The Agency Growth Podcast

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231

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

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The Agency Growth Podcast

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October 30, 202647 min

6 Client Retention Hacks | Episode 230

[Cold open [2026 Holiday Forecasts, Inflation & The Post-COVID Hangover.] ends at 07:05.] Signing new clients doesn’t get you very far if you’re constantly replacing the ones who leave. This week, we’re talking about six ways agency owners can improve client retention. We cover setting expectations before the sale, automating communication, simplifying reports, responding quickly, and knowing when to pick up the phone. These are basic things that are easy to let slide when you’re busy doing the work. We also talk about why clients need reports that connect your work to their business. More traffic doesn’t mean much if it isn’t bringing in leads. And a quick response that says you’re looking into something beats leaving a client wondering whether you saw their email. We share our own retention challenges, including landscaping clients who pause marketing over the winter. We discuss how services like website maintenance can keep the relationship going when marketing stops. The goal is to provide enough ongoing value that clients have a reason to stay. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Article: NRF Forecasts 2026 Holiday Sales Growth as Consumers Remain Resilient https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-forecasts-2026-holiday-sales-growth-as-consumers-remain-resilient ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

October 23, 202643 min

Usage Fees Are Killing Your Agency | Episode 229

[Cold open [ChatGPT UTM Drops, Disney SEO & Godzilla.] ends at 08:11.] Getting better results for your clients shouldn’t mean making less money. But if you charge a flat retainer and eat every usage fee, that’s exactly what can happen. More leads mean more calls, more automations, and more charges. Multiply that across your clients, and those pennies start taking a real bite out of your margin. Our move from HubSpot to HighLevel brought this conversation back up. We talk through how call tracking, automation, reporting, and payment processing costs add up and why “we just eat it” deserves a closer look. We cover passing usage fees to clients, setting pricing tiers, and accounting for costs in your ad spend pricing. We also talk about why billing needs to be automated. Saving your margin doesn’t help much if you create hours of manual invoicing. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Article: ChatGPT appears to drop UTM tracking, making AI referral traffic harder to measure https://searchengineland.com/chatgpt-appears-to-drop-utm-tracking-making-ai-referral-traffic-harder-to-measure-496552 ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

October 16, 202643 min

Free Courses Every Agency Owner Should Take | Episode 228

[Cold open [Marathon Medals & Big Tech Ad Warfare.] ends at 07:30.] Before you spend thousands on a marketing course, see what you can learn for free. We both spent money on programs that didn’t deliver what we expected. This week, we walk through free courses from Google, HubSpot, Meta, and WordPress that agency owners and their teams can take. Knowing the fundamentals helps you spot when some biz bro is charging you for outdated, regurgitated information. We also cover why Google Tag Manager is one of the most valuable skills you can add to your agency. Tracking leads and sales matters when clients are paying you to deliver results. And if you’re using AI to build websites, you still need enough web knowledge to understand what it built and what’s broken. Getting certified doesn’t make you a marketing genius. We talk about where certifications fit into Google Partner status, how they can help establish credibility, and why platform training still deserves some skepticism. Start with the free resources before deciding what’s worth paying for. ----- FREE COURSES: HIGH LEVEL SOLUTION: DIGITAL MARKETING FUNDAMENTALS Hubspot's Digital Marketing Fundamentals https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/digital-marketing Google's Fundamentals of Digital Marketing https://skillshop.exceedlms.com/student/collection/1830706 HIGH LEVEL SOLUTION: WEB DESIGN Everything Wordpress https://skillshop.exceedlms.com/student/collection/1830706 AI COURSES Google AI Essentials https://grow.google/intl/es/ TRACKING YOUR WEBSITE Google Analytics 4 by Google ** Knowing Google Analytics is fundamental for SEO and digital marketing in general. https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/15068052?sjid=16468356113301912686-NA Google Tag Manager Fundamentals Course https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/15068052#zippy=,get-started-using-google-analytics-introduction,go-further-with-advanced-features-in-google-analytics-advanced,answer-business-questions-with-google-analytics-intermediate,use-google-analytics-for-your-business-beginner HIGH LEVEL SOLUTION: SEO Google SEO Fundamentals **This course is recommended by Google themselves. https://www.coursera.org/learn/seo-fundamentals SEO Certification Course by Hubspot ** Hubspot has a plethora of free courses and their SEO course is pretty decent. https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/seo-training Semrush SEO Crash Course ** Semrush is a well-respected analytics tool in the SEO/PPC industry and provides this free course led by Brian Dean. https://www.semrush.com/academy/courses/semrush-seo-crash-course-with-brian-dean/ Wix Studio SEO Course https://www.wix.com/seo/learn/course HIGH-LEVEL SOLUTION: SOCIAL MEDIA Meta Blueprint Certification https://www.facebookblueprint.com/student/catalog TikTok Academy https://ads.tiktok.com/business/en-US/blog/introducing-tiktok-academy LinkedIn Academy https://training.marketing.linkedin.com/ Full-funnel content marketing strategy https://training.marketing.linkedin.com/building-a-full-funnel-content-marketing-strategy-on-linkedin HIGH-LEVEL SOLUTION: PPC Google Ads Certification https://skillshop.docebosaas.com/learn/signin HIGH-LEVEL EMAIL MARKETING Hubspot's Email Certification https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/email-marketing-certification-en?utm_source=lookingformarketing&utm_medium=referral ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Article: Apple, Amazon, Meta At A Standoff Blocking Ads, AI Agents https://searchengineland.com/google-tests-bigger-local-services-ads-491531 Google Ads Quality Score https://tenscores.com/quality-score/ ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

