Natasha Lee

The secret to scaling your agency that no one talks about 💡 15 years ago, I co-founded my marketing agency Roar Point alongside Wan Hoon Ng. One of the first things we did → create an org position with all the positions that we needed. And it was… a problem. Because we were putting our names beside every single role! CEO → Me Finance Director → Wan Hoon Creative Director → Us Copywriter → Us Traffic Manager→ Still Us Janitor → Yep, us too 😅 Looking at that chart was overwhelming. But here's the genius part: It became our strategic elimination game. We did this by asking ourselves 3 crucial questions: 1. Which role causes us the most pain? 2. Which takes us away from high-impact work? 3. Which can wait? Here's what we discovered: 🔍 Cleaning toilets  Not a priority hire. Small team = minimal mess ✍️ Copywriting  Massive pain point. It demanded deep focus and creativity - exactly what we couldn't afford while chasing new business. 👥 Client servicing  Critical. We needed someone who could handle day-to-day client communications while we focused on strategy! The real breakthrough came when we realised: ✅ Some roles needed immediate filling (like copywriting).  ✅ Others could be outsourced (like accounting - trust me, get a bookkeeper from day one!)  ✅ A few other roles could wait. Because here’s the harsh truth:  Most agency founders work in the business, not 𝘰𝘯 it. They're stuck doing repetitive tasks instead of creating and growing. So if I was to go back 15 years ago, I wish someone had told me this: 🔺Start with roles that directly impact revenue 🔺Outsource specialised skills (especially accounting!) 🔺Train early for positions with steep learning curves 🔺Don't try to be a hero - you can't do everything forever, even if it takes 15 minutes Remember: The goal isn't to do everything yourself. It's to build a system that works without you. Agreed? * Repost ♻️ if this hit home. Follow me, Yun Siang Long, for more marketing & life truths from the trenches.

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Early in my journey with Quuu.co, we had a bold vision of changing the way people share content on social media. But like all great ventures, we hit a wall. We needed to figure out our product-market fit, and it wasn't pretty. In the beginning, we thought we knew our audience. We thought we understood their needs. But the data told a different story. Customers weren’t engaging as we had hoped. Instead of throwing our hands up in frustration, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work. We started talking to our users, conducting interviews to dig deeper into their pain points and needs. It wasn’t easy to hear that our assumptions were off, but we embraced the feedback. We refined our offerings based on what we learned and, just like that, the engagement began to soar. What did that teach us? Product-market fit isn't just a number or a metric; it's about truly understanding and connecting with your customers. It requires relentless conversations and a willingness to adapt. The truth is, you can’t please everyone, and trying to is a surefire way to fail. So here’s my advice: don’t shy away from hearing the tough stuff. Embrace the feedback, iterate, and pivot if necessary. Stay clear on your vision, but be flexible on how you get there. It could be the difference between fading into obscurity and creating something monumental.

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In your career, find your BALI & plan for it 🌴 Hear me out: How many of you 'plan' where to travel? 1. You wouldn’t just show up at the airport and pick a random destination. 2. You wouldn’t choose a flight just because it’s 50% off. 3. You wouldn’t randomly select seat 7A without knowing where you’re going. Instead, you’d plan INTENTIONALLY: 🌴What do I enjoy doing? ↳ Do I prefer lounging on the beach or exploring cultural sites? 🌴Where can I go to experience what I love? ↳ Bali might be your dream destination, but... 🌴How do you get there? ↳ Direct flight? Stopover in Jakarta? Or a stop-over in 3 countries? None of these are the absolute best (or) the right paths, but only what's right for YOU! SO... How are you planning your career: INTENTIONAL or ACCIDENTAL? 1. Do you know what you enjoy and are good at? 2. Have you been randomly applying to any open roles? 3. Are you just waiting for help to come you to get you to the next level? In the past 6 months, I’ve seen incredible progress in the people I coach. They’ve achieved their goals by being: ⭐ Intentional -> clearly defining what they want ⭐ Consistent ->taking small actions daily ⭐ Aware -> assessing if they are on-off track & getting help Only when you know what you enjoy, you can pick Bali now (v/s 10 years later). Only when you know what you enjoy, you can choose to stop-over, detour. The journey is as important as destination, if not more. If you feel like the first 6 months of the year didn’t go as planned, don’t worry – you still have the next 6 months to turn things around. Find your BALI and plan for it :) 👉 Are you Ready to start your intentional career journey? Start here: https://lnkd.in/gsAaA2et Let’s make the next 6 months count! 💪 === Sonia here! As a career coach, I help already successful achievers rediscover what makes them tick, so they don't drag their feet to work on a Monday! 🔔 I write weekly and share career stories. (Picture: I found my piece of Bali and I enjoy the trips :) )

