In the first year of running an agency, we do anything to survive, in effect we are just trying to prove we can make the new business work but after that, if we don’t have a clear vision and plan, we are in danger of going around in circles - working longer hours for a much tougher boss! There are so many reasons you need to have a clear vision, strategy and plan for your agency. But the process can get overly complex, end up not being helpful and can feel like a ‘tick box’ exercise. Yet hands down, the biggest thing that held me back from growing my agency as fast as I wanted whilst feeling in control, was not being clear enough about where the business was headed. It wasn’t that I had no idea what I wanted – it’s just that no one ever told me how crucial it was to have an exact destination in mind when setting out to grow your agency. And without that vision, it can be easy to feel lost, directionless and demotivated. Time Stamp [01:21] Why you need to have a clear vision, strategy and plan for your agency [02:44] The importance of having a proactive plan to drive your business forwards [03:15] Focus on putting the infrastructure in place to create a platform for growth [03:45] Likening your vision to a journey - what could possibly go wrong?!! [05:20] Create a plan for your agency in the same way you would map out a journey [05:40] Start with your longer-term vision and work backwards [06:15] Never cast a plan in stone but instead update it on what you know today that you didn’t know yesterday [06:58] The way to break your bigger vision down into tangible action steps  [09:00] Don’t let external factors drive the direction of your agency [09:28] Bring your team along with you - a situation to avoid [11:45] Ideas to keep your plan alive Quotations “Without having a clear vision, you can feel lost, directionless and demotivated” - Rob Da Costa “Never cast a plan in stone but instead update it on what you know today that you didn’t know yesterday” - Rob Da Costa “Your business vision and plan is so much more than just a finance plan” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you to move towards a Self-Running Agency. How to leave a review on Apple Podcasts Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Delegation GuideThe Self-Running Agency Implementation Group

This is a REWIND episode, updating one of the most popular podcasts. So in this episode of the podcast, I am excited to be joined by Marcel Petitpas and we are discussing everything to do with your agency’s profits, pricing and margins. Another action-packed episode so grab a pen and paper and be sure to take notes! Time Stamp [1:17] Let’s start by welcoming Marcel Petitpas, our guest for today’s episode. He is the founder of Parakeeto, which aims to help agencies become more profitable. Parakeeto is a software platform that helps users to create data-driven estimates. [1:51] The importance of focusing on agency pricing and profitability. [4:18] At what stage of an agency’s growth should they start implementing time-tracking systems?  [6:55] The importance of understanding your business processes. [8:05] Pitfalls and tips to early prospect discussions [13:55] How to maximise the profitability of a project [16:18] How to calculate Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) [18:47] What are key metrics for agencies to look at? Differentiate between Gross Margin and Average Available Rate. [25:04] How to make team members more commercial [28:27] How to implement the Agency Profitability Flywheel in your agency [33:05] A business paradox: Slow down to speed up [33:43] What are the best strategies to raise your prices [35:25] The ideal approach for value-based pricing. [36:00] Word of advice: “Say YES to things that scare you!”  Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Connect with Marcel Petitpas www.parakeet.comAgency Profitability FlywheelAgency Profitability ToolkitThe Agency Profit PodcastThe Self-Running Agency BookThe Agency Selling SystemGet in touch with Rob at [email protected]

If you work long hours in your agency and don’t take regular vacations then you face the very real chance of burnout.  We are not superman/woman and do not have limitless amounts of energy, so taking time out to recharge your batteries is crucial. But often we pay the price both before we go on holiday (with a mountain of work to get through) and when we get back (with a ton of work to catch up on) and if we are not careful, all the goodness from the break disappears. Time Stamp [01:23] The importance of self-care and taking time away from the office to re-energise [02:10] Why do we often get sick when we go on holiday? [02:55] Prep for taking a holiday: Batch creating content to minimise stress both before you go and when you get back from holiday [04:51] Work with a VA to keep things running whilst you are away (e.g. client enquiries, social media, inbox management) [05:24] Communicating with clients and putting good boundaries in place [06:00] Whilst you are on holiday try and be present and have a ‘digital detox’ - extract your phone from your hand! [06:48] Plan your holidays around your quieter times (esp if your business is seasonal) which will mean you worry less whilst you are away [08:12] Put your Out Of Office on and redirect your emails and prep your team  Quotations “Batch producing content means you keep your head in the zone and are much more efficient” - Rob Da Costa “Be present on vacation by having a digital detox” - Rob Da Costa “Take your mind as well as your body on vacation!” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Batching content/productivity podcastLet me know if this is the type of content you enjoy - drop me an email: [email protected]

One of the best ways to scale your agency is to disconnect your time from the money you earn. There are several ways to do this (I’ve spoken about value pricing many times before, for example) and today we are going to be talking about productising your business: what this means, how to do it and the various steps along the journey. Timestamp  02:00 Introduction to today’s guest, Julia Chanteray 02:17 How Julia’s business is changing and starting Adventures IN Products 02:54 Let’s start with the typical journey a business owner goes on and the roadblocks they hit along the way, and how it can easily get out of control! 06:40 What are the 2nd set of stumbling blocks as the agency starts to grow? 08:40 The importance of the business owner ‘getting out of the way’ 10:18 Why have you decided to specialise to help businesses productise? 10:40 What does productising your business mean? 12:34 Can you give us some examples of a productised business? 15:50 You are either a PRODUCT business or a RELATIONSHIP business 16:54 Tell us about your programme and some of the members who have joined. 19:25 How do you work out what your product should be? 21:04 How to avoid shiny new object distractions 21:44 What are the biggest challenges people have on their productisation journey? 23:08 You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink! 24:29 There is no such thing as passive income 25:30 A typical member who is part of Julia’s programme 26:45 If you could go back in time and give your younger self, just starting out in business, a piece of advice what would it be? Quotations “If you are clever, you start building some kind of product that breaks the relationship between how they spend their time and how they make their money” - Julia Chanteray “As a coach, you can take a horse to water but you can’t make it drink!” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Adventuresinproducts.com

I wanted to record a quick episode to discuss one of the errors I see people making repeatedly when they are trying to win new business and sell. This fundamental error makes them frustrated because they just don't seem to be able to close the deal! We are surrounded by lots of supposed 'experts' telling us how easy it is to win new business, yet most agency owners don't find that to be the case. Hopefully, you know that you can't solely rely on word of mouth and referrals, which is not a strategy. This is especially true in a recession. Time Stamp [01:09] How not to use LinkedIn and be annoying! [01:55] The importance of building KNOW, LIKE & TRUST (build EMPATHY, CREDIBILITY and TRUST) [03:35] It starts by having a clear niche and understanding exactly who your ideal target customer is  [03:59] Start by building empathy - showing your audience you understand them [04:30] Next build credibility by showing them you have solved their challenge before [05:23] Build trust by showing your audience how you can help them  [06:00] At this stage you can start having the sales conversation and map out the journey of building EMPATHY, CREDIBILITY & TRUST in your marketing [07:10] Why cold outreach doesn’t work [07:40] KNOW, LIKE & TRUST  [08:43] Focus your marketing on SERVING (80%) more than SELLING (20%) [09:11] Be client-centric: Map your customer’s journey onto your website Quotations “When someone is buying your product or service they are actually buying an outcome and a transformation from being in pain to not being in pain” - Rob Da Costa “Map out the journey of EMPATHY, CREDIBILITY & TRUST to your marketing” - Rob Da Costa “Focus 80% of your marketing on SERVING and just 20% of your outbound comms on SELLING” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you to move towards a Self-Running Agency. How to leave a review on Apple Podcasts Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Niching GuideDefining your ideal target customer

If you wish you were more profitable, then make sure you listen to this episode!   My most read blog is called ‘Being a Busy Fool'. It clearly resonates with a lot of people, and it's also obviously a search term that a lot of business owners are typing into Google! After all, we can all be really busy run ragged servicing clients, trying to catch our breath whilst recognising that we are not doing many of those ‘running the agency’ type tasks such as planning for the future, focusing on business development and so on because we are so stuck on the client service hamster wheel, just trying to keep up with client demands. Sadly this results in us being busy fools and, quite frankly, staying poor. In today’s podcast, I dig into the cause of this and give you some ideas to start solving it.  Time Stamp [01:27] There should be a direct correlation between how busy you are and how profitable you are. If not, here are some reasons why [02:17] Over-servicing: an agency pandemic! [03:06] The importance of measuring time internally (which is different to selling time to clients!) [04:10] Putting the right systems in place to measure capacity and efficiency [05:06] Translating a brief into internal allocated time [05:50] Getting your team members to self-manage using RAG [07:22] Taking a strategic view on over servicing [07:45] Say YES or NO to a client when they ask for more [08:28] When time recording falls [09:56] Explaining WHY to your team [10:33] Don’t use an ‘admin other’ task in your time recording system [11:29] The cultural implementation of not overservicing by implementing time recording [12:26] Identifying skills gaps and training needs [13:45] The sooner you implement this the easier your journey of growth will be Quotations “You have to track time internally to measure efficiency, capacity and profitability.” - Rob Da Costa “You will never know if you are profitable with a client unless you track your time.” - Rob Da Costa “The sooner you implement time recording, the easier your journey of growth will be” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (How to leave a review on Apple Podcasts) “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Productivity Cheat SheetTime Recording Systems to look into:HarvestStreamtimeToggl

There is lots of talk of a looming recession so what should you do and what should you be focusing on right now to ensure that your agency is recession-proof? What is the difference between an agency that thrives in a recession and one that just scraps by? These questions and more are answered in this broad-ranging discussion in today's video. And I'm really excited to have with me, Ollie Duffy-Lee, who is the founder of the Authority Agency, the growth agency company that supports agencies with their business development strategies. Time Stamp [01:45] What should agencies be focused on right now as we are heading towards a recession? [02:35] Why you should never rely on referrals for new business - especially in a recession [03:55] Focus on client retention and stop expecting instant gratification [07:43] What are some of the smart non-negotiable strategies an agency must put in place? [09:02] Build a personal brand around you, the founder  [10:00] If we are not focused on lead gen how does the sales funnel look? [12:50] The importance of building and nurturing your email list [15:25] How to manage clients and your business during a recession [17:40] Don’t talk yourself into a recession! [19:00] Ask yourself “does my client see us as a safe pair of hands (a brief taker) or a strategic partner (a brief maker?)” [19:45] What does an agency need to do to be seen as a strategic partner by its clients? [21:06] What internal changes should an agency make in a recession? [22:23] The importance of knowing your data and metrics [23:43] How big a financial buffer should you aim for? [26:35] Ollie’s business advice to his younger self Quotations “If you want to retain your clients be a ‘brief maker’ not a ‘brief taker’” - Ollie Duffy-Lee “If someone says NO to buying from you TODAY, it doesn't mean they won’t buy from you TOMORROW” - Rob Da Costa “I am a big believer on BRAND over LEAD GEN - focus on being in ATTRACT mode rather than CHASING mode” - Ollie Duffy-Lee Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! How to leave a review on Apple Podcasts Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Ollie on LinkedInMore info on Dean Jackson

One of the biggest mistakes we make when we start our agency is not surrounding ourselves with a group of other agency owners, experts and mentors who can guide us and help us avoid some of the common pitfalls so that we make the journey, especially in the first few years, so much smoother than it will otherwise be. In today’s podcast, we dig into the phrase “it's lonely at the top” and explore what we can do to ensure we, as agency owners, do not feel isolated or alone. Time Stamp [01:20] Why is it lonely and isolating for agency owners? [03:00] The value of The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group [05:06] The severe consequences of going it alone [05:43] Putting a senior leadership team in place [06:11] The impact of negative feelings and thoughts [06:45] Do not compare yourself to others it is not healthy! [07:50] Surround yourself with smarter people than you! [08:11] You don’t have a point to prove and you don't need to be ‘superman’ or ‘superwoman’ - so ask for help! Quotations “You are not admitting defeat if you ask for help, but rather, showing strength” - Rob Da Costa “People join a group coaching programme for the content but stay for the community” - Rob Da Costa  Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: The Self-Running Agency Implementation GroupHow to leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Running an agency doesn't have to be complicated or difficult. In this week’s episode I am joined by Simon Severino to discuss how to step into the role of CEO in your agency and the 3 habits every successful owner needs to develop and some that you need to let go of. Simon also discusses why 90-day ‘sprints’ are the right length to plan, focus and deliver. Time Stamp [02:00] The typical journey of a founding agency owner - Phase 1 is up to £35k and the focus should be operations and sales (build a conversion machine), and phase 2 is beyond £35k where the focus switches to marketing and branding [03:55] Simon’s dream of having a TED Talk and why that was the wrong focus [04:45] Advice on getting through to phase 1 - there are two bottlenecks: 1. The ego of the founder. 2. Your sales approach (farming v hunting) [07:45] Recognise your clients don’t come for you but they come for the solution (to their problem) and the process you offer [10:00] The best sales strategy for phase 1. A simple strategy that never changes [11:00] The 4 parts of a business: marketing, sales, operations and managing these parts [12:50] Never charge for time at the end of a project but instead, for results upfront [14:50] Derisking a client picking you to work with [16:05] Why is 90-day the right length to plan for? [17:07] Keeping each sprint simple - there should be 1 vision and 3 goals in each 90-day sprint [18:07] What is the success rate of doubling your revenue in a 90-day sprint? [18:54] What could stop someone from hitting this goal? [22:15] The importance of keeping your plans agile and reacting to the data in the dashboard [23:15] The 3 habits that a successful CEO must have [25:54] If you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of advice, what would it be? Quotations “You, the agency owner, becomes the bottleneck to growth because you are limited by your time.” - Simon Severino “For every skill, the owner brings to get their agency started they quickly become the roadblock unless they can get out of the way.” - Rob Da Costa “Focus on the 5% that is in your control and not the 95% that isn't!” - Simon Severino Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people like you to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! How to leave a review on Apple Podcasts Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Strategy Sprints BookStrategy Sprint ToolsSimon’s YouTube AccountThe Self-Running Agency Implementation Group

In this bonus episode, I am very excited to let you know that the doors for the 2022 cohort of The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group members is now open. Let's cast our minds back to the reason why we started our own agency - we wanted CONTROL, FLEXIBILITY and FREEDOM. All things we didn't have in our 9 to 5 job. Yet as we grow, the need for control ends up being at the expense of flexibility and freedom - indeed all of our clients want us to work on their accounts and our staff (if we have any) are dependent on us to make all the big decisions and often frustrate us because they lack initiative. No matter what you have tried you feel like you constantly take one step forwards and one back. It doesn’t have to be this way! And that's why I created The Self-Running Agency Group to support you to grow in a sustainable and profitable way and put the systems in place to ensure no more feast or famine. Click here to read more about the Group Listen to what some of the members have to say about their experience in the Group

We can easily get seduced by so many ideas from supposed 'experts' telling us how to scale our agency, and that can be really confusing. We end up being run ragged, pulled in 100 different directions implementing the latest idea or trendy strategy.  But at the end of the day, there are only four foundational areas you need to focus on to build a robust agency that you can then start scaling using three advanced strategies. So that is what we are digging into today. Time Stamp [01:10] The dangers of chasing shiny new objects [01:56] The 4 agency foundations: [02:19] Foundation 1: Knowing your audience - the importance of having a clear niche [04:29] Foundation 2: Creating a clear living roadmap for your agency [06:27] Foundation 3: Build a repeatable marketing system to generate a consistent flow of new leads [07:45] Foundation 4: Convert your leads into loyal clients [09:48] Growth 5: Client retention: How to maximise the value of existing clients [10:15] Growth 6: Growing your team to get work off your plate [11:24] Growth 7: Getting work off your plate and make yourself redundant! [13:10] Join me on my FREE LIVE Masterclass: Elevate Your Role to CEO [15:00] Avoid being a busy fool and focus on the things that move the needle Quotations “In a recent poll I ran, 68% of respondents said they had one niche and 32% had several” - Rob Da Costa “Make sure you focus your limited time on the hot prospects and not the time wasters.” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: FREE LIVE Masterclass: Elevate Your Role To CEOThe Self-Running Implementation GroupNiching GuideLinkedIn Content Strategies Podcast

In today’s video, we explore what a self-running agency means. It doesn't have to be a pipe dream to build an agency that is less dependent on YOU. So I am going to dig into the foundational components of building an agency that runs efficiently even when you are not there. Time Stamp [01:05] We all aspire to build an agency that is less dependent on us yet most never achieve it. Why is that? [01:30] The typical journey of an agency owner in their first 5 years [03:48] 5 areas to building a scalable agency [04:08] 1. Having a GROWTH mindset rather than a FREELANCE mindset [05:46] 2. The importance of having a clear plan for your agency [07:48] 3. Hire the best/most expensive people you can afford who can take work off your plate [08:58] 4. Put a robust client management process in place so all clients have a consistent experience when working with your agency [09:36] 5. Robust documented and scalable systems are crucial to creating a platform for growth [12:10] These 5 strategies create a solid foundation for growth and enable you to step away without fear of things falling apart! [12:47] Join me on my FREE LIVE Masterclass: How to be the CEO of your agency  Quotations “If you don’t have a clear plan you will go around in circles taking one step forwards and one back!” - Rob Da Costa “If you want to scale your agency you need to document all those core processes that are intuitive to you and in your head!” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Save your seat for my Masterclass, How to be the CEO of Your AgencyEp 95 Developing an Entrepreneurial MindsetHow to leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Did you swap your 9-5 job to work in your agency 24/7? This is the place many of us find ourselves in and if we are not careful, we not only end up working longer hours but also for a tougher boss!! So let's dig into this in today's podcast and outline 8 strategies you MUST focus on to ensure this doesn't happen to you. Time Stamp [01:13] Info about my brand new free live masterclass: How to be the CEO of your agency rather than a lowly paid employee [01:52] Why do most people start their own agency? [02:26] The need for control [03:15] Getting stuck on the Client Service Hamster Wheel of doom [03:27] How an agency typical grows [04:45] My journey as an agency owner [06:36] Start with a clear business plan [07:03] Hiring the best staff you can afford [07:38] Invest time in developing your team to be great client managers [08:06] Document your Standard Operating Procedures [08:53] Why you should hire a marketing person rather than a business development exec [09:32] Put a scalable repeatable marketing system in place [10:32] Create a senior leadership team as soon as you can and delegate responsibilities to them [11:22] Focus on your strengths - your ‘superpower’ [12:32] You don’t have to be tied to your business 24/7 - just implement the 8 steps outlined in this podcast [12:50] Learn more in my free masterclass at dacostacoaching.co.uk/ceo-masterclass Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Save your seat on the FREE Masterclass: How To Be The CEO of Your Agency

I know it can be really ‘lonely at the top’ when you run your marketing agency. And I also know how exhausting it can be!  So that's what I am focusing on in this week's episode of the Agency Accelerator podcast. And to do that I am going to share my own story of when I ran my agency and suggest a few changes you can make so that you don't feel everything sits on your shoulders and you're not permanently stuck in client service mode on the “Client Service Hamster Wheel of Doom”. Time Stamp [01:31] Why did we start our own agency? And what happens over the first year? [02:00] The risks of organic growth (without a plan) [03:30] My story into agency life of building a 25-person agency [04:34] The consequences of a lack of a plan [05:00] Taking control of your agency: being in control of your destiny and not letting external factors dictate the direction of travel [05:51] What is your ultimate goal for your agency? [06:53] Make time to deliver your plan by stepping off the 'client service hamster wheel of doom'! [07:30] Creating strong boundaries with your clients [07:48] Changing your mindset [08:26] Splitting your time across 3-time pots: REVENUE, STRATEGY & ADMIN [11:09] You need to act and behave like the CEO of your agency, not a lowly paid employee [11:40] The need for control can be disastrous [13:31] One of the keys to being the CEO is to put a team in place [14:21] Recognise where you are today and what changes you need to make  Quotations “If you want to run a successful agency you need act and behave like the CEO of your agency, not a lowly paid employee” - Rob Da Costa “You need to focus on your “superpower” that is the tasks only you can do” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Time Split CalculatorHow to leave a review on Apple Podcast

