Agency Life

What got you here won’t get you there.  You’ve probably heard that phrase before.  And it probably couldn’t feel more applicable than it does right now as we round out 2023. So, the question is: Are you going to keep doing more of the same?  Or do something different in 2024? If you’re in that latter camp, then you’re going to get some encouragement (and hopefully some useful ideas to implement) f...

What are you concerned about as you plan ahead for 2024? How will next year be different than this year? These were among a few of the topics we discussed this week in a rare in-person recording with Peter Coppinger , Co-Founder and CEO of Teamwork.com , during his recent trip to Denver. You see, before Teamwork.com was the growing SaaS company we are today, serving agencies with a platform to run...

You probably heard recently on this show , from the dozens of agency owners & leaders we spoke to at INBOUND this year, that the number one place they'd invest extra budget dollars (if they magically had them tomorrow) was in marketing their own agency. This begs 2 questions: 1) Why is this such a common answer? 2) What can you as an agency owner start doing to address this common need? (...

Are you an agency owner who could never imagine handing over your agency's sales process to someone besides yourself? Or have you tried to hand over your agency's new business development to a salesperson you hired only to have it crash and burn? If so,  advice from Lee McKnight Jr , VP of Sales at RSW/US , an outsourced business development firm built specifically for agencies may be ab...

Many peers & consultants have said she's crazy for committing to this pricing model as a software development agency, but Amanda Moriuchi , CEO of AppIt Ventures , says the only crazy thing is to think any structure for your agency will be challenge free. Amanda & her team have made a name for themselves in Colorado & beyond, not only for doing great app development work for their...

Many agency owners don't begin with the end in mind.  Did you? If you answer questions like "How much do we need to make?" with "I don't know...more!" or "When will I be able to retire?" with  "Not now!"... ...you're not alone. Seasoned agency owner, Karl Heasman , Founder of Greycott Consultancy has had his own successful exits and now helps...

Many agencies--just like yours--are echoing this common refrain: Either it’s feast or famine right now.  In today's episode, Joe Sullivan shares how his agency, Gorilla 76 , is experiencing a "feast" season where demand is exceeding supply.    They’re having to tell clients they can’t start working with them for several months–even if they’re ready to sign and start today. It’s a go...

Should you productize your services? Does a productized service business completely differ from the standard agency model? Can both models co-exist within the same business? These are all questions we answer in today's conversation with Sam Shepler , CEO of Testimonial Hero .   He transitioned from leading a full-service video production agency to founding a productized service business in 20...

Over 500 agencies surveyed.   Agencies from around the world with different specialities: marketing, creative, web development & PR agnecies included. Agencies of all sizes, from those with less than 10 to those with more than 500 employees. The team here at Teamwork.com recently partnered with Audience Audit , a research agency who focuses on this sort of analysis for agencies themselves, to...

If your agency’s become a trusted advisor to your clients, then you’re probably getting asked for recommendations and advice all the time. I can border on a feeling of frustration if you’ve faced this enough: Can you help with this? Do you know anyone you’d recommend for that? If your clients are asking about other areas where you *can’t* help, you hate to not be able to help. But… What if you cou...

Where would you spend an extra $10,000 a month if you suddenly had that extra cash to invest in your agency?  No strings attached--available today--where would you use that sudden infusion of capital?  That's the 1st of our Fast Five questions you've likely heard us ask before on every episode of this show.  Last week we had the chance to ask this same question to more than 20 agency own...

Do you feel the pressure of having to rely almost solely on word of mouth and referrals to continue growing your agency? If so, you're not alone. Even if you have all the systems and capabilities to grow your agency, you may not be effectively marketing your firm...and it's often for a common reason: You've become an "interchangeable agency." If you're like most marke...

Just because you're a good baker, doesn't mean you can run a successful bakery. It's the same for agency life. You may be great at content marketing, branding, website development or building custom software, but none of that means you'll be great at all the things required to run an agency that delivers those services. It also doesn't mean you'll enjoy all the necess...

