Explore every episode of the podcast Agency Journey

"Don't lead with the solution. This is my number one tip for agency operators. And it's my number one tip for traditional sellers, SaaS sellers—anybody who is trying to get someone to work with them."

Are your sales suffering? Are you finding it harder to get calls and close deals? Are you looking for ways to run cold outreach or follow-up after an event that actually gets responses?

If so, this episode of Agency Journey is for you.

Jen Allen-Knuth is the founder of DemandJen, where she helps B2B sales and marketing teams build more pipeline when it might seem harder than ever before. With over 18 years of experience in sales, Jen now works with mid-market and enterprise organizations to help train their sales teams.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Jen shares her insights on effective sales strategies, particularly in challenging economic times. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on the problem rather than the solution, slowing down the sales process to build trust, and using data-driven analysis to improve your approach.

Whether you're looking to refine your agency's sales process, improve your cold outreach, or build stronger relationships with prospects, this episode is packed with actionable advice and real-world examples.

Episode Insights:

💡 Focus on the problem your solution solves, not just the features of your offering. Help prospects understand why they need to change before pitching your solution.

💡 Use signal-based prospecting to identify potential clients who might have the problem you solve. Look for cues like new leadership, product launches, or industry shifts.

💡 Slow down your sales process when things get tough. Analyze your wins and losses to identify patterns and areas for improvement.

💡 Use "unsure tonality" in your outreach to demonstrate thoughtfulness and respect for the prospect's expertise.

💡 When following up after events or webinars, provide additional value rather than immediately pushing for a sales call.

💡 Consider reaching out to lower-level employees to test your problem hypothesis before approaching top decision-makers.

💡 Use the "five whys" technique in discovery calls to uncover deeper motivations and needs of clients.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Jen's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demandjen1/

🏢 DemandGen website: https://www.demandjen.com?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-312-jen-allen-knuth

🛠️ Lavender (email writing tool)

📚 The Challenger Sale (sales methodology)

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 3,000+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-312-jen-allen-knuth

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Are you struggling to differentiate yourself in a saturated market? Are you finding it hard to win enterprise clients and manage complex relationships with them?

On the other hand, perhaps you’re looking for ways to create high-quality content at scale, or demonstrate the long-term value of SEO to your stakeholders and clients?

If any of those resonate, the latest episode of Agency Journey will be useful for you.

Alex Birkett is the co-founder of Omniscient Digital, an organic growth agency that partners with B2B brands to build SEO programs. With a background in scaling agencies and working with enterprise clients like SAP, Adobe, and Loom, Alex shares his expertise on agency differentiation, content operations, and winning big clients.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Alex dives into the strategies behind building a successful SEO agency, from differentiating your services to managing enterprise client relationships. He emphasizes the importance of developing a clear point of view and consistently delivering value to your target audience.

Whether you're looking to scale your agency, improve your content operations, or land more enterprise clients, this episode is packed with actionable advice and insights from Alex's experience.

Episode Insights:

💡 Differentiate your agency by understanding how decision-making processes work in purchasing your services, and compete on edges beyond just price.

💡 Use podcasts and newsletters to showcase your agency's personality and give potential clients a sense of what it's like to work with you.

💡 When working with enterprise clients, focus on managing multiple stakeholders and understanding the complex approval processes.

💡 Build a strong freelance writer network with subject matter experts who can contribute unique insights to your content.

💡 Leverage original research and data to create thought leadership content that's difficult for competitors to replicate.

💡 Focus on being the best version of yourself rather than obsessing over competition in the saturated agency space.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamalexbirkett/

🌐 Omniscient Digital website: https://beomniscient.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-311-alex-birkett

📰 Alex's newsletter, Field Notes: https://beomniscient.com/newsletter/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-311-alex-birkett

🎙️ The Long Game podcast: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-311-alex-birkett

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-311-alex-birkett

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Tired of working harder for the same (or less) money? Frustrated by clients who don't value your expertise? 

Or perhaps you’re dealing with:

– Razor-thin profit margins;

– Clients who nickel and dime you;

– Difficulty scaling without burning out;

– Sales processes that feel like pulling teeth?

If so, this episode of Agency Journey is for you.

Raul Hernandez Ochoa is the founder of Do Good Work, a growth consultancy helping agencies scale and increase profitability. With experience building multiple agencies and leading teams to significant revenue growth, Raul brings a wealth of knowledge on pricing strategies, sales processes, and delivering high-value outcomes to clients.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Raul shares his framework for increasing revenue per client without increasing workload. 

He tackles the mindset shifts you need to make, shows you how to ditch "selling services" for good, and reveals his value-based pricing approach that'll have clients eager to pay premium rates.

Whether you're looking to boost your agency's profitability, improve your sales process, or deliver more impactful results for clients, this episode will be well worth your listen.

Episode Insights:

💡 Focus on selling outcomes and transformations rather than specific services or deliverables.

💡 Develop a deep understanding of your ideal client's pain points and desired outcomes.

💡 Use discovery calls to mirror the client's language and demonstrate a true understanding of their challenges.

💡 Create a "methodology" or unique mechanism that delivers your outcomes, rather than selling individual tasks.

💡 Offer different tiers of service, but ensure all options are profitable based on your ideal profit numbers.

💡 Productize your services on the backend for efficient delivery, while presenting custom solutions to clients.

💡 Continuously reinvest in yourself and bet on your own capabilities to drive agency growth.

💡 Build patience with yourself, the process, and others as you implement new strategies.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Do Good Work website: https://dogoodwork.io/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-310-raul-hernandez-ochoa

🌐 Raul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dogoodwork/

📚 "The Magic of Thinking Big" by David J. Schwartz

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 3,000+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-310-raul-hernandez-ochoa

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"The value of an hour of your time as an agency owner, if you're growing, is never going backwards."

In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray “The Martian” MacKenzie joins Kuba to discuss the challenges and strategies for agency owners scaling their businesses beyond 10 full-time employees (FTEs). 

Gray shares valuable insights on both the psychological and operational aspects of this critical growth phase.

If your agency is past the 10 FTE threshold—or close to it—this is a must-listen to prepare you for the obstacles that you’re about to navigate.

Episode Insights:

💡 The "messy middle" for agencies is typically between 10-30 employees

💡 There are specific skills owners need to develop at this stage: prioritization, forecasting, decision-making, and clear communication

💡 Creating the next layer of leadership is crucial to reduce direct reports and manage growth

💡 Move out of delivery roles first, and focus on the growth side of the business

💡 Building robust systems and processes is key to supporting consistent delivery and hiring

💡 Implementing capacity and workload tracking becomes critical at this stage

💡 Leaning into your agency's unfair advantage is crucial for sustainable growth

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Gray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie/

🛠️ ClickUp: https://www.clickup.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-309-gray-10-fte-wall

🛠️ EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 3,000+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-309-gray-10-fte-wall

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“If a handful of 20 year olds can service millions of dollars a year in revenue—your agency can, with very little stress and very little complications. And your newsletter can, too.”

Marketing Max is a serial entrepreneur and growth marketer with a seven-figure agency exit under his belt. He's the man behind the Growth Daily marketing newsletter, read by over 50,000 world-class CEOs, founders, and marketers every day.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Max shares his journey from Wall Street to agency owner to media mogul. He discusses the pivotal moment when he niched down his agency services, leading to explosive growth and eventual exit. Max also dives deep into his current ventures, including his portfolio of marketing software, media, and service businesses built on the back of a massive audience.

Whether you're looking to scale your agency, grow a newsletter, or build a media empire, this episode will help you get there.

Episode Insights:

💡 Read "Built to Sell" by John Warrillow - it can be a game-changer for agency owners looking to scale and eventually exit.

💡 Niching down to one or two core services can lead to exponential growth and profitability for agencies.

💡 Growing a newsletter through strategic ads can be a powerful way to generate leads and revenue for your agency.

💡 Consider building a portfolio of businesses on the back of a large audience, using unsold ad inventory to promote your own products and services.

💡 Create a "coloring book" template for your newsletter content to streamline production and maintain consistency.

💡 Don't underestimate the power of systems and processes in scaling both agencies and media businesses.

Resources Mentioned:

📚 "Built to Sell" by John Warrillow

🌐 Marketing Max on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxbidna/

🐦 Marketing Max on X (Twitter): https://x.com/MarketingMax

🌐 Growth Daily website: https://growthdaily.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-308-marketing-max

🏢 The Newsletter Team: https://thenewsletterteam.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-308-marketing-max

📺 Mad Men (TV show)

👤 Russell Brunson

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 3,000+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-308-marketing-max

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"Clarity is not the natural state of things. It is a discipline that we have to build into ourselves and into our organizations to create clarity for the team. The outcome is well worth it."

In this episode of Agency Journey, Kuba talks with Gray about the importance of clarity in agency leadership and operations. Gray emphasizes that clarity is a form of kindness—it reduces anxiety, builds trust, and allows team members to make better decisions aligned with the company's vision.

If you're struggling with unclear processes, misunderstandings in your team, or a lack of focus in your agency's direction, this episode will arm you with practical advice on how to bring more clarity to your organization.

