Build a Better Agency Podcast

Latest Episodes:

EP 305: The t-shirt philosophy episode with Drew McLellan Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

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 during the pandemic, has been something I wasn't expecting. It has inspired people to quite literally reach out and touch me with a pat of gratitude for the reminder. We are overwhelmed, exhausted, confused, and scared, all things that can bring out the worst in people, so a reminder that kindness exists, is possible, and can feel almost revolutionary. The generous response to my previous solocast about anxiety has inspired me to take a closer look at the message literally stamped on my chest, in hopes of finding ways to expand on self-care in a way that more fully benefits our teams and clients.

In this solocast, I'm talking about the various ways we can be good to ourselves, our team, and the clients we serve. We've all been in survival mode and now it's time to remember who and what we were surviving for. This is about relationship care.

A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

Recognizing the ongoing challenges created by the pandemic
A call to take better care of yourself
A reminder to reconnect with the people that inspire you
The need to think about your team
The power of learning opportunities
Tips for enhancing client relationships
Relationship care as a holistic approach

EP 304: The ROI of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) with Nikki McCord Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

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 internally at the same time they are guiding clients on how to incorporate genuine representation, making us students and guides at the same time. It can be uncomfortable, awkward, and overwhelming, especially to dominant communities who have no real-world experience with marginalization. Nikki McCord turned her political science degree into a career dedicated to influencing change and policy. When she started her own consulting firm eight years ago, she chose to focus on three things: strategic facilitation, board governance, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). She does so from the crossroads of compassion and urgency.

In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Nikki and I dive into all the difficult topics, starting with why she didn't want to do this podcast. We talk about the ways agencies get stuck when trying to diversify, the costs and ROI of DEI, how to handle the necessary discomfort of open conversations, and the roles we all need to play in order to create a better world for everyone.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

Where we get stuck in the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
The costs associated with DEI
How to handle the discomfort of diversity discussions
The ROI of DEI
The need for dominant communities to be a voice for change
What to be thinking about in the quest for a diverse agency
The importance of management buy-in for DEI
How to begin a DEI integration

EP 303: All things taxes with Craig Cody Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

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 directly into your pocket. It can be daunting to try and understand all of the options available, especially when a lot of the COVID-related aid adds to the confusion, so having a solid tax advisor in your corner is more important than ever. But how can you make sure you're getting the guidance you need if you don't even know what questions to ask? Craig Cody is a tax strategist and planner who has helped many AMI members better manage their money. His insights and guidance are hugely beneficial to any agency owner wanting to save money while also leveraging income and assets for personal and professional goals.

In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Craig and I discuss all things taxes. We look at COVID-related strategies that are still available. We explore surprising deductions to be found by better leveraging your home and how to get the most out of your relationship with your tax advisor, all with the goal of setting up you and your agency for the best possible financial success.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

COVID-related tax strategies that are still available
Understanding The Augusta Rule
How putting in a home pool can be tax-deductible
Knowing the difference between a tax strategist and a tax preparer
What to expect tax advisor conversations to look like
The Defined Benefits Program
Common missed opportunities in tax preparation
Questions to ask a new tax advisor

EP 302: Account services best practices with Taylor McMaster Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

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 agency, the internal team, and of course, the clients. A rock-solid account service person can help you retain and upsell clients, delivering a higher percentage of profitability on both counts. Creating a strong and dependable account services team and process is key to your success. Taylor McMaster is a former agency owner who discovered what she loved most about the work was the account services side of it. This realization inspired her to start a company that outsources account service people to agencies with the goal of improving agency-client relationships and allowing agency owners to step back from the day-to-day so they can concentrate on scaling their business.

