Will is SUSO’s founder and CEO. He started the company in 2014 as a two-person consultancy business and has transformed it into a team of forty specialists providing technical SEO services for clients in a wide range of industries.

While building SUSO, he has gained experience scaling a team of SEO experts and developed an international team based in Poland. Will values a people-first culture, which allows every one of SUSO’s employees to strive for the best in a safe, stimulating, and supportive environment.

Robert Craven interviewed Will Bagnall about Suso Digital's history, growth, and adaptation to the evolving digital landscape, including their specialisation in SEO, overcoming scaling challenges through talent strategies, and successful white-label partnerships.

They also discussed the significant impact of AI on search and Suso Digital's proactive approach to integrating AI into their services and strategies for the future. Will Bagnall advised new agencies to prioritise brand building and maintain perspective in their work.

• Introduction to Suso Digital
• Evolution from Full-Service to Niche Focus
• Breaking the Growth Barrier
• The White Label Strategy
• Strategy vs. Luck in Business Growth
• Impact of AI on the Agency Landscape
• Suso Digital's Approach to AI
• The Significance of Thought Leadership and Brand Building
• Future Outlook for Suso Digital
• Advice for Small Agencies

In this GYDA podcast Robert talks to Rory Spence of The Wow Company. Key points of the talk are:

• Introductions
• The Issue of Agency Pricing
• Profit First Mentality .
• Understanding Financial Data
• Presenting Financial Information Effectively
• Developing Business Acumen
• The Importance of Forecasting and Planning
• Customizing KPI Dashboards
• The Golden Nugget: Obsess About Gross Profit

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-spence-63023884/

The podcast is a conversation between Amanda and Robert Craven discussing Amanda's new book "Unblock" about productivity in organizations.

Amanda Sokell is a process and productivity expert who helps companies thrive. She’s also a popular speaker, author, entrepreneur, creative, polymath and educationalist; lover of learning, chocolate, dancing and difference.

In a 25-year career spanning public relations, software development, coaching, mentoring and training, Amanda has helped transform the productivity culture of organizations from global pharmaceuticals to family-run microbusinesses.

Amanda and Robert discussed:

Book Background
Amanda wrote the book based on her extensive experience in project management, particularly in software development and system implementations. She noticed that many projects fail to deliver significant productivity improvements when not aligned with broader business strategies

Productivity Insights

Amanda highlights a critical observation from a Vistage behavioral economist who suggested that to meet pension demands, businesses need to become three times more productive

Productivity Measurement
Amanda discusses a key productivity metric called output per worker, which is:

• Calculated as gross value added (revenue less external invoiced costs) divided by the number of full-time equivalent employees
• A universal metric recognised by the Office of National Statistics
• Currently not widely used by most companies across industries

Digital Agency Context

• Most digital agencies currently measure productivity through utilisation rates
• Typically, only fee-earning staff are included in productivity calculations
• The current approach doesn't capture the productivity of the entire business system

Broader Implications
Amanda argues that the lack of productivity focus contributes to:

• Stagnant economic growth since 2008
• Challenges with standard of living
• Potential economic challenges for younger generations

The podcast aims raises awareness about productivity measurement and its critical importance for business performance and economic development.

In this month’s GYDA Member Hub interview, Robert interview Jason Swenk. Jason is an ex-digital agency owner who now runs a unique consultancy helping marketing agency owners grow their agencies faster.

Jason has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to an eight-figure agency.  He is one of the most sought out advisors to agencies in the World, by showing them an 8 system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, Lotus Cars, and eventually lead to selling his agency.

Jason is now the agency advisor and mentor that guides marketing agencies through a proven framework for growing their agency faster.

They discuss:

Characteristics of agencies struggling or thriving
Growing a successful agency
Living the lifestyle – is it possible when you’re growing an agency?
The five roles of an agency owner
Snake oil salesmen
Self-sabotaging – what do you want, what sort of agency do you want to run?
Growing an agency – does the reality live up to the dream
Seth Godin’s favourite agency
Jason’s framework for growing an agency
Differentiating your agency – how to position yourself
Business development and sales
Price discounts – Jason’s opinion
Jason’s golden nugget advice for agency owners
 
This podcast is vibrantly rich with snippets to take away and implement into your own Digital Agency! To watch the rest of the video sign up to the GYDA Member Hub: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert sits down with Timothy Armoo. Timothy is the CEO of Fanbytes, a digital agency which helps the world’s largest organizations like UK Government, Apple and Deliveroo win the hearts of younger audiences on Snapchat and Tiktok.

