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 210: Don't wait for your perfect day as an agency owner with Drew McLellan
In the agency world, there are days where it seems like tomorrow will never come. It's easy to get fixated on what is broken or what else needs to be done…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP209: How your agency should keep up with AI with Chris Penn
Our agencies and the work we do will inevitably be impacted by artificial intelligence in the next 3-5 years. That's just a fact. Odds are, it's probably…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 208: Love is damn good business with Steve Farber
I'm a big believer in love. Sure — romantic love or the love you have for your family is awesome but that's not what I am talking about. I am talking about…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 207: A privacy primer for agencies with Ruth Carter
Many agency owners are struggling to not only understand laws like the CCPA and GDPR, but more important — determine what your agency has to do to be compliant…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 206: How to become an authentic leader within your agency with David Wood
There are people who are considered leaders because their title says they are and then there are people who lead, no matter where in the org chart they may be…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 205: The ideal salesperson for your agency already works in your shop with Drew McLellan
As agency owners, we all want to hire the mystical, magical salesperson that will allow us to hand that task to someone other than us. Can it be done? Yes, but…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 204: A good lawyer saves an agency money, not the other way around with Jamie Lieberman
Lawyers, financial planners and insurance salespeople. You joke about avoiding them at cocktail parties, but they are definitely not who you should avoid as…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 203: Building wealth outside your agency with Chris Prefontaine
One of the most expensive mistakes many agency owners make is leaving too much money in the business. It's too easy to forget that the retained earnings in the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 202: Effective video marketing for agencies and their clients, with Gideon Shalwick
You've seen all the stats and you've personally experienced the explosive growth of video in the last 5+ years. It is not a channel we can or should ignore for…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 201: How agency owners can bridge the millennial employee divide with Chris Tuff
Millennials (people born from 1981-1996) comprise the largest and most diverse generation in American history. Most agency owners are either older millennials…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 200: Agency Trends Report Part 2 with Drew McLellan
During the spring gatherings of AGI owner peer network members, I walk them through a presentation on trends that I'm seeing in the industry. Then I devote two…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 199: How agencies should approach influencer marketing with Shane Barker
Influencer marketing isn't new. Remember Joe Namath in pantyhose? (If you don't Google it) But what is new is that anyone can harness the power of the internet…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 198: The B2B sales blueprint for agency owners with Dan Englander
In all the years that I've been an agency owner (almost 25) and worked alongside agency owners (15+) there is a common pain point — biz dev. We love getting to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 197: What agencies don't know about customer experience with Heidi Trost
The customer journey, UX, customer experience: buzzwords or actually points of value we can offer clients? I think in the hands of the under-informed and…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 196: Is your agency sellable? with Terry Lammers
I know a lot of agency owners think about selling their shop. But do they think about it strategically? Or soon enough? Do they execute on a plan that will set…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 195: Agency Trends Report Part 1 with Drew McLellan
How's your year going so far? I might have a pretty good idea already. We work with and see how 250+ small to mid-sized agencies are doing every year and there…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 194: How do you tell your agency's story with Park Howell
My entreé into agency life was as a copywriter. I loved digging around and finding the story underneath the story. That love was the foundation for my belief…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 193: The digital trends agency owners need to be tracking with Tom Webster
The challenge with digital trends is that they are moving so swiftly, it's hard to keep up. There are so many shiny objects flying around our heads, it's…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 192: Speaking engagements for agency biz dev with Steve Markman
Speaking engagements can be a great way for agency owners to connect with their sweet spot prospects and be immediately perceived as a subject matter expert…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 191: From boss to advocate: becoming a dream leader within your agency with Dan Ralphs
Whether we articulate them or not – we all have dreams. One of mine for me (and for all of you!) is to visit every Disney theme park in the world. Not that I…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 190: Positioning your agency with Drew McLellan
Figuring out which prospects align with your sweet spot and then doing the work necessary to earn their business are the difficult tasks of agency ownership…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 189: As an agency owner – how should you be thinking about AI with Paul Roetzer
Artificial intelligence generates lots of interest and more than a little bit of fear among agency owners. How will machine learning, AI, and all that…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 188: A look at the modern-day agency with Nancy Hill
For 95% of all agencies, referrals and word of mouth are the #1 method of gaining new clients. On the one hand, that's great. It means your clients, friends…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 187: How to Streamline the Content Collection Process for your Agency with James Rose
This has happened at my agency and I'm sure it's happened at yours. You start a huge client project and are excited to keep things rolling – both to protect…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 186: Agency culture is everything with Tristan White
Every agency has a culture. The question is – is it intentional? And when I say culture, I'm not talking the beer thirty or holiday party aspects of culture…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 185: What we learned from the 2019 agency salary & benefits survey with Drew McLellan
The results are in, and 2018 was clearly a good year in agency life. On this episode, I unpack and dig deep into the findings of our most recent Salary and…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 184: Embracing the word "NO" in agency biz dev with Andrea Waltz
Let's admit it. Agency owners are reluctant salespeople. However, biz dev should be a significant part of how we spend our days. When I hear agency owners say…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 183: Word of mouth marketing with Steve Gordon
For 95% of all agencies, referrals and word of mouth are the #1 method of gaining new clients. On the one hand, that's great. It means your clients, friends…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 182: Building Credibility Through Partnerships with Josh Steimle
When you think about or define a global agency, do you think of those giant conglomerates that started on Madison Avenue and have mushroomed into marketing…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 181: The Business of Expertise with David C. Baker
We talk to clients about positioning every single day. We walk them through differentiation strategies. When they don't take our advice, we walk away shaking…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 180: Agency Owners Need to Stop Breaking Their Word with Drew McLellan