In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Taylor and I look at several different elements to building successful account services. We discuss how to onboard new clients, ways to ensure you're hiring the right account services people, and making the most of client relationships by understanding what they want and need from your agency. Strengthening your approach to account services gives you as the agency owner the freedom to put your focus on building your business.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

How to onboard a new client
Why agency owners aren't always great at client services
How to hire strong account service people
Keeping the relationship fresh with long-term clients
What clients want from your client services
How to merchandise a client relationship
What agencies get wrong in client services

EP 301: Reframing challenge through the lens of gratitude with Kristi Nelson Jul 12, 2021

Show notes

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 easy to get caught up in your own mind, given our work. It's the nature of the beast for problem solvers like us, working in an ever-changing industry, where our decisions and performance effect so many. Expected but exhausting. In that constant chaos, it can be especially difficult to remember to be grateful. Author Kristi Nelson turned her journey back from Stage 4 cancer into a mission to remind herself and others of the importance for gratitude. Many of us have been on the receiving end of a wake-up call. The Covid-19 pandemic created that for a lot of people in every corner of the globe. Kristi's message is all about how to be thoughtful and intentional as we move forward.

In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Kristi and I explore gratitude, with a particular focus on how it can affect and elevate agency owners and their businesses. We discuss how being grateful can assist problem-solving by reframing challenges as opportunities. We also look at how to show up as a leader who savors uncertainty, why it's important to cherish connections, and what the "Golden Rule" gets wrong.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

Why it's so easy to fall back into an unfulfilling groove
How being grateful can aid problem solving
Reframing uncertainty for gratitude
How to show up as a leader who savors uncertainty
Cherishing connections
What the "Golden Rule" gets wrong
How to find out what your team truly wants
Understanding liminality

Ways to contact Kristi Nelson:

Book: https://gratefulness.org/wake-up/
Websites: https://gratefulness.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gratefulness.org/
Twitter: @GratefulnessOrg

Tools & Resources:

Sell with Authority (buy Drew's book)
Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
My Future Self Mini-Course

EP 300: The pressures of agency ownership – are they all real? with Drew McLellan Jul 05, 2021

Show notes

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 to create something that was fantastic and perfect. Agency owners live with an immense amount of pressure and expectation every day so this kind of thinking is normal. But that doesn't make it healthy, helpful, or wise. In this solocast, I'm going to talk candidly about the anxiety I sometimes create for myself when striving for a perfection that is unachievable. I'm going to invite you to look at all the different pressures you feel in your life and career in order to clarify which ones are real and which ones you're creating through your own drive for excellence and some unreasonable expectations.

The truth is – our excellence comes from keeping a steady hand at the helm. It's about the consistency and the tenacity we demonstrate by showing up every day. Our agencies are like ships and we are its captain. Our job is to pilot the ship to its next destination. There are always going to be storms that crop up, big and small. But we have weathered many before and we've got this one too. That's our genius.

And, finally, I'm going to ask you to seriously consider the honest answer to this question: "No, REALLY, how are you doing?"

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

A personal story about creating pressure to be excellent
Recognizing the dangerous expectations we set for ourselves
The importance of self-care as an agency owner
Why simply showing up can build to excellence
Why it's important to be honest when answering "How are you?"

EP 299: Igniting innovative thinking with Carla Johnson Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

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 a regular basis that serves both the agency and our clients. This can be exhausting and stressful to deliver consistently, especially because it's usually only the agency owner or a handful of leaders who can do this work. What if everyone in the agency had the skills and confidence to be an innovative thinker? Author Carla Johnson has studied the art and science of innovation. The research she's done and the methodologies she's built are both fascinating and super useful. She believes innovative thinking is both innate and teachable. It's been an integral part of human nature since the beginning of time and it's her mission to help reignite a passion for it.

In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Carla and I explore all things innovation. We give this buzzword a clear definition. We discuss mistakes made in trying to find creative solutions. We look at ways innovative thinking can be enhanced and taught, as well as how to create a culture of creative thinkers in your agency.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

Understanding the definition of innovation
Why innovative thinking is a skill we all have
Mistakes that keep meetings from being creatively rich
Is innovative thinking teachable?
Does groupthink help or hinder agency innovation?
Why adults are less innovative than children
The archetypes of innovative thinking
How to create a culture of creative, innovative thinkers

EP 298: The convergence of brand and culture with Theresa Agresta Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

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 culture. Often, that culture becomes one of the building blocks of an organization's brand. But not always. The crossroads of brand and culture still holds a lot of untapped potential your agency can leverage both for yourself and your clients. Theresa Agresta is a former agency owner who realized the cultural assessments she was using to build a brand created a whole different business opportunity that would allow her to dig much deeper into the connection between brand and culture. The fascinating work she's doing through her company CultureTalk is something that could greatly benefit agency clients, as well as their own shops.

