Smart Agency Masterclass With Jason Swenk: Podcast For Digital Marketing Agencies

Have you ever considered running a fully remote digital agency? Wondering the pros and cons of leading a virtual team? Like anything else, there are pluses and minuses -- and it can be hard to know if it's the right choice for you. One agency owner decided to ditch the office space in favor of running a remote business and she's not one bit sorry. In today's episode, we'll cover: Working on the agency vs. working in it. 3 reasons to ditch your office space. #1 way to inspire remote agency teams. Today, I talked with Jordan Lacenski — Chief Innovation Officer and the main boss at BrandBoss Creative. Jordan is also the Co-Founder of SheWolf Collaborative, an online association for high-achieving women. Here's the crazy thing... she just recently ditched her office space to work from her home and she hasn't looked back. Working On the Agency vs. Working In It Being an agency owner can feel like a circus. You have to juggle clients' brands and marketing as well as your agency brand and marketing. So, how much t

Do you have one mega client that would cripple your agency if you lost them? If you have a client that represents more than 40% or 50% of your total revenue, don't let them hold you hostage. Check out how one agency knew it was time to say goodbye and took a leap that helped build the agency he always wanted. In this episode, we’ll cover: Why walk again from a $750k mega client? What does productization look like for agencies? The biggest mistake an agency can make. I’m talking to an agency owner who lost a mega-client and lived to tell about it. Jeff Conlon is the CEO of Ideas, Money, Art (IMA) the video marketing agency he started in 2004. He shares his story of actually walking away from a client that was over 50% of the agency’s revenue, and how that decision has helped him grow the business into what he’s always wanted. Why Walk Away from a $750,000 Agency Client? Do you have a big but difficult client you’re afraid to get rid? It happens to the best of us, right? We work hard to land and keep amazing

Are you having trouble handling your day-to-day agency operations while also growing your digital agency? Looking for an easy solution to management issues? It might be time to hire a CEO. Wait. What? That's right - hiring the right support as part of your leadership team can actually help transform an owner's role enough to grow the agency easier and faster. In today's episode, we'll cover: Why it might be time to hire a CEO. Why your agency needs a social media funnel. 4 steps to creating a killer social funnel.   Today, I talked with Audra Brehm founder and CEO of Brehm Media — a social media agency with a focus on health and beauty brands. Audra is also a member of my Digital Agency Elite Mastermind and she's here to share some tips and strategies she has used to realize some amazing growth at her agency. She's one of the few agency owners who actually hired leadership a CEO for her agency. She's also a guru at social media and gives us some golden nuggets on using social channels to find agency new bus

Wish you could eliminate the growing pains of running a digital agency? Wonder what pitfalls you could avoid if you knew in advance? With 3 big lessons from starting, growing, scaling, and exiting multiple agencies today’s guest shares a ton of knowledge on everything from business partners to building a team to merging with a bigger agency. In this episode, we’ll cover: Merging with a bigger agency. Building an agency team based on culture. 3 misconceptions on bringing in a business partner. Today’s interview is with a four-time agency owner, William Harper who’s the CEO of WM Harper, and former owner of three other agencies which he has successfully grown and exited. It’s been a hell of a ride for William, so I’ve brought him on the show to share the lessons he’s learned along the way. Lesson #1 - Merging with a Bigger Agency The grass isn’t greener, but William says he and his partner learned this lesson the hard way. They took grew their agency (William’s first of four), Underground, lean and mean. They

Are you looking for a creative way to reward your agency team? Ever considered giving your key employees a stock option? This can be a great way to incentivize and reward your loyal and hardworking team. The real key is to do it the right way so you don't lose ownership or control. In this episode, we'll cover: How profit-sharing can boost your agency's value. What is an ESOP and why have one? Should you be offering free services to gain new business? Today, I talked with Matt Fickin, Sales Partner at Techwood Consulting, an SEO and paid ads agency. I love having salespeople on my podcast. They can help give agency owners a unique perspective. Matt's agency's culture is all about value. So, when it comes to providing employee value, he decided to set up a profit-sharing model. The more success employees achieve, the more money goes into their wallets. He's on the show to explain the benefits of using profit sharing to incentive your agency's team. How Profit-Sharing Can Boost Your Value Here's the question