In today’s episode, we are discussing client management. We explore the journey you go when you are in a personal relationship and how comparable that is to the journey you go on in a client relationship - from the first meeting to keeping the relationship fresh. I am joined by Mark Young, author of the book ‘Date Your Clients” to dig into this further. Time Stamp [01:45] How did the title ‘Date Your Clients’ come about for your book? [07:07] The first prospect meeting  [08:00] Consider the first impressions at your first meeting [10:35] How do we move a prospect along the customer journey - to close the deal? [14:30] Don’t just chase money! Focus on fit first [15:30] The importance of trusting your instincts [16:20] Advice on keeping and growing existing clients [21:10] Building equal partnerships with clients (rather than the imbalanced customer-supplier relationships) [22:00] What can we do to bring relationships back on track? [27:30]The importance of balanced feedback [28:27] If you could go back in time and give your younger self, just starting out in business, a piece of advice, what would it be? Quotations “Any time you are dealing with a human you are dealing with emotions, needs and values - just like in business” - Mark Young “Make your first meeting all about the client, not about you!” - Rob Da Costa “If you only chase the cash you will always make bad business decisions" - Mark Young Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Date Your Clients [email protected] Agency Free Client Management GuideHow to leave a review on Apple Podcasts

If you are stuck on the client service hamster wheel of doom and have no time to think let alone plan for the future then this episode is for you.  If you are thinking "I don’t have enough time to focus on the future of my agency because I am too busy servicing clients” then I want to help you out so listen on! Time Stamp [01:30] The consequences of being in ‘client service mode’ all the time [01:49] Serving clients is in your comfort zone but that keeps you away from other crucial areas [02:35] The consequences of over-servicing clients [03:20] Differentiating yourself based on pricing or promised service levels becomes a race to the bottom [03:50] Running a high service-level agency [04:40] How much should you be willing to over-service clients by? [05:09] Building strong boundaries with your clients [05:22] How to get your boundaries right from the start [05:57] How to say YES and NO to clients [07:15] How to reset expectations with clients [08:00] How to structure your week to maximise focus and efficiency [09:08] Blocking out time in your diary and sticking to it! [10:09] Challenging your mindset and beliefs [10:30] When should you hire additional resources? [12:00] Being resilient and in control Quotations “In the early days, we naturally gravitate to what we're good at, which is usually servicing clients but if you avoid other crucial areas you are heading for an iceberg” - Rob Da Costa “Going the extra mile is not a great value or USP and is not the way to differentiate yourself from the competitors” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Winning Back Time - FREE GuideThe Self-Running Agency MembershipHow to leave a review on Apple Podcasts

I am joined by Tim Fitzpatrick from Rialto Marketing to discuss the key marketing strategies that every marketing agency needs to be implementing. We talk about why agencies are not great at doing their own marketing, why your marketing plan should not be a 12-month plan and why you must find a clear niche. Time Stamp [01:40] Why are so many marketing agencies so bad at their own marketing? It’s the ‘cobbler’s shoes’ and they are so busy in the day-to-day that their own marketing goes by the wayside [03:16] The consequences of not focusing on marketing consistently [04:20] The fundamentals: understanding your target market, your message and your plan to get that message in front of your audience [05:40] The dangers of shiny new objects [06:05] What is your advice to someone who is targeting a very broad audience and trying to be a generalist? [08:30] How would you advise someone to establish their own niche? The 3 questions to ask [11:39] How do you get your messaging right so it resonates with your target customer? [14:07] Features, advantages and benefits [14:45] Focus on the OUTCOMES, not the TACTICS [15:20] Building a plan to get in front of your ideal target audience - use a 90-day sprint rather than a year-long plan [17:25] Ensure you know how to measure the success of each marketing strategy [19:40] The system of word-of-mouth and referrals [20:50] The mistakes so many agency websites make [23:20] What types of tactics work today? [25:06] What is the one piece of advice you would give your younger self? Quotations “In the absence of a plan, everything looks like an opportunity” - Tim Fitzpatrick “The more niched you are the easier it is for your to find your ideal target customer but perhaps more importantly, for them to find you” - Rob Da Costa “The fundamentals lay the foundation but they are so easy to overlook” - Tim Fitzpatrick Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Rialto Marketing WebsiteTim’s LinkedIn profile Free Niching GuideHow to leave a review on Apple Podcasts

The 2 most common questions that marketing agency owners ask me never really change. They are about finding a consistent flow of new business and hiring & retaining great talent.  Now, admittedly, those two priorities have switched because as I record this episode there is a huge global skills shortage which the agency sector is not immune from.  But new business is never far from people's minds because they want to avoid feast or famine in their agencies. So that's what we're digging into today by discussing 4 strategies that the agency owner (even if you are a freelancer) must focus on to deliver a consistent pipeline of ideal new clients. Time Stamp [01:14] The 2 biggest challenges for agency owners right now [01:48] 2 key reasons agencies lurch from feast to famine - a story of the wrong focus! [02:46] What happens when your agency is in a place of famine? [04:07] 4 tasks that YOU must focus on to avoid lurching from feast to famine [04:41] Focus area 1: Building your brand with passion [05:55] Focus area 2: You are the best person to be heading up your new business strategy (because you see the bigger picture, understand your business and will be passionate about it). Remember that the best new business strategies deliver in the medium to long term so get started today if you want to see a return! [07:15] Beware of Shing New Objects! [09:02] Focus area 3: Planning for the future. You are the captain of your ship so make sure you are steering your ship in the right direction and make sure you allocate time to do this every month. [10:11] Focus area 4: Running your agency to ensure your well-oiled machine operates efficiently (which means managing the team, admin, finance, systems & processes etc.) [11:00] What happens if you agree with the above but are completely stuck in ‘client service mode’? [11:10] Get better boundaries and work on your mindset [13:00] Apply the above to avoid being in ‘famine’ - it's not a great place to be! [13:44] Challenge your thinking to apply today’s podcast advice Quotations “You must focus on your SUPERPOWERS - the tasks that only you can do” - Rob Da Costa “It doesn't matter about the great work you do if no one knows about you!” - Rob Da Costa “The best new business strategies deliver in the medium to long term - so get started today!” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Ep 69 - 7 strategies to avoid feast or famineNew Business FREE MasterclassFREE New Business ResourcesHow to leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Today we are talking about the most important asset in your business: your people. I am excited to be joined by Lynda Goncalves from Sussex HR as she shares her advice on recruitment and retention. Time Stamp [01:12] What are the biggest challenges you see in HR right now? [03:15] How do we replicate an office environment/team/culture for remote workers? [06:10] Are there any tools or software to help with remote working? [08:30] Key considerations when recruiting new staff [10:55] What are your views on using recruitment agencies? [14:34] The importance of doing your research on candidates before the 1st interview [15:20] What are the base line legal responsibilities an employer needs to put in place for an employee? [17:09] What should an employer put in place for a freelancer? [17:55] The risks of IR35 [19:29] Where do I get contracts and legal docs? [20:37] Advice on dealing with performance management issues and probation periods [23:36] Address issues way before the 2 year mark (when employee rights kick in) [24:40] The risk of a ‘family’ culture [24:51] What is your view on extending an employee’s probation? [26:46] The risks of keeping an underperforming member of staff [27:18] What advice would you give your younger self just starting out in business? Quotations “You must ensure that marketing and HR are aligned” - Lynda Goncalves “When it comes to recruitment, you either have TIME or MONEY - so consider carefully about how you go about recruiting” - Rob Da Costa “Document everything - if it isn't written down it didn't happen!” - Lynda Goncalves Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Sussex HR websiteLynda on LinkedInACAS website

We had a really great group coaching call this week - as part of the Self-Running Agency Membership. One of the topics we discussed was how to get more efficient with your time and make sure you're focusing on the things that matter rather than constantly getting sucked into client work and stuck on the dreaded client service hamster wheel of doom! So that's the topic of today's episode of the podcast - how to get more efficient with your time. Time Stamp [01:35] A story about my week and what happens when you don’t plan and block out time [02:17] Letting external factors determine your week - leading to a feeling of being out of control [03:00] Dividing your time against REVENUE, STRATEGY & ADMIN [04:10] How to split your time - what happens when you get it wrong [05:49] The ideal split of your time (for an agency owner) [06:40] My free time recording tool to support you to move toward your ideal time split [07:24] How to use time blocking to effectively manage your diary [08:00] The importance of knowing exactly what you will do when you have strategy time in your diary [09:11] Don’t let external factors dictate your direction of travel [09:44] Always overestimate how long a task will take and build a buffer for all the things that might happen (that you can't plan for) [10:00] The importance of focusing on your ‘superpowers’ [10:55] What is a task worth? What is your notional hourly rate? [11:47] How do I manage over-demanding clients? Protecting your boundaries Quotations “Make sure you always schedule your time and know exactly what you are going to do in that time block” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Your FREE Time Pot Time Split ToolThe Self-Running Agency Membership

In this week's episode, we are discussing what is probably the hottest topic right now, and that is recruitment and retention. If you're anything like most other agencies, then you are finding it particularly difficult to attract and retain great talent. So we're going to unpack that, exploring the 7 needs of an employee and the 7 needs, therefore, of a candidate. And to do that I am joined once again by Rory Spence from the WOW Agency. Time Stamp [01:03] Key findings from the recruitment & retention Bench Press Report [03:12] What are candidates looking for in the agency they choose to join? [03:55] Only 33% of agencies have a strategy to deliver a great candidate experience during the recruitment process [04:29] What does a great candidate experience look like? [07:30] Best routes for recruitment - should you use recruitment agencies? [12:30] What is the best process to recruit and how should it be structured? [14:52] In-house vs remote working - 39% of agencies ask staff to be in the office 1-2 days a week [18:00] 82% plan to keep an office [18:30] 71% of agencies are recruiting remotely [21:25] The 7 needs of a candidate [21:40] 1: Purpose [22:50] 2: An exciting vision [24:55] 3: Leadership [26:30] 4: Team [27:40] 5: Progression [29:27] 6: Flexible working [33:39] 7: An empowered culture [35:45] View recruitment as a strategy, not a tactic - so think about the recruitment process & onboarding strategy [36:11] Think about how you recruit and how your current process can be refined Quotations “If you can address the 7 needs of a candidate, you will be able to attract top talent” - Rory Spence “When you have recruited, it not the end of the problem, it’s the start of the solution” - Rob Da Costa “39% of agencies ask staff to be in the office 1-2 days a week” - Rory Spence Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Ep 102: Pricing Strategies with Rory Spence (Part 1)Ep 104: Regional Agency Benchmarking with Rory SpenceEp 103 Why And How I Work A 4-day Week2022 BenchPress ReportsContact RoryStart with WHY (book) - Simon Sinek

