Mastering Agency Growth in an Age of AI and Disruption With Jason Swenk

Mastering Agency Growth in an Age of AI and Disruption With Jason Swenk

by | Podcast

Jason Swenk is the Founder of Agency Mastery 360, a company dedicated to helping digital agency owners grow and scale their businesses. With over 20 years in the agency space, he has built and sold his agency, and he now leverages his experience working with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars to mentor other agencies. In addition to hosting the Smart Agency Masterclass podcast, the #1 podcast for digital marketing agency owners, Jason has developed a framework for growing agencies from nothing to eight figures.His unique perspective, shaped by his extensive experience and monthly interaction with over 100 agencies, provides valuable insights into navigating market disruptions and achieving sustained growth.
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Here’s a Glimpse of What You’ll Hear:

  • [2:37] Jason Swenk discusses the impact of AI on agencies
  • [4:42] The importance of embracing change and making decisions quickly for success
  • [6:25] How to leverage the next big thing
  • [9:44] Jason emphasizes mastering timeless fundamentals over chasing fleeting trends
  • [12:41] The benefits of going back to the basics in business and focusing on what works
  • [14:43] Strategies for finding your ideal clientele and refining your niche
  • [18:19] The significance of consistent content creation and personal branding for agencies
  • [24:33] How can content creation build trust and educate clients?
  • [26:52] Insights on hiring self-managing employees and fostering team independence

In this episode…

Digital marketing is rapidly evolving, creating uncertainty and disruption for agencies. Business owners face the challenge of keeping up with technological advancements while maintaining consistent growth. How do you stay ahead without losing sight of the core elements that guarantee lasting success? Jason Swenk, an industry veteran with over two decades of experience, offers valuable insights on navigating these challenges. He discusses the dual nature of emerging technologies, particularly AI, as both a threat and an opportunity. Jason emphasizes the importance of not getting consumed by the latest trends but instead focusing on consistent, fundamental business principles that will likely remain unchanged. With an emphasis on quick decision-making and the power of simplicity, he encourages agency owners to stay agile and embrace opportunities presented by emerging technologies. Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast as John Corcoran interviews Jason Swenk, Founder of Agency Mastery 360, about growing an agency in an age of AI and disruption. They discuss the impact of AI on agency operations and how to leverage it. Jason also talks about finding the right clientele and refining your niche, the benefits of visiting clients regularly to build stronger connections, and the significance of consistent content creation and personal branding for agencies.

Resources Mentioned In This Episode

Special Mentions

Related episode(s):

Quotable Moments:

  • “AI won’t take your agency away, but people that use AI will.”
  • “I can’t help the negative people. You have to make the decision.”
  • “They make decisions quickly. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. They make decisions quickly. The worst decision is indecision.”
  • “Focus not on chasing the next trend, but focus on how you can solve problems quicker and more efficiently.”
  • “If you could explain it to your grandmother, perfect. That’s what you want.”

Action Steps:

  1. Leverage AI in your business: Integrate AI technologies to enhance your service offerings and stay competitive. This step capitalizes on the potential of AI to streamline processes, as discussed by Jason, to add value for clients.
  2. Rapid Decision Making: Make quicker decisions to maintain agility in an uncertain market. Jason stresses the effectiveness of this approach in navigating the constantly evolving industry landscape.
  3. Personal Connections: Prioritize in-person client interactions to build stronger relationships. Jason highlights the competitive edge gained by reinforcing personal connections in a digital world.
  4. Content Creation Framework: Document conversations and questions from clients to inspire consistent content creation. This step provides a practical way to engage with your audience and establish your expertise, following Jason’s content strategy.
  5. Focus on gratitude: Shift attention to what you have achieved, not what’s missing. This mindset fosters a positive outlook, which Jason suggests is crucial for long-term success and innovation in the agency space.

Sponsor: Rise25

At Rise25, we’re committed to helping you connect with your Dream 100 referral partners, clients, and strategic partners through our done-for-you podcast solution. We’re a professional podcast production agency that makes creating a podcast effortless. Since 2009, our proven system has helped thousands of B2B businesses build strong relationships with referral partners, clients, and audiences without doing the hard work. What do you need to start a podcast? When you use our proven system, all you need is an idea and a voice. We handle the strategy, production, and distribution – you just need to show up and talk. The Rise25 podcasting solution is designed to help you build a profitable podcast. This requires a specific strategy, and we’ve got that down pat. We focus on making sure you have a direct path to ROI, which is the most important component. Plus, our podcast production company takes any heavy lifting of production and distribution off your plate. We make distribution easy We’ll distribute each episode across more than 11 unique channels, including iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. We’ll also create a copy for each episode and promote your show across social media. Cofounders Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran credit podcasting as being the best thing they have ever done for their businesses. Podcasting connected them with the founders/CEOs of P90x, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, Rx Bars,  YPO, EO, Lending Tree, Freshdesk,  and many more. The relationships you form through podcasting run deep. Jeremy and John became business partners through podcasting. They have even gone on family vacations and attended weddings of guests who have been on the podcast. Podcast production has a lot of moving parts and is a big commitment on our end; we only want to work with people who are committed to their business and to cultivating amazing relationships. Are you considering launching a podcast to acquire partnerships, clients, and referrals? Would you like to work with a podcast agency that wants you to win? Contact us now at [email protected] or book a call at rise25.com/bookcall. Rise25 Cofounders, Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran, have been podcasting and advising about podcasting since 2008.

