Shows / Build a Better Agency Podcast
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Scale and grow your agency with better clients, invested employees, and a stronger bottom line, with Drew McLellan.
Episodes
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 329: Rethinking agency biz dev part 3: The 6 kisses of death to avoid, with Drew McLellan
Agencies often pose important questions to our clients in order to help steer them into good decision-making. We talk to them about the need to be findable, to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 328: Rethinking agency biz dev part 2: How things evolve with Drew McLellan
During the lifetime of an agency, how that agency/agency owner approaches business development evolves. In the beginning, an agency's first clients are people…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 327: Rethinking agency biz dev part 1: Find a niche with Drew McLellan
As we start to dip our toes into 2022, many agencies have been pretty quiet on the biz dev front for the last 4-6 weeks. By the time we emerge from the holiday…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 326: A ground level look at marketing AI with Cathy McPhillips
There's no denying that artificial intelligence isn't just part of the future, it's here today. But the concept is overwhelming for many agency owners. It's…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 325: Stop running your agency based on fear, with Drew McLellan
In response to the changes brought about by the pandemic, many agency owners have turned to fear-based decision-making. Employee turnover and demands coupled…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 324: How young people think about the agency business with Michael Barber
Diversity and inclusion have never been more front and center and the workplace is being called upon to better reflect the world around us, especially by our…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 323: Be vigilant against complacency with Len Herstein
When things are going well in our agencies and our personal lives, it's easy to relax into the comfort of that success. One of the risks of that comfort is…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 322: The 2021 Agency Edge Research Series with Susan Baier
Understanding how clients view the agency relationship is key to making the most of that partnership. Every year since 2014, AMI and Audience Audit have…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 321: How to use your money to make more money with Adam Carroll
Everyone wants to make and have more money but understanding all the available financial options and opportunities can be overwhelming. Many agency owners are…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 320: The elements of good partnership agreements with Drew McLellan
As part of our succession planning work, we have seen and worked with owners going through every stage of agency life. We've seen agencies evolve and dissolve…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 319: Winning the long game with Dorie Clark
As agency owners and leaders, we all want to succeed at the long game. We plan and work with the hope that it will lead to long-term success. But it can be…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 318: Building a client-focused community with Pam Slim
Putting yourself in the center of a community is a powerful tool for any agency owner, but that just scratches the surface of what is possible — if you make…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 317: R&D tax credits available to agencies with Mike D'Alessandro
The federal government and 36 of 50 states in the U.S. have research and development tax credits that many agency owners incorrectly believe our agencies are…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 316: Building a DEI policy that works with Nikki McCord
The conversation of diversity, equity, and inclusion and DEI policy creation is something on the minds of many agency owners. How to tackle such a delicate and…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 315: Creative Real Estate Deals, with Laurence Lameche
Laurence Lameche is a London-based real estate investor and coach who has mastered the art of buying properties through creative terms-based deals and cutting…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 315: Five mistakes employees make when buying into the agency with Drew McLellan
At Agency Management Institute, we are often called upon to help agency owners plan their next steps when it comes time to sell. This may lead to the owner…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 314: How culture influences brand with Mark Miller & Ted Vaughn
"Culture" and "Brand" are two concepts that are often thought about and discussed as completely different topics. We don't often consider how one might not…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 313: Three frameworks for inspired agency leadership with Jonathan Raymond
There is no shortage of advice on how to be a better agency leader, but much of the advice out there is esoteric or theoretical. The ideas are grand, but a…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 312: The world of neuro-marketing with Dan Russell
The world of neuroscience might seem like an odd place to seek out powerful marketing tactics, but there's no denying that effective marketing isn't just about…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 311: Creating an "I'll be back" client experience with Shep Hyken
No one needs to tell you that it's easier and more cost-effective to keep existing clients rather than continuing to hunt and pitch for new ones. There's an…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 310: 5 mistakes agency owners make when selling internally with Drew McLellan
At Agency Management Institute, we have repeatedly found ourselves in the position of helping agency owners figure out their exit strategy. Ideally, we're…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 309: 5 key traits for a successful creative with Jamie Roberts
Creativity lives at the center of every agency, but finding, nurturing, and retaining the best fit creatives can feel like an impossible task. Someone with an…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 308: Guide your business using the CEO's compass with Deborah Coviello
All agency owners strive to be great leaders but that can be a daunting task when there are so many things that demand attention on a daily basis. And…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 307: Are you a wonderbread factory or an artisanal bakery revisited with Drew McLellan
As we continue the push into a post-pandemic world, many agencies are taking a hard look at how they approach business and what they want this new future to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 306: How military lessons translate to agency leadership with Ryan Carey
An agency's success or failure is reliant upon the owner's leadership skills to a certain extent. There are many elements that ultimately create an agency's…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 305: The t-shirt philosophy episode with Drew McLellan
Whenever I fly, I wear a t-shirt that says "Be Good To People." It's a simple message that I sincerely believe in but the response to the shirt, especially…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 304: The ROI of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) with Nikki McCord
