Chats with Chip

Just about every agency leader worries about where the next new client will come from and how to land that new business. Many aren't natural-born salespeople, so the process itself can be uncomfortable and even intimidating.

Jody Sutter brings decades of experience in agency business development to help owners and executives put in place programs and processes that generate revenue. In this episode of the Chats with Chip podcast, Jody shares some of the most common mistakes she sees agencies make and offers practical solutions listeners can implement in their own businesses.

When Sean Cassidy walked out of Tufts University in 1990, he graduated with a major in Cold War foreign policy -- just as the Soviet Union was about to dissolve. He hadn't aspired to a career in public relations, but it turned out he was a good writer and he caught the eye of a small agency owner.

Three decades later, Sean leads DKC, a prominent independent PR agency headquartered in New York. They recently rolled out a new tagline: "maximizing return on news." In this episode, he explains why he believes PR agencies should be news-driven organizations and what skills that requires.

He and Chip also explore the role of analytics, the benefits of spending time working in politics, and more.

When Blue Engine Message & Media and JDA Frontline merged in 2018, the firms decided they would rebrand under a new name to better capture the essence of the sum as greater than the parts. In this episode, Trevor Francis discusses the opportunities and challenges that the merger has presented.

In particular, Trevor talks about how the team settled on Seven Letter as the new name for the business, how the integration process has been going, and the unique aspects of bringing together two agencies with differing partisan leanings.

In this episode, Rachel Jacobs explains why case studies are critical to the scale and growth of agencies. Rachel, founder of Ecommerce Partnerships, reminds agency owners that their number one client is their own agency.

In this episode, we go Down Under for a deep dive into the business of WebSavvy, a Melbourne-based digital marketing agency founded by Mike Rhodes. He explains why he chose agency life over being a helicopter pilot, advice for fellow agency owners, effective team training, and much more.

Mike is also the founder of AgencySavvy, focused on education and training for agency owners. He is the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords with Perry Marshall and Bryan Todd.

One of the most striking parts of this conversation is just how much Mike is focused on improving his team and sharing knowledge throughout the agency community. He talks about an innovative professional development program he has for his own employees, as well as the work he is doing to help make other agency owners more successful.

Steve Parker, Jr. brings extensive digital marketing and business experience as CEO and co-founder of Levelwing. He is an industry leader, trendsetter, and occasional provocateur.

In this episode of Chats with Chip, Steve discusses his recent video Uncommon Transparency, and how internal and external transparency will benefit all agency relationships. He explores his own experiences and why he chose to produce a series of videos examining Levelwing's values.

The discussion will provide agency owners a lot of food for though in how they interact with clients and their own teams.

Karen Swim is a tireless advocate for solo agency owners. She is the president of the membership organization Solo PR Pro, founder of the PR and marketing agency Words For Hire, and co host of That Solo Life podcast.

On this episode of Chats with Chip, Karen breaks down how changes to the workforce and agency culture have allowed independents and micro agencies more freedom and flexibility than ever before. She also advises how having a financial plan and advances in technology can help smooth the path for solo agency owners.

In this episode of Chats with Chip, Matt Rizzetta, founder and CEO of N6A, discusses a new model he calls Outcome Relations, designed to provide measurable accountability to clients.

Matt explains the benefits of Outcome Relations, how the workforce has changed over his career, and how entrepreneurs need to make mistakes and innovate incrementally over time to be successful.

Doug Simon is an expert in producing video for agencies and brands in both broadcast and social media. In this episode of Chats with Chip, he addresses what the trends in both broadcast and social media mean for the future.

As CEO of the award-winning DS Simon Media, Doug has lengthy experience in getting clients' spokespeople on television news. By arranging satellite media tours, providing behind the scenes video coverage, and servicing social media video production, Doug gets his clients' positive stories out there.

Chuck Hester, longtime communications expert and author of Linking In to Pay It Forward, offers tips on how agency leaders can use LinkedIn effectively for business development, recruiting, and more.