I've recently had several clients discuss with me about taking what they teach and creating some kind of online mentorship or online programme. So, I thought in today's episode, we do something a little bit different, and that is for me to the ups and downs of my own adventures in the online world and share with you the many mistakes I’ve made and the lessons I have learned. Time Stamp [02:00] 2012 - my first adventure into the online world - and rude awakening! [02:39] The first course I created (and it was a complete flop!) [03:17] My 2nd course on sales and marketing (which also flopped) [03:55] The 2 key lessons I learned after 2 flops (get clear on my niche and validate first) [04:33] The importance of pre-selling your course or ideas before you start developing it [05:03] The first course that (accidentally) was successful [05:54] There is no such thing as passive income! [06:26] Why I created my first online Mastermind programme [08:06] Online content opens up an audience that I couldn't reach before [08:26] Using Jobs to Be Done interviews to really understand your target audience’s needs  [09:08] The concepts behind The Self-Running Agency  [09:42] How the Self-Running Agency has morphed into a membership programme [10:46] The time and money I wasted learning my lessons [11:00] Why I use Kartra for hosting my programmes [11:35] The number 1 way I market and sell my online programmes [11:35] Focus on going deep with one or 2 courses, don’t go wide with lots of courses! Quotations “For anyone wanting to launch into the online world, go and talk to your audience and validate your idea first before you invest any time in developing your idea” - name “There is no such thing as passive income - for every sale you make there is a ton of work needed behind the scenes” - name Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Kartra for hosting your business (link for a free 14-day trial)The Self-Running Agency MembershipBuild Nurture Convert Email Marketing CourseContact Rob: [email protected]

In this week's episode of the podcast, I'm joined by John Higginson from Higginson Strategy. We're discussing niching - but not just niching - laser focusing your niche and John will share how his agency has niched that has made it so much easier for them to win ideal clients. We also discuss a unique marketing strategy that they're using that is resulting in them winning more business and why John believes that owner-managed agencies will always perform better than agencies that are sold off. Time Stamp [01:01] Why broadening out your niche is a mistake [01:25] How Higginson found their niche (in the plastic-free market) [03:01] Concerns about being too niched [03:39] Working with me gave John the confidence to be niched and win more business! [04:39] What are the clear benefits of having such a clear niche? [05:49] What advice would you give to someone who is scared to niche down? [08:04] Were you able to increase your prices because of your niche? [09:34] Do you look for staff that have experience in your niche? What are the core attributes you look for? [10:53] Why did you launch your own magazine? [14:22] An example of persistence in your marketing to win business [15:19] The importance of taking a “value-first” approach in your marketing [15:43] What does the future hold for Higginson Strategy? [16:30] Why John never wants to sell his agency but rather build his own Self-Running Agency [18:00] The reality of trying to sell a service-based business [19:01] Why founder-led agencies are better agencies [21:46] What advice would John give his younger self, just starting out in business? Quotations “Receiving targetted inbound enquiries with clients saying ‘they want to work with you’ is a key benefit of having a clear niche” - John Higginson “You don’t need to fear losing clients if you niche down (you can still win clients outside of your niche)” - John Higginson “Everyone’s roadmap is their own roadmap - there is no right or wrong way to grow your agency” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Higginson Strategy WebsiteYour free guide to Niching Build your own Self-Running Agency

Today we are discussing strategies on how to get yourself off the client service hamster wheel of doom. I love using this term because it perfectly encapsulates the scenario where you’re so busy servicing clients that you’ve got no time to breathe let alone focus on the future of your agency! When we are permanently stuck in 'client service mode' we can’t see the wood for the trees, so it’s an important topic that most agency owners find themselves stuck in at some point. If you want to grow, then you need to find a way to stop it and step off! Time Stamp [00:45] The downside of ‘going the extra mile’ [01:39] The importance of stepping off the client service hamster wheel of doom (CSHWOD) [02:20] 7 Ways to get off the CSHWOD  [02:32] 1. ​​Create a respectful partner/partner relationship with your clients rather than an imbalanced customer/supplier relationship where you become the person at the bottom of the food chain [02:58] 2. The importance of good boundaries [03:07] 3. Regularly review your scope of work with clients  [03:26] 4. Be a consultant at all stages of your relationship with your clients [04:00] 5. New ways of saying YES or NO to clients [05:46] 6. Schedule and block out time in your diary that will never be available to your clients [06:46] 7. As you grow make sure you have a really solid account management team beneath you who cannot only deliver great work but also can manage and communicate effectively with clients [7:09] How Simon Isaac from Capsule Marketing has extricated himself from client work [8:26] How you should be splitting your time  Quotations “Change your mindset to thinking about how much time you have available for client work and what is the most important use of your time - because it should be planning the future of your agency” - Rob Da Costa “No matter what small tweaks agency owners make, they can’t get off client service hamster wheel of doom! ” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: The Self-Running Agency Membership

I’m always telling my clients that a smart way to grow your business is by working with partners.  After all, it means you manage a few relationships that get you, multiple clients, by getting in front of their (often bigger) audience. I am excited to get some new perspectives on this topic by being joined by Dustin Riechmann, a business coach who helps ambitious entrepreneurs get unstuck & rapidly increase their profits with confidence.  He is best known for his Partnership Marketing System, which he has used to grow FireCreek Snacks into a 7-figure business without paid ads. Time Stamp [01:58] Dustin shares how he grew FireCreek Snacks and why he thinks you should be focused on building partnerships [04:18] How did you grow FireCreek to 7-figures without using paid ads? [04:18] Different types of partnership – marketing and sales? (referrals). Any thoughts on these and/or other types of partners?  Should money exchange hands? [04:18] Podcast guesting - a great example of partnership marketing and the long tail effect [11:28] Another example of how partnerships can be so beneficial (HubSpot) [12:27] Other partnership examples [15:20] Different kinds of partnerships (marketing, sales, affiliates) [17:43] How do I go about finding my potential partners? [22:10] How do you detect a good partner from a bad partner? [29:17] How do you keep a partnership alive beyond the initial excitement and promises made? [32:48] If you could go back in time and give your younger self just starting out in business one piece of advice what would it be? Quotations “Partnership marketing is all about getting your expertise in front of someone else’s audience in a win-win-win fashion (you, them and their audience)” - Dustin Riechmann “Do your research first before you reach out to a potential partner and explain how you can serve their audience” - Rob Da Costa “Make sure you follow-up with partners after a successful project together - put it in a system” -  Dustin Riechmann Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Ep 110: How to be a guest on other podcasts Partnership Marketing BlueprintDustin’s websiteDustin’s email:[email protected]

Entrepreneurs are, by definition, ideas people and typically not very good at the detail & not very good completer/finishers. This puts them in the precarious position of getting bored if they don't get immediate results, and this can easily lead them to chase the next shiny new object!  In today’s podcast, I dig into this issue and share 7 strategies to get focused and avoid being distracted by shiny new objects. Time Stamp [01:29] A definition of Shiny New Object Syndrome [02:00] What triggers Shiny New Object Syndrome? [02:03] Information overload and FOMO [03:40] 4 drawbacks of following shiny new objects [05:38] 7 strategies to help you stay focused and avoid shiny new objects [05:53] Strategy 1: Have a plan, stick to it and revisit it regularly [06:12] Strategy 2: Translate your plan into months, weeks and days [06:26] Strategy 3: Use your plan to assess new ideas against - great idea or shiny new object? [07:13] Strategy 4: Write new ideas down to get them out of your head [07:30] Strategy 5: Limit the number of projects you focus on [07:58] Strategy 6: Limit the number of people, blogs or podcasts you listen to and get influenced by [08:18] Strategy 7: Limit the amount of time you spend on social media and the channels you follow [09:06] What is Monkey Mind and do you suffer from it? [10:11] The consequences of having a Monkey Mind! [11:10] 3 tips to calm your Monkey Mind [11:23] Tip 1: Know that it is possible to manage your Monkey Mind [11:49] Tip 2: Have a conversation with your Monkey Mind [12:05] Tip 3: Keep a journal  Quotations “A strategy you currently implement might not be sexy but don’t let shiny new objects distract you from it if it works” - Rob Da Costa “Get ideas out of your head by writing them down on paper. This means you won’t forget them but you can let them go and focus on the task at hand” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: FREE Workshop: 3 Ways to Raise Your Prices & ProfitsMindset GuideProductivity Guide