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"I've hired a lot of coaches- but Wasif has been a game changer. Very hands-on, nothing generic here"- Huyen Truong, Founder, Online Marketing for Doctors. The stakes are high when you’re looking to scale up  (eg, going from $2M → $5M ARR). Picking the RIGHT coach is vital. Here are 8 things to look for when making that choice. Look for someone who - 1. Has been there, and done that ↳ They’ve scaled agencies like yours multiple times. 2. Has a track record of results, reviews & testimonials ↳ Look for hard results & legit reviews from past clients 3. Is someone you get along with ↳ If you’re spending 3-6 months together, this is a no-brainer 4. Was a marketer (and has built large teams) ↳ SEO, paid ads, copywriting for conversion & design 5. Was in sales (and has built large teams) ↳ Trains your team to improve close rates sets up HubSpot & reviews sales decks 6. Has grown teams from small to big ↳ Recruitment, KPIs, accountability 7. Managed retention teams & knows how to increase LTV ↳ Lifetime value, upsells and cross-sells, combatting churn 8. Does more than sit on a call with you once a month ↳ Deep integration in the business & works with you every day Agency growth is more than just getting leads. Every business unit needs to scale in parallel (To ensure the business doesn’t “break”). Sales, marketing, retention, Ops, HR & beyond. Pick a coach that gets this. And you’re set to scale. What’s your 1 big agency goal for 2025? — 👋 Hey, I’m Wasif - the agency growth coach who’s been there. I’ve scaled multiple agencies from: 5M → 20M  10M → 30M 7M → 30M All in a few years. All different businesses. I’ve done it again and again (50+ agencies) to find the formula that works. Ready to scale dramatically? DM me “scale” or visit my profile to book a free 1:.

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Our client at Retention.SG has just seen their highest monthly revenue in over 50 months, and they did it in 1 month after implementing a new strategy. If you want to ACTUALLY hit your highest monthly revenue, these are 3 concepts that you ought to follow (For Product-Based Businesses) ✅ Free is Disproportionately Better Than Discounted (Concept 1) We launched a massive giveaway in celebration of their anniversary, requiring just a simple email signup to enter. A strong 25% of those who entered the giveaway went on to make a purchase. Here's how we incentivised conversions: Entrants were then invited to a second giveaway, where they received a discount code for $5 off their first purchase along with a free item. This multi-layered giveaway strategy allowed us to focus on reach on the front-end and conversions on the back-end ✅ Stories > Salesy (Concept 2) Alongside the giveaway, we consistently released content reels centered around the owner and his journey. Throughout that month, we experienced several peak single-day sales. Post-campaign, chatting with some customers revealed that some were genuinely connected with some parts of the founder’s narrative. We avoided salesy pushes or CTAs in the front-end content, choosing instead to highlight genuine stories, while leaving the conversions in the backend. ✅ More POSITIVE outreach = Reciprocity (Concept 3) Email marketing is annoying but that's only if its done poorly. Overall, we captured 40% of revenue via emails alone, here are the 3 cards we played: 1. Participants of the first giveaway were added to an email automation reminding them of the second giveaway and their discount code. 2. We activated our existing email list to encourage participation in the giveaway. 3. We increased our email frequency, focusing on providing valuable stories and industry tips. Each direct interaction with your customers is an opportunity to build a positive association with your brand. The stronger these associations become, the purchases will naturally follow. Honestly, love doing these breakdown. Shall I do more?

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What was the last thing you did for the first time? I'll start: recently for the first time I... - did an affiliate link partnership for my podcast (Hong Kong Business Owners on Spotify) - started working with a business partner - started preparing my first workshop (How to launch your podcast - 20/06 - DM me to save your spot!) - painted some of my drawings on the rooftop of an artist in Hong Kong Isn't it a fresh way of seeing things to keep a childlike spirit and remind you that it's all a game? Now it's your turn, what was the last thing you did for the first time? #experiment #creativemindset #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurslife

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I don't know if this post is a little cheeky, but hey, it's worth a shot. 👋 I'm looking for a part-time, remote position in content creation/content writing. I currently work part-time in a primary school as an SEN 1:1, don't get me wrong, I love it. I have worked as a TA for over 10 years. However it doesn't align with me anymore, it's not where I want to be in a year. I have just launched Charlotte Dawson Socials as a social media manager, UGC creator and content writer, and it's in its early stages. I have one amazing client already and another one in the pipeline. 😇 I would just love a little bit of financial stability through a contracted/part-time position while I grow my wings. So, if you know of anyone looking for a part-time content creator or writer, let me know! This doesn't have to be a long-term thing, maybe you need some help picking up the workload, or maybe you're off on holiday and need someone to take over! Kind of like when they say "Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" but in a more hygienic not so weird way. I'm always up for a chat, a voice note or two (or ten). You can also email me at [email protected] to enquire about content creation for social media, content writing for socials and blogs, or to just chat a little more about what I do and what you want. Happy Monday, speak soon 💌 #FreelancersUK #ContentCreators #ContentWriting #SMM

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Here’s the attractive skill to master in 2024: owning who you are. When it comes to attraction from the opposite sex, authenticity trumps most others. - If you like to play Dungeons and Dragons, own that thang 🎮 - If you like to play Call of Duty, keep it 100 🎮 - If you like golf, do it ⛳️ (I personally think it sucks) When you own who you are, you radiate confidence and reliability. Especially in the face of others who have a difference in opinion (like me with golf). Contrast that with a guy that’s changing who he is for others? Weak sauce. That dude is indispensable. You're the real deal. _ What other skills are priceless in 2024? Comment below ⬇️ #relationships #confidence #engineer #tech #attraction

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If you don't have a mentor, you need to have one. A mentor doesn't necessarily need to be someone very senior but it can be a friend, a colleague, your spouse / partner who has experience in a certain area or even a book that helps you unlock mental pathways. I usually don't take formal mentoring but I do three things: 1/ learn by observing if people are busy catching up , 2/ find time to talk to people face to face 3/ read good books. As the world gets complicated day by day, to keep up mental sanity and stay focused - you need mentors These books are from an ex manager, a mentor and now a long time friend Charith De Silva whom I stay in touch with during the good and the bad days. Ownership was the first book he gifted me when I moved to Singapore in 2018. Thank you 🙏 What's your mode of receiving mentoring? Let me know in the comments section. I'd like to learn from you. #mentoring #travellersnotebook

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🚀 Fulfilled By TikTok (FBT) is going hard on the incentives for brands to join. 💡 Did you know that TikTok subsidises shipping costs for all FBT orders over £20? This means zero cost to the seller! Plus, starting from October 25th, their standard shipping fee for orders under £20 will drop from £3.48 to just £2.99 across the UK. ✨ This is a fantastic opportunity for: - SMEs to finally access competitive shipping rates. - Brands recently kicked out of Amazon warehouses to find a new platform. - For everyone to maximise profits during the busy peak season. - New sellers to jump on TikTok Shop and scale fast. If you’ve been thinking about joining TikTok Shop, now’s the time! 🌟 #ecommerce #socialcommerce #TikTokShop #FBT #PeakSeason #Fulfillment #DigitalMarketing #TikTokForBusiness

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"I feel like, if you're running a business today, you kind of have to be a creator." Garry Tan gets it. Meta and Google have created a toll road for any business that wants eyeballs. Want more F500 executives to see your brand? Pay up. Founder-led content is the best and highest-leverage way to get in front of your ICP. - You don't pay per impression, per click, or per engagement - It comes from your account (1000x more authentic than a company brand) - You can build out scalable engagement systems with your ICP (h/t Adam Robinson, who does this extremely well) Later in this video, Garry acknowledges that B2B audiences are smaller. But I'd argue that's a good thing - you can tailor your message to specifically target them, and you don't have to worry about a broad message landing with no one. Every B2B SaaS brand can build a durable moat with founder-led content.

