This episode of Sell With Authority is another part of our very special series on trust — and distrust — in the agency sales process.

You've been hearing from agency leaders who are leaning into this issue head-on. These conversations are not only timely — they're also forming the research foundation for my next book, The Trust Architecture, and a new series of Field Guides we'll soon be sharing with our community.

As we've seen time and again from our work alongside agency owners and their teams — trust, or the lack of it — is one of the biggest obstacles to having a sales pipeline that flows with right-fit prospects.

When trust is present — awesome — the pipeline flows.

When trust is absent — not awesome — friction sets in, uncertainty creeps up, and momentum stalls.

Which makes today's conversation another rock solid awesome fit for this series.

Our special guest expert is Maddy Osman, Founder of The Blogsmith, a content marketing agency trusted by top B2B technology brands. Maddy's perspective is such a valuable addition to this series because agencies know that the quality of content can either build or break credibility.

A missed deadline, an inconsistent voice, or a sloppy process erodes trust instantly.

But content that's consistent, well-structured, and scalable doesn't just demonstrate credibility — it earns it.

You'll hear how Maddy defines trust in agency-client relationships, how content and thought leadership can build trust at scale, how her team ensures quality and credibility through strong operations, and how to balance efficiency — maybe even AI — with human creativity to keep trust at the center of it all.

Content can transform your agency's credibility into trust — THEN turn that trust into growth.

Maddy shares her proven processes, mistakes to avoid, and her hard-won lessons on turning trust into lasting growth.

• Why trust — or lack of it — is the single biggest friction in your agency's sales pipeline
• Maddy's playbook for building trust from the very first client touchpoint
• The secret behind "the trust cookie"
• How to leverage operational discipline so your clients see you as the safest pair of hands they've used — ever
• Candid examples of when it's time to say "no" for the sake of integrity — and how that builds referral gold
• A balanced approach to leveraging AI, building human connections, and never losing your voice in the noise

• Website: https://www.theblogsmith.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelineosman/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theblogsmith/
• X: https://x.com/maddyosman
• Writing for Humans and Robots: The New Rules of Content Style: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X4NJ9H8

This episode of Sell With Authority is part of our special series exploring one of the most vital dynamics inside every agency's sales process: trust and distrust.

You've been hearing from agency leaders who are leaning into this issue head-on. These conversations are not only timely — they're also forming the research foundation for my next book, The Trust Architecture, and a new series of Field Guides we'll be sharing with our community.

As we've seen time and again from our work alongside agency owners and their teams — trust, or the lack of it, is often the biggest obstacle to having a sales pipeline that feels like a steady stream of right-fit prospects flowing into your agency.

Which makes today's conversation a perfect fit for this series.

Our special guest expert is Jerry Gennaria, President and CEO of TOKY.

Jerry brings more than 30 years of experience helping professional service firms tell their story more effectively, build stronger businesses, and reach their full potential. He's also the host of The Intangible Brand podcast — where he explores what brand really means beyond the surface-level tactics.

Here's why Jerry's perspective matters so much for this series…

In a recent LinkedIn post, he made an incredibly sharp observation — when Southwest Airlines cut away the very things customers loved most about their experience, it wasn't just a rebrand.

A brand isn't just graphics or identity — it's about who you are internally and how customers experience you externally. When you change that alignment — you break trust.

That ties directly to what we saw in the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer — when trust erodes, grievance and frustration take over — but when trust grows, optimism and loyalty follow.

That's exactly the kind of work Jerry and his team at TOKY do every day — helping clients align their brand and their actions so that trust is reinforced at every single touchpoint.

When your agency's brand and your actions are aligned — trust isn't an abstract idea. It's felt — in every interaction, every proposal, every conversation.

When trust is felt at every touchpoint — selling more of what you do stops being about persuasion — and starts being about consistency.

That's why we wanted Jerry's perspective to be part of this series.

