Operation Agency Freedom - The #1 Podcast for Digital Agency Owners Who Want to Scale and Exit Their Business

In this episode, I'm going to share with you the top red flags you need to look out for when evaluating candidates.The things you're going to learn here could mean the difference between finding your dream employee or ending up with someone who is not a good fit for your company.

So if you're hiring or planning to hire new people and you want to learn the red flags to look out for in the interview process, then definitely listen to this podcast!

Discussion Points:

00:00 Intro

02:51 First Managerial Experience

04:55 Never Hire Out of Desperation

05:24 Never Hire Someone Who Isn't Fit for the Job

07:05 Don't Rush the Process

07:48 Conduct a Phone Interview

09:16 Red Flag #1: Blaming

10:30 Red Flag #2: No Technical Knowledge and Experience

11:34 Red Flag #3: Not Providing Previous Work Experience

13:10 Red Flag #4: Being Defensive

14:29 Red Flag #5: Doesn't Want to Work with Other People

15:03 Red Flag #6: Unwillingness to Sacrifice for the Team

18:12 Recap and Final Thoughts

18:55 Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/
• Visit our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw
• Check out our website and see how we can help you run a profitable agency https://dudeagency.io/

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in!

One of the struggles of agency owners is training new team members after they've been hired.

But did you know that there's a process you can implement to get your new hire to speed quickly so they can start contributing to your agency right away?

In today's episode, I'm going to share with you a very simple framework to train your new team members that have been proven to work time and again.

So if you're hiring people right now or if you have team members that you feel like you haven't yet gotten the most out of, then this is definitely an episode that you're going to want to listen to!

Discussion Points:

00:00 - Introduction

04:58 - The Indoctrinization Period

08:24 - The Leveling-up Period

10:45 - Benefits of Slowing Down

11:32 - Introducing to Respective Team Leaders

13:18 - List out Criterias for Hierarchies

15:19 - What Should Take Place in 90 days

16:11 - Find the Best People Possible

17:46 - Recap

19:11 - Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/
• Visit our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw
• Check out our website and see how we can help you run a profitable agency https://dudeagency.io/

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in!

Struggling to grow your agency into a 7-figure or even a multiple 7-figure business?

Last month, I attended an in-person mastermind out in Miami and I got to sit and talk with a lot of agency folks who run 7-figure and even multiple 7-figure agencies.

And guess what? In today's episode, I'm going to share with you the top 5 takeaways or the top 5 things that are common with these agencies that made their business profitable and successful.

So if you're struggling to get to a 7-figure mark or you want to figure out what tweaks you need to make in your agency so that you can get to 7-figures, multiple 7-figures and 8-figures, then you definitely want to listen to this episode!

Discussion Points:

00:00 Intro

04:23 Top 5 Common Traits of 7-figure Agencies

05:05 Trait #1: Niching

07:22 Trait #2: Productization

09:14 Trait #3: Ad Budget

12:07 Trait #4: Investing in Better People

13:25 Trait #5: The Scaling

15:05 Trait #6: Bridge, Connect, and Deliver

17:00 Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/
• Visit our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw
• Check out our website and see how we can help you run a profitable agency https://dudeagency.io/

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in!

Do you want to learn what science considers the success factors of businesses? In the episode, Darryl Urbanski shares the outstanding research they've done about habit building and performance optimization that could help individuals skyrocket their business success.

We also talk about what motivated him to do the study, the team of researchers behind it, the tools they've used, and the excellent results they got from it.

If you're interested to learn the 8 habits you need to focus on so you and your agency can thrive successfully, then you're going to want to listen to this episode!