As we watch the events in the US unfold and the #BlackLivesMatter movement grow globally, we discuss how it’s unfolding and reflect on the world that we live in… how far we have come and how far we have yet to go.

Robert and Timothy discuss:

How we can make a change towards a new, equal future
Timothy’s experiences from education to founding a business
How the Digital Agency world can make a difference

In this GYDA Member Hub Talks – Robert interviews the awesome Tom Peters. Tom is one of the world’s most respected Management Gurus. He’s an Author, Business Expert, Thought Leader, Speaker.

Tom is co-author of In Search of Excellence—the book that changed the way the world does business and often tagged as the best business book ever. Seventeen books and thirty-five years later, he is still at the forefront of the “management guru industry” he single-handedly invented.


What’s new? A lot.

As CNN said, “While most business gurus milk the same mantra for all it’s worth, the one-man brand called Tom Peters is still reinventing himself.”

His most recent effort is The Excellence Dividend: Meeting the Tech Tide with Work That Wows and Jobs That Last (Vintage, 2018). Tom’s bedrock belief: “Execution is strategy—it’s all about the people and the doing, not the talking and the theory.”

In November 2017, Tom received the Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award. (Effectively, All of Tom’s written and speech material covering the last 15+ years is available— free to download—at tompeters.com and excellencenow.com.)

This video is six minutes from the hour-long interview… Just a flavour of the rest of the interview that you can view on GYDA Member Hub: www.GYDAmemberhub.com

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode features expert guest, Rob Walsh — Client Account Consultant at OnlineMarkethink.com. 

They discuss:

• How to streamline your financial plan to optimise income and budgets in COVID
• What to outsource to accountants and when
• How to be authentic in your financial plan
• How to create and understand a beneficial financial forecast
• How you can improve as a leader in the COVID crisis

This episode was recorded on 20.05.20

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode features expert guest, Arnout Hellemans — Founder of OnlineMarkethink.com.

They discuss:

• The way you are reporting to profitability impact
• How to make clear choices to position your agency in; (PR / Outreach / PPC) > Work with marketing departments CRO, Analytics, Tech SEO and Site Performance > Work with operational departments
• How to search for potential collaborations (outside online marketing or inside)
• Embedding works, working at the client's location (for employees as well as clients
• Help clients above and beyond; set alerts, be proactive (GA works really well); help the people who hire you to look good (be their 2nd bencher).

This episode was recorded on 23.05.20

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode features expert guest, Adam Graham — Founder and MD of agency Gray Matters.

They discuss:

• Business development in May 2020
• What is good business development
• What doesn't work
• Why are agency websites so rubbish
• Show passion or frustration
• Stand for something
• Marmite is OK
• How to pitch
• What do people really buy

This episode was recorded on 06.05.20

An awesome 6 minute listen, presented by Robert Craven.

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode features expert guest, Ross Tavendale — MD of agency Type A.

They discuss:

• Work lost
• Personal financial cuts
• The last 10 years have been a cakewalk
• Only the strong will survive
• Smart people are available
• Dealing with the competition
• T-shaped consultants
• 4-day weeks

This episode was recorded on 08.04.20.

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode features expert guest, Guy Levine MD of agency Return.

This episode was recorded on 06.04.20.

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Kevin Gibbons of Re:Signal.

They discuss Coronavirus and dealing with staff and clients, mindset, attitude and making sense of the future. This episode was recorded on 01.04.20.

BOOK REVIEW

In this GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Paul Sullivan, a published author and creator of the ARISE™ Go-to-Market methodology, Paul spent over 15 years shaping GTM strategies for tech and service companies. This experience led him to develop ARISE™, a comprehensive framework that combines proven optimisation techniques with cutting-edge technology to drive growth for B2B SaaS, Fintech, and technology-enabled businesses. Its comprehensive nature ensures that no aspect of your go-to-market strategy is overlooked, giving you a sense of security about its thoroughness.

A quick podcast in which Robert Craven explains the parallels between COVID-19 the Kübler-Ross model. A model which forms the '5 stages of grief' but here he talks about the change curve that we are all experiencing. This podcast is more about how organisations and companies are responding to the change that is happening right now. An insightful listen!

