Conversations That Grow

How can a digital agency stay relevant in the age of Artificial Intelligence?

Andrew Armitage, a digital marketing expert, award-winning agency founder, and bestselling author joins Matt for this episode to share his insights on  staying competitive as a digital agency to provide value to clients. Tune in to discover valuable insights on running and growing your business in this age of AI.

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Andrew had a fascination for tech since he was a teenager, and had an entrepreneurial streak in the family. He combined his creative skills with his corporate experience to start his own digital agency in 2006. With hard work, dedication and an understanding of the complexities of development, he has been able to build it into a multi award-winning company.
• Andrew discusses the challenges of running a digital agency in the age of AI, such as recruitment, lost pitches, adapting to technology, and dealing with feast-and-famine cycles. He also emphasizes the importance of attitude and aptitude when recruiting and maintaining discipline in order to succeed.
• In the digital marketing industry, staying ahead of the curve is a challenge in the age of AI. Andrew suggests that digital marketers need to use AI for more menial tasks, but also be aware of its risks and lack of context. He urges people to develop both technical and soft skills, as well as focus on developing relationships with clients in order to succeed.
• Andrew discusses the importance of holistic website planning to avoid wastage and ensure digital properties are sustainable, iterative and have longevity. He also explains why he wrote a bestselling book on the topic, which serves as a useful tool for clients when meeting prospects.
• Andrew finds balance in his life by taking part in activities such as biking, walking, running, and spending time with his family. These activities provide him with an escape from the busyness of life, allowing him to recharge and reflect on his goals and direction.
• Andrew plans to continue to grow his digital agency by focusing on providing great work for good clients and creating a good environment for his team, while staying a team of 10-12 members at most.

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ABOUT ANDREW

Andrew Armitage is a digital marketing expert, award-winning agency founder, and bestselling author with over 20 years' experience in the industry. As the founder and director of A Digital, he oversees a talented team of eight and has built bespoke websites and applications for top companies like ExxonMobil, the NHS, Windermere Lake Cruises, and James Cropper plc.

Andrew's bestselling book, "Holistic Website Planning," offers actionable insights and strategies for businesses looking to gain a competitive edge through digital marketing. He also hosts The Clientside Podcast, where he shares insights from senior digital leaders on the impact of digital on people, culture, and performance.

Outside of work, Andrew loves exploring the beautiful Lake District on foot or by bike. His passion for helping businesses succeed through digital marketing is matched only by his love for the great outdoors.

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

Success as an entrepreneur doesn't come easy. You have to be able to balance work and life while juggling a million other things. But it is achievable.

Join us for this episode of Push To Be More where Jim Martin from Align Digital shares the valuable lessons he's learnt while trying to find the elusive work-life balance and becoming a successful entrepreneur.

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Jim found it difficult to work as a marketer in Argentina, so he resorted to his family's book publishing business. After some time working there, Jim and his wife moved to New Zealand where he had to start from the bottom again.
• After arriving in New Zealand, Jim was surprised by the amount of days off given to employees. With time he adapted well to the Kiwi lifestyle such that he can no longer imagine returning to a life with excessive working hours and no holidays.
• He switched from agency life to an entrepreneurial life, as he could better manage his time and work on his terms. He has learned to check his ambitions and set achievable milestones.
• Jim started his own business, Align Digital with partners he knew from the agency. However, when agencies weren't paying for their services and relationships between partners became strained, he dissolved the partnership and relaunched his company. To compete more effectively, he decided to build a team and expand his services.
• Jim emphasizes that there is no one "magic bullet" to competing with younger individuals in the industry. Consistency is key--bringing a patient and long-term mindset can lead to success.
• Jim regularly sets aside time for his family and friends. He also tries to spend special quality time with each of his kids. He has found that structuring his life around these regular activities gives him the sense of balance he needs.

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ABOUT JIM

Jim is a Communication Sciences graduate from Argentina who has found his passion for marketing and moved to New Zealand in search of the illusive work-life balance. He kickstarted his career at ACG Education, playing a role in growing the company to was later sold for 500M NZD. After this success, he moved on to an international marketing agency where he led a team of 16 and achieved remarkable growth. Jim then founded Align Digital, a consultancy that helps SMEs optimize customer journeys and conversions. Align Digital has assessed over 1000 sites and created 500 landing pages to date, and is now launching a new startup called 'Conversion Club' to train marketing teams.

