Podcast appearances and mentions of jason swenk

If you're an agency owner who's ever felt the “I built this thing but now it's running my life” burnout creeping in—this one's for you.In this episode, Taylor sits down with Jason Swenk, the OG agency advisor and exit strategist, to talk about what it really takes to build an agency that works for you, not the other way around. Jason's been in the agency trenches—scaling, selling, and now coaching others to do the same—and his insight is a goldmine for any founder craving freedom, not just more figures on a spreadsheet.[HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ onboarding checklist here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[ABOUT THIS PODCAST]Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way.Cheers, to happy clients!

My Predictive team and I are here to help make 2025 the year you CRUSH your goals — and elevate your agency to new heights. In this episode of Sell With Authority, we're diving into a topic that's essential for scaling your business development efforts. If you're carrying the full weight of biz dev on your shoulders — it's time to change that. At Predictive, we've spent years experimenting in our lab, gathering data points, and refining our Sell with Authority methodology—a proven framework to help you sell more of what you do for a higher fee. That's where my very special guest expert, Jason Swenk, and I are focusing our time and attention in this encore episode. Jason is the Founder of Agency Mastery 360, a unique consultancy designed to help marketing agency owners — just like you and me — grow their agencies faster. You may remember Jason from episode 77 — we first tackled the topic of building a sales team. Today, we pick up where we left off — digging deeper into designing the right offers, setting up pricing for success, and creating a team structure that works for your agency. Whether it's about enrolling more of your team into the business development fold or building out a dedicated sales team to take on some of the heaviest lifting — this episode is for you. What you will learn in this episode: Why drilling down into your Ideal Client Profile (ICP) is the key to scaling faster How to craft and sell a compelling “foot in the door” offer that hooks clients Proven strategies for training and empowering a high-performing sales team Understanding prospect pain points and how to deliver exceptional value Using inbound, outbound, and strategic partnerships to build a robust lead generation system Key steps to lighten the sales burden off agency owners for more focus on growth Resources: Website: https://www.agencymastery360.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agency-mastery/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jasonswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk/

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training What are your goals for your agency this new year? Which new heights are you hoping to reach and what needs to change in order for you to get there? As we step into a new year, agency owners start setting ambitious targets. But achieving these goals requires more than just wishful thinking—it demands a clear understanding of three critical elements: where you want to go, who you need on your team to get there, and perhaps most importantly, how you need to evolve as a leader. Today, we're joined by a special guest who has witnessed countless agency journeys firsthand. As a key member of the Jason Swenk team, she's become a trusted companion to our mastermind members, guiding them through their growth challenges and celebrating their victories. Her unique perspective comes from years of observing what makes agencies thrive, understanding their common hurdles, and helping create environments where both businesses and people flourish. Tune in for an engaging conversation about teamwork, growth, and the importance of a community that can help you evolve as a leader. Stacey Green is the Director of Happiness for the Jason Swenk and Agency Mastery team. After ten years working side to side with Jason, she's on the show for the first time to share the insights into her unique role, which encompasses client success, event planning, and keeping the team organized amidst the chaos. As she celebrates her 10-year anniversary with the team, Stacey reflects on the evolution of her position and talks about some of the changes she's seen over the years. Listeners will gain a behind-the-scenes look at how she ensures the smooth operation of the podcast and the agency's mastermind calls. In this episode, we'll discuss: 10 years of shaping agency success. Identifying your agency domino. The mastermind advantage.  Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. How a Director of Happiness Shapes Agency Success As Director of Happiness at the Agency Mastery and Jason Swenk Team, Stacey has spent the last decade wearing many hats. This unique title, crafted collaboratively with Jason, encompasses everything from ensuring client success and orchestrating events to keeping Jason focused :) Through her regular interactions with mastermind members, Stacey has gained a profound insight into the agency landscape: while the industry constantly evolves, the fundamental challenges agency owners face—and their approaches to solving them—remain remarkably consistent. The industry, however, is rather mercurial in its constant change and only those willing to adapt will thrive. The mastermind program itself reflects this philosophy of adaptation. When Stacey first joined, the membership process was simply transactional—pay the fee and you're in. However, experience taught us that cultural fit is crucial for the community's success. This realization led to the development of a more sophisticated vetting process, ensuring new members align with the group's goals, ethics, and lifestyle values. The result has been the creation of a more cohesive and effective community of agency owners who truly support each other's growth. The Agency Domino: Identifying Your Agency's Critical Success Factor Towards the end of the year, Jason challenged his mastermind members to identify their critical "domino"—that singular element that, when properly aligned, sets everything else in motion for their agency's success. This exercise isn't just theoretical; it's born from real-world experience, as Jason and his team face many of the same challenges they help other agencies overcome. Take marketing talent, for instance. Over the past two years, the team has struggled with finding and retaining the right marketing person, cycling through several mismatched hires. Yet this challenge has offered valuable lessons, helping Jason and Stacey better understand the essential qualities they need in their ideal candidate. As we enter the new year, agency owners should approach their goal-setting with three crucial questions: Where do you want your agency to go? Who do you need to hire to get there? And perhaps most importantly, who do you need to become as a leader? This final question is critical because an agency can only grow as far as its leader's capabilities. Personal growth isn't just beneficial—it's essential for pushing your agency to new heights. The Mastermind Advantage: Accelerating Agency Growth Through Collective Wisdom While one-on-one coaching can be valuable, many business owners eventually hit a ceiling in their growth—a point where individual guidance no longer provides the momentum needed to reach new heights. This is why Jason shifted away from traditional one-on-one coaching toward the more dynamic approach of mastermind groups. Unlike the linear relationship between coach and client, masterminds create an ecosystem of shared experiences and diverse perspectives. Agency owners learn not just from a single mentor, but from peers who are actively tackling similar challenges from different angles. This multiplicity of viewpoints often reveals solutions and opportunities that might never surface in traditional coaching. As we enter the new year, consider how you're approaching your agency's growth. If past coaching experiences haven't delivered the results you sought, a mastermind group might offer the fresh perspective you need. As Stacey emphasizes, what brought your agency to its current level won't necessarily propel it to the next. Sometimes, the key to breaking through plateaus lies in embracing new approaches to learning and growth. Success in the agency landscape demands constant evolution and the willingness to learn from others. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

In the final edition of the Agency Growth Advisor Series, seven agency advisors share their recommended resources for growth, including podcasts, books, and productivity tools. In this episode… With so many insights and resources available to agency owners, it can be difficult to find what works for you. What can you learn from top agency advisors' most valued resources in the space? Bruce Eckfeldt, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Ian Garlic, Tim Kilroy, Aaron Levenstadt, Jason Swenk, and Joshua Johnston share where they gain their inspiration. With host Todd Taskey, they discuss how to select podcast guests, the value of listening to entrepreneurs' stories, and their recommended industry thought leaders.

Jason Swenk is the Founder of Agency Mastery 360, a company dedicated to helping digital agency owners grow and scale their businesses. With over 20 years in the agency space, he has built and sold his agency, and he now leverages his experience working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars to mentor other agencies.  In addition to hosting the Smart Agency Masterclass podcast, the #1 podcast for digital marketing agency owners, Jason has developed a framework for growing agencies from nothing to eight figures. His unique perspective, shaped by his extensive experience and monthly interaction with over 100 agencies, provides valuable insights into navigating market disruptions and achieving sustained growth. In this episode… In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, agency owners face the daunting challenge of sustaining profitability and positioning their agencies as attractive candidates for acquisition. What factors set apart those agencies that thrive in the competitive market, and how can agency owners ensure they maximize their potential for growth and sale? This recap dives deep into Jason Swenk's strategies for growing a digital agency poised for acquisition. A seasoned expert in the agency space, Jason focuses on crucial performance indicators beyond revenue, highlighting profitability, MRR, customer loyalty, and strategic team-building as fundamental metrics. Jason emphasizes that agencies often inflate their revenue to appear more successful, but the true value lies in their profit margins and operational efficiency. Through real-world examples and a personal anecdote about missing out on the Elf on the Shelf phenomenon, he shares a unique acquisition strategy that prioritizes culture fit, autonomy, and shared success. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, revisit Dr. Jeremy Weisz' earlier interview with Jason Swenk, Founder of Agency Mastery 360, about mastering agency growth and acquisition. Topics include the importance of EBITDA over revenue for agency valuation, acquisition KPIs, Republix's unique approach to acquiring and nurturing digital agencies, and the key trends and challenges in the current agency acquisition landscape.

In the third segment of the Agency Growth Advisor Series, seven agency owners share where their clients gain honest feedback to propel their businesses forward. In this episode… In the early stages of growth, agency owners often leverage quick hacks from people who claim to have grown from $1 to $10 million in under a year. How can you identify harmful strategies and acquire advice from those who will tell you what you need to hear? Bruce Eckfeldt, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Ian Garlic, Tim Kilroy, Aaron Levenstadt, Jason Swenk, and Joshua Johnston share their clients' most valuable feedback sources. With host Todd Taskey, they delve into why you should seek outside perspectives, the importance of acquiring a mentor for each stage of growth, and how to implement frameworks to solve growth challenges.

In the second episode of the Agency Growth Advisor Series, Todd Taskey's guests discuss what small agencies can learn from larger agencies that have overcome challenges.   In this episode… In the early stages, small agencies may struggle to grow to the scale of more established agencies. What are the growth secrets of large agencies, and how can you harness them? Bruce Eckfeldt, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Tim Kilroy, Aaron Levenstadt, Jason Swenk, and Joshua Johnston share strategies small agencies can learn from larger ones. With host Todd Taskey, the advisors share market leader positioning strategies, the three most common startup challenges, and how to achieve niche growth. 

Points of Interest00:01 – 00:44 – Marcel's Introduction: Marcel Petitpas welcomes listeners to the Agency Profit Podcast and introduces Jason Swenk, a returning guest and friend of the show, known for his agency expertise and role as the founder of Agency Mastery 360.00:44 – 01:33 – Jason's Background: Jason Swenk shares his journey of starting his first agency by accident in 1999, growing it to eight figures, and eventually selling it. He reflects on how he transitioned from agency founder to advisor and coach.02:20 – 02:55 – Success with Major Clients: Marcel highlights Jason's success with major clients such as Lotus Cars and Hitachi, as Jason reflects on growing his agency into a multimillion-dollar business and the lessons learned.04:50 – 06:28 – Scaling with the Right Team: Jason explains the significance of building the right leadership team to scale and how to ensure the team is aligned with the company's vision.07:35 – 09:55 – The Two "Whos" in Leadership: Jason outlines two key “whos” for agency growth: who do you need to hire to scale the agency, and who do you need to become as the leader to support that growth.12:19 – 14:35 – Shifting Focus to Long-Term Strategy: Jason shares how focusing on long-term strategy and empowering team members can unlock new levels of growth and how founders should stop managing day-to-day operations.16:07 – 19:25 – Empowering Your Team to Take Ownership: Marcel and Jason wrap up by discussing how to empower teams to take ownership of their roles, make decisions, and drive the agency forward without relying on the founder's input for every decision.23:08 – 24:45 – Continuous Problem Solving: Marcel and Jason discuss how entrepreneurship is a constant process of solving bigger, more complex problems as the business grows, and how discipline and reinvention are key.25:52 – 27:54 – Core Values in Hiring: Jason shares the importance of aligning new hires with the company's core values, ensuring that employees believe in the same vision and standards as the leadership.29:45 – 31:28 – Simplifying the Hiring Funnel: Marcel and Jason discuss how filtering applicants through creative processes like video submissions saves time and effort, allowing only the best candidates to move forward.32:55 – 34:45 – Trial Hiring for Leadership Roles: Jason advocates for hiring leaders as consultants for a 90-day trial period to assess their impact on the business before committing to a full-time position.34:45 – 35:52 – Measuring Success in Leadership Hires: Jason outlines how to measure success for leadership hires by focusing on how they streamline operations, save time, and work effectively with existing teams.37:25 – 38:45 – Invitation to Agency Mastery 360: Jason invites listeners to check out Agency Mastery 360 and his resources for agency owners, including upcoming events like Elevate in Arizona, where agency owners can learn to step back from day-to-day operations. Show NotesJason's Podcast: https://www.agencymastery360.com/podcastSwenk.itElevate Event in Arizona Feb 2025 (Marcel is speaking) https://www.agencymastery360.com/elevateLove the PodcastLeave us a review here.

In the second installment of the Agency Growth Advisors series, seven agency experts share what owners should consider when preparing their agency for growth.   In this episode… What does it take to propel an agency to the next stage? How can agency founders transform their current strategies into high-performing growth trajectories? Bruce Eckfeldt, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Ian Garlic, Tim Kilroy, Aaron Levenstadt, Jason Swenk, and Joshua Johnston discuss the inquiries pivotal to improving agency performance. With host Todd Taskey, they offer insights like delegating unproductive tasks, identifying your company's revenue drivers, and strategic planning for your growth goals.

Mike "C-Roc" dives deep into the story of Jason Swenk, a digital marketing expert who built two successful eight-figure agencies and now serves as an advisor to marketing agencies worldwide. Jason shares his journey from accidentally starting his first agency after creating a parody website to landing major clients like LegalZoom. He opens up about his early failures, learning experiences, and how those shaped his entrepreneurial path. Jason also discusses the importance of knowing your market, pricing your services correctly, and how one missed opportunity with a major company like Berkshire Hathaway taught him a valuable business lesson. He talks about his proven framework for growing agencies and offers insights on how to scale and build a thriving business. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this episode is packed with practical advice and real-life stories that can help you implement success strategies in your own life. Tune in for this inspiring conversation, full of lessons on resilience, growth, and how to turn failures into stepping stones to success. Website - https://www.agencymastery360.com/ Social Media Links/Handles- https://www.instagram.com/jswenk/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk/ https://www.youtube.com/jasonswenk

In this introduction to the Agency Growth Advisors series, Todd Taskey sits down with seven agency owners who share how they help founders accelerate growth.   In this episode… When it comes to scaling an agency, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Strategies often depend on size, revenue, and operational structure. What insights can you learn from agency owners who work all across the spectrum? Jason Swenk, Joshua Johnston, Bruce Eckfeldt, Tim Kilroy, Dr. Jeremy Weisz, Ian Garlic, and Aaron Levenstadt talk about their methods for agency growth. With host Todd Taskey, the founders share insights like driving strategic growth, how to attract clients, and how to build an eight-figure agency.