Episode Insights:

💡 Clarity in vision allows team members to make decisions aligned with the company's goals

💡 Documenting and communicating clear processes is crucial for consistent client experiences

💡 Be more direct in communication than you think you need to be - most people appreciate candor

💡 Build "relational equity" to balance direct feedback with personal care for team members

💡 Use tools like the EOS Accountability Chart to clarify roles and responsibilities

💡 Shadow top performers to document their processes, but be aware they may not be fully conscious of all they do

💡 Regularly question if your actions align with your stated goals and vision for the business

💡 Getting clear on who you serve (and who you don't) is often the biggest catalyst for agency growth

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Gray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie/

📚 "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

📚 "Turn the Ship Around!" by L. David Marquet

🛠️ ClickUp: https://www.clickup.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-307-gray-clarity-kindness

🛠️ EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)

👥 INBOUND Conference

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 3,000+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-307-gray-clarity-kindness

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“We have to optimize the business just like a hotel optimizes their business—because you can only sell your time once, and we're in the business of selling time."

Tycho Luijten is the CEO and co-founder of Dapper, a B2B marketing agency focused on helping scale-ups set up marketing engines that deliver inbound leads. With offices in Rotterdam and Lisbon, Dapper has grown to a team of 30 experts and has ambitious plans to become a key global player in the next 8 years.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Tycho shares invaluable insights on niching down, creating effective video content for LinkedIn, and the importance of proper time tracking for agency growth. He emphasizes the power of focusing on a specific market segment and consistently delivering value through content marketing.

Whether you're looking to refine your agency's focus, improve your content strategy, or optimize your operations, this episode is packed with actionable advice from a rapidly growing agency.

Episode Insights:

💡 Niche down to grow faster: Focusing on B2B scale-ups allowed Dapper to create targeted content and marketing strategies.

💡 Balance specialists and generalists: Having a strong generalist who can oversee the entire marketing funnel is crucial in B2B marketing.

💡 Create in-platform content for LinkedIn: Short video clips (1-3 minutes) that provide value and address prospect problems perform best.

💡 Focus on building problem awareness, solution awareness, and authority in your content.

💡 Aim for high visibility frequency: Post 4-5 times a week, including 1-2 videos, to stay top-of-mind with your target audience.

💡 Use paid promotion to ensure your content reaches your ideal customer profile (ICP).

💡 Start videos with strong statements or results to immediately capture viewer interest.

💡 Implement proper time tracking to optimize business operations and profitability.

💡 Leverage your existing team for sales support: Involve consultants in the sales process to handle tasks outside of client meetings, freeing up the founder's time for strategic thinking and key client interactions.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Tycho's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tycholuijten/

🌐 Dapper website: https://www.dapper.agency/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-306-tycho-luijten

🎙️ Agency Journey episode on time tracking with Gray MacKenzie: https://share.transistor.fm/s/b1232eb1

📱 Rode microphone for video content creation

🛠️ ClickUp for project management and time tracking

📊 ZenPilot Profitability Reports: https://www.zenpilot.com/agency-profitability-and-utilization-reporting/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-306-tycho-luijten

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 3,000+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-306-tycho-luijten

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"I can't grow if I'm doing the same stuff that I was doing last year. So for me to grow, I need to give my leaders space to grow in so that they're doing the stuff that I was doing last year—and then I'm doing something different. That's my yardstick for a good year."

Damian Papworth is the founder and managing director of Globital, a white label digital marketing agency serving over 250 agencies across 6-8 countries. With a team of around 300 staff distributed globally, Damian has built a scalable agency model focused on consistent, high-quality fulfillment.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Damian shares insights on building an agency for enterprise value, leading a distributed team, and navigating uncertain times in the industry. He emphasizes the importance of strategy over tactics and building strong relationships to weather economic challenges.

Whether you're looking to scale your agency, improve your leadership skills, or prepare your business for a potential exit, this episode is packed with valuable advice from Damian's years of experience in the industry.

🎁 Get $1,000 credit to try Globital's white label services for your agency: https://globitalmarketing.com/lp/white-label-digital-marketing/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-305-damian-papworth

Episode Insights:

💡 Focus on profit, not revenue, when setting goals and measuring success. Your agency will be valued based on profit multiples, not revenue.

💡 Be aware of the tension between operational value and enterprise value when making business decisions. Sometimes what works best day-to-day may not be ideal for selling your agency.

💡 Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, especially during uncertain times. Agencies with deeper relationships have weathered recent challenges better than those relying on high-churn sales tactics.

💡 Implement Net Promoter Score and make your operational teams responsible for customer satisfaction. This builds trust and drives continuous improvement.

💡 Develop strong leaders within your organization to create a business that can run without you. Invest in executive coaching and give your leaders space to grow.

💡 Create consistent, documented processes to deliver reliable results at scale. Focus on being consistently good rather than occasionally brilliant.

💡 When meeting with your leadership team, ask "How can I help you?" to support their growth and development.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Damian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianpapworth/

🌐 Damian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/damianpapworth/

🌐 Globital website: https://www.globitalmarketing.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-305-damian-papworth

📚 "Who: The A Method for Hiring" by Geoff Smart and Randy Street

🛠️ Net Promoter Score for measuring customer satisfaction

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 3,000+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-305-damian-papworth

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Ben Catley-Richardson is the "Accountability Viking" for agencies, helping owners of 3-5 year old agencies grow beyond their own capabilities. 

With a background in video game journalism and a passion for Norse mythology, Ben brings a unique perspective to agency growth and accountability.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Ben shares insights on the importance of rest and reflection in the growth cycle, the power of creating personas, and how to prioritize effectively in an overstimulated world. 

He emphasizes the value of disconnecting and the science behind why rest is crucial for sustainable business growth.

Whether you're looking to scale your agency, improve your work-life balance, or foster a culture of intentional growth, this episode is packed with actionable advice and fascinating perspectives on Viking culture and modern business practices.

Episode Insights:

💡 Rest and reflection are crucial parts of the growth cycle. Taking time off isn't "doing nothing"—it's driving you forward and making sustainable business growth possible.

💡 Creating a persona (like Ben's Viking persona) can give you permission to stand out and motivate you to live up to that image.

💡 Digital agency owners are often overstimulated. Constantly being "plugged in" can hinder growth and learning.

💡 Sleep is crucial for health and growth. Most people need more than 6 hours of sleep per night.

💡 Focus on having a single priority rather than multiple "priorities." This makes decision-making easier and reduces procrastination.

💡 To find your priority, identify the main blocker preventing you from achieving your goals. Your priority should be removing that blocker.

💡 Create an environment that supports your priority (e.g. removing distractions).

💡 Make the right sacrifices by prioritizing what truly matters. Don't sacrifice your life enjoyment for unnecessary work.

💡 Aim to finish each week satisfied with your progress towards your priority. This makes it easier to truly unplug and enjoy life outside of work.

💡 Celebrate your wins, no matter how small. Ben uses a handbell to mark achievements.

💡 Ben's 5-gate system for growth and learning:

🏛️ Awareness: Recognize the problem or opportunity

🏛️ Agitation: Find motivation to take action

🏛️ Attention: Focus without distractions

🏛️ Reward: Reflect on progress and build momentum

🏛️ Process: Rest and "bank" your gains

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/accountabilityviking/

(☝️ check it out to sign up for Ben’s weekly “Thor’s Day” accountability emails + get a free 20-minute accountability MOT session!)

🌐 Ben’s website: https://getshitdone.fun/?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-304-ben-catley

📚 "The Alter Ego Effect" by Todd Herman

📚 "Why We Sleep" by Dr. Matt Walker

📚 "Atomic Habits" by James Clear

📚 "Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman

🏛️ The Norwegian Rune Poem

⚒️ Mjolnir (Thor's hammer) as a symbol of accountability

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-304-ben-catley

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"Going from a company of know-it-alls to a company of test-it-alls—that's really powerful at the organizational level. And it makes people's work so much more meaningful."

David Arnoux is the co-founder and CEO of Growth Tribe, one of Europe's leading EdTech providers focused on bridging digital skills gaps within organizations. With a background in growth marketing and consulting, David has built Growth Tribe into a powerhouse that has trained over 35,000 alumni from 1,000+ companies.

In this episode of Agency Journey, David shares insights on the importance of experimentation, data-informed decision making, and continuous learning in today's fast-paced digital landscape. He emphasizes the value of upskilling teams to drive long-term impact and ROI for organizations.

Whether you're looking to scale your agency, improve your team's capabilities, or foster a culture of experimentation, this episode is packed with actionable advice and fascinating perspectives.

Episode Insights:

💡 Focus on delivering measurable results for clients, considering both quantitative and qualitative/emotional impact.

💡 Use the "five whys" technique in discovery calls to uncover deeper motivations and needs of clients.

💡 Consider offering training as an add-on service to help clients better understand and implement your agency's work.

💡 Adopt an experimentation mindset across your organization using the GROWS framework (Gather ideas, Rank ideas, Outline experiment, Work work work, Study results).

💡 Aim to increase your experimentation velocity by 2-5x to drive faster learning and innovation.

💡 When improving processes or systems, focus on removing complexity rather than always adding new tools or steps.

💡 Surround yourself with "completer finishers" if you tend to be more of an idea generator and fire starter.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidarnoux/

🌐 Growth Tribe website: https://www.growthtribe.io/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-303-david-arnoux

📚 "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World" by David Epstein

📚 "Managing the Professional Service Firm" by David Maister

📚 "Thinking in Bets" by Annie Duke

🧠 GROWS framework for experimentation

👥 Winning By Design (sales methodology)

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 3,000+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-303-david-arnoux

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"Trust is only built through time. It's very hard to build trust through any other mode than time. And that's what's great about having a podcast."

Hector Santiesteban is the founder of Amplafy Media, a podcast production company helping businesses leverage podcasting to drive revenue. 

