The Innovative Agency

Today on The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek sits down with Pete Sena, multi-hyphenate founder, brand experience visionary, and creative provocateur, to tackle one of the most urgent questions facing agencies today: How do you keep innovating when AI is rewriting the rules of marketing in real time?

If you've ever wondered how AI is reshaping not just how your agency works, but how your clients' customers feel, connect, and build trust with brands, this episode is a must-listen.

Pete introduces his groundbreaking "VIBE Marketing" framework, a call to arms for agency leaders ready to blend technology with humanity. He'll challenge how you think about creativity, empathy, and ethics in the age of AI, and share practical strategies to help your team build resonance instead of resistance.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why traditional consumer research methods are becoming obsolete

• What agencies must do to truly connect with buyers in the age of AI

• Pete's "VIBE Marketing" framework, and how it helps agencies create faster, more emotional, boundaryless connections between brands and consumers

• Why the real risk isn't AI replacing jobs, but agencies that refuse to adapt getting left behind

• The ethical considerations agencies must navigate when AI amplifies their capacity to influence buyers' emotions

• How agencies can shift from commodity providers to strategic partners by institutionalizing and packaging their expertise

• Practical strategies for using AI to accelerate agency workflow, improve client retention, and optimize creative output without burning out your team

Bio

Pete Sena is a creative entrepreneur and forward-obsessed business builder. He partners with founders and business leaders to 10x their growth through marketing innovation, branding, and digital-experience design. As Founder of Digital Surgeons, a forward-obsessed brand experience consultancy, Pete designs results-driving strategies that unlock new possibilities and growth for ambitious brands and businesses. For nearly 20 years, he has built and led cross-functional teams that have delivered innovative, bottom-line boosting activations and multi-channel programs, ranging in scale from venture-backed startups to Fortune 500 organizations. As a human-centered problem solver, Pete focuses on the behaviors and systems that drive people, products, and experiences.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.theresonance.studio/

• Website: https://www.digitalsurgeons.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersena/

• Sena Vibe Marketing Playbook: AI Battlefield: 2025 Trends and Predictions from Pete Sena

• Sena Newsletter: Subscribe

On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek welcomes back Logan Lyles, Founder of DemandShift and a seasoned B2B marketing strategist, for a deep dive into how agencies can reclaim webinars as a high-impact growth engine.

Logan reveals how his Webinar Fast Track Framework turns webinars from passive brand awareness plays into measurable lead generation machines helping agencies attract right-fit prospects and drive real results.

Sharon and Logan discuss why webinars remain one of the most underutilized tools in the agency toolkit, what most teams get wrong about engagement and conversion, as well as how to design content that actually moves the sales needle.

This episode offers a fresh, practical perspective on how agencies can leverage webinars to drive real business results and deepen audience relationships.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why webinars are experiencing a resurgence

• How agencies can harness their power for both brand building and lead generation

• The critical mistakes most agencies make when designing webinar offers and follow-up strategies, and actionable fixes for better results

• How the "webinar fast track framework" increases conversion rates from sign-up to booked sales calls, and what elements set it apart from traditional approaches

• Strategies for bridging the gap between educational content and client acquisition

• The unique advantages of live video in building authentic connections (and credibility) in a world saturated with AI-generated content

Bio

Logan Lyles has spent 17 years in B2B sales & marketing, drawing on his journalism background to help B2B brands use the power of storytelling & ongoing video series to educate the 95% of their target market that isn't ready to buy and capture more in-market leads at the same time.

Logan is the founder of DemandShift, a webinar-as-a-service agency helping brands & agencies generate more revenue from their content efforts. Logan has been the host of several top-ranking podcasts on Apple (including B2B Growth & Agency Life) & was added to LinkedIn's invite only Top Voice Program.

Resources:

• Website: https://demandshift.co/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loganlyles/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/demandshift/

On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek chats with Jesse P. Gilmore, Founder of Niche In Control. Jesse opens up about his journey from entrepreneurial burnout to building agencies that scale sustainably, without sacrificing sanity or freedom.

He shares powerful lessons on the mindset shifts that turn overwhelm into momentum and breaks down why adding more people isn't always the answer to growth. Jesse reveals how systemizing your agency can help you reclaim your time, empower your team, and finally build the freedom-filled business you set out to create.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why adding more people won't fix owner exhaustion and where agency leaders should look instead

• How to identify and eliminate "single points of failure" in your agency workflow

• A proven framework for deciding whether your agency needs more team members or just better processes

• What to do before you make that next hire

• The principles behind designing a minimally viable offer to maximize value and margin

• Why specializing and moving away from a generalist model is critical for agency scalability

• How to leverage automation and AI tools wisely, without losing control or compromising quality

Bio

Jesse P. Gilmore is the Founder and CEO of Niche in Control. He helps digital marketing agency owners escape the chaos of daily operations and build a business that scales without them, so they can finally step into the CEO role that they were meant for.