What is the secret to making an unforgettable impact through authentic connections?   In this episode of the Million Dollar Relationships Podcast, Kevin welcomes Ian Garlic, a video marketing expert, to discuss the art of storytelling in business and relationships. Ian shares his journey of creating video case studies for high-profile clients, emphasizing the importance of customer stories in shaping brand identity. From learning valuable lessons from his wife to cultivating partnerships that generate millions of dollars, Ian's approach to connections offers a powerful takeaway for any entrepreneur. Together, they explore how maintaining meaningful relationships can lead to both personal fulfillment and business success.     [00:01 - 05:12] Introduction: The Power of Daily Gratitude Building relationships requires intentionality and consistency Focusing on positive aspects of others strengthens connections Small gestures of gratitude can create a significant impact   [05:13 - 10:51] Ian's Journey into Storytelling and Video Marketing Customer stories hold the key to answering business challenges Authenticity in storytelling is more compelling than marketing slogans Understanding customer experiences drives business success   [10:52 - 15:58] The Importance of Customer-Centered Marketing Customers provide the best insights for marketing strategies Storytelling humanizes brands and fosters connection Listening to customer experiences helps shape effective marketing   [15:59 - 20:56] Relationship Building in Business: From Friends to Clients Relationships are foundational to long-term business success Collaborating with friends can lead to deeper, more fruitful partnerships Nurturing professional relationships can generate significant financial impact   [20:57 - 24:53] Impactful Storytelling: Case Studies that Change Lives Capturing and sharing stories can transform businesses Helping others tell their stories brings fulfillment and growth Personal connections often lead to the most impactful business results       Key Quotes:   "The answer to almost every business question is somewhere in your customer story." – Ian Garlic   "Being intentional is so important with relationships. It makes me think about the great things in people instead of the negative things." – Ian Garlic     Connect with Ian:   Website: https://www.videocasestory.com   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iangarlic  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ian.garlic       Honoring: Wife Jessica, Tony Grebmeier, Jeremy Weisz, Jason Swenk, Doug Richards     Thanks for tuning in!   If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe!    Find me on the following streaming platforms:   Apple Spotify Google Podcasts IHeart Radio Stitcher

“Standing out is great, but conversion is crucial.” – Jason Swenk It's hard to build a business if you don't invest in systems.” – Jason Swenk The finer details of this episode:Analysis and insights on building a strong email listSales cycle and close percentageUnique marketing strategiesImportance of systems in building a successful businessConcept of "land and expand"Effectiveness of email marketing campaignsProviding quick financial statements with industry comparisonImportance of creativity and innovation in marketing strategies Episode resources:Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website: https://www.summitcpa.net/Love our content? Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.summitcpa.net/summit-newsletterDigital Dollars and Cents: A Virtual CFO's Playbook to help Digital Companies Create a Financial Roadmap to Success, is now an audio book! Download it here: https://vcfo.summitcpa.net/ddcCatch the full episode of What All Successful Agencies Have in Common: How to Separate from the Pack, with Tim Condon here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-all-successful-agencies-have-in-common-how-to/id870206013?i=1000653823029Check out Jason here: https://jasonswenk.com/ Timestamps:The welcome (00:00:00)Introduction to the show "Creative Agency Success Show" and its purpose.Discussing Jason Swank's podcast (00:00:15)Introduction to the podcast "The Smart Agency Podcast" and its relevance to the speakers.Analyzing the podcast episode (00:00:43)Introducing the episode featuring Tim Condon and discussing its potential impact on the audience.Building a strong email list (00:02:20)Discussion on the importance of building a strong email list and the shift in the agency's marketing strategy.The importance of conversion (00:04:52)Emphasizing the importance of conversion in marketing efforts and its relevance to the audience.Sales cycle and close percentage (00:06:11)Analyzing the sales cycle and close percentage, comparing industry standards, and sharing insights on reducing the sales cycle.Unique marketing strategy (00:11:15)Exploring a unique marketing strategy involving leveraging established brands to generate leads and its implications.Best piece of advice for leaders (00:12:30)Discussing the best piece of advice for leaders, focusing on utilizing assets and generating what is needed.Using current assets for sales process (00:14:03)Sharing an example of using current assets to establish credibility and aid the sales process.Campaign carnival (00:16:53)Discussing a unique marketing campaign involving giving away free pizza to generate leads and its success in achieving lead opportunities.Building a Business with Hefty Systems (00:18:08)Discussion on the importance of investing in systems for scaling and duplication in marketing and sales.Developing a Sales Process (00:19:13)Insight on creating a sales process and thought leadership approach for client acquisition.Effective Email Marketing Campaign (00:26:44)The effectiveness of targeted email marketing and the innovation of using a pizza giveaway program for email acquisition.Land and Expand Sales Strategy (00:29:00)The concept of quick sales to establish trust and expand client relationships, with a focus on providing a low-cost financial statement as an entry point.

Jason Swenk is the Founder of Agency Mastery 360, a company dedicated to helping digital agency owners grow and scale their businesses. With over 20 years in the agency space, he has built and sold his agency, and he now leverages his experience working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars to mentor other agencies.  In addition to hosting the Smart Agency Masterclass podcast, the #1 podcast for digital marketing agency owners, Jason has developed a framework for growing agencies from nothing to eight figures. His unique perspective, shaped by his extensive experience and monthly interaction with over 100 agencies, provides valuable insights into navigating market disruptions and achieving sustained growth. ​ In this episode… Digital marketing is rapidly evolving, creating uncertainty and disruption for agencies. Business owners face the challenge of keeping up with technological advancements while maintaining consistent growth. How do you stay ahead without losing sight of the core elements that guarantee lasting success? Jason Swenk, an industry veteran with over two decades of experience, offers valuable insights on navigating these challenges. He discusses the dual nature of emerging technologies, particularly AI, as both a threat and an opportunity. Jason emphasizes the importance of not getting consumed by the latest trends but instead focusing on consistent, fundamental business principles that will likely remain unchanged. With an emphasis on quick decision-making and the power of simplicity, he encourages agency owners to stay agile and embrace opportunities presented by emerging technologies. Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast as John Corcoran interviews Jason Swenk, Founder of Agency Mastery 360, about growing an agency in an age of AI and disruption. They discuss the impact of AI on agency operations and how to leverage it. Jason also talks about finding the right clientele and refining your niche, the benefits of visiting clients regularly to build stronger connections, and the significance of consistent content creation and personal branding for agencies.

“As you're building your business, you're building your agency, you're going to realize that there's some prospects that are just not right. You have to go through that Vegas buffet and get sick and food poisoning because you overate and you ate a lot of the bad shit and you tell yourself, ‘I'm not going to eat those raw craw legs anymore.'” -Jason Swenk The finer details of this episode:Jason Swenk's journey from agency owner to consultant and mastermind leaderImportance of knowing target audience and sales process for agency successValue of creating a community of like-minded individuals through mastermindsEmphasis on maintaining a high-quality community over quantity in mastermind groupsImportance of building strong client relationships and conducting thorough researchUnique approach to hiring by setting specific instructions for applicants to followSignificance of qualifying leads early in the sales processValue of personal challenges and experiences in shaping one's perspective and approach to business Episode resources:Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website: https://www.summitcpa.net/Love our content? Sign up for our newsletter: https://www.summitcpa.net/summit-newsletterDigital Dollars and Cents: A Virtual CFO's Playbook to help Digital Companies Create a Financial Roadmap to Success, is now an audio book! Download it here: https://vcfo.summitcpa.net/ddcConnect with Jason here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk/Listen to Jason's podcast here: https://www.agencymastery360.com/podcastCheck out Agency Mastery 360 here: https://jasonswenk.com/Subscribe to Jason's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/jasonswenk Timestamps:Accidental Agency Owner (00:00:00)Jason's accidental entry into the agency world and his agency's growth and eventual sale.Transition to Consulting (00:03:08)Jason's transition from running an agency to helping other agency owners and the inspiration behind his consulting practice.Mastermind Community (00:04:45)Jason's approach to running a mastermind community, its structure, and the experiences it offers to its members.Exclusive Mastermind (00:08:28)Jason's encounter with an exclusive mastermind and his decision to create a more genuine and impactful community.Client Relationships (00:11:51)Jason's insights on maintaining client relationships and the importance of delivering exceptional service.Attract, Convert, Scale Methodology (00:14:32)Jason's methodology for agency growth, focusing on attracting ideal clients, converting leads, and scaling the business.Interviewing and Hiring (00:20:27)Jason's advice on the interviewing process and the importance of knowing oneself and researching the client or employer.Research and Applications (00:21:34)Discussion on the importance of research in job applications and disqualifying uninterested candidates.Lack of Research in Agency Pitching (00:22:47)Personal anecdotes about pitching without proper research and the consequences.Budgeting and Sales Process (00:25:48)Strategies for asking for a budget in the sales process and the importance of understanding the client's budget.Personal Question: Epic Experiences (00:30:29)Sharing personal epic experiences, including hang gliding, paragliding, and winter backpacking.Agency Mastery 360 (00:35:52)Information on accessing free resources and masterclasses for building the ultimate sales team and attracting the perfect client.

Your life as an agency owner is crazy–you're hiring (and probably firing), doing business development, meeting with clients, preparing pitch decks, trying to lead your team and a million other things.  But, did you know there are only 5 things you should be spending your time on–if you want to successfully scale or sell your agency?Jason Swenk is the Founder of Agency Mastery 360, whose system has helped over 10,000 agencies successfully scale.  Jason's had successful agency exits & is now a repeat author, plus the host of The Smart Agency Podcast.After looking under the hood of thousands of agencies, he's recognized 2 distinct patterns: the operational metrics you need to hit if you want to sell your agency and the only 5 things you should be doing as the owner to make your agency scalable and sellable.In today's conversation you'll hear Jaso explain:Why most agencies aren't charging enough (& how to successfully raise your prices)The 4 metrics he evaluates when considering to buy an agencyThose 5 things that should demand 100% of your focus as an agency ownerResources Mentioned in Today's Episode:An Agency's Guide to Measuring And Improving Billable Utilization (Ebook)Connect with Jason on LinkedInAccelerating Your Agency: An 8 Systems Playbook For Growing Your Agency Faster by Jason SwenkStop Selling Implementation Services (& Do This Instead) w/ Max Traylor3 Keys to Building and Agency Thats Lasts w/ Matt Heinz3 Steps to Avoid Furious Clients w/ Jackie HermesWant to watch the video version of the podcast on YouTube?Check it out here: Agency Life Podcast on YouTubeHave a question about today's topic? Text it to us here!Want to get more content to support your agency life? Subscribe to the Agency Life newsletter, check out past episodes & find more content at teamwork.com/agencylife. This podcast is brought to you by Teamwork.com.

Imagine your agency, where your sole role is to be the CEO. Imagine! Often times, as an agency owner, it can feel isolating. You know where you want to go, you just don't know what to do. What's where Jason comes in. And, in this episode, he'll share with you some of the HOWs. Jason's mission is to be the resource he wishes he had when he was building his first marketing agency. He understands the stress, uncertainty, and long hours we as agency founders put into growing a successful agency! Jason Swenk is the agency advisor & coach who guides marketing agencies through a proven framework for growing their agency faster. Jason has written the book for growing a marketing company from nothing to 8-figures.  He is one of the most sought-after advisors to marketing agencies in the World, by showing them an 8 system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, Lotus Cars, and eventually lead to selling his agency. Jason currently hosts the Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, the #1 Digital Marketing Agency Owner podcast. The show shares strategies and stories from real agency owners on what is working today in the agency world, and how they got to where they are now. I learned a lot from this episode, and I know you will too (if you're serious about growing your agency). [HELPFUL LINKS] Onboarding Checklist: Grab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onboarding checklist here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ABOUT THIS PODCAST] Welcome to the Happy Clients Podcast, brought to you by DOT and Company-- the world's best and only team of client account managers for digital marketing agencies. Whether you're a virtual assistant, an agency owner, or a client-facing account manager, we all deal with clients. Lucky for you. client management is what we do best. On the happy client's podcast, we won't shy away from the ups and downs of managing clients in the agency world, but we'll be right there alongside you to learn together and share the real juicy stuff we'll undoubtedly face when it comes to client management. Now, let's dig in, chat CAM life and have some fun along the way. Cheers, to happy clients!

