In the latest episode of "The Thoughtful Entrepreneur," host Josh engages in a compelling conversation with Colby Wegter, the founder of the Delivery Mastery community. The discussion delves into the intricacies of agency growth, the critical importance of client retention, and the common challenges faced by agency owners in today's competitive landscape. This blog post will break down the key insights and actionable advice shared by Colby, providing a comprehensive guide for agency owners looking to enhance their business strategies.

Josh opens the episode by inviting listeners to explore valuable resources aimed at enhancing their business connections, including introductions to partners, investors, influencers, and clients. He shares his extensive experience, having engaged in private conversations with over 2,000 leaders to uncover the best sources of business success. Josh offers a free video class that outlines strategies for achieving 100% inbound marketing in any industry within six to eight months, emphasizing a spam-free, ad-free, and sales-free approach. He encourages listeners to visit his website, upmyinfluence.com, to access this resource. Following this introduction, Josh welcomes Colby Wegter to the show. Colby, who has spent over a decade in the digital marketing agency space, shares his journey, including the challenges he faced, such as burnout, and how these experiences led to the creation of the Delivery Mastery community.

Colby begins by recounting his 12 years in the digital marketing agency world, with eight of those years as an agency owner. He candidly discusses the severe burnout he experienced in 2022, which nearly led to hospitalization. This period of intense stress and overcommitment prompted him to reevaluate his approach to work and life. In 2023, Colby found solace and support through networking with others who were navigating similar challenges, leading to the formation of the Delivery Mastery community. The core mission of Delivery Mastery is to provide a supportive environment for agency owners who often feel isolated and overwhelmed. Colby emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals who understand the unique pressures of running an agency. He aims to share techniques, systems, and frameworks that helped him transition from experiencing multiple burnouts to achieving multiple seven-figure revenues.

Colby Wegter has been involved in digital marketing since 2013 and has spent the last eight years as a partner in a bootstrapped agency that ranks among the top 1% globally, according to Clutch.

His journey began on a farm, in a house without air conditioning, in a small town with no stoplights and a population of 600. He attended a Big Ten university and graduated with a degree in elementary education. Following graduation, Colby took a teaching job in Brooklyn, NY, but he left after just 4.5 months.

Colby then joined BrandYourself as employee number 12, where he launched and managed the highest volume service, handling 160 clients simultaneously. After a year with BrandYourself, the company was featured on Shark Tank and turned down a $2 million offer from Robert Herjavec.

After leaving BrandYourself, Colby moved to a marketing agency in the Twin Cities before co-founding Agency Jet with two partners. Under Colby's leadership, Agency Jet experienced remarkable growth, doubling its revenue every year for six years and is projected to reach $2.8 million in revenue this year.

Throughout his career, Colby’s core strength has been retaining clients for unusually long periods. While the average client retention in the digital marketing industry is about six months, Colby often retains clients for over three years, with many staying with Agency Jet for up to six years.

Colby is known for his strong opinions on delighting and delivering

In a recent podcast episode hosted by Josh, listeners were treated to an enlightening conversation with Graham Wilson, a renowned leadership expert and founder of Success Factory. Dubbed a "leadership wizard" by a client, Graham brings over three decades of experience in leadership, from his early days in the British Army to his current role in corporate leadership. This blog post delves into the key themes and insights from the episode, offering actionable advice and detailed explanations to help leaders at all levels navigate the complexities of modern leadership.

Graham Wilson's title of "leadership wizard" was coined by a client who appreciated his ability to simplify complex leadership concepts. This simplicity is a cornerstone of his approach, focusing on helping leaders decode what effective leadership looks like in today’s fast-paced world. Reflecting on his extensive career, Graham recounts his early experiences in the British Army, where he learned the importance of teamwork and high performance. He was introduced to the concept of "mission command," which emphasizes empowering teams to make decisions to achieve a shared purpose. This experience starkly contrasted with his observations in the corporate world, where he found organizations often over-managed and under-led.

Today, Graham believes we are in a new era of leadership characterized by rapid change and uncertainty. He describes the current environment as "VUCA" (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous), which requires leaders to adopt a more agile and collaborative mindset. The traditional model of leadership, where leaders have all the answers, is no longer viable. Instead, leaders must foster a culture of empowerment, allowing team members to contribute to problem-solving and decision-making. By integrating these principles and practical tips into your leadership approach, you can create high-performance environments, inspire your team, and leave a lasting impact on your organization.