When I say we — I mean Hannah Roth, our Director of Strategy and Mad Scientist, is here with me for this conversation to bring her data-driven perspective into this discussion with Jerry — because when you combine brand alignment with real-world strategy — that's when trust becomes measurable and scalable.

• How to make prospects feel seen — and why that matters for conversion
• Jerry's "brand is a promise delivered" philosophy for agencies
• The art and science of pushing back — and how it earns deep respect from right-fit clients
• Why authentic storytelling aligned with your brand delivers exponential results
• Ways to boldly show your expertise without being self-aggrandizing
• Why trust is not built in the big gestures

• Website: toky.com
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gennaria/
• The Intangible Brand: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-intangible-brand/
• TOKY: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toky-branding/
• The Intangible Brand Podcast: www.theintangiblebrand.com

Today's episode is part of our special series exploring one of the most vital dynamics inside every agency's sales process: trust and distrust.

Over the coming weeks, you'll hear from agency leaders who are leaning into this issue head-on. These conversations are not only timely — they're also forming the research foundation for my next book, The Trust Architecture, and a new series of Field Guides we'll be sharing with our community.

Here at Predictive ROI, we help agencies sell more of what they do. And time and again, from our work alongside agency owners and their teams, we've seen that trust — or the lack of it — is the biggest variable determining whether your pipeline flows like a steady stream of right-fit prospects… or grinds to a halt.

When trust is present — momentum builds.

When trust is absent — friction takes over.

Which makes today's conversation a perfect fit for this series. Our special guest expert is Darren Magarro, Founder and President of DSM. Since launching DSM in 2007, Darren has led his agency through the ups, downs, twists, and turns that every agency owner knows too well.

But what truly sets him apart is how he leads. Darren's people-first, community-centered approach is at the heart of how DSM builds trust. He works tirelessly to put others on a path to success — and that shows up in every corner of his business.

When trust increases — optimism replaces grievance — and people shift from frustration to future-focused hope.

Darren's leadership embodies that shift.

• The rock solid data that proves why "people-first" and community-centered leadership is now the must-have ingredient for agencies that want to build real trust
• How Darren's approach to leadership at DSM turns transparency and empathy into a competitive business advantage
• Why budget qualification must happen early
• The three-step biz dev process that weeds out bad fits so you can focus on dream clients
• Why client stories, tough conversations, and owning mistakes can translate directly into agency resilience and reputation
• Candid advice for agency owners who want their team and clients to be truly optimistic about the future
• Why your LinkedIn content should be more helpful

• Website: https://thedsmgroup.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenmagarro/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-dsm-group/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDSMGroup
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedsmgroup

Today's episode is part of our special series exploring one of the most critical — and sometimes challenging — dynamics inside the agency sales process: trust and distrust.

Over the coming weeks, you'll hear from agency leaders who are leaning into this issue — sharing real stories, lessons learned, and how they're building trust at every stage of their business development journey.

These conversations are more than just episodes. They're also shaping the research foundation for our next book, The Trust Architecture, and for a set of Field Guides we'll be sharing with our community soon.

If you've been listening to the show for a while, you know that at Predictive ROI, we help agencies sell more of what they do. And what we've seen time and again — across hundreds of agencies — is that trust, or the lack of it, is often the single biggest factor determining whether your sales pipeline flows or stalls.

When trust is present — conversations feel easy, opportunities open up, and right-fit prospects move forward.

But when trust is missing — friction builds, uncertainty creeps in, and momentum disappears.

That's exactly why today's conversation is such a great fit for this series.

Our special guest expert is Lyndsey Maddox, CEO of Digital Third Coast, a digital marketing agency founded in 2007 with a mission to make a measurable difference.

Lyndsey joined the agency back in 2009 and has played just about every role on her way to the CEO seat. Along the way, she discovered her passion for helping clients win new business by being found at the exact right moment.

For Lyndsey, good marketing isn't about what you spend or where you place it — it's about what you get in return.

