Chats with Chip

Most agency owners didn't go to school to learn about business management and financial reporting. For many, it is a necessary evil that comes along with being able to do the creative work that they enjoy. In this episode of Chats with Chip, Jon Morris of Ramsay Innovations shares his perspective as a former agency owner turned agency financial advisor. He explains the key reports that agencies should be paying attention to, as well as why they matter to the future success of the business. Rather than treating finance as something that must be done, Chip and Jon discuss why agency owners should turn to the numbers for meaningful advice on the business decisions that they make every day — from defining an ideal client to plotting the path to expansion.

Many agency employees find themselves feeling overworked today. A combination of a shortage of available talent coupled with increasing client demand can make for a difficult time getting projects done on-time and on-budget. Galen Low, co-founder of Digital Project Manager, joined Chip on this episode to talk about how agencies can improve their project management skills to improve the results that they produce for clients while also contributing to the agency's bottom line. Galen offers practical advice for the processes, software, and staffing needed to produce the desired results. He offers concrete examples of what he has seen work — as well as what hasn't — in a wide range of agency environments.

When we last visited with Carl Smith, his Bureau of Digital was just beginning a substantial forced transformation. The world was shutting down, and as an events-focused business, the Bureau was facing tough times. Two years later, the Bureau of Digital has transformed itself, building a substantial membership base and producing a variety of virtual, hybrid, and in-person events for the agency community. In this episode of Chats with Chip, Carl describes the journey and talks about what has worked — and what hasn't. He also peers into his crystal ball to share a bit about what the future looks like — both for events and the digital agency community itself.

In this episode of Chats with Chip, Jessica Phillips, CEO/Founder of The Social Standard, and that agency's Chief Revenue Officer, Dylan Conroy, discuss their approach to growing the business. The conversation focuses on the journey from founding through the pandemic and into the future. Many agency owners think about having someone dedicated to business development in their small agency, but fewer have done it successfully. This episode takes a look at why Jessica and Dylan believe it has worked well in their case and what lessons it might provide for others.

Miles Everson of MBO Partners joins Chip Griffin of the Small Agency Growth Alliance (SAGA) to talk about the challenges that agencies are facing in this new era of work -- and how they can find success while mitigating risks.

Chris Hervochon, a CPA with extensive experience working with small agencies, shares his advice on how to manage your business more effectively by understanding and using your financial reports.

In this episode of Chats with Chip, Samantha Deeks of PRgloo talks about finding and reaching out to influencers and journalists who can help your agency's clients.

Samantha explains why she founded PRgloo and looks at the journey they have taken. She also takes a look into the future — both of her product and the industry.

Annelise Worn joins Chip on this episode to talk about how she has built a business that meets her unique needs and allows her to maintain a passion for what she does.

She took her agency and created a whole new source of revenue to complement the traditional business.

Annelise takes you along on the path that she followed — and why she made the choices that she did.

If you have ever thought about how to create new revenue streams for your own agency business, you will find a lot to learn from Annelise.