In this episode of Agency Journey, Hector shares insights on using podcasts strategically to grow your business and generate leads. 

He emphasizes the importance of focusing on benefits over features, creating a great guest experience, and using different podcast formats to build trust and drive sales.

This episode will be a great listen for agency owners looking to leverage podcasting for growth; podcast hosts seeking to monetize their shows more effectively; as well as business leaders wanting to establish thought leadership in their niche.

Episode Insights:

💡 Focus on selling the benefits of your services, not just the features. Understand what outcomes your clients are looking for.

💡 Use podcasts to get meetings with prospects more easily than cold outreach. Conversion rates for podcast guest invites can be up to 70%.

💡 Have conversations on equal terms with guests rather than just putting them on a pedestal and interviewing them—this allows you to maintain your positioning as an expert and your "sales equity" in the eyes of the audience.

💡 Create a great guest experience to encourage sharing the episode after it’s published. Provide easy-to-use promotional materials on a dedicated page.

💡 Consider using a mix of solo episodes, co-hosted shows, and guest interviews to build trust and showcase expertise.

💡 Niche down your podcast topic to quickly become a recognized expert in an industry.

💡 Use AI tools like ChatGPT to help repurpose podcast content into SEO-optimized blog posts.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Hector's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-podcast/

🌐 Hector's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hector_podcast/

🌐 Amplafy Media website: https://www.amplafymedia.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-302-hector-santiesteban 

💰 Book a Podcast Profitability Session with Hector’s team: https://calendly.com/hector_podcast/podcast-brainstorming-session/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-302-hector-santiesteban 

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-302-hector-santiesteban 

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Corey Morris is the owner and CEO of Voltage Digital, a specialized digital marketing agency focused on search marketing and websites. 

He's also the author of  "Digital Marketing Success Plan", a new book aiming to help businesses worldwide make digital marketing predictable with a documented strategy and objective, actionable plan. 

In this episode of Agency Journey, Corey shares insights on niching down an agency's services, creating comprehensive digital marketing plans, and adapting to AI in search marketing.

This is a great conversation for agency leaders interested in specialization, strategic planning, and staying ahead of industry changes.

Episode Insights:

💡 Niching down services can be scary but pays off. Focus on what you do best and can differentiate on.

💡 Document your strategic planning process to create accountability and consistency as you scale.

💡 Connect marketing KPIs to business outcomes and ROI. Don't shy away from asking uncomfortable questions about costs and profit margins.

💡 Be prepared to adapt your services as search evolves, whether it's called SEO or something else in the future. The core need to "be found" will remain.

💡 Build a comprehensive digital marketing plan using the START framework: Strategy, Tactics, Application, Review, Transformation.

💡 Stay flexible to industry changes like AI, but maintain focus on delivering results for clients.

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Corey’s newly released book, "Digital Marketing Success Plan": https://thedmsp.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-301-corey-morris

🌐 Corey's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymorris/

🌐 Voltage Digital agency website: https://voltage.digital/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-301-corey-morris

🔍 Search Engine Journal

🔍 Search Engine Land

People to Follow:

👤 Bruce Clay (SEO training expert)

👤 Gray MacKenzie (ZenPilot CEO and previous Agency Journey host)

👤 Jim Sterne (AI in search results expert)

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-301-corey-morris

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"It was clear that there was so much power in individuals banding together to do something."

Cooper Munroe is the CEO of The Motherhood, an influencer marketing agency founded in 2006, long before the term "influencer marketing" existed. Cooper shares the fascinating origin story of her agency, which emerged from a viral blog post during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Cooper discusses the evolution of influencer marketing over the past 15+ years, from early "mommy blogs" to today's multi-billion dollar industry. She provides insights on best practices, untapped opportunities in regulated industries, and the importance of authenticity in influencer partnerships.

This conversation is valuable for agency leaders interested in the history and future of influencer marketing, as well as those looking to partner with specialized agencies to deliver these services.

Episode Insights:

💡 The power of authentic, user-generated content was evident even in the early days of blogging, before social media platforms existed.

💡 Influencer marketing has evolved from a one-off tactic to an integrated piece of the overall marketing strategy for many brands.

💡 Micro-influencers often deliver the best results due to high engagement and trust with their audiences.

💡 Authenticity is crucial - influencers must have a genuine affinity for the products or causes they promote.

💡 There are untapped opportunities for influencer marketing in highly regulated industries like pharma, healthcare, and finance, as well as in B2B sectors.

💡 Revisiting core questions like "Why do we exist?" and "How will we succeed?" is important for agency leaders, especially those who've pivoted or evolved their business models.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 The Motherhood agency website: https://www.themotherhood.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-300-cooper-munroe

🌐 Cooper's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coopermunroe

📝 Cooper's Forbes Agency Council articles: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/people/coopermunroe/

📚 The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni (book recommendation)

🛠️ EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)

👥 Vistage (executive coaching organization)

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-300-cooper-munroe

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"Managing a CEO's LinkedIn account is a full-time job."

Garret Caudle is the founder and CEO of Influent, a full-funnel LinkedIn marketing agency. With a background in scaling agencies and a passion for LinkedIn's untapped potential, Garret shares his expertise on leveraging the platform for thought leadership and business growth.

In this insightful episode of Agency Journey, Garret breaks down the strategy behind effective LinkedIn content creation for agency founders and executives. He emphasizes the importance of developing a clear point of view and consistently sharing valuable insights with your target audience.

Whether you're looking to establish yourself as an industry thought leader or generate more leads for your agency, this episode will give you plenty of inspiration and actionable advice to make LinkedIn a key pipeline driver for your business.

Episode Insights:

💡 Create a "thought leadership map" outlining your core beliefs and perspectives on industry trends. Use this as a foundation for your content strategy.

💡 Aim for 4 LinkedIn posts per week, focusing primarily on text-based content that showcases your unique point of view.

💡 Analyze engagement to ensure you're reaching your ideal customer profile (ICP), not just your existing network. Quality of engagement matters more than vanity metrics.

💡 Be patient - expect to see "green shoots" of results within 90 days, more consistent lead flow by 6 months, and significant impact by 1 year.

💡 Use proprietary data and unique insights from your client work to differentiate your content and showcase your expertise.

💡 Consider incorporating personal elements into your professional content to make it uniquely yours, without relying solely on selfies or personal anecdotes.

💡 Leverage your team's expertise by having them interview you about your POVs to generate content ideas.

💡 Write concisely and conversationally, leading with your main point or value proposition in each post.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Garret's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garretcaudle/

🏢 Garret’s LinkedIn agency, Influent: https://influent.co/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-299-garret-caudle

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-299-garret-caudle

Is it ever possible to track 40 hours of work in a given week?

If not, what should the benchmark be?

What is time tracking for, anyway?

And how to talk about it with your team members in a way that makes them motivated, and gives you good insights?

In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray and Kuba discuss the challenges and best practices of time tracking in agencies. They explore how to communicate its purpose, implement effective processes, and use the data to drive business decisions.

Episode Insights:

💡 The real purpose of time tracking is to shape business decisions and help managers guide team members' focus

💡 Clear communication about why you're tracking time is crucial for team buy-in

💡 Using tools like RescueTime can provide more accurate data on how time is actually spent

💡 Weekly reviews of time tracking data can help coach team members to be more efficient

💡 Time tracking data should inform decisions on pricing, packaging, staffing, and process optimization

💡 Reframe time tracking as managing "units of energy" or impact rather than just hours

💡 It's important to share back with the team how time tracking data is being used to improve the business

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Gray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie/

🌐 ZenPilot Profitability and Utilization Reporting: https://www.zenpilot.com/agency-profitability-and-utilization-reporting/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-298-gray-time-tracking

⚒️ ClickUp: https://www.clickup.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-298-gray-time-tracking

⚒️ RescueTime

⚒️ Harvest

⚒️ Everhour

⚒️ Toggl

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-298-gray-time-tracking

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray and Kuba discuss the pros and cons of daily standup meetings and explore alternative approaches for remote teams. They break down why many companies still rely on standups and offer strategies to instead build trust, maintain momentum, and improve planning asynchronously.

Episode Insights:

💡 Daily standups are often a crutch for poor planning or lack of clear expectations

💡 Trust is built when expectations are consistently met over time

💡 Asynchronous tools like ClickUp can replace many standup functions if used properly

💡 Celebrating wins and progress is crucial for remote team momentum

💡 Consider if standups are truly necessary or if they've become an inefficient habit

💡 Clear communication and transparency about expectations are key in building trust

💡 Journaling and self-reflection can help identify areas for improvement in team processes

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 ZenPilot: https://www.zenpilot.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

🌐 Gray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie/

⚒️ ClickUp: https://www.clickup.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

⚒️ 15Five: https://www.15five.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

⚒️ HubStaff

⚒️ Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS): https://www.eosworldwide.com//?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

📦 ZenPilot’s Agency Client Health Tracker: https://www.zenpilot.com/agency-client-health-tracker/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"From the very start, when I launched Galactic Fed, some of my friends (former entrepreneurs) gave me really good advice, which is that you want to be removing yourself from as many processes as you can. You do not want to create what some people call a key man or key woman scenario."

Zach Boyette is the co-founder and Managing Partner at Galactic Fed, a full-service growth marketing agency with a team of 150 people across 25 countries. Zach has an unconventional background, having worked at Google and P&G before becoming a digital nomad and building Galactic Fed.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Zach shares insights on scaling an agency while maintaining a strong remote culture. He emphasizes the importance of documentation, promoting from within, and choosing your team over rude clients.