Discussion Points:

00:00 Intro04:22 Discovering What Daryl's Life Purpose Is06:10 Daryl's Digital Marketing Background and Experience08:19 Daryl's Motivation in Doing the 8 Habits Study11:09 Putting Up Daryl's Team13:07 Habit No. 1: Self-efficacy13:30 Authoritative Tools and Measurements Used16:35 8 Common Habits of Success17:45 Habit No. 2: Strategic Planning18:01 Habit No. 3: Market Intelligence18:30 Habit No. 4&5: Marketing Strategy, Sales Strategy and Skills18:51 Habit No. 6: Money Management19:10 Habit No. 7: Business Operations19:34 Habit No. 8: Business Intelligence19:56 Biggest Challenges that Agency Owners Face22:37 How The 8 Habits of Success Can Help Make it Easier28:02 How to Get Access to the 8 Habits study29:01 The Perfect Person to Start on The Study33:16 Final Thoughts33:48 Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/
• Visit our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw
• Check out our website and see how we can help you run a profitable agency https://dudeagency.io/
• Reach out to Daryl Urbanski through Facebook https://www.facebook.com/daryl.urbanski Instagram https://www.instagram.com/skillsforsuccess/?hl=en Twitter https://twitter.com/DarylUrbanski?s=20&t=RLMN6768Bd1mUCX041CvOA

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in

Do you want to know one of the most important things that helped me grow my business and hugely impacted my life?

In today's episode, I'm going to talk about a very sensitive topic that I have never heard anybody talk about in the agency space and that is mental health.

I'm certainly not perfect but I've made a conscious effort to work on my mental health and now, I want to share with you what has worked for me.

If you're an agency owner or an entrepreneur dealing with difficult situations and you want to learn from someone like me who's been there in your shoes, then you're going to want to listen to this episode!

Discussion Points:

00:00 Intro02:07 Statistics of People with Mental Health Disorders05:55 How do Mental Health Disorders Impact Agency Management07:01 Battling with Mental Health10:01 Importance of Seeing a Therapist11:50 How to Take Care of Your Mental Health13:02 Meditating and Journaling15:24 Going Back to Therapist16:11 Moral of the Story18:02 Final Thoughts18:55 Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/
• Visit our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw
• Check out our website and see how we can help you run a profitable agency https://dudeagency.io/

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in!

If everybody is looking for talent in the same location, then the labor rates will certainly go up due to supply and demand.

When I first started my digital agency my team was based in the Philippines. Eventually, I moved all my operations to Tijuana, Mexico, and it was an absolute game-changer.

This is why I love finding talent in hidden places, especially Mexico and Latin America, because they are an untapped resources that not many digital agencies know about.

If you're an agency owner looking to grow your team, you'll want to tune into this episode.

Discussion Points:

0:00 - Introduction

02:24 - Chris's First Agency Back Story

08:35 - Untapped Talents in Mexico & Latin America

10:10 - Benefit #1: Cheaper Cost of Living = Less Expensive Wage

13:31 - Benefit #2: Workable Time Difference

15:11 - Benefit #3: No Language Barriers

17:19 - Benefit #4: Exceptional Work Ethics

19:36 - Benefit #5: U.S. Travel Convenience and Vice Versa

21:15 - Final Thoughts

21:50 - Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/
• Visit our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw
• Check out our website and see how we can help you run a profitable agency https://dudeagency.io/
• Reach out to Kelly Gordon through Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kellybryn1

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in!

Between myself and other multi-agency owners like you, we can all agree that churn in the business is an issue. Low churn rate, and client cancellations, are typical for those who break several 7-figure rates.

In today's episode, I talk about all the things you can do to lower your churn rate and grow your agency.

So, if you're looking to reduce those cancellations and fix your churn rate, you're going to want to listen in.

Discussion Points:

00:00 - Intro 05:55 - How to Calculate Your Churn 07:26 - Cancellations That Agencies Can Control 09:52 - Reasons Why People Cancel Your Agency 09:56 - Reason #1: Having the Wrong Expectations 12:15 - Reason #2: The Client Doesn't Trust You 15:45 - Reason #3: Clients Are Not Getting Results 17:26 - How to Fix Churn Problems 21:30 - Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/)
• Visit our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw)
• Register for live trainings on running a profitable agency (https://dudeagency.io/)
• Check out our website and see how we can help you run a profitable agency https://dudeagency.io/

I chat with Robert Craven, managing director of The Directors' Centre and founder of GYDA Initiative, and we uncover his unique, innovative strategy for assisting agencies in effectively scaling their businesses.