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Rob Sayles a Campaign Strategy and Paid Media Consultant. Rob provides his Partners with campaign strategy, creative, funnels, and ads services. With over 20 years experience in digital (working for a broad range of clients across the globe), he's spent his career working on innovative ways to scale agencies. This episode was recorded on 30.03.20.

They discuss:

• Changing the narrative
• Business development 
• Getting proactive and productive in this New World

Connect with Rob Sayles here.

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Daniel Barnett, an Employment Law Barrister on Employment, Staff and COVID-19 during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode was recorded on 27.3.20.

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode was recorded on 25.3.20.

 In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak. This episode was recorded on 20.3.20. 

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak.

This episode was recorded on 19.3.20.

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to our Digital Agency network on the current state of play in their agencies during the Coronavirus outbreak.

This episode was recorded on 18.3.20.

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Jenny Plant. Jenny started her career in account management in the early 1990’s and apart from five years working client side as a marketing manager, she has spent her career in agencies managing client relationships. Jenny started Account Management Skills in 2010 to help creative agency leaders retain and grow existing clients by training their account management team.

Robert and Jenny discuss:

• Account Management and Sales
• What makes Jenny different
• Project Management and Business Development
• What are customers buying and the AM relationship
• Listening to and understanding clients
• How do AM identify opportunities
• Project Success
• Specialising and a narrow focus
• The future of agencies
• What’s next for AM
• Jenny’s top tips

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Robin Waite. Robin ran his own agency for 12 years before deciding to take a break and re-evaluate. He is now a twice published author and runs Fearless Business, coaching SME’s to grow their businesses by adapting their strategy of selling time for money to being results orientated.

Robert and Robin discuss:

• Growing an agency and closing it down
• The Ah-Ha moment – what made the change
• Marketing agencies – streamlining the process with the client
• Coaching clients – transforming businesses
• Robin’s Book – Take your Shot
• Silver Bullet promises
• Micro commitment  – making the sale
• Making it easier for clients to buy from you
• The internet makes business 10x harder
• Understanding the customer
• The best advertising book in the world
• What works today won’t work tomorrow
• Challenges facing agencies today
• Niche and finding clients
• What’s next for Fearless Business
• Robins top tips

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Tamer Saglambilek, founder and Managing Director of Elevate Digital. Elevate are a full-service growth marketing agency based in the Netherlands. Tamer first met Robert at the 2016 Google Premier Partners Summit in Amsterdam and in 2019 completed the Google Elevator program with our team. His insight into building a successful 25 strong agency is valuable for any agency owner wanting to grow.

Robert and Tamer discuss:

• Who are Elevate Digital?
• The Google story – putting up prices
• Google Elevator
• Dashboards and working on, not in, your business
• Issues facing agencies – changes in the market
• Being an advisor and inspiring clients
• Being responsive
• What makes Elevate different?
• Choosing the right clients
• The future of Elevate
• Hiring the right staff
• Training rather than recruiting
• Doing it all again, what would Tamer do differently
• Advice for other agency owners

In this GYDA Talks, Robert interviews Will Roberts from WebBox about their journey, repositioning their agency.

WebBox initially tried to be a "full-service" agency serving all sectors. However, they realised the need to narrow their focus to gain a competitive edge.

Here's a breakdown of their journey:

• Version 1.0: WebBox transitioned from serving all sectors to focusing on sport, health, and leisure organisations. This decision was driven by the team's enjoyment of these sectors, their existing client base, and revenue streams.
• Key Learnings: Will emphasises the importance of speaking to other agency founders who have gone through similar repositioning. This helped him realise potential pitfalls and the fact that it's a "marathon, not a sprint." He also highlights the difficulty of selecting specific sectors and the need to commit to a niche.
• Execution and Future: While version 1.0 was a step in the right direction, he scores the execution a 6 out of 10. He acknowledges that they could have narrowed their focus further and gotten to market quicker. Version 2.0 will involve targeting specific sub-sectors within sport, health, and leisure, even though their website will still lead with the broader categories.

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Leon Milns. Leon is a founder of We Are Adam a recruitment consultancy specialising in the Digital sector. Leon has spent 15 years building Adam into an award-winning consultancy. They create long term relationships with clients, partnering with their management team to ensure talent acquisitions fulfils their growth journey.