Zach also discusses his perspective on the future of remote work and why he believes younger generations will drive a shift toward more location-independent companies. 

This is a great conversation for agency leaders interested in building a large remote team while maintaining work-life balance.

Episode Insights:

💡 Document everything to create a consistent client experience as you scale. Have each team member spend a couple hours per week documenting processes.

💡 Build culture in a remote agency through casual Slack channels, quarterly all-hands meetings focused on personal updates rather than just company info, and leading by example with communication style.

💡 Hire self-starters who are comfortable with written communication. Use written assessments and thorough reference checks early in the hiring process.

💡 When leading leaders, have a regular cadence of written updates prior to meetings. Show you are present and remember details about their teams and challenges.

💡 Have an org chart planned out far in advance and hire proactively for the structure you want to build. Avoid building the org chart reactively around specific people.

💡 Don't personally attach your name to the agency brand. Build a company brand that can exist beyond just you.

💡 Be willing to choose your team over abusive clients, even if they pay well. Prioritize a healthy culture.

Resources Mentioned:

Zach's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachboyette/

Galactic Fed agency website: https://galacticfed.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-296-zach-boyette

Zach's personal website: https://zachboyette.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-296-zach-boyette

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber (book recommendation for designing an org chart)

ClickUp for project management: https://clickup.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-296-zach-boyette

Google Suite

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-296-zach-boyette

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“​​In all aspects of your work and your business, you have systems. Why is networking, which is just as important as any one of those singular things, not managed with such ferocity?”

Kurt Schmidt is an agency founder, podcast host, author, and agency coach with 25 years of experience growing agencies from just a few people to over 500 employees and tens of millions in revenue. He started his career as a designer and developer before catching the entrepreneurial bug and becoming a "pirate" as he puts it.

In this value-packed episode of Agency Journey, Kurt shares his hard-earned wisdom on business development, networking, and delivering client results. He emphasizes the importance of taking a problems-first approach rather than just showcasing capabilities.

Kurt is also the author of “The Little Book of Networking”, and in this conversation he explains the system he uses to consistently provide value to his network and build community.

Whether you're looking to jumpstart your agency's growth or build a thriving professional network, this episode is a must-listen.

Episode Insights:

💡 Go back and audit your current and past clients to see which ones are in a growth stage and may have additional problems you can solve. Most clients have no idea about your full capabilities.

💡 Focus on the problems you solve and the outcomes you create rather than just showcasing the executional work in your portfolio. Clients care about how you can help them, not how pretty your designs are.

💡 When networking, clearly state what you do and what you're looking for. Be equally intentional about understanding and recording others' needs. Systematize your follow-ups and always look for ways to provide value and make connections.

💡 Study how other professional services firms like lawyers and accountants acquire clients and manage their businesses. Don't limit your learning to just agencies in your specific niche.

💡 Explore different billing models like productized services and outcome-based fees. Discuss what's working with agency peers to find the best fit for your clients and business.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Kurt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-kurtschmidt/?

utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-295-kurt-schmidt

🌐 Kurt’s website: https://kurtschmidt.me/?

utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-295-kurt-schmidt

🏢 Kurt’s consulting business: https://schmidtconsulting.group/?

utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-295-kurt-schmidt

🏢 Kurt's agency, Foundry: https://www.foundrymakes.com/

📙 The Little Book of Networking by Kurt Schmidt: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Networking-Career-Conversation/dp/1634895835 

📙 The 10-10-10 Blueprint by Kurt Schmidt - coming soon

🎙️ The Schmidt List Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/schmidt-list-inspiring-leaders/id1286383143 

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-295-kurt-schmidt

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

John Corcoran is the co-founder of Rise25, an agency that helps B2B companies get clients, referrals, and strategic partnerships through done-for-you podcasts and content marketing. John has been podcasting since 2010 and his business partner Jeremy has been doing it since 2008. Together they've built a team of over 50 people to support B2B companies in leveraging this powerful medium.

John has a fascinating and diverse background prior to Rise25. At various points in his career, he was paid by President Bill Clinton as a White House writer, worked for Steven Spielberg at DreamWorks, and did some work for Warren Buffett. He was also a lawyer for a period before discovering the power of podcasting to have high-caliber business conversations and decided to make that his focus.

In this episode of Agency Journey, John shares his knowledge on using podcasts strategically to deliver value to your ideal clients and referral partners. He emphasizes that download numbers and vanity metrics matter far less than having the right conversations with the right people.

We also dig into John's involvement with Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and get an inside look at different high-level business peer groups.

This is a great episode for agency leaders interested in the power of podcasts and surrounding yourself with other successful entrepreneurs.

Episode Insights:

💡 Interviewing people for a podcast is a far more effective way to build relationships than typical coffee networking meetings. It allows you to provide value and have higher caliber conversations.

💡 Focus on creating podcast content that delivers value to your ideal clients and referral partners. Don't get caught up in vanity metrics like downloads - it's about having the right conversations with the right people.

💡 Joining a peer community for entrepreneurs, such as EO, can provide invaluable support, camaraderie, and learning opportunities to help you through the unique challenges of building a business.

💡 Explore different business groups to find the right fit for you.

💡 Use your podcast as a strategic tool to have conversations with people who wouldn't otherwise carve out time to meet with you. It's an amazing way to connect with hard-to-reach, high-caliber people.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 John’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corcoran/

🎙️ INspired INsider podcast hosted by Jeremy Weisz: https://www.inspiredinsider.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-294-john-corcoran

🎙️ Smart Business Revolution podcast hosted by John Corcoran: https://smartbusinessrevolution.com/podcasts/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-294-john-corcoran

🏢 Rise25 agency website: https://rise25.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-294-john-corcoran

👥 EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): https://hub.eonetwork.org/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-294-john-corcoran

👥 Vistage

👥 YPO (Young Presidents' Organization)

👥 Strategic Coach

👥 Tiger21

👥 Hampton

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-294-john-corcoran

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

In this episode, Kuba generates a list of client success tips using AI—and Gray critiques them and goes way deeper based on his hard-won experience in the agency space.

Episode Insights:

💡 Understanding client goals is crucial for improving client success. Ask questions and listen carefully to their answers to gain a deeper understanding.

💡 Regular communication is key. Set clear expectations around how and when you'll communicate with clients, and provide updates on progress and challenges.

💡 Be proactive in identifying and preventing issues before they arise. Addressing problems openly and honestly builds trust with clients.

💡 Personalize the experience by treating each client as unique and customizing services to fit their specific needs. Show that you are paying attention and value their individuality.

💡 Clarity is kindness. Be clear and firm in setting expectations and communicate openly when issues arise.

Resourced Mentioned:

🌐 ZenPilot: https://www.zenpilot.com/?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-293-gray-vs-ai-client-success-tips

🌐 Gray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie/

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-293-gray-vs-ai-client-success-tips

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“All of my successes massively outpace my capabilities. Like when you meet me, you're like, ‘I can't believe that guy did all the shit that he did’. Because I look homeless and I'm not really as bright as I pretend to be. I'm not self-deprecating—it's a fact. My success outpaces my capability because I found other people that were more capable than me."

Kasim Aslam is the CEO of Solutions 8, co-founder of Driven Mastermind, and co-host of the Perpetual Traffic podcast. He has built four multi-million dollar agencies and had two exits, one of which was an eight-figure deal. Kasim's success in the agency world, particularly in the Google Ads space, and his ability to scale businesses with minimal initial capital make him an impressive figure in the industry.

He’s also one of the most energetic and insightful guests this podcast has seen thus far.

This episode of Agency Journey will be a perfect listen for agency owners and entrepreneurs looking to remove themselves from the business, identify and keep their most valuable team members, and build the mindset that will take your operation to the next level.

Kasim shared a whirlwind of inspiration, including but not limited to: the crucial differences between employees (farmers) and entrepreneurs (hunters); the power of offering equity to top performers; the importance of hiring people who can outperform you in their roles; and the benefits of seeking out hard challenges for personal and professional growth.

Episode Insights:

💡 Seeking a business mentor can provide valuable guidance and support in personal and professional growth.

💡 Asking for help is essential and should not be seen as a sign of weakness. But you need to be humble and willing to do the hard work for others to decide to help you.

💡 Seek out hard things for the sake of doing hard things.

💡 People are the most important aspect of agency operations and can be the key differentiator in a competitive market. Incentivize and retain peak performers by offering profit share equity.

💡 Surround yourself with people who are smarter and more capable than you in their respective roles to build a successful agency.

💡 AI is a force multiplier of people—which can be both good and bad, making people even more important in business.

💡 Understand that employees (farmers) and entrepreneurs (hunters) have different motivations and expectations, and build your business model accordingly.

💡 Tying employee compensation directly to their output and the value they bring to the agency can help balance growth and profitability.

💡 Success often outpaces an individual's capabilities because of the power of finding and cultivating talented people.

Resourced Mentioned:

📚 "No Locked Doors" by Gregory Smith

📚 "You Versus Google" by Kasim Aslam

📚 "Driven" by Douglas Brackmann and Randy Kelley

🏢 Driven Mastermind, co-founded by Kasim Aslam: https://drivenmastermind.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-292-kasim-aslam

🏢 Solutions 8, Kasim's agency that he recently sold: https://sol8.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-292-kasim-aslam

🏢 Pareto Talent, Kasim's new venture focused on finding and training executive assistants and other roles for entrepreneurs

🎙️ Perpetual Traffic, co-hosted by Kasim Aslam: https://perpetualtraffic.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-292-kasim-aslam

👤 Gregory Smith, Kasim's long-time business mentor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory1/

👤 Erik Huberman, founder of Hawke Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikhuberman/

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About ZenPilot:

As ClickUp's first and highest-rated solutions partner, we've helped over 2,700 agencies streamline their operations in ClickUp. 

