The Agency Hour

By Agency MavericksBusiness Entrepreneurship Marketing Management

The Agency Hour episodes

October 09Google Just Put It in Writing: A Human Has to Check AI Content.
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Google updated its AI content guidance this month. It now says it is critical to manually fact check and review all AI-generated content before publishing. Most agencies will read that as bad news. I read it as the best news this industry has had this year.
If AI does the typing, the human who signs off is the part your client pays for. This week's big idea is how to price that: sell the outcome and the sign-off. McKinsey already does, with about a quarter of its global fees tied to results.
This week: the news, one big idea, some homework, and your questions. Your homework is to Google your top five clients' brand names, screenshot the AI overview, and send each client what you're fixing.
In this episode:
OpenAI's new always-on dots agents and Meta's Muse for Small Business, and why both ask for approval before they act
AI Overviews now show on more than 80% of branded searches, and what to tell your clients about clicks
Accenture's 22% jump in a day, and McKinsey and EY moving to outcome-based fees
Google's new line: manually fact check and review all AI-generated content before you publish
HubSpot's blog traffic collapse, and what it says about publishing AI content at volume
The model that works: AI does the typing, the human does the judgment
Treat AI like a team of juniors: nothing ships without sign off
How to price it: sell the outcome and the judgment, and stop selling four blogs a month
The human-in-the-loop checklist: facts and numbers, real authors, original stories, titles, meta and alt text
How to answer a client who says "I'll just use AI myself"
Chapters:
0:00 Cold open
0:18 Intro: what's in this episode
1:35 The Feed: OpenAI Dots and Meta Muse
3:32 Google's AI overviews on branded searches
5:11 Big four consultancies move to outcome-based fees
6:42 The Deep Dive: Google's new rules for AI content
9:46 The model that works: AI types, humans judge
10:49 Nothing ships without sign off
11:51 How to price it: sell the outcome and the judgment
13:06 The human-in-the-loop checklist
14:53 Done Beats Perfect: Google your clients' brand names
15:45 Fan mail: send us your questions
16:57 When a client says they'll just use AI themselves
19:24 Outro and next week's guest
Work with us:
Free AI For Agencies community and AI Employee course: https://www.skool.com/agency-mavericks
Apply to work with Agency Mavericks: https://theagencyhour.com/headless
Mentioned in this episode:
OpenAI launches dots, always-on AI agents with their own cloud computers (The Next Web): https://thenextweb.com/news/openai-dots-always-on-ai-agents-cloud-computers-devday
Meta launches Muse for Small Business, connecting its AI agent to Shopify, Stripe, QuickBooks, Klaviyo and Meta ad accounts (Shopifreaks): https://www.shopifreaks.com/meta-launches-muse-for-small-business-connecting-its-ai-agent-to-shopify-stripe-quickbooks-klaviyo-and-meta-ad-accounts/
Google AI Overviews jump from 26% to 80% of branded queries (Search Engine Land): https://searchengineland.com/google-ai-overviews-jump-branded-queries-september-492962
AI Overviews on branded queries tripled in September (DemandSphere): https://www.demandsphere.com/blog/branded-ai-overviews-september-2026/
Accenture jumps 22% as outlook eases AI disruption fears (Resultsense): https://www.resultsense.com/news/2026-10-02-accenture-forecast-it-services-rally/
AI is reshaping how McKinsey makes money (Business Insider, via Yahoo Finance): https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ai-reshaping-mckinsey-makes-money-195132745.html
Google Search's guidance on generative AI content: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/using-gen-ai-content
Google: Manually Factcheck & Review AI-Generated Content For Accuracy (Search Engine Roundtable): https://www.seroundtable.com/google-updates-ai-content-guidelines-factcheck-review-42217.html
Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content (Google Search Central): https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content
HubSpot's SEO collapse: what went wrong and why? (Search Engine Land): https://searchengineland.com/hubspot-seo-organic-traffic-drop-451096
YouTube to cut reach of channels reposting barely changed clips (Search Engine Journal): https://www.searchenginejournal.com/youtube-original-shorts-reposted-clips-reach/591774/
Viktor: https://mvrx.link/get-viktor
Next week: Darren Rayner from Magnify Media in Canada. He's one of our clients and a video production agency that works with brands like Lululemon, Red Bull and Meta. He shares his process for getting more reach from video on social.