Does your onboarding process set new hires up for success from day one? Do you believe the hardest part of adding new team members is the hiring process? Today's guest believes most business owners disregard the importance of the onboarding process, which can affect a new hire's chances of success in the agency. He goes over the many aspects you should improve for properly onboarding a new team member and why you don't want to waste the time, money, and effort put into the hiring process by doing a bad job with onboarding. Learn valuable insights and strategies in setting up new team members for success and avoid pitfalls in hiring remote staff. Noel Andrews is the CEO of JobRack, a hiring service that helps agencies find great remote talent from Eastern Europe and South Africa. As someone who focuses on finding the best talent and matching them with agencies looking to hire remotely, Noel knows the significance of prioritizing onboarding to ensure successful hires and discusses common mistakes agency owners make during the hiring process. In this episode, we'll discuss: Common onboarding mistakes you should avoid. How to kickstart a new hire for success. Effective remote team onboarding strategies. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources Copper: This episode of Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by Copper, a CRM solution built specifically for agencies that use Google Workspace. Its CRM integration works seamlessly with Gmail, Google Calendar, and Drive, so you never have to switch tabs to add leads, track email conversations, find files, or manage tasks in your marketing or sales process. Head over to Copper.com/agencies and get a free trial exclusively for Jason's listeners! The Biggest Onboarding Mistakes Agency Owners Make When Hiring Whether you're hiring remotely or locally, hiring is hard so once agency owners get to the last stage of hiring and they've got a start date confirmed they breathe a sigh of relief thinking their job is done. However, this is not true. The next step now is onboarding and it is a critical stage in the hiring process that is often overlooked, with the most common mistakes being. Not preparing for it. Not prioritizing it. Failing to adequately prepare for new hires leads to inefficiency. This looks like: no email access, Slack use, or client accounts ready on someone's first day in the office. Even at big companies, it may take three days to get a new hire a laptop. It's both a waste of their time and a terrible first impression. For Noel, proper onboarding is a twelve-week process, where you'll gradually provide them with the context they need to work in your agency. During this process, you should be preparing people with the background of who your clients are, what your services are, and why you do things the way you do. It's the sort of detail that will help workers go above and beyond for the company. Neglecting or rushing through the onboarding process can result in wasted time, money, and effort invested in the hiring process. Just like onboarding a new client, the first few weeks should be about how excited you are about them joining the team and offering everything they'll need to set them up for success, foster a positive work environment, and ultimately improve retention and productivity in the long run. Especially if it's a remote position, where you'll have to be very intentional about making sure you're giving them all the tools for success. Emphasizing Values in the Onboarding Process What Simon looks for in each team member will, of course, depend on the role. However, all his account managers, recruiters, operations managers, and customer success managers roles involve dealing with people, whether clients or customers. In this sense, their energy and attitude play a big role in how they'll do working in his agency. Of course, attitude is something that cannot be easily trained which is why hiring individuals who align with the company's values is the only way to ensure new hires will be a good fit for the organization and contribute positively to its culture. Not everyone has the ability to make people feel comfortable in a call or interview and that will play a big role for Noel. Overall, he's always looking for people who will be good at communicating and being part of the team. 4 Essential Elements to Kickstart Success for a New Hire Ideally, any onboarding process will have a few elements that make it a great starting point to cement the relationship that the new employee and agency will form in the coming weeks and months. To build a successful onboarding process, Noel believes in the first week employees should at least: Get to a place where they understand the agency and its values. Know what's expected of them in this new role. Understand the KPIs and metrics they'll be measured against. Have a clear idea of what the onboarding process will be like. Get Onboarding Right From Day One: Effective Remote Onboarding Strategies Managing a remote team can be tricky, especially when it comes to training a new member and making sure they understand how everything works. Noel adopts a hands-on approach by closely supporting the new hire, dedicating daily meetings to guide them through the onboarding process and address any queries that may arise. Additionally, he adheres to what Dan Martell calls the 10-80-10 principle in his book Buy Back Your Time. Basically, when delegating a task, 10% of the total time dedicated to delegating should be explaining the task, 80% should be dedicated to the actual execution, and then 10% should be checking, reviewing, and providing feedback by the manager. This is a critical part of the process since no new hire is going to instinctively know how to do things, even with the available SOPs. A good way to help employees get comfortable with communicating their plan for the day and ask questions is to have them answer these three items at the start of each day: What did you do yesterday that was impactful? What's your plan for today? Do you have any questions? It's a quick way to assess who will adapt to the agency because people who actually share their plan for the day and aren't afraid to ask questions are usually more proactive and make for a more successful hire overall. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

As an agency owner, have you explored the possibilities of content creation? Has it proven effective in building an audience or generating leads? Today's guest is an agency owner who has been writing books and collaborating with different publications for years. However, he finds that, for marketers, content doesn't really bring a lot of leads. For him, it's all about the credibility and trust you build through that content. He'll discuss why content creation nowadays is all about credibility and learning to adapt to leverage new tools. He'll also share why he chose an agency model that veered away from the more common use of RFPs and how it helped him tap into a well of talent waiting to find a meaningful job. Tune in to hear his thoughts regarding RFPs vs, referrals and the tools you should be leveraging in your content creation. Scott Gillum is the founder and CEO of Carbon Design, a B2B marketing services firm that uses the power of audience insight to increase conversations, engagement, and revenue for clients. Scott shares how his agency has evolved its model to focus on efficiency and effectiveness for midsize companies by utilizing all contractors. In this episode, we'll discuss: The agency model that helps you tap into a well of talent. Moving away from RFPs. Why content is KEY. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Building an Agency Model Around Work-Life Integration Since his start in the industry, Scott has been always intrigued by engagement rates and frequently referred to Gallup's data – a multinational analytics firm that conducts workplace consulting research – and found the results were frankly concerning. In the 25 years that Gallup has been measuring employee engagement rates, it has never been above 32%. Additionally, at least 15% of the surveyed employees felt actively disengaged. Scott also worked as a management consultant for a while and observed people usually leave their jobs to attend to family life responsibilities like taking care of their kids or sick parent. He could see how much they struggled to balance both and ended up disappointed. Around this time, he was in conversations with an agency that offered him to work on a different and very meaningful project. He pitched the idea to build a model that would allow an agency to tap into a well of talent looking for meaningful work but have to deal with the difficulties of being a main caretaker. “There are 5 million stay-at-home moms looking for meaningful work. It's unused capacity we could tap into,” he explains. The decision to engage solely with contractors also significantly influenced the agency's operational approach. Scott notes they operate entirely on referrals, focusing on inbound leads and project-based work rather than traditional retainers. This is how his agency has operated for the past six years. Referrals over RFPs: The Power of Building Relationships in Agency Business In the agency world, one of the traditional approaches to acquiring clients involves responding to Requests for Proposals (RFPs). These documents outline the client's requirements and ask agencies to submit proposals detailing how they would meet those needs. However, there is a growing trend among agencies to rely less and less on engaging in the RFP process. It's a shift that highlights the power of building relationships and trust with clients, and the benefits that come with it. In their six years operating, acquisition of business has been the hardest part for his agency. Being 100% referral-oriented, they don't typically respond to RFPs, don't believe in retainers, and focus exclusively on doing good project-oriented work, building trust, delivering quality work, and fostering long-term relationships with clients. Their goal is that clients are completely satisfied with the results and hire them again. For agencies seeking to move away from RFPs, a potential approach could involve offering a reduced fee for a consultation to gain a better understanding of the prospect's needs. Spending at least one hour to build a tailored plan based on the client's input can demonstrate the agency's commitment. If the client approves the plan, they can choose to engage with the agency, or implement the plan themselves. If the client is dissatisfied, they receive a full refund. How do you respond to an RFP? Watch this 2-min video for Jason Swenk's answer. Content is KEY:  From “Publish or Perish” to “Adapt or Die” Writing, podcasting, and video creation are great lead generators in sales and things agency owners are encouraged to do to attract clients. However, as an author for several publications and books Scott finds that marketing is much more about building trust, establishing relationships, and ultimately driving business growth. Content creation allows agencies to showcase their expertise, build credibility, and connect with their target audience on a deeper level. By consistently putting out valuable and engaging content, agencies can attract new clients, retain existing ones, and differentiate themselves from competitors. In Scott's case, he predominantly produces informative material based on client research and experience. Two additional ways for him to leverage his writing to build relationships could be to: 1. Approach industry experts for interviews, thereby enhancing audience trust and fostering connections, and 2. Take his research and advice to other formats like audio and video. With the widespread popularity of audio podcasts and video content, it's crucial for agencies to adapt their content strategy to align with their audience's preferences. The emergence of AI tools that facilitate script creation and video editing underscores the need for agencies to be open to experimenting with new formats and embracing emerging technologies to remain relevant and competitive. Establishing Trust Through Content: The Role of Credibility and Experience With content creation becoming much more accessible thanks to AI tools, the other side of the coin is that a lot of bad content is thrown into the mix. According to Scott, some of this content is concerning because it has no knowledge or research to back it up. “We have a generation now that understands marketing tools but doesn't understand marketing very well,” he says. Credibility will make the difference between audiences more keen on either receiving well-researched facts or the opinion of a trusted source. In this sense, experience will play a crucial role in establishing credibility. The audience will typically look at someone's practical experience in a particular field before offering opinions or advice. For instance, young life coaches who may not have experienced enough in life to truly understand and guide others will likely have low credibility compared to their more experienced counterparts. Ultimately, credibility and experience go hand in hand when it comes to creating content. By combining a strong knowledge base with practical experience, content creators can establish themselves as trustworthy sources of information and opinions. This, in turn, helps build a loyal following and enhances the impact of their content. AI Tools You Should Check Out in 2024 AI tools have been ubiquitous in the past year, and this year promises even more potential for those in the industry looking to leverage their capabilities. Scott utilizes widely used tools such as ChatGPT 4 and has recently partnered with Cassidy, a company that offers AI tools for website content creation and image generation, which can also aid in brainstorming. Scott finds that other tools frequently require updates, leading to the need for continuous adjustments to yield accurate results. In this sense, Cassidy seamlessly integrates with G Suite, allowing it to analyze files, proposals, emails, and more to facilitate content creation. This type of AI tool can be extremely beneficial for small business owners and agency owners who are juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities. With the right information, AI tools like Cassidy learn from you, work for you and can help content creators save time and effort by automating certain processes and getting assistance in pulling relevant information from past projects. Will AI replace agencies? No — and learning to efficiently use these tools opens a lot of doors. Overall, Scott remains optimistic about the potential of AI tools to be additive rather than replacing human workers. He emphasizes that AI tools can assist teams in finding past project work, pulling relevant information, and overall making the job easier for content creators. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

Do you find it hard to stand out on LinkedIn? Have you tried making connections there only to feel bombarded by spam? Our guest today is here to rescue your LinkedIn presence from obscurity. She specializes in coaching agency owners to transform their profiles into irresistible client magnets. During this chat, she goes over some of the most common misconceptions about LinkedIn, her concept of writing a “love letter” to your target audience, and why trying to be overly professional won't work on this platform. Tune in to learn how to make the most of LinkedIn and differentiate yourself in this crowded digital platform. Nicole Osborne is the founder of Wunderstars, a brand and marketing coaching program designed for agency owners and online businesses. With her help, entrepreneurs get to the bottom of how to stand out on LinkedIn. She discusses the importance of being authentic and sociable on the platform and shares insights on how to fix the common LinkedIn mistakes agency owners are making. In this episode, we'll discuss: What's working and not working on LinkedIn. How to write a love letter to your audience. How to connect through vulnerability. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources Agency Blueprint: Do you need help accelerating your agency's growth? If you're having trouble scaling your agency, maybe you're just too close to the identify areas where you need the most help. This is why we're setting up a free strategy session with our Scale Specialist Darby where he'll walk you through a framework for scaling your agency faster. Just schedule a chat with Darby – no string attached – at JasonSwenk.com/Darby. Together, you'll figure out your next steps for scaling your agency faster. Rapport Building: The Secret Weapon to Make it in Marketing As a teenager living in former Eastern Germany, Nicole had to help out with the family's market stall sales after both her parents lost their jobs. She was tasked with selling sunglasses and, initially, she felt awkward and shy. However, she soon realized that building rapport with potential customers was essential to successful sales. By engaging in friendly conversations and making people feel comfortable, Nicole was able to draw them in, make the sale, and get referrals. Reflecting on this experience, she realized that many agencies, despite being excellent at marketing their clients' businesses, often struggle to market themselves effectively. They fail to overcome their fears in order to become more visible and successful on platforms like LinkedIn. Initially, agency owners may feel the pressure to portray themselves as uber-technical experts on LinkedIn. However, Nicole suggests that being authentic and talking about everyday things can be just as effective as long as you keep your ideal clients in mind. Not Growing On LinkedIn?  Try This LinkedIn has proved to be THE platform to be in for many agency owners. However, a lot of people have negative perceptions of it. Even though some still think of it as a “boring” platform, it has evolved over the years, transitioning from a strictly professional and corporate platform to becoming a more sociable and engaging one. In this sense, Nicole encourages agency owners to be authentic in how they present themselves on the platform and not stick to an outdated overly professional style in their posts. This is the only way you'll succeed in utilizing LinkedIn to connect with people on a more personal level. Of course, there's no denying that interactions can get quite spammy on LinkedIn. To this, Nicole counters that email marketing can also get very spammy, yet everyone uses it to promote their businesses. Likewise, as long as individuals focus on building genuine connections, the platform can be a valuable tool for business development. It's important to avoid immediately jumping to a sales pitch without first assessing if there is mutual value and benefits in the connection. Instead, engage in conversation and find common ground. By taking the time to get to know each other and finding shared interests, individuals can establish a solid foundation for a meaningful connection on LinkedIn. Approach LinkedIn as a real networking event where you would hopefully not just talk about yourself but also actively listen and engage with others. Treat it like a virtual networking party and you'll have global reach that will allow you to work with international clients and grow your personal brand across the globe. From LinkedIn With Love, How To Find Your Ideal Clients What works on LinkedIn is something that can change over time, like with any social media platforms. For Nicole, one thing that will never change is the human element, which is why you should always show up as yourself. Instead of putting on a professional mask, start by thinking about what your ideal clients need and focus on that. It's an approach she links to writing a love letter. Ask yourself what would appeal to your audience? What would they find interesting? What is it they're struggling with? What is it they're really hoping to achieve? Showcase your agency's culture, creativity, and problem-solving abilities and present yourself as a guide to help them get to where they want to be. As to letting your authenticity shine through, don't forget the importance of the human element. In this regard, while she's all about making processes more efficient, Nicole advises not to lean too much on automation because it may hinder your ability to connect with potential clients on a personal level. Understanding your target audience and what resonates with them is crucial to bringing personality to these interactions, and it can't be effectively done if you're solely relying on AI tools. Additionally, agencies should avoid outsourcing without providing a thorough brief and should be cautious of using appointment setters who may spam potential clients. These approaches can come across as impersonal and may not effectively showcase the agency's unique value. Pro tip: Create polls that tap into your audience's pain points. By reaching out to those who participate in the polls and engaging in conversations, agencies can provide value, offer tips, and potentially encourage further discussions about their services. Ditch the Superhero Complex: Connect Through Vulnerability One mistake agency owners make in how they present themselves on social media platforms is thinking they need to appear as superheroes who have everything figured out. In reality, people feel much more drawn to the vulnerability of someone admitting that they got to this point after making many mistakes. By sharing personal experiences and lessons learned, agency owners can establish a sense of relatability and authenticity, which in turn builds trust and credibility with their audience. Additionally, having the confidence to talk about your mistakes can help you stand out. If you post like everyone else you'll blend so much into the background that no one will ever notice you, which is certainly not the point of marketing. By being willing to share embarrassing or outrageous stories, you can differentiate yourself from competitors in the crowded social media landscape and capture your target audience's attention. Furthermore, focusing on specific social media platforms that align with your target audience will also help you stand out where it counts. For Nicole, LinkedIn is a platform where professionals are actively seeking learning and networking opportunities. She advises agency owners who've tried to use LinkedIn in the past and not seen results to rethink their strategy by following these steps: show up as your authentic self, write as if you're writing a “love letter” to your audience, be vulnerable, and be visible. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

Jason Swenk sold his marketing agency in 2011. Since then, he's transitioned to the role of an acquirer, purchasing nine agencies. With experience on both sides of the negotiating table, Jason reveals his unique perspective on how to sell your service business. 

