"One of the things that we do best across all of our product categories is talk to niche audiences.” – Josslynne Welch, President at Litzky Public Relations

Public relations is a fast-moving industry, yet today’s guest has successfully stayed ahead of the news cycle for close to three decades. Meet Josslynne Welch; Today, she sits at the helm of the communications agency Litzky Public Relations, a company she joined some 26 years ago.

The agency specializes in toy companies, publishing, and entertainment, and runs with a small 15-person team that comprises account, strategy, and creative services. And, according to Josslynne, it’s their nimbleness that allows LPR to execute fast to connect the dots between culture, trends, and their clients.

In essence, what sets LPR apart is their deep specialization in their industry, how they show up through initiatives like The Love Litzky Grant, and their policy of running a tight ship. They only work with the right fit, both vertically, and personality-wise.

Together, Corey and Josslynne cover topics like culture building and retention, keeping your teams motivated, hiring for specialty versus skills, the importance of peer perspectives in agency leadership, and more.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

- Josslynne’s three decades running a PR agency.

- Verticalization and expansion of your existing niche.

- PR best practices from strategy to tactics.

- Leadership lessons from culture to team retention and giving back.

Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders:

- A niche focus doesn't mean dull; Seek variety within your area of specialization.

- Be opportunistic about trends in your niche to shape the news.

- Leadership can be lonely, make sure to tap into peer networks to connect with fellow agency leaders.

- You can’t fake caring. Show up for your industry in tangible ways.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

- Connect with Josslynne on LinkedIn Here
- Check out Litzky PR Here

👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔

😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Chapter Sixteen of Anyone, Not Everyone outlines the importance of the agency founder in leading the transition to vertical market specialization, emphasizing that early successes can be achieved with the existing team. It advises agency owners to deeply understand their chosen vertical market, embodying the values and knowledge that will inspire and guide the team.

The chapter also details functional skills required for each strategy phase, suggesting the use of internal resources first and contracting as a secondary option, with an 18-24 month expectation to build vertical market expertise. Hiring a vertical-specific salesperson is recommended for accelerating sales and achieving better results in the long term.

Reminder that this is a chapter in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.

If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.

While we’ve had troves of agency founders on this show, today’s guest brings a unique spin to the typical genesis story. Peter Kang, Co-Founder of Barrel Holdings, started out running a website agency some 20 years ago.

Today, the business has evolved into a sprawling portfolio of agencies, all homegrown under a single holding company umbrella.

How did all this come to be?

Looking back, Peter’s path to a holding company co-founder might make complete sense, yet he got there by chance.

Peter and his partner were at a crossroads, looking to sunset clients that did not fit their core ICP of Shopify clients, but there was a bump in the road; these were all revenue-generating clients. Luckily, one of their existing employees volunteered to spin these accounts out into a shop of its own, and run it, and so, Barrel Holdings was born.

Tune into the episode as Peter sits down with Corey to recount the story from early days as an agency founder to capitalizing on Shopify and Webflow momentum, all the way to spinning out a thriving holding company, and the leadership lessons Peter has picked up along the way.

"All our holding company agencies are homegrown.” – Peter Kang, Co-Founder of Barrel Holdings

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

- Peter’s journey from an agency founder to holding company builder.

- The role of partners like Shopify and Webflow in scaling an agency business.

- The holding company origin story, and what Peter’s holding company offers today.

- What he’s learned in 20+ years in the digital agency business.

Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders:

- Lean into fast growing partners in the ecosystem to drive lead flow.

- Having too diverse of a client pool can be a resource-suck, consider spinning independent divisions to reduce friction.

- Improve margins by developing reusable components to the products you’re selling.

- Make sure incentives are aligned with those who are going to be leading your business for overall success.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

- Connect with Peter on LinkedIn Here
- Check out Barrel Holdings Here

👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔

😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Chapter Fifteen of Anyone, Not Everyone discusses the significance of being on the "day one list" of vendors that buyers consider without prior research, achieved mainly through colleague recommendations, past experiences, and vendor websites. It emphasizes the importance of building a strong reputation within a vertical market community, akin to integrating into a village, through deliberate relationship-building with influential brands (tastemakers) and mavens.

The chapter outlines strategies for engaging with tastemakers and mavens, participating in vertical associations, attending and hosting events, and being present at vertical-specific "watering holes" to foster trust and become the recommended go-to agency.

Reminder that this is a chapter in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales.

If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.

"If I would have called my services Fractional CMO 10 years ago, people would have thought I was crazy. Now, the market's ready for it.” – John Jantsch, Founder of Duct Tape Marketing.