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20 Nothing, 30 Something, 40 Everything, 50 Anything? Ever heard the saying, "Your 20s are for figuring things out (read: feeling a little lost), your 30s are for making it happen (read: sleep-deprived but passionate), your 40s are for having it all – hopefully, found your groove (read: peak productivity & confidence, & your 50s are for doing anything you want as you're experienced & free? (read: ready to rewrite the rules)." Your 20s can be a time of incredible accomplishment. Fresh out of school, brimming with ideas, & ready to learn. This is a time for exploration! Try new things, travel, build a foundation for your career, & don't be afraid to make mistakes. Don't get hung up on having it all figured out by 25. Your 30s might be a period of reflection & redirection. Building your skillset, taking on responsibility, & maybe even starting a family. You're likely settling into your career, & figuring out your priorities. It's a time to hustle & build, but remember to find balance & avoid burnout. Your 40s could be all about starting a new chapter. You've likely gained experience & confidence. You've got the network, & the drive to make a real impact.  This can be a powerful time to take on leadership roles & pursue ambitious goals. But don't neglect your health & well-being – you only have one body! And your 50s? Seasoned pro with a wealth of knowledge & a fresh perspective. This is a time for freedom & flexibility - the sky's the limit! You've likely accumulated enough resources. Now's the chance to pursue passions you might have put on hold, travel the world, or even switch careers! The key takeaway? Life is a journey, not a race. Don't compare your timeline to others. Embrace each decade for its unique opportunities & challenges. There's some truth to the above, but here's the thing, though: "life isn't a linear path". Focus on: - =>> Growth: Embrace lifelong learning & new experiences. =>> Balance: Find what works for YOU, not what everyone else expects. =>> Passion: Pursue what ignites your fire, no matter your age. Are you ready to find your purpose? The point is: Don't feel pressured by societal timelines. Break the mold & celebrate success at every point! No matter your age or stage of life, believe in yourself that you have something valuable to contribute. What's your take? P.S. Drop “aah | aha | haha” in the comments if you're ready to rewrite the rules of your own career journey! #careers #growthmindset #lifejourney #badgefree #careeradvice #lifelonglearning #breakthebias #careerdevelopment #worklifebalance #diversityandinclusion #wearehiring

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Wow, you’re tough! 🤕 If you’ve lived at all, whether you’re a contact sport athlete or just a human being navigating the journey with a reasonable sense of self-preservation, you’ve been called on to be physically tough on some occasion. 💪 All mothers are given the tough badge for still being here beyond growing, birthing and then raising children. 👏🏼 But why do we value “toughness”? I was fierce on the rugby pitch and carried the shiners and SO many other injuries with me into work, eventually people stopped asking if I was being abused at home. So many elderly folks I’ve cared for over the years shared stories of their “toughness” and it seems there was a skewed value on this quality. All the things we endure along our own journey are cumulative and create our story around our physical strength and capabilities as well as how we adapt when part of our body lets us down. Learning to level up physical wellbeing will serve you well as you age and it’s never too soon or too late to start on your own healthy aging journey. The resiliency required to carry on through chronic illness, mental health concerns and the fact that these are all a part of the lived experience of those who are supporting someone living and aging with chronic illness or nearing end of life, is something people have no choice but to develop. This is all part of the human experience and yet, if you had someone to guide you according to your own personal needs, story and circumstances - wouldn’t that feel better than trying to figure it all out on your own? 🦉 Being tough is one thing, but what requires real strength and courage is to admit when you need help. Aging is good news. Taking an active role in getting your health, property and plans in a place creates ease along the way. There is no need to figure it all out yourself along your aging journey or that of a loved one. Free, no obligation Age Wise strategy sessions are available and would love to help empower you and your family to create a levelled up wellbeing in your remaining chapters! Book here🪶https://lnkd.in/gxppXUCf ___________________________ Hi! In case we haven’t met yet, I’m Leslie. I offer expert guidance to families to help them navigate the aging-in-place journey so they can maximize enjoyment of their homes, make decisions with confidence and get on with living! 📨 Message me about your situation or needs 🪶 comment below - we read every word 🦉 #agewise #agewisely #ageinplace #eldercareservices #carebeginsathome

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How Not to Connect with Someone on LinkedIn: The Unnecessarily Long and Rambling Ways of Mr. SDR This is a masterclass on how to lose friends and annoy people. I also want to point out that this was formatted as a gargantuan paragraph. 🤦‍♂️ Hello [First Name], I hope this message finds you well. In these unprecedented times, it's more important than ever to build meaningful connections. I was browsing LinkedIn when I came across your profile. Your experience in [Industry] is truly impressive, and it got me thinking about the nature of work, the industry's future, and how fleeting connections can sometimes transform into pivotal moments in our professional journeys. It's fascinating, don't you think? Anyway, I was wondering if you would like to connect here on LinkedIn. I believe there could be some synergies between our work, and even if not, it's always good to expand one's network, right? Looking forward to potentially collaborating or sharing insights on [Industry] trends, challenges, and opportunities. Warm regard, [name witheld] 😵‍💫 Ok, so don't do that. We've all been over this a million times, but I'll run through the LinkedIn success formula again: Connect + comment + give helpful suggestions + get off the platform + make friends + be altruistic and giving = Win...in life and business. #sdr #sales #stop