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🥇 Learn why ZenPilot is ClickUp's highest-rated solutions partner: https://www.zenpilot.com/clickup-consultant-and-highest-rated-partner?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-292-kasim-aslam

💰 Uncover which clients, projects, and services are most profitable for your business with ZenPilot reports: https://www.zenpilot.com/agency-profitability-and-utilization-reporting?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-292-kasim-aslam

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“Candidate expectations have certainly accelerated. There's a difference today versus 10 years ago in terms of what people's expectations are and how fast other processes are going. And so moving quickly is an advantage in a hiring process—and figuring out how to move quickly without sacrificing on the process is a little bit of an art.”

In this episode, our very own Gray McKenzie discusses the process of hiring the right people for an agency. He shares his recent experience of hiring an Integrator and COO for ZenPilot, and all the small and big decisions that shaped the recruitment process. Gray explains the hiring framework we followed, the stages of the hiring process, the approach towards sourcing and screening candidates, and much more.

A great listen for anyone looking to expand their team—it will help you craft a fast process that surfaces the best talent and captures it before it goes off the market.

Episode Insights:

💡 Hiring the right people is crucial for agency growth and success.

💡 “Who: the A Method for Hiring” is a framework that can help agencies find and hire the best candidates.

💡 It’s important to promote your job postings selectively to have a higher quality pipeline.

💡 Clear communication and transparency about the role and expectations are key in attracting the right candidates. Have a defined hiring process to provide clarity and confidence to both candidates and the hiring team.

💡 Move quickly in the hiring process to meet candidate expectations and avoid losing top talent.

💡 Reference checks are crucial to gather additional insights and validate a candidate's performance.

💡 Group interviews can provide different perspectives and help candidates and team members build rapport.

💡 Consider a co-working session as part of your hiring process to assess candidates in action.

💡 Make connections with unsuccessful candidates to maintain positive relationships and potential future opportunities.

Resourced Mentioned:

🌐 ZenPilot 

🌐 Gray’s LinkedIn 

📚 "Who: The A Method for Hiring" by Geoff Smart and Randy Street

📚 "Topgrading" by Bradford D. Smart

⚙️ EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)

🤝 EOS Self-Implementers Group 

⚒️ Loom

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📕 Get our free, 56-page ebook: "How to Use ClickUp – The Ultimate Guide": 

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"I think the hardest thing that all HubSpot agencies are trying to solve for is… 500 product updates this year. How do you keep it all straight? How do you share that knowledge? How much knowledge do you have to know as a team, to what level? One thing that I practice and preach is: not everybody's going to know everything, but that collectively as a team and as an agency, we've got people in certain areas that are experts in those areas that we can rely on."

Adam Sharrow is the founder of Process Pro Consulting, a HubSpot Diamond Partner agency specializing in technical implementation, optimization, and support for businesses using HubSpot.

Drawing from his experience in building and scaling a successful HubSpot agency, Adam shares about navigating the challenges of growth, managing a team of experts, and staying ahead of the curve even as HubSpot releases 500+ product updates each year.

This episode of Agency Journey will be perfect for agency owners looking to specialize in a specific niche, such as HubSpot consulting, and build a sustainable, scalable business model.

You'll learn about the importance of conducting thorough client assessments, balancing quick wins with long-term strategic planning, and fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and expertise within your growing team.

Episode Insights:

💡 Challenges and strategies for running a HubSpot-focused agency—from a HubSpot Diamond Partner

💡 The trajectory of HubSpot: where it’s going in the future, and how it relates to how Salesforce grew

💡 The importance of a paid discovery/assessment—and seeing it through even when clients want to jump to solving specific issues

💡 The capacity planning challenges created by month-to-month retainers (and how to mitigate them)

💡 Staying on top of 500+ HubSpot product updates per year and managing collective internal expertise as you scale

💡 Addressing the challenges of scaling from 5 to 10 to 15 people—and how it impacts which metrics you track

💡 Specializing in your wheelhouse of expertise vs trying to solve everything + the benefits of partnering with other agencies for complementary needs

💡 How to build sales pipeline as a HubSpot agency

Resourced Mentioned:

📚 Process Pro Consulting website 

📚 Adam Sharrow on LinkedIn

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

We’ve got an announcement to share about the future of the podcast.

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“In today's day and age people are scared to be measured. But your athletes, they love it because that's how they grew up. How do you know who are the best players on the team? You look at the box score, you look at the stat sheet. So I like bringing a sports mentality to everything I do.”

Casey Cavell is a serial entrepreneur. He’s built a $40,000,000 portfolio from a $9,000 investment by founding, buying, or investing in dozens of small businesses over the last two decades.

He also has personal experience with the kind of burnout that results from the business growing and relying too heavily on one person.

Which is why he now focuses on helping companies simplify, focus, and get the business owner out of the day-to-day.

This episode of Agency Journey will be perfect if you’re an entrepreneur thinking about investing in and increasing the value of other businesses; bringing in A-players; and mindfully delegating tasks until you’re left working on what you do best and love most.

Episode Insights:

💡 How Casey found underperforming businesses to acquire, and how he turned them into more systematic, process-driven organizations

💡 Buying businesses outright vs coming in as an investor

💡 Structuring equity/profit-sharing deals with clients—including earning trust with a 90-day initial engagement

💡 How to prevent burnout by delegating tasks, hiring A-players, and removing reliance on the owner

💡 The specific tasks entrepreneurs should delegate first

💡 Defining what you want your business to do for your life

Resourced Mentioned:

📚 Casey’s consulting business

📚 Casey’s LinkedIn

📚 The Dugout CEO podcast

📚 The Friday Drive newsletter 

📚 Books: Good to Great; Rich Dad Poor Dad; The E-Myth

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“I had bought into this idea that you had to sacrifice everything you had to kill yourself for growth. And it cost me dearly. I made some really poor decisions.”

Carlos Hidalgo is co-founder & CEO of Digital Exhaust, a Utah-based data-driven, AI-enabled agency with a belief that "growth is a state of being, not just a goal to be achieved".

But he's also a man with a dramatic story of putting his business ahead of his other life priorities—and learning some very hard lessons from that.

This episode of Agency Journey will be a perfect reality check for agency owners, and an opportunity to re-assess the importance you should put on your agency relative to the current stage of your life journey.

It will be especially relevant if you're balancing being a business owner with being a spouse, a parent, and a person driven by faith.

Episode Insights:

💡 The pivotal moments that reshaped Carlos's perspective on work-life balance and led him to reassess his priorities—including stepping down from one of his previous agencies.

💡 Practical wisdom on setting non-negotiable boundaries, prioritizing well-being, and staying true to your business ethos.

💡 Specific practices and habits Carlos introduced with his wife and himself to build a balanced and fulfilling life as an agency owner.

💡 The virtues of being selective about what you're willing to invest yourself in, and how much.

Resourced Mentioned:

📚 Digital Exhaust 

📚 The UnAmerican Dream by Carlos Hidalgo (book) 

📚 Carlos' LinkedIn 

🛠️ AI tools: Otter, ChatGPT, Jasper

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“I have long seen myself as: I’m a very good marketer. I'm a very good communicator. I'm a good content creator. That's my lane. I know how to drive in that lane very, very well. And this has been a challenge for me to say: how do I become the best president, owner of a services business? Versus the best marketer anybody knows.”

Ali Schwanke is founder and CEO of Simple Strat—a Diamond HubSpot Solutions Partner and premium B2B content marketing agency.

You may know them from the HubSpot Hacks YouTube channel, the #1 unofficial source of HubSpot tutorials with over 20k subscribers to the channel.

This episode will be a perfect listen for agency operators looking to find their perfect niche; discover content topics and formats that work on YouTube; and become a better leader by leveraging their unique leadership style.

It’s also full of inspiration for owners considering making an exit from their agency.

Episode Insights:

💡 Simple Strat’s journey towards becoming experts in the HubSpot ecosystem through content creation and strategic focus

💡 How Ali and her team approach content production and finding ideas for their HubSpot Hacks channel on YouTube (leveraging TubeBuddy, AirTable, and HubSpot rep feedback)

💡 Moving from solving problems on her own to empowering team members to learn and grow

💡 Ali’s advice on leadership styles, the shift in mindset from a marketer to an agency owner, and the importance of systems and processes in scaling an agency

💡 Ali’s thoughts on how to prepare for a future exit from an agency, including the importance of mindset but also legal compliance, data preparation, and more

Resourced Mentioned:

📚 Simple Strat 

📚 Ali Schwanke’s LinkedIn

📚 HubSpot Hacks YouTube channel 

📚 TubeBuddy (for YouTube keyword research)

📚 "Work Less, Earn More" by Karl Sakas (book)

📚 "Built to Sell" by John Warrillow (book)

📚 "How to Win Client Business When You Don't Know What You're Doing" by Doug Fletcher (book)

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“If you don't like managing people, one of the things to consider is: do you want to run an agency? The management portion will never go away. But it also doesn't have to be so hard.”

Karl Sakas, agency advisor and founder of Sakas & Company, has served as “agency therapist” for over 600 clients in 36 countries. He was also our recent guest on Agency Journey. His fourth time on the show!

You can guess why we had Karl on so many times—his insights are always on point.

If you want to work less and earn more, and be a better leader for your agency through cultivating personal relationships and intentional leadership training, this episode will be well worth a listen.

Episode Insights:

💡 The four stages of day-to-day involvement agency owners progress through on the way to becoming optional

💡 Managing expectations as you plan your agency succession

💡 Karl’s process and challenges narrating the audio version of his book, “Work Less, Earn More”

💡 The importance of warmth vs. competence as a manager

💡 Practical tips for building personal relationships with team members and network contacts

💡 Karl’s personal investment in leadership development, including his own coaching and participation in intensive leadership programs

💡 The importance of 360 evaluation as a leader

💡 The leadership development programs Karl recommends

Resourced Mentioned:

📚 Sakas & Company: https://sakasandcompany.com/

📚 Karl’s book, “Work Less, Earn More” (plus companion workbook): https://sakasandcompany.com/lp/work-less-earn-more-book/

📚 The Manager Tools training program Karl recommends: https://manager-tools.com/

📚 Karl’s Agency Leadership Intensive (sign-ups open until end of February): https://sakasandcompany.com/agency-leadership-development-program/

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“We all consider ourselves humble experts. So we all know that we're good at what we do, but ego does not get in the way around our workplace.”

Arianne Foulks, CEO and founder of Aeolidia, a one-stop shop agency for creative ecommerce brands with 20+ years of market presence, was our recent guest on Agency Journey.

If you want to build an efficient, adaptable agency that builds strong relationships with clients and employees—this episode will be perfect for you.

Episode Insights:

💡 Transitioning from a solo operation to managing a 20-person creative team

💡 The philosophy of nurturing a 'humble expert' team culture

💡 Leveraging tools like ClickUp for effective project management

💡 Arianne’s decision-making process regarding partnership with other agencies

💡 The evolution of Aeolidia's pricing and service offerings during the pandemic

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Aeolidia: https://aeolidia.com/

📚 "Profit First" and "Clockwork" by Mike Michalowicz for business management

📚 "4000 Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman for a perspective on productivity and time management

📚 ClickUp for project management and tracking

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

[This is a special feature of Gray's recent appearance on Perpetual Traffic—reposted on the Agency Journey feed so you don't miss this informative discussion!]

Kasim chats with Gray MacKenzie, the co-founder of ZenPilot, a company that helps agencies master project management. Gray reveals why project management is more than just software, and how to create effective processes and habits. He also shares how to set up your scorecard, track your client health, and deliver an awesome experience for your team and clients. Plus, he gives you the three secrets to project management success and how to avoid the most common mistakes.

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome
• 00:01:59 - How to Calculate the ROI of Project Management
• 00:07:20 - How Zenpilot Evolved Over 10 Years
• 00:19:08 - How to Measure and Improve Client Health
• 00:24:42 - The Three Keys to Making Project Management Work Well
• 00:26:19 - How to Use ClickUp and Teamwork for Project Management
• 00:28:16 - How to Define Your Scorecard and Track Your Progress
• 00:30:25 - How AI Can Enhance Project Management
• 00:33:18 - How to Design Your Data Architecture for AI
• 00:37:17 - How AI Can Automate Task Creation and Summary
• 00:39:30 - How Gamification Can Motivate and Engage Your Team
• 00:40:38 - How AI Can Optimize Capacity Management
• 00:46:15 - How to Create Structure and Clarity for Your Team
• 00:48:25 - How to Use Time Tracking for Capacity Management

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

• ZenPilot
• Gray MacKenzie on LinkedIn
• ClickUp
• EOS® V/TO™ Template - V/TO™ Template
• EOS - Entrepreneurial Operating System
• Traffic & Conversion Summit
• Tier 11 Jobs
• Perpetual Traffic on YouTube
• Tiereleven.com
• Solutions 8 
• Perpetual Traffic Survey
• Perpetual Traffic Website
• Follow Perpetual Traffic on Twitter
• Connect with Kasim on Twitter and Connect with Ralph on LinkedIn

👋 See you next time for a regular Agency Journey episode!

"Small groups of highly skilled, highly motivated, well communicating people can just achieve more than you can at a large organization."

Jesse Resnick, co-founder of Ei Digital, a full-service digital agency, was our recent guest on Agency Journey.

This episode is a must-listen for agency owners and managers looking to build a high-performing team culture.

Episode Insights:

💡 Jesse's journey from working in larger agencies to establishing EI Digital.

💡 The journey of EI Digital from a modest start to a full-service agency

💡 How EI Digital's pod-based team structure enhances efficiency and client service

💡 Jesse's perspective on the intersection of brand and performance marketing in the digital age

💡 Strategies for nurturing and developing talent within a digital agency

💡 Utilizing strategic vision to maintain a high-quality user experience while scaling

💡 The importance of EBITDA and other financial metrics in agency decision-making

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Ei Digital: https://eidigital.com/

📚 Jesse’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseresnick/ 

📚 Principles by Ray Dalio: Jesse's recommended reading for agency principles

📚 Accrual Accounting: Understanding its importance in agency operations

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Is your agency prepared for the cookieless future that threatens to “tank” advertising performance?

Paris Childress, CEO of SaaS-focused performance marketing agency Hop Online, was our recent guest on Agency Journey.

He shared insights on crafting first-party data strategies that can help agencies avoid disrupted campaigns when third party cookies expire.

Paris also discussed expanding service offerings with data science capabilities; making use of new privacy-focused technologies like his AI platform pLTV; specific and actionable personal branding tips; and optimizing operations with tools like ClickUp.

Tune in if you want to ensure your agency has a plan to preserve ROI as the digital advertising landscape evolves.

Episode Insights:

💡 Why third party cookie loss will cause ad performance to “tank”

💡 The pressing need for agencies to focus on first-party data strategies

💡 Why agencies should start expanding into data science capabilities

💡 How Paris’ pLTV platform leverages AI to predict customer lifetime value

💡 Successfully Hop Online’s entire CRM over to ClickUp

💡 The importance of personal branding for agency leadership

💡 Hiring data scientists as a key recommendation for agencies

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Paris’s agency: https://hop.online/

📚 pLTV – Paris’ Predictive Lifetime Value platform: https://www.pltv.ai/

📚 ClickUp as a CRM! Watch our full bonus video with Paris about this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdgpnC63az0

If your agency is unprepared for the major privacy shifts underway, don't miss exploring Paris’ actionable insights around optimizing for the cookieless future.

Want to take your agency to the next level? Learn how Matthew leveraged EOS, strategic partnerships, and custom ecommerce solutions to optimize operations and expand offerings over 9 years in business. His proven strategies can help your agency demonstrate ROI and pave the path to sustainable growth.

Matthew McIver shares his journey evolving Commence Studio from a service-based creative agency into a productized business selling themes on Shopify.

Learn how EOS and Traction shaped their growth, why they partner with larger firms, and how custom ecommerce sites demonstrate clearer ROI for clients.

Matthew also explains how virtual tools like Float enable better financial visibility and why you should standardize systems instead of reinventing the wheel.

Tune in for a transparent peek behind the scenes at an agency optimizing their operations and expanding their offerings over 9 years in business.

Episode Insights:

💡 Implementing EOS framework for meeting cadences, planning, and clearer roles

💡 Transitioning from service-based revenue to product-based revenue with a Shopify theme

💡 Leveraging expertise into products/services others can use

💡 Partnering with larger agencies to provide specialized services

💡 Using custom Shopify themes over off-the-shelf themes to showcase branded experiences

💡 Proving ROI for clients easier with ecommerce sites vs. B2B sites

💡 Embracing a "collaboration over competition" mindset with agency partners

💡 Learning from other successful service firms to constantly improve your own customer experience

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Matthew’s agency: https://commence.studio/

📚 EOS (Entrepreneurs' Operating System)

📚 Traction by Gino Wickman

📚 The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

📚 Float app for cash flow forecasting

📚 Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO)

📚 Shopify Partners

If you're a creative agency looking to expand your offerings or prove ROI for clients, don't miss this episode.

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Running a professional services agency? You need compelling case studies to close sales. But most video case studies end up dry, boring, and forgettable.

So how do you create video case studies that captivate prospects and accelerate deals?

In this episode of Agency Journey, host Gray MacKenzie interviews Ian Garlic, founder of Video Case Story. Ian shares his proven process for producing video case studies that get results. He also talks about writing a book, starting a partnership program, and much more.

Episode Insights:

💡 Why emotional storytelling through video builds trust and shortens sales cycles

💡 How to carve out time each week for collecting customer stories

💡 Letting customer stories guide your overall strategy and offerings

💡 Why leadership should always find time to review customer stories

💡 Crafting a compelling video script focused on the client’s journey

💡 Following a clear story framework from problem to solution

💡 Repurposing case study content across multiple channels

💡 Adopting a YouTube strategy focused on becoming an educational resource vs. chasing views

💡 Writing a book to establish yourself as a thought leader

💡 Building a tight-knit partner program community

💡 The importance of process documentation and constant improvement

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Ian's book "Video Testimonials That Land the Big Fish"

📚 Immersion by Dr. Paul J. Zak

📚 Snow Leopard by Category Pirates

Ian offers fantastic tips and frameworks any agency can apply to create video case studies that truly showcase value and drive sales.

Whether you're looking to refine your case study process or get started from scratch, this episode will get your video case studies converting.

