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 270: It's okay to slow down with Drew McLellan
As I thought about this solocast and what I wanted to say to you, I came up with a big list. Year-end planning, appreciate your clients, get your biz dev…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 269: Finding your niche in the agency landscape with Brent Weaver
If you're not new to the podcast or AMI, you know that I am a proponent of agencies differentiating themselves by finding a niche where they can develop a…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 268: Successful business development strategies for agencies with Greg Jacobs
Successful business development strategies are always a hot topic when I'm talking with agency owners. That was true before the pandemic, so you can imagine…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 267: Build your agency's authority position through authorship with Josh Steimle
It's an age-old adage – books are a three-dimensional business card. In today's vernacular (from the book Sell With Authority) a book is an excellent example…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 266: How are clients being impacted by COVID and the recession with Susan Baier
How are clients thinking about and reacting to both COVID and the recession it triggered is on every agency owner's mind. Will our clients go dormant? How are…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 265: Should your agency niche down and specialize? with Drew McLellan
It's an age-old discussion. Should an agency specialize and focus on specific niches or should they be a generalist? If you're familiar with AMI or have read…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 264: The ROI of thought leadership with Susan Baier and Stephen Woessner
Thought leadership is one of those buzzwords that has been so overused, it has almost been rendered meaningless. But as Stephen Woessner and I preach to agency…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 263: How to show up as a great leader within your agency with Chad Carden
After this year, I think agency leaders can all rightfully claim their MBA in leadership! With the recession and COVID-19 rewriting our plans for 2020, we've…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 262: Simplifying content creation with Steve Pockross
Creating content is both a huge opportunity and a big challenge for agencies. How do you elevate your efforts so that the content is actually meaningful to the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 261: Is A.I. a part of your agency's toolbox? with Neil Sahota
A.I. As agency owners and leaders, we understand what it is and what it does, but we haven't quite figured out the best way to use it in our own agencies for…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 260: Your To Dos for the 4th quarter with Drew McLellan
As agency owners and leaders, we have 90 days to put 2020 to bed and get ready for 2021. To help you prepare, I've created a To Do list for every agency owner…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 259: Creating a culture of active learning in your agency with Cecilia Gorman
Ongoing professional development is a challenge in most agencies. It's tough to gather the right tools/resources, some agency owners aren't sure about how to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 258: How to become a more effective agency leader with Elise Mitchell
Many of us have earned our MBAs in leadership over this past year. As we wrap up 2020, we have some ground to make up and we can't do that alone. We need to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 257: How agencies can use public speaking as a biz dev tool with Grant Baldwin
They say that the only thing we fear more than public speaking is death. That's some pretty deep seeded fear! On top of the fear, many agencies want to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 256: Putting systems and processes into your agency with David Jenyns
Agency growth isn't easy and it isn't a given. It's not because agency owners don't want to build their agency to be sustainable, scalable, or sellable down…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 255: Your agency in the post-COVID world with Drew McLellan
There's no doubt that covid is going to leave its mark. For most of us, it's the most disruptive event of our lifetime. The question is – what are those…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 254: Looping your agency into the membership economy with Robbie Baxter
We all have experienced the membership economy. Disney+, Dollar Shave Club, and a wide variety of meal prep kits delivered to your door. But, does it work in…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 253: Smart outsourcing for agencies with Brian Gerstner
Prior to the economic downturn in '07-'08, I worked with a lot of agency owners who were very adamant that they would never outsource any of their services…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 252: Subconscious barriers to your agency's success with Amira Alvarez
This may be the most unorthodox episode of Build A Better Agency to date. When I met Amira Alverez, who helps agency owners and leaders really harness the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 251: The science of marketing with Patrick Renvoise
As agency owners, we are constantly searching for new ways to harness the power of persuasion and trigger an audience's buy-button on behalf of our clients…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 250: State of the Agency 2020 Pt. II with Drew McLellan
In my 250th (man, how times flies!) episode of Build a Better Agency, we look at the next set of client and employee-focused trends from the 2020 Agency Trends…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 249: Claim your agency's position of authority with Michelle Prince
Most agencies do not have a reliable sales strategy. They either rely on referrals or they employ what I call the feast or famine methodology. Neither strategy…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 248: Moving towards racial equality in your agency with Jennifer Long
The Black Lives Matter movement has triggered a global conversation that has been a long time coming. Like other business owners, agency leaders are wrestling…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 247: Book your agency solid with Matthew Kimberley
There are very few agency owners who love biz dev. It's time consuming, sometimes it feels like you are trying to target shoot in the dark, and you often end…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 246: How agencies are putting math behind marketing with Eric Vardon
Most agencies have yet to harness the power of data automation tools, and the numbers reveal a concerning reality. 60% of all agencies believe that they make…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 245: State of the Agency 2020 Pt. I with Drew McLellan
The past three months have felt like a bad sci-fi movie. As agency leaders, most of us have navigated the economic struggles right after 9/11 and the great…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 244: Navigating the complex legal issues that agencies face with Sharon Toerek
Most agency owners would put attorneys in the cost column. Until they get into legal trouble. Then, they quickly realize how much they could have ultimately…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 243: How agencies and brands are approaching budgets and new projects for 2020 and beyond with Lee McKnight
There are two questions plaguing agencies in the spring of 2020. The first is how are brands going to respond to covid when it comes to budgets, tackling new…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 242: Paycheck Protection Program loan answers for agency owners with Craig Cody
The most popular relief loan in the US is the Paycheck Protection Program loan or PPP loan. Unfortunately, in a rush to get the funds out to agencies and other…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 241: Leveraging an agency owner's strengths to crush biz dev with Jody Sutter
Very few agency owners are giddy about the prospect of prospecting for new clients. It feels uncomfortable and unnatural. But what if it isn't that they hate…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 240: 5 mini plans agency leaders can use to thrive through covid with Drew McLellan