When you started your agency, you probably had some end goals in mind.  A lot of people dream about selling their agency, but the reality is that it's very difficult to sell a service-based business (and make a decent amount of money). So perhaps a better option is to focus on building an agency that is less dependent on you. i.e. a Self-Running Agency.  Now, you know I'm a big fan of this approach since I have my book called The Self Running Agency, and I also have my membership group (The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group) and this is a strategy I help my clients deliver.  So in today’s podcast, I am delighted to be joined by someone who is doing just this, Simon Isaac, MD and Owner of Capsule Marketing. Time Stamp [01:33] Introduction to Simon Isaac and Capsule Marketing and why he wants to build a Self-Running Agency [02:22] Simon’s journey to starting and growing a marketing agency [03:53] What were your hopes and plans in the first couple of years of running your agency [05:16] Who were your first hires when you started hiring staff? [07:06] Why did you decide you wanted to start removing yourself from the day-to-day running of Capsule? [08:43] Simon’s passions and interests outside of Capsule (and why he wanted more time to pursue these) [10:15] The typical entrepreneur: an ideas person but not a completer/finisher [10:40] Simon outlines the key steps taken so far to start building a Self-Running Agency and not work 5-days a week in the agency. The importance of hiring a great number 2 and an empowered team [13:10] “It’s lonely at the top” - The importance of having external advisers (that you listen to!) who can act as our board and provide expert objective advice [15:17] How and why did you put together a Senior Leadership Team [16:00] Creating opportunities for growth for all the team [17:22] Simon’s experience of moving from a corporate world to a creative world - and the many lessons to take from his past corporate life. [18:20] Creativity is not stifled by implementing systems [18:40] Simon’s future plans and how he is ensuring they are delivered [20:30] The importance of letting go and trusting others [20:57] What advice do you have for other agency owners who are still completely entrenched in delivering client work? [22:10] What if you did delegate and it all went wrong? [24:30] Don’t recruit ‘in your like’ but rather hire people who are better than you [25:30] If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Quotations “It’s so important to regularly stop working in your business, take a breath, get a high-level view to know what your need to focus on before you take the pause button off” - Rob Da Costa “Trust your people, invest in them and have high expectations of them” - Simon Isaac “Surround yourself with people who are better than you and don’t feel threatened by them” - Simon Isaac Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Find out more about Simon: Simonisaac.co.ukCapsule Marketing WebsiteThe Self-Running Agency BookThe Self-Running Agency Implementation Group

Everyone talks about the concepts of value-pricing and value-selling and it sounds really good in theory. But in reality, a lot of agencies don't know how to apply it or are too scared to start taking a value pricing approach. So they go back to their tried and tested ways of pricing on fixed project fees or selling on time. So in today’s podcast, I want to give you five tips and strategies that you can begin using right away to start moving towards a value-based pricing and a value-based selling approach.  Time Stamp [01:08] Today’s episode is sponsored by my free masterclass: “3 ways to raise your agency's prices and profits without losing clients”. I'm running this workshop 4 times this month (if you're listening live) or you'll be able to watch a replay. So check out the link below and invest 60 minutes of your time to learn some practical strategies that you can start implementing straight away.  [01:33] A story of toothache to explain value-pricing [02:34] A definition of value-based selling [02:56] An example of quoting for a web design project [03:29] 5 strategies to move towards a value-based pricing and selling approach that will enable you to charge higher fees and create strong relationships with your clients [03:50] Strategy 1: From the first conversation you have with a prospect focus on the outcomes they are looking for and how they tie back to their business goals [05:45] Strategy 2: Make sure you understand how the wider business will assess the success of your campaign, not just the marketing resource that you might be dealing with.  [6:19] Strategy 3: When you agree to write a proposal make sure you’re constantly referencing the outcomes that the client is seeking from your work.   [06:38] Strategy 4: Price on the outcomes. This doesn’t mean you’re making any kind of guarantees or offering ‘payment by results’, it just means that you are getting everyone’s mind focused on the transformation the client is looking for from being in pain to not being in pain. [07:23] Strategy 5: Don’t discount! If they want a lower fee and discuss which aspects of the project they don’t want to include! [07:55] Pricing is 50% mindset and 50% application Quotations “Getting your pricing right is 50% mindset and 50% application” - Rob Da Costa “Brave agencies will spend 90% of their time in a prospect meeting in fact-find mode and 10% presenting their agency” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Download my FREE guide on value-pricing & value-sellingJoin my FREE masterclass on value-pricing and value-selling

One of the most frequent conversations I’m having in my agency group and my private clients is around talent or the lack of it right now, and therefore the need to find more creative ways to find good people. And of course one of those ways is finding great freelancers. So that’s the topic for today’s podcast and I’m really excited to be joined by Shahar Erez who is Co-founder & CEO of Stoke, an on-demand talent platform empowering companies to adopt a hybrid workforce model that scales as quickly and efficiently as needed. In 2021, Stoke was acquired by Fiverr for $110M just 15 months after coming out of stealth mode.  Time Stamp [01:22] The state of talent in the current market (spring 2022) [02:35] There is a workforce revolution taking place: 2018 research (in US) showed that Gen Z didn't want to take a full-time job but instead wanted flexibility and remote working opportunities [04:30] By 2030 60% of the workforce will be freelancers  [06:10] Companies must evolve to recruit freelance staff as well as full-time employees. Their mindset must change [07:10] How should people be recruiting now?  [09:30] Case study of how WordPress recruits [10:58] Freelancers work for a number of companies every year so they bring a wealth of knowledge and this helps the agency learn [12:12] How do you stay profitable when you are hiring (more expensive than FTE) freelancers? [16:20] How do you ensure freelancers fit in your agency, culturally? [18:44] A freelancer will always work hard because if they don’t they will be gone the next week! [19:30] How do you manage a freelance team member? [21:50] What is the best way to pay freelancers? [22:58] A cautionary tale of paying day rates to freelance staff. Advice to avoid issues [24:10] How do I find freelancers? [26:15] The recent acquisition of Stoke Talent by Fiverr and future plans [32:06] If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Quotations “There isn't really a talent shortage, it's just most agencies are still trying to recruit the way they did 5-years ago and that no longer works.” - Shahar Erez “For agencies, it’s more efficient to hire expert freelancers than full-time staff equivalent” - Shahar Erez “Looking for a freelancer when you need one (without having built your database of freelancers) is like having a podcast and only recording an episode when you have something to say!” - Shahar Erez Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Recruitment and retention guideContact Shahar:WebsiteLinkedIn

Procrastination and perfectionism are two negative traits of agency leaders that stop us from getting things done - we often tell ourselves stories that something isn’t good enough or we’re not sure about it or we need to know more before we can create some content or launch a new product or service, and that keeps us stuck.  So in today’s podcast I want to talk about one of my favourite expressions ‘done is better than perfect’.   Time Stamp [01:26] The origins of ‘done is better than perfect’ [02:00] Perfectionism is a fast track to failure [02:40] Getting something done is so much better than hanging on to it because you feel it isn't yet perfect [03:28] When is good enough, good enough?  Your target audience will answer this question [04:15] 10 reasons why you should get things done and off your plate [0429] 1. You get results faster! [04:47] 2. Getting something done is overwhelmingly satisfying while perfection may keep us tweaking something forever. [5:00] 3. Remember done is not over, you can still develop your craft, your idea, and your project [05:16] 4. Done rather than perfect means you avoid paralysis [05:43] 5. You're more realistic [06:11] 6. You save time [06:38] 7. You are more productive [07:03] 8. You stop procrastinating [07:25] 9. You overwork [07:45] 10. Ultimately, you get burned out [08:30] If you get lost in the detail then stop, and remind yourself of the context [09:20] Understand your minimum standard and start there [09:45] An example of getting a PDF guide designed [1-:43] Write DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT on a post-it and remind yourself of it frequently Quotations “No one is going to get rich off an idea that stays an idea (because you feel it isn't perfect yet” - Rob Da Costa “Take off your perfectionist hat and remind yourself of the purpose of the task at hand and who the audience is” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Improve your mindset15 Tools to help you be more productive

We are talking all about storytelling in today’s podcast and I am excited to be joined by Parul Banka from Caramel Coaching, who shares her personal story as a great example of the power of storytelling. Why is using storytelling in your marketing so much more engaging and how is it going to make your messaging 22 times more powerful? Find out in today’s episode. Time Stamp [01:55] Parul’s powerful story about surviving cancer [04:00] Integrating work with joy and meaning [04:56] All we have is today [5:56[ The meaning of Go Further, Faster [7:03] How do you make sure you always live by this philosophy - even in your darkest days? [7:45] Ask yourself - is it really important and aligned to your vision? [8:50] You need to know your WHY [9:00] Money is rarely the key reason WHY you do what you do [9:44] What is storytelling? [10:20] The difference between a CV intro and a storytelling introduction [11:05] Research shows that when you use stories, your ability to be remembered increases by 22 times to standard messaging [12:46] Why are businesses scared of using storytelling? [13:55] Be willing to be vulnerable [14:35] How can an agency use storytelling in its messaging? [18:11] How do people find their stories? [21:40] How do I practically use my story? [23:10] How to make your story work in written content [26:13] Parul has changed her niche - why and how did she do it? [31:25] If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Quotations “All we have is today. Which brings a sense of urgency to get on and live your best life” - Parul Banka “If you can understand your WHY you can stay connected to the important stuff” - Rob Da Costa “When you use stories, your ability to be remembered shoots up exponentially” - Parul Banka Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Episode 107 - The importance of living in the presentReach ParulCaramelCoaching WebsiteLinkedInEmail: [email protected]

A simple way to ensure your marketing hits home and resonates with your target audience is to use your customer’s language in all outbound comms.  Sounds simple right? It is but it isn’t and so many get this wrong because they focus too much on their product or service. They do this because they don’t understand their client's pain points enough, so this is what we are digging into this week and I want to give you some pointers to help you get this right. Time Stamp [01:16] There is a time and a place to talk about your product and service in your marketing, but it isn't right at the start! [01:40] This issue typically starts with your website. Is your website full of ‘we’?!! [2:55] Think of your marketing like going on a date - you wouldn’t start by telling them all about yourself (and if you did they would run a mile!). [3:30] Do some research: Jobs to be done interviews [4:34] A story about MacDonald’s milkshakes [6:14] Record the client interviews so you can use their specific language in your marketing [7:02] Your research should uncover what matters to your clients and what keeps them awake at night [7:30] You want your messaging to hit a nerve with your customer and make them feel you really understand them [7:55] The importance of building KNOW, LIKE and TRUST [08:50] Don’t use jargon in your marketing [09:30] Understand what transformation your client is looking for [09:50] Now, go back and check all this against your website! Quotations “Your reader isn’t interested in your product or service until you have proven you can help them” - Rob Da Costa “Don’t use jargon in your marketing. You won’t impress your client you will just lose them!” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: The Agency Selling System digs into Jobs To Be Done Interviews questioning and techniquesThe Self-Running Agency Implementation Group