She understands how visibility and credibility intersect — and how the right strategies can transform expertise into influence and trust into measurable growth. I'm also joined by my colleague and co-host, Hannah Roth, our Director of Strategy and resident Mad Scientist here at Predictive. Hannah works in the trenches every day alongside our clients — helping them build trust at scale — and she leads all of our experiments inside the Predictive Lab.

• What "trust as a two-way street" looks like in every agency relationship — from right-fit clients to your own team
• The power of showing up consistently, owning your wins and your losses in biz dev
• The power of showing up consistently, owning your wins — and your losses — in biz dev
• Why making "deposits" into your trust bank is key to filling your pipeline with right-fit prospects
• The steps Lyndsey's team takes in their sales process to set expectations and prove their authority
• How to turn expertise into visibility
• Why authenticity and human stories will matter even more as AI raises credibility challenges

• Website: www.digitalthirdcoast.net
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndseykramer/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-third-coast-internet-marketing/

I am super excited about today's episode of Sell With Authority — it's a really special one. We're kicking off a brand-new series we're creating here on the show.

Over the next several weeks, you're going to hear from agency leaders who will share their insights and experiences around one of the most pressing issues in biz dev today: trust and distrust — and how both shape the agency sales process.

If you've been part of our community for a while, you know that everything we do at Predictive centers on helping agencies sell more of what they do for a higher fee. And what we've seen, time and again, is that trust — or the lack of it — makes or breaks your sales pipeline.

When trust is present, your pipeline flows. When it's absent, friction builds, momentum stalls — and opportunities slip away.

This special series will dig deep into that dynamic. The conversations you'll hear will form the foundation for my next book, The Trust Architecture — along with a set of new Field Guides we'll be sharing with our community. If you stick with us through this series, you'll get an inside look at the strategic insights, lessons, and stories that will shape that work.

Today's conversation is the perfect place to begin. Our guest expert is Michelle Calcote King, Founder of Reputation Ink — a national PR and marketing agency that helps professional services firms turn expertise into influence.

Michelle and her team work every day in industries where trust and credibility aren't optional. That's what makes her perspective the perfect starting point for this series.

She has built a business around translating complex expertise into stories that build trust, spark credibility, and drive growth — and she's sharing her playbook with us.

• Why trust — or the lack of it — impacts every stage of the agency sales process
• Why industry specialization accelerates credibility
• How to remove friction and earn access to client subject matter experts
• The secret power of an authoritative newsletter in your niche
• The reality behind a successful biz dev system — you've got to eat your own dog food
• How to build relationships and trust through intentional, helpful marketing

• Website: www.rep-ink.com
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellecking/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reputation-ink/

You've built trust — now it's time to protect it.

In this solocast, Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI, breaks down the second brick in The Trust Architecture™ — a conversation that we call "Align & Prescribe."

If the "Help Me Understand" session (Episode 176) is about earning trust, then Align & Prescribe is about keeping it.

Align & Prescribe is where we introduce a visual diagnostic called The Focus Finder — a framework that transforms subjective opinions into shared truth.

By using a tool like The Focus Finder — instead of pitching, you create alignment with your prospective client. Instead of telling your prospects what's wrong, you help them see it — while you're walking alongside them.

You'll hear:

• Why alignment — and not persuasion — is the key to momentum in every sales conversation.
• How The Focus Finder helps prospects surface friction and score their business with honesty.
• How Vanessa, our Partner Advocate, leads this session with patience, empathy, and structure — guiding prospects to clarity without pressure.
• Why the scoring colors — green, amber, red — unlock vulnerability faster than spreadsheets ever could.
• The four phases of Prescribe that bridge alignment into commitment — without ever pitching.
• How to transition naturally into the Meet & Greet session, so the process feels continuous — not salesy.

When your prospects experience Align & Prescribe with you, they don't feel sold to — they feel seen, heard, and aligned.

They leave thinking, "If this agency runs their diagnostic this clearly, imagine how well they'll run our work."

Now's the time to double down, protect the trust you've earned, and sell more of what you do.

