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Is pride standing your way of growing your agency? It's easy to get in your own way sometimes as an entrepreneur. I had something in my personal life that made me step back and reflect on this lesson. In this video, I'll talk about progress vs. pride. Sometimes pride holds us back. Whether it's our desire to be right or just a matter of principles, we lead with our pride and sometimes do things that prevent growth. As I think back over the 12 years I owned my agency, I remember many occasions where this was true (even though I didn't realize it at the time). Choose progress over pride. It's easier said than done, right? But here's the secret and something I tell my agency-owner clients all the time... remove emotion from the decision. Don't lead with your feelings on a certain matter but instead eliminate those emotions and make a level-headed decision. When you take away the emotion you're left with facts and that will lead you to progress. Is pride standing in your way? If not pride, what IS standing in your way of growing? Comment below and maybe I can help. ================================================ SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ================================================ Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a vlog that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk   Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com   Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com  

Is your agency tone deaf? I am seeing agencies handle this pandemic and economy crash in one of two ways. They have either stopped selling because they feel it's insensitive or futile. Or, they are tone deaf and not listening to the actual needs of the market. In this video, I am putting the spotlight on Scott Bell, CEO of Bell Media. Right away, Scott changed his agency's messaging to be empathetic and get the attention of his market. This gives your prospects reassurance that you understand what's going on and hear how their needs, challenges, and concerns are changing right now. In times like these, your agency needs to be flexible and have the ability to move swiftly to make changes in how you're gaining clients. What are your current challenges and struggles in surviving and thriving right now? Comment below. ================================================SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ================================================ Music by epidemicsound.com

How can agencies help clients who are shut down right now during coronavirus? How can agencies pivot to thrive during this downturn economy? This episode is a spotlight on Alyssa Ege, Sail Away Marketing - helping dental practices during the current shutdown. Takeaways on what Alyssa and other thriving agencies are doing right: 1. Use digital to help prospects and clients make a quick pivot. 2. Help prospects and clients find creative ways to stay in business even when their physical doors are closed. How can digital agencies help clients who are shit down eight now during the coronavirus epidemic? 3. Educate prospects and clients on the possibilities. Many of them aren't tech-savvy or understand digital marketing enough to even know what's possible. Help them get educated. Follow the lead by Alyssa at Sail Away Media who'd been doing an amazing job!

Can you grow your agency during a recession? What should you do to make sure your agency survives a downturn in the economy? How can you flip current conditions to benefit your business? In this video, I'll talk about how you can grow your agency during a threatening economic market. I'm already hearing from agencies saying clients are backing down their spending, some are losing deals in the pipeline... it's partially a result of global panic over the coronavirus outbreak. Now, when I owned my agency for 12 years, we went through many economic threats during the Dot-Bomb Era, September 11, and the 2008 market crash... and we were able to survive, even grow at those times. So here we are again at the threshold of a downturn in the economy. How can your agency not only survive but grow in a recession? In my mastermind group, we did a lot of talking about this exact topic and what these 7-figure agency owners are doing about it. These successful agencies are finding opportunity in the face of challenge... For example, do your clients do a lot of trade shows or conferences? Those events are getting canceled, so show them how to spend more on digital marketing. Think outside the box! What you need to do is get more creative and opportunistic. Spend more when people pull back on spending because your cost per acquisition is going to go down. Don't be afraid to spend when everyone else is afraid because that's when you're going to get the biggest bang for your buck. Bottom line -- don't participate in the recession unless it's to take advantage of it! Where are your opportunities during this health threat and economic recession? Comment below and tell me how you can get creative. Also, if you want accurate and reliable information (without the hype of the new media :) check out: World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/ US Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/ SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Monday & Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Timing is everything. And the theme of this video is all about what is holding back your new ideas from coming to fruition. I just watched a documentary on a company that I'd never heard of because of bad timing. But as it turns out this company really got the ball rolling for another company we have all heard of... Apple. We are entrepreneurs and we have ideas. Tons of ideas. Sometimes they fly and sometimes they don't, all based on whether or not the timing is right. General Magic is a company comprised of Apple executives that worked on MacIntosh. They had the vision of creating the mobile device and were funded by Sculley, the CEO of Apple at the time. They assembled an all-star team for their board of directors: founder of LinkedIn, founder of Netscape, founder of eBay... I mean, could there be a better team? These guys were the architects for their vision of a mobile device. Unfortunately what they lacked was the technology to support it. It wasn't until 11 years later that we would learn about the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. My point is, just because you may have the vision for something that doesn't take off right away -- keep at it. Keep trying to connect the dots. It might take a few years, but if you really believe in an idea keep it alive and try to find a way to deliver it into existence. Have you heard this story before? I was blown away by it. Comment below and tell me what challenges you're facing with your ideas and visions. Maybe I can help connect some dots!  

Just keep swimming. This video is some business advice that I think will benefit any agency owner, and it's something we all know but easily forget. It's actually something my 9-year-old son just reminded me of at his first swim meet. At the start of the race, his swim goggles filled with water and he immediately got frustrated and didn't start at the same time as the rest of the swimmers. But when he pushed through that obstacle and decided to just keep swimming, he actually ended up beating many of the others. It's like Mike Tyson said, "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." And it's so true. You have to push forward despite your challenges and struggles. Everyone has a plan but sometimes things stand in the way of that plan. What challenges do you face at your agency? What struggles are you up against? Comment below and let me know so we can work through them together. ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE: Podcast Monday & Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What's the #1 strategy for digital agency growth in 2020? How can you make big things happen in the coming year? Plus, I've got a big announcement surrounding my own content creation. I'll tell you all about it in this video. Podcasting! Hopefully, you're already aware of my podcast, Smart Agency Masterclass. It's over 5 years old show and it's all about growing and scaling your marketing agency. I've been lucky enough to have amazing guests on the show for over 5 years, mostly agency owners as well as some industry leaders like Seth Godin... In fact, it's the podcast that really helped me launch this business 5+ year ago and now {drum roll, please} We are going to 2 shows per week in 2020!! That's right. We're doubling down on the podcast in 2020. And, I want you to do the same. Oh wait, you don't have a podcast? Then this is the year to start one. I recently spoke at Digital Marketer's Digital Agency Expo in NYC and in the crowd on 1,000 agencies I asked how many had a podcast -- only 5 hands went up. You see the huge opportunity you have here, right? Podcasting is where my ideal clients are, and guest what? It's where your ideal clients are too! When your prospects are commuting to work, stuck at their kid's sports practice, waiting for a flight... they're listening to podcasts. They aren't watching videos on social media. They're spending their consuming loads and loads of podcasts on the topics which they want to learn more. And, they are willingly allowing you to talk right into their earbuds for 10, 20, 30 minutes or more! Friends, you heard it here -- in 2020 you NEED an agency podcast. Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello. JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. http://jasonswenk.com In 1999 he launched a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of amazing growth, his agency was acquired in 2012. Now, Jason leads JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow, scale, and enjoy running their agency by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 20,000 agencies in 42 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason generously shares it all as a frequent guest on popular radio and podcast shows. He has been featured as an expert in top media publications such as Entrepreneur and Inc. Magazine. Plus, he currently hosts two of the best agency podcasts: The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and The #AskSwenk Show, a video show that answers agency questions about successful, multi-million dollar agency. SCHEDULE MON & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk https://twitter.com/jswenk https://www.instagram.com/jswenk https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk https://medium.com/@jswenk/ Music by epidemicsound.com

Why is it so important to know and understand your audience? Well for starters, when your prospects feel understood they are more likely to trust you and want to do business with you. Now, a lot of you who've been following me for a long time already know I'm a car guy. I have had and loved Ford Mustangs, I've been a car racer as well as a race trainer. Now I'm into Jeeps and doing cool stuff with them out in the mountains and deserts. But... I just read that Ford has created a new Mustang SUV and I've got to say they totally missed the mark. Mustang has always been known for its two-door, sport style cars. So why in the world would they mess with their audience at this point? People that have and love Mustangs because that is their "fun car." Those people drive something else as their family car. So I'm not sure why Ford would desecrate the brand they've created. It's a huge mess up... a total M-U-S-T-A-K-E. I think the product team and the marketing people who created this idea are in big trouble; their heads are on the chopping block. And that means two things for you: 1- When a brand has a major product flop, they bring in new marketing teams. So that means you might have an