October 9, 202642 min

7 Keys to Agency Scaling | Episode 227

[Cold open [Google is testing bigger Local Services Ads.] ends at 06:23.] More clients won’t fix an agency that can’t handle the ones it already has. In this episode, we lay out seven steps for growing an agency. We also talk about deciding what kind of agency you actually want to run. That decision affects the services you sell and the clients you take on. We share how onboarding became such a bottleneck that we stopped taking new clients for months. Clients had already called us out for being too busy growing to deliver the monthly service. They were right, and we had to fix it. We also get into why adding clients and hiring more people eventually stops being enough. Increasing revenue per client matters, but selling an extra service you can’t confidently deliver can cost you the relationship. These are lessons from building our own agency, including the parts we’re still figuring out. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Google tests bigger Local Services Ads article: https://searchengineland.com/google-tests-bigger-local-services-ads-491531 ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

October 2, 202641 min

How We Manage Our Agency’s Money | Episode 226

[Cold open [ChatGPT shopping fees and profit margins.] ends at 06:55.] The money in your agency’s bank account isn’t all yours to spend. This week, we walk through how we manage finances at Evergrow and how that system has changed as we’ve grown. We cover collecting payments, keeping business and personal money separate, and getting an accountant before your books become a mess. We also explain how we adapted Profit First to give payroll, operating expenses, savings, and profit their own accounts. Those boundaries help us decide whether we can afford a new tool or hire without treating every dollar as available money. Then there’s paying ourselves. We’ve gone from taking home $12,000 each in a busy month to less than $1,000 in winter. We talk about what changed and why your personal income shouldn’t swing with your agency’s seasons. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: ChatGPT 5.6 has transformed Shopping mode: https://www.tryprofound.com/blog/chatgpt-5.6-shopping-transformation#smaller-merchants-must-integrate-through-shopify-to-combat-this Reddit post shared by Jake: https://www.reddit.com/r/agency/comments/1wavilk/agency_owners_how_do_you_manage_your_finances/?solution=d6ced175b39ca535d6ced175b39ca535&js_challenge=1&jsc_token=2824be10929bdc604753c70a67a1c3311f738478fbc50c003b1beb425da34512&jsc_orig_r= Agencies Need the Profit First™ System (ft. Mike Michalowicz): https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/episodes/agencies-need-the-profit-first-system-ft-mike-michalowicz-150 The Tax Strategies Most Agency Owners Never Consider (ft. Emily Bowie): https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/episodes/the-tax-strategies-most-agency-owners-never-consider-ft-emily-bowie-w-thorne-advisors-222 ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

September 25, 202641 min

When a Client Is Too Big for Your Agency | Episode 225

[Cold open [Reacting to California's ban on addictive social media features.] ends at 06:20.] In this episode, we break down what actually happens when you land (or think about landing) a client that might be too big for your agency to handle. A lot of agency owners mistake the overall valuation of a client's business with the actual scope of work required. When you rush to take on massive accounts without the labor capacity to back it up, you end up compromising quality, burning out your team, or neglecting your existing clients. Real agency growth comes down to calculating your actual labor hours, not chasing big numbers for vanity. We share our own stumbles, from turning down a 30-hour-a-week overflow contract early on to managing a franchise deal that eventually made up 35% of our monthly revenue. Relying on one account to fund half of your payroll creates massive operational risk if that revenue suddenly disappears or gets moved in-house. We talk through how taking on deals outside your limits can do irreversible damage to your reputation and pull you away from your core niche. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/agencynewbies/comments/1w8p20q/i_think_im_getting_into_something_big/?solution=27c5927fd8eeb84b27c5927fd8eeb84b&js_challenge=1&jsc_token=2824be10929bdc604753c70a67a1c33147878f6fa90addb71bae1db8a88a12a6&jsc_orig_r= ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

