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PODCAST

Agency Leadership Podcast

Chip Griffin and Gini Dietrich

The Agency Leadership Podcast provides insights for agency owners and executives. Co-hosts Chip Griffin and Gini Dietrich share practical advice and industry news relevant to PR and marketing agency leaders.

business management

All Episodes

19:39

Do you need a new tool for [whatever]?

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2023/02/22

Like many of us, agency owners can fall into the trap of believing that tools solve problems. The reality is that we use tools to implement the processes that solve problems. Rather than falling in love with the latest and greatest, start by understanding what you want the tool to do for you. Whether you are considering switching project management systems or implementing a new time tracking program or just exploring some new innovation you just heard about, the advice that Gini and

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23:15

Managing Gen Z agency employees (and anyone else with...

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2023/02/14

Agency owners frequently lament to Chip and Gini that their employees don't have a proper sense of urgency and don't seem to work hard enough. The co-hosts explore whether this is specific to Gen Z or if it has broader applications. At the same time, Chip and Gini look at the causes for this concern and potential solutions. (Fair warning: a big piece of the answer lies in the mirror.)

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22:00

What if something happens to you as agency owner?

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2023/02/08

Do you have a plan for what others should do if you should suddenly become unavailable due to illness, accident, or even death? It's not a fun thing to think about, but it is important to think ahead and make sure that you have at least a few essential steps in place for handling these unexpected events. Chip and Gini tackle this topic, and while they encourage you to keep it simple they do walk you through some things that you should be considering in a "hit by a bus" plan for yourself

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19:56

Relying on third parties to deliver agency services

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2023/01/31

Most agencies depend on vendors and contracts to help provide at least some of the results that their clients expect. Any time you rely on these third parties, you need to consider what happens if they don't deliver as expected. As more agencies consider using AI tools like ChatGPT to deliver services at reduced costs or shorter timeframes, these dependencies pose an even greater risk if they fail to perform as expected. Chip and Gini discuss options, including having fallback plans or

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21:55

Beware of dangerous agency RFP terms and conditions

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2023/01/25

Regular listeners know that Chip and Gini aren't fans of most agency RFP processes and believe that most of them should be avoided. But if you choose to play the game, you need to watch out for onerous terms and conditions — especially ridiculously slow payment terms. The co-hosts pick up on news reports about 1-year payment terms being proposed (and defended) by Dr. Pepper. This turns agencies into banks, something for which they are ill-suited. Rather than focusing primarily on price,

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20:27

Biz dev when you're just starting an agency

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2023/01/17

You have decided to take the leap and build your own agency. But how do you find clients? In this episode, Chip and Gini share their thoughts on how to acquire your earliest clients. They also look at the steps you should take to build a consistent new business engine that will serve you well for years to come.

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20:33

Is AI writing an agency's friend or foe?

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2023/01/10

The communications world has been abuzz with discussion about the impact that AI-generated content may have on their roles. Some agency owners are concerned about tools like ChatGPT taking away revenue from their businesses, while others see those same services as an opportunity to increase efficiency and profitability. In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the questions that have been hearing from agency leaders and share some of their insights on where the technology stands today — and what the

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25:34

Get to Know Your Clients Better

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/12/12

How much do you really know about your clients? Not the organization and its goals, but the people you actually work with on a daily basis. In this episode, the co-hosts discuss Gini's recent article with 11 questions you should ask your clients so that you know how they work and how you can best engage with them. It's all part of building stronger, more lasting relationships that will serve you well as you work to produce results and maintain the business.

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22:10

How to keep making money in 2023

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/12/05

With all the talk of inflation and recession, agency owners are understandably concerned about maintaining — let alone growing — profitability in the new year. In this episode, Chip and Gini explore how you can correct your pricing to handle shrinking margins due to inflation and other factors. They look at how you should think about client retention as part of the profit mix. Finally, they remind agency leaders that price increases aren't the only way to protect profits and that managing scope

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18:03

Stop trying to be like other agencies

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/11/15

It can be very tempting to say, "I want my agency to be just like [fill in the blank]." We all have companies and entrepreneurs that we look up to, but that doesn't mean that we should aspire to be just like them. In this episode, Chip and Gini explain why you should be yourself and chart a course that works for you. Trying to copy someone else's model is more likely to lead to frustration and disappointment rather than success.