Before starting Niche in Control, he dissolved three of his own businesses. He was working 60- to 80-hour weeks, completely burned out and stuck in the same trap that he now helps his clients escape. It wasn't until he spent five years in corporate America—leading over a hundred projects and building systems that supported a $180 million acquisition—that he realized the missing piece: systems, leverage, and self-leadership.

Since launching Niche in Control, he has helped over 90 agency owners double their revenue, build self-sufficient teams, and create predictable growth without sacrificing their time, their family, or their freedom. His framework, the Leverage for Growth Method, combines scalable systems, team empowerment, and consistent lead generation to help agency owners stop being the bottleneck and start leading a thriving business.

He's also the author of The Agency Owner's Guide to Freedom and host of the Leverage for Growth podcast, where he reverse-engineers agency success stories to help others grow with intention. His mission is simple: help agency owners reclaim their time, increase their impact, and finally build a business that works without them.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.nicheincontrol.com

• Live Events: https://events.nicheincontrol.com

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessepgilmore/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/niche-in-control/

Today on The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek and guest Carl Holden tackle one of the biggest shifts reshaping our industry — how AI is rewriting the rules of SEO and digital marketing.

Carl, agency owner and Founder of RankBot, has been at the forefront of this transformation. He's seen firsthand how AI is changing client expectations, lowering barriers to entry, and forcing agencies to redefine what "value" really means.

Carl digs into what it takes to stay relevant and profitable in this new landscape, from redefining your agency's value proposition to applying AI strategically (not reactively).

If you've been wondering how to lead through this next evolution of search and strategy, this is an episode you'll want to take notes on.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why AI is rapidly disrupting the traditional SEO landscape

• How agency owners can adapt before the competition

• The real impact of generative AI tools like ChatGPT on content creation, link-building, and external SEO strategies

• Key opportunities and threats AI poses for agencies focused on search, local, and digital marketing

• How to identify and automate repetitive agency tasks to boost efficiency and diversify your services

• Strategies for educating clients about AI's impact on findability and how to set realistic expectations for SEO outcomes

• Best practices for upskilling your team, fostering a culture of innovation, and protecting your agency's intellectual capital

• The impending shift toward immersive, AI-powered marketing experiences and what agencies should do now to prepare

Bio

Carl Holden is the CEO and co-founder of RankBot, an AI-powered SaaS specializing in off-page SEO, backlinks, keyword tracking, and website optimization, making SEO easy, accessible, for his clients, giving them a competitive edge in their industry. With more than 200 hours of AI training from Wharton, IBM, Microsoft, and Google, Carl brings deep expertise in generative AI to the world of digital marketing. He's also the co-owner of Zellus Marketing, an Amazon Top Author in Marketing and Web Analytics, and a contributor to Forbes and the Huntsville Business Journal. A former Toastmasters world semifinalist, Carl speaks on AI and marketing at events nationwide.

Resources:

• Website: https://rankbot.ai/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlholdenmarketing/

• Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/rankbotai

Today on The Innovative Agency Podcast, Sharon Toerek is joined by Leslie Carruthers, Founder of The Search Guru, for a conversation that every agency leader needs to hear right now. Generative AI isn't just a shiny new tool, it's rewriting the rules of search, visibility, and how clients find their next partner.

If you've seen your organic traffic slide or you're struggling with how to guide clients through this AI-driven shift, this episode is for you. Leslie brings decades of search expertise and lays out exactly what's at stake for agencies today, along with the bold moves that can turn disruption into opportunity.

From navigating traffic declines to rethinking your agency's value proposition, Leslie shares practical steps to help you stay relevant, profitable, and positioned to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why AI is causing dramatic drops in organic and paid traffic, and what agencies can do to respond

• How "findability" and SEO are evolving in the era of LLMs, generative engines, and answer-based search

• What agency leaders should be teaching clients about getting cited and discovered by AI-driven platforms

• The critical importance of brand originality, multimodal content, and strategic thought leadership

• How agencies should rethink pricing, value, and positioning in light of AI-powered content creation

• Where human expertise and insight remain indispensable

• Smart ways to experiment with AI tools, agents, and workflow automation

Bio

Leslie Carruthers is the Founder and President of The Search Guru, a digital marketing agency helping B2B enterprises drive measurable growth. With over 25 years of experience, she is a recognized expert in AI-driven marketing, SEO, and conversion optimization. A graduate of Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Leslie has trained, consulted for, and executed strategies for startups to Fortune 500 companies.

