Romans Ivanovs’ Post

There are 3 big reasons: Why you’re stuck trying to grow your agency… 1. You believe that agency is just a stepping stone to something bigger. This mindset breeds complacency - you will end up building something average. Your clients and prospects don’t need or want average. Or you treat your agency purely as a cash cow. If it’s your original objective be content with the fact that you’re cashing in and not building for growth. There’s nothing wrong with this choice. But if you build it - mean it. 2. You have other projects and businesses in the background. It’s especially tempting when things become boring or comfortable in the business. And things WILL become boring, that’s the nature of growth. Building top-notch systems, hiring and managing great talent and creating a superior fulfilment process requires an intense amount of focus. The type of focus which can’t be developed when trying to manage multiple projects, businesses, ideas, etc. 3. Finally, I sometimes come across founders who believe that their offer or skills or even team sets them apart by default. It doesn’t. Most agencies offer the same services - no difference. You develop differentiation by working deeply in the market for a prolonged period. Just like many founders and leaders get surprised that the GTM strategies they come up behind the desks don’t work in the real world. It’s a cycle of experimentation, learning, experimentation again and so on. *** P.S. After engaging with 50+ agency owners and execs ($300k to 300M) my COO and I working on a new “holistic” offer for high-potential agencies. Currently in the midst of interviewing 30 agency leaders who are 200k-2M rev to understand specific challenges concerning ops, leadership and scaling processes. I would love to include your insights. This interview will serve as a valuable audit for your business. You’ll gain personalised feedback from my COO, who has extensive experience consulting senior management at Fortune 500 companies on scaling issues. If interested, please DM me!

“The bigger my agency grows, the easier it gets.” (nope!). As a founder making $1M-$2M - you might be itching to hit $5M, $10M or $20M. “Life will be so good when I get there”. But sadly, this isn’t always true. The reality is - Mo’ money, mo’ problems. Running a $5, $10M, $20M agency is hard. Here’s why: ↳ You’ll constantly be over capacity. ↳ You deal with a lot more “people” issues. ↳ You will churn a lot more clients than you’d like. ↳ Your “systems” will start to crack, and will need to be rebuilt, ↳ Your culture will “break”, ↳ & a lot more. The grass isn't ALWAYS greener on the other side. But… It can be. Just know things don’t magically happen; you need to CHANGE. And if you’re prepared for it, scaling is the best thing you’ll do. Want bigger to be better? Then you need to: → Make people your #1 priority → Invest in “non-billable” functions - HR, IT, managers, etc. → Go hard on retention - build robust systems that don’t depend on you. → Crank your marketing effort - stop relying on referrals & word of mouth only. → Build an internal recruitment engine to crank your recruitment efforts - always be hiring. Scaling isn’t impossible; it’s not a walk in the park either. That’s why you need the right guidance. Chasing your tail when trying to scale? