This week, Marcus and Tim virtually gathered around the microphone for a one-on-one discussion about their favorite moments so far since launching Agency Talk. With all of the incredible guests so far, and many more on the way, it was a great time to reflect on some of the insights that have sprung from discussions with agency leaders from around the globe.
Check Out Marcus and Tim’s Full Discussion Here:
Top Takeaways from Agency Talk in 2021
Community Beats Competition
What is a defining trait of a successful entrepreneur - especially an agency leader?
Successful agency leaders do not reach the next summit and say “okay, I’m done.” There’s a driver-energy that’s hardwired in their DNA to continue improving and innovating their business.
That doesn’t mean that dog days don’t exist. When these slow days hit, how do you continue to power through and keep that driver spirit alive? Surround yourself with a community of other likeminded thinkers.
Community always beats competition. Successful agency leaders, like the guests we’ve featured on our previous episodes, view others in the industry as their peers rather than competitors. There are millions of business and hundreds of thousands of agencies in the U.S. alone. Enough opportunity exists for everyone to thrive and continue forward without taking a cutthroat approach.
It Takes Drive to Produce a Spectacular Outcome
Failure isn’t an option unless you stop doing what you believe in. When you know that you’re doing what you’re meant to do, that mission remains despite what obstacles might try to discourage you along the way.
On our episode with Erik Huberman, he discussed how a customer’s dog once literally ripped his pants off him while he was attempting to sell its owners a set of knives. Not letting a pantsless moment deter him, he continued with his pitch in a suit jacket, sans-legwear.
This early moment in Erik’s career didn’t deter him. He wanted to succeed at sales, and this relentless commitment to the mission led to him eventually launching Hawk Media, one of the largest agencies in the United States. That spirit continues on as he continues to drive his business forward.
Whatever your agency’s “mission” is, remember that it is an ongoing and evolving concept. Measuring the success or failure of it begins when you walk away from your workspace for the last time.
Marcus’s Most Surprising Moments
During their conversation, Marcus and Tim both discussed which parts of previous episodes surprised them most. For Marcus, he found the hobbies of these high-capacity guests fascinating.
For example, Erik finds time to fly planes when he’s not running a top-tier agency. Clodagh Higgins invests more time than probably anyone else on the planet into mentoring other agency leaders because she is passionate about the community.
Finding personal challenges beyond professional ones keeps you motivated in the office as well as outside of it. This creates a driver mindset that will continue to aid you in working toward your mission, even on a random Tuesday in July.
Tim’s Most Surprising Moments
Tim was most interested in guests’ ability to self-reflect. When you are able to reflect on your business and take the temperature of the moment, room, or opportunity, you gain a more complete perspective of your business.
For example, when Jackie Hermes stopped by the show, she discussed self-reflection in great detail and how it led her to creating a content empire. Transparency born from that self-reflection can help you both create an awesome LinkedIn video and identify opportunities to change and evolve your agency for the better.
Where Agency Talk is Heading in 2022
More Diverse Content for Agency Leaders
Expanding beyond the nature of the agency world itself, Marcus and Tim will be featuring new guests that cover other relevant topics. New and diverse guests will be sharing their unique perspectives on finance and technology and how it relates to the industry we love to call our community.
A Collaborative Agency Community
To wrap everything up, Marcus and Tim announced that we will be launching a new community for agency leaders. This safe, collaborative community will consist of other likeminded agency leaders to share experience, resources, and insights with one another.
As we said above, community always beats competition. We are going to build that online community for agencies to connect and thrive together.
Thanks for a great first year of Agency Talk! We appreciate every download, stream, and share, and look forward to seeing you in 2022.