Creative Agency Success Show

 “AI can be used to automate tasks that originally took people a lot of time to do. If you're a small business and you're growing quickly, you're probably going to be able to use automation to really hypercharge your growth. However, you have to know how to do it and implement it properly; if you're really focused on that, you can really get some good productivity going." - Shanif Dhanani

The finer details of this episode:

• Ethical concerns and misconceptions about AI
• Benefits of AI, such as automation and consistent performance
• Potential of AI tools in improving productivity, efficiency, and automation 
• Advice on getting started with AI for business owners

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – https://www.summitcpa.net/
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• This Quiz Will Tell You What Financial Help Your Business Needs: https://rxkebp5191f.typeform.com/summitquiz?typeform-source=statics.teams.cdn.office.net
• https://www.locusive.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanifdhanani/

"We want to provide the most value that we can in our clients' lives, in the impact that we're trying to make, and the legacy we're trying to leave." -  Crista Grasso

The finer details of this episode:

• Finding the right support and leadership for successful scaling
• Mindset shifts for business owners as they grow their businesses
• Importance of systems and processes in managing a growing business

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – https://www.summitcpa.net/
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• This Quiz Will Tell You What Financial Help Your Business Needs: https://rxkebp5191f.typeform.com/summitquiz?typeform-source=statics.teams.cdn.office.net
• https://www.leanoutmethod.com/

“Let's build a strategy based on document systems. Let's build a culture that actually wants to do this and be a part of this to make a company of continuous improvement. And then let's just give them the tools to do it.” - Josh Fonger

The finer details of this episode:

• Building a system that allows for flexibility and creativity while maintaining consistency
• The continuous process of system documentation and how systems can keep evolving and improving over time
• Exploration of how a creative agency implemented design guidelines and systemized their work process to save time, money, and deliver better designs
• Benefits of narrowing down and focusing on specific industries for design agencies

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – https://www.summitcpa.net/
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• This Quiz Will Tell You What Financial Help Your Business Needs! 
• https://wtsenterprises.com/
• Josh Fonger | LinkedIn

"Being positioned well within an industry can be really powerful. If you're good at helping the client understand that you've done this before and you understand their issues, it can be a really easy sell once you get to that point." -Logan Hoffman

The finer details of this episode:

• The importance of niching and verticals: Benefits of specializing in a specific industry and how it can lead to more efficient work and higher perceived value
• Different ways to find a niche: Bringing experience to the table, organic discovery, and intentional building of expertise
• Advice on entering new industries: Exploring strategies for entering new industries, including documenting past successes and intentional pursuit of projects in specific spaces

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – https://www.summitcpa.net/
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• This Quiz Will Tell You What Financial Help Your Business Needs! 
• https://www.madcollective.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/logan-hoffman-60b75a40/

"The idea of change is the primal force. It's the end that we're all looking for in terms of storylines. We want to see things change, improve, and grow; we want to have a change of mind. That is a kind of change that happens inside people's hearts and minds."  

- Jeff Bartch

The finer details of this episode:

• The concept of "and, but, therefore" – gateway to any kind of story structure
• Exploration of the shift in accounting toward translating numbers into actionable insights and the importance of communicating the meaning behind the numbers
• The importance of understanding the client's perspective

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – https://www.summitcpa.net/
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• This Quiz Will Tell You What Financial Help Your Business Needs! 
• Story Greenlight with Jeff Bartsch
• Jeff Bartsch | LinkedIn

 "We have real responsibilities not just to ourselves but to people and to our clients who are increasingly reliant on the work that we do." - Todd Nienkerk 

The finer details of this episode:

• Adoption of brand guidelines and templates within the team
•  Rebranding process of Four Kitchens, including working with a branding agency and defining company values
• Impact of rebranding on external and internal communications

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – https://www.summitcpa.net/
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• Four Kitchens - Websites made with love. For good.
• Todd Ross Nienkerk | LinkedIn

Episode Notes:

“Synchronous time is not always used wisely and people are really having meeting fatigue or feeling like they're not productive in meetings.” - Laïla von Alvensleben

The finer details of this episode:

• The benefits of asynchronous communication in distributed teams
• Utilizing asynchronous communication to manage workload and availability
• Overcoming pushback against asynchronous communication

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• lailavon

*Laïla is no longer working at Mural.

"Everyone's hungry’ everybody is out there trying to catch those leads. We've seen a ton of RFPs go out recently, and one thing we're seeing is that a lot of clients are not going right back with the incumbent. We've been invited to a lot of dances where the incumbents weren't part of the equation or were eliminated quickly because they're looking for new blood. So that really tells you that the RFP process is going to become more and more competitive." - Lauren Minors

The finer details of this episode:

• The slow pipeline and increased competition
•  Retaining clients vs attracting new ones
• Tracking success in RFPs and client feedback 

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• Home (reasononeinc.com)
• Lauren Minors | LinkedIn

"Building a solid cash cushion is super important to any successful business and to any marketing firm out there." - David C. Baker

The finer details of this episode:

• Different approaches to financial management
• The importance of financial planning and forecasting 
• Building a solid cash cushion 

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• Business Insight for Expert Marketing Firms (davidcbaker.com)
• David C. Baker | LinkedIn

"We focus not only on what a project manager would think, but how we can give that project manager a wider-angle view that they'd have if they were a COO, CEO, or CFO, so that when they're making decisions closer to the business, they're doing it with the perspective that's outside of their point of view. Because, overall, I believe that forecasting as a team is going to change your business." Tom O’Neill 

The finer details of this episode:

• The importance of a wider-angle view
• Defining a methodology for consistent delivery of productized services, rather than micromanaging down to every single task
• The need for agencies to shift from a reactive approach to a more proactive and planful approach in forecasting and resource planning

Episode resources:

• Summit Virtual CFO by Anders website – summitcpa.net
• Email us with questions or if you’d like to be a guest on the show – [email protected]
• Capacity & Resource Planning Software | Parallax (getparallax.com)