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Take a look at this screen grab video of my LinkedIn feed. What do you observe? I’ll start with my perspective 1.) first off, I’m working on extreme focus and black and white on my iPhone is helping me not go back as much for more 2.) the content you consume highly influences your outlook on the world and job opportunities - curate wisely and shut out the noise accordingly 3.) people are trying to capture your attention and have multiple ways of trying to do so 4.) there is no right or wrong way to build your network and share content - look at some of your connections and what they post. 5.) Being creative isn’t always creating something from zero to one, it’s applying new perspectives on existing foundations. In summary, go out and have fun while you build your network and spark curiosity along the way. …… Comment 💬 if you see other things or what you enjoy most about your LinkedIn feed. …… #Perspective #BlackAndWhite #StoryTelling #Growth #TopOfMind #Focus #Intentional #HPI #Jobs #Selling #Podcaster #Creator

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My focus is my ICP, not getting viral. During a recent call, a prospect said this to me. He helps B2B companies scale. ✅ Target audience = Southeast Asian founders ✅ Purpose = help them scale His purpose is crystal clear. Just like him, you don’t need to create content for everyone. Before diving into content creation - clarify your purpose. No need to beat around the bush. Not everyone will be your audience. Focus on business growth rather than chasing vanity metrics. P.S this book is waste of time.

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This is the best micro-habit I'm adopting and why: --> Scheduling the next meeting as part of the meeting wrap up 📅 Whether it's drinks with the girls, a campaign sync, time with a mentor or an early soft play session, I can't STAND trying to book in dates and times. 🤬 Yes yes, I know there are tools and tech to help, yes yes I know meetings are often not required. But some are - and it's often those important, not urgent connects that get waylaid by the sheer effort of finding a time that works. So for the right people and the right reasons I make every effort to book in a date and a time for the next catch up during the original meeting. Bonus points if I can get a recurring meeting in so scheduling is already taken care of! 🌟 OK you've got this far so you get to hear my worst habit that I can't seem to fix: --> Leaving things in different places all the time and spending so much unnecessary time hunting them down 😭 Today's example: headphones. Tomorrow could be wallet, keys, gym stuff.. I just cannot keep a grip on my belongings and it drives me crazy! Whats the best micro habit you've adopted and how has it helped you? #microhabit #productivity #meetings #marketing #habits

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Scaling from a small team to a big one? Here’s how to do it right, with some tools to back you up: 1. Culture First: Keep the team vibe strong by hiring those who fit your values. Use tools like Culture Amp or TINYpulse by WebMD Health Services to assess cultural alignment. 2. Tap Into Referrals: Leverage your team’s network with a solid referral program. Platforms like Referral Jobs (askreferral.io) or Lever can streamline this process. 3. Streamline Hiring: Speed up your hiring process with automation. Tools like Greenhouse Software, Workable, or Breezy HR can help you manage applications efficiently. 4. Nail Onboarding: Get new hires up to speed quickly with structured onboarding. Consider using BambooHR or Sapling.ai to automate and personalize onboarding experiences. 5. Retention Matters: Keep your top talent engaged with competitive benefits and clear growth paths. Lattice or 15Five can help you track employee satisfaction and career development. Ready to scale your team? Start implementing these strategies today to build a powerful and cohesive workforce. #TeamGrowth #HRTech #RecruitmentTools #ScalingUp #OnboardingExcellence #RetentionStrategy

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Found this gem in my phone notes. I did not write this but it certainly resonated which is why I saved it. (can't recall whom to credit) The sentiments echo many of the conversations I have with people about their careers and echos the advice I give. It took years of unlearning to learn and believe. 🙅‍♀️ Your job is not your life purpose 🛤There’s no single or ‘right’ career path  🗣All advice is autobiographical 🥳No one will ever care more about your career or success than you 🧭Every company will take every minute of your time and attention unless you set boundaries 👥Your work relationships will probably motivate you more than your mandate 💪🏼You are so much more than your performance rating 🤦‍♀️ No one is ever “all caught up” at work 🏆Striving to be the leader you wish you had, is a worthy endeavour ✨Your worth as a person and the value you’re paid to add are not the same thing If you're in you're head right now about your value and stagnancy in your job, I hope this resonates. Monday motivation from someone who took the long road to finding the sweetest career spot that she could have NEVER imagined. #career #careerdevelopment #personaldevelopment #professionaldevelopment #leader #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #job #hiring #humanresources #nowhiring #employee #employeeretention

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