Agencies have an accountability problem and it starts at the top. Every day, as owners and team members we make promises to our team. I'll get the copy to you…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 179: Permission to Win with Doug Austin
The number one barrier to growth for agencies in 2019 is staffing. Agencies are struggling to find and keep good talent. And that conversation always leads to…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 178: Is There an Accountant in the House? Getting Real About Agency Financials with Jenn McCabe
Agency owners are notoriously ill-informed (and uncomfortable) when it comes to their agency's finances. Which means they make important decisions in the dark…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
EP 177: Social media strategy with Scott Ayres
Staying on top of the social media landscape and what it means in terms of going from engagement with fans to ultimately generating new opportunities and sales…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 176: Reining in Your Healthcare Line Item with Allison De Paoli
This is one of those episodes that proves that you don't know what you don't know. We're tackling the subject of health insurance – how to manage costs as an…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 175: Getting Employees to Think Like Agency Owners with Drew McLellan
When I talk with agency owners, there's one topic that often comes up in conversation. They say, "I wish my employees would think and act more like owners!"…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 174: How to embrace project management in your agency with Tim Johnson
Agencies are creative spaces. Especially as owners, we may bristle at the thought of being managed. But as your agency grows, there a definite need for systems…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 173: Process and automation are your friends with Michael Koral
Maybe things run smooth as silk at your agency. I know that's what I hope for in mine. It's more likely to happen on a Saturday or Sunday! One of the ways that…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 172: Ways to grow your agency with virtual assistants with Barb Turley
Before the '08 recession, most agency owners couldn't fathom the idea of remote employees, let alone working with a virtual assistant they'd likely never meet…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 171: Beating Time and Disorganization with Jon Denn
For most people, especially the creative types that tend to inhabit the agency world, time management is a hodgepodge of post-it notes, paper to-do lists, and…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 170: What's your endgame? Planning your agency exit strategy with Drew McLellan
It's something we all dream about – retirement. Selling our agency for big bucks so we can sip Mai Tai's on the beach. The agency's name and reputation…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 169: The best practices to set and achieve your goals with Jennifer Dawn
On this episode, we delve into the unconscious mind and the concept of "limiting beliefs." It's the idea If I say to you, "I'll meet you there in five hours"…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 168: Unlimiting Your Beliefs with Karen Brown
On this episode, we delve into the unconscious mind and the concept of "limiting beliefs." It's the idea that our unconscious mind can hold us back without us…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 167: Getting Uncomfortable with Scott Amyx
When you started your agency, it was probably pretty exciting and somehow any worries you had were squelched before they could get in the way. But as our…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 166: How a traffic system will help your agency grow with Drew McLellan
Back in my early days of agency life, there was a production or traffic manager in every agency. Their job was to make sure all of the work was in the pipeline…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 165: How to future-proof your agency, with Robert Rose
Content marketing is growing up. It's no longer about throwing out random social posts, random blog posts, or making an infographic once a quarter. Instead, we…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 164: How to ask for the client's business, with Steve Boehler and Lindsay O'Neil
In last week's encore interview with Robin Boehler — we talked about the biz dev practices that she and the team at Mercer Island Group see when they're…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 163: Biz dev best practices from the client's side of the room, with Robin Boehler
Business development is a topic that is always front-and-center for agency owners. So I'm welcoming back one of our most popular guests, Robin Boehler from…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 162: The Ins and Outs of Geofencing with Justin Croxton
Often on this podcast, I share a wide-ranging conversation with my guest and we bounce around a little bit, even though we are focused on an overall theme…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 161: Solving a Market Problem and Serving a Larger Purpose with Jonathan Grzybowski
For entrepreneurs, business decisions always are a blend of the head and heart. You need data and research in hand to make smart, informed decisions. But it…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 160: A skill all agency owners need to own and hone – the difficult conversation with Drew McLellan
One of the challenges for all of us as agency owners and leaders is finding the balance of creating a relationship with our employees, but also being the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 159: 6 Keys to a Great Client/Agency Relationship with Dr. Mario Vafeas
Client relationships is a frequent topic on this podcast. In this episode, we focus on what it takes to cultivate strong and mutually beneficial relationships…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 158: The Location Agnostic Agency with Brendon Craigie
Remember when it sounded crazy to remote employees scattered all over the country? Or even crazier, in multiple countries? The truth is today, it's becoming…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 157: A Tax Coach's Guide to the New Tax Law with Craig Cody
We are hip-deep into 2018, and the new tax law is fully in effect. It's past time to get a handle on the implications of the new law for your business because…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 156: Add Value First – Building Relationships Also Builds Your Agency with James Carbary
Building genuine relationships in our industry is one of the best parts of being in the business. The point is not to build transactional relationships that…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 155: Why Finding Your Niches is No Longer Optional with Drew McLellan
It's a bit of a milestone episode here, episode 155. It seems like an odd number to celebrate, but it means this podcast has been going strong for three years…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 154: Talk Triggers and Chatter Matters: Word-of-Mouth Marketing with Daniel Lemin
Word of mouth is nothing new. For generations, it's been talking with your neighbor over the fence, at the local watering hole, or telling your co-worker about…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 153: Company Culture – Living What You Say You Do with Gina Trimarco
As agencies struggle to attract and retain top talent, it's natural that we're having a lot of conversation about culture. We're in a creative industry, and I…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 152: Entrepreneurial You: Building Multiple Income Streams with Dorie Clark
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." That's the standard advice of any investment advisor. But that investment can only happen once we've actually made the…
- Build a Better Agency Podcast
Episode 151: Mastering the Value Conversation with Blair Enns
In any trade, mastering the work is just the first of many hurdles. But one of the most daunting for most agency owners is pricing. What is the work worth? Who…