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Running a marketing agency is hard. Running one remotely across several time zones? Even harder.

So how do you keep a distributed team aligned, motivated, and growing together?

In this episode of Agency Journey, host Gray MacKenzie interviews Janet Mesh, CEO and co-founder of Aimtal, a fully remote marketing agency. We dig into the keys that accelerated Aimtal’s growth over the past 5 years.

Janet shares how Aimtal has doubled its team and revenue each year through an intentional focus on talent, culture, and streamlined operations.

Episode Insights:

• Implementing clear processes and documentation enabled Aimtal to effectively manage a distributed team across 7 time zones
• Hosting immersive annual retreats reconnects their remote team and aligns everyone on vision and goals
• How Aimtal structures retreats to maximize bonding and alignment
• Focusing on talent, values, and culture fit over geography gives Aimtal access to the best talent globally
• The importance of intention in building a thriving remote agency and team
• Relying on tools like Rippling to streamline operations and free up bandwidth as they scale
• Leading with transparency and vulnerability as keys to remote team success

Resources Mentioned:

• Rippling - For HR/IT management
• Guru - Knowledge base software
• TravelPerk - Travel management platform
• Anthropic - AI assistant tool

Whether you're building a remote agency or colocated team, Janet offers fantastic insights into leading with intention, investing in processes and culture, and scaling successfully.

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Ask any agency owner and they’ll tell you—growth doesn’t happen by accident. It takes strategy, systems, and support.

So how do you choose the right blueprint to guide your agency’s growth? What if that blueprint could help you smash through plateaus and scale your team 10x?

In this episode of Agency Journey, host Gray MacKenzie interviews Tyler Dolph, CEO of Rocket Clicks. We'll dig deep into how EOS (The Entrepreneurial Operating System) helped transform Rocket Clicks into the Agency that it is today.

Episode Insights:

• How implementing EOS helped the agency establish clear roles, vision, and processes to enable growth
• Why focusing obsessively on client retention, not just sales, fueled sustainable growth
• The importance of Investing intentionally in culture like immersive onboarding and events strengthened their distributed team
• Strategies to analyzing top clients revealed their ideal target market to focus growth efforts
• AI offers opportunities to double down on human-centered strategies and relationships vs trying to compete

Resources and People Mentioned:

• Rocket Clicks Website
• EOS Website
• EOS Tools
• Traction by Gino Wickman
• John LaFontsee's LinkedIn
• John Morriss LinkedIn
• Ramsay Innovations Website (Now known as EngineBI)
• Avoma

Struggling to get your team aligned on goals and metrics? Wish your company culture was more productive and humane?

Mark Abbott, founder and CEO of Ninety, shares how and the importance to implement tools to empower employees and build a resilient organization. In this episode, Mark discusses the specifics of designing effective scorecards, setting targets vs goals, and getting team member buy-in and so much more.

Episode Insights:

• Why companies are complex adaptive systems. The best ones are explicit, coherent and resonant with all stakeholders.
• What mastery means being able to teach it to others - true understanding goes deeper than just reading a book.
• How to have Leadership through agreements is better than old school "command and control." Scorecards set targets to avoid micromanaging.
• Why having 3-5 KPIs per person (quality, quantity, process, show up) provides guardrails and autonomy.
• The importance on having a quality, quantity, process and show up element that can be measured in any role.
• Why focus on issues, not chasing goals. Green across the board but missing the target shouldn't require intervention.
• How implementing scorecards quickly gets alignment. Trust people to know the right KPIs for their role.
• Why great companies are extraordinarily productive, humane and resilient.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ninety.io
• EOS
• EOS Tools
• Traction
• The Great CEO Within
• The E-Myth
• Built to Sell

In this episode, Kuba shares his vision for ZenPilot Marketing. He details his strategy to transition ZenPilot's perception from merely a ClickUp implementation partner to a team of agency operations experts. Kuba emphasizes the importance of promoting the ZenPilot team and using platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn to highlight their expertise and unique personalities, fostering a more connected audience.

Kuba also offers valuable insights into "low-hanging marketing fruit" for agencies. He discusses the importance of investing in team development and leveraging their individual personalities to build a loyal audience. He highlights the value of using AI tools like ChatGPT for content repurposing, and encourages agencies to focus on creating high-quality content around crucial keywords.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Vision for ZenPilot Marketing
• Low-Hanging Marketing Fruit for Agencies
• The importance focus on creating one or a few pieces of high-quality content around important keywords.
• Why you need to invest in developing your team’s personalities and give them a platform to share their expertise.
• How your mindset as a leader trickles down to your team and agency.
• Kuba’s Best Tip for Agency Operators: Work on Your Mindset

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

If you're an agency owner or leader looking to level up your operations and maximize your team's potential, then we have the perfect solution for you.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Jakub Grajcar LinkedIn
• ZenPilot's Website
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn

Do you struggle to create work that truly resonates with your audience? The ability to craft stories and messages that forge meaningful connections is what separates good creators from great ones. In today’s episode, host Gray MacKenzie sits down with storytelling expert Jay Acunzo.

Jay Acunzo, The founder of the Creator Kitchen, a membership program helping you push yourself creatively. He's also an author, speaker, and host of the award-winning podcast Unthinkable, where creative people take us inside the unconventional choices they made to break from best practices.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to resonate with your audience by crafting memorable stories
• Learn about posture and practice and what it means as an creative.
• The four ways to communicate with your audience.
• What stories should be focused on.
• How to practice crafting stories and work on developing your own narrative style.
• What does the Creator Kitchen community look like
• Jay's recommended people to follow
• The Unthinkable Podcast Process

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

If you're an agency owner or leader looking to level up your operations and maximize your team's potential, then we have the perfect solution for you.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Unthinkable Podcast
• Creator Kitchen's Website
• Jay Acunzo's Website
• Jay Acunzo's LinkedIn
• Total ANNARCHY Newsletter
• Playing Favorites Newsletter
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn

In this episode, Erika Zeigyte, CEO of a consulting & recruitment agency called Prosana. joins Gray Mackenzie to discuss the intricacies of hiring an A+ talent for your agency.

Erika also shares her insights into what makes for great agency candidates, how to build an effective hiring process, the benefits of using a recruiting agency, interview techniques, and recommended tools for recruiting.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What makes someone a good fit for an agency?
• How to vet candidates for agency roles
• How to balance candidate experience with thoroughly vetting candidates
• The common positions recruited in an agency
• Hiring challenges with junior candidates
• The elements of a first-class hiring process
• Prosana's hiring process
• How to source and qualify candidates effectively
• Ways to do an effective outreach to candidate prospects
• Recruitment agency tech stack
• When to consider using an outside recruiting agency (pros and cons)
• Effective interview questions to ask a talent during interview

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

If you're an agency owner or leader looking to level up your operations and maximize your team's potential, then we have the perfect solution for you.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Erika Zeigyte's Linkedin
• Prosana's Website
• ClickUp
• Asana
• Jeb Blount
• Gray MacKenzie's Linkedin

Misti Ferris holds the “Integrator” seat at digital marketing agency Roger West Creative & Code, which means she ensures that everyone is dancing to the same beat called EOS (even the creatives).

In addition to the Integrator role, Misti serves as Vice President of Operations, where her “3 M” mantra: marketer, minimalist and mom (of 4 daughters) is the driving force behind all things requiring structure, process and a firm yet loving nudge.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How EOS provides structure and discipline that still allows for creativity in agencies and marketing firms.
• Why providing transparency into the company's vision and goals builds trust and helps employees understand the purpose behind operational changes.
• How bi-directional feedback between managers and employees improves communication and relationships but takes time to implement fully.
• What tools are available for managing EOS, so companies should evaluate options based on their needs and preferences.
• Best practices on continuously documenting processes and procedures prepares agencies for growth opportunities like new clients, ventures, and services.

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

If you're an agency owner or leader looking to level up your operations and maximize your team's potential, then we have the perfect solution for you.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Misti Ferris Linkedin
• Gray MacKenzie Linkedin
• Roger West Website
• EOS Website
• EOS Tools

William Ferreira is the founder of Social Buff, a full-service digital agency that builds and scales direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce brands. Since its launch in 2019, the business has taken countless companies to multi-million pounds in revenue.

In this episode, William and Gray discussed the tools and strategies Social Buff uses to operate efficiently while providing high-impact results, including a focus on metrics, process, and hiring the right talent.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Overview of Social Buff and their growth over the past few years
• The key marketing channels Social Buff focuses on
• The sales process and how Social Buff finds and onboards new clients
• Tips for effective cold email outreach and positioning your agency
• How Social Buff competes against larger agencies and freelancers
• Identifying the point where e-commerce brands make the transition to hiring an agency like Social Buff
• The tools that power Social Buff’s operations
• The most important tips William would offer to other agency owners
• How Social Buff tracks metrics and KPIs to evaluate the health and performance of their business

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

If you're an agency owner or leader looking to level up your operations and maximize your team's potential, then we have the perfect solution for you.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• SocialBuff's Website
• William Ferreira's LinkedIn
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn
• ClickUp's Website

In this power-packed episode, we are joined by JJ Rusell, Partner and Director at Best Damn Agency Mastermind. Together with Gray, they delve into the importance of having a clear vision for mastermind groups, the value of strong connections within the community, and overcoming self-limiting beliefs. They also discuss strategies for building a successful agency and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in children. Tune in for an insightful conversation that's sure to leave you inspired and motivated to take your agency and personal growth to the next level.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The importance of having a clear vision and purpose for mastermind groups
• How to build a strong community with meaningful connections
• Strategies to overcome self-limiting beliefs in agency owners and leaders
• Key elements for building a successful agency, including niching and operational efficiency
• The benefits of a mixed staffing model with contractors and full-time employees
• Ways to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in children from an early age
• The significance of scheduling consistent one-on-one time with children for their development and nurturing relationships

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

If you're an agency owner or leader looking to level up your operations and maximize your team's potential, then we have the perfect solution for you.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• JJ Russell's LinkedIn
• Best Damn Agency Mastermind Website
• Best Damn Agency Podcast Website
• Apex Revenue's Website
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn

In this episode, Karl Sakas, Author, Speaker, Agency Consultant and Founder of Sakas & Company, joins Gray MacKenzie to discuss strategies & key metrics that agency owners should start tracking, and how it contributes to achieve sustainable growth and increased profits.