In the 3rd and final part of my mini-series on podcasting, we explore how to start a podcast and why you should consider starting your own. I’m joined by Harry Morton, CEO & Founder of podcast production company, Lower Street. This episode is full of insightful advice including the systems and tech needed, how to record a podcast, how to stand out from the crowd, the ideal length, how to market your podcast and how to measure its impact. Time Stamp [02:14] Why should a marketing agency consider starting a podcast as a core part of their marketing strategy? A great way to reach your target customers [03:55] How do you ensure you always provide value to your audience? (clue: don’t have guests that just try and sell!) [5:20] “I am thinking about starting a podcast, where do I start and how do I create a podcast that is different?” [07:30] The importance of having a clear niche for your podcast [07:55] The details: format and length of a podcast, branding & packaging, and the tech needed to start a podcast [10:57] The importance of knowing who your ideal listener is [11:18] The ideal frequency and length of a podcast [14:20] How to market your podcast (hint: social media is not the best place to promote your podcast) [16:53] Partnering with other podcast creators [17:45] How do you measure the impact and effectiveness of your podcast? And what are the best metrics? [22:10] How do you monetise your podcast? And should you? [24:15] Be brave with your podcast - don’t be scared to be different! [26:28] If you could go back in time and give your younger self 1 piece of advice, what would it be? Quotations “Your podcast should be as long as it needs to be and not a minute longer” - Harry Morton “The average number of podcasts people create before they give up is 7!” - Rob Da Costa “Podcasting is still in its early days, the ‘wild west' of marketing strategies” - Harry Morton Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Harry’s contact details Lowerstreet.co@podcastharry on Twitter Podcast recording platforms: ZencastrRiverside

Why are agencies so bad at applying the smart advice they give their clients, to their own businesses?  I’m on a mission this year to apply everything I teach my clients to my own business and this inspired me to record this episode.  Time Stamp [1:41] It’s hard to remove yourself from the business and stand in the client’s shoes and be your best client [1:50] Are you stuck on ‘the client service hamster wheel of doom’? [02:06] Too many agencies rely on referrals and word of mouth [03:10] The result of a lack of consistent business development is we lurch from feast to famine [03:50] If you do your own marketing you demonstrate to yourself and your client that your advice actually works! [04:08] By doing your own marketing you can keep refining what you advise your clients to do [04:23] Share best practice with your clients and have the confidence to know that it works [5:00] My advice when you feel you don’t have time to do all this: [5:15] Put a system in place and do a few activities consistently [5:35] Don’t expect results immediately but ensure you are consistent at delivering the few activities you’ve chosen to do  [5:50] Don’t get distracted by shiny new objects – there is no easy solution! [6:35] Outsource as much as you can [7:35] Try and be your own best customer [08:00] Do the things you enjoy doing and the things your customer is most receptive to Quotations “We live in an instant gratification world, yet most robust business development strategies deliver in the medium to long-term” - Rob Da Costa “Try and be your own best customer!” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — to move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Useful links mentioned in this episode: My YouTube Channel

In part 2 (of 3) of this special series on podcasting we are discussing why guesting on other people’s podcasts is such a smart marketing strategy. Alex Sanfilippo joins me to explore how to identify and approach podcasts that you would love to guest on, as well as some Do’s and Don’ts. I learned a lot during this interview so I know you will too! Time Stamp [01:30] Introduction to Alex Sanfilippo [03:08] Why is guesting on other people’s podcasts a good marketing strategy? And why are many big brand social media platforms jumping on the bandwagon? [04:45] Why do people listen to podcasts? [05:55] How do you find podcasts to potentially guest on? Find your WHY first [07:41] Where to find podcasts to reach out to [08:40] Talk to your customers about what they listen to [09:13] Some Do’s and Don’ts of reaching out to podcasts you’d like to guest on [09:58] 1. Lead with value [10:58] 2. Make a meaningful request with clarity of what you can add [13:04] 3. Offer credibility (e.g. mutual connections) [13:35] 4. Mention you will share the episode [14:02] 5. Make it easy to say NO (to ensure you hear back) [15:15] Do your research first! [18:41] Make sure your bio is relatable to the audience the podcast targets [20:47] How do you measure the success of a podcast? [23:38] Podcasts are great for building KNOW-LIKE & TRUST [25:30] Create an intentional plan when starting out in your podcasting journey [26:40] Services to support with podcast guesting [28:17] What advice would you give your younger self, just starting out in business? [23:38]  Quotations “Know your WHY first, before you start reaching out to podcasts to guest on” - Alex Sanfilippo “Lead with value first - be a person of value not of profit!” - Alex Sanfilippo  “Podcasting is about creating legacy rather than instant wins” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: PodmatchPodpros.comMy episode on working a 4-day week

Back in 2019, I decided to start my own podcast. I have quite a lot to say about the agency world so thought it would be a great platform for me! 3 years later and over 100 episodes in, I thought I would share with you what I have learned and why podcasting might be a great marketing strategy for your agency. This is episode 1 in a special 3-part series on podcasting. Time Stamp [01:40] The average number of podcasts someone creates before they give up is 7!  [02:10] 8 reasons why podcasting is a great marketing strategy [02:28] 1. Podcasts are easy to consume [03:04] 2. It’s a great way to build your audience and build KNOW-LIKE-TRUST [03:41] 3. It’s not expensive to start a podcast [04:00] 4. Use guests as a way to grow your audience [04:58] 5. Position yourself as an authority in your industry [05:40] 6. It doesn't take a ton of time to produce a podcast [06:25] 7. It’s fun and you will learn from your guests [07:00] 8. Podcasting is still in its early days so it’s a great time to get onboard [8:20] 9 lessons I have learned over the past 3 years [08:24] 1. Know WHY you are creating a podcast and what you want to achieve [09:19] 2. Be very clear about who your target listener is [09:27] 3. Tackle their pains in each podcast episode [09:40] 4. When recording an episode, imagine you are talking directly 1 on 1 with your listener [10:13] 5. Don’t give up - keep at it even if you feel like no one is listening! [11:12] 6. Have a plan to promote your podcast [11:50] 7. If you use social media to promote your podcast, make sure the post itself, adds value (even if they don’t listen to the podcast) [12:24] 8. As soon as you can, delegate/outsource the mechanics of producing your podcast [13:20] 9. It is hard to get decent analytics for your podcast Quotations “The average number of podcast episodes some produces before they give up is 7!” - Rob Da Costa “Podcasting is still in its early days and like the wild west, so it’s a great time to get started” - Rob Da Costa “Podcasting is a great way to build and leave your legacy” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Batching podcast episodes

What’s it like to scale an agency? And what challenges do you need to overcome? That’s the topic of today’s podcast and I am joined by someone who is extremely qualified to answer these questions!   Erik Huberman, CEO of Hawke Media and author of the brand new book, The Hawke Method. Erik went from making only $350 his first year in business to growing and selling two successful companies. Today Hawke Media is the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the US and has been valued at over $150 million with 250+ employees and offices across the world. Erik was very generous in sharing the knowledge he has gained, the mistakes he has made and some key tips for planning your agency’s growth. So grab your pen & paper, your favourite drink and let’s get on with the show. Time Stamp [02:30] Why and how Erik started Hawk Media and grew it to over 300 staff in 8 years [03:25] Why so many marketers and agencies are not great at what they do! [06:25] What were your plans for growing Hawk Media? [07:00] Hawk Media’s most painful years [08:30[ The importance of a simple business plan - use a scoreboard - don’t overcomplicate things [09:30] What are your future plans and how did Covid impact you? [16:25] Key challenges and hurdles that get in the way to agency growth [17:50] The importance of thinking of your agency as a SPORTS TEAM rather than a FAMILY [18:30] Don’t hire ahead (i.e. don't base recruitment decisions on projections rather than actuals) [19:15] Don't be the main salesmen as you grow [21:00} How do you define success? [23:45] Most successful business owners never sell their businesses (so build a self-running agency!) [24:50] The importance of work/life balance [30:35] Don’t think of the challenges your agency faces as ‘difficult’ - it's an unhealthy way to look at your business [32:29] Don’t get frustrated when your team don’t perform like you. They are not entrepreneurs! [33:28} Erik's new book: The Hawk Method [36:00] Don’t catastrophise the challenges your agency faces every day! Change your mindset from ‘problems’ to ‘challenges’ Quotations “99% of agencies and marketers have no idea what they are doing!” - Erik Huberman  “We were in our puberty stage as an agency - everything didn't quite fit! Every agency goes through this as they grow” - Erik Huberman  “Think of your agency as a sports team, not a family” - Erik Huberman  Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Get your copy of The Hawk Method BookHawk Media WebsiteBuild your own self-running agencyFree resources to help you scale your agency

I’ve just come back from spending a month in South Africa. It’s something I’ve done several times before and I’m fortunate to be able to work from anywhere so this suits me really well and it allows me to escape some of the British winter! On this trip, I was reminded of how aware one is when you are on vacation because you’re in new surroundings and experiencing new things. I realise when we are out of our normal routine, we are much more present yet when we are in our usual day-to-day grind we can spend too much time thinking about the past or worrying about the future. This is really unhealthy. As Leo Tolstoy said, "There is only one time that is important - Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power” so in today’s episode we explore more on this topic.  Time Stamp [1:01] How I manage to spend a month in South Africa every year [1:53] Why is it when we are on vacation, we are so much more present? [2:20] Use all your senses to be much more present [2:40] Why is it important to live in the present? [3:40] My story of not living in the present [4:45] The consequence of not living in the present [5:45] We are creatures of habit, so you need to work on more positive habits (such as not living in the past or future!) [6:45] Time is not real it’s just a human-made construct [7:00] My terrifying flight – an example of living every moment! [7:55] Right now is the only time that is important, because this is time we can control [8:25] How this impacts day to day agency life [8:57] How walking my dog helps me be present [9:21] What can you consciously do to be more present? Quotations “Living in the past is just a memory you can’t change. Living in the future is a story we tell ourselves.” – Rob Da Costa “The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness” – Abraham Maslow “There is only one time that is important - Now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power" – Leo Tolstoy Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: My blog on my time in South Africa Free mindset guide

