"Trust is only built through time. It's very hard to build trust through any other mode than time. And that's what's great about having a podcast."

Hector Santiesteban is the founder of Amplafy Media, a podcast production company helping businesses leverage podcasting to drive revenue.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Hector shares insights on using podcasts strategically to grow your business and generate leads.

He emphasizes the importance of focusing on benefits over features, creating a great guest experience, and using different podcast formats to build trust and drive sales.

This episode will be a great listen for agency owners looking to leverage podcasting for growth; podcast hosts seeking to monetize their shows more effectively; as well as business leaders wanting to establish thought leadership in their niche.

Episode Insights:

💡 Focus on selling the benefits of your services, not just the features. Understand what outcomes your clients are looking for.

💡 Use podcasts to get meetings with prospects more easily than cold outreach. Conversion rates for podcast guest invites can be up to 70%.

💡 Have conversations on equal terms with guests rather than just putting them on a pedestal and interviewing them—this allows you to maintain your positioning as an expert and your "sales equity" in the eyes of the audience.

💡 Create a great guest experience to encourage sharing the episode after it’s published. Provide easy-to-use promotional materials on a dedicated page.

💡 Consider using a mix of solo episodes, co-hosted shows, and guest interviews to build trust and showcase expertise.

💡 Niche down your podcast topic to quickly become a recognized expert in an industry.

💡 Use AI tools like ChatGPT to help repurpose podcast content into SEO-optimized blog posts.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Hector's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hector-podcast/

🌐 Hector's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hector_podcast/

🌐 Amplafy Media website: https://www.amplafymedia.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-302-hector-santiesteban

💰 Book a Podcast Profitability Session with Hector’s team: https://calendly.com/hector_podcast/podcast-brainstorming-session/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-302-hector-santiesteban

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-302-hector-santiesteban

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

Corey Morris is the owner and CEO of Voltage Digital, a specialized digital marketing agency focused on search marketing and websites.

He's also the author of "Digital Marketing Success Plan", a new book aiming to help businesses worldwide make digital marketing predictable with a documented strategy and objective, actionable plan.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Corey shares insights on niching down an agency's services, creating comprehensive digital marketing plans, and adapting to AI in search marketing.

This is a great conversation for agency leaders interested in specialization, strategic planning, and staying ahead of industry changes.

Episode Insights:

💡 Niching down services can be scary but pays off. Focus on what you do best and can differentiate on.

💡 Document your strategic planning process to create accountability and consistency as you scale.

💡 Connect marketing KPIs to business outcomes and ROI. Don't shy away from asking uncomfortable questions about costs and profit margins.

💡 Be prepared to adapt your services as search evolves, whether it's called SEO or something else in the future. The core need to "be found" will remain.

💡 Build a comprehensive digital marketing plan using the START framework: Strategy, Tactics, Application, Review, Transformation.

💡 Stay flexible to industry changes like AI, but maintain focus on delivering results for clients.

Resources Mentioned:

📚 Corey’s newly released book, "Digital Marketing Success Plan": https://thedmsp.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-301-corey-morris

🌐 Corey's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymorris/

🌐 Voltage Digital agency website: https://voltage.digital/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-301-corey-morris

🔍 Search Engine Journal

🔍 Search Engine Land

People to Follow:

👤 Bruce Clay (SEO training expert)

👤 Gray MacKenzie (ZenPilot CEO and previous Agency Journey host)

👤 Jim Sterne (AI in search results expert)

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-301-corey-morris

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"It was clear that there was so much power in individuals banding together to do something."

Cooper Munroe is the CEO of The Motherhood, an influencer marketing agency founded in 2006, long before the term "influencer marketing" existed. Cooper shares the fascinating origin story of her agency, which emerged from a viral blog post during Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Cooper discusses the evolution of influencer marketing over the past 15+ years, from early "mommy blogs" to today's multi-billion dollar industry. She provides insights on best practices, untapped opportunities in regulated industries, and the importance of authenticity in influencer partnerships.

This conversation is valuable for agency leaders interested in the history and future of influencer marketing, as well as those looking to partner with specialized agencies to deliver these services.

Episode Insights:

💡 The power of authentic, user-generated content was evident even in the early days of blogging, before social media platforms existed.

💡 Influencer marketing has evolved from a one-off tactic to an integrated piece of the overall marketing strategy for many brands.

💡 Micro-influencers often deliver the best results due to high engagement and trust with their audiences.

💡 Authenticity is crucial - influencers must have a genuine affinity for the products or causes they promote.

💡 There are untapped opportunities for influencer marketing in highly regulated industries like pharma, healthcare, and finance, as well as in B2B sectors.