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

Depression. A lot of people suffer from it in silence and feel like they're the only ones going through it. But that's not true. 

Darren Bennett from Fortem Property joins Matt in this episode to share about his journey of dealing with depression and finding success in the property business amid the current economic climate.

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Darren has found having a long-term therapist or mentor to be a huge help in dealing with his struggles with mental health. Breaking down goals into achievable targets helps provide positivity.
• Therapists can help condition the mind in the same way physical exercise conditions the body. There is a stigma around males seeking help, but it is important for men to reach out for assistance.
• Brexit brought an opportunity in the form of devaluation of British sterling, however mortgage rates have since increased. To deal with the situation, Darren switched his business model to focus more on property management for residual income and stability.
• There is a lot of money circulating in the system currently due to Government support, which may influence property prices. Darren predicts that interest rates will come down, but not to the levels they were before.
• Darren loves to travel and recommends traveling and living abroad to those who can work remotely. He also exercises regularly to keep fit.

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ABOUT DARREN

Darren is an entrepreneur with itchy feet and loves to travel. He co-founded the Fortem Property with Omar and has been supporting international clients in the UK real estate market since 2012. He’s worked with a host of developers, landlords and investment agencies, and this experience has given him an excellent, all-round understanding of how to achieve success with property. He and Omar formed the business resolving to offer clients something new and different: better opportunities in the market, greater accountability and responsiveness, and ready access to genuine, honest advice.

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

It seems like everywhere we look these days people are trying to do more and be more. But more isn't always better and it isn't about how much you're doing but its about delivering quality, the value you are adding, and being able to enjoy the things that matter most in life. 

Tune in to this week's episode where Ross Hetherington from Snapify Marketing shares about his journey of finding the job that he enjoys doing, the challenges he's had to face and the lessons he's learnt along the way.

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Ross left his first job in marketing to launch Snapify, a Snapchat marketing agency as it was a great opportunity for businesses to reach younger demographics. The agency created filters for bars, clubs, restaurants, festivals and other businesses that would only show up within a certain radius.
• When deciding on a social media strategy, Ross says it is important to focus on one or two channels and do them well rather than trying to be everywhere at once. Businesses should choose their focus platform depending on their target audience.
• LinkedIn is a powerful platform that should be taken seriously by businesses. Personal profiles on LinkedIn are more effective than company pages at the moment. Ross suggests focussing on building connections with relevant target audiences, rather than emphasizing quantity.
• Ross faced personal challenges when navigating university and post-university life. He found it difficult to decide between going the same route as everyone else or something different. He took on different roles to identify what he did not like in order to narrow down his focus.
• Ross has found that attitude is more important than aptitude when hiring new staff. Learning from mistakes is an important part of the process. He says that people who are keen to learn and question things, even without experience, can make great hires.
• As an introvert, Ross needs time away from work to recharge and focuses on activities such as taking a walk, meditating, reading and journaling. He loves playing and watching football as well.

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ABOUT ROSS

Ross is the founder and CEO of Snapify Marketing which is a Digital Marketing Agency in Liverpool that helps clients all over the world to sell more products, get more leads, sell out events & find their audience online. Before setting off on his own adventures, Ross worked in a large agency helping clients dominate Google. Now, he finds himself expecting his first child, building his first home office and cot, both major DIY projects and is an avid LFC fan and like many of us is struggling with his LFC identity this season.

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

A lot of people never reach their potential because they don't know how to find that leader inside them. In today's episode of Push To Be More, Erin Meads shares her secrets to discovering her superpowers and becoming the best possible version of herself.

