate by showing up every day. Our agencies are like ships and we are its captain. Our job is to pilot the ship to its next destination. There are always going to be storms that crop up, big and small. But we have weathered many before and we've got this one too. That's our genius. And, finally, I'm going to ask you to seriously consider the honest answer to this question: "No, REALLY, how are you doing?" A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: A personal story about creating pressure to be excellent Recognizing the dangerous expectations we set for ourselves The importance of self-care as an agency owner Why simply showing up can build to excellence Why it's important to be honest when answering "How are you?"

If there's one thing every agency has to be able to do, it's innovate. We are paid to be creative thinkers on command. We have to be able to generate ideas on a regular basis that serves both the agency and our clients. This can be exhausting and stressful to deliver consistently, especially because it's usually only the agency owner or a handful of leaders who can do this work. What if everyone in the agency had the skills and confidence to be an innovative thinker? Author Carla Johnson has studied the art and science of innovation. The research she's done and the methodologies she's built are both fascinating and super useful. She believes innovative thinking is both innate and teachable. It's been an integral part of human nature since the beginning of time and it's her mission to help reignite a passion for it. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Carla and I explore all things innovation. We give this buzzword a clear definition. We discuss mistakes made in trying to find creative solutions. We look at ways innovative thinking can be enhanced and taught, as well as how to create a culture of creative thinkers in your agency. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Understanding the definition of innovation Why innovative thinking is a skill we all have Mistakes that keep meetings from being creatively rich Is innovative thinking teachable? Does groupthink help or hinder agency innovation? Why adults are less innovative than children The archetypes of innovative thinking How to create a culture of creative, innovative thinkers

Culture has always been an integral part of any organization. We talk about it in different ways than we used to, but wherever people gather – they create culture. Often, that culture becomes one of the building blocks of an organization's brand. But not always. The crossroads of brand and culture still holds a lot of untapped potential your agency can leverage both for yourself and your clients. Theresa Agresta is a former agency owner who realized the cultural assessments she was using to build a brand created a whole different business opportunity that would allow her to dig much deeper into the connection between brand and culture. The fascinating work she's doing through her company CultureTalk is something that could greatly benefit agency clients, as well as their own shops. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Theresa and I look at the ways culture can be used as a tool for agency growth. We take a deep dive into the definition of culture, while also exploring ways to change a company culture, use these insights to improve employee and client relations, and how embracing culture research can easily create additional revenue streams by enhancing what you can offer to clients and prospects. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The data used to study brand and culture The gap between what is expected and what is tolerated How systems aid culture-related conversations Tools for changing a culture How agencies are using culture insights to better their work Getting over the hesitation of a culture review Using the insights in regards to employee relations Utilizing culture research outside of brand work Creating AGI from culture assessments "By measuring organizational culture, there are many different connected business challenges that you can start to solve for." @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET"Culture exists in the delta between what leaders say they expect and what they actually tolerate day-to-day." @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET"One of the critical things that a system, a framework, and a language give you is the ability to have a real conversation about culture." @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET"If you want to help an organization tap into who they are at a gut level and show up authentically, it all starts with understanding their culture." @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET"It's about creating awareness and acceptance for the differences and appreciating the value that different people bring." @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET"Culture can be measured, it can be managed, and it can be led." @TheresaAgrestaCLICK TO TWEET Ways to contact Theresa Agresta: Free PDF – How to use Archetypes to Coach, Lead and Drive Organizational Change Expect vs. Tolerate Graphic – this is so simple! And, one update: our next CultureTalk Certification class start-date was moved one week to Tuesday, July 13th (10:00 AM NY and 5:00 PM NY cohorts) We'd love to offer your listeners a 10% discount if they register for the July class. They can use the coupon code BetterAgency at checkout. Websites: https://culturetalk.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/culturetalksurveys LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresaagresta/ Twitter: @TheresaAgresta Tools & Resources: Sell with Authority (buy Drew's book) Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast My Future Self Mini-Course

As Stephen Woessner and I teach in our book Sell With Authority, it's critical for agencies to use content to attract their right fit prospects. When it's done well and consistently, it can give an agency an unfair advantage over all of their competitors. But what exactly does doing it well mean these days? Author, speaker, and entrepreneur Joe Pulizzi is credited with coining the phrase "content marketing". His focus is on teaching marketers how they can build a business by being helpful more than relying on more aggressive selling tactics. He brings a lot of passion and enthusiasm for the work that he hopes will inspire your successful game plan. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Joe and I discuss the various aspects of content marketing. We look at how it has changed, what is being done wrong, and the many ways to improve your content strategy. We also discuss exit strategies, the importance of building a community, and new ways to think about niche marketing. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: What has changed in content marketing and why it changed so fast What is being done wrong by many agencies? The need for consistency The importance of exit strategy planning Can a generalist agency employ a content strategy? Why you need to build a community How to build patience into your lead generation Niche marketing

