Agency Forward

Chris DuBois
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Agency Forward explores the future of agencies as tech and AI drive down the cost of tactical deliverables. Topics include building competent teams, developing strategic offers, systemizing your business, and more. New episodes delivered every Tuesday.

  1. 2D AGO

    099 Tim Kilroy: Why Agency Vibes Win More Clients Than Services

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Tim Kilroy — and this is a return visit. Tim is the founder of the WTF Agency Method and Build Your Agency Better. He's founded, scaled, and sold multiple agencies across 25+ years in digital marketing, and now coaches agency owners full-time. In his first appearance we dug into agency offers, discounts vs. value, and the sales process. This time, we're going deeper into something Tim calls VVV — Vibes, Vision, and Values. In a world where every agency website says the same thing, the agencies that win are the ones willing to show who they actually are. Not a polished, sanitized version, but the real thing, rough edges included. In this episode, we discuss: Why decision timelines have doubled for agency buyers — and what that signalsWhy sanitizing your personality costs you pipeline you can't even seeThe difference between values on a website and values that actually activate buyersAnd more. You can learn more about Tim Kilroy on LinkedIn or grab his WTF Sales Guide. ----------- Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency. For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive. Gia flips that. It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline. Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing. You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency ----------- No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway. So what's different? The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content. Access to peers who've done it before. Access to experts who've designed solutions. Access to resources that have been battle-tested. And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year. Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow. You can join at DynamicAgency.Community. ----------- Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack. We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency. ----------- And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    40 min

  2. MAR 10

    098 Kris Rudeegraap: Why Gifting Beats Email for Building Pipeline

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Kris Rudeegraap. Kris is the CEO and Co-Founder of Sendoso, the leading gifting and direct mail platform for B2B sales and marketing teams. He spent a decade in sales before building Sendoso, pioneering the shift from email-only outreach to omnichannel strategies. And Sendoso now powers campaigns for thousands of companies with AI-driven gift recommendations and global fulfillment. I wanted to have Kris on because a lot of agency owners rely heavily on email outreach, but inboxes are more saturated than ever and I think physical mailboxes are an untapped channel that can dramatically improve conversion rates. In this episode, we discuss: Why gifting outperforms email in crowded inboxesBuilding a gifting strategy that drives real pipelineHow AI personalizes gifts using conversation dataAnd more... You can learn more about Kris on LinkedIn or email him at Kris@Sendoso.com. And check out Sendoso.com ----------- Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency. For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive. Gia flips that. It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline. Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing. You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency ----------- No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway. So what's different? The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content. Access to peers who've done it before. Access to experts who've designed solutions. Access to resources that have been battle-tested. And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year. Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow. You can join at DynamicAgency.Community. ----------- Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack. We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency. ----------- And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    34 min

  3. MAR 3

    097 Strategy Without Execution Is Expensive Advice

    Hey, everyone. Solocast for you.  The agency world spent a decade telling you to stop doing execution and move up the value chain. Good advice — at the time. But the industry overcorrected, and now agencies are selling strategy to clients who have zero capacity to implement it. The result? A lot of agencies wondering why retention is so hard. In this episode: Why execution doesn't make you a vendor and what actually doesHow to scope and price strategy-plus-execution without killing your marginThe one question that reveals whether your clients are getting outcomes or just getting adviceand more... ----------- Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency. For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive. Gia flips that. It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline. Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing. You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency ----------- No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway. So what's different? The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content. Access to peers who've done it before. Access to experts who've designed solutions. Access to resources that have been battle-tested. And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year. Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow. You can join at DynamicAgency.Community. ----------- Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack. We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency. ----------- And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    17 min

  4. FEB 24

    096 The 7 GTM Motions Every Agency Can Run

    Hey everyone, today is another solocast for you. Every agency owner I talk to says the same thing: "We get clients from referrals, mostly. But we know we need to do more." The problem is that "do more" isn't a strategy — and nobody ever laid out the actual options. In this episode, I cover: Why referrals are great but terrible as a primary pipelineThe seven GTM motionsWhat each motion costs in time and money, and where each one breaksAnd more...Also, here's the article on how to differentiate your agency I mentioned in the show.  ----------- Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency. For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive. Gia flips that. It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline. Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing. You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency ----------- No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway. So what's different? The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content. Access to peers who've done it before. Access to experts who've designed solutions. Access to resources that have been battle-tested. And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year. Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow. You can join at DynamicAgency.Community. ----------- Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack. We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency. ----------- And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    38 min

