Say it Online

When projects go wrong, you're probably left wondering if a bad client or a crappy process is to blame. 

After a 15-year corporate executive career, including being a plant manager at 25, Jason Kanigan has run his own businesses for the past decade. Since 2016, he has run Cold Star Technologies, a company that installs and improves processes and systems for other organizations, especially those in the space industry. He is the host of the Cold Star Project and the Make Space Boring show. Jason is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Operational Excellence Society, which designs and installs Lean Six Sigma and OpEx programs for organizations of 1,000+ staff.

In this episode, Jason dives into how to build effective processes for your agency – and all the far-reaching benefits of those processes. He shares the most common challenge leaders face in smoothing out processes and sheds light on why Blitz Scaling isn't an ideal long-term process for your agency. 

Tune in to learn how to:

• Determine if your issues are caused by a bad client or a crappy process
• Identify the type of business model you have versus what you need to reach your goals
• Effectively document your core processes 

Connect with Jason at coldstartech.com.

For the Cold Star Project, click here to listen and here to watch. For references mentioned during the show, see below:

• Mind mapping vs process mapping - Jason Kanigan / the Cold Star Project
• Principles of Technology Leadership - Bryan Cantrill

Notes on Cal Newport's Deep work - Brian Johnson

Ready to scale your business but unsure of where to start? 

Say chats with Ellen Yin to break down why it's essential to shift your mindset when you're getting ready to scale. They discuss everything from common mistakes to how to handle the hiring process. 

Ellen Yin is the founder of Cubicle to CEO, an online membership that teaches service providers how to monetize their skills and use a step-by-step client attraction system to create their first $10K month – without a large audience or complicated marketing strategies. Through her social media agency, Ellen Yin Media LLC, Ellen has worked with multimillion-dollar brands, Fortune 500 executives, and best-selling authors. She has been featured on MTV and in publications like Glamour magazine, The Penny Hoarder, Women's Health, and Her Campus. Ellen is also the host of the award-winning Cubicle to CEO Podcast, which features weekly interviews with top business leaders and successful entrepreneurs.

In this episode, Ellen dives into what it takes to scale to six figures, what it takes to scale to seven figures – and what the differences between those two are. She chats about why investing in her team was crucial in moving her business to seven figures, and breaks down how her digital products help her reach her goals.

Tune in to learn how to:

• Deal with the fear of giving up control on projects to employees 
• Identify when and who to hire next, and whether they should be an employee or contractor
• Avoid the biggest mistake Ellen sees when solopreneurs try to make their first 10k

Connect with Ellen on Instagram, by listening to The Cubicle to CEO Podcast, or by joining her free masterclass by clicking here.

Still dealing with clients who think their websites are "one-and-done," expecting them to magically bring in and convert leads as soon as they go live? 

This installment of Digital Agency Real Talk is all about finding a rhythmic flow for your marketing and using the right framework to assess the strength of your strategies and processes. 

In this episode, Say dives into her 2019 conference experience – a cycle that's usually profitable for Anansi, but wasn't that year. She uses The OODA Loop framework (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act) to analyze the situation and dive into problem solving and course correction. 

Tune in to learn:

• How to propel your business and marketing growth using the OODA Loop Framework.
• The power of iterative and cyclical marketing.
• How to debunk client's "if you build it, they will come" expectation of one-and-done websites.

Trying to build a team that'll help your agency grow – and make you sweat a little less when you have to hand off work? 

Say chats with Jake Jorgovan about exactly that, getting him to share all his secrets when it comes to hiring the right people for your team, from common mistakes that business owners make when hiring to why your onboarding process is so crucial.

Jake Jorgovan is a serial entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and business advisor. 

He is the founder of Lead Cookie, Content Allies, and Arete Incubator. Through these companies, Jake has generated $40M+ in sales for his clients. Jake is the host of the Working Without Pants Podcast and shares the raw lessons of his entrepreneurial journey at Jake-Jorgovan.com. 

Jake's professional focus is to build companies that enable freedom of time and financial profitability. He does that by being an active entrepreneur in the trenches and through training others on entrepreneurship, leadership, sales, and marketing. 

Jake has a degree in entrepreneurship from Belmont University and has been awarded Nashville's Youth Entrepreneur of the Year. He has spoken at conferences such as SXSW and has been featured in publications such as Inc and Forbes.

Jake lives a nomadic life and has traveled the world while running multiple companies.

In this episode, Jake dives into how to anticipate when you'll need to hire next, how to support your new hire throughout the onboarding process, and why you should NEVER hire in a hurry.

Tune in to learn how to:

• Identify green and red flags throughout your hiring process 
• Build teams that love to work together (and get stuff done!) 
• Nurture employees who have potential but haven't found the right space or direction to fully hone their skills. 

Connect with Jake at jorgovan.com, contentallies.com, and leadcookie.com

Say is flying solo in this installment of Digital Agency Real Talk, sharing tips and tricks based on her own experience navigating mental health and wellness while being the leader of a digital agency. 

In this episode, Say dives into the importance of getting in touch with yourself as a human rather than just as a leader or business owner. She talks about how to get stuff done when you're leaving too many things half-done (hint: you're probably spread too thin!) and shares how she uses "Five Minute Moments" for destressing. 

