Smart Agency Masterclass Podcast with Jason Swenk
Bi-weekly interviews, strategy, and advice for building your marketing agency the smart way.
The popular agency podcast has just turned 10 years old and covers everything from starting a successful agency to selling your agency.
#1 Agency Leadership Podcast. Check Out Our Past Guests.
-
![]()
Seth Godin
Best selling Author of Purple Cow, This is Marketing, Linchpin, Permission Marketing
-
![]()
Gino Wickman
The creator of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and author of Traction.
-
![]()
Mike Michaelowicz
Best-selling author of Profit First and Clock Work
-
![]()
Dan Martell
Author of Buy Back Your Time. Influential coach in SaaS startups.
-
![]()
Amy Porterfield
Renowned online marketing expert and educator
-
![]()
Pat Flynn
The leaders in the podcast space
-
![]()
Joey Coleman
Recognized for his expertise in customer retention & enhancing client loyalty
-
![]()
Jay Baer
Best Selling author of Talk Triggers, Hug Your Haters, and one of the best speakers
-
![]()
Neil Patel
Founder of CrazyEgg, Kissmetrics, and other multimillion dollar companies
-
![]()
Todd Herman
Coach to Elite pro athletes, leaders, and public figures
-
![]()
Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and former Apple chief evangelist
The Secret to Longevity: Building Trust and Overcoming Skepticism with James Loomstein | Ep #758
Do you face a lot of skepticism from clients who have been disappointed by agencies before? How do you go about gaining their trust? After seven years running his agency, today’s featured guest still lists that mistrust as one of his primary challenges and talks about his strategic approach to overcoming this hurdle: combining client education with precise problem identification to deliver time-saving solutions that truly impact their businesses. This approach not only helps rebuild trust damaged by previous agency experiences but also positions marketing as a genuine catalyst for business growth.
Join us as we explore how agencies can move beyond surface-level marketing solutions to become trusted partners in their clients' success stories.
Navigating the Unexpected Sale of Your Agency by Thoughtful Negotiating with Kelsey Dixon | Ep #756
Would your agency be ready for an unexpected acquisition opportunity? Could you make it work if the time and offer were right? One boutique agency owner faced this question when an unexpected offer transformed her lifestyle business into an acquisition prospect. Though she and her partner had no immediate plans to sell, they recognized the potential and methodically prepared for a successful transition. Learn about their experiences finding their niche in the industry, preparing for acquisition, their ‘no regrets’ attitude regarding the sale, and the reason why they approached negotiations with a thoughtful mindset that would benefit everyone involved.
Mastering Financial Literacy to Set Up a Successful Exit with Brian Rodriguez | Ep #753
What is the one key thing that is holding you back from know your agency’s value? For many it’s having the financial literacy necessary to build an agency worth buying. Today’s featured guest learned that financial literacy can make or break an exit strategy. Despite his early start in business and formal education, it was the guidance of an outsourced CFO that truly transformed his understanding of business finances. This knowledge proved invaluable years later during acquisition negotiations and his successful exit.
From his teenage ventures in website development to building a thriving digital agency, and ultimately, to negotiating a successful exit on his own terms, join us as we explore the beginnings his agency and essential lessons on the importance of financial literacy, knowing your worth, and preparing for life after the sale.
A Year of Smart Agency Masterclass Wisdom: Best of 2024 | Ep #752
The Smart Agency Masterclass podcast reached new heights in 2024, delivering game-changing insights from entrepreneurs who transformed their challenges into triumphs.
From battling impostor syndrome to scaling revenue and reclaiming personal freedom, our guests didn't just share their success stories—they offered a blueprint for agency owners walking the same path they once traveled. Industry titans like Guy Kawasaki and Gino Wickman brought their hard-earned wisdom to our listeners, creating moments that resonated deeply with our community.
As we reflect on this remarkable year, I'm excited to share some of the most powerful conversations that shaped our 2024 season.
Transforming Agency Sales and Marketing Using AI with Andrew Eklund | Ep #748
Is your team leveraging AI beyond basic content creation? Did you know your sales process can be more efficient with the help of AI? While many agencies focus on AI's obvious applications, today's guest reveals a more innovative approach: using artificial intelligence to mine the wealth of unstructured data generated during sales interactions. By capturing and analyzing these often-overlooked conversations, his agency has discovered valuable insights that are transforming their sales process. In our fascinating discussion, we'll explore how AI is revolutionizing not just data analysis, but the entire advertising landscape. This interview is an in-depth conversation about the convergence of technology, community building, and cutting-edge marketing strategies.
Moving from Retainers to Productization to Increase Agency Profitability with Bob Afsari | Ep #746
Are you tired of the endless cycle of client demands and shrinking margins? How can you elevate your agency from a service provider to a strategic partner? Today's guest shares how he identified an untapped market opportunity that revolutionized his business approach. His experience shows how focusing on internal brand strength, selective client relationships, and strategic pricing can transform an agency's profitability and market position.
Leveraging Collaboration to Unlock the Secrets of Effective Branding with David Frederick | Ep #745
Do you cultivate a collaborative culture? Does everyone on your team feel empowered to contribute and share? That is the secret sauce that this guest has learned over the course of his time in the industry. He is on the show sharing common branding mistakes as well as how brand with longevity in mind. His approach challenges common misconceptions about branding, revealing why many businesses falter from the start in their brand-building efforts. To him, the journey to building a successful brand hinges on the ability to validate ideas, fostering a culture of experimentation, and embracing the lessons learned from both successes and failures to navigate the complexities of the market with greater agility. Tune in for an enlightening conversation on the art of branding and fostering a collaborative culture.
Attract & Keep a ROCKSTAR TEAM and CLIENTELE with Alex Melone & Andrei Marin | Ep #744
What if the secret to finding exceptional agency talent lies in conducting fewer interviews? Finding exceptional talent is perhaps the most formidable challenge in running an agency. When hundreds of applications flood in, the absence of an efficient screening process can transform talent acquisition into an exhausting ordeal of endless resume reviews and interviews. The same is true for prospective clients. Do you have a process for screening them to see if they’re the right fit? Or do you find out too late that you’re working with the wrong ones?
Today's guests went have found success in both hiring and client retention by developing a filtering process that not only saves time but consistently identifies great matches. Listen in as they explore the highs and lows of running an agency, the impact on personal relationships, and their commitment to a "business for good" initiative.
Lessons to Get Ahead in the Creator Economy with Alex Sunshine | Ep #743
Are you navigating the complex world of influencer marketing? What do you look for in an ideal creator-agency collaboration? Many agency owners focus solely on follower counts when seeking creator partnerships, but is that really the key to success? Our featured guest launched his influencer marketing agency in 2019, anticipating the explosive growth of the creator economy. Having built his business over the past five years, he brings valuable perspectives on what truly matters in creator-agency relationships. Through both successes and setbacks, he's developed a nuanced understanding of what makes these partnerships thrive.
4 Key Elements in Event Marketing & Learning to Pivot Fast with Mark Testa | Ep #741
What happens when your entire industry comes to a sudden halt? How would you adapt to the circumstances to keep your agency afloat? As an events agency owner, today’s featured guest watched his business model crumble in just one week when the pandemic struck, threatening to devastate the entire events industry. It seemed the events industry wouldn’t be able to see it through. However, by embracing technology, his agency successfully transitioned client events to the digital space, creating innovative virtual experiences that kept the business alive during lockdowns.
Now, as in-person gatherings return, he's navigating yet another evolution: the emergence of hybrid events, as he tried to warm his clients up to this concept. Tune in to learn the most common pitfalls in event organization and his vision for the future of events in a post-pandemic world.
About the Show
The popular agency podcast has been around since 2014 and covers everything from starting a successful agency to selling your agency. What makes this podcast a must-listen is Swenk’s background as the founder and CEO of an agency for over a decade. Swenk brings his own experience to the table, besides the expertise of his guests. He mostly covers topics that help growing agencies scale to the next level.
YOUR HOST
JASON SWENK
Smart Agency Masterclass
Jason is a family man who also happens to have created a couple big marketing agencies, helped thousands of agency owners, and had a big agency exit too.