Are you looking for ways to differentiate your agency? Have you considered expanding your agency's offering with proprietary technology? Today's guest markets to franchise systems and offers a platform built for their specific marketing needs. It's a great way to cater to clients' specific pain points while increasing his agency's value. He details the unique challenges and opportunities of marketing for franchise systems, the strategic decisions behind developing proprietary technology to better serve clients, and the challenge of getting most clients to adopt this solution. Alex Porter is the CEO of Location3, a partner agency for multi-unit brands and franchise systems. His agency has been delivering enterprise strategy with local activation for clients and helped them drive digital transformation since 1999. Tune in to gain valuable perspective on growing and scaling your agency and learning how having their own platform has helped them differentiate from the competition. In this episode, we'll discuss: Finding their perfect niche. Marketing to franchises. Offering a dedicated platform for franchisees. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources Agency Blueprint: Do you need help accelerating your agency's growth? If you're having trouble scaling your agency, maybe you're just too close to the identify areas where you need the most help. This is why we're setting up a free strategy session with our Scale Specialist Darby where he'll walk you through a framework for scaling your agency faster. Just schedule a chat with Darby – no string attached – at JasonSwenk.com/Darby. Together, you'll figure out your next steps for scaling your agency faster. Podcast Takeover!! Get to know your Smart Agency Guest Host: Dr. Jeremy Weisz is the co-founder of Rise25, an agency that helps companies launch and run podcasts profitably. He followed Jason's podcast and eventually joined the mastermind and has been a guest on the podcast before. Today, he's helping Jason bring something new to the Smart Agency podcast audience by interviewing a special guest and getting a new perspective to the show. Why Franchises was the Perfect Niche for This Agency 25 years ago, Alex was ready to go back to college for a PhD in Sports Psychology when he ran to an old buddy who told him the internet was going to be the next big thing. He offered him a job at his startup where he could learn about internet marketing. The appeal of getting very early into something like that was exciting, so he changed his plans and followed his friend and began his career in marketing. About five years ago, after working for Location3 for many years, Alex and the team decided the agency would focus on the franchise space after one of their biggest clients went out of business. This event led the company to reevaluate their purpose and strengths. They realized they had a strong track record of working with franchise brands and enjoyed the relationships they had built in that industry. One of the key insights looking into this space was that there were very few agencies specifically catering to franchises. This presented an opportunity for them to differentiate themselves and provide targeted solutions to franchise systems and their individual franchisees. What It's Like to Work With Franchises The success of franchise marketing lies in the mindset of innovation. Alex and the team not only understand the business of their franchise clients but also focus on driving revenue. They constantly test new tactics and ensure that each dollar is spent efficiently. However, franchise marketing also presents unique challenges, particularly in navigating the corporate versus individual franchisee relationship. Location3 primarily starts at the franchisor level, as they are responsible for assisting their franchisees in their marketing efforts. This why they first take the time to understand how this particular relationship works from a funding perspective in each case and aim to become the franchisors preferred vendor that they will then recommend to franchisees. In terms of engaging with franchisees, most franchise systems have annual conferences to discuss operations, finance, and marketing. Location3 typically attends these conferences and provide education on new marketing strategies and showcase data-driven results. Throughout the year, they continue to engage franchisees with webinars and information to keep them updated on the ever-changing digital marketing landscape. Bridging the Tech Gap for Franchise Marketing with Their Own Technology Solution Franchise marketing is unique in that each franchisee acts as their own Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The success of their marketing efforts directly impacts their individual lives, making it a highly invested interest for them. Location3 recognized this and developed its own platform called Local Act, which allows franchisees to understand and optimize their local digital marketing efforts. Through Local Act, franchisees can track metrics such as website traffic, reviews, phone calls, and conversions. They can also analyze the effectiveness of their local marketing campaigns and make data-driven decisions to drive customer acquisition and revenue. The response has been very rewarding. According to Alex, the decision to build the platform was primarily driven by client demand. Location3 saw there was no existing solution in the marketplace that met their clients' needs. The franchisees wanted their information platformed, and instead of building an Excel dashboard, they saw the value of hosting that data. Additionally, they believed that incorporating technology into their business would increase their company's value and enable them to transition from a services-based business to a technology-enabled services business. Implementing this technology-enabled service required hiring various roles within their software engineering department, including a database person, a UI (user interface) designer, a project manager, and data analysts and data scientists to help understand and incorporate AI and machine learning findings into their data analysis. Despite the company's belief in their tool for franchisees to drive customer acquisition at a reasonable cost, the adoption rate has not reached its full potential. This may stem from the fact that some franchisees still rely on traditional marketing methods like direct mail and is something Alex will continue to address moving forward. Growth Plans: Calculated M&A Pursuits In terms of growth strategies, Alex is considering the possibility of acquisitions. By acquiring companies that are similar to them but lack the technology platform, Location3 can seamlessly integrate them, further enhancing their services. Additionally, they plan to invest more in sales and marketing to attract more brands and establish more touchpoints with senior leaders in franchise systems. In this sense, they hope to attract more franchise systems with more than 50 locations, with strong management teams, and willing to invest in technology. As to how they continue to add value for customers, they've implemented digital recruitment. Recognizing the hiring challenges faced by their clients, they developed hyperlocal campaigns across search, social media, and retargeting to directly reach potential candidates. This approach allows clients to connect with qualified candidates on a one-to-one basis, rather than relying on expensive job platforms where resumes are sent to multiple competitors. By targeting candidates directly, Location3 has been able to reduce the cost per recruit and successfully fill open positions for their clients. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

Jason Swenk and Manish Dudharejia delve into the world of agency management and business scalability, shedding light on the complex yet rewarding journey. They explore how past challenges can be transformed into valuable lessons for growth, highlighting the indispensable roles of continuous innovation and strategic thinking. Through their discussion, they unravel the subtle differences that set exceptional work apart from the average, offering listeners practical insights to propel their own business ventures toward unparalleled success and distinction. Manish reflects on the evolution of a growth-obsessed mindset, both personally and in business, acknowledging past mistakes as pivotal learning experiences. He shares his journey from conventional lead responses to a more focused, core-driven approach, underscoring the value of adapting and evolving business strategies over time. 00:00:00 - Opening Insights: Navigating Agency Management Mastery 00:01:23 - Introducing the Visionary: Insights from Manish Dudharejia 00:03:38 - Agency Growth Uncovered: Planning for Scale and Success 00:04:27 - The Power of Reflection: Innovating for Business Breakthroughs 00:06:46 - Transformative Decisions: How Past Lessons Shape Future Success 00:08:57 - Strategic Focus: The Key to Business Acumen and Achievement 00:10:43 - Pursuing Excellence: Elevating Business Practices to New Heights 00:18:58 - Concluding Wisdom: Summarizing Game-Changing Strategies 00:20:09 - Final Thoughts: Wrapping Up with a Special Opportunity Resources: https://e2msolutions.com/smartagency

Once a year, our digital agency owners mastermind cohort trades Zoom squares for open skies, convening at a ranch to deepen connections forged through months of vulnerable idea sharing. For three days, members taste true community while sampling strategies for unlocking agency success. But the annual live retreat with other mastermind members promises more than stimulating discussion and delicious food. This gathering of peers breeds breakthroughs that boost business and life alike. Between fireside chats and horseback excursions, mastermind members crystallize priorities, pressure test assumptions, and summon the courage to meet change head-on. Tune in to hear some of this year's highlights and the many benefits both the members and the team take from this annual event. Darby Copenhaver and Jason Swenk look back on this year's Digital Agency Experience (affectionately known as DAX). They discuss the benefits of having a couple of days for in-person meetings and how it provides a sense of comfort and personal growth for everyone involved. They also recall some fun campfire anecdotes, the best memories they take from this year's reunion, and some key learnings everyone took back home. In this episode, we'll discuss: Digital agency experience 2023. Revelations around staffing and agency values. Leadership check-ins on what you need to start, stop, and continue.   Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources Gusto: Running payroll and benefits is hard. Especially when you're a small business. Gusto is a tool that helps make payroll, benefits, and HR easy for small businesses. You no longer have to be a big company to get great technology, great benefits, and great service to take care of your team. For a limited time, Gusto is offering a deal to Smart Agency Master Class listeners. Check out Gusto.com/agency for 3-months FREE once you run your first payroll with them.   Digital Agency Experience 2023  This was Darby's third year at the Agency Mastermind Experience and, as always, it was unique. Most of the members had not met in person and didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, the experience created an overwhelming sense of comfort for everyone attending. The members were interacting at all times and had so much to share after a year of online meetings. In his conversation with members, Darby could see how much they each took away. Everyone had their expectations of what they wanted to get out of the event or what they thought they needed. Fortunately, every single one expressed they got monumentally more than they expected. When they join the mastermind, agency owners are normally filled with questions and not sure who to turn to get the answers. In many cases, mastermind discussions lead to tough questions that lead agency owners to question where they are with their business and what they need to keep growing. For others, it may lead to affirming things they already know they should do. In many ways, it's like group therapy. Even though you already know something, it hits differently when you're forced to say it out loud and in front of your peers. It forces people into action in a way they might never do on their own. Staffing Revelations Around Talent and Values Gathering people around a campfire can foster a sense of camaraderie and create lasting memories. It's a perfect moment for them to let their guard down and go back to their high school selves. It creates an environment where people can connect on a deeper level and engage in authentic conversations. During the mastermind experience, the campfire was a time for reflection, collaboration, and goal-setting. The group engaged in conversations about parenting, work, and personal aspirations. This year, many conversations highlighted the importance of considering values when it comes to your team. Jason is a big believer in evaluating team members and clients based on whether they align with the same values. It becomes an important aspect of building a successful and cohesive group. Just ask yourself, "Would I want to hang out with them at my house?" It's not exactly about surrounding yourself with ‘yes men', but brilliant workers can still corrode culture. Mastermind members traded tales of top performers poisoning team dynamics. Finding the right talent is hard, of course. But hiring mistakes grate slowly and then mass exodus eventually follows. So surgically remove cultural cancers promptly. It's the best approach to protect your team and save yourself bigger problems down the line. Furthermore, implement the value element as part of your hiring process. Vet people based on their talent and how compatible they are with the established agency values. Leadership Check-Ins: What to Start, Stop, and Continue? What does your team want you to start doing? What do they want you to stop doing? And what would they like you to continue doing? These questions were part of the group discussions and led to useful realizations, even for Jason, who was asked to institute a 24-hour rule with his team. As a leader, Jason is a doer with a tendency to act on his ideas quickly. Quick decision-making can be beneficial in some cases, but it can also lead to hasty decisions and the need for subsequent changes. Both Darby and Stacey, the director of happiness, know Jason usually has very good ideas. He is the type of person who gets things done. There are many positives to this. He doesn't fall into the trap of overthinking and over-analyzing. However, impulsive behavior can result in the entire team dedicating hours of work to something that may be scratched in the end. With the 24-hour rule, they can ensure decisions are now given time for careful consideration before taking action, increasing the chance of success. “Good is The Enemy of Great” This was part of the mastermind's discussions when talking about training your team to push themselves for greatness. At some point, we may feel pretty confident in what we do and our team's success. However, there's always room for improvement. We all probably have an idea of what we could and should be doing to be better at what we do. However, as human beings, it can be hard to push yourself out of your comfort zone, which is where greatness lies. Training your team to always strive for greatness will ensure you're surrounded by people who will challenge and push each other to reach their full potential. Moreover, by instilling this mindset in your team, you're empowering them to make decisions and take action without constant supervision. This, in turn, allows you to focus on higher-level tasks and responsibilities. A Space for All Agency Owners Willing to Share to Reach Their Goals So what can the members take from this members' only digital agency experience? The experience fosters new ideas and open communication that the agency owners can then take to their teams. So many agencies nowadays are virtual which has benefits for both employees and owners. However, they also miss out on the banter and in-person interactions that come with being in an office. By making this an in-person experience, Jason and the team hope to infuse some of that creativity and problem-solving spirit into the attendees and get them back to their agencies filled with new ideas. The mastermind is by no means a bro club. This year it was pretty evenly divided between men and women attendees. It is a place for all agency owners who need help getting through some hurdles hindering their growth. As long you're a giving, sharing, vulnerable, transparent, and honest person, you have a place to go where you can be around similar people, no matter who you are or where you come from. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? If you want to be around amazing agency owners who can see what you may not be able to see and help you grow your agency, go to Agency Mastery 360.  Our agency growth program helps you take a 360-degree view of your agency and gain mastery of the 3 pillar systems (attract, convert, scale) so you can create predictability, wealth, and freedom.