• Episode 176 — Help Me Understand: The First Brick in The Trust Architecture™
• The System — Predictive ROI's framework for building predictable pipelines
• Email Stephen for The Focus Finder diagnostic tool

I want you to think about this question for today's episode of Sell With Authority: what's the real cost of saying "yes"?

Every time you add another service, take on an iffy-fit client, or chase a trend just because "every agency is doing it" — you're adding more weight onto your team.

At first it doesn't feel heavy, but over time the load builds. And eventually, growth stalls — not because you're not working hard enough, but because you're carrying too much of the wrong stuff.

That's why agencies get stuck in money-draining mistakes — like throwing darts at a board and calling it strategy, selling everything to everyone, or constantly chasing clients instead of magnetically attracting the right ones.

Here's the thing — even some of the most successful agencies in the country have been there.

Our guest expert today, Dr. Mark Young, Founder and CEO of Jekyll+Hyde Labs, built one of the nation's top challenger brand agencies. But eventually, he realized they were diluted — saying yes out of fear instead of strategy.

So, Mark did something bold. He set what author Dr. Benjamin Hardy calls an "Impossible Goal" — $100 million in revenue in just three years. Not 15. Not 10. Three. And then he used that Impossible Goal like a scalpel. If it didn't align, he cut it.

The results? Within weeks Jekyll+Hyde shed bad-fit clients, won bigger ones, and began scaling with conviction — not fear.

Today, Mark is here to share how you can apply the same lessons inside your own agency.

Hannah Roth, our Director of Strategy and Mad Scientist, is here too. Hannah's in the trenches every day with our Predictive clients, and she leads all of our experiments inside the Predictive Lab. It makes perfect sense to bring her into this candid conversation.

This episode is packed full of takeaways you and your team can put into practice right away.

• Why saying "yes" can quietly stall your growth
• How to to identify the invisible costs of overcommitting to clients, services, or trends
• How to use an "Impossible Goal" as a strategic lens to simplify decisions, eliminate distractions, and focus your entire team on what truly moves the needle
• Ways to recognize when your agency is diluted — and the proven steps Dr. Mark Young took to reclaim focus, authority, and profitability
• Why most agencies optimize what shouldn't exist — and how to confidently cut services or clients that don't align with your strategy

• Website: https://jandhlabs.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markyoungwci/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jekyll-and-hyde-labs/
• HYPNO-TISING: The Secrets and Science of Ads That Sell More…: https://www.amazon.com/HYPNO-TISING-Secrets-Science-That-Sell/dp/1544526091

For this episode of Sell With Authority I am thrilled to bring you Part 2 of my interview with Dr. Mark Young, Founder and CEO of Jekyll+Hyde Labs.

During Part 1, Mark dropped a rock-solid challenge: "What are you teaching — and not doing yourself?"

He reminded us that fear-based choices dilute our value. But when we decide from opportunity and cut what anyone else can do — that's where real progress starts.

Mark reframes selling with a simple but powerful mindset: always be the buyer. Make prospects prove the fit. Make it a privilege to work with your agency. Saying no isn't weakness — it builds respect.

And value? It's not a transaction. The more you give, the more reciprocity flows back.

Those lessons set the perfect stage for Part 2 — where we dig into how to raise the floor inside your agency and commit to "impossible" goals that drive real scale.

Mark shares examples, frameworks, and behind-the-scenes details you don't want to miss.

We keep the momentum going so you can make yourself an easy yes for right-fit clients who value your expertise — and want what you do best.

• Why setting an "impossible goal" — and compressing your timeline — forces clarity
• How to use time as a tool instead of an obstacle
• How Mark decided what to cut and ditched commodity services
• The powerful "Always Be the Buyer" mindset
• What it means to "raise the floor" inside your agency
• How Mark's team confidently says "no" to wrong-fit business, and still earns respect and long-term pipeline abundance
• Strategies for building an agency that other agencies want to work with

• Website: https://jandhlabs.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markyoungwci/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jekyll-and-hyde-labs/
• HYPNO-TISING: The Secrets and Science of Ads That Sell More…: https://www.amazon.com/HYPNO-TISING-Secrets-Science-That-Sell/dp/1544526091

Today's episode of Sell With Authority is a special encore with one of our rock solid awesome guests — Tom Martin, Founder and President of Converse Digital.

