In this episode of The Happy Clients Podcast, Ashton Shanks joins us to share his journey through a transformative agency merger. Ashton offers a behind-the-scenes look at how transparency, trust, and open communication were crucial in making the merger successful, despite the challenges of navigating team dynamics and resistance to change. 💪🏻

Ashton reveals why the traditional hourly billing model is becoming obsolete. Instead, he advocates for a value-driven approach that leverages skill, data, and technology, allowing agencies to thrive with performance incentives and monthly retainers. 🤑

We also explore effective strategies for client retention, highlighting the importance of being a true partner rather than just a service provider. Ashton discusses the innovative team structure he uses—small, dedicated pods led by strategists—to enhance client relationships and project management. 📋

For agency owners grappling with scaling, Ashton’s insights offer a refreshing perspective on balancing marketing prowess with effective leadership. This episode is brimming with practical advice and honest reflections that you won’t want to miss! ✨

How to Handle Unhappy Clients: Expert Tips from Tiffany

In this episode of The Happy Clients Podcast, we dive into a topic that’s not always the easiest to tackle, but one every agency owner will face at some point: unhappy clients. Tiffany, Senior Department Manager, takes the mic to share her personal stories of navigating difficult client situations and provides actionable strategies to defuse negative scenarios.

Tiffany begins by reminding us that unhappy clients are inevitable, but how we respond to them can make all the difference. She recounts her own experience with a distressed client and how listening with empathy, taking detailed notes, and having a clear plan of action helped transform the relationship from rocky to rewarding. The key? Listening well and showing up for your client with confidence, even when things aren't going according to plan. 🙂

Balancing Parenthood & Agency Life with Regina of Tenuto Consulting

Welcome to another inspiring episode of The Happy Clients Podcast! Today, we're thrilled to have Regina from Tenuto Consulting join us for a heartfelt conversation on balancing motherhood and running a successful agency. As moms ourselves, this topic is especially close to our hearts, and Regina shares a deeply personal journey that will resonate with any parent in the agency world. ✨

Regina began her career in a traditional PR agency but soon found that the fast-paced, high-demand world didn’t align with her dreams of motherhood. She witnessed firsthand how moms in the agency world were often expected to shelve their role as mothers once they entered the office. But Regina was determined to rewrite the script for herself—and for other women like her. 👩🏻

Welcome back to The Happy Clients Podcast! Today, we are thrilled to have Mandi Ellefson, founder of Hands-Off CEO, join us. Mandi’s journey to creating a hands-off business model began from a personal crisis—attempting to take maternity leave only to find her previous business couldn't function without her. Her experience led her to develop a framework for agency owners to step back from day-to-day operations and create a more sustainable, autonomous business. 👌🏻

Mandi’s framework emphasizes the importance of standardizing offers and processes to ensure scalability and profitability. By strategically exiting from these roles, agency owners can not only maintain but enhance the quality of their services, fostering sustainable growth and increased profitability.

Tune in to learn more about Mandi’s practical tips and insights to transform your agency into a hands-off business that thrives without you. 😉

In this episode of The Happy Clients Podcast, Taylor welcomes Joe, the mastermind behind Smart Pricing Table, a revolutionary online interactive proposal software. Joe’s enthusiasm for optimizing processes shines as he dives into the origins and benefits of his innovative tool. ⚙️

Joe’s journey began with a frustration familiar to many in the business world: the cumbersome process of creating detailed Statements of Work (SOWs). Smart Pricing Table emerged from his desire to break down complex tasks into manageable components. The result? A tool designed to make crafting proposals not just efficient, but enjoyable. And on top of all that, it's designed specifically for marketing and professional services agencies 👀 Joe’s obsession with efficiency means that this tool addresses the unique needs of these industries, providing a robust solution for proposal management.

If you're looking for a solid dose of agency wisdom, you won't want to miss this episode of The Happy Clients Podcast. We had the pleasure of hosting Jody Sutter, an expert in business development for creative agencies, who shared her wealth of knowledge on overcoming sales bottlenecks and optimizing current sales processes.

