Build a Better Agency Podcast

Have you ever walked around Times Square? I was in New York City last week, and if you’ve ever been here before, you know it’s crazy. With all the lights, the billboards, the chaos, the signage, and the people dancing and handing out flyers – it’s just sensory overload. The eight blocks or so radius that makes up Times Square is a study in advertising and in messaging, sort of both from an old school and new school perspective. It made me think about one of the realities in both life in general but certainly in our life in the marketing and agency business, and that is that there is no such thing as a constant. Even the most constant of constants, like out-of-home advertising, keep changing and evolving over time. The truth of the matter is, for all of us, no matter what channel we display our message on, no matter where we are talking about the work we do and the kind of clients we serve, the channel is changing. So if you’ve got a robust Facebook page for your agency, that’s awesome, but you know that in five years, it’s going to be something different. If you are writing incredible blog content, or you’re producing a podcast, whatever it may be, there may be remnants of what we’re doing today around in five years, but the odds are that it’s going to look different, just like these outdoor boards here on Broadway look very different than they did back in the ’40s and the ’50s. The other thing I noticed was I was watching the messaging for the plays and the restaurants and the souvenir shops, all of them, they all look and sound the same. We all face that problem too. I think one of the biggest challenges for agencies is how do you not look like everybody else? How do you differentiate yourself? We’re great at doing this for clients, but when it comes to doing it for ourselves, we really, really struggle. This was actually a big part of the conversation that we had in the Creating Content That Creates Revenue Workshop back in January. We started day one by talking about how the reality for all of us is that the channels keep changing and so our presence in a channel isn’t enough to differentiate us. We have to have something that makes us stand out. We talked a lot about having a unique point of view and about really understanding what your agency was all about. Where do you plant that flag? How do you plant that flag in firm ground so that, no matter what changes, that belief is rock solid? It needs to be so firmly anchored in the ground that you know it’s not going to be blown away by whatever fad or change is coming down the pike. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today. For agencies, we all have to be able to define that for our prospects and clients. Why us? Why us over somebody else? What you’ll learn about in this episode: Staying on top of the ever-changing channels for distributing our messages The struggle agencies face in differentiating themselves Planting the flag of your unique POV so firmly that you don’t feel tempted to change away from what’s important to you when a new fad comes around Why you can’t afford to compete on price or proximity Your unique POV: what you know to be true that you talk to clients about all the time Figuring out what your best, most profitable clients have in common, even if it’s not an industry (and it often isn’t!) Why you should have three different niches How your unique POV combined with your niche industry knowledge makes you look and sound different from your competitors Building your website to show off your POV Infusing your POV into every piece of content you create A litmus test for figuring out if you’ve defined your POV How your POV attracts the right prospects and repels the wrong ones Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams Offering AE bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on-site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — Drew has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.” Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

I don’t know about you, but I never feel quite caught up. Thanks to my high tech Post It Note strategy (Every night I list the 3 things, and no more, I must get done the next day and put it on my laptop) I get the most critical things done but there’s always more to do. What saves my bacon every day is that I have a superb team around me and they have systems and processes that allow them to work miracles and keep me on the straight and narrow. Like most agency owners, I have a short attention span and it’s easy for me to get distracted. Our systems pull me back to center. Every business is made up of processes and systems, whether you have them documented or not. If your systems are informal or tribal, then odds are you and your team aren’t being as efficient or effective as you could be. You are literally trying to shove more work into a system that is simply too small. That’s where my podcast guest, Terry Ogburn comes in. He works with entrepreneurs and their teams to create repeatable success through a system he developed through his own experience and the teachings of some of his favorite business books. Terry Ogburn is the owner and Lead Business Coach of Ogburn’s Business Solutions. His proprietary coaching system and personal devotion to the development of others has contributed to the success of hundreds of small to large business ventures. Terry began his business career in 1979 when he invested his last $118.42 to start an air conditioning service business. At that time, he had no car or truck, but he did have the knowledge and ability to build relationships. By 1983, he was a top 5 nominee for Small Businessman of the Year. In 1985, successful in his business and recognized as a leader in the business community, he began to mentor other small business owners.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: How the absence of good, repeatable systems keeps a business from growing Terry’s eight steps of business development that can be applied to every business Why you need job descriptions for every process inside your agency (and why each description doesn’t need to equal a full time employee) Removing your ego from your business What numbers agency owners need to look at, even if you don’t like numbers Protecting your bottom line by passing costs on to your customers How to carve out the time to work on your business when you are busy working in the business Creating a business development plan Ways to contact Terry Ogburn: Website: www.terryogburn.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