💡 Revisiting core questions like "Why do we exist?" and "How will we succeed?" is important for agency leaders, especially those who've pivoted or evolved their business models.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 The Motherhood agency website: https://www.themotherhood.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-300-cooper-munroe

🌐 Cooper's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coopermunroe

📝 Cooper's Forbes Agency Council articles: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/people/coopermunroe/

📚 The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni (book recommendation)

🛠️ EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)

👥 Vistage (executive coaching organization)

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-300-cooper-munroe

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"Managing a CEO's LinkedIn account is a full-time job."

Garret Caudle is the founder and CEO of Influent, a full-funnel LinkedIn marketing agency. With a background in scaling agencies and a passion for LinkedIn's untapped potential, Garret shares his expertise on leveraging the platform for thought leadership and business growth.

In this insightful episode of Agency Journey, Garret breaks down the strategy behind effective LinkedIn content creation for agency founders and executives. He emphasizes the importance of developing a clear point of view and consistently sharing valuable insights with your target audience.

Whether you're looking to establish yourself as an industry thought leader or generate more leads for your agency, this episode will give you plenty of inspiration and actionable advice to make LinkedIn a key pipeline driver for your business.

Episode Insights:

💡 Create a "thought leadership map" outlining your core beliefs and perspectives on industry trends. Use this as a foundation for your content strategy.

💡 Aim for 4 LinkedIn posts per week, focusing primarily on text-based content that showcases your unique point of view.

💡 Analyze engagement to ensure you're reaching your ideal customer profile (ICP), not just your existing network. Quality of engagement matters more than vanity metrics.

💡 Be patient - expect to see "green shoots" of results within 90 days, more consistent lead flow by 6 months, and significant impact by 1 year.

💡 Use proprietary data and unique insights from your client work to differentiate your content and showcase your expertise.

💡 Consider incorporating personal elements into your professional content to make it uniquely yours, without relying solely on selfies or personal anecdotes.

💡 Leverage your team's expertise by having them interview you about your POVs to generate content ideas.

💡 Write concisely and conversationally, leading with your main point or value proposition in each post.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Garret's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garretcaudle/

🏢 Garret’s LinkedIn agency, Influent: https://influent.co/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-299-garret-caudle

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-299-garret-caudle

Is it ever possible to track 40 hours of work in a given week?

If not, what should the benchmark be?

What is time tracking for, anyway?

And how to talk about it with your team members in a way that makes them motivated, and gives you good insights?

In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray and Kuba discuss the challenges and best practices of time tracking in agencies. They explore how to communicate its purpose, implement effective processes, and use the data to drive business decisions.

Episode Insights:

💡 The real purpose of time tracking is to shape business decisions and help managers guide team members' focus

💡 Clear communication about why you're tracking time is crucial for team buy-in

💡 Using tools like RescueTime can provide more accurate data on how time is actually spent

💡 Weekly reviews of time tracking data can help coach team members to be more efficient

💡 Time tracking data should inform decisions on pricing, packaging, staffing, and process optimization

💡 Reframe time tracking as managing "units of energy" or impact rather than just hours

💡 It's important to share back with the team how time tracking data is being used to improve the business

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Gray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie/

🌐 ZenPilot Profitability and Utilization Reporting: https://www.zenpilot.com/agency-profitability-and-utilization-reporting/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-298-gray-time-tracking

⚒️ ClickUp: https://www.clickup.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-298-gray-time-tracking

⚒️ RescueTime

⚒️ Harvest

⚒️ Everhour

⚒️ Toggl

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-298-gray-time-tracking

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

In this episode of Agency Journey, Gray and Kuba discuss the pros and cons of daily standup meetings and explore alternative approaches for remote teams. They break down why many companies still rely on standups and offer strategies to instead build trust, maintain momentum, and improve planning asynchronously.

Episode Insights:

💡 Daily standups are often a crutch for poor planning or lack of clear expectations

💡 Trust is built when expectations are consistently met over time

💡 Asynchronous tools like ClickUp can replace many standup functions if used properly

💡 Celebrating wins and progress is crucial for remote team momentum

💡 Consider if standups are truly necessary or if they've become an inefficient habit

💡 Clear communication and transparency about expectations are key in building trust

💡 Journaling and self-reflection can help identify areas for improvement in team processes

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 ZenPilot: https://www.zenpilot.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

🌐 Gray’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graymackenzie/

⚒️ ClickUp: https://www.clickup.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

⚒️ 15Five: https://www.15five.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

⚒️ HubStaff

⚒️ Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS): https://www.eosworldwide.com//?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

📦 ZenPilot’s Agency Client Health Tracker: https://www.zenpilot.com/agency-client-health-tracker/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-297-gray-daily-standups-anti-pattern

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

"From the very start, when I launched Galactic Fed, some of my friends (former entrepreneurs) gave me really good advice, which is that you want to be removing yourself from as many processes as you can. You do not want to create what some people call a key man or key woman scenario."