Jody's journey from working on the front lines of small agencies to managing large global pitches has given her a unique perspective on what it takes to build and sustain a successful sales strategy. Now, with her business, The Sutter Company, she focuses on helping small agency owners (think teams of 5 to 55) who often can't afford a dedicated sales team yet still need a robust business development strategy.

Hey, hey, friends! Grab your favourite cup of coffee and get cozy, because today's episode of The Happy Clients Podcast is an absolute treat. Taylor welcomes Greg Hickman, a seasoned agency pro who's been shaking things up since 2014.

They dive into the nitty-gritty of how the agency world has evolved over the years and why the traditional full-service agency model is becoming less relevant. Greg explains his 🔥hot take🔥 on how productizing your services doesn't kill creativity; it actually requires you to be more creative in delivering consistent, high-quality results.

On this week's episode of The Happy Clients Podcast, we had the pleasure of chatting with Pete Everitt, founder of the UK-based agency, So Digital and the proactive white-label SEO service, SEO Hive.

Pete’s journey is a testament to leveraging your strengths. Initially a problem-solving developer, he transitioned into management and eventually launched So Digital in 2016, followed by SEO Hive in 2020. His story is a beacon of inspiration for anyone aiming to break out on their own.

Crafting Your Perfect Exit Strategy - Insights from Jonathan Baker on the Happy Clients Podcast

Hey there, fellow agency owners! I’m thrilled to share some golden nuggets from a recent episode of the Happy Clients Podcast, featuring Jonathan Baker, co-founder of Punctuation and a seasoned advisor to small and mid-sized marketing services firms. Jonathan’s journey from a marketing strategy consultant to founding a successful craft brewery, and now advising agencies, is nothing short of inspiring.

This episode is a must-listen for agency owners at any stage, whether you’re just starting out or contemplating your next big move. Jonathan’s expertise offers a roadmap to not just growing your agency, but doing so in a way that aligns with your personal goals and values.

Stay inspired, and remember—your agency, your rules! 🤝

Embracing the Future of Agencies: A Chat with Jonathan Leafe

Recently, we chatted with Jonathan Leafe, a distinguished agency consultant and thought leader with oodles of industry experience.

As a digital pioneer, he's witnessed the rollercoaster ride of agency transformations.

Understanding Goals and Skillsets of Agency Owners (Not Rocket Science!):

Jonathan shared that knowing your goals and prowess is pivotal. Aiming for growth isn't always the rainbows and unicorns solution—it sometimes pays to stay small and nimble for happiness and triumph. Many agency founders lack the magical touch to grow from minuscule to massive businesses and often stumble in the metamorphosis. So, if your heart flutters with passion for your work, and you'd rather skip the business admin part, focus on being small but fabulous!

Account Management – The Secret Sauce to Scaling Your Agency:

Throughout the chat, Jonathan emphasized the vital role of account management in propelling agency growth. He urged agencies to invest in their account management team, to ensure clients are over-the-moon happy, satisfied, and loyal customers for eons to come. Plus, he cautioned against becoming a "yes" puppet, advising agencies to focus on providing client's true needs.

The League Table Approach:

This chic strategy, introduced by Jonathan, involves ranking clients like a league table. Clients are scored on profit contributions, growth potential, and overall delight, allowing account managers to pour their hearts and energy into clients who genuinely sparkle for your agency's success. This strategic approach fosters enduring growth and profit.

Jonathan's wisdom provides a crystal-clear perspective on the evolving agency landscape and how intentional decisions regarding agency size and concentration can lead to lucrative and satisfying results for agency owners. The crème de la crème takeaway? Understand your goals, prioritize, and embrace account management as the backbone of a thriving agency!

Check out his book, "I'm an Agency Owner. Get Me Out Of Here!" on Amazon and other fabulous booksellers.