Build a Better Agency Podcast Drew McLellan

Agency owners have it tough these days, but we have more control over how hard it is for us than we think. This week, we’re going to talk in-depth about how we can change the course and direction of our business by changing our habits and mindsets.

To help us, we’re talking to Jason Yarusi about creating positive momentum around breaking bad habits, choosing to offload tasks that aren’t propelling us forward, and cutting out unnecessary chaos in our lives.
You might think there’s nothing you can personally change, or maybe you have too many variables that are completely out of your control. You could have a lot of fires popping up during the day that you have to address.
But the good news is we have a lot more say in what happens in our day-to-day than we think. And by taking a few moments to ground yourself in the reality of your situation, you’ll realize that a lot of those big fires aren’t fires at all — or someone else’s fires to put out.
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: The near-death experience that changed Jason’s course in life Being self-aware in how you’re showing up each day Starting the day off with a solid routine that sets you up for success Regrounding yourself when things start going off course How to recognize you’re not focused on the right parts of your business Finding your way out of the day-to-day grind to reach your long-term goals Creating positive momentum around changing habits that aren’t serving you Where people get stuck in these habit shifts the most Writing down 3 things you can do write now to build positive momentum

When you’re stacked against other agencies with the same awards, credentials, and impressive case studies as you, it’s tough to stand out above the rest. But with the right pitch deck, you’re sure to catch the attention of your ideal clients.

This week, Tom Martin is teaching us a few things about crafting the perfect pitch deck that moves beyond just impressing clients, but making them remember you over the rest. You already have their attention just by getting the meeting, but your pitch deck is what will ultimately make you the undeniable choice in the end.
Tom shares his thoughts on strategic repetition, the science behind the pitch deck, and what agencies most often get wrong when building their decks. This episode is packed with tons of golden nuggets and actionable insights about what will make you the most memorable agency in the room.
Stop making easily fixable mistakes that could cost you right-fit clients, and join us to learn everything Tom can teach us about building a better pitch deck.
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: The purpose of a pitch deck The science behind an effective pitch deck What makes us lose our audience while we are presenting Agencies have earned the right to be in the room and should act like it Taking your client on a journey with you during the pitch Why you might want an appendix in your pitch deck How to design slides for memorability and information flow Getting scientific about strategic repetition The most critical part of the pitch deck Don’t just show up and throw up

CMOs have a lot on their plates, and similar to agency owners, their role can be lonely in the C-Suite. Because of this, CMOs rely heavily on agency partnerships to keep them in the know.

To help us understand the crucial role of agency-CMO relationships, Liza Adams is giving us an inside look at what it’s really like to be a CMO—what they value in strategic partnerships, what they need from agencies the most, and why agencies are an integral part of doing their job well.
This episode is packed with candid, practical advice from Liza for agencies to nail it in their client-agency relationships. When you boil it all down, if your CMO is happy, your agency will be happy. And that alone will carry you far in your business journey.
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: What agencies don’t understand about the CMO role Getting out of the competition mindset against other agencies What a CMO wants from an agency-CMO relationship The difference between an agency that gets recommended by a CMO and ones who don’t How AI is changing the world from a CMO’s perspective Should agencies be trying to experiment with AI for clients? How AI will change the CMO role in the future How agencies can help CMOs do their jobs better

The glamor of working for an agency has worn off somewhat since the 80s and 90s. Markets are more saturated, salaries have stagnated, and recruiting top talent has become more difficult — especially since Covid.

As agency owners, that means we have to adjust our process to find and hire top talent to meet our clients’ needs. To help us understand all the changes we’re facing today, I sat down to talk with Michael Palma, an agency recruiting and business development expert.
With decades of experience in the industry, he’s seen all the shifts and changes that have occurred in the hiring process for both agency owners and employees. In this episode, he shares what agency owners often get wrong about finding top talent and why finding top talent is so hard nowadays. He also helps us understand how agencies can find right-fit clients and right-fit employees to match our clients’ needs.
Michael is essentially an expert agency matchmaker who has his finger on the pulse of the most pressing issues agency owners face, and helps us navigate them all with a “humble swagger.”
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: What it means to “walk with a humble swagger” What agency owners often get wrong about recruiting top talent The downhill trend in finding right-fit agency employees How to find be confident without arrogance What’s making it difficult for recruiters and agency owners to find top talent Challenges in salaries in equity for agency employees Knowing what you want in a candidate before you write a job description How Covid has changed new business for agencies Strategies that win over a client Where agencies should be investing in their own biz dev and growth

In the last solocast, we reviewed the agency trends that most affected agency AGI in 2023. This week, we’re pulling back the curtain on the major trends rocking agency owners and their teams in 2024 — and giving you tips to stay ahead of them.

We’ll give you a reality check on misguided expectations around agency valuations and sales. And we’ll explore why daily timesheets and utilization metrics are so crucial for retaining your rock star team members.
Another big trend we unpack is moving back towards more in-office collaboration and nurturing agency employee fatigue through meaningful face time, employee retreats, and using in-office time more intentionally.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve and proactively build your agency’s future, don’t miss this deeper look at the key trends shaping the industry this year and beyond. And to catch up on all the other trends we unpacked, be sure to check out Part 1 from last month’s solocast.
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: Why a COO role is becoming increasingly popular, even with smaller agencies Making the right decisions around selling your agency — or buying another one Why taking a smaller salary as an agency owner isn’t always better Hybrid work trends for agency owners and employees How contractors and freelancers can fill in worker gaps The continuing importance of keeping accurate daily timesheets What helps reduce agency employee fatigue and what’s causing it What agency owners are going to spend time and money on in 2024

Every year, we go out into the field to understand the biggest pain points and priorities for both agencies and clients. This year, we took data from the 2024, 2019, and 2014 Agency Edge Research studies to compare how client expectations have changed over the years.

This year, the burning issue was client-agency trust — what clients look for in an agency, how an agency can retain clients, and what causes a client to look elsewhere for another agency.
To help make sense of all the changes, Susan Baier from Audience Audit joins us to discuss what agencies can do and are already doing to impress clients. We’ll break down the three distinct client segments that emerged, their unique attitudes towards agencies, and what factors drive their decision to hire or fire an agency partner. We also discuss how to position your agency for better alignment with client priorities.
If you’re looking to learn how to better position yourself to win and retain more clients in 2024 and beyond, don’t miss our deep dive into the data to gain a competitive edge in your agency.
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: What clients think agencies do really well Changes in client-agency expectations over the years Agency advocates, begrudging buyers, and exacting experts How attitudes have changed toward having a trusted agency partner Why agencies are having more in-house staff than before What agency management fatigue has done to change client-agency relationships What does agency trust look like to clients? Do clients want an agency with a niche, or generalists? What makes an agency a poor fit for a client How client-agency trust can push a client to look for a new agency