opportunity to get in with Ford. 2- When you know your audience and stick with what you know, you'll win. Don't veer off and do something that's outside of your area of expertise. I want to hear what you think about! Comment below and let me know if this was a good idea or a MUSTAKE :) Related: https://youtu.be/05-MAGMHQvc https://youtu.be/AUiVS1BJlSc ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or https://jasonswenk.com/smart-agency-master-class/ Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: https://jasonswenk.com/smart-agency-master-class/  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you need to win agency awards to grow your agency? Will winning awards actually land you more clients? In this video, I'll share my feeling on awards and how my opinion has changed over the years. I have told the story before, but in 20 years I only lost one client to an ADDY Award-winning agency. And ever since then, I really had an issue with agencies that are just looking to win awards in order to win business. I mean, don't get me wrong my agency won plenty of other awards in the past. But recently while working with a new client of mine I had a change of perspective. This client has been running their agency for 15 years and doing an amazing job. They've won a ton of awards too, and are super proud of them. That's when it dawned on me -- winning awards is creating their legacy. Agencies are the middle man, right? We're always behind the scenes propping up our clients and making sure their businesses succeed. We create awareness for a brand or generate more leads for them. But, we rarely get recognition for what we do. Clients don't usually say thank you, they just reap all the benefits of the agency's hard work. I now realize that awards provide that recognition. They give us the motivation to keep chugging along working long hours and producing amazing work for our clients. I used to think awards were stupid, but I've switched my perspective. Awards are amazing if you use them the right way... Awards should be used as motivation for you to be creative. Use them as motivation for your team. Awards can be amazing at keep morale up! But using awards to get clients is a mistake. Clients who only care about awards are the wrong clients. Awards are for you and your team. When my agency won "Best Workplace in Atlanta" we started getting amazing talent applying to work with us. That's a great way to use awards to your agency's advantage. If you need awards to get the recognition you deserve, I'm all for it! :) Tell me what your thoughts are on winning awards by commenting below. Related: https://youtu.be/05-MAGMHQvc https://youtu.be/AUiVS1BJlSc ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What is your digital agency worth today? What could you sell your agency for? Honestly, it's worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. And a lot of it depends on where you're at within your agency. Allow me to explain... A while ago I put out an agency valuation formula, but the information is changing and I wanted to provide you with a resource if selling - merger or acquisition - is something you're considering. A lot of people think they can sell their agency for at least the amount of revenue they're bringing in, plus maybe media spend on top of that... Not necessarily true! If you want to create freedom by eventually selling your digital agency, this is the video for you. For example: If you're under $1 Million in net profit and $200,000 in EBITDA then usually its 1-2X.... $400,000 max in valuation. Will you get 100% of that in cash? Nope - more like 20-40% in upfront cash with the rest tied to a performance-based model by the agency hitting certain benchmarks. I know that's soul-crushing, right? But consider -- why you are selling? Is it because you're too stressed out? Is it because you don't have the right systems in place in order to just do what you love? Maybe selling isn't the answer but instead, you need to take a closer look at the business to see where the gaps are and fix those, then increase your valuation before selling. Because look at these numbers if you improve EBITDA... If you can get to at or over $1 Million in EBITDA it's a whole new ballgame. Recently, one of our clients was at $1+ Million in EBITDA net profit and sold for an 8X multiple. That's uncommon, but a 5X multiple at that level is realistic. At that level, you can expect about 80% in cash upfront. And if you are over $3 Million EBITDA expect an 8X multiple. When you're up over $5-7 Million.... well, those numbers are just sick! The market right now is paying out at these numbers. So, if you want to eventually sell your digital agency then you need to understand how to get the most for it. I want you to understand what you need to do in order to demand top dollar. Related: https://youtu.be/05-MAGMHQvc https://youtu.be/AUiVS1BJlSc ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP =========================================== Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Is