In a recent Self-Running Agency Group Call, I was asked how much time the owner should be investing in working on the future of their agency. I said approx 30% of the time.  Many agency owners wish they could grow their businesses but are stuck on the “client service hamster wheel of doom” servicing clients and have no time to focus on the future of their agency.  In today’s episode, I outline how you can start to change this. Time Stamp [01:35] Many agency owners are so entrenched in the day to day work - that is not a good way to run an agency! [02:05] Why so many agency owners are the bottleneck to growth? [02:05] 9 tips and ideas to start to change this [02:27] Tip 1: The importance of having a clear vision so you maintain control of the direction of your agency [03:56] Tip 2: Hire as soon as possible [05:02] Tip 3: Hire the best you can afford [05:50] Tip 4: Be a great delegator (unlike most entrepreneurs) [06:36] Tip 5: Build your brand rather than making the brand YOU [07:25] Tip 6: “Train your clients” - manage boundaries with them [08:27] Tip 7: Be less available to your clients and protect your time [10:25] Tip 8: Build a foundation for growth: put scalable systems & processes in place [12:51] Tip 9: Develop an entrepreneurial mindset from day 1 [14:43] Recap of 9 tips Quotations “Hire the best you can and don’t be scared of being challenged” - Rob Da Costa “Step off the client service hamster wheel by putting systems & processes in place” - Rob Da Costa “Develop your entrepreneurial mindset from day 1 - be willing to step out of your comfort zone” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: The Self-Running Agency Implementation GroupFree Guide: 9 steps to effective delegationLoom for screen recording

I want to start today's episode of the podcast with a bit of a rant: Why is it that many businesses think that they can do a little ad-hoc marketing and then get frustrated when they don't get enough leads or convert those leads into customers? So, in today's episode, I want to talk all about understanding and plotting your buyer’s journey and consequently being able to connect your sales & marketing functions together more effectively and generate & convert more leads. Time Stamp [0:57] This episode is sponsored by my new FREE email marketing masterclass that outlines 7 strategies to build, nurture and convert leads into loyal customers. You can save your seat here [1:41] ‘Jane’ is frustrated that her agency’s website isn’t converting more leads [2:06] The typical mistakes most agency websites make [2:55] The importance of providing value to your audience [3:35] Connecting your marketing function to your sales function [4:00] The 7 steps in the buyer’s journey [4:40] ‘Contact us’ buttons and forms on websites don’t work! [5:35] The importance of building KNOW, LIKE & TRUST before prospects will buy [6:15] Nurturing your leads with more value-added content (e.g., this podcast) [7:29] How might you change your website to support the buyer’s journey? [8:44] Plotting out your audience’s buyer’s journey – esp. steps 2,3 & 4 [9:32] The importance of getting your audience to make micro-commitments [10:40] Avoid jumping into sales too quickly! Quotations “The middle of the funnel is where you do your education-based marketing.” - Rob Da Costa “This podcast is a good example of education-based marketing.” - Rob Da Costa “It’s crucial to give your audience some quick wins.” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Enrol on my free Email Marketing Masterclass: How to Build, Nurture & Convert an Engaged Email List ​Rob Da Costa’s YouTube Channel Get in touch with Rob at [email protected] 

In this episode of the podcast we are exploring the differences between rural and city-based agencies as well as regional differences generally across the UK. We dig into the WOW Company’s new regional Bench Press Reports with Rory Spence. Time Stamp [01:06] The advantages and disadvantages of city v rural agency and differences regionally [02:01] The value of 3rd party market research data (i.e. The Bench Press Reports) [03:09] Interesting findings from the regional research especially the pricing league table [03:53] The UK average hourly rate for agencies is £91 but how does it differ in different regions? Some surprising results! [05:15] Gross Profit Margin analysis by region - again more surprising results [07:44] Do you think the regional differences are caused because of mindset? [09:02] Everyone can now compete with London Agencies! [10:22] What are agencies planning to do with their offices in 2022? [12:02] Lead with value to be able to charge higher fees (and compete with London agency pricing) [14:11] Are agencies planning to recruit remotely? [16:08] 83% want to keep their office yet 78% will recruit remotely! [18:04] How do you embed culture with remote workforces? [22:36] Rory shares his views on using freelance staff v in-house employees [23:43] The impact of IR35 [25:15] External support to hiring people on your team [27:49] What advice would you give yourself, just starting out in the agency world? Quotations “The average GP Margin for a UK agency is 44%” - Rory Spence, The WOW Company“It doesn't matter where you are based anymore. Everyone is working remotely serving clients all over the world.” - Rob Da Costa“73% of agencies are planning to keep an office” - Rory Spence, The WOW Company Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Listen to Rory’s take on pricing in episode 102Take part in the 2022 BenchPress survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QW58SHVDownload all of the previous BenchPress reports: http://wowco.uk/benchpress2021

In 2021 I moved to work a 4-day working week. Too many entrepreneurs go the other way and work a lot longer than the average 40-hour workweek, so in this episode, I want to share with you WHY I chose to move to 4-days a week and HOW I am managing to make it happen. Time Stamp [01:26] Why do so many entrepreneurs work such long working hours? But remember, we make the rules! [02:47] WHY did I decide to work a 4-day working week? [03:37] I have tried (and failed) this before, so what did I do differently this time? [04:01] A key tip is to have another project to focus on [05:43] Have clear boundaries with clients and get the right mindset [06:40] The importance of organisation (so you don’t end up working 4 x 10 hour days) [07:17] Use the 4Ds (Ditch, Delegate, Defer, Do it) to help prioritse your tasks [07:58] Keep meetings to 30 mins (which really focuses all the people in the meeting) [08:56] Learn to say NO  [09:24] Communicate effectively to your team and your clients [10:33] Give your team the tools & training to effectively work a 4-day week (without working longer hours!) [11:02] Fill your 5th day with non work related tasks [11:39] Use these 3 questions to decide if a shorter week is right for you [13:15] The benefits I have found from working a 4-day week Quotations “It’s vital you know what you are going to do on the day you are not working” - Rob Da Costa “Being super organised is vital as it knowing the things you need to let go of” - Rob Da Costa “When you say YES to something you are saying NO to something else” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.”  If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: My campervan YouTube Channel: OnTheRoadAgainMy FREE productivity GuideDa Costa Coaching YouTube Channel (please subscribe!)

In this week's episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I am joined by Rory Spence from The Wow Company. If you are in the agency world, there’s no doubt you have heard of The Wow Company and particularly the BenchPress market research reports they produce. Rory started out his career in the company as an accountant, and progressed to a client manager, and currently works as an account manager. He loves helping ambitious agency owners who want to grow more profitably and sustainably. He’s helped thousands of agencies across the UK, advising them on their pricing strategy, project management, and financial processes - all focused on helping them increase their profit. In this part 1 of a 2-part special, Rory shares his top tips on how to increase your prices.   Many agencies think it is difficult to increase their prices (especially in a pandemic) so Rory shares his advice as well as what he is seeing across the industry. So grab a pen and get ready to take notes in the action-packed episode. Time Stamp [1:04] How the pandemic has affected agencies: Rory’s overview [3:27] Should we increase pricing every year? [5:18] The best time of the year to review your prices [5:33] Rory’s tip on how to avoid losing current clients when you increase your prices [7:00] 3 possible outcomes from increasing prices [9:21] Pricing is a confidence game [10:34] Value-based pricing: what is it? [13:04] Value-based pricing vs time & materials [14:54] How to implement value pricing as an agency owner [17:04] The 3-pricing-options approach: how to beat your competitors [21:44] The importance of anchoring prices [23:01] Rory’s view on tracking time within your agency [24:36] How to measure efficiency and capacity of your team  [25:40] How to track your gross profit correctly [27:01] Target margins: what you should aim for [28:32] The importance of having a clear niche [29:28] Rory’s number one tip on pricing Quotations “87% of agencies still use a fixed-fee pricing model... 60% of agencies still use time and materials.” - Rory Spence“If you're just selling time for money, it's gonna be tough. It's gonna be really difficult for you.” - Rory Spence“When we talk about selling time and materials, we’re selling inputs and outputs. When we're selling using a value-based approach, we're selling outcomes and impacts, and that's what the clients are buying.” - Rob Da Costa“Pricing is an art, not a science.” - Rory Spence Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Rory Spence - Book a consultation with Rory HEREDownload the 2021 BenchPress reports by The Wow CompanyIf you prefer watching, check out this episode on my YouTube ChannelDownload a FREE value pricing guideGet in touch with Rob at [email protected]

We are all time poor and need to use our time as wisely as possible. So in today’s episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I’m going to share with you my favourite productivity tools, techniques and hacks to be more efficient with your time and focus on what really matters to ‘move the needle’ for your agency. These reminders are timely for me at the start of the year so I know you will find them useful! Time Stamp [1:18] Bigger picture first: start with a vision for your business and everything else will fall into place [2:22] The importance of breaking down your time into 3 categories: revenue, strategy, and admin [3:58] Plan out your day and assign time-slots to each task [5:50] Use morning and evening rituals and set your top 3 goals for the day [7:33] Stay focused with time blocking [9:09] Batch content: The ultimate productivity technique [10:15] There’s no such thing as multitasking - just multi distractions1 [11:30] So make sure you remove all the distractions [13:11] Saying YES to something means saying NO to something else [13:53] Clear out your inbox daily to start fresh the following day [15:01] Use your time wisely: qualify your prospects well [16:29] Delegate as much as you possibly can [18:34] Using the concepts of a ‘notional hourly rate’ [19:02] Use the right project management and communication tools [20:09] How my reMarkable has improved my organisation Have I missed any? I’d be curious to know what are your favourite productivity hacks?  And as ever, if you found this episode useful, please consider leaving a review. Quotations “Plan your day down to the nearest half an hour. Overestimate how long things will take, and you can make sure you're ticking every single item off by the end of the day.” - Rob Da Costa“There is no such thing as multitasking so do one task at a time and you'll be much more efficient.” - Rob Da Costa“Consider really carefully what you say YES to. Be willing to say NO more often, and that gives you the space to say YES to the things that are really important in your day.” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts If you enjoyed today’s episode please scroll to the bottom, tap to rate (with five stars :-), and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. Useful links mentioned in this episode: Listen to the What is your “notional hourly rate”? episodeAmazing MarvinAsanaMy reMarkableFind out more about how to improve your productivity in my YouTube ChannelDownload my productivity tools guideGet in touch with Rob at [email protected]

