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.
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Seth Godin
Best selling Author of Purple Cow, This is Marketing, Linchpin, Permission Marketing
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Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and former Apple chief evangelist
Selling to an Employee: A Unique Approach to an Agency Exit with Eric Holter | Ep #770
Could an internal succession be the right choice for your eventual agency exit? What could that sort of deal structure look like in order to ensure you’re leaving the agency in the best hands possible? As one agency owner transitioned to out of the agency day-to-day, an unexpected result was an organic exit from the business with an employee buyout.
A shining-star employee with the potential to be a great owner was the buyer in mind. Now the challenge was helping him get to a place where he could make the purchase. Listen to the inspiring story of adaptability and structuring the right deal to sell your agency to the right person.
Maintaining a Small Client Roster for Big Agency Success with Nick Francis | Ep #769
How do you measure your agency’s success? Awards and accolade? Top-line revenue and big name clients? What if we told you a more focused and lean approach could be the best path. Today’s featured guest realized the importance of finding a "sweet spot" in the agency world, so he moved to focusing on quality over quantity. He talks about the challenges of maintaining a small client roster and the benefits it brings. In his business model, his agency is providing consistent, high-quality work and building strong partnerships. Learn valuable insights on leadership, innovation, and the importance of a good relationship building.
Boosting Agency Efficiency with the Help of AI Integration with Manish Dudharejia | Ep #768
Are you integrating AI in your agency processes in the most effective ways? What sort of opportunities are you missing by not integrating AI into your agency’s systems and processes? There’s no going back from AI, so you might as well embrace it as it continues to evolve the ever changing agency landscape.
While many agencies have begun incorporating AI tools, numerous opportunities remain unexplored, and the technology's full potential is still emerging. Today's featured guest brings unique insights as an agency owner who has fully embraced AI's transformative power. Through his continuous study and practical implementation of AI solutions, he has gained valuable perspectives on how this technology is fundamentally altering agency operations—from team structures to client expectations. Tune in for practical insights for agency leaders looking to harness AI's potential while adapting to the evolving demands of the digital marketplace.
Insights on Agency Hiring: Finding the Right Fit and Knowing When It’s Not with Justin Hall | Ep #767
Have you defined the who in your agency’s growth journey? What are you using to guiding the type of team that will grow your agency to it's full potential? This guest quickly discovered that attracting the right talent—especially individuals excited to join a small, fledgling agency—was far more challenging than expected.
Learn the valuable lessons he’s learned about hiring, the qualities he looks for in candidates to drive his agency’s success, and why he emphasizes the importance of acting swiftly when a hire isn’t the right fit.
Growing 5x in Four Years: Selling and Reclaiming the Agency with Alex Polamero | Ep #766
Have overwhelm or frustration ever made you want to sell your agency? When you’re burned out, the grass might look greener — but one agency owner learned that it’s not. Discover why he sold after just two years plus why the acquisition was dissolved and he grew his original business back to 5X within the next four years.
Learn more about his reflections on why his initial burnout came to be, the reasons that partnership failed, and how he managed to rebuild his agency even stronger by surrounding himself with the right people.
#1 Thing an Effective Head of Operations Does for an Agency CEO with Jhana Li | Ep #765
Have you hit the limit of the growth you can single-handedly bring to your agency? What steps are you taking to ensure you continue to be your organization's MVP? For many founders, reaching this ceiling signals the need to bring on a skilled operator who can help eliminate low-value tasks from their schedule. Today's featured guest specializes in operations hiring and has developed a systematic approach to identifying and delegating tasks that consume CEOs' time and energy.
Have you hit the limit of the growth you can single-handedly bring to your agency? What steps are you taking to ensure you continue to be your organization's MVP? For many agency owners, reaching hitting a glass ceiling on growth signals the need to bring on a skilled operator to help eliminate low-value tasks from their schedule.
Today's featured guest specializes in operations hiring and has developed a systematic approach to identifying and delegating low value tasks that consume CEOs' time and energy. As an expert in operational efficiency, she trains operators to create effective processes that free founders to focus on strategic growth. She shares her secret to a great hiring funnel, what results to expect from an operator’s first 90 days in your agency, and the #1 thing an operator does for their agency founder. Learn actionable insights on breaking through operational bottlenecks and building a strong operational foundation through strategic hiring and training.
Empowering Your Agency Team: Creating a Clear Growth Path for Success with Warren Wilansky | Ep #764
Do your employees have a clear path for growth within your agency? Do they feel supported, empowered, and fulfilled in their role? Today's featured guest shares insights from his journey transforming his agency team structure that resulted in thriving for the business, his team, and himself.
After years of struggle, this agency CEO took ownership of his role and developed a strategic approach to employee motivation and development. By reimagining annual reviews and creating meaningful growth opportunities, he shifted from an environment of stagnation to one of continuous improvement. In this interview, learn the benefits of offering a clear path for growth within your agency, and how to improve your team’s experience during annual reviews. He also shares how to get yourself out of sales — if that’s something you want — and why you need to keep doing what you love.
Is It Time to Rebrand Your Agency? When, Why, and How to Rebrand with Jim Heininger | Ep #763
Is your agency in need of a rebrand? Many of us are accidental agency owners who threw together a brand without fully understanding our niche or service offering; starting with just a basic name and logo. As the agency evolves this may signal the need for a strategic brand refresh. Today’s featured guest runs a rebranding agency and shares the scenarios that could justify a rebrand, the difference the right will name make for clients to differentiate you, and share some rebranding strategies to keep in mind.
Hiring an Agency COO and Balancing the CEO-COO Dynamic with Brittany Filori | Ep #762
Do you need to get yourself out of agency operations so you can work ON the agency rather than in it? Are you stuck in processes and fulfillment when you should be looking at growth? It might be time to hire for the role of COO to ensure your agency's success. A Chief Operating Officer plays a pivotal role in an agency's development, significantly reducing the CEO's operational burden. However, timing is crucial – agencies should carefully consider their growth stage before initiating the search for a COO, and thoroughly understand the position's complexities to ensure an ideal match.
Successful AI - Human Collaboration: Where Technology and Creativity Intersect with Marc Beckman | Ep #761
Is artificial intelligence revolutionizing business operations or threatening the carefully crafted storytelling techniques developed over decades? As many businesses struggle with integrating AI while maintaining authentic connections, today's featured guest offers valuable insights from his perspective as both an agency leader and AI advocate as well as someone who can see some of the fatigue caused by the ever-growing demand for constant information that has been aided by AI and the availability to create content faster and efficiently. He shares the ways he is integrating AI technology into his own agency, and why he believes it won’t work when it comes to replacing the human touch. Learn about his vision for AI use in business, the trends he sees changing in consumer preferences in social media, and how agencies can adapt to AI.
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.
