The Digital Agency Growth Podcast

I wanted to unveil a skunkworks project we’ve been working on for a while. But first, why it matters… If you’re here, you are probably leading an agency that’s been around for at least a few years. You built a compelling portfolio across different industries, and you constructed a team on whom you can rely. […]

A sought-after speaker and best-selling author, Rob Jolles draws on more than thirty years of experience to teach people how to change minds. Rob’s keynotes and workshops attract many diverse audiences, from Global 100 companies to growing entrepreneurial enterprises, from parents to professional negotiators. His best-selling books, including Customer Centered Selling and How to Run […]

Based in Ireland, Clodagh Higgins is a consultant and coach for digital marketing agencies across the world. She was part of the team involved in the first four country agency merger – weareavidly.com, and she’s a powerlifting world champion! Some things we covered: European vs. American agency work/life models. The nitty gritty of a merger […]

We use sports metaphors all the time in business. We constantly refer to our employees and colleagues as our “team”. But what happens when you’re physically detached from your team? Would the Patriots, the Warriors, or the collegiate wrestlers who have been coached by today’s guest be successful had they practiced via Zoom? Probably not. […]

In a month like this, it’s weirdly fitting to host Rory Sutherland, the Dark Knight of irrational problem solving, on the podcast. Per his official bio: Rory is the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy in the UK, an attractively vague job title that has allowed him to co-found a behavioral science practice within the agency. He […]

A few weeks ago, at the outset of this pandemic, Shelly Latimore called up her agency partners and pulled their ads. Shelly is the Marketing Director of Domestic Brands at Nestle Waters, and before that, she led marketing departments at General Mills for over 15 years. The product is water after all, and since the […]

Just like the Yogi Berra line, “It’s hard to make predictions, especially about the future”, scenario planning is difficult. It’s supposed to be. The good news is that when it comes to financial planning, there is latitude for creativity and out-of-the-box ideas, which is often underappreciated. Today’s guest will help you avoid knee-jerk decisions and […]

Liminality (from the Latin word līmen, meaning “a threshold”) is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete. source: Wikipedia. […]

At this point you’re probably inundated with resources about PPP and the other stimulus packages; not to mention that by the time we go live with this one, the well might be dry. What’s less-covered is what happens at the end of 2020 – tax-wise, we’re in relatively uncharted territory. One thing is for sure; […]

One of the bigger concepts I talked about in our recent Crisis Prospecting Video Training is cross-pollination. This is the idea of getting outside perspective and banding together to become stronger. I figured now would be a good time to practice what I preach 🙂 Today on the show we have Lee Gladish, a cold […]

When is the right time to hire for big pivotal roles? If only there was a snappy answer. There are many variables: your growth level,  team skillsets, market, the complexity of your offering…   While there is no step-by-step blueprint for the sticky issues of scaling, there are useful guidelines developed in the trenches by the […]

Unlike being a lawyer, doctor, or engineer, there are few if any qualifications to run a marketing agency. As an agency owner, this means that while you can forge your own path, there a ton of low-grade competition creating a lot of noise (although perhaps less so in the coming months). As a brand marketer, […]

Last Thursday, April 2nd, we hosted a live webinar on the topic of effective prospecting during this crisis, and today’s episode is a standalone audio companion to that presentation. (Click here to access the video recording). At 80-90 attendees, the turnout was great and we covered a lot of ground. A huge thanks to our […]

Hope you’re going strong in these interesting times.  I’m writing this from the Northern Virginia/DC area where I’m self-quarantining with family after a somewhat harrowing escape from Buenos Aires; I managed to get out just before the city went on enforced-quarantine after an ahead-of-schedule midnight decree from the Argentine president.   Before my exodus from […]

It’s Friday at 4:35pm. You’re working tirelessly for your client’s big Monday morning presentation, wrangling documents and data into a PowerPoint that MUST win the day. You’re racking your brain – is this draft too text-heavy or does there need to be more meat on the bone? How many slides should it be? Will the […]

Walking through the apocalyptic ruins of a burnt-out city… That’s how today’s guest described the emotional aftermath of selling her agency. At first glance, it might sound dramatic, but I’ve heard this feeling echoed over and over again by business owners after acquisition. When your agency filled a huge part of your life for years […]

Richards and Jagger.  Sergey and Larry.  Coffee and donuts… When we talk about successful duos, passionate infighting and creative frenzies get most of the coverage, but I think the magic spawns from a different, more-sober source: The demarcation of roles, be they spoken or unspoken.    Demarcation is what makes one partner say to the […]

Imagine this. Right now the CEO of an established brand is stressed and angry. One of the brand’s several specialist agencies is dropping the ball big time. The last straw should have been six months ago, and the agency has been radio silent since the “Come to Jesus” call the team held two weeks ago. […]

As agency owners, we have to stay ahead of the rapid introduction of new technology, and it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it’s the people who make everything possible.   Today’s guest underscored two big ideas: relationships and reputation still reign supreme and it’s the CEO’s job to get prospects excited about what’s […]

Fractional is a business buzzword that gets tossed around a lot  – we’ve certainly leaned into it.   The definition that matters for our purposes comes from chemistry: Fractional – relating to or denoting the separation of components of a mixture by making use of their differing physical properties. I see this as a technical way […]

Agency coaches and thought leaders often make success seem easy, or at least straightforward. If you’ve run an agency for more than a few weeks, you know the road is bumpy… Marketers with the CIA and Navy Seals, on the other hand, sell the job as difficult and meaningful, and they are never short on […]

You’re planning out 2020, and you probably have a bunch of irons in the fire.  As an owner or a sales executive, how do you decide which brand relationships are worth your time and energy? It’s not an easy question to answer, but today’s guest offers a seasoned perspective on how to better manage your […]

The new year is right around the corner — have you hashed out your agency’s 2020 new business plan yet?

Your number one job is to ensure your clients look good.

I have a thought exercise for you. Your agency is hired by...