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Erin regrets that children today have less freedom and innocence than she did in her childhood. She is mindful to create an environment for her own child that isn't based on fear so they can grow up feeling secure and lead a successful adult life.
• Erin has recently begun to understand the importance of understanding her strengths, blind spots, and internal motivations. She always had an inquisitive nature as a kid and it has been reignited in recent years. Her questioning helps her create solutions for long-term cures instead of quick fixes or bandaids.
• Erin took tests such as Myers Briggs and HBDI to gain insight into her strengths. She encourages people to look at these results with an open mind in order to understand how they affect them personally. As a leader, she emphasizes the importance of talking about self-awareness on a daily basis in order to support each other within teams or groups.
• Erin shares an example of coaching a nurse who was making decisions based on fear instead of what she wanted to move towards positively. She suggested that companies should focus on leading with positive actions towards desired outcomes instead of trying to avoid negative ones.
• To recharge her batteries Erin does Pilates which allows her to switch off from technology for some time; getting out in nature also helps with this process. As well as these activities Erin uses an app to help turn the brain off at night and listens to podcasts or meditates.

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ABOUT ERIN

Erin has spent over 20 years working in Healthcare. Spending her first few years working as a Registered Nurse travelling across New Zealand and Australia, the ‘itch’ to make a greater impact for people’s experiences in health care led her down the path of working in leadership roles from her mid 20’s… humbling, challenging and rewarding!

In recent years, after a few surprising life events, Erin has been on a journey to really understand who she is. This has enabled her to further expand her skills and lean into her superpowers for how she best leads and supports teams and individuals in their workplaces.

Erin thrives on supporting organisations, individuals and teams through change and creating opportunities where others may see obstacles. Having years of experience leading and working across multiple organisations in Healthcare, Erin has had to navigate many ‘glass walls’ to continue her pursuit of achieving impactful results that focuses on ‘the cure not the band aid’.

Erin is also a wife, mother to a very special little boy and step mum. She loves a great coffee, pilates and is hugely passionate about all things sunscreen!

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

We sometimes think that living a life of legacy means becoming famous or wealthy, but that's not always the case. In fact, there are many ways to leave a lasting impact on the world.

Chandra Selvadurai joins Matt in today's episode of Push To Be More to talk about the challenges he's had to face in life (including a few near death experiences) and how they've given him a constant motivation and push to make every moment count and leave a legacy behind!

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Chandra was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and moved to the UK, then Australia before settling in New Zealand. He met his wife Amanda on a blind date while living in New Zealand and they will celebrate their 30th anniversary next year. They have two grown children - Logan and Anjuli.
• A key challenge came in 2019 when Chandra collapsed on a train from Manchester to London. He was lucky enough that two young doctors heard the call from the guard and got him off at Milton Keynes where he was able to recover before returning home safely after being deemed "incompatible with life" by medical professionals.
• Chandra experienced a near death experience at the age of six when he fell into a large drain in Malaysia. An orthopedic surgeon said they had to amputate his right leg or else he would die. A friend of their family, who was also an orthopedic surgeon, heard about this and offered to help them instead. He saved Chandra's life. This gave him motivation to push himself forward as well as encouragement from his parents: never give up, always move forward, be good people.
• Chandra draws energy from interactions with people and strives for a situation where both parties are better off. He believes in spending time with those who have the same energy and says that life is too short to not enjoy what you do, or interact with people who don't mean something special to him.
• Chandra believes that organic growth, leveraging existing partnerships and relationships, looking for new types of businesses to bring on board and pursuing growth by acquisition are the four elements necessary for successful growth. He is also motivated by leaving a legacy through his work which will live on in the hearts of people he works with as well as those who come after him.

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ABOUT CHANDRA

Chandra is a seasoned business executive with a strong background in international pharma and MedTech businesses. He is the MD of Pharmaco - a company that is here to improve lives by delivering exceptional healthcare products which make a profound difference to people’s health and well-being.

Chandra is known for strategic thinking combined with a tactical approach to drive business results, as well as team motivation, collaboration and communication skills at all levels of the organization - and if that's not enough - he is just a top bloke, has a beautiful family and loves to drive old Jags...what's there not to love about him?!

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

A lot of people seem to think that in order to be successful, they have to give up all other aspects of their life, but that's not true. In fact, finding balance is one of the most important things you can do if you want to grow a successful business.

Join us for a brand new episode where Brendon Macdonald from Digital Smile Design talks about his journey, the lessons he learnt as an entrepreneur and how it helped him grow and be successful in life.