If you're an agency owner looking for the answer to make your agency profitable and grow massively, you'll want to tune into this episode.

Discussion Points:

0:00 Introduction

02:25 - Robert's Background Story

04:06 - Robert's Motivator to Help Agency Owners

06:28 - Robert's Long-term Strategy for Agency Owners

08:08 - Strategy #1: Give Yourself A Performance Rating

08:32 - Strategy #2: Determine Your Purpose

09:31 - Strategy #3: Set Your Goals

09:53 - Strategy #4: Mark Your Milestones

10:07 - Strategy #5: The "Devil's Pawn"

10:22 - Strategy #6: Map Out Your Plan

14:16 - Agency Owners Having Difficulties to Change their Strategy

15:44 - Hidden Traps that Keeping Agency Owners get to the Next Level

20:17 - Roleplay Scenario: The 90-day Fix for an Agency Owner

31:00 - 'My Best Year Yet' Process

32:17 - Final Thoughts and Insights

33:27 - Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/
• Visit our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw
• Check out our website and see how we can help you run a profitable agency https://dudeagency.io/
• Reach out to Robert Craven through:
• Website: https://robert-craven.com/ and www.GYDAinitiative.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.craven1
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/robert_craven
• YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCraven

About the Guest:

Robert Craven is one of the UK's best-known and sought-after speakers on entrepreneurship and innovation. He is the go-to expert on growing digital agency businesses – in Q4 of 2016, he spoke to over 4,000 agencies from Sarajevo to Singapore, Athens to Amsterdam. He wrote best-selling books such as The Check-in Strategy Journal: Your Daily Tracker for Business and Personal Development, Customer Is King, Grow Your Digital Agency, GYDA Initiative – Strategy Workbook, etc.

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in!

9 times out of 10, those temporary gig workers that you find on sites like Fiverr or Upwork never work out.

The real battle as an agency owner in 2022 is not mastering the technology. It's mastering how to find great talent that can contribute to your team's success.

So if you want to know the main reason why gig workers from sites like Fiverr or Upwork never work out and how you can find a solution to this problem, then you're going to want to listen to this episode!

Discussion Points:

00:00 - Intro

01:38 - Identifying the Right Talent to Hire

03:26 - There is a Time and Place for Gig Workers

04:28 - Gig Workers Have No Commitment

06:21 - UpWork Attracts the Wrong Candidates for Your Agency

08:24 - Having Poor Communication & Zero Knowledge on Projects

12:00 - Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/)
• Visit our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw)
• Register for live trainings on running a profitable agency (https://dudeagency.io/)

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in

"Virtual assistant" is an outdated term that I absolutely want to kill. Times have changed, and so has the way we work. Some people think that virtual assistants are people who can do anything because they are in a different part of the world.

But this isn't true. They are just like any other person. They have strengths and weaknesses, and they can't do everything. We need to stop using the word "virtual assistant" (or if you do it, use it properly) which will make life easier, especially if you're hiring someone for a very specific need of your business!

If you're hiring virtual assistants and they keep letting you down because they're not adopting or learning the things you want to do, this episode is definitely for you.

Discussion Points: 00:00 - Introduction 01:59 - The Misconception of VA's 04:36 - Identifying The Job Requirements of a VA 06:20 - "Virtual Assistants" Don't Exist Anymore 09:00 - Get Specific When Hiring a Remote Team Member 11:39 - The Best Part of Remote Work 13:56 - Differences Between HIring an American Vs International Citizen 15:53 - Final Thoughts 17:01 - Outro

Resources:

• Connect with DUDE on the following social channels
• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dudeagency)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dudeagency.io/)
• Visit our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJxNhChWk1xlo3ZhkWtYnlw)
• Register for live trainings on running a profitable agency (https://dudeagency.io/)

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in!