Are you having trouble filling roles in your agency with the right people? Is your team having trouble building relationships with the client and each other? Building the right team isn't easy! Don't let your agency business suffer because of making the wrong hiring choices. Building a successful agency team might be easier than you might think. In this episode, we'll cover: 4 ways to empower your team. #1 best candidate to hire for growing your agency. Why you need to always be hiring Today, I talked with Brett Sirianni — surfer, agency owner, graphic design enthusiast, and relationship builder extraordinaire. Brett and his partner own Social Supply Co. What originally started as a means to hit the beach when the surf was just right, developed into an agency that specializes in content, SEO, social and high-fives (+193,000.) Brett has built his successful agency team on the basis of effective communication, and he's here to share some insight so you can do the same. 4 Ways to Empower Your Team Want to know

Do you wish you could future-proof your agency? Want to land more agency clients and retain them longer? The agency industry is ever-changing but you can create an evergreen marketing agency by going back to the basics. Some of the best practices from the Mad Men era still apply today! Check out these strategies from an agency founder who's been in the business since the 1980's. In today's episode, we'll cover: Why you should focus on the client's internal storytelling. 2 ways to land big accounts and retain them longer. The best way to future-proof your marketing agency. Today, I talked with Peter Cimoroni — Founder and CEO of Razor Marketing with 3 offices across the country. Peter has been in the agency space for over 4 decades! It was a completely different world back then. So, how did Peter keep growing and scaling year-after-year? How does an old-school marketer survive the digital age? With strategy and persistence, of course... Why You Should Focus on the Client's Internal Storytelling As an agency,

Are you struggling to compete with other agencies in your niche? Are you tired of losing new business to your competition? You can stand out if you learn how to disrupt status quo. You just need to get a little scrappy and start thinking outside-of-the-box. In today's episode, we'll cover: Why your agency needs to think differently. #1 way to achieve agency growth fast! How data can close more agency new business. Today, I talked with Jay Samit — serial entrepreneur, former VP of Sony, Vice Chairman of Deloitte, and best selling author. Oh! And he grew an agency from 0 in revenue to $200 million is 18 months. He's basically a superstar. And Jay's new book "Disrupt You! Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation" is all about how you can create agency growth by being a little different. Why Your Agency Needs to Think Differently Jay talked about his experience coming into a marketing agency that had $0 in revenue and transforming it into a $200 million oppo

Are you putting out tons of material but your conversion rates are poor? Do you wish that you could stay a step ahead of the competition? How do you even begin competing in a saturated market like SEO? Don't worry! These questions are normal! Are you putting out tons of material but your conversion rates are poor? Do you wish that you could stay a step ahead of the competition? How do you even begin competing in a saturated market like SEO? Don't worry! These questions are normal! In this episode, we'll cover: * How to dominate by niching. * 3 of the best conversion tools. * #1 way to boost your agency's profile. Today, I talked with Chris Ching CEO and Founder of ElectricEnjin — an eCommerce website design and SEO agency. Chris is a long-time fan of the podcast, and he's here to share some tips on how he catapulted his agency into adulthood. I love hearing from fans of the show, especially when they come on and share some killer strategies with me. Chris is insanely talented, and he has a few tips that wil

Want some killer tips to help you scale and score more new deals? Check out how one digital agency owner jumped from landing an $18K project to a $500K project by having the right framework in place. And by learning the systems you, too, can attract ideal clients who can pay what you're really worth. It just takes the right mindset and a solid growth strategy. It's all about doing more with less, hiring smart, knowing what to say 'no' to and attracting the right clients. In today's episode, we'll cover: Getting clients to pay what you're worth. 3 ways to make your agency more marketable. How to grab those first clients. Today, I talked with Dean LaGrange founder of LaGrange Digital the Facebook ad agency he grew from the ground up. Dean bought the Agency Playbook and he's been absolutely killing it with his agency. Dean actually applied the strategies in the Agency Playbook and shared this story with me about going from an $18k project to a $500k project. I knew I had to get him on the podcast to share this

