In this episode, we speak with Sarah Calderon about management – specifically how to find, develop and nurture great managers. A great manager will make a tough job challenging and rewarding, and they’ll make a great job fantastic and transformational. But a bad manager will make a great job so-so, and they’ll make a tough job soul crushing. Join us as we discuss what makes good managers and how Google selects, trains and supports new managers in their role. Sarah Calderon, People...

In this episode we're delving into client relationships. Like any successful relationship, it's important to be engaged, responsive, seek to understand, follow-up and follow-through, deliver on commitments that you make, and when necessary steer into conflict in order to address issues and move forward. We speak with Anke Audenaert about how her approach evolved as she progressed in her career and moved from agency side to client side. Anke Audenaert, Digital Marketing Nanodegree lead at...

It happens all the time. You’re working and delivering services and in the course of business you come across a process, a system, a problem that you believe you can solve by building a little custom software. Soon enough, you’ve got it built and it's doing the job it’s supposed to do and you think... what if I sold this to another client? It’s not easy to make the transition from selling services to becoming a full-on product company. Many agencies have tried, but few succeed. So what is it...

You have the ideas, you've got the skills, you have the drive and you are pushing hard. But often times it’s a struggle to find and land clients, even when you are delivering quality work. So what is it that activates the lead generation machine? How do we achieve name recognition, or have the outbound processes in place to ignite lead generation? Join us as we speak to Cristian Ignat about successfully making this jump through a combination of promotion, hustle & hutzpah – in other...

The classic entrepreneur trajectory has long since been to get an idea, launch the business, get a client or two, and then grow, grow, grow. Somehow we’ve come to accept the notion that agency success is tied to size and that growth is therefore THE goal. But what if that isn’t the case? In this episode, we dive into the concept of the boutique agency and explore the benefits and drawbacks of this model. We speak with Aleyda Solis about her experiences in making it work, and how to manage...

As a leader within an agency, you should strive to be seen as the wise counsel for your client. That’s the person they will call to have in-depth conversations about their business, turn over ideas with and be a go-to source of guidance and advice. While being a wise counsel might sound good, the reality is often that we're so busy simply running the business that we often get time crunched. It’s hard to stay on top of the latest trends and be able to distill these succinctly to clients. So...

Understanding your customer's journey is vital to the success of your business. If you can map out the steps in how a customer engages with you, you should – in theory – be able to figure out where and how each step either enhances or diminishes their propensity to engage further. Sounds simple, right? The reality is a lot more complex: multiple channels, multiple devices, organic growth and the ever present human fallibility in delivering a consistent experience, it all takes its toll. ...

In this episode, we talk to Lisa Stern Haynes, a longtime member of the recruiting team at Google, about how Google does staffing. Hiring (and keeping) exceptional talent is never easy, but there are ways to structure how you screen, interview, and assess candidates to help you make better decisions. Lisa offers 5 tips that any organization can adopt to make for better hiring: 1. Be consistent and open mind when reviewing resumes 2. You’re probably not as good at interviewing as you think...

In the second episode of this two-part podcast, we explore the interests, concerns and challenges of the modern day CMO. An agency’s relationship with the CMO is at the very heart of the agency / client dynamic. Since all business is fundamentally about relationships, putting yourself in the shoes of the other person is key. Join us as we take a peek behind the curtain and view the world from the other side of the table. Get ready to empathize with, and understand the motivations and...

In this episode, we're looking right at the center of the agency / client relationship. Business is all about relationships, and as with any relationship, it’s necessary to put yourself in the shoes of the other person and really understand what their motivations, needs and concerns are. Join us as we explore and understand a little more about the CMO. What are the issues they’re facing, what do they care about and what do they need?

In this episode, we bring a laser sharp focus on the startup phase of the agency growth curve by asking the question: what is the anatomy of an ideal startup? Today, entrepreneurship and the startup culture seems to be totally mythologized. But the reality is that it’s not easy, it’s not always fun, and it is almost always super risky. But it can also be incredibly rewarding. We spoke to Dennis Mortensen to get his strategically tactical advice on how to navigate the rollercoaster ride that...

There’s something about saying “no”, particularly in a work context, that always seems, well... just difficult. Whether it’s saying no to a colleague when they need your help, to a direct report that makes an ask that you can’t agree to, or to a supervisor when they ask you to do something that you don’t believe is a priority (for you or the business). In this episode, learn how to use "no" as an effective tool to drive towards outcomes, to help re-prioritize projects and to get others to...

One of the most important, and yet supremely difficult things for any company to do is establish and nurture a culture that promotes and encourages innovation. While we often take our cues from larger companies that have linked their brands to the idea of innovation, it can be a trickier problem for many small and mid-sized agencies to tackle. In this episode, we look at how to make sure that innovation (in approach, processes, technology, culture, etc.) remain a part of the business ethic...

In this episode, we take a look at the question -- how can I get my agency to stand out from all the other “me too” digital marketers? In a crowded marketplace how you communicate the value of your products and services is ever more important. Alex and Ben will give you insight into how to be different from your competition. Ben Tyson, Global Live Training Lead, Google With an extensive background in sales (including AD of Sales and Account Management for a major production company), Ben is...

The role of delivery is clear: it must earn sales the right to ask for more business. This means it must deliver to scope, to budget and on time, in others words, with excellence. How can you set yourself up to make delivery with excellence the norm and not the exception? Robbin Steif - Founder and CEO of Lunametrics Lunametrics is a Pittsburgh PA based Digital Marketing and Analytics/Insights agency and a Google Premier Partner. Like many entrepreneurs, Robbin has been an overachiever from...

What does your brand stand for? That’s a question that more and more consumers want to know the answer to. In this episode we’ll be digging deep on discovering that one true ‘thing’ that defines your work. Alex and Ben will teach us how to communicate your core values and deliver on the promises you make. Guest - Ben Roth, Chief Creative Officer, MKTG Ben began his career as a designer and art director with stops at the IBM, the Ad Agency and Octagon before being named Executive Creative...

Being effortless in the art of self-promotion: a beginner's guide Your career is in part tied to how well you share your accomplishments. Being able to do so in an artful, non-boastful, but honest way is what often sets those who get noticed apart from those who don't. This is one of the most important personal skills to develop. We'll discuss the what to do's, the how to do's and the what not to do's, both from the perspective of the individual and their colleagues. Guest - Annette...

Clients: The good, the bad and the ugly There are those clients we love and those we tolerate. And then there are those that can be characterized as... challenging. But there’s an art to building a client management plan, and it’s something anyone can learn. In this episode, we’ll guide you through the client management trinity and teach you how to balance communication and expectations. Guest - Andrew Swinand, CEO Leo Burnett North America Andrew started his career at advertising agency...

A lead is someone who shows interest in your business and gives you their details, while a prospect is someone who, based on research and qualification, is ready to make a purchase. Converting either into sales doesn't require magic, just good old-fashioned hard work. We'll share best practices on how to do exactly that. Guest - Guillaume Bouchard, CEO iProspect Canada Guillaume drives the vision of iProspect Canada, a leading digital performance agency. He ensures the evolution of...