Graham is a Leadership Expert, author of Leadership Laid Bare, The New Leadership Manifesto and wabisugi. He is the creator of ChangePro and the inspiration behind Successfactory.

Described by clients as the UK's #1 Leadership Trainer and Coach, Graham is trusted by many leading global brands to develop their leaders and teams.

Graham's specialities include:

Leadership Development, Strategy Creation and Implementation, Value Innovation, Vitality, Agility, Leading Change, Resilience, Developing Elite Teams, Executive Coaching, Programme and Project Management and Sales Force Transformation. Graham is also a keynote speaker at leading conferences around the world.

Our purpose is to awaken possibility in leaders and teams to deliver extraordinary results. We believe that in today’s competitive, volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world there is a better way to lead organisations.

In times of fast change organisations need outstanding leaders, not just great managers. We focus on developing your leadership capability in 5 critical areas:

New World Leadership Skills: We have worked out what successful leaders actually do to deliver outstanding results. We have decoded this into a system of pragmatic tools and techniques that we want to share with you.

Strategy and Culture: Hope is not the only strategy! We help you to create and translate strategy into action. We will share with you the latest techniques for developing New World strategies at all levels in the organisation.

Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guest

Want to learn more? Check out The Success Factory website...

In a recent episode of our podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting Marc Ensign, a fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) specializing in the legal, financial, and medical sectors, and the founder and CEO of LoudMouse. Marc shared his extensive experience and insights into effective marketing strategies, the challenges businesses face with marketing agencies, and the importance of leadership and data transparency in driving successful marketing efforts. This blog post delves into the key themes discussed in the episode, offering actionable advice and thorough explanations to guide businesses in their marketing endeavors.

One of the critical points Marc emphasizes is the lack of dedicated leadership in marketing within many organizations. While companies typically have a CEO, CFO, and sales team leaders, marketing often gets sidelined. This absence of leadership can lead to ineffective strategies and wasted resources. Marc's role as a fractional CMO allows him to step in and provide the necessary oversight and direction. By understanding the intricacies of marketing and having a comprehensive view of the business, he can identify issues that may not be apparent to other executives. This insight enables him to make informed decisions and adjustments to marketing strategies based on data rather than gut feelings

Marc notes that the marketing landscape is constantly evolving, making it essential for businesses to stay updated. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity and transparency in marketing efforts. In a world where consumers are increasingly skeptical, presenting a genuine brand story and connecting with audiences on a human level is crucial. Many businesses struggle to answer fundamental questions about their marketing performance, such as conversion rates and lead sources. This lack of clarity often leads to frustration and disconnection from marketing efforts. Marc stresses the need for robust tracking systems to gain insights into what is working and what isn’t.

MARC ENSIGN is a renowned marketer, prolific storyteller, and accomplished musician.

After spending over a decade playing bass with the Broadway show Rent, Marc discovered he had a talent for getting people to pay attention. Think about it. How else does a kid with no experience or connections pass up thousands of other musicians to land the most coveted gig in New York City?

Really good marketing.

When his stint on Broadway ended, he (temporarily) hung up his bass and built a successful digital marketing agency to help companies compete in otherwise impossible industries to break into. This approach caught the attention of Fortune 500 Companies such as Berkshire Hathaway, American Express, and Nike, as well as Celebrities, Athletes, and Entertainers like Tiger Woods and Oprah Winfrey.

But eventually, that sort of thing got boring, so he moved on. Now, leveraging over twenty years in the marketing industry, Marc is working with companies as a Fractional CMO to solve the marketing issues that have been plaguing businesses for years, from underperforming agencies and unpredictable results to wasted marketing spend and a lack of transparency. All while alleviating the stress of managing the marketing team so business owners can focus on what they do best.

And that’s (more or less) how LoudMouse was born.

Of course, none of this would be possible without Marc's incredibly understanding wife, who has been on this rollercoaster for 22 years and counting. Together, they have two kids: Bella, who is currently attending FSU with a major in political science and journalism, and Zach, who is studying to be a game designer. As far as that whole music thing goes, Marc still tours a few times a year with various Broadway shows. It’s a pretty cool side hustle and an even better way to get people to give you a standing ovation at the end...