In this episode they discuss:

• Leon and We Are Adam
• Recruitment and Setting up a Recruitment Consultancy
• Evolving the business into Digital Niche
• Why are people so hostile towards recruitment consultants?
• Operating at a higher level and becoming a partner
• The value that Adam adds to their clients
• Client relationships – immersing in the business
• Recruitment, Values and Culture
• Millennial’s and snowflakes
• How Adam has grown and who they’ve engaged with along the way
• Leon’s top tips for agencies

In this episode of GYDA Talks Robert talks to Antoinette Dale-Henderson. Antoinette is a globally recognised expert and speaker on leadership and gravitas. In 2015 she published her first book ‘Leading with Gravitas’ which was based on three years research into six qualities shared by successful leaders.

Four years later, Antoinette’s new book ‘Power Up’ has just launched! The book focuses on real world challenges faced by women and aims to empower ambitious women to unleash their potential and have their voice heard.

• Robert and Antoinette Discuss:
• The Gravitas Program
• The journey from agency to business owner
• Why is gravitas so important
• Woman and gravitas
• Women in leadership
• What are the issues facing women as they go into leadership
• Power Up – the book
• A new power dynamic
• How does this connect with agency owners?
• The change of power balance from men to women
• Key takeaways from the book
• Power Pose
• Antoinette’s advice

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Tim Dunton of Nimbus Hosting. Tim has worked in hosting for over 20 years and in 2011 founded Nimbus. After seeing a gap in the market for agencies, Tim and Nimbus launched STORM, a hosting platform designed specifically for creatives.

• Tim and being more than an MD
• Price Points and differentiation of hosting providers
• Specialising in Digital Agencies
• The Platform and how it helps agencies
• Benefits – a seamless process and good customer service
• Biggest challenges facing agencies
• What’s the future for web and video?
• Processes and KFC
• Words of wisdom for Nimbus customers

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Paul Barnes. Paul is Founder and Managing Director of MAP, the UK’s leading accountancy firm and outsourced finance function exclusively for digital creative agencies.

They talk about:

• Being underwhelmed by the accountancy arena.
• Identifying the niche.
• Accountants missing a trick and not adding value.
• Working with agencies.
• Standing out in a busy market.
• Being an agency partner.
• Strategy and why it’s so important.
• KPIs and Dashboards.
• Profitability and what metrics are actually important.
• Paul’s key advice.

In this episode Robert talks to Steve Kuncewicz a partner at BLM Law.

Working out of the Manchester office, Steve specialises in intellectual property, media and communications-related issues, working mainly with the creative, digital, technology and advertising sector with a nationally-recognised niche specialism in issues involving social media.

Steve is our co-host for our first GYDA Summit on October 23rd 2019. We can’t wait to hear more from him on the day. Here’s a preview of what’s to come!

Robert and Steve discuss:

• Lawyers and the creative hub of Manchester
• The misconceptions surrounding lawyers
• Lawyers and Creative Agencies
• Adding value to clients
• Engaging a lawyer and building the relationship
• The Bulletproof Network
• What are Steve’s aims and what’s next
• The new BLM product
• GDPR
• Steve’s key insights and advise for agency owners

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Andrew Ellis founder of Eye to Eye one of the worlds first new media agencies who designed and built some of the very first websites in the UK. Andrew is also founder of We are Like Minds, a thought leadership platform, holding events in London, Exeter, Helsinki and New York.

Robert and Andrew discuss:

• Events and where it all started
• Andrew’s History
• Agencies and Agency Owners
• Clients and what they actually need
• Challenges that agencies face
• The future of agencies
• Productisation and having a side hustle
• Entrepreneurial world
• Being an owner vs an employee
• We Are Like minds – conferences and events
• Doing it all again, what Andrew would have done differently
• Andrews key advise for agency owners

In this episode of GYDA Talks, Robert talks to Amy McManus of AM Marketing, a Kent based marketing agency and Google Partner specialising in digital marketing.

Amy and Robert discuss:

• The growth of AM Marketing and what size they’re aiming for.
• Is being out of London an advantage or disadvantage?
• Sacking Clients and Being Sacked.
• Burnout and Mental Health.
• Being a Small Fish in a Big Pond.
• Agency Culture.
• Where AM gets New Business.
• Facebook Live and Video.
• Amy’s advice for Agency Owners.

