Chats With Chip

Lessons for veteran agency owners and newcomers to the agency world from the experience of students Continue Reading → The post CWC 58: When students get a chance to run their own PR agency (featuring Amy Shanler) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The benefits of joining together with peers to learn about the business side of agencies Continue Reading → The post CWC 57: How PRSA Counselors Academy helps agency owners (featuring Chuck Norman) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Meeting the need for high quantities of high quality content Continue Reading → The post CWC 56: Leveraging freelance writers for your agency (featuring Gideon Stein) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Focus on the right numbers for the right reasons to put more money in your pocket Continue Reading → The post CWC 55: Metrics and benchmarks to improve agency profits (featuring Marcel Petitpas) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

How to maintain open dialogue, encourage growth, and enable graceful exits Continue Reading → The post CWC 54: Building a positive team culture at your agency (featuring Keith Scandone) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Is your agency doing a good job of marketing itself? If you’re like most agencies, the chances are that you aren’t taking enough of the advice you give your own clients. On this episode, Aaron Strout, CMO of W2O Group, shares his experience as an agency marketer. He talks about how you get more out of the whole team, and why marketing matters beyond new business — including recruiting, M&A, and more.Continue Reading → The post CWC 53: Eating your own dog food and marketing your agency (featuring Aaron Strout) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

For the past decade, Rohit Bhargava has written about non-obvious trends in an annual book series. He recently capped it off with a final volume: Non-Obvious Mega Trends. A self-described “reluctant futurist,” Rohit went from working in agencies to examining the trends that impact business and society. In this episode, he and Chip discuss some of the observations, as well as an approach to looking at trends that may help agency leaders be more effective. One of the best pieces of advice he offers is this: “being more observant really is about paying attention to detail.” Sometimes it takes the realization of the obvious to discover the non-obvious.Continue Reading → The post CWC 52: Non-obvious trends and thinking for agency leaders (featuring Rohit Bhargava) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Nobody likes to think about lawyers until they need one. Agency owners are no different, but planning ahead can make a world of difference in the outcome when it comes to legal matters. Sharon Toerek, founder of Toerek Law and host of The Innovative Agency podcast brings a wealth of knowledge and experience on agency legal issues to the latest episode of Chats with Chip. She shares her experience and insight with listeners to help avoid common mistakes.Continue Reading → The post CWC 51: How agencies can avoid common legal mistakes (featuring Sharon Toerek) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sell your agency to one of the big holding companies? How does the dream compare to reality? What should you know before you make that decision? Mitch Joel shares the perspective of someone who has done just that. He and his partners sold Twist Image to WPP. After remaining with the firm for several years after the acquisition, Mitch is now a prolific writer, podcaster, speaker, and more.Continue Reading → The post CWC 50: What it is like to sell an agency to a holding company (featuring Mitch Joel) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Most agencies are looking for any leg up that they can get in the business development process. That’s why some agencies should consider getting certified. No this isn’t a discussion about a seal of approval for the quality of your work, it is about certifying the ownership structure of your business in a category that some organizations prefer. Dr. Sandra Wills Hannon of The Hannon Group discusses how getting certified has helped her agency win more business, both from government agencies and the private sector. She describes some of the available programs and what it takes to win the certification.Continue Reading → The post CWC 49: Dr. Sandra Wills Hannon on why to get your agency certified as a Small, Minority, Woman, or Veteran-Owned Business appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Scope creep and over-servicing clients erodes profitability and many — if not most — agencies. Keeping work within the agreed parameters will not only make projects better, it will ensure that they contribute to the financial health of the business. As founder of The Digital Project Manager, Ben Aston knows all about successful agency project management. He joins Chip to discuss techniques to avoid scope creep — starting even before a prospect becomes a client.Continue Reading → The post CWC 48: How agencies can avoid scope creep with client projects (featuring Ben Aston) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Most agency owners don’t bring prior business experience to the role — let alone formal business education. Paul Benson is an exception to that rule of thumb. He earned his MBA before he took the leap into agency ownership. In this episode, Paul shares his experience running a digital marketing agency and how the business training he received at Babson College has impacted his success.Continue Reading → The post CWC 47: Starting an agency with an MBA in hand (featuring Paul Benson) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Agency owners need to keep tabs on the financial health of their businesses, but many lack the backgrounds to know the numbers that matter most. Darryl Salerno’s long experience in advising agencies on financial matters makes him an excellent resource on this vital topic. In this episode, Darryl explains which numbers agencies should be focused on and what benchmarks can help them evaluate their own success. He takes the mystery out of money matters and provides practical advice that any agency leader can put to work today.Continue Reading → The post CWC 46: Key financial metrics for agency owners (featuring Darryl Salerno) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Ronn Torossian has built one of the largest independent PR agencies in the U.S., and in this episode he shares some of the lessons he has learned along the way. A prolific content creator, Ronn frequently writes and speaks about issues facing the industry, and he is passionate about finding ways to improve modern public relations. Ronn’s agency, 5WPR, recently announced that they were looking for small agencies to acquire. He explains exactly what he’s looking for and why he wants to supplement his firm’s already strong organic growth.Continue Reading → The post CWC 45: Building a large independent PR agency (featuring Ronn Torossian) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Agency businesses have some challenges unique to the individual owners and circumstances. But many of the growing pains are predictable and follow patterns established by other similar businesses. Leaders can take comfort in knowing that they are not likely the first to experience any particular challenge, nor are other agencies immune from the obstacles. Brad Farris has spent decades advising businesses and helping them overcome these growing pains so that they can continue to thrive. In this episode of Chats with Chip, Brad shares his observations on each of the key stages that agencies experience, along with advice on how to forge ahead at every step.Continue Reading → The post CWC 44: Predictable growth stages for agencies (featuring Brad Farris) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Katie Robbert never planned to be an expert in AI and analytics, but she says she likes “numbers to add up” even though she considers herself bad at math. As a self-professed planner, Katie found herself telling stories with data, first for a pharmaceutical company and later for a PR agency. Today, Katie is the co-founder and CEO of Trust Insights, a consultancy dedicated to working with clients to uncover valuable nuggets in the data that often piles up unused in many businesses. Chip talks with Katie about how agencies can leverage data on their own behalf, as well as for their clients.Continue Reading → The post CWC 43: How agencies should think about AI and analytics (featuring Katie Robbert) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

