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PODCAST

Build a Better Agency Podcast

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

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

53:06

EP 477: Take the sabbatical — why agency owners need...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/11/25

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

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50:10

EP 476: How fractional employees are shaping the...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/11/18

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

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39:37

EP 475: Thinking holistically about agency employee...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/11/11

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

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59:39

EP 474: Laying cobblestones for effective agency...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/11/04

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

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54:12

EP 473: The benefits and challenges of hiring for a...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/10/28

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

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41:58

EP 472: Defining what agency growth means to you and...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/10/21

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

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52:28

EP 471: How agency owners can be more effective in...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/10/14

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

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38:36

EP 470: The agency owner life plan for...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/10/07

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

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46:04

EP 469: What agency leaders want and need from agency...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/09/30

Agency leaders have some of the most important roles in the agency. They’re key team members supporting the agency owner in the agency’s day-to-day operations and taking on roles that allow the agency owner to focus on business development and other key tasks. The truth is, it can be a lonely position. As agency owners, we need to consistently work on being more supportive to these key leaders — whether they’re our COO, creative directors, department heads, account leads, or even the company

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44:03

EP 468: What we get wrong about agency proposals and...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/09/23

Agency owners and leaders are no strangers to proposal writing. But despite our vast experience, there are things we still get wrong, and there is always something we can improve — especially as the industry shifts and changes so quickly. I got to sit down with Robin Boehler and Emily Shapiro from Mercer Island Group to talk about the often-overlooked pitfalls in our agency proposals. This conversation is a game-changer for anyone looking to level up their agency’s pitch game. You might even see

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58:25

EP 467: Using systems and processes to make better...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/09/16

When I was an agency employee, I admittedly hated being told what to do or how to do it. So naturally, systems and processes really rubbed me the wrong way. Now, as an agency owner, I’ve learned to embrace the same systems and processes I used to rebel against because I know they help me run my agency better. Despite how constricting they can feel at first, they’re there to help you get a zoomed-out look at how your agency is running and collect data on how to make strategic improvements. For Misty

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51:31

EP 466: Building relationships that attract right-fit...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/09/09

Finding right-fit clients is one of the never-ending juggling acts of agency ownership. We need to keep the pipeline full, but we don’t want to rely only on referrals or say yes to clients who don’t fit our niche or values. The solution lies in how you build and maintain relationships. Not just any type of relationship — relationships that are aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the agency. On this week’s episode, Matthew Kimberley shares his expertise in finding right-fit clients

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38:52

EP 465: The five things agency owners do that block...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/09/02

Every agency should be able to run at 20% profitability on a consistent basis. But as agency owners, sometimes we get in our own way and become the bottleneck to our agency growth. For this week’s solocast, I’m breaking down the five biggest things agency owners do to stifle their agency’s growth. Whether it’s not being able to get out of the day-to-day operations, or not trusting what your numbers are telling you, these are all things most agency owners encounter at least once while growing and

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44:50

EP 464: Merging storytelling with sales for decreased...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/08/26

For many agency owners, sales is a necessary evil. For others, it’s your natural gift, and you look forward to doing it. Either way, you can always benefit from making it easier and better for you. One of the biggest benefits we cover in today’s episode is shortening the sales cycle. Many agencies struggled with elongated sales cycles last year, but that doesn’t need to become par for the course. Stephen Steers joined me on the podcast to teach us how storytelling in sales is one of the most

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53:08

EP 463: Successful podcasting from the audience’s...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/08/19

We’ve spoken before about how podcasting is a great tool for building an audience that sees you as a thought leader. That’s still true, but simply having a podcast is not enough. To truly be successful in podcasting, you must know how to engage that audience and be worthy of their time. As our guest Tom Weber says, “You don’t have a right to have an audience.” An audience must be earned. Tom shared some insights about the importance of knowing who you’re really speaking to. It’s not just about

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37:50

EP 462: Niching and thought leadership — the most...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/08/12

As agency owners, we’re always looking for ways to improve our business development strategies and stand out in a crowded marketplace. This week, I’m flipping the script and sharing an episode where I was a guest on Susan Quinn’s podcast, Better Experiences by Design. Susan asks some great questions to help get to the bottom of the two main biz dev strategies modern agencies can count on today — niching and thought leadership. Doing these two things can transform your agency’s growth trajectory. We

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56:36

EP 461: Collaborating with clients in our systems and...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/08/05

Systems and processes are a tough nut to crack for agency owners, and it’s even more challenging once you get clients involved. Many of us are accidental agency owners who thrive in the chaos and disarray of agency life but know that operating this way will reduce profitability. This week, we’re sitting down with Xenia Muntean to share her journey of becoming an accidental agency owner and what it taught her about agency systems and processes as she began to build her own workflow software. We dug

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44:46

EP 460: Four things we need to make sales easier as...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/07/29

As agency owners, one of the things we fundamentally get wrong in sales is how heavily trust plays a role in the process. We’re selling intangible services and solutions to people with a high price tag, and we expect prospects to trust that we’ll deliver on our promises. It’s a risky proposition, especially for the ones putting their trust (and wallets) in our hands. This week, I’m sharing how agency owners can earn and leverage their trust with client referrals to increase sales. When you sit back

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40:56

EP 459: Creating positive momentum and taking control...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/07/22

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

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57:37

EP 458: Building a better pitch deck that gets you...

Build a Better Agency Podcast ·

2024/07/15

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

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