Agencies vary greatly, so finding helpful advice can feel daunting. With so many different agencies and approaches to running them, where do you turn to find reliable advice that has been tested thoroughly? Someone like Jason Swenk, who has worked with over 10,000 agencies in the last decade, fits that perfectly. This week, episode 204 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about lessons learned from working with 10,000 agencies!Are you leaving money on the table with your proposals? Introducing Smart Pricing Table, the ultimate agency proposal software with built-in upsell features. Maximize your revenue potential today. Download our Sponsor's free guide, the Profitable Proposal Blueprint, today. In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Jason Swenk shares the importance of having a plan in place before selling an agency and actionable steps you can take right now to get clear on your business goals. Jason Swenk is the agency advisor & coach who guides marketing agencies through a proven framework for growing their agency faster. Jason has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to two 8 figure agencies. He is one of the most sought out advisors to agencies in the World, by showing them an 8 system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, Lotus Cars, and eventually led to selling his agency. In this episode, Dan and Jason discuss the following:The importance of trust with clients and employees.AI isn't replacing agencies, it's helping them be more effective.Jason's ‘offer ladder' approach which de-risks the commitment of working with your agency.Agencies should focus on solving clients' biggest challenges the fastest.Don't forget to visit Jason's website to learn more about his upcoming book!Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and Smart Pricing Table at https://www.smartpricingtable.com/dagCONNECT WITH JASON SWENK:WebsiteX (formerly Twitter)LinkedInCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales Schema

Finding right-fit clients, especially in a slow economy, is always a frustrating task. For the past year or so, agency owners have been expressing more and more frustrations over finding and keeping good clients at the right price point.   In this episode, Jason Swenk shares some tips and tricks about what he sees agencies doing right when it comes to client acquisition that keeps them profitable even in the toughest economies. He shares the 3 main channels where agencies can find right-fit clients — hint: it's got nothing to do with referrals — that position your agency as a must-have problem solver for prospects. If you're ready to find the perfect clients, get paid what you're worth (or more), and make them feel like they can't live without your services, this is your episode. You'll learn some tangible tips for impressing clients and staying ahead of the curve to keep them interested. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: What the agencies who are getting new clients are doing right Getting clear on the types of clients you want to go after Why you shouldn't rely on referrals as your main client go-getter Figuring out how to solve your clients' problems innovatively The 3 main channels you should be resourcing to find right-fit clients Why podcasting is one of the greatest inbound sales channels Creating an attractive offer ladder without using retainers What does the agency of the future look like? 2 of the biggest challenges agencies need to anticipate for the future

Jason Swenk dives into the art of making an agency attractive to potential buyers, discussing the intricacies of client transferability and the often-overlooked details of earn-outs. He shares invaluable advice on enhancing your agency's value, from distinguishing your business as a market maker to understanding and automating key performance indicators (KPIs). Whether you're considering selling your agency or aiming to scale it, this conversation is packed with strategic wisdom and practical tips that will equip you for success.Chapters:00:00:00 - Reflecting on Creative Marketing Strategies and Business Acumen00:03:33 - Attracting Attention Strategically: From Annoyance to Engagement00:06:48 - Personalized Networking on Twitter: Seizing Business Opportunities00:11:57 - Identifying Sellable Assets Across Diverse Businesses00:13:00 - Crafting a Sellable Asset: The Solar Velocity Journey00:15:39 - Capitalizing on Investment Opportunities and Tax Advantages in Ownership00:17:55 - The Significance of Transferable Contracts in Business Transactions00:20:04 - Communicating Your Business Vision and Targeting Niche Markets00:24:37 - Achieving Predictable Revenue: The Path to a Growing Business00:26:25 - Predictable Revenue and Adapting Business Offerings00:31:47 - Becoming an Advisor for Sustainable Business Success00:35:00 - Profitability and Growth Metrics in the Agency Business00:36:32 - Navigating Valuation Dynamics: Multiples and Unicorns in Today's Market00:38:22 - Harnessing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Sales and Departments00:41:22 - Strategically Building a Business with Sale Potential: The Roadmap to SuccessLINKS AND RESOURCES:LinkedInJason Swenk's WebsiteTier 11 JobsPerpetual Traffic on YouTubeTiereleven.comSolutions 8 Perpetual Traffic SurveyPerpetual Traffic WebsiteFollow Perpetual Traffic on TwitterConnect with Kasim on Twitter and Connect with Ralph on LinkedInThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Perpetual Traffic? Have some feedback you'd like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!Mentioned in this episode:Tier 11 CaAMP Schedule a Call

QUICK LINKS:• The Agency Profitability Toolkit - Get the templates, formulas, and frameworks we've used with our consulting clients to help them double their profitability in under 60 days, absolutely free• For more information on our Agency Profitability Systems and Consulting, check out parakeeto.com• Love the podcast? Leave us a review on the platform of your choice at this link• Want to see/read more about this episode? Then do make your way to parakeeto.com/blogGUEST LINKS:GoWP Quickly Hire GoWP FaceBookABOUT: Emily is the Chief Operating Officer for GoWP, a company helping agencies grow through their dedicated staffing and via white-label WordPress service development.

Jason Swenk is the Founder of Agency Mastery 360, a consultancy designed to help marketing agency owners achieve and sustain accelerated growth. He is the resource he wished he had when he started his agency. Jason hosts two podcasts: The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, which focuses on strategies and stories from real agency owners, and SwenkToday, a show that documents how you can grow your digital agency. Early on, Jason decided to quit his day job and launch a digital marketing agency that grew to a multi-million dollar operation and 100 staff, collaborating with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of growth, he sold the agency in 2012. In this episode… Creating sustainable, value-driven, service-based businesses can be a complex endeavor. With the myriad of challenges that come with running service-based businesses, how can entrepreneurs develop sustainable models that offer value to their clients? Jason Swenk, a renowned consultant for digital agency owners, suggests that the secret lies in focusing on outcomes rather than tasks and streamlining processes. By delegating effectively and developing strategic systems, businesses can truly thrive. Jason's approach goes beyond running a business; he champions the creation of a community that learns, evolves, and succeeds together. In this episode of the Financial Clarity podcast, host Hannah Smolinski is joined by Jason Swenk, Founder of Agency Mastery 360, to talk about his journey towards building value-driven and sustainable service-based businesses. They delve into Jason's strategies for delegation, hiring and outsourcing, sales process optimization, and overcoming financial challenges.

QUICK LINKS:• The Agency Profitability Toolkit - Get the templates, formulas, and frameworks we've used with our consulting clients to help them double their profitability in under 60 days, absolutely free• For more information on our Agency Profitability Systems and Consulting, check out parakeeto.com• Love the podcast? Leave us a review on the platform of your choice at this link• Want to see/read more about this episode? Then do make your way to parakeeto.com/blogGUEST LINKS:Chris's InstaChris's YouTubeLinkedInDealmaker ConciergeDealmaker Wealth SocietyABOUT: Chris Moore is an entrepreneur, investor, full-stack digital marketer, best-selling author, and business growth specialist. He has a strong background in business development, customer experience design, and business growth strategy. 

QUICK LINKS:• The Agency Profitability Toolkit - Get the templates, formulas, and frameworks we've used with our consulting clients to help them double their profitability in under 60 days, absolutely free• For more information on our Agency Profitability Systems and Consulting, check out parakeeto.com• Love the podcast? Leave us a review on the platform of your choice at this link• Want to see/read more about this episode? Then do make your way to parakeeto.com/blogGUEST LINKS:Jason's author pageAgency MasteryJason's Blog Jason's PodcastLinkedInYouTubeABOUT: Jason is one of the prominent thought leaders and coaches for digital agencies in the space. He's literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to two eight-figure agencies.

Jason Swenk is the agency advisor & coach who guides marketing agencies through a proven framework for growing their agency faster. Jason has literally written the book for developing an agency from nothing to two 8-figure agencies. He is one of the most sought advisors to agencies in the world, by showed them an 8-system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars, and eventually led to selling his agency.

My Predictive team and I are looking forward to helping you close out Q4 strong so you can roar into 2024 and crush the year. In the fast-paced reality of marketing agencies, your success depends on more than just creativity and strategy. It's about building an effective sales process. That's where my very special guest expert on this episode of Sell With Authority, Jason Swenk, and I are focusing our time and attention. Agency owners and consultants — just like you and me — are facing common challenges. Clients and prospects are taking longer to approve work, delaying payments, and making the business landscape a bit trickier to navigate. Jason Swenk is the Founder of Agency Mastery 360, a very unique consultancy designed to help marketing agency owners just like you and me, grow their agencies faster. A discussion about the sales process has never been more relevant. Candidly — clients and prospects delaying work is a reality we all face, and now is the time to cast as many fishing lines as possible in the right ponds. But remember — those lines must be connected to an effective sales process to avoid driving yourself crazy with extra work and limited results. I encourage you to listen to this episode as Jason shares insights on building a top-notch sales process to catch the right clients, reel them in, and juggle the endless responsibilities. What you will learn in this episode: Why having a great biz-dev system in place transforms your agency from a burden to an asset How to understand your ideal client profile, or ICP How to find and train the right sales people How to pick your niche What are the components of a top-notch sales process How to knit together niche and team to create an effective sales process Resources: Website: https://www.agencymastery360.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agency-mastery/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jasonswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk/ Access to Agency Mastery Resources: https://www.agencymastery360.com/resources “Accelerating Your Agency: An 8 Systems Playbook For Growing Your Agency Faster”

Jason Swenk is the Agency Advisor, Coach, and Mentor at Agency Mastery 360, which guides agencies through a proven framework to scale easier and faster. As one of the world's most sought-after advisors for agencies, he has developed an eight-system framework for growing two agencies from nothing to eight figures helping brands like AT&T and Hitachi. Jason hosts the Smart Agency Masterclass, the #1 podcast for digital marketing agency owners. In this episode: For digital marketing agencies, scaling to over $1 million in revenue is complex and intricate. It requires implementing sound processes to build trust, sell your services, and generate leads. Today's guest offers demonstrated systems for growing your agency to eight figures and beyond. As one of the world's most trusted agency advisors, Jason Swenk has built, scaled, or sold two top-performing agencies using his tried-and-true eight-step process. When starting out, it's essential to identify and communicate a growth vision to your team. This allows you to position your business effectively to your target audience and craft an offer that demonstrates value. Referrals are no longer viable in the next stage of growth, so you must form strategic partnerships to generate a steady flow of leads. Strategic scaling also necessitates replicating reliable sales systems, enhancing operations, and motivating leadership teams. In this episode of Systems Simplified, Adi Klevit welcomes Jason Swenk, the Agency Advisor, Coach, and Mentor at Agency Mastery 360, who shares proprietary, actionable agency growth systems. Jason talks about his journey to agency ownership, how he scaled his agency from zero to eight figures, and his eight-step agency scaling process.

In this episode of How to Scale an Agency, Lucas is joined by Jason Swenk, who emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining strong client relationships. Swenk shares insights on anticipating client needs, delivering on promises, and offering a foot in the door offer to potential clients. By building trust and retaining clients, agencies can achieve long-term success. Swenk also advises against lowering prices to win deals and stresses the importance of setting clear expectations from the beginning.In This Episode, You'll Learn:00:00:00 Losing A Deal Based On Price00:03:34 Meeting Customer Needs Through Anticipation And Service00:06:02 Focus On Providing The Promised Product/service00:07:28 Is It Okay To Lower The Price To Build Momentum On A Sales Strategy?00:09:40 The Pitfalls Of Lowering Prices To Win Deals00:13:00 The Pitfalls Of Overcomplicating Sales And Pricing Strategies00:15:05 Pricing And Perception In BusinessLinks And Resources:WebsiteJason Swenk on LinkedInLucas James LinkedInYouTubeTwizThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to How to Scale an Agency? Have some feedback you'd like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!

Join us for an exciting episode of the Conquer Local Podcast featuring Jason Swenk, renowned advisor and coach from Agency Mastery 360, specializing in accelerating the growth of marketing agencies.Jason's extensive knowledge and experience provide invaluable guidance to agencies seeking to scale. He authored the definitive book on building agencies from scratch to 8-figure powerhouses. And with his groundbreaking 8-system framework, Jason achieved remarkable success with his agency, collaborating with prestigious brands like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars before selling it.As the host of the acclaimed Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, Jason shares the strategies and stories from real agency owners, offering insights into what works in today's agency landscape.Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to gain actionable insights and a roadmap to conquer the ever-evolving agency landscape. Tune in now to hear about Jason's fascinating journey and discover the latest industry trends!Register for the Agency Insights Report 2023: Early Access Event here, or copy and paste this URL in your browser: https://www.vendasta.com/content-library/webinars/agency-insights-report-event/Conquer Local is presented by Vendasta. We have proudly served 5.5+ million local businesses through 60,000+ channel partners. Learn more about Vendasta and we can help your organization or learn more about Vendasta's Affiliate Program and how our listeners (like yourself) are making up to $10,000 off referrals.Are you an entrepreneur, salesperson, or marketer? Keep the learning going in the Conquer Local Academy.

2023 recession talk: pull back or grow? For the first time ever, Jason Swenk, agency owner, advisor, podcast host, and speaker, is interviewed on his own show! Darby turns the tables on him in this episode, where they discuss mistakes, regrets, and the path to becoming an advisor. Jason also talks about why he feels recessions offer opportunities. He shares his views on an economic downturn and how you can grow when others give up. Don't let fear take over, be proactive and tune in! Jason Swenk is an Agency Advisor, speaker, and podcast host who literally wrote the book on growing and scaling a successful digital agency. Jason started, grew, and sold an 8-figure agency and today is a shareholder in another multi-million dollar agency. For the first time ever he'll be interviewed on his own podcast to talk about some of the mistakes he regrets and the path that led him to become an advisor. In this interview, we'll discuss: Ways being reactionary gets in the way of growth. How a recession is an opportunity for growth. How to get ahead of difficult conversations. The 3 best reasons to sell your agency. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher | Radio FM Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Podcast Takeover!! Get to know your Smart Agency Guest Host: Darby Copenhaver is the Agency Scale Specialist at the Agency Mastery 360, which provides agency owners with the coaching, community, and tools needed to scale and find their freedom. He helps agency owners scale through a proven framework for growing their agencies faster and connecting with other amazing agency owners. Today, he's helping Jason bring something new to the Smart Agency podcast audience by interviewing a special guest and bringing a new perspective to the show. How Being Reactionary Gets in the Way of Growth Jason's journey to success in the agency industry was not without its challenges. In the early days, he found himself being reactionary, a major roadblock to growth. However, he learned from this mistake and discovered that having a clear focus and target clientele was key to achieving growth. As with many business owners, Jason had to grapple with the decision of whether to sell his agency or continue to run it. He started his agency during the dot-com era, hoping to grow it for a year and then sell it. But after the market crashed and he came to enjoy the business, his feelings changed. He realized that the desire to sell or keep going depends on where you're at in his life and the agency's growth trajectory. Why Recessions are an Opportunity for Growth Interestingly, Jason also saw recessions as an opportunity for growth. In the early 2000's dot bomb and again in 2008, as the market was crashing, his agency was reaching new heights. He and his partner invested more and found strategic partners, which helped them weather the storm and come out even stronger. Overall, Jason's story serves as a reminder that success in the agency industry requires a combination of strategic planning, adaptability, and perseverance. By staying focused, taking advantage of opportunities, and being willing to evolve, agency owners can achieve long-term success. Are you ready to tackle the tough conversations and come out on top? Jason, an agency owner, knows how difficult it can be to approach clients with their concerns and hesitations. But with a little transparency and a lot of courage, Jason was able to ease their worries and showcase the many opportunities that lay ahead. Being Proactive with Difficult Client Conversations But what if your clients just aren't ready to take the leap? Jason suggests making a top 100 list of ideal clients who share your values and can afford your services. Back in 2008, when his agency was struggling to stay afloat during a market slowdown. This strategy proved to be a game-changer. Jason was able to catapult his agency to new heights by targeting clients who were willing to invest and grow despite the challenges. Of course, there were some bumps in the road along the way. Some clients froze or reduced their budgets, which meant Jason had to make some tough choices. But by freeing up resources and replacing those clients with new ones, he was able to weather the storm and come out stronger than ever before. 3 Big Mistakes as an Agency Owner Looking back on his 12 years as an agency owner, Jason knows there are a few things he would have done differently. Firing Sales Too Fast. He regrets firing a salesperson too quickly without offering more support and guidance. Talent from Big Agencies Doesn't Equal Growth. He also learned the hard way that hiring people from bigger agencies doesn't always translate into success at a smaller agency. They are often not very resourceful in a more intimate agency setting. He learned it's more important to hire based on core values instead of just bringing people from the top. Not Delegating the Manager Role. Perhaps most importantly, he recognized management skills are crucial to team success. Now he knows he needs to hire people who are good managers and can get by with some guidance and coaching. 3 Reasons It Might Be Time to Sell Your Agency If you're thinking about selling your agency, Jason has some advice for you too. He urges you to take a step back and ask yourself why you're considering it in the first place. Is it because you're burned out and no longer enjoy the work? Or is it because you need the money for other reasons? Maybe there's a bigger opportunity waiting for you out there. Whatever the case may be, make sure you're clear on your reasons for selling before you take the plunge. Jason warns against being too reactionary to the market forces that come your way. Instead of simply reacting to the challenges and opportunities that arise, agency owners need a clear vision. It's important to be clear on where you're headed and goals you want to achieve. By designing your agency around your goals and values, you'll be better equipped to weather the ups and downs of the market and come out on top. So why not take a chance, make that top 100 list, and see where it takes you?   Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? If you want to be around amazing agency owners that can see what you may not be able to see and help you grow your agency, go to Agency Mastery 360.  Our agency growth program helps you take a 360-degree view of your agency and gain mastery of the 3 pillar systems (attract, convert, scale) so you can create predictability, wealth, and freedom.