Tune in to learn how to:

• Prioritize mental health when everything around you is crazy and is impacting your capacity to put work first
• Simplify what self care looks like (it can be 20 minutes alone with a cup of coffee!)
• Handle being overwhelmed and navigate your reactions to situations in stressful moments 

Connect with Say at anansicontent.com/saygabriel.

It's not always easy being vulnerable with your team. Luckily for us, Jeremy Pope knows the value of being vulnerable – and he's sharing how his most embarrassing business year ever led to major breakthroughs for his own growth. 

Being honest with employees and making tough decisions about your business is part of the unsexy side of being a business leader, and that's what this episode is all about. 

Jeremy Pope is a former clinical and stage hypnotist who now helps entrepreneurs build scalable high-ticket businesses. He's been a top salesperson, sales manager, and sales trainer for international organizations, including the direct-marketing giant Guthy Renker. Now, he helps small business owners repair broken discovery calls. 

In this episode, Jeremy dives into how he came to the decision to close down his business, discusses how to rebuild your mental and emotional stability after making such a tough decision, and sheds light on why making connections is so crucial for growth.

Tune in to learn how to:

• Navigate your identity as yourself and as your business 
• Make hard decisions when it comes to your business 
• Identify your "thing" so you can stop spreading yourself too thin and focus on your zone of genius. 

Connect with Jeremy at salescalloverhaul.com/show. You can also join his free Facebook community at salescalloverhaul.com/join. 

Books referenced in this episode:

• Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

• Stress for Success by Jim Loehr

• The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by James C. Collins

While we've all been affected by COVID-19, the pandemic has hit digital agencies in some uniquely challenging ways.

Especially with recession rhetoric being thrown around, there's definitely been a degree of panic for many agency owners. That's why I'm thrilled to be chatting with Karl Sakas about the processes that have helped businesses stay afloat over the past six months – and how you can pivot from "staying afloat" to thriving. 

Agency growth is good… unless it gets out of control. Karl Sakas helps agency owners grow profitably, so they can work less and earn more. 

Karl has personally advised hundreds of agencies on every inhabited continent. He is the author of Made to Lead, The In-Demand Marketing Agency, and nearly 400 articles on agency management. When he's not helping clients, Karl volunteers as a bartender on an antique train. 

In this episode, Karl dives into what's really going on with digital agencies as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. He talks about why some agencies are struggling, and shares how others are thriving by pivoting their messaging. 

Tune in to learn:

• Karl's cost-cutting tiers designed to identify how to keep your agency afloat.
• The importance of setting SMART (Specific, Measureable, Assignable, Realistic, Time bound) goals for your business. 
• Why it's crucial to communicate your team's capacity and efforts to clients.

Are LinkedIn ads worth your time (and money)?

I'm diving into the do's and don'ts of LinkedIn advertising with AJ Wilcox, breaking down some major misconceptions surrounding the platform and helping you understand how to build the right marketing strategies for your business.

AJ Wilcox is a LinkedIn Ads pro who founded B2Linked.com, a LinkedIn Ads-specific ad agency, in 2014. He's an official LinkedIn partner, host of the LinkedIn Ads Show podcast, and has managed the world's largest LinkedIn Ads accounts worldwide. AJ is a ginger and triathlete, he and his wife live in Utah with their 4 kids, and his company car is a wicked-fast go-kart.

In this episode, AJ chats about the limitations of organic LinkedIn outreach, why you should never follow LinkedIn's ad campaign recommendations, and the green and red flags to look for when considering an ad campaign.

Tune in to learn:

• The biggest myths — and mistakes — when it comes to LinkedIn ads
• The most valuable CTA to move leads through your funnel
• The difference in strategy when approaching LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google ad campaigns

How do you create a sales process so bullet-proof that it works across virtually any industry? 

Tania Hogan is here to answer that question. I chat with our amazing account manager Tania about how she's found success in sales across a wide range of industries, including growing a sales team from 2 to 7 during the 2008 recession. 

She's putting her years of experience in sales to use helping you to refine your processes and figure out what to look for in a sales manager. 

Tania's superpower is building authentic connections with every person she meets. Lucky for you, she's your first contact here at Anansi Content.

Tania has sold everything from denim to diamonds, and is known for creating innovative approaches to driving business forward. She's all about developing focused strategies that achieve long-term results, and lattes with honey and cinnamon.

When not leading our partners through the Anansi Onboarding Process, Tania is chasing after her 2 young nephews, and exploring thrift shops in downtown Vancouver. 

In this episode, Tania dives into...

Tune in to learn how to:

• Use the power of story to find success in sales across multiple industries 
• Define what it means to qualify a client and create a clear qualification process
• Authentically connect with customers to find logical solutions to their problems 

On this installment of Digital Agency Real Talk, I'm talking to a very special guest – myself!

Which is oddly appropriate, because this episode is all about the importance of self-work. It all boils down to this: especially in the midst of such turbulent times, if you aren't taking care of yourself, your business will be the first thing to suffer. 

So let's avoid that. 

Would you believe me if I told you that I've been more productive working for 20 hours a week than I was when I worked 60? I'll telling you how! 

I'm diving into why working on yourself is actually doing work for your business. Plus, I talk about the unfair stigmas that surround nurturing mental health and seeing a counselor. 

Tune in to learn how to:

• Unlock patterns of stress and overwork based on issues or challenges you're experiencing in your personal life
• Lead by example so you can cultivate a powerful, effective, and hard working team
• Cultivate better solutions to ongoing issues by stepping away