It doesn’t matter if I’m wearing my agency owner hat or my AMI hat, branding is one of the topics that I always love to talk about. It's one of the few things in our world that has stayed consistent. It's very difficult today to survive and thrive if you are indistinguishable from your competitors. I know many of you spend a lot of time and energy developing brands for your clients but struggle when it comes to articulating your own brand in a way that is easy to grasp and actually is distinct. When I think about brand, Derrick Daye, one of the preeminent thought leaders in branding for the last ten years or more comes to mind. You may be familiar with Derrick; in 2006 he launched a website called Branding Strategy Insider. Back in the day it was a blog about branding, and today, it still functions that way, but for many people, it’s a branding bible of sorts. Derrick and his team use real examples and case studies to teach the art and science of brand. It was also the launching pad for Derrick and his company, The Blake Project. It's where they launch research around branding, and dissect the best brands and what they're doing. It's a great resource for agencies and client side professionals to learn about cutting-edge thinking when it comes to branding. My conversation with Derrick was all about what he’s learned about defining and building brands like the White House Press Corps, Coca-Cola, and the National Parks of New York Harbor, when they were trying to re-think the Statue of Liberty and how it could continue to be an icon for tourists and for all Americans in NYC and throughout the country. We got into methodologies, branding clients, getting back into the C-Suite and much more. I think you’re going to find yourself taking notes. Before Derrick launched The Blake Project, he spent about 20 years in advertising. He worked for Saatchi & Saatchi and several other agencies and then decided that he wanted to change his career a little bit and he wanted to go on the consulting side of the business. Since then, Derrick has been working in many countries across the world, working with national brands. He has worked with everyone from He's done some really interesting work. Today he spends a lot of time helping agencies to figure out how to articulate their own brand and how they can work with clients to put together the strategy behind a client's brand.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: Derrick’s work helping brands figure out their unique value in their own marketplaces How brand consultancies (like The Blake Project) do strategic work that define the brand and then hand it off to brand agencies who take that strategic work and bring it to life Why you’ll never be able to differentiate your agency with creative, people, process, methodology, global network How to rely on your relationship skills to develop new business Why your agency’s brand is all about your distinct POV and why you need to focus on the customers that love that POV, not the customers that are the easiest sale The three things brands need to lead today Why consultancies have better access to CEOs than agencies do and how agencies can get into the C-Suite conversation Turning prospects into clients by showcasing creative that had a great ROI rather than touting awards Figuring out what a brand is fighting against and making sure that fight aligns with their goals Derrick’s Un-Conference which is built on the idea that people learn better in small groups and groups marketers up in teams for “competitive learning” Ways to contact Derrick Daye: Website: www.brandingstrategyinsider.com Website: www.theblakeproject.com Twitter: @DerrickDaye LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/theblakeproject We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

One of the most common challenges agencies of all sizes are facing right now is the finding the right people to add to the team. Client budgets and programs are growing, new business is getting a little easier and so everything should be rosey. But when you don’t have the right team to get the work done – it’s frustrating and frightening. 10-15 years ago the prevailing attitude was that agencies needed everyone under one roof. After all the work is so collaborative. But when the recession hit and people had to reduce fixed expenses to survive, many agencies who swore they would never use freelancers or hire someone virtual crossed over and did just that. That’s why I was so interested in talking to Nathan Hirsch, the co-founder and CEO of FreeeUp.com, the hands-on hiring marketplace connecting hundreds of online business owners with reliable, pre-vetted remote workers. Nathan can also be found on leading podcasts, such as Entrepreneur on Fire and Eventual Millionaire, speaking about online hiring tactics. If you listen with an open mind and a willingness to consider something different – I think you might get some interesting ideas about your own talent pool.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: Remote workers give business owners an opportunity to level up their talent at a cheaper cost than traditional employees The advantages freelancers bring to agencies The idea of creating your own marketplace with your freelance pool so they compete with each other and always deliver their best work How the freelance business is changing and freelancers have their own team working for them Why Nathan believes you should pay freelancers on an hourly model How Nathan’s company Freeeup helps its freelancers work with agencies so everyone wins Minimizing risk when working with freelancers and what Freeeup does to make its freelancers less risky than other freelancers Structuring interviews to weed out the wrong freelancers before you start working together Tools to work more effectively with freelancers and virtual employees The pros and cons of having your employees work remotely Creating a feeling of collaboration and teamwork when your team doesn’t see each other regularly Why allowing an in-office employee to go virtual rarely ever works The importance of diversifying when you’re hiring Ways to contact Nathan Hirsch: Website: freeeup.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/freeeupcom Twitter: @freeeup Instagram: @freeeup_ Email: nathan@freeeup.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Joe Kashurba started a freelance web design business when he was in high school and grew it into a digital agency with a world-class team and clients around the world. He went from building $300 websites to building $30,000 websites and managing 6-figure digital advertising budgets for some of the largest manufacturing and construction companies.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: Joe’s agency that started when he was in high school Why you’ll never get consistent clients without consistent marketing Selling results instead of technology and why prospects respond better to that approach How to know whether it’s better to have in-house employees or an outsourced team in any given area in digital Evaluating digital partners that offer services that you understand but don’t know how to do Using analog marketing tactics when you have time but not money to devote to your marketing Why it’s hard to scale when you try to be everything to everyone The cost of offering complex services How Joe manages his completely virtual team The differences between selling products and services Clearly defining what you offer in a package to prevent scope creep What to do to get caught up on digital trends if you feel you’re really far behind (and how to stay ahead if you’re on top of it) Ways to contact Joe Kashurba: Website: joekashurba.com Resources: www.thehoth.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