Episode Transcript

John Corcoran 0:00 All right, today we’re talking about how to grow your agency in an age of uncertainty and disruption. My guest today is Jason Swenk. I’ll tell you more about him in a second, so stay tuned. Intro 0:12 Welcome to the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, where we feature top entrepreneurs, business leaders and thought leaders, and ask them how they built key relationships to get where they are today. Now let’s get started with the show. John Corcoran 0:28 All right. Welcome everyone. John Corcoran here, I am the host of this show. And you know, every week I talk to interesting CEOs, founders, entrepreneurs from all kinds of companies. We have had Netflix, GrubHub, Redfin, Gusto, Kinkos, YPO, EO, activation, Blizzard, go check out the archives. Lots of great episodes for you to check out there as well. And we’ve also had lots of experts in the agency space as well, including Carl Smith from bureau of digital, David C Baker, Roger Henry of off Madison Ave this one is going to blow all the rest away, because he’s got all kinds of great ideas, and he’s been a great mentor and friend of myself and my business partner Jeremy as well, for many years. Of course, before we get to that, This episode brought to you by Rise25 where we help B2B businesses get clients, referrals and strategic partnerships with podcast and content marketing. And you can learn all about that in our new podcast copilot platform at Rise25.com All right, so my guest here today, Jason has been in the agency space for 20 plus years. He’s the Founder of Agency Mastery 360 and the host of Smart Agency Master Class Podcasts. Started his career as a web developer for Arthur Andersen after college, and then built up an agency and now helps other agencies to scale up as well. I’ve had them on the podcast, but it’s been at least five years since we had him last time, so I figured he’d come back on, especially given all the changes that we’ve been seeing in the market with companies with technologies coming along. Jason pleasure to have you here today, and let’s just jump right in here so you have the unique vantage of working with 100 plus agencies every month, hearing what their their challenges are, and in many ways, that is a barometer for the rest of the larger economy, because agencies serve every other type of business, business out there, helping them with all kinds of challenges, from, getting traffic and attention and publicity to building websites, creating all kinds of solutions, software solutions, things like that. Let’s just talk about some of the different trends of disruption and technologies that are coming across your desk right now. Jason Swenk 2:37 Well, I mean, you got to kind of start off with AI right out of all the stuff that it can do, you know, I was messing with Luma the other day, and I said, create me a video of my cat watching this TV show. And it did it perfectly Crazy, right? Yeah. And then you obviously have seen, like the actors going because you can create, you know, videos of people, famous people, that don’t even give it permission. I mean, it’s just, it’s kind of, it’s, it’s scary, it’s, but it’s exciting along the way as well. John Corcoran 3:16 So, yeah, yeah. And so there’s kind of a couple different ways of reacting to that, especially if you’re an agency owner. One is seeing it as a massive threat. This is going to take away our livelihood, and the other one’s seeing it as an opportunity. And you know, how are you seeing people react to these sorts of technologies? Jason Swenk 3:35 Well, I mean, on both sides, right, but I constantly remind people, AI won’t take your agency away, but people that use AI will like, for example, you know, one of the things coming in the next couple years, I mean, I’m already seeing it. You’re already seeing it on Instagram and social media are these fake influencers. And I’m not talking about the slimy, cheesy ones. I’m talking about the AI influencers, ones the brands can control. So if I was an agency and I was constantly like an influencer agency, you better bet I’m just gonna create a ton of fake or AI generated profiles, yeah, because then I can. John Corcoran 4:19 Control a lot better, right? Jason Swenk 4:22 Like so that’s just that small example, yeah, yeah, for sure. John Corcoran 4:25 And I know you’re overwhelmingly a positive person, so you tend to see opportunities and things. How do you help someone who isn’t that positive, who is kind of focused on the negative of it. Jason Swenk 4:42 Honestly, I can’t help the negative one. You know, it’s just you’re you have to make the decision. Like Darby and I were having this conversation the other day, and he was kind of pulling the stick for my rear end because I was up on my like, I was really pretty mad about. This is where every once in a while, on my newsletter, I will send out, Hey, John, are you wanting to do blah, blah, blah, is there something I can help you with? And then they raise their hand, saying, Yes, I would like help. And then we’ll say, Cool, pick a time to meet. And they don’t pick a time to meet. These are the pessimists. These are the ones that have a negative thing because they think we’re going to get on, they think they’re going to get on a call that’s a sales call where it’s not right because they’re coming at it for a negative experience, versus, let me see what these people have to offer. Yeah, let’s see if I can take one idea away. Yeah, right. I was on a podcast not too long ago, and they were like, what’s the biggest difference between the most successful people? I said, they make decisions quickly. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. They make decisions quickly. The worst decision is indecision. Yeah. And so I, unfortunately, can’t help the negative people. John Corcoran 6:00 You also say that the best solution is not to chase the things that are changing. So AI would be an example, or chatgpt Try and become the world’s biggest expert in Luma AI, or something like that, or creating little video snippets out of AI, but rather to focus on the things that we know are unlikely to change in the next 10 years. Jason Swenk 6:25 Yeah, you know, like you said, we all see the people that are chasing the next trend. I’m not saying AI is a trend. It’s here, right? You gotta kind of grapple with it, figure out how you’re going to use it, that kind of stuff. And so you’re always looking at, how do I leverage the next big thing, and how do I get a leg up and be an early adopter and all that kind of stuff. I’m not saying not to do that, but the big focus, and there’s a thing we were talking about, Jeff Bezos mentioned this, and it was like, What’s the question you wish someone would ask you? And he goes, it’s not what’s going to change, it’s what’s not going to change like in the next three to five years. So if you’re an agency, what you need to be focused on is look, how can I solve faster problems for people? Because your clients want you to solve problems quicker. How can you solve them more efficiently? And then you start thinking of solutions for that, or what’s not going to change? Well, people are always going to want, you know, to have an easy experience or understand what you’re going to do for them, rather than, you know, be the Wizard of Oz behind you know, the the robe and and not not know, you know, like, I want to know what goes into the sausage, and then I’ll decide if I’m gonna eat the sausage. John Corcoran 7:45 Yeah, and it’s funny too, because, you know, you mentioned that AI is here already, and yet, you know, you and I and and others who are in your community, and we’ve been in your community for, I don’t know, four years now, or something like that, been to your events, which are, you know, awesome. Jason Swenk 8:03 Tell them the one thing you learned. Do you remember the one thing that you learned that you know? John Corcoran 8:07 You’re putting me on the spot. Let’s see the alligator, alligator. Jason Swenk 8:10 How to get away from an alligator. John Corcoran 8:14 Do you remember? Oh, geez, remember. Jason Swenk 8:17 you got a zigzag if an alligator is chasing you, zigzag. You got a zigzag? John Corcoran 8:23 Okay, yes, I remember that now I have the best video. Jason Swenk 8:25 Like we, John and I were sitting at dinner, and I just broke out the camera. I go, John, what’d you learn? And, and just like we were joking around, and we were talking about things we learned and, and you said, we were talking about alligators, and how to get away from an alligator, if it’s chasing you, they can’t catch you. John Corcoran 8:45 Yes, zigzag. Well, the funny thing is that, you know, we’re, we’re so focused on these emerging technologies. I mean, I like tech and all that kind of stuff, but there still are a lot of people out there that are not focused on it, you know, and maybe that just means that they’re going to be caught by surprise by it. But is there, is there opportunity in that? Because there are, you know, I think the assumption sometimes, especially in the agency world, is, oh, you know what? Everyone’s aware of this, and all of my clients are going to be using these AI tools, when the truth is they may not be, you know, there still is a huge part of the market that wants it done for you. Solution and whether you use software, whether you use Canva that’s been around for 10 years now, or Photoshop that’s been around for 20 years, or use some new tool that just has been around for five months, they don’t care. They just want it done. Jason Swenk 9:44 You know that in the end, clients do not care about how you do something. They just want it fixed. And look, agencies are designed to be the middlemen. Clients want you to solve a problem. Problem that they’re having, and whoever can do it faster and more trustworthy, they’re going to pay, you know, money too and just like when the alligator analogy of like when an alligator is chasing you, you get a zigzag. So if the market’s going one way, you should go the other way. So for example, if everyone, and a lot of people now are automating the crap out of their business, and it’s good, but we’re also, ever since covid, we don’t meet in person much anymore. It’s all over zoom or a video call or a phone call or a text message or a Slack message. So if everyone’s doing that, what if you actually visit your clients on a regular basis? Imagine how much more connected you’re going to be with your clients. You know a member of the mastermind, Marty, he always talked about within the first month. I always made sure I visited my new clients. I don’t care how far away they are, because no one else is visiting them.
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