A sought-after speaker, she has presented at Content Marketing World, MAICON, SMX, eTail, and the Direct Marketing Association, delivering actionable insights on AI in marketing, search evolution, and data-driven decision-making. Named a Top 50 Content Marketing Influencer (2018) and one of the Top Women in SEO (2012), Leslie blends technical expertise with strategic vision. Her agency specializes in navigating complex sales cycles, leveraging AI to drive leads and revenue while maximizing ROI in an evolving digital landscape.

Resources:

• Website: https://thesearchguru.com/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliecarruthers/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesearchguru/

• X: https://twitter.com/TheSearchGuru

On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek chats with Justin Rashidi, co-founder of SeedX, for a no-fluff conversation about one of the toughest challenges every agency faces: client churn.

Justin brings a candid, inside look at why expectations so often fall apart between agencies and clients and what to do about it before the relationship unravels. From spotting red flags early, to setting crystal-clear metrics, to redefining what true partnership really looks like, Justin shares practical lessons agencies can put to work right now.

This conversation also digs into why the gap between marketing and sales alignment quietly sabotages long-term growth.

If you've ever wondered how to spot and avoid the pitfalls that derail agency success, this episode delivers unfiltered insights.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to identify and avoid red flags in new client relationships before they put your agency's stability at risk

• How elite agencies foster true partnership roles instead of remaining just a vendor

• Practical ways to set (and reset) client expectations around metrics, performance, and evolving goals

• Why aligning your agency's work with clients' revenue targets creates longevity, and where agencies most often get tripped up

• Why agencies should invest in strategic thinking as execution becomes increasingly automated through AI

• What recurring revenue and contract expansion reveal about agency health and stability

Bio

Justin Rashidi is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at SeedX, a data-driven marketing and business consultancy. With a scientific and engineering background, Justin brings a unique analytical perspective to marketing strategy that differentiates him from traditional marketers who often begin with copywriting or creative skills. Under his strategic leadership, SeedX has served over 153 companies from medium to enterprise scale and helped generate over a billion dollars in revenue for clients.

Resources:

• Website: https://seedx.us/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-rashidi/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/seedx-inc/

On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek welcomes Dan Englander, CEO and Founder of Sales Schema, to dig into what's really ahead for agency business development in 2025 and beyond. Dan has spent years in the trenches with independent agencies, and he's here to share why specialization and perspective are no longer "nice to haves" but are survival skills.

This conversation delves into how the current "trust recession" is reshaping the sales landscape and what it means for the way agencies show up with prospects.

If you're ready to rethink how your agency approaches sales, business development, and thought leadership, and you want to hear it from someone who's been guiding agencies through the same challenges you're facing today, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why "specialization" is no longer just a differentiator, but a requirement for sustainable agency growth

• The impact of the "trust recession" on agency sales, and how to overcome credibility hurdles

• The hidden risks of resisting specialization

• How to define and demonstrate a unique agency perspective to attract your ideal clients

• Ways to turn your specialization and unique POV into effective, lead-generating thought leadership

• How to build repeatable, reliable new business systems that blend inbound and outbound approaches

Bio

Dan Englander is the CEO and Founder of Sales Schema, a training firm that helps agencies and B2B service companies implement repeatable new business systems through tasteful outreach and referrals. Since 2014, Sales Schema has supported nearly 200 agencies to drive thousands of opportunities and millions in lifetime revenue. Dan hosts The Digital Agency Growth Podcast and he's the author of Relationship Sales At Scale. He lives in New York City with his wife Sarah, son Adrian, and a dog Crackle.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.salesschema.com/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-schema/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danenglander/

• Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/salesschema

On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek sits down with Elise Mitchell, Founder of the award-winning Mitchell Communications and trusted leadership coach to agency owners. Elise knows firsthand what it takes to build, scale, and sell an agency. She's bringing that hard-earned wisdom into her work guiding leaders through today's turbulence.

Elise tackles the challenges agencies are facing right now: relentless market uncertainty, leading remote and hybrid teams through cultural shifts, and preparing for the next chapter of leadership and succession. She shares not only the strategies that worked for her, but also the pitfalls to avoid when you're building resilient, high-performing teams in a world that never stops changing.

If you're looking for strategies to strengthen your leadership, future-proof your culture, or set a clear course for succession in 2025's unpredictable environment, this conversation is one you'll want to hear.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why macroeconomic uncertainty continues to impact agency business development and how leaders can respond to slow client decision cycles

• Practical steps for building and maintaining culture in both virtual and blended agency workplaces

• Frameworks for giving feedback that actually leads to growth

• How generational differences from remote work and the pandemic are impacting agency talent and tactics for bridging the gap

• What you need to know if you're considering succession, an agency exit, or M&A

Bio

Elise Mitchell is a seasoned CEO and entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience steering leaders and their companies through complex business and leadership challenges. She is a long-time public relations practitioner and agency veteran.