If you're in the early stages of your agency, what should you prioritize in order to grow? With so many things to track and so many hats to wear, how do you know what's most important? What deserves your time and attention? As a solopreneur with a startup, building relationships and establishing values for your are crucial for growth. Yet, some owners are not equipped to maintain these parts of the business. So, how can you prioritize these factors when growing your agency? Today's guest, Christy Pretzinger, understands that solopreneurs are not in a position to oversee relationships consistently. That's why she hires compatible talent to help her develop and sustain team-building programs and workshops. These initiatives cultivate a supportive culture and ensure her team embodies their values. Christy talks about maintaining a positive company culture and explains the importance of relationship building, how she attracts like-minded people and her strategies for maintaining client and employee relationships.  In this episode, we'll discuss: Why it's important to build relationships when seeking opportunities. Strategies for maintaining client and employee relationships.  Growing an agency during uncertain and challenging economic times. Christy Pretzinger is the President and CEO of WriterGirl, an agency that helps hospitals and healthcare organizations create patient-friendly website content to grow their brand and strengthen their position in the marketplace. Since 2005, Christy has grown WriterGirl from a freelance writing business into a nationally recognized healthcare content consultancy. She is passionate about building environments where people can thrive and strives to reinvent how we view the work world. As an experienced entrepreneur, Christy shares her experiences with younger agency owners to help them grow.   Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher | Radio FM Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Podcast Takeover!! Get to know your Smart Agency Guest Host:  John Corcoran is the co-founder of Rise25, an agency that helps companies launch and run podcasts profitably. He followed Jason's podcast and eventually joined the mastermind and has been a guest on the podcast before. Today, he's helping Jason bring something new to the Smart Agency podcast audience by interviewing a special guest and bringing a new perspective to the show. Episode transcript: John Corcoran  0:00   Hey, I'm John Corcoran taking over for Jason Swenk in this episode of The Smart Agency Masterclass, and I run Rise25 and Rise25. We are an easy button to help businesses get more clients and referrals with done-for-you podcast and content marketing. And for over a decade, we've been helping companies to give to their best relationships and partnerships through a podcast. I also am a longtime podcaster and have done Smart Business Revolution Podcast since about 2010. And I got to know Jason by listening to his podcast, and then we joined his Digital Agency Elite Mastermind, we've attended his events. And we wanted to learn from someone who grew in multimillion dollar operation with over 100 staff and then sold it. So if you are an agency that wants to grow, contact Jason and his team because they can help go to digitalagencyelite.com. But you can also email support@Jasonswenk.com. And so I was also honored when he asked me to take over the show as a guest host. So check out today's episode with an amazing agency owner. Today we've got Christy Pretzinger, and Christy is the owner and CEO of WriterGirl. It's a fast-growing organization that creates content and provides strategy for hospitals, and healthcare organizations across the United States. Christy went from being a freelancer to an agency owner. So we're going to talk about that journey. And she uncovered her passion for creating an environment where people can thrive writing a book on sharing your experience around doing that, just that. And one of the things that she talks about, and we'll talk about this interview is about viewing culture through the lens of a balance sheet, and helping fellow business owners and others who have a direct impact on the culture. So Christy, I'm excited to hop into those topics. And first, let's start at your origin story, how you got into the agency world into becoming an agency owner, you'd been a freelancer, and you actually ended up, you knew a woman who a former client of yours, who'd started your company, WriterGirl, and you ended up partnering up with her. So talk a little bit about how that came about.   Christy Pretzinger  1:55   Okay, thanks for having me, I'm happy to talk to you. That's, I guess, an interesting story. She was a client, and she brought me on as a partner, and really kind of to sell, you know, stuff that it was a company at the time that did advertising copy. So it did like headlines and naming and things like that. And a year later, her largest client, she really kind of had one client. And he was indicted and imprisoned actually for tax fraud. So she was expecting a baby and was obviously made her very nervous. And she wanted out. And so I bought her out for a pittance. And basically got the name of the company which is WriterGirl. But I had to pivot pretty quickly because there was no client anymore. And started seeking out more long-form content, because that was the kind of writer that I was. And you know, as the Queen, Oprah says, luck is preparation meeting opportunity. And so what happened is that through a series of events, a hospital group was redoing, they were merging and renaming actually. And they needed three websites done for each one of their three hospitals. And they had to be done pretty much simultaneously, the marketing director of that hospital group had been a former client of mine when I was a freelancer. So she reached out to me and thought that most of the content was done. And I came to find out like a week in that literally nothing was done. And I had like 35 writers on it, you know, within like 20 minutes. And then once we finished that it was a huge learning curve. But fortunately, it was going so quickly, that we could make mistakes, and then fix them without really causing any issue. And so by the end of that, I thought, well, I'll bring teams of writers to hospitals.  John Corcoran  3:42   And so it just seemed right? Yeah. Before we get to that, I want to ask you about how you brought in that first big project. You know, was it it was a kind of a case of fake it till you make it, you know, you saw the opportunity? There must have been part of you that was saying, oh my gosh, wow, this is like a massive project for me something bigger than I've ever handled. So, you know, I'm wondering how you set yourself up, for lack of a better term to take on that big project? Christy Pretzinger  4:14   Well, I'll talk about I won't talk about the one that made me decide to go into hospitals really was kind of an accident. So I'll talk about how I actually deliberately went out and got one because that's more interesting. And what happened? There were two things. One of them was I went to, I'm in Cincinnati, I went to The Ohio State University and ended up landing their business for a small project, just like a just a brochure at the time. But she was saying they had a whole bunch of work to do. And if we could do this well, but she was warning me that the medical director had an undergrad in English and then, you know, had gone on to get his MD and she said he hates everybody's writing. And when we did this, he made two changes and it was like commas, and she couldn't believe that. And so then she gave us a very large project to do the website content for their heart hospital, and that was probably the time the biggest single project we'd ever had. And I honestly wasn't sure if we could do it that I've thought, well, I done that other hospital project, I did have some writers, I had done some learning. And I knew how to project manage that kind of thing. And I had a really good relationship with the client at Ohio State. And for me, I've always found, especially when I was building the business, that having that really, really working to build that relationship with the client was key to being able to not only produce excellent work, but get the grace if you made a mistake. Because I would always say nobody will work harder than me to find something about you to like, because, you know, clients can be challenging, right and personally, and what I think and there's gotta be, there's gotta be a point, like, I had to work with one of her employees, and this woman was very challenging. But over time, we finally did build a relationship, and then it just made it so much better. So that then you feel like you can, if you make a mistake, you can acknowledge that and they'll give you the grace to fix it. So me relationship building has always been key. But then this was an interesting one to the next really big one. This was when I landed $150,000 from one client, and we'd never ever, ever had that kind of money. It was Indiana University. And I went through I'm a WeBank, a woman-owned business, which has never gotten me anything except this one time. I called the diversity person, who in this instance, was a man, which usually isn't that it was. And for whatever reason, he's like, Okay, I'll connect you with our marketing director, which was like, Oh, wait, why? And he got me on the phone with them. And that hospital system at the time, had to use it or lose it budgetary thing. And they had like foreign $20,000 That was going to go away had been earmarked for something. And it didn't fit in, or I think it had been earmarked. And the work didn't get done in that calendar year, or whatever their year was academic year. And so they said, Can we give you a check for $450,000? And then work it off? And I was like, Well, yes, you can. John Corcoran  7:06   That was not a hard Yes. Christy Pretzinger  7:10   I can complete again, luck is preparation, meeting opportunity that was just me calling and thinking, Well, why don't we try getting in this way? And John Corcoran  7:20   that's great. That's great. How did you make that transition from being a freelancer to managing teams of writers? And all the different challenges that come from moving from one to the other? Can you talk about that? Christy Pretzinger  7:37   Yeah, it's interesting. In retrospect, now, I have a few different experience shares, I guess, around that. One of them is that when I became a freelance writer, a long, long, long time ago, I did it because I was a competent writer. I never wanted, I didn't have a passion to be a writer, you know, I was a good writer, I made a good living as a writer. But it wasn't, it wasn't my passion. So when I started building WriterGirl, I wasn't feeling like I had to hold on to being a writer and wasn't like, oh my gosh, this is who I am. This is my talent. So as it started growing, I used to write project manager. And so the first thing I let go of was the writing. Because it wasn't my passion anyway. And I was okay at project managing, I'm really, especially now, I'm not a detail-oriented person, I would really have to really put on that hat and do that. And then sales came more naturally to me, but at that time, as it is for most people building a business as a solopreneur, you know, at that time, you're like, Okay, sell, sell, sell, sell, project, manage product, manage, and, you know, farm out the work to writers, and then oh, crap, there's nothing in the pipeline, sell, sell, sell. You know, I mean, most people know that drill. So that was how I mean, like, a lot of people I was doing that the difference for me was unlike people who maybe are engineers and, and do something in an engineering field, or a doctor or like a dentist or something like that. I'm not the only one with the skill set. So I was able to move out of those roles. And because I had done all the roles, I knew what was required. And I could hire people that were better at it than I had been. And that was really key. I don't think I knew that at the time. But I also never had a lot of ego around that. And I know sometimes that that's again, an experience share that I see, especially with younger businesses where they think well, I'm the one who's the best at that. I'm like, well, that's great if you want to have a job for the rest of your life. And there's nothing wrong with that. I didn't want a job for the rest of my life. So I was always really happy to hire people that were you know, better, faster, stronger than me in whatever capacity that was. Strategies for Maintaining Client and Employee Relationships John Corcoran  9:41   Yeah. Now I know one of your passions now is building maintaining a culture within your company. And you were telling me beforehand that one of the things that you've always believed is if I couldn't build a business based on kindness, I would go back to being a free Freelancer so that was important to you. Was there a point Lean was our breaking point, like sometimes I talk to business owners and they realized that their culture is off. They don't like their own culture. Sometimes they have to fire a bunch of people to change the culture. Was there anything like that? Or what was the realization that culture was really important to you as you built your business? Christy Pretzinger  10:17   Well, I think because when I started freelancing, I had left a job because I felt completely unappreciated and taken advantage of, it had been a really good situation for a period of time. And then it just stopped being a good situation. And largely because the woman who had been my boss left, and I think she had shielded me from a lot of things and had promoted me and champion me. And that was wonderful. Then she was gone. And I was like, wow, this is a mess. And I didn't like that at all. And I had had a lot of jobs, I'd moved around a lot before I only worked in the workforce for I don't know, what, seven years before I started freelancing. And so and I think I'd had like four or five different jobs, I stayed about a year and a half the last one I was there for, I think, for years. So I'd seen a lot of different things that workplaces that weren't necessarily that appreciative or kind to their people. So for me, it was always from the outset that I wanted to do that that was a core belief of mine. And I think, again, looking back on it, at the time, I have grown and changed but at the time, because of my own insecurities. I wanted to be everyone's favorite client, meaning all the 1090 nines, the contractors that I would hire, I wanted to be their favorite client. And I wanted to be every client's favorite vendor, I wanted everyone to like me. And so I thought that maybe I guess maybe kindness was a core thing. It's always been a core thing for me. And then once I never had to fire anybody, because of culture until many years later. And that was just a situation we knew was going awry anyway. But really, the people that are drawn to this organization seem to be of like mind. And that has been I don't know what that's about. I don't know what that magic is. Because that's actually been true in most aspects of my life, too. I haven't had a lot of negative people around me, generally speaking. John Corcoran  12:10   There isn't, is there anything that you do deliberately in the hiring process, or in your own content marketing, that you put out on your own website that would attract people like that? Yes, Christy Pretzinger  12:22   very much. So I mean, I think that there's a lot of people when people look at our website, especially if they're women, because it is a woman in business, and it's called WriterGirl. And they're like, oh, I want to work there, I think it would be fun. And we are very, pretty loud and proud about our values, which are we are empowered, curious, kind and fun. And so we do that in our own content marketing, we talk about that we talked about, we have a program called kindness counts, and we use that the organization to go out and do things in the community, you know, whether it's, you know, volunteer someplace, or go clean up, you know, something that's a mess, things like that. We also do something called moment makers that we do for our clients. So we try and mark a moment for them if they get married, if they have a baby if something happens, and so we do something. And we actually have a file within our SharePoint called moment makers, where we can put all that stuff so everybody can see it, and drawn it and build on it. So all of those things we do talk about quite a bit. And then the people that work for WriterGirl talk about it a lot. And they tend to have their friends want to come work and their friends tend to be project managers and writers or content strategists and things like that. So we get a lot, a lot, a lot of people that way. Growing an Agency During Uncertain Economic Times John Corcoran  13:29   And did you know many companies when COVID hit in 2020 film that they had to make deliberate changes to their culture, because all of a sudden, everyone's dispersed? They're not under the same roof? I don't know if they were before. But did you have to make any deliberate changes in order to maintain that culture that you wanted when COVID hit? Christy Pretzinger  13:48   Well, what's interesting is when I was building the business, as I started hiring people, I never wanted an office because I would have to go there. And I didn't want to have to do that. I didn't like that whole environment. And, again, I think I've shared with you, John, that my goal was always to work as little as possible make as much money as possible. So I didn't want anybody to see that I wasn't going to the office. And so I mean, I was hoping that would happen at the time, it didn't you know how it is, when you're building a business, it's like working 24/7. But I was hoping to get to the point where I am now where I don't, don't work as much. So we've been virtual from day one. So we did not miss a beat when COVID hit. And in fact, what we were able to do was help a lot of our clients who you know, largely work in hospitals and healthcare and some agencies that serve you know, like big agencies that are full service agencies that also are clients of ours that serve hospitals and health care and help them figure out how to do that virtually. You know, are there different tools that you use? How do you collaborate? How do you make sure that you still feel like you have a culture going on? And so much of it has been ingrained in us that we never had really pulled it apart before. And looked at it doesn't like well, why does this work? You know what, what is the magic that makes it a an environment where people do truly feel like they can thrive. John Corcoran  15:03   Yeah, some companies like Zappos, for example, developed a whole b2b culture consulting division, I interviewed the head of it a bunch of years ago. Were you were you it? Was this something that you just kind of did as, as an add-on without charging for it? Or did you ever think like, you know, we have built a really good culture, we should turn this into its own business initiative? Why It's Important to Build Relationships When Seeking Opportunities Christy Pretzinger  15:26   You know, we never really did. It was just, it was really more ad hoc. And again, it was building those relationships with our clients. I mean, our mission is we build relationships, one word at a time. And then our values are, we're empowered, curious, kind and fun. So that kind of underpins everything that we do. So if we had a client who's like, Oh, my God, I'm working from home, my kids are homeschooling? I'm not really sure. And we were always like, Okay, first of all, just don't worry about it. It's fine. I got kids here, too. It's okay. Let's just make this work. And then they'd be like, Well, how do you? I don't even know how to use Zoom. What is this? Like? You know, so just helping people with things like that? Yeah. Now, with the, with the book that I'm writing and things like that, that's that really, it's not so much about being a revenue generator, fine. If it is, it's really more about having an impact on other business owners, you know, like us, that have a direct impact on culture, probably more smaller business owners, although within an organization, I've never worked in huge fortune 500 companies, but you know, the smaller groups within organizations have their own cultures, right, within a huge organization. So, my mission, personally, is to sort of reinvent the way people look at the world of work by making it someplace where it is literally life, work, balance, not work life balance. Hmm. John Corcoran  16:38   I want to ask you also about you niche down and decided that you wanted to work with hospitals. Talk a little bit about that. thought process behind that, and how you did that. And were there bumps along the road. I mean, there's been major health care legislation that has come down in the last 15 years, I don't know if that ever, you know, changed the way that you had to operate. Christy Pretzinger  17:03   Well, you know, what's interesting is chaos creates opportunity, right. And if, if nothing else, you can say that healthcare in the US is chaotic. When we started working in healthcare, only trying to think like, even I know, 11 years ago, I think that the Affordable Care Act had just passed a little bit before that. So there were all sorts of things and hospitals, it was really just chaotic. They didn't even know how to price anything. And that was one of the requirements at the time. Because they would just build it all into the, you know, the CAT scan that you had, or whatever, they have no idea how much surgery costs, how much anything costs, I still don't think they do. But that was a general idea of trying to control costs by at first understanding them. So we had a lot of communication, there was a lot of opportunity for communication there. In terms of getting into it. As I said, After that one client hired me, it just I looked around, I was like, there are hospitals everywhere. And they must be doing things like this one is doing like, you know, doing entirely new websites where they have so much content that has to be written, who's going to do that? It just seems like a really, it seems simple, you know, you tell yourself the necessary lie, right? It'll be easy. That'll be easy. And that looking at hospitals, and at the time, strictly content, not even content strategy was like we write words on the page. And the reason I did that was because that's what I understood. I didn't want to try and sell at the time search wasn't even a big deal. But I didn't want to do web development or design or any kind of that because I didn't understand it. And I didn't want to look stupid trying to sell something that I really didn't understand. So we ended up probably inadvertently, narrow, narrowly niching in a way that worked really well it ended up being a very narrow and very deep niche. We've never had any problem having growth numbers within just that narrow niche. John Corcoran  18:53   I want to ask you also about you mentioned earlier about the importance of relationships. And you said it's always been about the relationship with the client. But you're at a size now where I'm sure all the relationships don't go through you. So as you as you grew to a larger point, and you had to step away, step back and let others manage those relationships. How did you you know, oversee that process to ensure that other members of the team were building that relationship in the way that you really wanted it to be built. Christy Pretzinger  19:26   You know, it's so interesting, because so much of things around culture and relationships is fair. It's very esoteric, isn't it? And it's kind of hard to quantify it, which is exactly what I'm trying to do by looking at culture through the lens of a balance sheet. So one of the things that because first of all, I was bootstrapping it, it grew slowly. So I would still be involved at some level and I could see how someone was working. I did once have a project manager who was working with me and she started behaving very passive-aggressive manner to me. What the time I didn't realize she was treating the client that way. I thought she was just doing that to me. Well, then we went to a client meeting. And I saw how angry the client was with her. And I was like, Oh my gosh. So that was a big learning. For me. It's like, oh, however they treat me is how they're treating the client. So I started sorting for that, and watching the kind of people who would be more interested in a, what's the word, not a transactional relationship, but solicitous relationship and appreciative relationship. And then what because I was still, like I said, I was still involved, at some level for quite a long time, I could observe that and see, you know, what's happening here. And also, another thing that I did very early on is we use the Enneagram as a tool. And even when we were much smaller, we have an Enneagram, coach, who types everyone. And then, when we were much smaller, we had full company groups, when they were like, I don't know, seven or eight of us. And we would have workshops, full day workshops. So we really understood and dove into that. And I don't know if anybody, any of you or the audience are familiar with Enneagram work. But if you have an excellent coach in the Enneagram, it's more about your motivation, and really understanding why someone does what they do. And so when you know that about your coworkers, it, it builds empathy for them. So like when I was still managing more people, like, say, for example, I had an employee who was a three and I had to kind of, I can't remember what I had, it was gonna be a challenging conversation. And so I was able to call the Enneagram coach and go, What should I, okay, this is what I have to do, which I do. And she was able to coach me through and say, Well, remember, as a three, she needs to feel like, she looks good, and that she's winning. And so I could communicate to her in that way. And so we did that a lot. And so there's this core group that has a real solid understanding of that. And we are continuing to build that out, we've grown, you know, we added, I don't know, 15 people all at once we doubled in size, like within a six month period. And those people don't have as much core knowledge about that as the rest of us. But we are actually bringing everyone in town for a retreat, and a big part of that is some Enneagram work to let people know how to use that. Did that answer your question? John Corcoran  22:10   Yeah, nothing I want to ask about, which I think is fascinating. I can't tell you how many businesses, I've talked to business owners I've talked to where, you know, they've experienced these big downturns and they're predictable after nine eleven.com, meltdown, 2008, COVID, that sort of thing. And you say that you've actually you actually grew through these time periods. So I'm wondering if you could unpack that a little bit kind of reflect back on you know, the years with WriterGirl and why you think that was the case? Christy Pretzinger  22:43   Again, some of it, I'm so not a, well, here's your technique, kind of business owner, I'm much more esoteric than that. So for me, when we grew in, oh, eight and nine, I had a coach say to me, that WriterGirl is you and it won't grow until you do. And so I've very deliberately spent time every day on personal development. For me, some of that was kind of some sort of some spiritual kind of reading. I didn't read a lot of business books, I've never been a big business book reader, I don't, they just don't interest me that much, generally speaking, unless they talk a lot about culture and things like that. So I did a lot of a lot of that kind of work. And that was when we actually hit a million for the first time when I did all this work on myself. So I don't think that's a coincidence. I think that that correlates, especially when you are a sole owner of a business. And I think even if you're a partnership, you know, being able to grow yourself, and recognizing your blind spots, your weaknesses and embracing those, you know, and like I hire for my time I would hire for my weaknesses, I knew that this was not a strength of mine, I'm going to find someone who's got that as a strength. So through it just coincided that spiritual work that happened to coincide with the big Oh, eight, nine, downturn, and our business just grew phenomenally now. I'm trying to think I didn't hire my first salesperson until this is 22. And she's been here 11 years today. So until 11. And that was a big deal. Hiring a salesperson was huge, because that took me out of the day-to-day sales. And I actually hired her and said, go build it John Corcoran  24:18   Relate to the relationship piece as well, because the salesperson is building the relationship. And so she was when you hired her 11 years ago, and you have the same salesperson level, you have more but still have her she was 27. Christy Pretzinger  24:29   She's 38 She had just gotten married, and now she has five kids still works full time. So I've literally watched her, you know, grow up. And it's, you know, really, John Corcoran  24:41   what do you think that relationship work? Well, because again, another one that I've heard a lot from business owners is they go through different sales reps. Christy Pretzinger  24:48   Yeah, I've had the same sales rep and the next sales rep has been there, eight or nine years. So, you know, I think part of it is that and I would really love to ask Reba that's Her name this question. But I think what she would say is that I always knew that you had my back. You know, when I hired her, I had just gotten that big $450,000 piece of work from IU, I handed that over to her and paid her commission on it. And she worked it very hard and earned it because I knew from watching some of the businesses, I didn't want to compete with her, I didn't want to be out selling against my salesperson. So everything I did was to set her up for success. And so when I first was hiring people in those roles like that, I tried to do everything I could to, to make sure they were going to win. And she always knew that and saw that. And, and in fact, has said many times, you know, we have we very much appreciate each other that, that she's always felt taken care of, for lack of a better word by me. And she said a lot. You know, we've been through a lot in 11 years, a lot of family things have happened on both sides. And, you know, she's always had a very supportive environment for when these things happen. John Corcoran  25:57   I mentioned, I touched on COVID briefly, but can you talk a little bit about how that downturn starting in March 2020 affected your business? Christy Pretzinger  26:07   Yeah, when it happened. I told everybody because we were already all virtual. I said that anybody who wants a job with WriterGirl through all of this will have a job. We are not letting anybody go during COVID. There's not gonna be any reductions in staff or anything like that. You said that early on. I said it right away. I said, Yeah, guess what, because because of our model, you know, we work with so many contractors, we could just shrink the contractor pool and bring the work into the people and keep them busy. If we needed to. That did not happen at all. Partially, largely because we worked in health care, and talk about chaos, right? I mean, that was completely chaotic. And they still needed to communicate to people and communicate differently. They might not even more. Yeah, yeah, differently, and more. And so we were able to help meet that need for them. John Corcoran  26:54   Yeah. So but you did have to pivot though, to different types of communications. Right. Okay. Yeah. So like, communication. Okay. Okay. And did that feel like, well, we got to do what I gotta do? Or did it feel like, okay, here's what we're gonna, you know, an opportunity for us. I mean, sometimes companies resist thinking, okay, maybe this moment shall pass. But then as it goes on, they realize, oh, you know, we really do need to meet this demand in the marketplace, we can't build that big website project, because they put it on hold, we've got to help with the crisis communications, when we could do that. Christy Pretzinger  27:26   Because again, we have, you know, we have 29 or 30 employees. And then we have upwards of 80 to 99 writers that have been trained through the WriterGirl Academy. So they've been, you know, they've been vetted and trained. And we have, like a database of areas of expertise. So some of them might be marketing writer, some of them might be highly skilled medical writers, some of them might have crisis communication and PR experience. So we could pull from that, as well as recruit for that, if we needed it. I think we did a few if I'm recalling correctly, a few kind of crisis management. Like, you know, binder kind of things for people that could then be adapted for whatever crisis they're facing. COVID was the one that let's make it as kind of like, put crisis here. And then these are the things that you have to do. And we were able to do that. And I think we might have leveraged that, and done that for a few different clients at the time and said, Hey, we know how to do this, we can help you do this, because it could talk about their communication plan and the different kinds of things that they needed to do. You know, we've always had a big group of people that we were always willing to pivot and do something new. And again, I never once saw there's someone who's like, well, I don't know if we know how to do that. But the person who does our recruiting is like, Well, we'll find somebody that does, it all figured out and done that, you know, and I'm sure it was during COVID, that we started working with some consultants on various things. And one of the things that they helped us do was guide us through developing an ideal client, and then red, yellow green projects with those clients. And so then that helped us to kind of narrow down so we weren't, again, niching even further, to make sure that we know these are things that we do, we do not do a lot of medical content writing, it's very expensive to find those people. It lowers our margins. It's challenging, because we don't do a lot of it, it's hard to source it. So that becomes a red product project that we probably wouldn't take on unless it was with an ideal client, and they really, really needed it. And then we would do that. John Corcoran  29:27   You mentioned WriterGirl Academy, that sounds like not a small endeavor to build that out. Talk a little about what that looked like and why you decided to create that sounds like a training program for your writers. Christy Pretzinger  29:39   Yes. And that was many years ago, I kept wanting to do it. And we probably gosh, we probably had six or seven employees. And I kept saying I really want to WriterGirl Academy. And then I realized absolutely no one is scared of me because nobody was doing it. But I also wasn't forcing it to you know, be done. So then the person who is now one of my EVPs of operations, I really want it for Gonna be an employee. And I think she's been here eight or nine years now. And she had contracted with us before, and I reeled her in and didn't have actual work for her. So I said, Here, just go build out this, you know, right URL Academy. And so with absolutely no training or instructional design background, she did. So she didn't even know what a learning management system was. And I forgot to tell her because that is not my strong suit details. And so, but she did, she built it out, and over time, has adapted it and changed it and added to it. And at one point, my intention was to build that up as a separate business. And I did kind of try that. And I wanted to fail fast if it wasn't going to work. And I think it was, I had the idea so many years ago, that if I would have done it, then but I didn't have the time, the money or the resources. By the time I had the time, money and resources, the moment had passed. And it was going to take way more money and a lot more of my time that I was willing to invest. So I did it and was like, nope, not doing that. It was gonna be called wonder writer. And then we just I scrapped that, but we have all the content we developed for that, and brought that into the writer girl Academy. But it's still it's, you know, it's still a challenge to keep it updated. Because unless you have a full time, you know, learning management, I mean, you know, person who's an HR instructional designer, it's challenging to keep that up to date, but we do a fairly good job of it, and everybody does is run through that. John Corcoran  31:23   Right, right. And you see that that helps get people prepared to hit the ground running and to do the job.  Christy Pretzinger  31:29   Yeah, yeah, a lot of it is training them on the right or go away. And now we'll be training them because we're making a big investment in Salesforce. We've been using Salesforce, but we're vastly upgrading it so that it will be good for the next five years at least. And there's a portal that our 1090 nines can now access, they have not been able to access Salesforce prior to now. So now they will and we're getting rid of all these other things like base camp and you know, harvest time tracking all these different kinds of things. So we'll do a formalized training for them on this. So and that will be part of the academy as well. John Corcoran  31:59   Got it. Got it. Well, this has been great. Christy, thanks so much for your time, where can people go to learn more about you connect with you learn more about WriterGirl? Christy Pretzinger  32:07   Well, they can find me on LinkedIn. Unfortunately, somehow, again, I've hit my limit in technology, somehow I have two profiles on LinkedIn. And I've never bothered to get rid of the one that's wrong. But the one that has more than 500. You know, connect is me. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. You can also find us at writergirl.com. And you can email me directly. I'm Christy@writergirl. I'm happy to talk with younger businesses that would like experience share. I also do offer coaching. And I'm happy to talk with people about that. And I really, as I said earlier, I think that it is so invaluable when you are a young growing business to find places like you know, Jason Swenk mastermind, like Entrepreneurs' Organization because they're like-minded people who can help you scale so much more quickly than I did. So I would highly recommend that. John Corcoran  32:58   Yeah, absolutely. I second that. Christy, thank you so much for your time. Christy Pretzinger  33:02   Thank you, John. Appreciate it. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? If you want to be around amazing agency owners that can see what you may not be able to see and help you grow your agency, go to Agency Mastery 360.  Our agency growth program helps you take a 360-degree view of your agency and gain mastery of the 3 pillar systems (attract, convert, scale) so you can create predictability, wealth, and freedom.

Brian Cosgrove is the Principal and Chief Data Strategist at BrainDo. BrainDo provides a diverse mix of digital services, including marketing, experience, and partnership. Over Brian's 15-plus-year career in the digital marketing space, he's created innovative strategies for Fortune 500 brands, including Digitas and Razorfish. He also co-founded the digital marketing application at TPG, garnering over $1 million in revenue his freshman year. Susan Brake is the Senior Vice President at Development Counsellors International (DCI), a 60-year leader in marketing destinations. Additionally, DCI specializes in economic development and tourism marketing. Before taking on the Senior Vice President role, Susan served as DCI's Vice President, where she was responsible for growing the digital department. Philip Hill is the CEO and President of Purebred Marketing. The Atlanta-based marketing agency creates digital marketing strategies and provides services such as SEO, web design and development, and email marketing. Philip is an avid dog lover and launched his first business in the pet space while attending the University of Alabama. He's also launched several e-commerce startups. Glen Moore is the Co-founder and CEO of Bear Fox Marketing, which provides expert SEO services depending on your company's needs. Glen is an author and a 20-year marketing executive veteran. Glen's previous ventures include a four-year stint as the Vice President at PetIQ and six years as a marketing executive at Schiff Nutrition International.  Duncan Alney is the Founder and CEO of Firebelly Marketing, an Indianapolis-based social media marketing agency. Firebelly has partnered with major brands such as Sony, Netflix, Fiji Water, and Cisco. Duncan is a dad, partner, son, and servant leader. He draws from all those titles to create a set of company standards and values and considers himself the happiest problem-solver. A self-professed communicator and social media lover, Duncan also hosts The Firebelly Social Show, a podcast featuring food and beverage brands on a mission to make the world better.  Peter Cunningham is the CEO of Evolve Healthcare Marketing (EHM), a data-driven agency focused on generating leads. EHM's primary clients include B2C medical practices and B2B healthcare companies. A father of three, two of which have special needs, Peter heavily relies on talented physicians and trustworthy healthcare providers. These are the motivating factors that inspire Peter and EHM to help the prosperity of healthcare organizations. They also donate 1% of the company's gross sales to charities serving the needs of children suffering from chronic illnesses. In this episode… Even the smartest, most talented, and most successful executives don't have all the answers. That's why Jason Swenk, agency coach, advisor, and mentor at Digital Agency Elite created the high-level Jason Swenk Mastermind.  At the Mastermind, a community of agency founders, owners, and entrepreneurs gather to connect, fellowship, share, and ask questions to avoid mistakes and scale businesses. If you want to learn some of the biggest tips, tricks, and advice from some of the smartest masterminds in business, stay tuned! Join Dr. Jeremy Weisz, host of the Inspired Insider Podcast, as he speaks to some of the smartest minds on the planet, live at the Jason Swenk Mastermind. Dr. Weisz chats with Brian Cosgrove of BrainDo, Susan Brake of Development Counsellors International, Philip Hill of Purebred Marketing, Glen Moore of Bear Fox Marketing, Duncan Alney of Firebelly Marketing, and  Peter Cunningham of Evolve Healthcare Marketing.