Leave us fan mail: ask anything about growing your agency and I may answer it on the show: https://mvrx.link/fanmail
Every episode of The Agency Hour: https://theagencyhour.com
Got a question you want answered on the show? Email me: [email protected]. I read every one myself.
22 min
October 01Let AI Do the Typing. Get Paid for the Thinking.
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"No matter how prominently we show the links, users won't click." An OpenAI engineer wrote that in February 2023. It surfaced this month in the New York Times' court brief against OpenAI and Microsoft, and it should change how you report to your clients. If your monthly report leads with traffic, that number is only going one way.
Traffic was never what your clients cared about anyway. They care about what happens after the click. As AI takes over more of the delivery, your job is to sit with the client, understand what matters to their business, and get paid for the thinking. Let AI do the typing.
This is the first episode of the new format: the week's news, one big idea, some homework, and your questions. This week's big idea: twenty years of SOPs and offshore teams are giving way to skill files and AI employees. Here's what to hand to AI, and the jobs you should never hand over.
In this episode:
The OpenAI engineer who admitted users won't click, and what it means for your traffic reports
Claude Sonnet 5.5: AI work keeps getting cheaper, so don't drop your fees to match your costs
"I'll just do it myself in Claude": how to answer clients who say it
Why you can outsource marketing but not accountability
From SOPs to skill files: the new way to hand off repeatable work
The jobs AI won't replace: sales, strategy, relationships and taste
Keyword research for a few dollars with DataForSEO
How Viktor runs a 90-day content strategy from keyword research to monthly report
The litmus test: if the job is typing into a computer, AI should be doing it
This week's homework: design one meaningful client report, then hand it to AI
Chapters:
0:00 Cold open
0:16 Intro: the new format
3:40 The Feed: OpenAI says users won't click
7:08 Claude Sonnet 5.5 and the falling cost of AI work
10:37 You can't outsource accountability
13:04 The Deep Dive: from SOPs to skill files
16:22 Your three jobs AI won't replace
18:42 What AI is already doing: keyword research
19:50 How Viktor runs a content strategy
24:38 The litmus test: should AI do this job?
26:00 AI employees are vending machines, not chatbots
27:47 Done Beats Perfect: hand off your monthly client reports
30:18 Fan mail: send us your questions
31:24 Outro
Work with us:
Free AI For Agencies community and AI Employee course: https://www.skool.com/agency-mavericks
Apply to work with Agency Mavericks: https://theagencyhour.com/headless
Mentioned in this episode:
Court filing quotes OpenAI engineer: users "won't click" links (Search Engine Journal): https://www.searchenginejournal.com/openai-engineer-users-wont-click-links-court-filing/591303/
Introducing Claude Sonnet 5.5 (Anthropic): https://www.anthropic.com/claude-sonnet-5-5
You can outsource marketing. You can't outsource accountability. (Search Engine Land): https://searchengineland.com/outsource-marketing-not-accountability-491648
Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! by Greg Crabtree: https://gregcrabtree.net/books/simple-numbers-straight-talk-big-profits/
DataForSEO: https://dataforseo.com
Viktor: https://mvrx.link/get-viktor
Leave us fan mail: ask anything about growing your agency and I may answer it on the show: https://mvrx.link/fanmail
Every episode of The Agency Hour: https://theagencyhour.com
Got a question you want answered on the show? Email me: [email protected]. I read every one myself.
33 min
September 29The AI Proposal That Lost Us a Client (with Duncan Isaaksen-Loxton)
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Duncan Isaaksen-Loxton used AI to write a 13-page proposal for an eight-website job. The research that used to take two days took 30 minutes. The proposal was done in a couple of hours.
Then the client wrote back: "It sounds like you did this proposal with AI." The trust they'd built on the discovery call was gone, and so was the job.
Duncan runs sixfive.io, a fractional CTO for small businesses. He looks after the tech so owners can get on with the work they're actually good at. In this episode we get into why business owners DIY their tech until it bites them, what happens when your team pastes client data into personal ChatGPT accounts, why AI without solid foundations just speeds up the mess, and why the human relationship still wins the work.
In this episode:
The "this will only take half an hour" myth, and what DIY tech really costs you
Staff using personal ChatGPT accounts with business data (and whose problem that is when it leaks)
A hospital that handed a government RFP to ChatGPT
How to sell backups and security without scaring people
Why you've shared an API key in Slack (yes, you have) and how to stop
Onboarding, offboarding and why most businesses only need three tools
Google Workspace vs Microsoft, and the Teams rant
AI is a power drill: it doesn't make you a tradie
What to do when a client sends you a 30-page AI document
The AI proposal that lost Duncan a client, and what he changed
Chapters:
0:00 Cold open
0:25 Intro
2:58 Who is Duncan and what sixfive.io does
7:11 From web developer to fractional CTO
9:33 Why business owners DIY their tech
12:45 Staff putting business data into personal ChatGPT
14:14 Data breaches and how AI amplifies bad decisions
17:00 Selling protection without the fear
21:11 Slack Connect, API keys and secrets hygiene
23:17 Onboarding, offboarding and the three-tool stack
26:09 Google Workspace vs Microsoft
29:31 Techies, builders and designers: where websites fit
31:40 AI content and the power-drill problem
35:09 The 30-page AI document policy
39:40 Human connection can't be automated
43:15 The AI proposal that lost a job
46:40 How to reach Duncan
49:08 Outro
Connect with Duncan:
sixfive.io: https://sixfive.io (book a 15-minute chat)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loxton/
Mentioned in this episode:
Viktor: https://mvrx.link/get-viktor
Doppler: https://doppler.com
Every episode of The Agency Hour: https://theagencyhour.com
Got a question you want answered on the show? Email me: [email protected]. I read every one myself.
51 min
July 07 Viktor AI Changed My Agency Forever (Here's Why)
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AI isn't replacing agencies. It's replacing repetitive work. In this episode, Troy Dean shares how he's using Viktor, an AI coworker that lives inside Slack, to automate work that used to take hours and why he believes every agency owner should be learning this now. This isn't about replacing your team. It's about freeing your team from repetitive admin so they can spend more time solving client problems. Handy Links: Viktor - https://mvrx.link/get-viktor Headless Install - https://mvrx.link/headless-podcast Set Up Video - I Made Over $100K in 30 Days Installing Viktor for Clients (Step-by-Step) E2M Solutions - https://go.e2msolutions.com/partnership/agency-mavericks
43 min
June 05 Headless: The Future of Work
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If you want to increase capacity, improve margins, reduce operational drag, and build a business that scales without becoming dependent on more headcount, click the link below and apply to work with us.
https://mvrx.link/headless-podcast
In this episode, Troy Dean reads his new manifesto, Headless: The Future of Work, and explores one of the biggest shifts in business since the internet itself.
For decades, we've built companies around a simple assumption: if you want more output, you hire more people.
That assumption is breaking.
AI agents, wearables, voice interfaces, and headless software are changing the way businesses operate. The question is no longer how many people work for you. The question is how much value each person can create.
In this episode, Troy explores:
Why headcount is becoming a misleading measure of success
How AI is replacing execution while humans focus on strategy
Why the office may become obsolete
The collapse of the traditional agency growth model
How "headless businesses" will outperform their competitors
The future of work, leadership, productivity, and leverage
Why value per human will become the most important business metric of the next decade
This isn't a conversation about prompts, tools, or hacks.
It's a conversation about what happens when the interface leaves the desk.
If you're a founder, operator, executive, consultant, or agency owner trying to understand where work is heading, this episode is for you.
19 min
May 15 AI, Automation, and the Headless Agency Model with Melissa Elizondo
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Discover how Melissa Elizondo, a solo marketing agency owner, leverages AI and automation to run her entire business with minimal human input. In this episode, we explore cutting-edge AI tools, the concept of headless agencies, and how businesses can massively increase productivity while reducing costs.
If you want this system installed in your agency, apply here: https://headless.agencymavericks.com/schedule (We’re only taking a small number of agencies right now.)
Listen now and discover how the next generation of agencies are being built.
Connect with Melissa Elizondo:
Instagram
TikTok
LinkedIn
Handy Links:
E2M Solutions - https://www.e2msolutions.com/agency-mavericks
The Headless Agency - https://headless.agencymavericks.com/schedule
Viktor - https://mvrx.link/get-viktor
59 min
May 12 $1M Year. No Staff. 10 hours a week (part two)
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What if you could run a 7-figure agency… without a team?