Content is the cornerstone of any current agency's ability to position itself as an authority, but many agencies struggle with knowing exactly how to actually create all the content they need for both their clients and themselves. Where do the ideas come from? What if the ideas seem too big or ridiculous? Is it possible to schedule creativity? How is the content leveraged? Scott Ginsberg is an ultra-prolific creative strategist. He's written 50 books, released 12 albums of his own original music, produced three films, given over 600 speeches where no two are the same, and he has worn a name tag 24/7 for over 20 years. (Yes, that last one is true.) He knows a thing or two about creating content that connects with audiences and he wants to share his insights with you. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Scott and I have a wide-reaching conversation about creativity, innovation, and content development. We discuss ways to compress time, build an inventory of ideas, reverse engineer content, mentor effectively, and systemize creative development. Hopefully, you leave encouraged to experiment and play in ways that help you become more of what you want to be. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How to become more approachable How to reverse engineer the content creation process What it means to compress time in order to create content The importance of building an inventory of ideas Developing a content curation system Ways to help employees figure out what they're good at naturally How to systemize innovation

To put it mildly, 2020 was a storm none of us saw coming and it lasted for much longer than we expected. Business as usual went out the window and everyone shifted to survival and then re-building mode. Now that we're moving into a post-pandemic world, let's explore some of the emerging agency trends that are impacting agencies today and will continue to play a role for the next 12-18 months. I've divided the trends into categories like money, clients, agency owners, employees and tactics that are selling and we'll go through them all, not just looking at the trends but how you can take advantage of them. We've seen changes in our relationships with clients and our teams. We've been inspired to create new products to serve our partners. We've learned a lot about what we can do when forced to rethink everything and now we can use the lessons to create a stronger future for ourselves and our agencies. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Agency Trends in 2021 How the pandemic actually helped many agencies find their footing financially Why smaller agencies are being invited to punch above their weight Location is suddenly irrelevant Why RFPs have gone away for some clients The need for pricing integrity Understanding client-pressures post-pandemic Struggles agency owners are facing Pandemic-inspired pivots Employee expectations that need to be addressed New selling tactics

You have a simple choice when it comes to biz dev. You can chase after strangers or you can attract people who are drawn to you because of your expertise. They'll come to know, like and trust you and when they're ready to hire an agency, they'll reach out. One of the best ways to position yourself as an expert is to be a published author. Many agency owners want to position themselves as an expert but can't imagine how they'd actually write a book. Returning guest Dr. Anthony Paustian owns a hybrid publishing company called BookPress Publishing. Stephen Woessner and I worked with Tony as we wrote and published Sell With Authority and he brings with him a wealth of knowledge for those of you wanting to write your book. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Tony and I tackle the many questions that first-time authors need to consider when developing their book projects. We discuss what authors should look for in publishers, writing coaches, and editors, as well as what to expect from distribution, the financial model of hybrid publishing versus traditional, and how to define the goals of your book. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: What goes into a book being good The spectrum of getting your book published Understanding hybrid publishing What to expect from distribution How to select a writing coach A reasonable timeframe for completing a book Working with an editor Defining the goals of your book and how to leverage it to position yourself as an expert How much to prepare before reaching out to potential publishing partners

I have repeatedly said that many agency owners have earned an MBA in emotional leadership over the last year and a half. It's been exhausting, frightening, paralyzing, motivating, inspiring, and, at times, you're simply doing whatever it takes to survive. You've done so with grace, authority, enthusiasm, and vision, but I also know that you're tired and anxious about what's coming next. The question becomes, how can we best manage and communicate our emotions for the good of our agency, team, and personal well-being? Author and executive coach Dr. Roger Hall uses his doctorate in psychology to help business owners manage their thinking and in turn, manage their team. His background and expertise has given him insights and tools that we can immediately begin to employ in our emotional leadership. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Dr. Hall and I talk about the emotional challenges many agency owners are currently facing. We explore tools for better monitoring, controlling, and expressing these emotions and techniques for building self-possession and resilience. We also look at 10 habits for leaders who are both happy and productive, and tips for fast-tracking improvements. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why emotional leadership mattered during the pandemic Tools for thought monitoring, thought stopping, and thought replacement Why it can be helpful to let yourself worry How humans can literally smell fear Techniques for becoming more self-possessed How to become a better emotionally intelligent leader 10 Habits of leaders who are both happy and productive Tips for fast-tracking emotional improvements

You've heard me say it a million times. Most agency owners are accidental business owners. Whatever your agency's origin story, most of us can remember the moment when we looked around and realized, "This is so much harder than I thought it would be and if I'm being honest – I am winging this." In the beginning, we're nervous about admitting our uncertainty but at some point, most agency owners are hungry to learn and willing to admit don't always have the answer. But what if embracing the doubts we all have is actually a sign of great leadership? Author and executive coach Marc Pitman has spent several decades building his knowledge base around growing strong leaders. His insights not only help agency and business owners become better leaders themselves, but he also shares ways to grow, build, and nurture future leaders throughout an organization. In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Marc and I explore a variety of topics surrounding leadership and the need to make peace with your doubts. We discuss changes in leadership brought about by the adaptations required to weather the pandemic. We also discuss different kinds of leaders, ways to assess and clarify the kind of leader you are and want to become, and ways to inspire others as they work on their own leadership. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The changes in the leadership created by the pandemic Four quadrants of agency leadership What it means to be a focused leader Some available assessments to offer insights into what kind of leader you are The best ways to encourage others to grow into their leadership