The Innovative Agency Sharon Toerek

Are you searching for more ways to keep money in your agency?
In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, we are joined again by CPA, Chris Hervochon. Chris provides outsourced accounting and tax preparation for small businesses and individuals. During our conversation, he shares insights on avoiding scope creep and updating your agency’s pricing model.
What you will learn in this episode:
Two ways that agency owners can avoid scope creep
How after-action reviews can help make sense of time and scope of projects
Why a subscription-based pricing model is the best option for agencies
What is the difference between scope creep and margin bleed
How to address pricing changes during our current market


Bio
Chris Hervochon, CPA, CVA is the sole proprietor of his CPA firm. Chris Hervochon provides outsourced accounting and tax preparation for small businesses and individuals.
Before starting his own CPA firm, Chris spent ten years between forensic accounting and corporate accounting and finance. He has been featured in publications such as the AICPA Certificates Wall of Fame, Accounting Today, AMEX Open Forum, LendingTree, the IAMCEO podcast, the Success Defined podcast, CMS Wire, CEO Blog Nation and WINSAVVY for his industry knowledge and accounting expertise.
Resources:
Websites: https://www.betterwaycpa.com/recent-press/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BetterWayCPA/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterwaycpa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ChrisHervochon/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/betterwaycpa/_created/

Are you helping your clients achieve revenue growth?
In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, we are joined by the Founder of The Pedowitz Group, Jeff Pedowitz. Since 2007, Jeff and his team have helped over 1,400 companies engage customers, go digital, and grow revenue. During our conversation, he shares his unique model and insights for creating a better customer experience.
What you will learn in this episode:
How the customer journey has changed in recent years
What is the loop model, and how can it be used to engage customers
How does the funnel differ from the loop model, and why the funnel may not account for multiple buying stages
Why marketers should prioritize storytelling and the customer experience
What questions agencies should ask their clients that are often missed
How can agencies conduct valuable customer research for themselves and clients
How buying patterns have changed in the B2B industry, and how it impacts digital marketing
What agency owners should do if they want to reconsider revenue growth


Bio
Jeff Pedowitz grew up working in the restaurant business and learned firsthand the value of good operations. He used to curse at the owners of the Greek diner for making him scrape out ketchup bottles, but it taught him the value of a dollar – and not to waste it. When his parents bought him a Commodore 64, he taught himself how to program and began a life-long love affair with software and technology. Jeff's parents were teachers who later transitioned into sales for World Book/Childcraft. They took him to their trade shows and corporate events, and he listened to Zig Zigler and Dennis Waitley in the car on the family's 8-track cassette.
All those years, growing up in and around businesses instilled a passion for business. Now, every day he gets to live his passion, traveling the world to teach companies how to build better marketing organizations and drive repeatable, predictable, and scalable revenue.
Jeff started The Pedowitz Group in 2007 and has been blessed with an amazing team that he calls family. Together, they have helped over 1,400 companies engage customers, go digital, and grow revenue.
Resources:
Website: pedowitzgroup.com
Revenue Marketing Basics - https://rmu.pedowitzgroup.com/p/revenue-marketing-basics
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffpedowitz
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffPedowitz

How can you continue to grow your agency after the pandemic?
In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, we are joined by Tim Kilroy. He has helped over 100 agencies drive dramatic growth results — like growing 8x in a year, or by 3x in 90 days. During our conversation, Tim discusses the challenges that agency owners are facing today and strategies for growth in all stages.
What you will learn in this episode:
Why growing and starting an agency was easier during the pandemic and how things have recently changed
Why Tim believes that return on ad spend (ROAS) is a ridiculous metric
What are inexperienced marketers and agency owners missing, and what insights do they need to bring to the table
How agency work has transitioned from more technical work to more marketing and strategy work
What are the differences in the growth strategy for emerging agencies vs established agencies
What is the concept of “return of understanding” and why it’s important for emerging agencies to niche down
Why bigger agencies should prioritize learning how to create engaging management structures
Why agency leaders should plan for their own exit, even if they don’t plan on selling 