your agency business starting to plateau or even have a backslide? Are you second-guessing yourself? Are you worried this is where your agency is going to peak? These thoughts can be scary but in this video, I'm going to talk about what you can do. Look, having these doubts and worries are totally normal. Many entrepreneurs go through these same fears. You're not alone! If you're not growing as fast as you once did, you might have to reassess your systems. It's like climbing a mountain. When you are climbing up the elevation is so steep that it becomes difficult or even dangerous. As an alternative, you can walk on the plateau awhile or even backtrack your steps in order to get in a better position where the elevation isn't quite as steep. Sometimes it requires a switchback, right? Sometimes you have to go back east even though the final destination is west. Look at your low-hanging fruit. Look at your positioning. Look at what you've been taking for granted and figure out what can be refreshed or updated. What got you where you're at now may not be what's going to get you to the next level. Don't freak out -- take action! Relook at your business and see what you can do to refresh and stay relevant. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? Related: https://youtu.be/pAlJlLFv2Dc https://youtu.be/gZqQVZheLPk ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you running your agency with broken parts? I know many of us are thrown into agency life without structure or systems in place. It's a lot like riding a mountain bike without a seat. (Yes, I actually saw someone doing this!) In this video, I'm going to talk about what it means to "ride without a seat" in your agency and how it's hurting your growth. Many of us are accidental agency owners, right? You knew how to do something cool and people were willing to pay you for it. So, you started an agency and were forced to become reactionary to everything being thrown at you. That's like riding a bike without a seat -- you are forced to pedal and you can never just sit down and coast. So, I actually saw a guy riding a mountain bike without a seat. And what I noticed was that his seat was actually broken and he had is strapped to wear the water bottle belongs. But rather than walking the bike back or leave it on the trail, he rode it without the seat even though it would be uncomfortable. It's kind of like running an agency when you start thinking about strategies or new systems to implement, you're not going to abandon your agency - you're going to ride without a seat for awhile. It might be uncomfortable but it gets the job done. Look, I ride my mountain bike all the time and sitting down has to be part of it. When I'm going uphill I sit and downhill, I stand. Sometimes you have to sit... so you can't operate properly without a seat! I talk with a ton of agency owners and when they take the time to work on the foundations and gain clarity they think they need to start over or abandon their broken bike. You can always fix! Just keep riding! I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? Related: https://youtu.be/8Fw_GseAsiQ https://youtu.be/gZqQVZheLPk ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you the leader or the a$$hole? I heard an analogy recently that made me think of how some people are running their agency and I'm going to share it in this video. Think about monkeys climbing up a rope... Now, if you're a monkey on the rope and you're in the lead, when you look down all you see are smiling monkey faces. However, if you aren't the leader, when you look up all you see are a$$holes! Hilarious, right? When I heard this analogy I thought it was funny. But it made me think about how to fix the problem. See, all you have to do it tighten up the slack on the rope. Most leaders have everyone looking up at them waiting to be told the next move. But, if you tighten up the slack on the rope no one is waiting to make a move. There isn't a leader dictating all the moves. When your team (the rest of the monkeys :) is clear on the goals and vision, they don't need the head monkey (that's you :) telling them what to do. If you feel like your team can't or won't make decisions without you, then this might be the issue at your agency. You have to empower your team to make decisions based on what's best for the business. And the only way to do that is by communicating the core values and vision of the agency. When your team understands and believes in these principle foundations of the business then no one is stuck looking at a$$holes, right? :) Related: https://youtu.be/xADZUeqbXAI https://youtu.be/g0DM8F-DCfM https://youtu.be/g0DM8F-DCfM I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you avoid confrontation? Do you run from conflicts at your agency? Yes, most of us do. But if you're like the company I'm about to describe it could be costing you a ton of money and business. In this video, I'll demonstrate