Are you trying to grow your agency by offering anything and everything your clients could want, yet still feel like it's not enough? The solution starts with knowing what you do well and what you don't. You could actually grow easier and faster if you are self-aware and start cutting back agency services. It seems counterintuitive but it's a strategy that is working right now. In today's episode, we'll cover: How to decide who to hire first. 3 phases of agency growth. Why cutting back services helps agency growth. Today, I talked with Bryan Phelps, CEO of Big Leap — the SEO agency he founded in 2008. Bryan started off building websites for paintball gear as a teenager and slowly grew from a one-man startup to an SEO agency with a team of 70.  Bryan is here to tell us how he grew his team and why cutting back on service offerings actually helped his agency soar. How to Decide Who to Hire First Do you handle the entire day-to-day of your agency? Are you the Ops, Sales, and Dev team? If so, stop! I know it can

Get ready for some amazing insight from Seth Godin, the father of permission marketing. He dives deep into branding your agency, determining value, niching down, and so much more! There’s a ton of value here to help you grow, scale, and enjoy your marketing agency. In this episode, we’ll cover: The future of marketing agencies. How to stand apart from agency competition. What’s the difference between a logo and a brand? 2 steps for agencies to determine value. Why agencies need to select a niche. What clients really want from agencies. How to leverage your strengths to win clients. It is my distinct honor and privilege to interview Seth Godin on the show. Like so many in the industry, I’m a huge fan of everything Seth had written and I’m so inspired by his wisdom. I think just about everyone knows him, but in case you’re the one person who doesn’t… :) Seth Godin is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and most of all, a teacher. He has written 18 best-selling books, including This is Marketing and Purple Cow. S

Looking for a way to add tons of value and increase services to your agency clients? Have you considered adding video as a service but not sure where to begin? Adding video can seem overwhelming but it doesn't have to be. With the right processes and systems, you can dive headfirst into offering video services to your clients with minimal investment. Learn how to seamlessly transition to a video offering so you can help your clients share their case stories. When they sell more and you sell more - it's a win-win. In this episode, we'll cover: How to build better relationships. Video marketing doesn't require a huge upfront investment. 3 video marketing strategy tips. #1 way to convince clients to buy your videos.   Today, I talked with my good friend Ian Garlic. Ian runs a successful video marketing agency, authenticWEB, hosts his podcast, The Garlic Marketing Show, and consults on video shoots — now there's a trifecta! :) Ian has worked with big names, big businesses, and traveled internationally on shoots

Are you trying to figure out how to scale your agency? Do you want some killer agency growth tips? Finding clients can be tough, especially if you don't yet have a salesperson or team in place to land more clients. But, if you play your cards right, you can skip some of the typical growing pains in order to grow and scale faster. In this episode, we'll cover: 3 ways to reel in more new agency clients How to know when to hire a salesperson. #1 way to capture clients in the beginning. Today, I talked with Kirk Deis, co-owner of Treehouse 51 and creator of proprietary software Bugsquasher. Kirk started off building Tumblr sites, ghostwriting, and grinding in the freelance world. Three years ago he finally decided to make the jump from freelancer and started his own agency. Like all new agencies, he learned some tricks along the way, and he credits is business for mentoring him along the way. Today, he shares a ton of great tips for breaking those first barriers. 3 Ways to Reel in More New Agency Clients Wonder

Would you like to win more clients without the pressure of selling to them? Would you like to know how to improve relationships and build authority? Stop wasting time, energy, and resources by networking. Instead, leverage media to help you win more agency business without constantly selling. Learn some great growth hacks through the art of preselling. In today's episode, we'll cover: Why you should start interviewing others. Why you should start being interviewed by others. #1 hack for selling more to your ideal clients. Today, I talked with Steve Gordon, Founder of Unstoppable CEO. Steve works with professional services firms to help them convert more prospects through the art of preselling. Steve hates the traditional networking grind (so do I!) So, Steve is a big fan of prospecting for clients through mediums like podcasts and video. Here's here to share some valuable advice on building relationships and authority so you can land more business without selling. Why You Should Start Interviewing Others Do