Bio
“I help digital agencies (and digital agency owners) generate more revenue, more profit & more happiness without working a million hours, being ‘sales-y’ or doing anything else gross,” Tim says of his business strategy.
Tim has worked with over 100 agencies to help them solve problems ranging from “How do I get my 1st client?” to “How do we maximize our exit value?” Tim also focuses on driving dramatic growth by collaborating with agency owners and management teams. He has helped his clients do amazing things – like grow 8x in a year, or by 3x in 90 days. In addition, Tim has helped agencies create account management structures, and coached them through various situations, such as a founder moving to another opportunity.
Resources:
Websites: The Kilroy Report Podcast: https://www.thekilroyreport.com/
Consulting Offers: https://timkilroy.com/agency-growth-consulting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agencygrowthcoach
Twitter: https://twitter.com/timkilroy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timkilroy/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/agencygrowthcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timkilroy_agencygrowth/

Have systems and processes been put on the backburner in your agency?
In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, we are joined by entrepreneur and self-proclaimed process nerd, Gray MacKenzie. In only nine years he’s helped more than 2,400 digital agencies build more productive and profitable agency teams. During our conversation, Gray shares the most common operational issues, and how to begin implementing a more efficient project management framework.
What you will learn in this episode:
The most commonly encountered agency operational issues
Why agencies need systems to accurately determine profitability
What internal agency metrics do clients frequently ask for, and why a client would typically ask for agency metrics
How agencies can improve their project management framework
Why it’s more efficient to build your processes within your project management tool
How systems and processes can impact agency ROI and internal retention
Where agencies should begin with selecting and implementing a project management tool 


Bio
Gray MacKenzie from ZenPilot is a bona fide process nerd who has gone under the hood with 2400+ digital agencies over the past 9 years in search of the best way to build and lead healthier, more productive, and more profitable agency teams.
Resources:
Website: https://www.zenpilot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZenPilotHQ
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sgraymackenzie
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie
How to Choose the Best Project Management Tool for Your Agency

Are you struggling to scale and sell in your agency?
In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, we are joined by CEO, Founder, and Author, Daniel Englander. He helps marketing agencies and B2B service companies accelerate their business growth. During our conversation, Daniel discusses the struggles that agencies face in their business development, as well as the most important tactics for building relationships and accelerating growth.
What you will learn in this episode:
Why it’s important to prioritize building trust with connections and targets
The most significant missed opportunity for business development in agencies
How to be more proactive with relationship mapping in your agency
Why reengagement over longer periods of time is crucial for winning clients
How thought leadership interacts with, and aids in, business development and sales
Why outbound marketing is the best option if you have limited time
How writing and publishing a book can help to sell your professional services easier
How to integrate your book to accelerate business growth for your agency


Bio
Dan Englander is the CEO and Founder of Sales Schema, a fractional new business team for marketing agencies and B2B service companies, and he hosts The Digital Agency Growth Podcast. He's the author of Relationship Sales At Scale and Mastering Account.
Resources:
Dan's Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XRD71P3
Website: https://workwith.salesschema.com/rsas
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danenglander/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-schema

Is your agency charging for more than just tangible deliverables?
In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, we are joined by Brand Strategist and Business Growth Accelerator, Karley Cunningham. She takes businesses from overcrowded, competitive spaces out into blue ocean territory where they can confidently stand out and thrive as brand leaders in their sector. During our conversation, Karley discusses the challenges that come from selling services and the benefits of collaborating on strategy.
What you will learn in this episode:
Why agencies are hesitant to charge separately for strategy
How being seen solely as a creative can limit your ability to be seen as a strategic thinker
How to help clients see the value in the process instead of just the deliverables
What are the five value points that you explain to clients during the sales process
How to shift your mindset into being brave enough to propose strategy as a stand-alone service
What is the difference between a consultation and a strategy session
Why working in stages or phases is beneficial to both the client and agency
How to transition from work-for-hire to fee-for-strategy in your agency 


Bio
Having built three successful businesses, Karley knows what it takes to start, develop and lead a company that delivers results. Her entrepreneurial success story is featured in the awarded book, The Widest Net by Pamela Slim. In addition, she's a sought-after mentor and speaker for national and international business organizations and the host of The Made Possible podcast.
Believing deeply in the practice of givers gain, she is well-known and networked and rarely goes a day without making a referral or connection. As a former pro athlete, Karley is performance-driven. An avid mountain athlete, she is a two-time finisher of the BC Bike Race, a seven-day, 325 km mountain bike stage race, and is always looking out for her next trail running adventure. When not focusing on the business or expanding her network, she can be found somewhere in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest with her wife and dog in their 4x4.
Resources:
Website: www.bigboldbrand.com
Free Brand Audit & Guide: https://www.bigboldbrand.com/surefireaudit/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karleycunningham/