why you need to force yourself to address conflicts head-on. Listen, if you have a team member or a client that you would be happy to lose then you're avoiding confrontation. I was talking to a friend who was telling me about a $250-million-dollar manufacturing company that was avoiding confrontation by not getting rid of an employee. As a result, their customers were leaving and they realize it was costing them $250,000 per quarter. (YIKES!) in order to avoid confrontation. Even I struggle with confrontation but at the end of the day, I force myself to handle it because it's what's best for my business. Recently, I had to get rid of a member of our mastermind group. This person just wasn't the right fit - even though he was paying his monthly membership fee - I knew, in the long run, it would ruin the vibe of the mastermind. This person didn't fit in the culture and didn't have the same core values. I had to confront the issue before it cost me stress and the loss of other client-members. Related: https://youtu.be/xADZUeqbXAI https://youtu.be/g0DM8F-DCfM https://youtu.be/g0DM8F-DCfM I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Are you creating content with the intent to sell? What about your funnels? Are giving your audience your best stuff or are you just selling? In this video, I'm going to talk about committing to your audience I started this business to create a resource I wish I had when I was growing my digital agency. And I was recently inspired by a Gary Vee video I watched because he called me out on my sh*t. (Video here: https://youtu.be/gsy7nBTpRZo) See Gary's point is that there are 2 winners to every funnel: the scammers/fakers trying to trick us and the people who give away everything and expect nothing in return. Now, I've always leaned more towards the giving (I am not a scammer - I'm as genuine as they come :) but honestly, I don't feel as though I've been 100% giver. When I reflect back on my business growth, the #1 strategy that has grown my current business is podcasting. (If you aren't listening, check out Smart Agency Masterclass). The podcast is a free resource that educates and entertains my audience, yet over the past 5 years, it's brought me a tremendous amount of business. Why? Because it's 100% helpful. If your strategy, your funnels, your hard sells aren't working the way you want them to then take a look at your intention. If you're not 100% giving that's OK. What can you adjust in order to get yourself there? Related: https://youtu.be/_oWnwcL78l4 https://youtu.be/CinsLb6N2jg I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision-makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

This is goodbye. That's right, I'm saying farewell. (For now, that is :) It will probably come as no surprise to many of you that I've been building a house in Durango, CO for the last few months. And the goal was always to take off Summer 2019 to be there with my family to enjoy Colorado. So this is goodbye and see you later. Do you wish you could take an entire summer off? You can! But only when you get yourself out of the day to day operations and establish yourself as the agency CEO. Let your team do the client-facing work, sales, and deliverables. And transition yourself from agency owner to agency CEO. As a CEO, you have 5 primary roles, which are: 1. Set the vision and communicate it to your team. Who are you going after? What's your "why"? What are your core services? Give your team the ammunition they need to execute on your behalf. They can do that if they understand the vision. 2. Be the face of the agency. Your prospects need to associate your brand with a personality. That's the best way to grow your agency. It's got to be you - not an employee. It must be tied to the owner. 3. Coach and mentor leadership team only. Don't have everyone reporting to you and relying on you for mentorship. When you just mentor your leadership team you can empower them to successfully mentor the layer(s) beneath them. 4. Understand the financials. Know where your financial opportunities exist and have a handle on NET profit rather than just gross revenue. Gross doesn't mean anything if your profitability is out of whack. 5. Assist sales. You should not be doing all the sales, but you can add color to key sales conversations. Let your sales team set things up and get all the people in the room. You just add a little flavor by being there. Now, when you have all this in place and you're only operating these 5 roles you too can take off big chunks of time. Your sales pipeline won't dry up and your team will be able to make decisions without you. Sounds dreamy, right? I'll be honest when you reach this point it might actually feel depressing that people don't need you as much as they used to be. But trust me, this is a good thing! Will you miss me this summer? I'm still working with my 1-on-1 clients and mastermind groups. Check it out: http://DigitalAgencyElite.com In the meantime, comment below and tell me what changes you can make in order to transition from agency owner to agency CEO? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

If your digital agency is under $500,000 in revenue, here are the mistakes you're probably making that are holding you back. I worked with tons of agencies big and small. And, of the smaller ones, I'm seeing three common mistakes they're making consistently that is stunting the agency's growth. 1- Not charging enough. Most agencies don't fully understand the value of the service they're providing their clients and are undercharging what they're worth. First, get a full understanding of the value you're bringing your clients. It should be 10X of what you're charging. I'll bet with certainty that once you're aware of your value you'll discover you need to raise prices. Not for the existing clients right away, but for new clients, you need to increase your pricing. Over time, there will be a big discrepancy between the "old client pricing" and the "new client pricing." But, you'll have so many new clients, you won't care if you lose a couple of the old ones by increasing their prices. 2- Not hiring a project manager at the right time. When you're first starting out, it's natural for the owner to wear many hats. You're making good money but you're stuck doing everything. And if you're doing everything then you cannot focus on growing the business, so you're feeling a lot of ebbs and flows. When you're focused on new business, your pipeline is full. Then you have to focus on delivery for the new business and your pipeline suffers. You're on a constant roller coaster. Look for the right PM and higher then early they can manage projects and YOU can focus on growing the business, filling the pipeline, building strategic partnerships... everything except direct client work. 3- Not being patient. We all want things right away and everyone's looking for a silver bullet. But, you have to be consistent and patient. It takes tons of hard work and plenty of time to build a successful business. Overnight success just isn't possible. So have patience and give yourself the time to be focused and clear the directions you're taking the business. If you want to know more about growing a successful agency, make sure you check out The Agency Playbook (http://theagencyplaybook.com) where I give you the 8 Systems you need for growing and scaling a successful digital agency. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a weekly VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

Do you think you're the best in the world? You should! You've got to believe in yourself because if you don't know one else will! Now, I don't want this to sound cocky because I am a very humble person myself. But I do think that you have to start out believing you're the best. And communicate that to the rest of the world so they can think the same thing. "Good enough" is not a strategy. You have to believe you're the best in order to actually achieve that status. I really do think I'm the best agency advisor out there. Sure, there are lots of options but I have an edge over the others. So, that's what makes me the best. If I don't believe that then why would my clients and prospects? I know I'm not actually the best fit for everyone. There are agencies that I can't help. But I need to continue to believe in order to make it true. If you believe you're the best in your particular market or niche be proud of it! Do you truly want to be the best? Are you the best? How can you be the best? What can you do to be the best? Once you've got all that nailed down, then SHOUT IT OUT! Communicate it proudly and speak it into existence. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? I'm the BEST at offering advice for you! :) ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

I quit and I want you to quit too. I also want you to teach your team to quit too. I know it sounds crazy. But I QUIT. OK, OK... I am not actually going "quit" - allow me to explain. In order to be the best and accomplish everything you want to do, you can't do everything. So the one thing you need to quit and teach your team to quit, is doing everything. I want you to QUIT DOING EVERYTHING. And teach your team to quit doing everything too. In order to achieve your goals, you need complete clarity and focus. However, if you're scrambling to do everything you're not focused and you can't do the really important things well. I remember when I was running my agency, I was doing design, project management, sales, client retention, finances, invoicing, and more. In order to grow the agency I had to QUIT doing all that and gain clarity on where to focus my time and attention. Referenced in the video: "Great leaders teach people to quit" article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-leaders-create-culture-quitters-patrick-leddin-ph-d-pmp The other thing you need to QUIT, is quit trying to control everything. You can't be the superhero who's the best at everything. Surround yourself with people who are better than you at certain tasks. So figure out how to relinquish control to them and let them be the rockstar. I hear all the time, "I don't have enough time" but it's because you need to quit. Quit doing everything! I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? Helping agency owners is the one thing I won't QUIT! :) ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion-dollar business, where he shares the latest strategies and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com