Are you struggling to keep your agency employees? Tired of spending time training team members who leave too soon? Employee retention is one of the hardest parts of running an agency, and one of the most important parts of growing. Learn how you can keep your employees happy, fulfilled, and ready to grow right along with you. In this episode, we'll cover: Why your agency must dominate employee retention. 9 ways your agency can boost its retention rate. 4 steps to creating a team development map. On today's show, I talked with Tommy Chenoweth the Senior Director of Team Development at January Digital — a full-funnel marketing agency. Tommy spends his time focusing on the talent pipeline, which includes retention practices. Tommy's been with January Digital for many years, but as the agency has grown his role has become critical for their future success. As they've gotten bigger and hired more employees, Tommy's onboarding and retention practices has helped them gain serious momentum. Why Your Agency Must Dom

Do you have a qualification process for agency prospects? Do you know when to turn away a bad prospect?  How do you know if a client is a good fit for your agency? Turning away clients isn't easy, but turning down a bad prospect may just save you time, energy, and your sanity! In today's episode, we'll cover: When should your agency swipe left on bad prospects? 5 big client mistakes to avoid. One great example of a bad agency client. Today, I talked with BJ Enoch, VP of Enterprise Accounts at SocialSEO. BJ knows a thing or two about turning clients down because he’s learned the hard way. SocialSEO has 100+ employees and manages a ton of clients. So, BJ is the perfect person to give us all some client rejection insights. He's a 6-year SEO agency veteran with a knack for spotting bad clients. From early mistakes to time travelers, BJ gives us real, practical advice for avoiding bad agency prospects. When Should Your Agency “Swipe Left”? So honestly, I had no idea what “swiping left” meant until a few weeks ag

Want to fast track your agency's growth trajectory? Are you looking to push your agency to the next level? Start thinking ahead and planning in advance for anticipated growth. Dig into your financials, loop your team in and get there faster when everyone's on board. In today's episode, we'll cover: How to get into the growth mindset. How much cash reserves should your agency keep? What's a healthy agency profit margin? #1 way to make sure your vision is being implemented. Today, I talked with Ted Kohnen, he is the non-founder president of Retina — a global full-service agency with a deep technical foundation. The agency brought Ted in as their President as part of their growth strategy, which makes him the perfect person to talk growth! He's here to share growth tactics and strategies that you can apply in your agency right now. How to Get into the Growth Mindset When you're looking to grow, start by looking at your balance sheet. Most agency owners come from the creative side or the account side, not from

Do you struggle to find the right employees? Would you like to retain the amazing employees you have? What about the R&D tax credit that got one agency $150K? Employee retention and acquisition doesn't have to be a headache. And, agency expansion concerns don't need to keep you awake at night. With the right culture and the proper hiring methods, you can find those hassle-free employees and keep them around. Plus, when you train and develop their skills, you could be eligible for a major tax credit. In today's episode, we'll cover: The 3 biggest employee onboarding red flags. #1 most important employee retention tool. Does your agency qualify for a big R&D tax credit? Today, I talked with Dobbin Buck, who's living the dream at his agency GetUWired. Not only is Dobbin a super passionate agency owner, but he also gets to spend his days working from a cabin-turned-agency nestled at the foothills of Blue Ridge Mountain in Georgia, USA. Dobbin has over 40 team members now, and he shares his experiences w

Feel like your agency is stuck or reached a plateau? It happens, whether you're just starting out or in business for many years. Don't get frustrated or settle for the status quo. Instead, it might be time to get back to the basics, get scrappy and get creative. With the right strategy, mindset, and persistence you can make some tweaks that help you jump that next hurdle and reach a new level for your agency. In today's episode, we'll cover: How working for free can really pay off. How to execute outbound sales. #1 most important agency growth tip. Why you should re-think your billing. Today, I talked with Colton Bollinger founder of JumperMedia.co, an Instagram marketing agency. Colton started out in 2016 providing free Instagram marketing services to some buddies and golf instructors. What started out two years ago as a solopreneur-venture has grown now to include two partners and a team of  44 employees! How Working for Free Can Really Pay Off Colton got really scrappy in the beginning, which meant boots