Do you have less in your agency's pipeline  now than you did at this point last year? If so, you're probably not alone. But, what's even better?  There's something you can do about it--something that doesn't require anything spammy or even overly salesy. You can leverage what Dev Basu calls The Dead Lead Reviver.  It's a 5-step process that he & his team have leve...

How can you get your team to track their time, let alone do it accurately? That's a question that we've heard so many times from agency leaders, and it's one that many struggle to answer effectively. Deb Andrews , Owner of Marketri , a successful marketing agency with nearly 20 years in business, says it all comes down to 4 P's that help you explain the WHY of time-tracking to...

 41% profit margins. Sounds good. Right? That's exactly what one marketing agency has been able to drive with a results-oriented workplace & corresponding compensation model. Courtney Tarrant , Owner & COO of The Ad Girls shares in today's episode that when they went away from this model for a short period,  profit margins shrank closer to typical industry norms. In this episode...

What happens when you’re faced with an upset client…and it’s actually your team’s fault? Kyle Duford, President and Executive Creative Director at The Brand Leader , and author of Twice Found , joins the podcast to talk about leading with grace and learning through failure. He also discusses balance in all things — how to balance challenges, healthy vs. unhealthy failure, and transparency in the f...

Have you ever found yourself facing a dreaded downsize with nowhere to turn for guidance? Nicole Pereira, founder of Remotish and CULTURISH , joins the podcast to talk about the difficult decision she faced when forced to downsize her agency. She discusses the importance of communicating clearly and candidly with your team in the face of layoffs and shares where agency owners like herself can go t...

What if we told you there was a way to improve your client relationships and reduce churn before retention is even a concern? Jonathan Ewing, Director of APCO Worldwide, joins the podcast to talk about how agencies can foster positive relationships with clients and reduce churn even before the onboarding process is finished. He discusses the importance of predicting and acting on client needs, and...

How can you balance your agency’s workload in a way that benefits both the productivity and health of your team? Amber Kemmis, COO of Instrumental Group and Remote Culture Advisor at CULTURISH , joins the podcast to talk about the key components of capacity management for agencies of all sizes: revenue management, time estimates, and individual capacity assessments. Drawing on her experience withi...

Have you ever had a client who asked too much of you, but you just didn’t know how to say “no?" What about a client who disrespected your team and needed to be cut loose? How do you even begin to have those tough but necessary conversations? Jackie Hermes, founder and CEO of Accelity and host of The Art of Entrepreneurship, joins the podcast to talk about parting ways with clients that just a...

What happens when you’re ready to hit the next stage of growth in your business, but the day-to-day management is too much for you to handle alone? Jay Owen, founder and CEO of Business Builders, joins the podcast to talk about how EOS provided the solution he needed to take his business to the next level. He discusses how his journey with the system helped him recognize his own limits, and underl...

When you find yourself spread thin across multiple services and client needs, it’s time to ask yourself—is niching down the right choice for your business? Mike & Gaby Grinberg, dual founders of Proofpoint Marketing, join the podcast to talk about finding their niche in the face of the pandemic and how their business has flourished in the aftermath. They discuss the importance of building a st...

How do you step away from an agency you spent years building and growing when it begins to threaten your home life? How do you restructure for the sake of a new, healthier lifestyle? Carlos Hidalgo, former CEO of ANNUITAS and now co-founder and CEO of Digital Exhaust, joins the podcast to talk about his journey with leaving agency life behind to focus on his family, and how he made his triumphant...

How does a simple merger result in a highly successful business that houses both agency and consulting practices under one roof, creating what very well may be the business model of the future? Bob Ruffolo, founder and CEO of IMPACT, joins the podcast to discuss his merger with The Sales Lion, and how that led to growth that surpassed their HubSpot peers and made their consulting services a primar...