In this GYDA Initiative Talks, Robert Craven talks to David Gilroy. David is the fearless leader of Conscious, a Bristol-based agency specialising in Digital Services for legal firms.

David talks candidly on:

• Specialising in a niche – the upsides and downsides
• Dealing with conflicts of interest
• Building a great business and being a great leader
• Approach to mental health in the business
• Exit, Valuation, Sale
• How to grow consistently
• 2020 Prices
• Advice for other Digital Agency owners

In this episode Robert talks to Steve Hyde, co-founder and CEO of Push, an award-winning Google Premier Partner agency.

Push offer PPC and digital marketing services which are based on their own in-house developed technologies. They are globally the only agency to have won a Premier Partner Award three years running.

Steve shares the history, growth and future of Push. Insights which are priceless for any Digital Agency Leader.

Robert and Steve discuss:

• Push – The History, where it all started.
• The Agency’s Growth – How it happened. Breaking the ceiling and the barriers to get there.
• Diversity in the Agency – Attracting the best staff and multi-cultural agency life.
• Winning Awards – Google Premier Partner Awards
• The Future of Digital Agencies
• The Changing Role of Digital Agencies – challenging clients
• Doing it all again – What would he do differently.
• What the secret sauce is for agency success

Sophie Bennett is a motivation expert, bestselling author, champion dressage rider and qualified ski instructor.

In this episode of GYDA Initiative Talks, Robert Craven talks to Sophie about her latest book ‘Find Your Flame. Why Motivation Matters More Than Talent’

During the video Sophie and Robert discuss:

• Being driven and having success
• The Five Flames of motivation
• Using the flames – Flow, Inclusion, Results, Expression, Discovery
• Why entrepreneurs are different
• Accountability
• Using the book
• How people are using the book
• Your identity as a leader, your team's identity, relating the two,
• The BIG message to Agency Owners

Link to the book review.

The podcast is a conversation between Amanda and Robert Craven discussing Amanda's new book "Unblock" about productivity in organisations.

Amanda Sokell is a process and productivity expert who helps companies thrive. She’s also a popular speaker, author, entrepreneur, creative, polymath and educationalist; lover of learning, chocolate, dancing and difference.

In a 25-year career spanning public relations, software development, coaching, mentoring and training, Amanda has helped transform the productivity culture of organizations from global pharmaceuticals to family-run microbusinesses.

Amanda and Robert discussed:

Book Background
Amanda wrote the book based on her extensive experience in project management, particularly in software development and system implementations. She noticed that many projects fail to deliver significant productivity improvements when not aligned with broader business strategies.

Productivity Insights

Amanda highlights a critical observation from a Vistage behavioural economist who suggested that to meet pension demands, businesses need to become three times more productive.

Productivity Measurement
Amanda discusses a key productivity metric called output per worker, which is:

• Calculated as gross value added (revenue less external invoiced costs) divided by the number of full-time equivalent employees
• A universal metric recognised by the Office of National Statistics
• Currently not widely used by most companies across industries.

Digital Agency Context

• Most digital agencies currently measure productivity through utilisation rates
• Typically, only fee-earning staff are included in productivity calculations
• The current approach doesn't capture the productivity of the entire business system.

Broader Implications
Amanda argues that the lack of productivity focus contributes to:

• Stagnant economic growth since 2008
• Challenges with the standard of living
• Potential economic challenges for younger generations.

The podcast aims to raise awareness about productivity measurement and its critical importance for business performance and economic development.

GYDA Initiative Talks where Robert Craven of GYDA Initiative and Delyth Parsons of This is Plenary discuss client servicing in agencies.

In this podcast Robert Craven discusses how to measure KPI’s with Marcel Petitpas of Parakeeto.

Get a cuppa and get comfy. This 46 minute podcast is a whopper from Robert Craven and Dennis Yu.

Robert Craven is our GYDA Initiative chief. He also runs the Directors’ Centre, a business growth consultancy and is internationally renowned for his Digital Agency focused Keynote speeches.

Dennis Yu is CEO of Blitz Metrics and equal to Robert as another International heavyweight Digital Marketing Keynote speaker. Dennis is passionate about nurturing the next generation of digital marketers. 

In this GYDA Initiative Talks, the two digital gurus talk frankly about:

– When businesses fall apart and what to do about it

– Facebook Advertising – Processes, systems and checklists

– Millennials – The challenge of employing (young) people and keeping them

– What do agency clients really want?

