Build a Better Agency Podcast

Drew McLellan
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Build a Better Agency Podcast

Scale and grow your agency with better clients, invested employees, and a stronger bottom line, with Drew McLellan.

  1. HACE 11 H

    Take the sabbatical — why agency owners need to unplug with Louise Oliver

    This one is going to be hard for most agency owners to hear, but you need to take a sabbatical — or a vacation or any amount of time off where you completely unplug from the agency. No Slack, no email, no phone calls. Nothing. Most of you just got really uncomfortable reading that statement, but it’s absolutely necessary if you want your agency to grow. In fact, not taking time off could be stifling agency growth more than you realize. Every time you jump into a meeting with a client that your project manager or AE could be taking, or you need to sign off on a minor thing that your leadership team could handle, you’re making it harder for your team — and your agency — to grow. Louise Oliver is going to share her story of how she was exactly like many of you, stressing over her maternity leave and avoiding deleting work apps off of her devices. And then she did it. She realized how much that time off helped her and her agency grow exponentially. So, tune in and take the sabbatical. 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: Don’t be an agency owner who can’t imagine being involved in everything Taking time off completely unplugged shows your team they trust you The importance of having a strong leadership team to back you up The stages of grief of unplugging during a sabbatical The day and night difference Louise experienced after returning to work Taking a sabbatical will give you the freedom to finally do the work you want to be doing Letting your leadership put out fires while you’re away is the key to their growth How stepping aside can help your team find weak spots in systems and processes If a sabbatical or vacation feels impossible, that’s a good sign to look at how your team is structured How taking time off can help you on a personal level outside of the agency

    53 min

  2. 18 NOV

    How fractional employees are shaping the future of agency culture with Sara Daw

    The future of work is becoming more fractional. Instead of full-time, in-house teams doing all the work — how many of us grew up in the agency world — fractional employees like contractors and freelancers can take on more and more complex roles for us. With remote and hybrid work still on the rise, we can leverage fractional employees to bring a more diverse portfolio of skills to the agency without breaking our bottom line. Sara Daw joined me this week to share her knowledge about fractional employees and how they fit into what she calls “the access economy” where we can access a larger pool of talent at our fingertips without actually having to make a full-time hire. We dig into what it means to build psychological ownership in fractional relationships, how fractional employees can make themselves more known within the agency culture, and how the future of work will evolve as the whole concept of employment shifts and changes. This episode comes with a lot of deep thinking homework that will challenge you to look at the workforce you want to build for your agency’s future and the infrastructure you need to start building in order to support that. There’s a lot of good stuff here to share with your leadership team, so get ready to take some notes on this one. 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 is the access economy? Why does the access economy work so well? How psychological ownership plays into fractional work and the access economy The importance of psychological ownership in our relationships with fractional employees Getting a breadth and depth of skillsets in a fractional C-Suite and fractional employees How employment will evolve as we lean into fractional employment and hybrid work Creating culture and creativity in fractional work environments How to be more connected and intentional with relationships as a fractional employee Having the right skillset at the right level

    50 min

  3. 11 NOV

    Thinking holistically about agency employee compensation, benefits, and perks with Drew McLellan

    Many agency owners reported in 2024 that one of the best things about their agencies are their employees. Despite continued biz dev struggles and slow sales cycles, agency owners have had a hard time shrinking their teams because they just love them that much. So, this week, let’s talk about some of the ways we can think about agency employee compensation more holistically to show them our gratitude and continued support. Agencies continue to be really competitive environments, and many of our best employees will inevitably be approached by recruiters and other agencies at some point in their careers. And the best way to keep them around is through their compensation packages. But these shouldn’t just be about high salaries and bonuses. While important, that’s just the tip of the iceberg in showing our gratitude and support to our employees. In fact, the most impactful forms of compensation come from deeply knowing and respecting your team, and showing your personalized gratitude for their efforts and commitment to your agency. Join me on this week’s solocast to dig a little deeper in how we can really get thoughtful about how we compensate our employees, not just with more money, but investing in their continued growth and your personal relationship with them. 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. In This Episode: Looking at agency employee compensation not as an obligation, but something you do out of gratitude Using raises as a reward for employees adding more value to the agency Giving bonuses or profit sharing to celebrate hitting monthly or quarterly goals as a team How a good benefits package gives you a competitive advantage against other agencies Personalized perks and thank-yous to reward individuals go a long way How to know when one of your employees has gone above and beyond Spending time getting to know your employees and caring for those personal relationships Develop your compensation philosophy based on your goals and values