It’s funny what a single question can do. I was all set to record this week’s solocast about the content from the workshop I taught earlier in the week and then someone asked me a question that took me in a completely different direction. The direction of how much agency owners need a posse. I’ll get to the workshop content next time but for this solocast I followed the nudge of the question and talked about how agency owners can surround themselves with people who understand the grind and who can make the journey a little less lonely and frustrating. We’ll talk about the different kinds of groups out there that serve as coaches, mentors, support teams and accountability buddies. We’ll explore why this matters and how it can serve you and your business. But most of all we’ll talk about how much easier life and work can be when you have a posse! Drew McLellan is the CEO at Agency Management Institute. He has also owned and operated his own agency since 1995 and is still actively running the agency today. Drew’s unique vantage point as being both an agency owner and working with 250+ small- to mid-size agencies throughout the year gives him a unique perspective on running an agency today. AMI works with agency owners by: Leading agency owner peer groups Offering workshops for owners and their leadership teams Offering AE bootcamps Conducting individual agency owner coaching Doing on-site consulting Offering online courses in agency new business and account service Because he works with those 250+ agencies every year — he has the unique opportunity to see the patterns and the habits (both good and bad) that happen over and over again. He has also written two books and been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal called his blog “One of 10 blogs every entrepreneur should read.”   What you’ll learn about in this episode: The pros and cons of local business networking groups and what you can hope to get from one The importance of creating genuine connections inside your posse so they become your greatest supporters on both the best and worst days as a business owner How to build a mastermind group from scratch and fill it with the right peers The accountability that comes from having a strong peer group Being a good member of a peer group is about giving first. You will gain in proportion to what you give Why being an agency owner is one of the toughest jobs in the world and why AMI was started to give agency owners other owners in noncompetitive markets to confide in The virtual and in-person peer networks that AMI offers to pair agencies up with other agencies in non-competing markets Ways to contact Drew McLellan: Email: drew@agencymanagementinstitute.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Duane Melius has worked eight years in journalism, social enterprise, and media production in London and over six years across Southeast Asia in a digital agency environment. He’s previously had clients in banking, automotive, food & hospitality, FMCG, entertainment, and more, and those clients have been both B2B and B2C. He has millions of dollars of Digital campaign experience. Duane specializes in growing teams that use digital channels to reach niche and mass audiences with ROI-enabled campaigns, activities, and retainers.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: The challenges traditional agencies are facing in going digital Why you need to use digital in your personal life to be able to sell it (and why your team needs to do the same to create great digital content) The importance of mastering the area of digital your agency has as its core competency while keeping familiar with other areas Staying on top of what’s new in digital Qualities that make for great digital employees Using reporting to show your clients how your digital efforts are improving Ways to interview for new digital skillsets that you don’t have inside your agency yet Using a multi-step approval process to make sure mistakes don’t get made with digital content Making the content approval process easier on clients -- especially when there is compliance involved The good and the bad of digital tools (and why there’s often more bad than good, especially with social media) Why clients might start to take their social media in-house and what agencies can do to stay invaluable Unlocking the competitive advantage which exists within your people Ways to contact Duane Melius: Twitter: @dmelius We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