There's no denying that the call for diversity, equity, and inclusion has never been louder. In the middle of it all, agencies are trying to embrace change…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 303: All things taxes with Craig Cody
Creating a solid tax strategy for your agency might not seem like the most exciting thing to think about but doing so has the potential to put a lot more money…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 302: Account services best practices with Taylor McMaster
We all know how critical account service people are to the success of our agencies. It's a tough job. Account service people must balance the needs of the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 301: Reframing challenge through the lens of gratitude with Kristi Nelson
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 300: The pressures of agency ownership – are they all real? with Drew McLellan
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 299: Igniting innovative thinking with Carla Johnson
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 298: The convergence of brand and culture with Theresa Agresta
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 297: All about content marketing with Joe Pulizzi
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 296: Turn your agency into a content powerhouse with Scott Ginsberg
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 295: Agency Trends Report 2021 with Drew McLellan
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 294: Claim your authority by being a published author with Tony Paustian
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 293: How to manage and communicate our emotions as leaders with Dr. Roger Hall
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 292: Understanding the gift of doubt in agency leadership with Marc Pitman
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…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 291: Understanding today's agency human resources challenges with Molly Eyerman
The last year has been one for the books as an agency owner and the HR issues we've had to deal with have been off the charts! We've faced the pandemic…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 290: Vaccine Policy? You can't avoid having one with Drew McLellan
Every agency is going to have a vaccine policy. You have three choices – you can mandate the covid 19 vaccine, you can encourage it or you can take a "don't…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 289: Embracing the power of Influence Marketing with Jason Falls
We talk about influencer marketing like it's a hot new trend. That's not quite right. Celebrity endorsements have been around forever. The difference is that…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 288: How to level up your leadership trust with David Horsager
Trust. It's always been at the core of running and leading your agency. If our teams don't trust us, they don't follow us. If our prospects don't trust us…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 287: Don't let imposter syndrome undermine your agency with Kris Kelso
In the agency space, we have to constantly be reinventing the wheel because everything keeps changing. By the nature of our business, we are always doing…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 286: Being smart about your agency through the right legal tools with Sharon Toerek
Every week I get an email or three from an agency owner asking me if I have a contract template or some other legal document that they can just copy and use…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 285: The importance of masterminds with Drew McLellan
It's lonely at the top. While that's a cliché, as agency owners we all know it to be very true. On those days when you'd sell your agency for a nickel, who do…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 284: Passive real estate investment options with Chris Prefontaine
At AMI we preach the idea of building your wealth outside your agency, while you still own your agency. Sadly, many owners leave too much in retained earnings…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 283: How AI insights can benefit agencies with RJ Talyor
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic but many agency owners wonder how, exactly, it can benefit their shop. They get how it works but they think that…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 282: How to tackle DIY research in your agency with Matt Seltzer
Back in the good old days (pre great recession) agencies used research to make their work smarter and more effective. But it became a luxury we trimmed out as…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 281: How to maximize strategic thinking in your agency with Adam Pierno
One of the biggest bottlenecks in many agencies is that the agency owner is the only person who can develop strategies for clients or new business pitches. As…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 280: Making the most of embedded employees with Drew McLellan
Over the last couple of years, many agencies have started reaping the benefits of embedding an account executive in a client's office. By that I mean someone…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 279: Does your agency need a project manager with Ben Aston
Who is responsible for keeping the agency's work on time and on budget? That is an oft debated topic among agency owners. At AMI we believe that a specific…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 278: How to create an amazing client experience with Stacey Singer
The reality is, we spend so much time thinking and worrying about business development, and in most cases that exuberance is not really matched with the same…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 277: How to be a better leader with Jeff Nischwitz
Leadership can feel like a loaded word. We often think about leadership as defining how you run your business but, to me, that refers to how you manage, not…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 276: Customer experience beyond the sale with Jeannie Walters
Think about how you build out journey maps or of journey maps you've seen if that isn't something your agency does. They chart out how a potential customer…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 275: There are many ways to grow your agency with Drew McLellan
As we celebrate the most anticipated New Year's Day in any of our lifetimes, we also find ourselves planning, goal settings, and making resolutions for the new…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 274: Understanding the emotional triggers of your brand with Brian Gregory
As marketers we understand the power and influence of a brand. We know that every buying decision we make is based on emotion. This helps explain why some…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 273: Systems = Scale for your Agency with Josh Fonger
For many agency owners systems is the S Word. We bristle at the idea of being confined. It feels like an attempt to stifle our creativity and ability to think…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 272: Taking full advantage of marketing automation systems with Rick Carlson
Here are three things I know every agency owner wants. 1) A shortcut to landing new clients. 2) A way to prove ROI for their clients' marketing budgets. 3) A…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 271: Managing projects effectively in your agency with Peter Coppinger
Project management is a challenge for every agency, regardless of their size or tenure. Many agencies have a physical project board on a wall or are using…