In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Theresa and I look at the ways culture can be used as a tool for agency growth. We take a deep dive into the definition of culture, while also exploring ways to change a company culture, use these insights to improve employee and client relations, and how embracing culture research can easily create additional revenue streams by enhancing what you can offer to clients and prospects.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

The data used to study brand and culture
The gap between what is expected and what is tolerated
How systems aid culture-related conversations
Tools for changing a culture
How agencies are using culture insights to better their work
Getting over the hesitation of a culture review
Using the insights in regards to employee relations
Utilizing culture research outside of brand work
Creating AGI from culture assessments

"By measuring organizational culture, there are many different connected business challenges that you can start to solve for." @TheresaAgresta CLICK TO TWEET "Culture exists in the delta between what leaders say they expect and what they actually tolerate day-to-day." @TheresaAgresta CLICK TO TWEET "One of the critical things that a system, a framework, and a language give you is the ability to have a real conversation about culture." @TheresaAgresta CLICK TO TWEET "If you want to help an organization tap into who they are at a gut level and show up authentically, it all starts with understanding their culture." @TheresaAgresta CLICK TO TWEET "It's about creating awareness and acceptance for the differences and appreciating the value that different people bring." @TheresaAgresta CLICK TO TWEET "Culture can be measured, it can be managed, and it can be led." @TheresaAgresta CLICK TO TWEET

Ways to contact Theresa Agresta:

Free PDF – How to use Archetypes to Coach, Lead and Drive Organizational Change
Expect vs. Tolerate Graphic – this is so simple!
And, one update: our next CultureTalk Certification class start-date was moved one week to Tuesday, July 13th (10:00 AM NY and 5:00 PM NY cohorts)
- We'd love to offer your listeners a 10% discount if they register for the July class. They can use the coupon code BetterAgency at checkout.
Websites: https://culturetalk.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/culturetalksurveys
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresaagresta/
Twitter: @TheresaAgresta

Tools & Resources:

Sell with Authority (buy Drew's book)
Facebook Group for the Build a Better Agency Podcast
My Future Self Mini-Course

EP 297: All about content marketing with Joe Pulizzi Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

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 well and consistently, it can give an agency an unfair advantage over all of their competitors. But what exactly does doing it well mean these days? Author, speaker, and entrepreneur Joe Pulizzi is credited with coining the phrase "content marketing". His focus is on teaching marketers how they can build a business by being helpful more than relying on more aggressive selling tactics. He brings a lot of passion and enthusiasm for the work that he hopes will inspire your successful game plan.

In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Joe and I discuss the various aspects of content marketing. We look at how it has changed, what is being done wrong, and the many ways to improve your content strategy. We also discuss exit strategies, the importance of building a community, and new ways to think about niche marketing.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

What has changed in content marketing and why it changed so fast
What is being done wrong by many agencies?
The need for consistency
The importance of exit strategy planning
Can a generalist agency employ a content strategy?
Why you need to build a community
How to build patience into your lead generation
Niche marketing

EP 296: Turn your agency into a content powerhouse with Scott Ginsberg Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

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 create all the content they need for both their clients and themselves. Where do the ideas come from? What if the ideas seem too big or ridiculous? Is it possible to schedule creativity? How is the content leveraged? Scott Ginsberg is an ultra-prolific creative strategist. He's written 50 books, released 12 albums of his own original music, produced three films, given over 600 speeches where no two are the same, and he has worn a name tag 24/7 for over 20 years. (Yes, that last one is true.) He knows a thing or two about creating content that connects with audiences and he wants to share his insights with you.

In this episode of Build a Better Agency, Scott and I have a wide-reaching conversation about creativity, innovation, and content development. We discuss ways to compress time, build an inventory of ideas, reverse engineer content, mentor effectively, and systemize creative development. Hopefully, you leave encouraged to experiment and play in ways that help you become more of what you want to be.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

How to become more approachable
How to reverse engineer the content creation process
What it means to compress time in order to create content
The importance of building an inventory of ideas
Developing a content curation system
Ways to help employees figure out what they're good at naturally
How to systemize innovation

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