As soon as I heard the tax law had passed, I made one call – to Eric Levenhagen, my personal tax advisor who has helped me craft my own tax strategy for years and today works with many agency owners across the country. I had two questions for him: 1) How do we need to alter the tactics we’ve been applying for my businesses and 2) Will you be on my podcast and help my listeners understand how the tax laws will impact them? As you’ll hear, we got right to the heart of the matter and spent the entire episode talking specifics about how we can take advantage of the new law and what we’re going to have to shift because it’s no longer advantageous or possible. I hope you’ll listen and walk away feeling like you have a better handle how the new tax law is going to impact your agency and your personal finances. Eric Levenhagen founded ProWise Financial Coaching (formerly known as ProWise Tax & Accounting) in 2005 Eric’s mission is to perform a comprehensive service for his clients, unlike any other firm out there, and help clients lead a life of financial abundance. Eric is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Tax Coach who integrates both disciplines into a holistic, client-centered approach towards maximizing his clients after-tax income and wealth. Outside of the office, Eric enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. His hobbies include reading, following college and professional football, and music. Finally, Eric is an aspiring traveler and hopes to be able to take his family many places around the world someday.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: What isn’t changing with the new tax law The big deduction changes you need to know about (both for S Corps and C Corps) Income pass through: the specifics of the 20% deduction you will now get on income that rolls down to your personal taxes from your agency and any other businesses you may own (as long as you don’t make too much) Why we don’t know everything about the new tax law yet (and why it will take months or years to figure everything out) The loopholes that are going to appear in the next few years and why you need a tax strategist (and not just a tax preparer) to find you those loopholes How the new tax law will impact agencies that make stuff for clients and those that consult and sell their knowledge as a stand alone product How the way C Corps get taxed will help those making over $100,000 in net income but hurt those making under that threshold Are there any things that agency owners should shift from their personal taxes back to the business? Keeping versatility in your tax plan so you’re not stuck if and when things change again when the tax law changes again How to get your money out of your agency to invest elsewhere under the new tax law (and why it differs for S Corps and C Corps) Ways to contact Eric Levenhagen: Website: www.prowisefinancial.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Jeremy Knight spent 20 years as a B2B publisher creating publications for the private equity and fast growth business sectors. With digital technology, the Internet, and social web Jeremy believed making clients the publisher in a new media age was not just a good idea, it was the foundation for building a business. After all, building an audience was a better proposition than renting a list or leveraging third party routes to market, right? He launched Equinet Media in January 2009. Discovering HubSpot in 2011 was a game changer. The blending of a content marketing play with an inbound methodology propelled the business forward as everything we did for clients had measurable outcomes. Today Equinet is an Inbound Agency, working specifically for the manufacturing and professional services sectors, operating on the EOS system and delivering services through an agile scrum process.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: Jeremy’s transition from publisher to agency owner and the challenges he faced in that transition How Hubspot changed the game for Equinet -- even when it was far less powerful in 2011 than it is today Why CMOs are going to lead revenue and why sales and marketing are two halves of the same whole Hiring for attitude and training for aptitude instead of hiring based on skills alone Why you need to focus on developing different skills in all your team member when you keep all the work inside your agency and never outsource anything Why your team needs to have access to and understanding of the tools inside a tool like Hubspot, even if using them is not part of their day-to-day job What Agile is and how its point-based system works Learning how to implement Agile into your agency so that it matches up with inbound Why Agile doesn’t work the same for every agency and why you need to be ready to customize it Using Agile to figure out what works needs to be done to achieve the best results Why Jeremy uses two sets of points within Agile -- one for the value it provides a customer and another for the effort it takes his team Ways to contact Jeremy Knight: Website: www.equinetmedia.com Twitter: @TheJeremyKnight LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyknight Email: jeremy@equinetmedia.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!

Lindsay Grinstead & Bill Boris-Schacter have lived and breathed the experiential marketing space collectively for over 50 years. They started Tonic Consulting Group to take that experience and help other live event agencies, and their partners, grow both their top and bottom line. Through their combined experience, they bring an operations and sales expertise to their clients. Lindsay has worn a sales & marketing hat for her clients and her agency throughout her career. In her 15 years at Jack Morton Worldwide, she grew small accounts into huge ones and created a few award-winning programs along the way. Lindsay understands the challenges in finding and winning new business and how to organically grow business. She expertly navigated Fortune 500 companies, maximizing opportunities for revenue growth. Every client calls Tonic looking to "grow". Lindsay & Bill help their clients identify what is hampering their growth, develop a roadmap to success and then roll up their sleeves & help implement the recommended changes.   What you’ll learn about in this episode: Treating your employees as your first audience The importance of continually refining your agency’s message Why your agency must specialize Why agencies struggle seeing themselves (and their problems) clearly What happens to your agency if you take an opportunity that doesn’t fit your niche Using working documents to continually hone your agency’s message and why you need to have your team define your agency in their own words Why your clients need to have relationships with more than just one person inside your agency The dangers of keeping around employees that aren’t pulling their weight (even if they’ve been incredibly loyal to your agency for a long time) Why social media may not be the best place to get on your prospects’ radar screens Increasing the amount of work you do for clients who already love you Learning how to build your budgets and staff accordingly with the AOR relationships on the decline Ways to contact Lindsay Grinstead: Website: www.tonicconsultinggroup.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/10478278 Email: lindsay@tonicconsultinggroup.com We’re proud to announce that Hubspot is now the presenting sponsor of the Build A Better Agency podcast! Many thanks to them for their support!