– Why 50 staff is a ceiling for most

– How to grow your agency

– Why you need a heart and a mission

In this GYDA Initiative Talks, Robert Craven interviews Pete Bennett, an entrepreneur and founder of ReviewYoo.

In this episode Robert Craven talks with Alex Langshur, founder and co-CEO of Cardinal Path, an award-winning consultancy that leverages data and advanced analytics.

Alex works closely with Google, including being instrumental in the creation of the Google Partners Elevator Program and the Google Partners Podcast.

He is a keynote speaker, writer and tutor of digital marketing optimisation. In this podcast he shares his knowledge of the digital agency world.

Robert and Alex discuss:

• Alex’s five ‘non-bromide’ key things to managing an agency for growth
• How to mindfully steer into conflict and turn this into a superpower
• The role, value and benefits of having the right partners (and dangers too)
• Using the Greiner Curve to predict your future
• “I either win or I learn. I never lose”: following Nelson Mandela’s advice after an unsuccessful pitch
• Why you can’t scale without systems, and the value they deliver
• The criticality of managing yourself (you can’t manage others if you can’t manage yourself)
• Why when something is emotionally satisfying, it’s probably bad for business
• Persistent effort, consistently applied = results
• The two critical numbers you need if you are thinking of selling your agency

Description: Watch as Robert Craven looks at the state of the nation in January 2025. We preview what's on the horizon and the steps that you need to implement to get ahead in the coming year.

Robert discusses:

• Being clear on the thinking behind what were doing
• What are the winners, the high-performers doing?
• What are the opportunities out there?
• How do you break the glass ceiling?
• AI predictions for the coming year.

The podcast features a conversation between Robert Craven and Phil from Yardstick, focusing on Phil's experiences as a business owner and the lessons learned from both successes and failures in his career.

Key Themes and Highlights:

• Introduction to Phil: Phil discusses his background, including his experience as a financial adviser and the establishment of his marketing agency, Yardstick, which specialises in serving financial planners. He emphasises the importance of niche markets in building resilient businesses.
• Business Journey: Phil recounts his journey starting in 1995, moving from telesales to becoming a financial adviser. He shares the pivotal moment when he decided to start his own financial planning practice in 2006, fuelled by ambition and some initial success.
• Acquisition Challenges: The conversation delves into Phil's experiences with acquiring other businesses. While the first acquisition was successful, the second one faced significant challenges due to poor due diligence, personnel issues, and market downturns, leading to cash flow problems.
• Red Flags Ignored: Phil reflects on the red flags he overlooked during the acquisition process, including unhappy employees and a strained relationship with the vendor. He discusses how emotional investment and sunk costs influenced his decision-making.
• Decision-Making Struggles: The discussion highlights Phil's struggles with timely decision-making amid financial difficulties. He acknowledges that optimism led to slow responses to emerging problems, which ultimately exacerbated the situation.
• Crisis Management: A critical moment in the narrative involves a leaked restructure plan that was mistakenly distributed to all employees, creating further turmoil within the organisation. This incident underscores the challenges of managing communication and transparency during crises.
• Takeaways: The podcast concludes with insights on resilience in business, the importance of recognising when to pivot or cut losses, and the value of learning from both successes and failures.

The conversation is characterized by an honest exploration of the complexities of running a business, emphasising that success is often intertwined with setbacks and difficult decisions.

In this GYDA Talks, Janusz talks to Steve Grant of Figment. Steve Grant is the founder of Figment, a multi award-winning UK SEO agency with a holistic approach that gets results. Figment makes it easier for healthcare practitioners and professional service providers to get found online by their ideal clients and grow healthy, sustainable businesses.

Janusz and Steve discuss health and how it is impacted by running a business. Steve talks candidly about becoming ill and being vulnerable in the early days of Figment.

• Stress, work vs homelife
• Trauma, hospital visits, symptoms, diagnoses and understanding the underlying problem fuelling it.
• Taking a holistic approach to wellbeing and pain. - the mind/body connection.
• The connection between emotional and physical pain.
• Finding resilience to break the negative cycle of being unwell.
• The Curable App - accepting and reframing pain. Strategies to complement your wellbeing.
• What worked and the tactics to being well
  • Getting to the bottom of stress
  • Creating a sustainable balance to counter stress
  • Prioritising wellbeing and bocking a set amount of time out of your diary
  • Pacing yourself to accommodate your stress threshold
  • The compound benefit of small, consistent habits
  • Learn to listen to your body, if you haven’t got time for wellbeing, then it’s time for wellbeing!