In this episode, Troy pulls back the curtain on the headless agency model, a radically different way to deliver agency services using AI-powered systems instead of traditional staff.
We’re not talking theory. We’re talking real clients, real deliverables, and a live system already in motion.
From zero to 10 clients in just a few weeks, with a clear path to $1M in recurring revenue, Troy breaks down exactly how the model works, from onboarding and strategy to content production, project management, and client communication.
You’ll learn:
The difference between AI “tools” and AI “systems” (and why it matters)
How to build a team of specialized AI agents that run your agency operations
The step-by-step client journey from onboarding to fully autonomous delivery
How to maintain quality and brand voice without producing “AI slop”
What your role becomes as the agency owner in this new model
This isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about removing the bottlenecks that stop agencies from scaling.
If you’ve ever felt stuck in delivery, overwhelmed by team management, or curious about what AI actually makes possible… this episode will change how you think about your agency.
If you want this system installed in your agency: Apply here: https://headless.agencymavericks.com/schedule(We’re only taking a small number of agencies right now.)
Listen now and discover how the next generation of agencies are being built.
17 min
May 08 $1M Year. No Staff. 10 hours a week (part one)
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A couple of weeks ago, I posted something that got a lot of attention:
“$1M agency. No staff. 10 hours a week.”
I didn’t expect it to blow up… but it did.
Hundreds of comments, a flood of DMs, and one question kept coming up:
“How is that actually possible?”
So in this episode, I’m answering that properly.
I’m walking you through the exact system I’m building right now, in real time, to run a digital agency with no team. Not a lean team. Not offshore support. Literally just me and AI.
Right now, I’ve gone from zero to 10 clients in about four weeks, and I’m capping growth at one new client per week. The model gets to $1M a year at 28 clients, and I’m showing you exactly how the math works, how the delivery works, and what’s actually changing in the agency space.If you want this system installed in your agency: Apply here: https://headless.agencymavericks.com/schedule(We’re only taking a small number of agencies right now.)
19 min
May 01 From Freelancer to 15 Staff: The Real Story with Josh Moore.
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What actually changes when you commit to building a real agency?
In this episode of The Agency Hour, Troy Dean sits down with Josh Moore from DuoPlus to unpack what growth really looks like behind the scenes, not the highlight reel, but the decisions, pressure, and trade-offs that come with it. Josh shares how he went from solo operator to a 15-person in-house team, why he doubled his overhead overnight (on purpose), and what it takes to keep moving forward when the numbers get uncomfortable.
If you’re trying to grow your agency without burning out or wondering what the next level actually demands, this is worth your time.
If you want the full step-by-step plan to implement this inside your agency, follow Agency Mavericks on Instagram and DM the word “TRUST.”
Because the agencies that win next… won’t be the loudest.
Handy Links:
Beanbox - https://www.beanbox.app
DuoPlus - https://www.duoplus.nz
New Zealand Innovation & Export Podcast - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast
45 min
April 24 From $0 to $3M: The Ultimate Agency Success Checklist
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So many agency owners are just guessing their way to growth.
This is the exact checklist we use to help agencies go from $300K to $4M+ and today, you’re getting it for free.
Inside this episode, Troy Dean breaks down the Grow → Package → Scale framework that’s helped thousands of digital agencies build authority, increase revenue, and remove themselves as the bottleneck.
This isn’t theory. It’s the step-by-step system we use with clients every week.
If you want a clearer path to your first (or next) seven figures - this is where to start.
Download the Agency Success Checklist and follow along step-by-step.
If you want the full step-by-step plan to implement this inside your agency, follow Agency Mavericks on Instagram and DM the word “TRUST.”
Because the agencies that win next… won’t be the loudest.
They’ll be the most trusted.
Handy Links:
Agency Mavericks Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agencymavericks
E2M Solutions - https://www.e2msolutions.com/agency-mavericks
HighLevel - https://gohighlevel.com/troy-dean
Score App - https://www.scoreapp.com
Personalised Agency Growth Game Plan - https://gameplan.agencymavericks.com
32 min

About The Agency Hour

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The Agency Hour is for digital agency owners like you who want to start, grow and scale their businesses. It’s like hanging out with friends while getting a masterclass in how to tackle the most…