In recent years, we’ve witnessed the resurgence of fractional CMOs - Why now?

With the pandemic, many companies were caught red-handed for their lack of marketing strategy - coupled with financial strains, economic headwinds, and smaller budgets, the environment brought about opportunity for fractional CMO services to thrive.

That is the very same opportunity today’s guest, John Jantsch, seized with this company, Duct Tape Marketing. It operationalizes fractional CMO services by providing a repeatable and proven framework they license out.

The proof is in the pudding: John’s marketing methodology has helped numerous companies grow from a few million to double digits. He joins the show to dive deep into the fractional CMO world and how to succeed both in the role and if you’re planning on hiring one.

Corey and John cover topics like balancing scale with processes, how to avoid the dreaded scope creep, what to look for in a fractional CMO, and how much you should be prepared to shell out for the role.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

• What the fractional CMO role is.
• How to run a repeatable framework and roadmap as a fractional CMO.
• Success stories on multiplying revenue with a fractional CMO.
• How to tell if your business is ready for one.

Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders:

• Your CMO should be obsessed with the customer experience and represent their voice within the company.
• Beware of the scope creep if you’re providing marketing services.
• Hiring a fractional CMO? Look for candidates with repeatable processes.
• Mitigate risk in marketing by hiring someone who’s built where you need to get to.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

• Connect with John on LinkedIn Here
• Check out Duct Tape Marketing Here

👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔

😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Chapter Fourteen of Anyone, Not Everyone highlights the power of vertical outbound sales and marketing strategies, stressing the importance of proactively reaching out to potential clients within a targeted vertical market.

It introduces the concept of the Zone of Indifference, where the majority of clients are neither actively seeking nor strongly opposed to new services, and emphasizes the necessity of targeted, personalized outreach, using unique and memorable gifts (USI gifts) to make a warm and lasting impression. The chapter also notes common outbound mistakes and provides practical steps for effective outbound campaigns.

Reminder that this is a chapter in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone. Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales. If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.

“I built out a cold outreach methodology around heuristics, which is a series of pattern interrupts, or shortcuts.” Justin Michael, Co-Founder of Hard Skill Exchange

Ready for a different perspective on sales outreach?

This week’s guest is an executive sales coach who has helped over 200 startups make over their outbound efforts by leaning into the unexpected.

Justin Michael is a best-selling author of the book “Sales Superpowers” and the Co-Founder of Hard Skill Exchange, the world’s first real-time 1:1 skill-building marketplace.

After spending some 20,000 hours (his words, not ours!) on cold calls, he started mapping out what it took to get to predictable outcomes and what made prospects open to the pitch. And so, Justin’s bespoke methodologies were born.

If you’re currently in an agency sales role, this episode is a goldmine for you. While some advice may feel counter-intuitive, like doing unscalable work, such as relationship-building to scale your agency, Justin’s tried and tested strategies render results in the long-term.

Justin and Corey get into topics like cold outreach, building relationships with prospects, Justin’s newest book, and tapping into disruptive thinking like combining sales with the law of attraction.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

- Catching prospects’ attention and why doing the wrong thing, like grammatical errors in sales emails, can be effective.

- How to approach cold prospects in a manner that doesn’t repel them.

- Unconventional ways of getting in front of your target accounts.

- Scaling sales with the law of attraction, and the most ‘controversial book written in B2B.’

Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders:

- Try to pattern interrupt when doing outreach, for example, humans respond much better to visual information.

- Opening lateral conversations that mimic a real-life interaction helps disarm prospects.

- Take two or three discovery calls before you try to pitch.

The resources mentioned in this episode are:

- Connect with Justin on LinkedIn Here
- Check out Hard Skill Exchange Here

👍If you liked this episode, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, and be sure to hit the subscribe button! 🔔

😡Frustrated with a lack of results from outbound? I'd like to give you my free 6-day email course that will transform your outbound program from broken to consistently driving new sales opportunities. Sign up here: GetOutboundROI.com.

Chapter Thirteen of Anyone, Not Everyone discusses vertical inbound marketing strategies, emphasizing the need for agencies to be easily discovered by potential clients who are already seeking solutions. It advises on thought leadership through content marketing, visibility through speaking at and hosting events, and targeting through paid advertising.

The chapter stresses that a proactive approach to marketing—going beyond passive inbound tactics—is crucial for agencies aiming to secure their desired clientele. Reminder that this is a chapter in Corey Quinn’s book, Anyone, Not Everyone.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be releasing a few chapters at a time so that you can escape founder-led sales. If you want to read or listen to the entire book today, then visit www.AnyoneNotEveryone.com and pick up a copy.