Just about every agency leader worries about where the next new client will come from and how to land that new business. Many aren’t natural-born salespeople, so the process itself can be uncomfortable and even intimidating. Jody Sutter brings decades of experience in agency business development to help owners and executives put in place programs and processes that generate revenue. In this episode of the Chats with Chip podcast, Jody shares some of the most common mistakes she sees agencies make and offers practical solutions listeners can implement in their own businesses.Continue Reading → The post CWC 42: Business development mistakes agencies make and how to solve them (featuring Jody Sutter) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

When Sean Cassidy walked out of Tufts University in 1990, he graduated with a major in Cold War foreign policy — just as the Soviet Union was about to dissolve. He hadn’t aspired to a career in public relations, but it turned out he was a good writer and he caught the eye of a small agency owner. Three decades later, Sean leads DKC, a prominent independent PR agency headquartered in New York. They recently rolled out a new tagline: “maximizing return on news.” In this episode, he explains why he believes PR agencies should be news-driven organizations and what skills that requires.Continue Reading → The post CWC 41: The PR agency as a news-driven organization (featuring Sean Cassidy) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

The challenges and opportunities when integrating two businesses while also introducing a new name. Continue Reading → The post CWC 40: Rebranding after an agency merger (featuring Trevor Francis) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.

In this episode, Rachel Jacobs explains why case studies are critical to the scale and growth of agencies. Rachel, founder of Ecommerce Partnerships, reminds agency owners that their number one client is their own agency. Step by step, you’ll learn how to integrate a case study opportunity before a client even signs the contract, who the audience should be, and the six key elements that make up a basic case study. Continue Reading → The post CWC 39: Effective case studies for your agency (featuring Rachel Jacobs) appeared first on FIR Podcast Network.