QUOTE for social: Everyone has a stress threshold. Learn ways to counter yours.

In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Ben Lee, Head of Data and AI at Bidwells.
Ben Lee, a Cambridge-born former journalist, has cultivated a diverse media and PR career, giving him a deep understanding of the property market. He played a key role in Bidwells' award-winning Radical Capital campaign, which positioned the company as a thought leader and secured a government advisory role. His expertise in technological, political, and societal trends provides valuable insights to Bidwells' leadership.

An advocate for artificial intelligence and Web3, Ben frequently delivers seminars and participates in panel discussions on integrating AI into marketing and communications. His work ensures that Bidwells remains at the forefront of industry developments, benefiting clients and communities alike.

Rob and Ben discuss::

• Exciting in the medium-term but not so exciting in the sort-term
• 30-40% efficiency gains
• AI & Hype
• The Hype Cycle
• What do agencies need to do
• The dangers

In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Dan Fallon of Fresh Ventures. Dan Fallon is an optimist, marketer, entrepreneur, and investor with a strong expertise in business growth, online advertising, and marketing. He is known for his clear-sighted and straightforward approach to identifying what makes a business thrive and has the drive to make that happen.

Dan successfully exited SearchStar by selling it to Welocalize and remains a minority shareholder in ZapMap.

Through Fresh Ventures, Dan is creating a portfolio of consultancy roles and investments that align with his passions, skills, market needs, and potential for reward. If you'd like to start a conversation, feel free to reach out.

Rob and Dan discuss:

• Is Exit so clever?
• And then you become an employee…
• What is your identity post-exit?
• You need a clear idea of what you are going to do next.
• Are you an entrepreneur or an agency owner?
• You can scale a business like a pyramid.
• You can just see what you’d look like at double the size.
• In AI , agencies will still have a role.
• The story of the deal.
• Run a great business then people will buy it.

In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Iain Scott of Base Creative. Iain is CEO // Director of Growth @‌basecreative. Founding Partner @‌exceptional™. Digital strategy & marketing for B2B, & organisations driving positive change. Speaker. Author of ‘Socialise’. Angel Investor in tech for good.

Rob and Iain discuss:

• Background
• Why publish?
• What was the purpose?
• Story-telling as a differentiator - we all love sharing
• The costs and benefits of publishing
• How it makes you stand-out
• Timing is longer than you imagine, plan it, get help from outside, it is hard to do it on your own, have a budget and a plan to promote it

This podcast features a conversation between Robert Craven and John Readman, discussing John's career in digital marketing and the evolution of agency models.

John has over 25 years of experience in sales and digital marketing, scaling martech, SaaS and agency businesses.

Currently, he’s building ASK BOSCO® - Marketing Analytics AI and Modo25 - Digital Marketing Inhousing - a business he set up with Bonamy Grimes, the Founder of Skyscanner, to revolutionize the way brands and agencies work with their performance data and teams in increase sales and reduce ad spend.

Here are the key points:

John Readman's Career Journey

• Started in marketing technology, selling postcode software and email marketing solutions
• Worked with several digital marketing agencies, including Epiphany and Search Laboratory
• Helped grow Search Laboratory from 10 to nearly 200 people over three years
• Attempted to buy businesses he worked for, which led to starting his own agency, Modo 25

Evolution of Agency Models

• Traditional agency models are changing due to clients bringing some execution work in-house
• Modo 25 positions itself as a hybrid agency, supporting clients' journey to in-housing while providing strategic guidance
• This model focuses on more enjoyable, profitable work and is less stressful when executed correctly

Adapting to New Technologies

• John organised an internal competition at Modo 25 to encourage the use of AI tools like ChatGPT to improve efficiency and client experience
• The agency is exploring the use of AI tools like N8N for automating tasks and improving productivity

Work-Life Balance

• Modo 25 operates on a 4-day work week, which has led to lower sickness rates and better work-life balance for employees

Future of Agencies

• Discussion about the potential for AI-driven agencies with minimal human involvement
• Speculation on the possibility of running high-revenue agencies primarily using AI tools

The conversation highlights the ongoing changes in the digital marketing industry and the need for agencies to adapt to new technologies and client expectations

In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Chris Budd of Ovation Finance. Chris Budd is the author of *The Financial Wellbeing Book* (2016) and *The Four Cornerstones of Financial Wellbeing*, and the founder of the Institute for Financial Wellbeing. An expert on Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs), he serves as a NED and consultant.