For more than 30 years, Tom's been helping startups, agencies, and global brands revolutionize how they sell. He's the author of The Invisible Sale, creator of the Painless Prospecting program, and a keynote speaker you've likely seen at Build a Better Agency, Content Marketing World, Inbound, and more.

Tom is on a mission to help agencies ditch pushy sales tactics and instead lean into persuasion, influence, and trust. His latest framework, Life's a Pitch, is a masterclass in why most pitches fail — and how to craft ones that win.

I didn't want to have this conversation without Hannah Roth — Predictive's Director of Strategy and our in-house Mad Scientist. Hannah works alongside our clients every day refining positioning, sharpening pitches, and leading experiments inside our Predictive Lab.

Tom is back joining Hannah and I to help you reframe your pitch process — and win more right-fit clients.

• Why 90% of your pitch is forgotten within 2 days — and how to break that pattern for good
• The real difference between trust and credibility and how to architect both in your pitch
• Why most agencies still "show up and throw up" and how to change that
• The neuroscience and cognitive load theory that reveal why your pitch probably isn't landing
• How to build a "yellow brick road" your prospects will want to follow straight to yes
• Practical ways to reduce risk for your client
• How to avoid flashy slides that distract — and lead with substance that sticks in their minds instead

• Website: https://conversedigital.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommartinjr/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conversedigital/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomMartin
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConverseDigital
• Agency Business Development Resources: https://conversedigital.com/agency-business-development-resources
• Painless Prospecting Newsletter: https://conversedigital.com/painless-sales-prospecting
• Building Connections That Matter: LinkedIn Sales Prospecting Strategies For Introverts
• How To Sell Your Agency's Services Even When You Hate Selling

Today's episode of Sell With Authority is a special follow-up to my recent conversation with Don Yaeger about his new book, The New Science of Momentum.

In that episode, Don gave us a masterclass on how momentum acts as the "great exaggerator" — multiplying your wins when things are going well, or magnifying your challenges when they're not.

We're continuing that conversation with Don's co-author Dr. Bernard Banks, or Bernie, as most people know him.

Bernie is the Director of Rice University's Doerr Institute for New Leaders, where he's helping shape the next generation of leadership. He's earned multiple master's degrees from Northwestern, Columbia, and Harvard, along with a Ph.D. in social-organizational psychology from Columbia. His work has been featured in places like Harvard Business Review and The New York Times.

Bernie's academic background is impressive.

But here's the part that makes today's conversation uniquely powerful — Bernie has lived leadership in the trenches. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2016 as a Brigadier General after leading units ranging from 10 people to more than 3,000. He also served as Head of West Point's Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership.

In those roles, leadership isn't theoretical. Sometimes it means choosing the least bad option. It means making a call quickly and ensuring your people have what they need to lead effectively — even in less-than-ideal situations.

That's the perspective Bernie brings to today's conversation. Not war stories — but real-world, lived leadership experience you can take and apply inside your agency to build, protect, and reset momentum when it fades.

Dig into Bernie's perspective on how leaders can create momentum — and keep it moving forward.

• Why leadership must be intentional — not theoretical — when the stakes are high
• Behind-the-scenes research, stories, and lessons from The New Science of Momentum
• Why momentum is built through preparation long before the first spark
• A step-by-step framework: leadership, recruitment, culture, preparation, spark, communication, and climate
• What it looks like to unlock dormant potential in your team and clients
• How high integrity, trust, and intentional actions will set your agency apart
• How to protect — and reset — momentum when things get tough

• Website: https://profiles.rice.edu/staff/bernard-bernie-banks
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-bernie-b-4458003/
• The New Science of Momentum book