Agency Forward

Chris DuBois

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. 5D AGO

    102 Alex James: Why a Niche Is No Longer Enough to Stand Out

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Alex James — and this is a return visit. Alex is a positioning strategist who works with B2B agencies and founders to help them develop a clear, differentiated perspective that goes beyond just niching down. His core belief: your perspective is your product. I brought Alex back because the conversation we had last time sparked a ton of response, and I wanted to go deeper on something that's becoming urgent in 2026: AI is making "good enough" output the default, which means a niche alone won't protect you anymore. Alex has a strong take on what does. In this episode, we discuss: Why a niche is now the floor, not the differentiatorHow to enroll your market in a new way of thinking about your categoryWhat it looks like when perspective is baked into the DNA of an agencyAnd more... You can learn more about Alex James on LinkedIn or at MinimalistMarketing.co. ----------- 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 DynamicAgencyOS.com/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.

    47 min
  2. MAR 31

    101 Adam Weil: Why Agencies Should Stop Owning Everything In-House

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Adam Weil, a partner at White Rabbit Group. White Rabbit Group partners with creative and branding agencies to handle the web development and technical work that those agencies can't — or shouldn't — do themselves. They've built a model around white-label dev partnerships that help agencies deliver more value without stretching beyond their strengths. I wanted to have Adam on because too many agencies are still trying to own everything — and it's costing them quality, client trust, and revenue. Adam has seen this pattern play out hundreds of times and has a clear-eyed perspective on when to partner, when to refer, and how to make your clients stickier in the process. In this episode, we discuss: What breaks first when agencies try to do everything in-houseWhy saying "we don't do that" can actually be a competitive advantageHow to use partnerships to make your existing clients more stickyAnd more...You can learn more about Adam Weil 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 DynamicAgencyOS.com/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.

    36 min
  3. MAR 24

    100 10 Lead Gen Tips for Agency Owners

    Hey everyone, welcome to Episode 100.  To celebrate, I wanted to hit 10 lead gen tips from working with dozens of agencies over the years.  These are the things that all my best clients are doing that I try to replicate across all clients so they can get the same results.  Enjoy. Hope to see you for the next 100.  ----------- 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
  4. MAR 17

    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 DynamicAgencyOS.com/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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
4.9
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

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.

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