    40 min

  4. 4 NOV

    Laying cobblestones for effective agency thought leadership with Susan Baier

    It’s no secret that new business for agencies was brutal in 2023. And for some in 2024, it’s been equally difficult. So, for 2025, we want to challenge you to get unstuck from those difficult sales cycles and lay the groundwork for some new energy as we come to the end of this year. This week, Susan Baier joined me again to help us look at the agency sales cycle a little differently. Next year, it’s all going to be about using research studies to build your thought leadership portfolio, create cobblestone content, and attract right-fit clients with little to no prospecting on your end. If you haven’t done research studies before, it’s time to start. Get some data, find your unique perspective, and share it openly and with authority. In 2025, it’s going to be all about teaching and educating your audience to build trust so that by the time they pick up the phone to call you, they’ve already bought into your expertise. If you’re looking to get out of the funk of 2 slow sales years, you’ll want to stop what you’re doing right now so you can take some notes on this episode. 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: How does doing research make agency employees and the agency better? Why agencies need to constantly be adapting and learning new things Using new knowledge and research to make your team smarter How agencies can use their research to innovate and be better The surprising effects of new research and thought leadership on client budgets Using research to shorten the sales cycle, build trust, and promote thought leadership 3 big things that happen when agencies conduct their own research Innovative and creative ways to present new research to clients and prospects It’s not just about data — it’s about your unique perspective on the data Building cobblestone content out of larger research studies

    1 h

  5. 28 OCT

    The benefits and challenges of hiring for a COO role with Carolyn Lodge

    With more agency owners wanting to step out of the agency’s day-to-day operations to focus more on being the company’s visionary leader, there are many areas of the business that can sometimes go overlooked. To remedy this, many agencies are embracing the COO role to help keep things running smoothly. With the fast growth of this role comes many questions, which we will answer in today’s episode. Carolyn Lodge, a COO and agency owner herself, has a unique perspective that will help us see both sides of the coin in the CEO/COO relationship. We discuss what skills and qualities we should look for in a COO, the dynamic a CEO and COO should have when working together, the top concerns of current COOs like cybersecurity issues, and the role COOs should play in agency AI development. This episode is packed with insights and advice for agency owners looking for extra support with their day-to-day operations, so be ready to take some notes and, hopefully, think a little differently about how you can best utilize your team in the future. 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 scaling effectively means for agency owners How to identify which areas of the agency are ready for growth Finding ways to replicate and systemize work in a custom industry like marketing Marrying customization and systems and processes for agency growth Letting go of identity attachment as an agency owner to better utilize your team’s skills Building an effective training program that helps team members and new employees be more self-sufficient The more time off you take, the more money you can make The often overlooked downsides of growing and scaling the agency Digging deeper to discover why you really want agency growth Finding your Minimal Viable Operation for what you need to reach your growth goals

    54 min

  6. 21 OCT

    Defining what agency growth means to you and setting the path to achieve it with Marquel Russell

