Build a Better Agency Podcast

All agency owners strive to be great leaders but that can be a daunting task when there are so many things that demand attention on a daily basis. When it feels like the focus needs to be external on building the company and growing client relationships, time dedicated internally to processes and staff development is often rushed, minimized, or pushed to another day.

As we continue the push into a post-pandemic world, many agencies are taking a hard look at how they approach business and what they want this new future to look like. Many are implementing long-term changes inspired by what the pandemic taught them. Others have been inspired to make changes toward a more focused vision. In this solocast, we revisit the single episode that is most mentioned as having an impact on agency thinking: Episode #100 entitled “Are You A Wonderbread Factory or An Artisanal Bakery?

An agency’s success or failure is reliant upon the owner’s leadership skills to a certain extent. There are many elements that ultimately create an agency’s legacy, but the strength of the leadership is one of the cornerstones that holds it all together. Most teams are built with people who have come up and through the agency world, so by the time they step into a leadership role, there’s a risk that they’re doing it the way everyone else has done it.

There is a T-shirt I wear whenever I travel printed with the simple statement “Be Good To People.” It’s a simple message that I sincerely believe in but the response to the shirt, especially during the pandemic, has been something I wasn’t expecting. It has inspired people to quite literally reach out and touch me with a pat of gratitude for the reminder. In this solocast, I’m talking about the various ways we can be good to ourselves, our agency, and the clients we serve.

There’s no denying that the call for diversity, equity, and inclusion has never been louder. In the middle of it all, agencies are trying to embrace change internally at the same time they are guiding clients on how to incorporate genuine representation. It can be uncomfortable, awkward, and overwhelming. Nikki McCord has dedicated her career to helping clients do the difficult work necessary for creating a more inclusive world.

It can be daunting to try and understand all of the options available, especially when a lot of the COVID-related aid adds to the confusion, so having a solid tax advisor in your corner is more important than ever. How can you make sure you’re getting the guidance you need if you don’t even know what questions to ask? Tax strategist Craig Cody is here to help.

We all know how critical account service people are to the success of our agencies but we don’t always know how to best serve those relationships. Agency owners are famous for taking on the full responsibility of maintaining the client connection but they’re not always the best person to be doing that, especially with everything else they are juggling. Creating a strong and dependable account services team and process is key to business growth and Taylor McMaster is here to share some best practices.

As I think about all of the challenges of the last year - the fear and difficulty in figuring out next steps during an unprecedented time - it’s easy to understand how many of us fell into a habit of worry. In the middle of these difficulties, it can be especially difficult to remember to be grateful. Author Kristi Nelson joins BaBA to discuss the power and importance of reframing uncertainty with gratitude.

With the realization that this was going to be the 300th episode of this podcast, I unconsciously started to put an extraordinary amount of pressure on myself to create something that was fantastic and perfect. Agency owners live with an immense amount of pressure and expectation every day so this kind of thinking is normal. But that doesn’t make it healthy, helpful, or wise. In this episode, we’re going to take an honest look at the question, “How are you REALLY doing?”

If there’s one thing every agency has to be able to do, it’s innovate. We are paid to be creative thinkers on command. We have to be able to generate ideas on a regular basis that serves both the agency and our clients. This can be exhausting and stressful to deliver consistently and we would all benefit from having a better understanding of what, exactly, innovation is and how we can tap into it. Author Carla Johnson has made it her mission to ignite innovative thinking in anyone with a desire to embra

Culture might seem like a recent buzzword but it has always been an integral part of any organization. And branding is work that agencies have built entire businesses around. But the crossroads of brand and culture still holds a lot of untapped potential your agency can leverage both for yourself and your clients. Culture specialist Theresa Agresta wants to share tools and insights for making the most of this information.

Author, speaker, and entrepreneur Joe Pulizzi is credited with coining the phrase “content marketing”. His focus is on teaching marketers how they can build a business by being helpful more than relying on more aggressive selling tactics. He brings a lot of passion and enthusiasm for the work that he hopes will inspire your successful game plan.

Content is the cornerstone of any current agency’s ability to position itself as an authority, but many agencies struggle with knowing exactly how to actually create all the content they need for both their clients and themselves. Where do the ideas come from? What if the ideas seem too big or ridiculous? Is it possible to schedule creativity? How is the content leveraged?

To put it mildly, 2020 was a storm none of us saw coming and it lasted for much longer than we expected. “Business as usual” went out the window and everyone shifted to survival and then re-building mode. Now that we’re moving into a post-pandemic world, let’s explore some of the agency trends taking shape that are impacting agencies today and will continue to play a role for the next 12-18 months.

You have a simple choice when it comes to biz dev. You can chase after strangers or you can attract people who are drawn to you because of your expertise. They’ll come to know, like and trust you and when they’re ready to hire an agency, they’ll reach out. One of the best ways to position yourself as an expert is to be a published author. Many agency owners want to position themselves as an expert but can’t imagine how they’d actually write a book.