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Understanding your customer's journey is vital to the success of your business. If you can map out the steps in how a customer engages with you, you should – in theory – be able to figure out where and how each step either enhances or diminishes their propensity to engage further. Sounds simple, right? The reality is a lot more complex: multiple channels, multiple devices, organic growth and the ever present human fallibility in delivering a consistent experience, it all takes its toll. So why, at what point and how should an agency look to customer journey mapping as a process to engage in? What can we learn from other sectors where journey mapping drives value, and how can we apply the lessons to the digital agency sector? Guest - Bryan Eisenberg, Keynote Speaker, Advisor & NY Times Best Selling Author Bryan Eisenberg is the co-founder of BuyerLegends, a New York Times bestselling author, and serves as an advisory board member of several venture capital backed startup companies. He is also a highly sought after keynote speaker for industry events across the globe. A recognized authority & pioneer in improving online customer experiences, he has been featured and quoted in countless publications including The Wall Street Journal and Advertising Age for his thought leadership in this area. Host: Alex Langshur

In this episode, we talk to Lisa Stern Haynes, a longtime member of the recruiting team at Google, about how Google does staffing. Hiring (and keeping) exceptional talent is never easy, but there are ways to structure how you screen, interview, and assess candidates to help you make better decisions. Lisa offers 5 tips that any organization can adopt to make for better hiring: 1. Be consistent and open mind when reviewing resumes 2. You’re probably not as good at interviewing as you think you are 3. Make hiring decisions by consensus 4. Make hiring part of everyone’s job 5. Work to make a great candidate experience Join us as we discuss Google’s deliberate and thorough process to research, design and develop a successful approach. Guest - Lisa Stern Haynes, Staffing Lead, Google: Lisa Stern Haynes is a Staffing Lead at Google with many years of experience and practical knowledge on how Google does staffing. Having originally joined Google back in 2006 as a Recruiting Coordinator for the sales organization, Lisa has been part of the same team for over a decade, something that is pretty atypical in Google. Today, she is a Staffing Lead overseeing the overall hiring strategy for the US Ad Agency sales team and the Global Hardware Partnerships team. Host: Alex Langshur

In the second episode of this two-part podcast, we explore the interests, concerns and challenges of the modern day CMO. An agency’s relationship with the CMO is at the very heart of the agency / client dynamic. Since all business is fundamentally about relationships, putting yourself in the shoes of the other person is key. Join us as we take a peek behind the curtain and view the world from the other side of the table. Get ready to empathize with, and understand the motivations and needs of a CMO. Guest - Helen McCabe-Young, Acting CMO, Vidanta Resorts and Destinations Helen has a vast experience across marketing and advertising. She was the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at One&Only Resorts, and also previously led global marketing for Silversea Cruises. Although the travel industry might be her forte, Helen’s expertise doesn’t stop there. She also co-founded Place360 Health + Spa, an integrated health center and spa in California. Host: Alex Langshur

In this episode, we're looking right at the center of the agency / client relationship. Business is all about relationships, and as with any relationship, it’s necessary to put yourself in the shoes of the other person and really understand what their motivations, needs and concerns are. Join us as we explore and understand a little more about the CMO. What are the issues they’re facing, what do they care about and what do they need?

In this episode, we bring a laser sharp focus on the startup phase of the agency growth curve by asking the question: what is the anatomy of an ideal startup? Today, entrepreneurship and the startup culture seems to be totally mythologized. But the reality is that it’s not easy, it’s not always fun, and it is almost always super risky. But it can also be incredibly rewarding. We spoke to Dennis Mortensen to get his strategically tactical advice on how to navigate the rollercoaster ride that is a startup.

There’s something about saying “no”, particularly in a work context, that always seems, well... just difficult. Whether it’s saying no to a colleague when they need your help, to a direct report that makes an ask that you can’t agree to, or to a supervisor when they ask you to do something that you don’t believe is a priority (for you or the business). In this episode, learn how to use "no" as an effective tool to drive towards outcomes, to help re-prioritize projects and to get others to see outside the box. Guest - Victoria Nessen, President, NK&A Victoria is the Founder and President of the marketing agency NK&A Marketing. She also advises Boston area startups and is a guest lecturer at Babson College in Boston. Her experience and fascination with the art and the opportunity of the “no” stems from her work mentoring emerging women leaders. Host: Alex Langshur