Zach Boyette is the co-founder and Managing Partner at Galactic Fed, a full-service growth marketing agency with a team of 150 people across 25 countries. Zach has an unconventional background, having worked at Google and P&G before becoming a digital nomad and building Galactic Fed.

In this episode of Agency Journey, Zach shares insights on scaling an agency while maintaining a strong remote culture. He emphasizes the importance of documentation, promoting from within, and choosing your team over rude clients.

Zach also discusses his perspective on the future of remote work and why he believes younger generations will drive a shift toward more location-independent companies.

This is a great conversation for agency leaders interested in building a large remote team while maintaining work-life balance.

Episode Insights:

💡 Document everything to create a consistent client experience as you scale. Have each team member spend a couple hours per week documenting processes.

💡 Build culture in a remote agency through casual Slack channels, quarterly all-hands meetings focused on personal updates rather than just company info, and leading by example with communication style.

💡 Hire self-starters who are comfortable with written communication. Use written assessments and thorough reference checks early in the hiring process.

💡 When leading leaders, have a regular cadence of written updates prior to meetings. Show you are present and remember details about their teams and challenges.

💡 Have an org chart planned out far in advance and hire proactively for the structure you want to build. Avoid building the org chart reactively around specific people.

💡 Don't personally attach your name to the agency brand. Build a company brand that can exist beyond just you.

💡 Be willing to choose your team over abusive clients, even if they pay well. Prioritize a healthy culture.

Resources Mentioned:

Zach's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachboyette/

Galactic Fed agency website: https://galacticfed.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-296-zach-boyette

Zach's personal website: https://zachboyette.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-296-zach-boyette

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber (book recommendation for designing an org chart)

ClickUp for project management: https://clickup.com/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-296-zach-boyette

Google Suite

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Brought to you by ZenPilot, ClickUp’s #1 Solutions Partner with 2,700+ agency ops makeovers under our belt.

📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup/?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-296-zach-boyette

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot

“​​In all aspects of your work and your business, you have systems. Why is networking, which is just as important as any one of those singular things, not managed with such ferocity?”

Kurt Schmidt is an agency founder, podcast host, author, and agency coach with 25 years of experience growing agencies from just a few people to over 500 employees and tens of millions in revenue. He started his career as a designer and developer before catching the entrepreneurial bug and becoming a "pirate" as he puts it.

In this value-packed episode of Agency Journey, Kurt shares his hard-earned wisdom on business development, networking, and delivering client results. He emphasizes the importance of taking a problems-first approach rather than just showcasing capabilities.

Kurt is also the author of “The Little Book of Networking”, and in this conversation he explains the system he uses to consistently provide value to his network and build community.

Whether you're looking to jumpstart your agency's growth or build a thriving professional network, this episode is a must-listen.

Episode Insights:

💡 Go back and audit your current and past clients to see which ones are in a growth stage and may have additional problems you can solve. Most clients have no idea about your full capabilities.

💡 Focus on the problems you solve and the outcomes you create rather than just showcasing the executional work in your portfolio. Clients care about how you can help them, not how pretty your designs are.

💡 When networking, clearly state what you do and what you're looking for. Be equally intentional about understanding and recording others' needs. Systematize your follow-ups and always look for ways to provide value and make connections.

💡 Study how other professional services firms like lawyers and accountants acquire clients and manage their businesses. Don't limit your learning to just agencies in your specific niche.

💡 Explore different billing models like productized services and outcome-based fees. Discuss what's working with agency peers to find the best fit for your clients and business.

Resources Mentioned:

🌐 Kurt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-kurtschmidt/?

utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-295-kurt-schmidt

🌐 Kurt’s website: https://kurtschmidt.me/?

utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-295-kurt-schmidt

🏢 Kurt’s consulting business: https://schmidtconsulting.group/?

utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-295-kurt-schmidt

🏢 Kurt's agency, Foundry: https://www.foundrymakes.com/

📙 The Little Book of Networking by Kurt Schmidt: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Networking-Career-Conversation/dp/1634895835

📙 The 10-10-10 Blueprint by Kurt Schmidt - coming soon

🎙️ The Schmidt List Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/schmidt-list-inspiring-leaders/id1286383143

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📕 Read our in-depth, 8000-word How to Use ClickUp Guide: https://www.zenpilot.com/blog/how-to-use-clickup?utm_campaign=agency-journey-ep-295-kurt-schmidt

👉 Don’t forget to follow and rate us on your preferred podcast platforms. We’re also on YouTube: @ZenPilot