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Brendon & his wife started their business over 10 years ago when a large publishing company left Europe after the 2008 crash. They started to sell advertising for their magazine and eventually bought out the other partners in the dental publication. As digital media became more popular they decided to start Yello Veedub as a social media marketing agency with 50+ dental clients including DSD who later bought their agency.
• Brendon talks about the challenges he faced when he went from having his own agency and making all the decisions himself to working for DSD as an employee.
• Brendon experienced an identity crisis with his business, Yello Veedub. He was constantly in a fight for survival and had no time to reflect or grow as an individual. After the sale of Yello Veedub, Brendon began focusing on four main pillars: balance, being, business and body.
• There are three key areas to meaningful growth: autonomy, mastery and purpose. Brendon realized he was holding his team back by providing all the answers himself instead of allowing them autonomy and self-discovery. Becoming a coach was one of the biggest learning moments for him - working on the business rather than just within it had huge impacts on both his own productivity and morale within his organization.
• Brendon suggests focusing on balance in order to maximize business performance. He recommends listing activities that are classified as working in the business and assigning a percentage of time towards them. He also emphasizes building processes, delegating tasks, and creating autonomy within the team to free up more time for long-term planning.
• People are always looking to move up and have more success, defined however they see fit. This can be a difficult mindset to break out of, but it is possible. Brendon has gone through many changes in the past few years and shares that it was difficult at first because he had to get used to not being in charge all the time. He has since learned how to better communicate with those around him and present his ideas in a way that is more effective.

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ABOUT BRENDON

Brendon is an astute problem solver who strives for excellence and executes plans with care and determination. He inspires others with his discerning nature and conscientious, measured approach.

Brendon Macdonald is Sales & Marketing Director at Digital Smile Design (DSD) where he took this position when DSD acquired Yello Veedub, his Sales & Marketing Agency in 2018. Yello Veedub, a Full Service Sales & Marketing Agency in 2015, specializing in the dental market. Before this he was involved in several social media consulting and e-commerce businesses focusing and specialising in the global health sector.

Brendon has extensive experience in brand & online digital strategies in the B2B & B2C healthcare & e-commerce sectors. He has a Bachelor of Economics from Rhodes University (2003) and worked in investment banking for a number of years before starting his own businesses in the retail sector before his last venture with Yello Veedub.

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

A lot of people might think that when you go through something like cancer, your life is over. But that's not true. 

In this podcast episode, Jayne Moore shares the lessons she learnt as she became more and more resilient in personal life as well as in business even after a second cancer diagnosis. From leading without getting paid, to dealing with conflict, Jayne has a wealth of experience to share which you would not want to miss out on.

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Jayne began her career in administration and retail before moving to London. She was offered a job at Harrods, where she learned about people from all walks of life, including celebrities such as Princess Diana and Joan Collins. She was then headhunted by Lancaster for an ambitious role with the company that required her to move to Birmingham. That is where she met her future husband.
• Jayne had a short stint in radio, which led to her running a small local station called KCI. She lost her voice on the first day of work and was eventually diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. She talks about how being the youngest in a family of six, she lacked confidence and always thought she needed someone else's help to succeed. But Karren Brady inspired and challenged her to realize her true potential.
• Jayne believes that if you need to use someone's skills, they need to be paid for it. She does not like using students as volunteers to grow her business. She is proud of the Kickstart scheme which has enabled 80% of participants to consider full-time employment. Her husband being ex-military inspired her to build a support system around those transitioning out of the military into civilian life.
• Jayne talks about how they recruit people. She says that they do not encourage a CV because it doesn't help create diversity and inclusion. Instead they want applicants to sent them a video or animation and express themselves in ways that a CV cannot capture. Additionally, speaking on the phone is encouraged since it shows one's ability to communicate effectively which is important when working with clients or influencers.
• Jayne shares her struggles with cancer and menopause and how her team helped her take some time away and get through the tough times. She found strength in the idea that pain is growth, likening it to how lobsters grow by getting uncomfortable before breaking out of their shells into something new.

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ABOUT JAYNE

Jayne Moore is the founder and Chief Executive of Jayne Moore Media Group. She is a successful award-winning entrepreneur and business leader.