In 2000, Chris founded Ovation Finance Ltd, a financial planning practice. In 2018, he sold the majority of the company to an EOT, which now controls it for the benefit of its employees. Having transitioned his own business to an EOT, Chris now provides coaching and consultancy to owners and employees looking to pursue this route.

Chris authored *The Eternal Business*, published by Harriman House in September 2018. The Eternal Business Consultancy offers individual advice and support from Chris or his associates to help businesses create sustainable models that last beyond their current owners. The consultancy also runs an online program to assist businesses in this transition.

A qualified business coach with an Advanced Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring from the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, Chris is also a novelist and podcaster, producing the Financial Wellbeing podcast. As a seasoned speaker, he addresses topics such as coaching skills for professionals, financial wellbeing, and employee ownership at conferences and events.

Chris has served as a non-executive director for various private businesses and organizations, including Penny Brohn UK and Thriving Places. His specialties include business coaching and consulting, and understanding and embracing employee ownership.

Rob and Chris discuss:

• What is the EOT, how does it work, and what are the steps you need to take now to get the best possible exit???
• You will be hard pushed to find a digital agency owner who sold their business and got what they expected
• As business owner you are trapped.
• The Fish and Chip deal
• EOT is…?
• How is £ shared?
• From 10 staff….
• Not the same as B- corp …
• EOT is about change of control
• Transition before transaction
• A tax-free exit
• How much do you NEED to sell the business?
• Become the least important person in the business
• 3 stage process
  • owner and core proposition document
  • gather key people and educate
  • announce it and run shadow process
• What next?
  • What’s next for the owner - get a financial planner
  • Is EOT the the exit you want?
  • Start making self the least important person … create a functioning board…

In this GYDA Talks, Robert, talks to Barnaby Wynter of The Brand Bucket Company. Barnaby Wynter is a strategic brand creation expert with over 457 brands to his name, dedicated to helping businesses become the go-to brands in their industries. Entering the marketing industry in 1987, Barnaby quickly rose to become the youngest MD of a UK Top 200 fully integrated advertising agency in London, where he spent 10 years developing the definitive Brand Bucket® Programme to optimize marketing in the knowledge economy.

Since 2010, Barnaby has been embedding The Brand Bucket® approach in a wide range of corporates and SMEs globally through his fully outsourced business communications agency. In 2021, he co-founded a Community Interest Company (CIC) to support black business owners with mental health challenges and has raised funds to build a new school in Uganda, set for construction in 2024.

Barnaby enjoys a portfolio career as a published author, professional speaker (addressing over 17,000 businesses globally), mentor, NED, and marketing expert. As a Founder Freeman of The Company of Entrepreneurs, he is working hard to achieve full Livery Company status in the City of London as a sponsorship lead.

Married to a medical director of one of the UK's largest out-of-hours GP services and a father of three grown-up daughters, Barnaby also enjoys DIY projects and holds a season ticket at Chelsea Football Club. He collaborates with C-Suite executives to ensure businesses are marketing-led, helping them define their value propositions, identify ideal target audiences, and build operations focused on long-term commercial relationships.

Barnaby's expertise includes creating presentations for fundraising or exit, aligning systems and processes with customer expectations, and designing seamless online and offline experiences. He is passionate about supporting challenger businesses in finance, professional services, education, technology, and charity, aiming to make the world a better place. His mentoring approach ensures skill transfer to internal teams, making his role redundant while leaving businesses with a comprehensive Brand Bucket® Programme manual.

Rob and Barnaby discuss:

• The new book, ‘Become the Go-To Brand - mastering inbound marketing strategy’.
• 88% decisions start online
• People contact you when they are 57% along their decision process
• People look for information and help to buy… so demonstrate you care about them… then focus on execution
• Creating the value proposition: get out of the way… differentiate in the style of your ideal buyer (especially in a commodity market)
• Be clear about the difference between brand and branding
• How to differentiate: engage and activate
  • insightful/helful content (FOMO)
  • demonstrate value
  • test drive
  • deliver
• Distnguish between the business owner and a business leader