Welcome to the 100th episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast! This is a huge milestone & I am super excited we got this far. And we have only just begun! When I started this channel 2 years ago, I promised myself that I would commit week in & week out to record episodes, and it’s amazing how far we got. For this episode, I wanted to come up with something special. During this journey over the past 2 years, I've had over 40 guests on the podcast and, at the end of our conversation, I always ask them what piece of advice they would give to their younger selves starting out their business. So I decided to collate 40 of the best answers and give you an episode full of expert & valuable advice. Enjoy the episode and don't forget you can also download this as a free book here. Time Stamp [1:01] My idea for the 100th episode [3:09] Don’t be intimidated when you go to meetings. Sally Alexander (EP4) [3:52] Focus on your niche. David Miles (EP6) [4:31] Charge what you're worth. Sophie Walton (EP8) [5:15] Be yourself & know your identity. Lee Jackson (EP10) [5:57] Commit to a niche immediately. Roland Gurney (EP12) [6:28] Focus on what you’re good at & have fun. Steve Bustin (EP15) [7:29] Be clear about the outcome & be honest with yourself. Ian Laurie (EP17) [8:28] Develop a healthy relationship with failure. Miha Matlievski (EP19) [8:44] Learn from your mistakes. Laura Evans (EP21) [9:10] Speak to someone who has done it already. Pietro Ranieri (EP23) [9:42] Invest in learning how to run a business. Susan Boles (EP25) [10:40] Believe in yourself & listen to other people who have gone before you. Jez Kay (EP27) [11:02] Be patient. Dan Englander (EP29) [11:22] Remember that people are at the core of any good business. Grant Jennings (EP31) [12:14] Don’t be too regimented in your thinking. Chico Chakravorty (EP33) [13:33] Be as informed as possible: knowledge is power. Marc Convey (EP35) [14:21] Have enough capital to get through the first 6 months. Tracey Burnett (EP37) [15:31] Get a customer first. Jim James (EP39) [15:58] Start earlier. Brad Smith (EP41) [16:42] Focus your efforts on the things that only you can do. Darryl Sparey (EP43) [17:46] Be more strategic from the start. Lindsey Pickles (EP45) [18:03] Focus on what you love & what you are good at. Remeny Armitage (EP47) [18:46] Know what sets you apart from the competition. John Ashton (EP52) [20:22] Just do it, go for it! Lucy Snell (EP54) [21:08] Good enough is good enough. Miranda Birch (EP56) [22:07] Don’t procrastinate. Steve Slotow (EP58) [23:19] A good job doesn’t always speak for itself. Don’t wait to be tapped on the shoulder. Melanie Coeshott (EP60) [24:40] Find some people that you look up to & follow them. Sam Wright (EP62) [25:23] It’s okay to say NO to things. Brent Weaver (EP64) [26:23] You can be or do absolutely anything you want. Piccia Neri (EP66) [26:41] Everything is going to be alright. Romans Ivanovs (EP68) [27:20] Say YES to things that scare you. Marcel Petitpas (EP70) [27:52] Keep up with tech & know that it’s ok to seek help from others. Michelle & Christian Ewen (EP72) [30:22] Trust your employees more. Ugis Balmaks (EP74) [31:18] Niche your business & start building your email list. David Miles (EP76) [32:08] Focus on one thing at a time. Richard Kennedy (EP78) [32:42] ‘Try fast & fail fast’. Adam O'Leary (EP82) [33:35] Go with your gut feeling. If it doesn’t work, there are always other options. Anthony Burke (EP87) [34:42] Be braver, take action. Katie Street (EP89) [35:21] Be more confident. John Horn (EP91) Useful links: I have captured all this wisdom in a free handy guide.  You can download your copy here Surround yourself with other like-minded agency Owners in The Self-Running Agency Implementation GroupContinue learning from my YouTube ChannelGet in touch with Rob at [email protected]

Happy New Year! It’s that time of the year when I record one of the more popular episodes of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, So in this week’s episode, I'm sharing with you the top 15 tools that have helped me run my business more efficiently, get more organised, and provide a professional image to the world. I share with you which platforms I use to host webinars, manage my marketing campaigns, my email list, organise my calendar, and more. These tools have made my life so much easier and managing my business less stressful, so I hope you will find this useful. I’m curious to know which are your favourite tools and if they made a difference in your business? Time Stamp [0:55] #1 Go paperless with reMarkable 2 [2:32] #2 Kartra: all-in-one platform [4:57] #3 WebinarJam to host your webinars [5:53] #4 EverWebinar for on-demand webinars [7:33] #5 Master your email marketing with ConvertKit [8:50] #6 Amazing Marvin will make prioritising your days easier [11:04] #7 Zoom: the go-to for remote meetings [11:29] #8 Create screen recordings with Loom [13:05] #9 Finances made simple with Xero [13:47] #10 Don’t forget to upload your receipts on Dext [14:52] #11 Google Drive: my number 1 tool for document sharing [15:54] #12 Organise your most popular links with Toby [16:58] #13 Final Cut Pro takes your video editing skills to the next level [18:19] #14 Create professional-looking documents, social media posts and graphics on Canva [19:46] #15 vidIQ to improve and track your YouTube channel performance Quotations “A good tactic when you're running live webinars is to do them several times to refine them: improve the pacing and hone the content. When you've had the webinar live for a while and it's proven to work, then you can turn it into an on-demand webinar so that people can watch it at their leisure.” - Rob Da Costa “..my goal is to plan my day and make sure by the end of the day that every single thing is crossed off.” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links: You can download this episode as a guide by clicking hereIf you prefer watching rather than listening then visit my YouTube ChannelGet in touch with Rob at [email protected]

It's that time of the year again, where I stop, take a pause to look back on my year and evaluate what went well, what didn't go so well and what I have learned. So that’s the focus of today’s episode. In this episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I share all the things I did in my business that worked well, the not-so-good stuff and the key learnings. Based on these learnings, what am I going to do differently next year?.  I know you can listen to lots of gurus online who claim to have all the solutions and paint an amazing picture of themselves and their business. But I wanted to be really honest in sharing this: the things that I screwed up with, the money I spent on things that I shouldn't have, the things that I did well, and the plans I have for next year. Time Stamp [00:55] What went well for me in 2021? [4:00] The importance of assessing metrics [4:34] My 4-day working week [06:00] What didn't go so well for me in 2021? [07:50] Fixing my website! [08:44] The importance of having a strategy and plan before jumping into execution [09:25] What are my key learnings for the year? There are no shortcuts!Do your due diligence before you work with any suppliers Keep focused and avoid shiny objectsKeep a record of all your software subscriptions [11:23] What I am going to do differently in 2022 Launch a new websiteStreamlining and measuring my marketingFocus on YouTube content [14:00] Keep distractions at bay! [14:30] Use more batching [15:00] Keep focused and do less! Quotations “...there are no shortcuts. Every genuine, robust business development strategy delivers in the medium to long term, and so if you're looking for instant gratification, you're always going to be very disappointed...” - Rob Da Costa “...you need to keep focused, have a plan for the year as there are lots of shiny objects competing for your time and there are no quick fixes.” - Rob Da Costa “Remove all the distractions and keep focused on the task at hand.” - Rob Da Costa Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Rob Da Costa’s YouTube Channel The Self-Running AgencyThe Agency Selling SystemThe Build, Nurture, Convert BlueprintGet in touch with Rob at [email protected]

What are the latest trends in creating compelling and engaging content on Linkedin? In this week's episode of The Agency Accelerator Podcast, I’m joined by one of my repeat and popular guests, Tracy Burnett. Tracey is a LinkedIn marketing expert, who helps business owners generate more business using LinkedIn.  In this episode, Tracy shares the latest trends, ideas and tips in creating content strategies for LinkedIn.  Make sure to grab a pen and paper for note-taking because this will be another action-packed episode. Time Stamp [02:15] Is it worth switching to Creator mode? [03:11] The key ‘new things’ in using LinkedIn [04:41] Why has LinkedIn limited the number of connection requests you can make each week? [06:09] How to publish newsletters on LinkedIn (new function) [07:36] The four (4) pillars in creating content [09:48] Understanding how to make the algorithm work for you [14:01] The importance of getting debates in your posts [15:03] Why are hashtags important and how many should you use? [15:38] How to research your hashtags [17:09] Why you should create your own hashtag [19:12 How many times a week should you post on LinkedIn? [21:10] Are Pods worthwhile? [24:58] The importance of creating high-quality content rather than any old content! [26:11] How to create content that your audience cares about [26:53] Being authentic & human in your posts [32:19] Tracey’s advice to her younger self Quotations “...every single, robust, deliverable business development strategy takes time.” - Tracey Burnett “I think that asking yourself this question when you're writing a post of ‘Will my audience care about this?’ is actually a really good benchmark to decide whether it’s a good post or interesting.” - Rob Da Costa “Don't feel you need to be everywhere... Keep your marketing simple.” - Tracey Burnett Rate, Review, & Subscribe on Apple Podcasts “I enjoy listening to The Agency Accelerator Podcast. I always learn something from every episode.” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more people — just like you — move towards a Self-Running Agency. Scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, subscribe to the podcast. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not subscribed, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Subscribe now! Useful links mentioned in this episode: Tracey Burnett - LinkedIn #linkedinwithtraceyburnettEpisode 37: LinkedIn Learning - Interview with Tracey BurnettRob Da Costa’s YouTube Channel Get in touch with Rob at [email protected]