    This is a topic we’ve covered many times before, but it’s an important one. When was the last time you checked in with yourself about what agency growth really means to you? It can be more than just adding more team members and physically growing and expanding the agency. It can also mean growing your AGI, getting higher paying clients, more interesting projects, more name recognition, or more freedom and time off. No matter how you personally define agency growth, there’s a method to achieve it. This week, Marquel Russell is sharing his expertise in agency growth and scaling so we can learn how to do it in a way that works for us. From niching down, getting out of the day-to-day operations of the agency, or actually taking time off (a foreign concept to most agency owners), there are ways to reach your agency growth goals. Join us to learn how Marquel has helped countless agencies grow and scale with just a few tweaks to their business models. And if you’re still not sure what agency growth looks like for you, this episode is even more important for you to listen to. 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 scaling effectively means for agency owners How to identify which areas of the agency are ready for growth Finding ways to replicate and systemize work in a custom industry like marketing Marrying customization and systems and processes for agency growth Letting go of identity attachment as an agency owner to better utilize your team’s skills Building an effective training program that helps team members and new employees be more self-sufficient The more time off you take, the more money you can make The often overlooked downsides of growing and scaling the agency Digging deeper to discover why you really want agency growth Finding your Minimal Viable Operation for what you need to reach your growth goals

    42 min

  7. 14 OCT

    How agency owners can be more effective in creating transformational change with Tamsen Webster

    As agency owners, we’re perpetual change-makers, striving to affect real and sustained transformation not just in our clients’ lives, but also in our own. But as we all know, creating transformational, lasting change within the agency can be an uphill battle. Humans are hardwired to resist change because it can feel unsafe. So when we want to change our day-to-day operations, revise a strategy with a client, or even get a prospective client to say yes to something unfamiliar to them, it can be tough to find a way to get that “yes” we so badly want to hear. Our guest this week, Tamsen Webster, is an expert in change. She joined me to dive into how we can be more effective in creating transformational change by understanding the principles that guide human behavior. We explore how traditional advice often falls short, leading Tamsen to write her book, which shares effective change strategies into actionable insights for the agency world. If you’re an agency owner looking for practical advice on how to communicate more effectively and make real, lasting changes — both for your clients and within your own team — you’re in the right place. So, grab a notebook, listen closely, and get ready to start making changes that actually stick. 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 missing link for agency owners in making transformational change Why behavioral economics and psychology are harder in business than in interpersonal relationships Creating long-term, lasting change over quick fixes The “why” behind how people approach change matters Why people have to agree with the “why” and the “how” when presenting a change We can’t want the change more than they do Why pain and stress isn’t a good change motivator for long-term, lasting change How to go after a committed yes over a quick yes

    52 min

  8. 7 OCT

    The agency owner life plan for legacy-building and getting out of agency owner fatigue with Drew McLellan

    Your business should serve your lifestyle — not the other way around. Many agency owners got into the industry because it affords them a lifestyle and freedom most people dream of. But it’s easy to lose sight of that when the business gets overwhelming and we fall into agency owner fatigue. For this week’s solocast, I want to do a deep dive into one of the ways we help agency owners sort out this fatigue and get back on the right track to achieving their goals and dreams — the agency owner life plan. This plan is a free tool to help agency owners sit with their goals, dreams, aspirations, and legacies and write them down so they feel more tangible and achievable. These legacies don’t have to be lofty, lifelong goals but can be smaller goals that we can start working toward today. Whether you have a charity you’d like to work with or just want to focus on spending more time with your family, you can use your agency (along with the agency owner life plan) to help you achieve these goals step by step. So if you’re feeling burnt out, fatigued, or discouraged, this episode will help you sort out your dreams and desires and help you get back to using the agency to fuel your legacies. 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. In This Episode: 3 things that drive agency owner fatigue Our business should serve our life, not the other way around The agency owner life plan Finding 5 legacies you want to leave in your lifetime Uncovering 3 things you can do this year to start working toward your legacies Choosing 5 people you want to spend more time with to help you achieve your goals How to use the agency to support you in accomplishing your goals

    39 min
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Scale and grow your agency with better clients, invested employees, and a stronger bottom line, with Drew McLellan.

Información

  • Creador
    Drew McLellan
  • Años de actividad
    2015 - 2024
  • Episodios
    477
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Copyright
    © Build a Better Agency
  • Mostrar sitio web
    Build a Better Agency Podcast

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