Agency Thinking

Note this is another AI-generated review of some of my written guides.

In this case, 2 separate guides that are linked but I'd never tried to synthesize them, until I used NotebookLM to do that.

AI does a pretty good job here IMHO and I got some interesting insights listening to the 'hosts' talk through my 2 guides.

(1. "Effective agency systems" - which focused on establishing efficient operational systems, encompassing processes, platforms, and people management within a digital agency.

2. "Avoiding The Pitfalls of launching new services" - which provided a roadmap for launching and growing successful digital services, highlighting common pitfalls and strategies for overcoming them.)

Agency Owner or Account Handler?

Let me know what you think!

This one-off episode of Agency Thinking brings NotebookLM's nascent abilities to bear on a review of one of my agency guides - 'Account growth for savvy Account Handlers'.

Created as a way of test-driving NotebookLM, it actually worked out to be a useful and engaging 'podcast' - have a listen.

Season 2 of Agency Thinking sees me talking to compadres who work WITH not IN agencies:

Peter runs FoundUs, a Headhunting and business strategy consultancy.

Season 2 of Agency Thinking sees me talking to compadres who work WITH not IN agencies:

Episode 5 features Dave Thackeray.

His new communications company Word And Mouth (wordandmouth.com) is working with clients on a pay-for-performance basis - and Dave is seeking agencies for no-risk project partnerships.“it's fundamental to my values. And how others can take a cue.”

Season 2 of Agency Thinking sees me talking to compadres who work WITH not IN agencies:

Episode 4: Sarah Knight runs Mind the Gap (https://www.mindthegap.academy/).

She is a qualified NLP practitioner utilising science-based techniques to develop skills, strengths and emotional intelligence to help people thrive in the workplace.

Sarah has spent the best part of the last 25 years working in businesses building teams, developing staff and helping people reach their potential.

Mind The Gap is her training academy providing a range of different training programmes suited to different levels of experience and expertise – from coaching-led leadership modules to up-skilling staff, business owners, freelance consultants and also helping in-house teams develop and learn.

Season 2 of Agency Thinking sees me talking to compadres who work WITH not IN agencies:

Guests include creative, planning, tech and pm specialists.

Episode 3:

Season 2 of Agency Thinking sees me talking to compadres who work WITH not IN agencies:

Guests include creative, planning, tech and pm specialists. 

It's about what the experience of working with an agency is like from the outside. The good stuff, the not so good, lessons learned, warts and all.

Gemma Teed has spent the last 20 years in dedicated planning/strategic roles working for and with northern agencies, including roles at Poulters, Brahm/Brass and Bloom/Jaywing as Head of Planning. 

Gemma is a long-term freelance working with agencies (and the occasional direct client) in Leeds, Manchester and London.

She is a Visiting Professional on Leeds Arts University's Creative Advertising degree course and deliverer of strategic thinking and creative brief writing training to agency account handlers.

Season 2 of Agency Thinking sees me talking to compadres who work WITH not IN agencies:

Guests include creative, planning, tech and pm specialists.

It's about what the experience of working with an agency is like from the outside, the good stuff, the not so good, lessons learned, warts and all.

Episode 1: Jim Woodhead from JAYWOOD,

Jim is a specialist in all things optimisation, analytics and fettling (Jim explains more as we chat). We talked about how agencies get the best from him, collaboration, agency confidence, account handler support and more.

More details about Jim's business can be found at http://jaywood.agency/

JAYWOOD: A digital marketing and content agency for brands with annoyingly complex audiences

You provide great services and offer an evidenced difference to your clients.. but how do you put a price on that? Mark walks Dave through some thoughts on how to price your services. Including the perennial agency world discussion around 'Value' versus time-based fees.

Dave had fairly fixed ideas on how to attract new business to his startup, which Mark (constructively!) challenges and lays out a workshop approach he uses, based on the Traction / Bullseye book from Gabriel Weinberg.