In this chat…I have the pleasure of spending time with Jason Swenk, a digital agency entrepreneur and convener of leaders through is digital agency elite mastermind programs. In this conversation we talk about the stages of development for a digital agency owner, how to prioritize where you can get energy and what to delegate away, and how to realize maximum value on an exit. You don't want to miss this! Check it out here.

Jason has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to two 8 figure agencies. He is one of the most sought out advisors to agencies in the World, by showing them an 8-system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, Lotus Cars, and eventually lead to selling his agency. https://jasonswenk.com/buyplaybook --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jay-feldman5/support

Primary Social Media Account Link : Instragram.com/jswenkWebsite Link: https://jasonswenk.com/Company/Podcast Name: Smart Agency masterclassFresh out of college I was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. I quickly realized that I couldn't work for anyone but myself, so I decided to change direction, quit my day job, and launch a digital marketing agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands from AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, we caught the attention of bigger agencies and sold the agency in 2012.Now, I run a unique consultancy helping marketing agency owners grow their agencies faster.I currently host the #1 digital agency podcast that is available for download…The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, the #1 Digital Marketing Agency Owner podcast for sharing the strategies and stories from real agency owners of what is working today in the agency world, and how they got to where they are now; andI am also part owner and on the board of Repubix, which is one of the fastest-growing agencies in the World.

Are you prepared to take your agency to the next level? In this episode of the Innovative Agency podcast, guest Jason Swenk discusses scaling your agency from the first stage to 8 figures. Jason is a highly sought-after agency advisor and the host of the Smart Agency Masterclass podcast. During our conversation, he shares his expertise on acting as the true CEO of your agency, productizing solutions, and defining your niche. What you will learn in this episode: What is the biggest challenge for entrepreneurs in the first stage of growing an agency How narrowing your focus gives a greater opportunity to increase prices and efficiency Why client expectations and value of services should be accounted for in pricing How replicable processes and expertise are the keys to building an agency to exit How to transition from an agency owner to acting as a true CEO Why do many entrepreneurs often experience a sense of depression when transitioning to CEO How to productize solutions for clients in your agency, and why it's important to allocate a separate team and resources for your product Bio Jason has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to two 8 figure agencies. He is an in-demand advisor to agencies, helping them scale by showing them an 8 system framework that worked for growing his agency, working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars, and eventually lead to selling his agency. Jason currently hosts the Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, the #1 Digital Marketing Agency Owner podcast for sharing the strategies and stories from real agency owners of what is working today in the agency world, and how they got to where they are now. Resources: Website: https://jasonswenk.com/ Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/

Jason Swenk has coached 1000s of agencies through their journey. It's not always clear what you need to do to get to the next level. Jason has mapped out the digital agency growth lifecycle into a 6-stage, mountain-themed journey. In this episode, you'll learn how to work out what stage you're at and what you […]

Jason Swenk has coached 1000s of agencies through their journey. It's not always clear what you need to do to get to the next level. Jason has mapped out the digital agency growth lifecycle into a 6-stage, mountain-themed journey. In this episode, you'll learn how to work out what stage you're at and what you ... Read more

How do you scale your agency faster while delivering better results to your clients In this episode of Revenue Marketing Show, Jason Swenk, Host of Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, interviews Constant Contact's Head of Revenue, Greg Bond, about overcoming challenges in aligning marketing and sales, choosing the best martech stack, and getting more recognition for the value you deliver to your clients.Greg and Jason share valuable insights on how to scale your agency faster while getting better results for your clients, highlighting the importance of tool/data consolidation and the benefits of using SharpSpring from Constant Contact.You'll also learn Greg's top tips for communicating ROI to clients so you can achieve better client retention and charge more for your products and/or services!“The #1 way that agencies get business is through word of mouth and word of mouth is about delivering results.”  - Greg Bond“As your business scales… you better damn well start putting the people in place for this. You should have someone, like the Director of Happiness, making sure you're delivering the results. That's what we have, so I don't have to.”  - Jason SwenkResources Mentioned:Listen to Smart Agency Master Class: https://www.jasonswenk.com/smart-agency-master-class About Greg Bond, Head of Revenue at Constant Contact:Greg's purpose in life is to add value to other people's lives. Businesses thrive when they create value for their customers. Greg helps businesses better understand their customers so they can maximize their value proposition. To accomplish this, he analyzes customer behavior and KPIs, creates strategies for optimization, then builds more efficient systems that mobilize teams to deliver value. Connect with Greg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbond007 About Jason Swenk, Host of Smart Agency Master Class Podcast:Jason Swenk is the agency advisor & coach that guides marketing agencies through a proven framework for growing their agency faster. Jason currently hosts the Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, the #1 Digital Marketing Agency Owner podcast for sharing the strategies and stories from real agency owners of what is working today in the agency world, and how they got to where they are now.Connect with Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jason-swenk-llc Visit his website: https://www.jasonswenk.com

Jason returns to the show to talk about what he got right—and wrong—with his early pandemic predictions and covers the importance of preparedness, podcasting, and processes.

Jason Swenk is the host of The Smart Agency Masterclass, the #1 Digital Agency Podcast. He has literally written the book for growing an agency from nothing to two 8 figure agencies, and is one of the most renowned and sought out advisors to agencies worldwide. Previously he founded and sold his own agency after […]

#019:  In Episode 19 of The Verblio Show, Chris Dreyer, president & founder of legal SEO agency juggernaut Rankings.io, discusses his colorful—and wildly successful—journey that started by googling "how to make money online" while stuck in after-school detention (as the teacher), included inspiration from Oprah on one of his early, important #1 Google rankings, and ended up with him competing and winning in one of the most competitive digital marketing arenas on the internet: personal injury law.  In this conversation, Steve and Chris dive deep into the machine that is Rankings.io and the strategies Chris and team use to win for their clients and run a hugely successful agency including 1) a masterclass in why and how to niche down your agency, 2) how penguins (ok just one) caused Chris to have to get a real job for a while, 3) why Chris works with agency coach Karl Sakas AND is part of Jason Swenk's mastermind, 4) the reasons Rankings outsources much of its implementation work, and how they're able to seamlessly integrate vendors, and 5) Disney's biggest mistake with the Star Wars franchise and why things are more fun on the dark side of the force.https://www.verblio.com/The Verblio Show is your weekly cocktail of content marketing fun and fruitful conversation. Hear the full interview with Verblio's CEO Steve Pockross and talk with more marketers, digital agencies, and an assortment of thought leaders anywhere you get your podcasts!

​Jason shares how he became cash strapped and burnt out as the company grew and what he did to recalibrate his day-to-day role and grow value before he sold the company to a strategic buyer. What You Will Learn in Today’s Podcast Interview: How rapid growth can consume your capital and cash Strategies for deciding what work you love and who you should hire to help with the rest Why clearly conveying your mission and vision to your employees is valuable for success Jason’s framework for helping clients, The Three I’s: Issue, Impact, Importance Why you should delegate the outcomes rather than the tasks How implementing strategic systems and processes within your organization can allow you to take a step back from the day-to-day tasks The importance of having a plan on your own terms for life after the sale of your company How building your company with a clear end goal in mind gives you choices How being intentional about what you want as your goals should drive how you build your business The importance of building a valuable business in order to have options The different ways you can exit your (management) role in your company and your ownership. For example: ESOPs Private equity recapitalization Podcast Summary: In today’s episode, entrepreneur Jason Swenk shares with us how he grew and sold his 8-figure digital marketing agency. Jason founded the business after freelancing for many years and describes himself as an accidental agency owner. After 12 years of growth, hiring over 100 full time employees, and working with clients like Hitachi, AT&T, Coke and Legal Zoom, Jason found himself exhausted by the business and with less freedom than he had BEFORE he became an entrepreneur. He was strapped for cash, making less money than expected, and was working on the day-to-day things he disliked.So Jason decided to recalibrate his relationship with the business.Jason set up new systems and hired the necessary people in order to focus on the areas he enjoyed the most. By taking a step back to get clarity on what his vision for the company was, he shifted from an accidental business to a scalable AND sellable organization.Jason shares with us how he worked himself out of the business, why he decided to sell and what life was like working for the buyer... and how to avoid some of the mistakes he made (emotionally and financially) in the sale. I’m excited to share the conversation with you today because Jason clearly explains the value of growing your business in orde