  5. FEB 17

    095 Niche on the Problem, Not the Demographic

    Hey everyone, today is another solocast for you. Most agencies pick a vertical and call it positioning. "We serve dentists." "We work with SaaS companies." But that's a filter, not a position — it tells people who you work with, not why they should hire you. In this episode, I break down the three layers of niching that most agencies collapse into one — and show you why leading with the problem changes everything about how clients find and choose you. In this episode, I cover: The difference between vertical niching (industry), horizontal niching (job function), and problem-based nichingWhy vertical-only positioning turns you into a generalist inside an industry — competing on price instead of expertiseHow the three layers work together: vertical and horizontal are for targeting, the problem is for positioningThe cross-industry bonus — why problem-based positioning attracts clients outside your verticalHow to find your problem: look at what your best clients had in common — not in industry, but in situationThe positioning formula: "We help [horizontal] at [vertical] companies solve [problem]" If your current positioning statement only describes who you serve, this episode will show you what's missing. Also, here's the article on how to differentiate your agency I mentioned in the show.  ----------- Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency. For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive. Gia flips that. It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline. Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing. You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency ----------- No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway. So what's different? The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content. Access to peers who've done it before. Access to experts who've designed solutions. Access to resources that have been battle-tested. And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year. Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow. You can join at DynamicAgency.Community. ----------- Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack. We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency. ----------- And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    14 min

  6. FEB 10

    094 The Builder Ecosystem: How to Find 50 People Who Already Have Your Clients

    Hey, everyone. Today, I've got a solocast coming your way.  Most agency owners trying to grow are doing one of two things: cold outreach or waiting for referrals. Both have the same problem. You're starting from zero every time. There's a third option that almost nobody talks about: finding the people who already have your future clients' attention, and getting in front of them. In this episode, I walk through a framework I call the "builder ecosystem." These are the people, communities, publications, and companies adjacent to your niche that share your target audience. They've already built the trust. They've already gathered the crowd. Your job is to show up where they are. In this episode, I cover: Why cold outreach and referral dependency both leave you starting from zeroThe four categories of builders: People, Communities, Publications, and CompaniesHow to research and map your builder ecosystem (with specific search strategies)Tiering your findings by accessibility so you know where to startYour first 5 moves you can execute this week If you do the exercise from this episode, send me a message. I'd love to hear what you found. ----------- Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency. For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive. Gia flips that. It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline. Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing. You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency ----------- No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway. So what's different? The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content. Access to peers who've done it before. Access to experts who've designed solutions. Access to resources that have been battle-tested. And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year. Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow. You can join at DynamicAgency.Community. ----------- Our friends at Parakeeto have a powerful resource that dives into everything you need to know about agency profitability. This is a must-have for agency owners and operators. Get the Agency Profit Toolkit for free now! ----------- Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack. We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency. ----------- And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    25 min

  7. FEB 3

    093 Sean Lang: Breaking the Founder Hero Addiction That's Killing Your Growth

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Sean Lang. Sean is an agency operations expert who helps founders remove themselves as the bottleneck in their business. Before entering the agency world, Sean managed an airport refueling operation—a role that gave him a healthy respect for process, compliance, and what happens when things go wrong. He's since applied those lessons to help agency owners stop hoarding problems and start building teams that actually think. I wanted to have Sean on because the founder-as-hero mindset is killing agency growth, and most owners don't even realize they're doing it. He's got some great frameworks and strategies to address it. Also, his podcast, Agency Uplift, is a must-listen show. In this episode, we discuss: The first signs you're the bottleneckBreaking the hero addictionMaking time to slow down and speed upAnd more... You can learn more about Sean on LinkedIn. ----------- Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency. For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive. Gia flips that. It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline. Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing. You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency ----------- No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway. So what's different? The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content. Access to peers who've done it before. Access to experts who've designed solutions. Access to resources that have been battle-tested. And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year. Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow. You can join at DynamicAgency.Community. ----------- Our friends at Parakeeto have a powerful resource that dives into everything you need to know about agency profitability. This is a must-have for agency owners and operators. Get the Agency Profit Toolkit for free now! ----------- Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack. We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency. ----------- And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    34 min

  8. JAN 27

    092 David Hoos: Why Dev Founders Distrust Marketing and How to Fix It

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by David Hoos. David is a marketing consultant who specializes in helping dev agencies build and execute marketing strategies that actually resonate with technical founders. With a background that bridges both worlds—his mother an English teacher, his father a software engineer—David cut his teeth at a conversion optimization agency before advising dev shops on positioning and growth. He's built a reputation for translating marketing speak into language that engineers actually trust. I wanted to have David on because most dev agency founders hate marketing—and for good reason. David understands why and knows how to fix it. I also appreciate his thoughts on LinkedIn, so you should give him a follow there.  In this episode, we discuss: Why dev founders distrust marketingPositioning beyond programming languagesMarketing that elevates rather than erodes reputationAnd more... You can learn more about David on LinkedIn. ----------- Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency. For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive. Gia flips that. It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline. Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing. You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency ----------- No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway. So what's different? The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content. Access to peers who've done it before. Access to experts who've designed solutions. Access to resources that have been battle-tested. And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year. Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow. You can join at DynamicAgency.Community. ----------- Our friends at Parakeeto have a powerful resource that dives into everything you need to know about agency profitability. This is a must-have for agency owners and operators. Get the Agency Profit Toolkit for free now! ----------- Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack. We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency. ----------- And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    34 min
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Agency Forward explores the future of agencies as tech and AI drive down the cost of tactical deliverables. Topics include building competent teams, developing strategic offers, systemizing your business, and more. New episodes delivered every Tuesday.

Information

  • Creator
    Chris DuBois
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    101
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Chris DuBois

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