Every big agency has a CFO but what does a CFO really do? When do you need one?

We sit down with Jody Grunden, a virtual CFO for creative and marketing agencies to explain in detail.

Jody has been a fractional CFO for business and agencies for over 20 years. We sit down and talk to him to learn why an agency might want a CFO and the difference between a fractional one versus an internal one.

Jody talks about the "messy" range between $1.5m and $5m where operations and finances start breaking for most agencies and how to get through it.

We also press him on tips and strategies agencies can start doing today to avoid the chaos of hitting that range and falling into plummeting profitability as most agencies begin to scale.

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Find Jody online:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodygrunden

https://anderscpa.com/

Email Jody at:

[email protected]

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

Jason has the story almost every agency owner is after. He grew his first agency to $5m and sold it. Then started a second one and within 5 years, he was at $5m in revenue again.

After another 5 years, his agency was at $20m.

Jason sold his $20m law firm agency to a private equity firm and took a seat on the board yet still continues to lead his own agency.

Some crazy facts about the legal space: law firms are spending $100k per month in SEO retainers. These same law firms are spending $2m per month in PPC. Jason considers his agency the Lamborghini of law firm agencies but has a rinse-and-repeat McDonald's style strategy for his legal clients.

After learning about his amazing story and being envious of everything he's accomplished, we dive into what it takes to get clients in the legal space, manage them, and what the best ways to drive results for them are.

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Find Jason online:

https://www.instagram.com/jasonhennessey/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhennessey/

https://hennessey.com/

https://www.herringbonedigital.com/

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JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

If you're in the SEO industry, you know Darren Shaw and his company, Whitespark.

If you're not... well you're still in for a good episode as we barely even talk about SEO!

We go deep into how Darren is able to run a 7-figure agency and equally sized SaaS that is well recognized in the SEO industry. On top of that, we talk about he's still able to find the time to remain a subject matter expert in the SEO field, make all these YouTube videos, build winning teams, vibe code new SaaS products, and maintain his personal brand.

Darren is everywhere all the time and still running a more successful business than we are... how?

Check out Whitespark at https://whitespark.ca and follow Darren and Whitespark on all the social medias:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenshawwhitespark/

https://www.facebook.com/darrenshawseo

https://www.youtube.com/@WhitesparkCa

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SPONSOR: Tiiny Host

This week’s episode is sponsored by Tiiny Host. Use code "grow" and get 50% OFF your first month of a Pro or Pro Max plan at https://tinyhost.com/agencies.

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JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD

Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

----------------------------------

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Cold Open (Cloudflare Down Again and AI Stuff)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 8:45**

6 Months ago we decided to dive into the world of email marketing. The problem was that we couldn't find a Email Service Provider (ESP) that catered to agencies.

We needed subaccounts and a pricing structure that didn't absolutely drain our bank accounts.

That's where we met Gyula from BlueFox.

Gyula has designed an email platform specifically for agencies and it's unlike anything we've seen. It really is agency focused.

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Check out BlueFox.email or connect with Gyula on LinkedIn. He's always looking for feedback from agencies!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gyula-n%C3%A9meth-b3102742/

----------------------------------

JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD

Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

----------------------------------

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Cold Open (Cody's Too Sexy for His Shirts)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 6:41**

As we've been diving into integrating AI into our agency, we've realized that everyone on the internet seems to be lying about how they're using AI.

When we ask about specific operational applications outside of spamming prospects or scraping lists, we're met with a mix of content production applications and crickets.

We don't think AI is nearly where people are pretending it is on LinkedIn but we do talk a bit about how we're using it in our agency NOT related to sales or content production.

----------------------------------

JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

----------------------------------

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Cold Open (Colorado and Dream Crushers)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 10:57**

Kinsta (a WordPress hosting solution) reached out to us to be an agency partner. We had to break the news to them that our agency is transitioning to the Wix Studio platform.

Roger Willams from Kinsta challenged us on that decision and before we let him keep talking, we asked him to duke it out with us on the podcast in an unfiltered and unedited debate.

Wix Studio or WordPress? Which is better for agencies?

If Wix isn't good for agencies? Why after 7 years are we switching? If Wix is so good for agencies, why are 40% of all websites in the world WordPress???

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This episode is releasing during Kinsta's Black Friday sale and if you're ...one of those... WordPress agencies... we highly recommend checking out their hosting deals.

They're giving away 6 months of FREE hosting with an annual plan (or half off per month for 6 months on the monthly plans).

https://kinsta.com/pricing/

----------------------------------

JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD

Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

----------------------------------

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

• Clients unable to access Google Drive because they don't have Gmail...
• Clients unable to send files because they don't have Dropbox...
• Responding to, organizing, and taking feed back from cluttered email responses and Google Docs...
• Knowing if clients and prospects actually viewed your pitch deck

These are some of the inefficiencies we've been dealing with in our agency and just a few of the things Tiiny Host solves.

This week, we bring Tiiny Host CEO and Founder, Elston Baretto, onto the podcast to talk about what it is, why he decided to take on Google Drive and Dropbox, and why Tiiny Host is a must-have for agencies.

----------------------------------

The Tiiny Host team has a special deal for The Agency Growth Podcast listeners:

Go to: tinyhost.com/agencies Use code: GROW

You'll get 50% OFF your first month of a Pro or Pro Max plan.

----------------------------------

JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD

Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

----------------------------------

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Cold Open (Ninja Forms bugs, swag, and the great email fiasco)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 14:13**

This week, we dive into something every agency owner eventually faces: what happens when you and your clients grow, but not always in the same direction.

We break down the difference between growing with clients versus growing apart, how productization sharpens those shifts, and why "but I’ve been with you for years" cannot be a free pass.

If you have ever felt guilty about enforcing new rules, nervous about client pushback, or unsure when to adapt versus when to hold the line, this one will resonate.

----------------------------------

JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD

Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

----------------------------------

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

Real estate, real estate, real estate... We see so many newer agency owners and freelancers trying to target or go after real estate agents.

Thinking about this on our own... it doesn't seem that viable to us just off of our own basic knowledge of the industry.

So we brought Matt Johnson with MicroFamous™ onto the podcast who has an extensive history in the agency space dealing specifically with real estate agents.

Is this actually a lucrative niche? After all, homes and properties are huge investments... often the biggest ones people will make in their lives. So there HAS to be a lot of money in this industry for agencies... right?

----------------------------------

JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

----------------------------------

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Cold Open (The dentist and Jake's old man habits)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 10:00**

We received an email from a client a few days ago that part asked and part dictated strategy. This didn't sit well with us and it led Jake to ask Cody if we should list our prices on our website.

It sounds completely unrelated, but we position ourselves as a productized agency and not a boutique agency. That means our services are rigid and we are transactional, not consultative.

No matter how many times we try, illustrating what a productized agency is to a client still never gets the message across.

So Jake had an idea.

What if we just listed our pricing on our website?

----------------------------------

JOIN THE FREE DISCORD

https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD

Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

----------------------------------

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

----------------------------------

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencygrowthpodcast

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencypodcast

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u