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19:55

Agencies and Twitter in 2022

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/11/09

What should agencies advise clients with regard to Twitter today? It has obviously been a very turbulent couple of weeks since Elon Musk took over, but what does that mean for communicators? Chip and Gini explore this question that they have been hearing from many agency leaders in recent days. They emphasize the need to understand what is right for individual clients and their target audiences rather than substituting our own personal points of view. There are lessons to be learned from what is

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26:20

Avoid misusing agency KPIs

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/11/02

It's great to have goals and objectives — both for your agency and for your team members. But many agency leaders don't set and implement them correctly. Chip and Gini explain how bad KPIs can be worse than no KPIs, as well as what you can do to make sure that your goals are actually reasonable. You will find no shortage of advice on KPIs, OKRs, SMART goals, and all sorts of other trendy topics, but this episode should help you cut through some of the fluff and get to the point of what really

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20:20

Helping your agency's new managers

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/10/18

As small agencies grow, individual team members usually begin to take on direct reports — often for the first time in their careers. These newly-minted managers need mentorship and support to excel. Owners need to make sure that they set aside time and resources to help these talented individuals develop the skills that they need. Chip and Gini share some of their experiences, including things you may want to avoid with inexperienced managers and some areas where you should focus your efforts for

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21:53

Taking your agency global

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/10/12

Have you ever considered expanding to other countries, either by hiring help or signing up clients outside your current borders? Chip and Gini share some of their experiences in working internationally as an agency, including things that you should consider before you take the leap and the benefits of doing so. The co-hosts answer some common questions they get from agency owners, and they talk about some of the challenges that they have encountered along the way (and how they handled them).

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20:59

The Truth Behind Agency Feast-or-Famine

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/10/04

Many small agencies experience revenue peaks and valleys and wonder how they can break out of the "feast or famine" cycle. In this episode, Chip and Gini explore the real cause of the revenue roller-coaster and what agency owners can (and should) do about it. The co-hosts share some of their own experiences and the advice they received years ago — and why it still applies today.

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20:05

Charging clients for internal agency staff time

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/09/28

If you have listened to Chip and Gini's advice in the past, you are carefully tracking your team's time to understand how much it costs you to serve your clients. One of the things that you might discover is that you're spending a lot of time on internal meetings and conversations — something that you may not have considered when you set the initial price for the engagement. What do you do now? A recent question from an agency owner wondered if they would need to double a client's retainer to

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21:16

The One Magic Agency Business Metric

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/09/20

Wouldn't it be great if there was a single metric that you could use to measure the health of your agency business? You could set one KPI to keep an eye on and ensure that you were successful. Unfortunately, no silver bullet exists. In this episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast, Chip and Gini discuss some of the more popular "single number" metrics that some advocate — and then explain why they may not be the best for your purposes. Don't worry, Chip and Gini also talk about what you should be

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19:31

Fractional C-level help for agencies

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/09/14

Does your agency need a fractional CFO, COO, or head of HR? That's the question that Chip and Gini explore in this week's episode — along with follow-up questions of what to look for in these outside advisors. These fractional roles have become popular positioning tactics, including for agencies themselves who may position their offering as a Fractional CMO service. But is it more than marketing-speak? And what is the right way to get the help that you need as an agency leader?

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18:59

From laid off to you're the boss

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/09/06

Many agencies got started when their owners were laid off from their full-time jobs. Rather than looking for a new full-time gig, it can be tempting to grab some freelance contracts and see if you can make it out on your own. It's not a bad idea — especially if you have some severance and access to COBRA health insurance (here in the U.S.). But is it really a good idea? Can you take freelance work and look for a new job at the same time? How do you test the waters without challenging your own

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25:06

What to think about when starting your agency

Agency Leadership Podcast ·

2022/08/23

Maybe the Great Resignation has you thinking about hanging out your own shingle. Or perhaps your dream has always been to own your own agency. However you got to this point, you likely have questions and concerns about running your own firm. Recently, Chip and Gini have been fielding questions from some who are in the same place. Do I have what it takes to drive sales? Do I need to specialize or can I be a generalist? Is it too risky to take the leap? These are just some of the questions that are

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180 results

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