September 18, 202648 min

What is Your Agency's Brand Voice? | Episode 224

[Cold open [The Problem With ChatGPT Ads.] ends at 07:03.] Your agency already has a brand voice, even if you’ve never defined it. We learned this when a team member published the first Evergrow blog post that Cody or Jake didn’t write. The article was solid, but it didn’t sound like us. That exposed a problem many agency owners eventually face: once content and client communication move beyond the founders, the team needs more direction than “keep it casual.” In this episode, we talk about defining a voice around your clients, company values, and the way your team actually communicates. We also explain why reviewing work together matters, especially when you’re training newer employees. The goal isn’t to make everyone sound identical, but to give them clear boundaries and room to contribute. We also break down how objective writing standards can make editing less subjective. If your agency is delegating content, emails, or social media, this is the groundwork that keeps the brand consistent as the team grows. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Article: Data Reveals ChatGPT Ads Not Performing https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/417528/data-reveals-chatgpt-ads-not-performing.html ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

September 11, 202646 min

How to Buy Premium Domains Below Sticker Price | Episode 223

In this episode, we talk about why the right .com can be worth pursuing as your agency grows. It will not instantly bring in more leads, but it can change how established and credible your business feels. That matters when you are building a real company instead of chasing short-term revenue. We walk through how to find the owner of a taken domain, determine what it may actually be worth, and complete the purchase without hiring a broker. The most important part is deciding what you are willing to pay before the negotiation starts. Cody also shares how he bought a domain listed for a few thousand dollars for just $230. It is a good reminder that an asking price is only an asking price, and that domain acquisition could become another useful service your agency offers clients. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Inside the Castello Brothers Smoothie Move Into Fractional Ownership of Domain Names Article: https://www.dnjournal.com/articles/2026/smoothie/doma.htm Book recommendation: "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss How to get in touch with the domain owner? lookup.icann.org Premium domain negotiating toolbox: Estibot.com Escrow.com ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

September 4, 202654 min

The Tax Strategies Most Agency Owners Never Consider (ft. Emily Bowie w/ Thorne Advisors) | Episode 222

We sat down with Emily Bowie from Thorne Advisors to talk about the boring, unsexy side of tax strategy and fixing broken agency pricing. Most agency owners lump tax prep in with basic bookkeeping and ignore real strategy until Uncle Sam takes a massive chunk of their profit. Emily breaks down why tax strategy starts making sense around the $100k net mark, how S-Corp elections factor into the mix, and how to handle reasonable compensation to stay off the IRS audit list. It comes down to understanding your actual cash flow instead of guessing your way through payroll. We also talk about the operational leaks that make agencies look profitable on paper while the bank account tells a completely different story. From miscalculating labor rates to ignoring true overhead, scope creep silently eats away at your capacity to take on better work. Emily breaks down how one agency lost $120,000 just by failing to factor true delivery costs into their proposals. If you want to stop bleeding cash on bad proposals and keep more of what you earn, listen to the episode and share your thoughts in the comments. ----- MENTIONS IN THE EPISODE: Follow Emily: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyvbowie/ Thorne Advisors: www.thorneadvisors.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thorneadvisors/ 5 Cash Leaks and 5 Missed Tax Deductions: https://www.thorneadvisors.com/cashleaks ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact

August 28, 202654 min

Account Management is Harder Than You Think | Episode 221

[Cold open [Moving to Tampa, podcast camera shaming, and getting called "AI slop" on Reddit.] ends at 12:43.] Account management might be the hardest agency skill to teach. We’re moving two experienced strategists into formal account management roles, and the hard part is not SEO, PPC, or reporting. It is learning how to communicate strategy, understand the history behind the numbers, and know when a client email needs 30 seconds or 30 minutes. Those soft skills carry more weight than most agency owners realize. We break down the difference between client services, account management, and account executives, plus what each role actually requires. A strong account manager needs more than likability. They need strategy, organization, communication, industry knowledge, and a clear understanding of where they can push back. If clients are used to working with the owner, handing off accounts takes more than changing the name on an email thread. You need to build trust, stay involved, and give the new account manager time to prove they can handle the relationship. Until that happens, stepping away from the agency can cost you clients and recurring revenue. ----- PREMIUM: Join the Patreon and get exclusive content from this episode with more in-depth advice and hours of bonus content each month: https://www.agencygrowthpodcast.com/premium ----- RESOURCES: Want the tools and resources we recommend for agencies? Check them out here: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/tools ----- NEWSLETTER Want the show in your inbox? Sign up for the newsletter! https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/newsletter ----- COMMUNITY Looking to join a community of agency owners? Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ----- CONTACT Got something to say? Send us a message: https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/contact