Jayne established Moore Media in 2011 and has developed it from a traditional public relations consultancy into a full multi-media communications agency, and this has equipped her to deliver the full breadth of PR, social media, and branding needs of clients in the digital age. 

During lockdown 2020, Jayne developed I Am Moore to be a government gateway for the Kickstart scheme, successfully placing almost 300 young people into employment.

In addition to this, Jayne launched My Odd Job Guys, a handy person service working to place Ex-forces and blue light personnel into work and generating work placements for young people who have been affected by unemployment and homelessness. 

Jayne is passionate about ensuring that challenging topics are communicated effectively. As a former magazine editor, she has an expert rep in reputation management and crisis management. She also gives her time to lead a number of organizations outside of work. 

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

For most people, failure can be quite discouraging but failure is only a stepping stone to success. With the right attitude, you can achieve anything you want in life.

Tune in to this episode of Push to Be More where Ryan Flannagan from Nuanced Media shares his incredible journey of delivering pizza with an MBA to conquering Amazon!

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• Ryan talks about how he coped with failure at the start of his entrepreneurial journey. He recommends focusing on what you can control, understanding that things happen for a reason, and getting up every day to keep moving forward. He also talks about how important it is to have a win-win mindset when it comes to business relationships.
• Matt and Ryan discuss the idea that going through tough times makes a person stronger, how taking risks is a part of being an entrepreneur, and staying true to your morals is important, especially when things are tough.
• Experience is a highly valuable asset in business. Knowing what not to do is as crucial as knowing what to do, as is focusing on the things that will make you money, rather than wasting time on things that won't.
• Ryan talks about his major goals in life - to provide value, be financially independent, stay physically healthy, and be a great husband/father/citizen.
• Ryan believes that exercising for at least 30 minutes a day is key to resetting your metabolism and being the best version of yourself. Meditation and focusing on his goals are also important elements of self-care for him. He believes in the power of affirmation, or taking time to appreciate what you do have in your life.

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ABOUT RYAN

Ryan is the CEO of Nuanced Media, and has spent more than fifteen years in eCommerce, multi-channel digital marketing, and third-party marketing places. He has worked with hundreds of companies to establish best practices, focusing on the 20 per cent that produces 80 per cent of the revenue.

Ryan is a passionate thought leader in the eCommerce industry. He has been interviewed and quoted by Buzz Feed, Modern Retail, as well as many other news outlets - including the eCommerce Podcast.

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.

David Perry is a firm believer that the ability to relate in conversation on a whole host of different topics will create opportunities for meaningful connections that can help you grow your business. 

Join us for this episode of Push to be More as he shares his thoughts on leadership, how he deals with challenges and the importance of learning something about everything and everything about something!

Here's some of the great stuff that we cover in this show:

• David moved to England in the early 1990s. He got involved with the game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which was a huge success and led to Playmates Toys funding his own video game company, Shiny Entertainment. From there, he went on to have an incredibly successful career in video games, e-commerce businesses, and more - all thanks to taking advantage of opportunities as they arose.
• David discusses the idea of levelling up. In a video game, every little thing you do progresses you towards the next level. This keeps people playing. In life too, sometimes people get stuck and don't move forward If they don't know what the next stage is, or can't see themselves getting closer to a goal.
• According to David, titles are not important in a company. He talks about how to use the idea of levelling up in leadership by finding 10Xers (talented people who just work it out) and hiring those who think outside the box.
• David talks about the importance of continuous growth and learning new things, even if they don't seem immediately relevant. He recounts a story of how he got free servers for his startup by cold-calling companies from Wikipedia and how such attitude gets things done.
• Learning something about everything and everything about something is a philosophy David consciously adopted which has led him to some amazing opportunities in his life.

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ABOUT DAVE

David Perry is an innovative leader in the gaming industry whose technology has shaped how we see gaming today and in the future. His work with Gaikai led to Sony PlayStation acquiring his company to establish itself in streaming video games from the cloud - PlayStation Now.

David now finds himself as the CEO of Carro, a partnership e-commerce network designed for Shopify brands. By teaming up with other companies in the same space, over 30,000 brands using Carro are able to improve brand recognition, sales volume and acquire new customers.

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For complete show notes, transcript and links to our guest, check out our website: www.pushtobemore.com.