She founded Mitchell Communications Group, which was named a top 10 fastest-growing PR firm globally and a two-time Inc. 500/5000 fastest growing company. Under her leadership, her agency grew more than 500% in five years working with global brands such as Walmart, Tyson Foods, Hilton and P&G. In 2013, Elise led a sale of the agency to Dentsu Inc., taking on a global role to lead M&A for the network's PR investments. In 2019 she launched her own executive coaching and business consultancy, Velocity Collective.

Recognition of her accomplishments include: Agency Professional of the Year (PRWeek), a Top 50 Power Player in Public Relations (PRWeek), Entrepreneur of the Year (NAFE), and induction into the International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO) Hall of Fame. Her firm was twice named Agency of the Year (PRovoke and PRWeek).

Elise is the author of "Leading Through the Turn" (McGraw Hill), endorsed by John Maxwell. She is a keynote speaker, chair of a TIGER 21 cohort for ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and serves as an independent board director. When she's not working with clients, you can find Elise motorcycling with her husband, running the trails near their home or planning their next journey off the beaten path.

Resources:

• Website: https://elisemitchell.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisemitch/

This episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast welcomes back Mandi Ellefson, Founder of Hands Off CEO, for a candid and timely conversation about profits, client value, and the hidden levers that drive sustainable growth.

Too often, agency leaders obsess over monthly revenue or the size of the next contract while missing the real game-changer: long-term, high-profit "sweet spot" clients who fuel exponential growth.

Mandi reveals how to uncover your agency's unique invisible advantage, reshape your business model for lasting profitability, and develop the kind of bold mindset that allows you to step out of the grind while scaling bigger impact.

If you've ever questioned whether you're squeezing the most value, not just revenue, from your best client relationships, this episode will give you the clarity, courage, and strategies you need to transform how your agency grows.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why most agency leaders use the wrong metrics to evaluate client profitability and what you should focus on instead

• The definition of a "profit sweet spot" client and how to identify them within your existing book of business

• How uncovering your agency's invisible advantage can 10x your client results

• How to uncover your agency's invisible advantage and reposition your offers around true transformation instead of merely deliverables

• The steps necessary to boldly reposition your agency for new, more profitable client relationships

• How to approach existing client relationships when you need to "upgrade" your standards and pricing

• Strategies for weathering tough business moments while making the transition to higher-value clients

Bio

Mandi Ellefson went from $175K in debt and working around the clock to building a multimillion-dollar consulting business that runs without her — and now she helps other agency owners do the same. As Founder of Hands-Off CEO, she's helped hundreds of firms 2X–6X fees, shorten delivery time, and free up the CEO by scaling smarter, not harder. A former business exit advisor, Mandi is known for helping agencies win premium clients and build companies they can grow — or sell — on their terms.

Resources:

Website: https://www.handsoffceo.com/

LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandiellefson/

LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hands-off-ceo

handsoffceo.com/map

handsoffceo.com/book

Today on the Innovative Agency Podcast, Sharon Torek is joined by Paula Bruno, CEO and Founder of Intuition Media Group, and influencer marketing pioneer who's been navigating the creator economy for more than 15 years.

Paula gets candid about the real challenges marketing agencies are facing, including how to separate creators with genuine communities from those chasing vanity metrics, the contractual and compliance landmines that can derail a campaign, and why smaller, deeply engaged audiences are rewriting the rules of influence.

She shares hard-won lessons on spotting red flags before it's too late, and the systems every agency needs to protect clients, safeguard budgets, and build partnerships that actually move the needle. If your agency is serious about leading instead of following in the influencer space, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why agencies must rethink their influencer vetting strategies in an era of content overload and shifting audience expectations

• How micro-communities are reshaping the influencer space

• Why brands can find more ROI in depth over breadth

• Key red flags agencies should avoid when negotiating influencer partnerships

• The must-have processes and legal guardrails you need in place before, during, and after deploying influencer campaigns

• Why shoppable content, live selling, and platform curation are the next big things in influencer marketing

• Insights on handling tricky influencer/brand relationships and avoiding potential legal pitfalls

Bio

Paula Bruno is a seasoned marketer and brand builder with nearly 25 years of experience, including 15 years as the CEO of Intuition Media Group. Intuition Media Group is an independent women-owned agency established in 2008. Intuition specializes in influencer marketing, brand strategy and consulting, experiential events, live streaming, digital media, talent sourcing, negotiation, social media, and more.

Resources:

• Website: https://www.intuitionmediagroup.com/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulabruno/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intuitionmediagroup/