One of the most important, and yet supremely difficult things for any company to do is establish and nurture a culture that promotes and encourages innovation. While we often take our cues from larger companies that have linked their brands to the idea of innovation, it can be a trickier problem for many small and mid-sized agencies to tackle. In this episode, we look at how to make sure that innovation (in approach, processes, technology, culture, etc.) remain a part of the business ethic and Agency DNA. Vicky Brock, CEO, Clear Returns A graduate from King’s College London, Birkbeck and MIT, Vicky Brock is an entrepreneur, an award-winning innovator and the CEO of Clear Returns, a high-growth technology start-up. Named by Forbes.com & Bloomberg as one of the 9 top female tech CEOs to watch, she is also the winner of “Innovator of the Year” at the FDM everywoman in Technology Awards and she has led Clear Returns to be named top Tech Start Up in Europe in the European Commission “Tech All Stars competition”. Vicky is also a Director Emeritus of the Digital Analytics Association. Host: Alex Langshur

In this episode, we take a look at the question -- how can I get my agency to stand out from all the other “me too” digital marketers? In a crowded marketplace how you communicate the value of your products and services is ever more important. Alex and Ben will give you insight into how to be different from your competition. Ben Tyson, Global Live Training Lead, Google With an extensive background in sales (including AD of Sales and Account Management for a major production company), Ben is currently the Global Live Training Lead for Google. In his role, he has designed, built and delivered sales trainings to over 30,000 sales reps, 2,000 account managers and 1,000 sales managers across dozens of partners. He is also an avid industry speaker on the subject of sales, marketing and sales enablement. Host: Alex Langshur

The role of delivery is clear: it must earn sales the right to ask for more business. This means it must deliver to scope, to budget and on time, in others words, with excellence. How can you set yourself up to make delivery with excellence the norm and not the exception? Robbin Steif - Founder and CEO of Lunametrics Lunametrics is a Pittsburgh PA based Digital Marketing and Analytics/Insights agency and a Google Premier Partner. Like many entrepreneurs, Robbin has been an overachiever from the start, with not one but two degrees from Harvard. She is a recipient of the BusinessWomen First award, the Diamond Award for Business Leadership, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Digital Analytics Association. Host: Alex Langshur

What does your brand stand for? That’s a question that more and more consumers want to know the answer to. In this episode we’ll be digging deep on discovering that one true ‘thing’ that defines your work. Alex and Ben will teach us how to communicate your core values and deliver on the promises you make. Guest - Ben Roth, Chief Creative Officer, MKTG Ben began his career as a designer and art director with stops at the IBM, the Ad Agency and Octagon before being named Executive Creative Director at Jack Morton Worldwide, then Publicis and then VP Creative at George P Johnson. In his current role, he is focused on driving global brand value for MKTG and their clients. Host: Alex Langshur

Being effortless in the art of self-promotion: a beginner's guide Your career is in part tied to how well you share your accomplishments. Being able to do so in an artful, non-boastful, but honest way is what often sets those who get noticed apart from those who don't. This is one of the most important personal skills to develop. We'll discuss the what to do's, the how to do's and the what not to do's, both from the perspective of the individual and their colleagues. Guest - Annette Warring, CEO Dentsu Aegis Network Canada Since joining Dentsu Aegis Network, Annette has spearheaded the group’s digital shift and led to its full integration into the agency. With over 25 years of experience in the communications industry, she has spent four years at MPG (now Havas) in the role of Executive Vice President, and paved the way in evolving media planning into holistic communications planning on accounts such as McDonald’s Restaurants and Sprint Canada. She also championed greater accountability through media measurement and analytics. Host: Alex Langshur

Clients: The good, the bad and the ugly There are those clients we love and those we tolerate. And then there are those that can be characterized as... challenging. But there’s an art to building a client management plan, and it’s something anyone can learn. In this episode, we’ll guide you through the client management trinity and teach you how to balance communication and expectations. Guest - Andrew Swinand, CEO Leo Burnett North America Andrew started his career at advertising agency BBDO, and later became a marketing director for P&G. He also lead Starcom MediaVest Group, the world’s largest media agency, and has recently been named CEO of Leo Burnett North America. Host: Alex Langshur

A lead is someone who shows interest in your business and gives you their details, while a prospect is someone who, based on research and qualification, is ready to make a purchase. Converting either into sales doesn't require magic, just good old-fashioned hard work. We'll share best practices on how to do exactly that. Guest - Guillaume Bouchard, CEO iProspect Canada Guillaume drives the vision of iProspect Canada, a leading digital performance agency. He ensures the evolution of iProspect’s enterprise culture and relations with partners and major clients. Host: Alex Langshur