What are the three things you need in order to be successful? I just had a lot of my mastermind members come to a live workshop and retreat and here's one big takeaway from it that I think everyone can benefit from. We spent two days going over everyone's biggest challenges, their goals, and what's working for them in their agency. One big obstacle for many of the members is the "shiny object syndrome" whether it's new services to offer or new strategies to apply in their agency. The problem with it is that it pulls you away from the things that matter most. My advice to them was that you have to be consistent and play the long game. Last week marks my 5th year in this business. I love doing what I do! And, I appreciate the community of viewers, listeners, followers, former/present clients that allow me this opportunity. But also, this means that my podcast is also five years old. When I look back at the success of my current business the #1 biggest contributor is the Smart Agency Master Class podcast. At first, very few people were actually listening to my podcast. Yet with persistence, my audience grew, and business eventually took off. That's what I want for you and your business. Sure you can implement a "quick, silver bullet" tactic and you might see a spike in your business. But if it's not a long term strategy with consistency, you won't have long term, consistent growth. You have to start with clarity and goals. You need to know exactly who your market is and who you're serving. When those things are missing, you just say "yes" to everything with impedes your agency growth. That's why the 3 biggest things you need to grow your agency are: Clarity, Goals, and Consistency. I'd love to hear your comments below. Tell me what challenges you're experiencing with your agency and what advice do you need? ======================================================= SUBSCRIBE NOW to follow my entrepreneurial journey. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDvZHFVeqEMq58q6tMoyMK-ufpp0ysoVP ======================================================= Thanks for watching. I hope you keep up with the daily videos I post on my channel. Make sure you subscribe and share your learnings with others. Your comments are why I do this, so please take a second and say hello.  JASON SWENK IS AN AGENCY ADVISOR THAT GUIDES MARKETING AGENCIES THROUGH A PROVEN FRAMEWORK FOR GROWING THEIR AGENCY FASTER & EASIER. Fresh out of college Jason was off to work for Arthur Anderson, one of the big 5 consulting firms. He quickly realized that he could never work for anyone other than himself. He decided to change direction, launch a digital agency that quickly grew to a multi-million dollar operation working with brands such as AT&T, Hitachi and Lotus Cars. After 12 years of steady growth, the agency caught the attention of bigger agencies and Jason sold it in 2012. Now, Jason leads http://JasonSwenk.com, a unique media company & consultancy helping marketing agencies grow & scale their agencies faster by applying the framework that he used to grow, scale and eventually sell his agency. Jason has helped over 10,000 agencies in 23 countries meet or exceed their business goals. Jason currently hosts two shows that are available for download… The Smart Agency Master Class Podcast, dedicated to providing tactics and strategies to agency owners and decision makers that cut through the BS, focus on exactly what works and what doesn’t; and SwenkToday a daily VLOG that documents the entrepreneur journey of building another multimillion dollar business, where he share the latest strategies, and answers the most burning questions entrepreneurs have.  SCHEDULE TUES & THUR VLOG #SwenkToday Q&A from my digital agency audience Ask me A Question http://jasonswenk.com/askswenk Podcast Wednesday: (Digital Agency Interviews) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-agency-masterclass-marketing/id870206013?mt=2&ls=1 or http://smartagencymasterclass.com Follow me here: Website: http://jasonswenk.com  Podcast: http://smartagencymasterclass.com  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jasonswenk    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jswenk   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jswenk   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonswenk   Medium: https://medium.com/@jswenk/  Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jasonswenk Music by epidemicsound.com