The panic around COVID lockdown is plateauing. The storm has certainly not passed, but we've navigated out of the panic stage and now everyone is realizing…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 239: A new tool to add to your agency's sales strategy with Jeff Winters
There's always been a great debate among agency owners – does cold email work as a new business strategy. Many will argue that given SPAM filters and the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 238: Connect with agency prospects using virtual events with Nicole Mahoney
When you realize that this episode is about holding a virtual event, you might jump to the conclusion that this is a C19 focused episode. Nothing could be…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 237: What agencies don't know about the PPP loan program with Stephen Katz
Agency owners are scrambling to take advantage of the CARES Act, and in particular the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans but there's a lot we don't know…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 236: Lead your agency through difficult times and remote working with Adam Carroll
Agency owners wear many hats and certainly one of the most important is leader. There are days when that's easy and even fun. And then, there are days like the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 235: A very personal message to agency owners – how to survive the Covid chaos with Drew McLellan
Odds are you cannot remember a more tumultuous time in your agency. You probably endured through 9/11 but we understood what happened and why. You probably…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 234: Surviving the pandemic – where will your agency be in 60-90 days? with Kiri Sinclair
US and European based agency owners are fightly vigilantly as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds in their region of the world. It's affecting agencies and their…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 233: How to grow your agency using creative collaboration with James Carbary
Today's episode is a twofer – and both topics are going to benefit your shop. The first is the idea of collaborating with your prospects to create content that…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 232: Getting your agency to the other side of the coronavirus with Drew McLellan
There's not a small business owner on the planet who isn't concerned about how the coronavirus is going to impact their business, employees, clients, and…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 231: Agency Owners | Leveraging psychology to improve agency sales with Charlie Poulson
The more you know about a person, the easier it is to connect with them. One of the challenges when it comes to biz dev is that we really don't know too much…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 230: Agency Owners | Using Traction to scale and strengthen your agency with Drew McLellan
Many agency owners are familiar with the book Traction by Gino Wickman and his Entrepreneurial Operating System. It's a fantastic methodology for improving…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 229: Agencies should sell with authority with Stephen Woessner
I have long preached the concept of being a specialist versus a generalist to my audience, so it should come as no surprise to you that along with my co-author…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 228: Growing your agency from 5 to 200+ with Robert Glazer
Robert Glazer is the founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners, a global marketing agency that specializes in partner or affiliate marketing. Initially, I…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 227: Trend worth tracking for agency owners with Rohit Bhargava
We get hired because our clients want to surround themselves with expertise and a depth of knowledge that they don't have in-house. They know we have to stay…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 226: Agencies and accounting can be friends with Chris Hervochon
Most of us didn't major in math or accounting. In fact, many of us were drawn to our industry because it wasn't math centric! Unfortunately, agency leaders are…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 225: Strengthen your agency's hiring process with Drew McLellan
It doesn't matter if you are a small shop, a specialized shop, in a major market, or based in rural areas – odds are, your biggest struggle right now is…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 224: Agency culture redefined with John Waid
Culture matters. As agency owners and leaders, we get that. And we love creating a "great culture." But, developing a great culture is about more than beer…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 223: Find your agency's next leader with Craig Barnes
Biz dev, mentorship, and relationship management are critical responsibilities of every agency owner. But the hours in a workday are limited, and if we fail to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 222 : Productize your agency's offerings with Jared Gold
One of the challenges of agency life is that typically everything we sell is a custom job. It's tough to build in efficiencies or systemize our production when…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 221: Increase your agency's value and build a smart exit strategy with Gina Cocking
Most agency owners hope to sell their agency someday down the road. If that's you, understanding how agencies are valuated today will help you maximize that…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 220: Strengthen your core and the core of your agency with Drew McLellan
Maybe it's my age, but there's a lot more talk about the importance of strengthening my core, to improve balance and stability. The same is true for our…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 219: A year of reflection and growth for agency leaders with John Jantsch
There was a time when you spent most of your time learning your craft. Whether it was account service or art direction or biz dev – you had to develop the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 218: How agency owners can leverage a virtual assistant with Jess Tyson
Have you ever wished that you had a team member dedicated to helping manage your day, your email, your commitments, and your goals? When we have someone in the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 217: The buying journey of your agency's prospects with Robin Boehler
Like every other consumer, your prospects go on a wild and winding journey as they consider whether or not they want to hire an agency and then go about…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 216: Using AI to support your agency's content strategy with Jeff Coyle
There are very few agencies today who aren't trying to solve the content challenge. The content creation process is complicated and it's often difficult to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 215: Recession-proof your agency with Drew McLellan
For the last decade, I have been living in the perfect home. I love everything about it— from the size and layout to its waterfront location. I thought I would…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 214: Why public speaking skills matter to agency owners with Michael Port
You are agency owners, not career keynote speakers. But that does not mean you don't earn your living as a presenter. You present every day of your…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 213: Set your agency apart with Tamsen Webster
With so many people that have yet to join us on the show, I very rarely ask someone to come back on. But Tamsen Webster is an exception. You may remember…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 212: Giving employees a voice through brand advocacy with Glenn Gaudet
Every business is struggling to be seen and heard. They spend a lion's share of their budget fighting to find an audience. Sometimes, it doesn't have to be…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 211: Agency Edge Research Results 2019 with Susan Baier
Every year we partner with Audience Audit to conduct research that we know will benefit agency leaders. This year, we decided to re-visit some of the questions…