jasonblumer

In this episode, we discuss:
- whether you should specialize in target markets, or strategic services
- what integrated marketing actually is
- creating services by trial and error
- delivering a full brand experience for a client
- how to chose what services you offer, and what to say no to
- performing up front persona discovery to develop a brand
- discussions on project vs. recurring revenue

In this episode, we cover agency growth questions like:
- What is an agency?
- What hinders an agency from growing?
- Should agencies consider merging or selling?
- Should agencies sell out to Facebook, Google, and IBM?

We talk about how to move out of freelancing, watching project and financial trends so you'll know when to hire, the value of migrating to a CRM to monitor your sales funnels, and moving revenue from project-based to retainer-based.

The last half of the podcast was about a pricing ideal Tim discovered called Golden Mean Pricing. This pricing is the perfect point between two extremes, and you can get the free eBook and Excel tool at the link below.

In the last half of the podcast, Jason and Brad talk through what it means to truly build culture through intense change in an agency. Brad talks through the creative way they have developed their core values to balance each other, and the three key components any good list of core values has.

Other topics discussed are:
- delegating as you grow your business,
- managing change and maintaining culture through change, and
- using social media channels to attract new talent and new clients.

Hear how Grain & Mortar prices their projects, and how that relates to their project management processes. Here Kristin's view on tracking time, how they actually scope projects while they price it, and how the technical partners are also involved in the up front pricing.

Learn how 352 noticed it was time to move their agency to a team model. What were the signs that let them know its time to change their business model? Learn how 352 built their teams, changed their teams, and ultimately moved the whole organization over to a new team model.

In this episode, we explore many agency leadership issues such as what it takes to solve large business problems with clients. One example you'll hear is how Clearleft transformed Penguin Books recently.

We also explore:
- what is an agency,
- why the CEO should be the least talented person in the agency,
- finding the right team,
- documenting your agency's core values,
- how to allow the client to become an engaged part of your agency's team, and
- how to grow slowly.

This episode came out of the frustrations the guest had in building websites for clients (see the book link below that addresses these topics). In particular, there was no plan before beginning a new website build. In fact, few agencies will do a Needs Assessment or Discovery before embarking on the work of building the right site, while this could be a life changing event for the client. Many clients may think, "what I'm doing is working" instead of thinking, "what new thing am I not doing that could propel my business forward?" Proper planning can vet this out.

Other topics addressed:
- the critical nature of branding,
- business success despite bad digital marketing, and
- the high value of good photo, writing and video.

Richard did video interviews with smart design leaders across the profession. This desire to know what other design leaders think led to a book called Design Leadership.

Richard gets transparent in this interview as he talks about how he had to change as a leader - focus and patience were his initial downfalls that he had to change. True creative leaders will stop doing many things, and will instead focus on the one thing only they can do well.

Creation of a vision, and the values that support that vision need to be:
- timeless
- disconnected from technology, and
- have immense focus built into them

There are many more leadership nuggets in this interview!

Hear how the founders of Forefathers Group started an agency as partners without having ever met. Still, 5 years later, they have never met face to face, and are still prospering and growing together. We discuss how it happened, their struggles to overcome, and why it's been successful.

They learned:
- how to create great work together, instead of on their own,
- how to setup taxes in a multi-state environment,
- how to take each other's feedback,
- how they matured in their respective work and say 'no' to certain roles,
- how to 'emotionally audit' their clients, and
- how working in person in this digital age is no longer a requirement for building a strong company.

One Great Studio is giving life to ideas through websites, web applications, graphic design & branding.
They have 3 core beliefs...
Don't Be Greedy
Think Long Term
Do Good

In January 2015, the studio began the transition to value pricing & have experienced some amazing changes in the agency and their lives as a result. Currently, partners Djuvane & Gina, and the team at One Great Studio are working on their first SaaS product – Buildt, a web & mobile service app for churches scheduled to be released in January, 2016.

Tom Greever is the UX Director at Bitovi Agency. They help companies create better web applications, and have worked with clients such as WalMart, T Mobile, and Cars.com.

Tom Greever's book, Articulating Design Decisions, helps designers justify design to non-designers.

Mike talks about Onboarding becoming a great way to align not only new clients, but existing clients as well. We discuss the steps Rauch Brothers Animation uses to onboard their clients.

In this episode, we discuss the difficulties of an agency that has to balance design for clients, while at the same time aligning digital strategy with the goals of the client. At Brolik, the team is always working internally to give their clients great design on top of a strategy that drives traffic and business.

Other topics discussed:
-Brolik is finding that clients need business growth strategists to uncover client needs, and not just agency owners to lead design.
-Brolik is building their own CMS called Leverage. Building a product inside of a service agency is a struggle, but is a challenge they have embraced.
-What it means to grow with 'living' Guidelines and Missions Statements.

We kicked off this episode by diving into how Erik defines design, and how it may be different than how his team defines design. The first step is to find out how the customer designs their own business. Once Focus Lab understands how the client's business was designed, they can then 'design' a solution to meet their needs. They will even perform the DISC profile with their clients so that they can speak to the client in a way that they understand.

Among other things, Erik also discusses how profit margins can suffer as a result of taking on more complex clients and sites, and so much more!

We talk in depth about Octopus' move to become a virtual agency, why they want to make this move, and what beliefs drive their commitment to virtual work.

In this interview, we dive deep with Jim to find out why they merged with another company to create a large marketing powerhouse, how you know when to merge, and how this affects team growth.

We also touch on how to hire fast, how partners should argue, and how to create roles for each partner to fulfill.

A question posed by Jim on the show maybe the listeners can help answer: "how do you effectively hand off a relationship from a salesperson in an agency to Account Management to have that client served well?"

Kade discusses what it's like to manage your time and energy as you manage a big, overwhelming client that can never be satisfied. Primitive Social's lack of an effective onboarding process led to a lack of clarity with this client on an ongoing basis. There is so much more to this episode. Enjoy!