Karl Sakas helps people at agencies make smarter decisions for smoother growth. Drawing on his background in agency operations, Karl has personally advised hundreds of agencies on every inhabited continent. He is the author of Made to Lead, The In-Demand Marketing Agency, and more than 400 articles on agency management. When he’s not helping clients, Karl volunteers as a bartender on an antique train.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to focus on aligning incentives between your agency and clients to build a true partnership. 
• Why transparency and communication are key to maintaining client relationships. 
• Why frameworks like the Entrepreneurial Operating System to your agency's unique culture and goals and what not to do.
• How content creation helps establish your agency as a thought leader.
• How to empower your team through the right tools and processes to help them work efficiently and collaboratively.
• Why Referrals and word-of-mouth are important to your agency's success.
• How to consistently reassess how you can build a more profitable and client-centric agency through your hiring, growth plan, and using the right tools.
• The important key metrics to track your agency's growth.

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

Check out ZenPilot, where we help agencies optimize their operations using our proven systems and processes.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Karl Sakas LinkedIn
• Agency Articles - Sakas & Company Blog
• Work Less, Earn More Book
• Made to Lead Book
• The In-Demand Marketing Agency Book
• Sakas & Company Website
• Gray MacKenzie LinkedIn
• EOS

In this episode, Andrew Stern, Partner, and COO at Pilothouse, a full-service digital marketing agency that helps DTC brands scale through performance marketing.

Andrew shares insights into Pilothouse's unique partnership model with clients, how they've scaled to over 170 employees in just a few years, and the key sales and marketing strategies that have fueled their growth.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to Focus on true alignment of incentives between the agency, clients, and internal team.
• How Pilothouse Brings clients into the process as true partners with transparent and ongoing communication. 
• Why implementing frameworks like EOS to improve processes but adapt them to suit your unique culture and goals.
• How to build authority and generate new opportunities through content like newsletters, podcasts, and thought leadership. 
• How to empower your teams, streamline work with the right tools, and continually look for new tools that can help improve productivity and collaboration.
• Key lessons and insights for building a high-growth agency.
• Why referrals and word-of-mouth were key for early growth. 

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

Check out ZenPilot, where we help agencies optimize their operations using our proven systems and processes.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Andrew Stern's LinkedIn
• Pilothouse Website
• DTC Podcast
• DTC Newsletter
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn

Mike Rose, Founder and CEO of Return On Energy, is a highly successful entrepreneur who has built multiple profitable agencies that can run without him. With a track record of accolades, including being named INC Best Places in America and a 3X Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company, Mike shares his insights and strategies for creating a sustainable agency that can thrive even when the founder steps back.

As a HubSpot Diamond-Certified Partner and DFW American Marketing Association (AMA) Marketer of the Year, Mike's experience and expertise make for a valuable conversation on building a successful and scalable business.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Three factors mike considered before selling Mojo Media Labs to Gravity Global 2:15
• The acquisition timeline and exit process 3:44
• An overview of Mojo Media Labs and Gravity Global 7:05
• How Mike empowered the Mojo Makers to make better business decisions 9:30
• The importance of training your team on how business works 12:20
• Mike's strategies to help create an agency that works like a well-oiled machine and fire yourself 15:40
• The psychology behind exiting as an owner 20:55
• How does micro mentorship works 30:15
• What's next for Mike Rose? 32:00
• ROE Breakthrough Workshop 34:30

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

Check out ZenPilot, where we help agencies optimize their operations using our proven systems and processes.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Mike Rose's LinkedIn
• Return On Energy's Website
• ROE Breakthrough Workshop
• ROE powers ROI Book
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn

Individuals with soulful character approach leadership with tremendous fervor. They possess a deep understanding of their organization's structure and prioritize bottom-up motivation over top-down. They recognize the importance of all team members. These leaders also value open communication with all employees, recognizing that each person plays a crucial role in the organization and is equally valuable.

In this episode, Kenny Lange, CEO of Kenny Lange Coaching, Kenny helps agency owners and their leadership teams find clarity and engineer their culture using proven frameworks. Kenny joins Gray MacKenzie to discuss the impact of being a purpose-driven, people-centric leader and how System & Soul differs from The EOS framework.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why it is important to have the right framework for your agency
• What is S2 in The System & Soul Framework
• The differences and similarities between System & Soul and The EOS framework
• What System & Soul's S2 focuses on
• The importance of having consistent 1-on-1's with your employees
• How purpose-driven leadership impacts your agency's growth in productivity and effectivity

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

Check out ZenPilot, where we help agencies optimize their operations using our proven systems and processes.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Kenny Lange Coaching Website
• System & Soul Website
• S2 Diagnostic - How Healthy Is Your Organization?
• EOS Website
• Kenny Lange's LinkedIn
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn

In this episode, Charles "Charlie" Gaudet II, CEO of Predictable Profits. He is also the author of “The Predictable Profits Playbook" and host of The Beyond 7-Figures Podcast, joins Gray MacKenzie to explore the strategies and best practices for building successful and profitable agency partnerships.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why it is important to understand the benefits of agency partnerships
• How to identify the right partners for your agency
• How to establish clear expectations and goals
• The best methods to maintain open communication and fostering trust
• Ways to measure the success of your agency partnerships and continuously improving the process.

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

Check out ZenPilot, where we help agencies optimize their operations using our proven systems and processes.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Predictable Profits Website
• The Predictable Profits Playbook
• Beyond 7-figures Podcast
• Charles Gaudet's LinkedIn
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn

In this episode, Anne Shenton, CEO of Ascend Strategy & Design, a HubSpot Diamond and Advanced CMS Implementation certified solutions partner, joins Gray MacKenzie to dig deeper into the impact of implementing EOS.

Whether it's self-implementation or with a professional implementer, you will learn how an agency quantifies the impact of implementing EOS.

Topics discussed in the episode:

• How Ascend balances using ninety.io and ClickUp and their approach on how to leverage using both tools
• Ascend's quick background story and how they first discovered EOS
• Anne's career journey, her passion for websites, and how she navigated her career growth
• How Ascend Pivoted from being just a department to being its own agency
• The Impact of EOS on culture development and the downside of self-implementation
• How Ascend's screening process involves its core values.
• One of the unusual metrics that Ascend has is "Employee NPS."
• Anne's own tech stack and tool recommendation

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

Check out ZenPilot, where we help agencies optimize their operations using our proven systems and processes.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ninety.io's website
• Ascend Strategy & Design Website
• Slickplan's Website
• ClickUp's Website
• HeyTaco's Website
• Anne Shenton's LinkedIn
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn
• EOS Tools

Kevin Barber is the Head of Growth at Lean Labs, focused on helping innovative companies make their marketing profitable so they can scale. Father of 3, lives in Tampa, FL, and loves bikes, boats, and building brands.

Chris DuBois is the CEO at Lean Labs, helping build growth teams and websites for brands that deserve to win. Father of 2, and husband of 1. Lives in Portland, Maine, and enjoys exploring the outdoors, and reading a good book.

In this episode, Chris DuBois, CEO at Lean Labs, and Kevin Barber, Head of Growth at Lean Labs, joins Gray to discuss the challenges and opportunities and the nitty gritty of transitioning from one role to another and the importance of having the right role for each team member.

Topics discussed in the episode:

• How agencies are adjusting to the shifts brought about by the pandemic.
• The criticality of having the appropriate chief executive officer for Lean Labs.
• Chris's journey to becoming the CEO of Lean Labs.
• The effect of the transition to Kevin's leadership.
• The responsibilities that were delegated during the transition.
• Kevin's perspective on the distinctions between being an agency owner/business owner and a CEO.
• Chris's personal path before joining the Lean Labs team.
• Who Lean Labs is intended for.
• The purpose and function of Sprocket Rocket.
• Lean Labs' future partnerships with Impact.
• Lean Labs' priorities for the year 2023.
• The most vital skills that Chris was able to swiftly acquire.
• The growth priorities for 2023.
• Strategies for keeping the team aligned in the face of change and innovation.

Presenting Sponsor: ZenPilot

Check out ZenPilot, where we help agencies optimize their operations using our proven systems and processes.

ZenPilot knows that you are tired of wasting time on trial and error — that's why we provide tried-and-true solutions that will help you grow and scale quickly and sustainably.

So, what are you waiting for?

Go to zenpilot.com to learn more.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Sprocket Rocket Website
• Lean Labs Website
• The Growth Playbook
• Growth Grader
• Kevin Barber's LinkedIn
• Chris DuBois LinkedIn
• Gray MacKenzie's LinkedIn
• EOS Tools