No BS Agency Podcast

A lot of small agency owners learned how to structure and run their businesses from the agencies they’ve worked at in the past.

But what if everyone's doing it in an inefficient, ineffective way? 

That’s the conclusion I came to when we found ourselves deep in debt after following the default way things were done. 

Now after over a decade of doing it the No BS way and teaching that method to hundreds of people, we've developed our own way of doing almost everything, and it's far from the default of proposals and pitch decks.

This month, I’m talking about some common things that we all have to do as agency owners, and the very different way that we do it inside No BS.

In this episode, I talk about the difference between the traditional retainers model and the No BS way of doing retainers.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How traditional retainers give small agency owners a false sense of financial security
• Why retainers are so prone to creating burnout for agency owners
• Three rules for handling retainers the No BS way

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

I am a long-time user and proponent of Squarespace for client projects and we’ve used them exclusively for over a decade.

In this episode, I chat with Jeremy Schwartz, Squarespace’s Director of Channel Partner Business, about what makes Squarespace such a powerful tool for creatives and designers and how it can help you build your business.

Jeremy Schwartz is a business leader and Squarespace veteran who conceived, launched, and now manages their channel partner business. When he's not helping creative professionals build sustainable businesses, Jeremy spends his time practicing hot yoga, coparenting his three kids, and getting the most out of living in Brooklyn.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why there will always be a market for professional creatives on Squarespace
• How Squarespace helps small businesses create streamlined processes for sustainable success
• How the Circle community forums have grown to encompass much more than technical questions

Register for Circle Day 2024:

• Squarespace Circle Day 2024: http://circleday.squarespace.com/nobs

Today, I’m excited to share a conversation with someone who has been on an absolute rocket ship ride inside No BS Agencies Mastery.

Kris Byers has transformed his business and achieved phenomenal results and become a real leader and inspiration in our community.

So I wanted to talk to him about what exactly he did, how his process changed, and how he’s successfully applying the No BS philosophy to even larger clients with big projects.

Kris Byers is the owner and designer of Horrible Brands, where they use design, strategy, and technology to remove all the horrible things that are holding business owners back, helping them achieve their potential and create a legacy of positivity and progress.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• What led Kris to feeling burned out and frustrated
• How he built the confidence to trust his business and his pipeline
• How an efficient process and transparent pricing is allowing Kris to land clients even huge agencies want
• How Kris applies the No BS principles to large jobs with multiple stakeholders
• How Kris rebranded his own business and developed his niche based on personality and mindset

Learn more about Kris Byers:

• Horrible Brands
• Connect on LinkedIn

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

All this month, I’m talking about some of the most common and frequent mistakes I see people make in their one-to-two person branding agencies. 

Today, I want to talk about choosing a niche.

Yes, you need a niche and I love helping businesses find theirs, but it’s not as straightforward as it sounds. Niching is about more than just picking an industry you want to work with.

In this episode, I talk through three big mistakes I see people doing both inside our program and out in the world when it comes to niching.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• What is important to have before you commit to a niche
• How the size of the businesses you work with impacts your projects and why it matters
• How niching early and building your authority helps you go broad later

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

This month, I’m digging into some of the mistakes I see one-to-two person branding agencies make over and over again. And today, I want to talk about pricing. 

Pricing your services is an art and it’s something people struggle with all the time inside the No BS Mastery program and out in the world. It also happens to be one of my favorite things to help people reconsider and fix so that they can build successful, sustainable businesses full of the flexibility and freedom they desire.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why you should never base your pricing on what you think someone can pay–even if they gave you a budget number
• Why looking to the market to set your rates is a lost cause
• Why you need to be flexible on your pricing when you’re starting out and/or need cash and clients

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

When you spend a lot of time working with one market, you start to notice patterns.

I’ve worked with hundreds of one-to-two person branding agencies over the last few years, and I see people make the same mistakes over and over again. No matter how we address it in our curriculum, or how many times I talk about it, there are certain things that people in our industry gravitate towards doing that aren’t doing them any favors.

This month, I want to dig into some of the mistakes I see people make all the time, in our program and out in the world, that I think you should avoid at all costs.

Today, we’re going to talk about three things you absolutely should not do when selling.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• Why you should never send an email pitch for your services
• How a Fit-Call eliminates being salesy and puts you in control
• Why you shouldn’t talk about services before they’ve answered all of your questions

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Today, I’m sharing a conversation with one of my star students-turned coaches, Erika Stanley. 

Erika has truly mastered the No BS model. She's done an amazing job finding more freedom, space, and enjoyment in her life in a way that I know so many entrepreneurs wish they could. She’s also become a highly-valued and much-loved member of our No BS community.

In this conversation, she shares her story of going from agency employee to No BS owner.

Erika Stanley is the Founder, CEO, and AI Evangelist at Mile End Digital, and she's on a mission to help small business owners lead with their values and make a difference in the world. With almost 20 years in the industry and now in her fourth year of business, Erika blends heartfelt storytelling with cutting-edge technology to create a digital presence that’s both genuine and competitive.  Erika’s mantra: Live your truth, make a difference, and dive into every adventure life throws your way.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• The agency habits and processes Erika had to unlearn when she struck out on her own
• How Erika realized she needed help leading clients confidently through projects
• What helped dramatically improve Erika’s efficiency and helped level up her creativity
• What money mindset shifts Erika needed to make going from an agency salary to agency owner
• How the No BS model has brought Erika financial and time freedom and flexibility

Learn more about Erika Stanley:

• Mile End Digital
• Get on the waitlist for Botify Your Brand
• Instagram: @mileenddigital
• Connect on LinkedIn

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

“If you can make $30,000 or more in just a few days of branding work with Worst of All Design, why would you ever start a training program?”

This month, I’m talking about my why. Why I do what I do, what motivates me, and what has made me the business owner I am today. 

And today, I’m going to answer one of my most frequently asked questions. Why start No BS Agencies Mastery? 

It’s a fair question and I’m going to share how I got from successfully running my own agency, to sharing our method, and how it all ties back to creating meaningful impact in the lives of others.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• My slow realization that teaching the No BS model could be my unique way of creating positive impact for others
• Why it matters to me that the No BS program impacts more than just students’ bottom lines
• How running a business helping small agency owners helps me invest in other causes I care deeply about

Resources:

• Black Belt with Taki Moore
• Kiva
• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

Sometimes people ask me, “If you’re so successful in your agency, why are you doing this training program?”

To really answer that, we’ll have to rewind a bit, to my introduction to the concepts of microlending and social entrepreneurship, and how they taught me that seemingly small actions could have major positive impacts.

Continuing this month’s series on connecting with your “why” and getting clear on your motivations, today I’m going to share how my mission to create meaningful impact has shown up in my life and work over the years.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How I was introduced to and got invested in social entrepreneurship
• How I realized that the nonprofit world wasn’t for me, but I still wanted to have an impact
• Why I found it’s key to play to my strengths and what I love doing in service of my greater mission

Resources:

• Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, Muhammad Yunus
• Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty, Muhammad Yunus
• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com

There’s a daily journaling exercise that I suggest to everyone who joins No BS Agencies Mastery. 

There are four questions in the exercise, and it takes as little as five minutes to complete, but one question in particular is critical for success: Why are you doing this?

There is no right or wrong answer, and your response might change every day. There are a lot of reasons to build a business. But the key is connecting with your motivations.

This month, I’m going to talk about the big “why” and how it’s so powerful for keeping you going through the tough times. I’ll be sharing my own personal and professional journey getting clear on why I’m doing what I do.

Tune into this episode to hear:

• How connecting with your why every day helps you through the ups and downs of starting and running a business
• How I realized that some of my best, most satisfying work has been as a facilitator 
• Why I’m so passionate about helping others find their confidence

Resources:

• No BS Agencies Mastery
• The Price to Freedom Calculator™
• No BS Launchpad
• No BS Agency Owners Free Facebook Group
• Start reading the first chapter of my book
• Piasilva.com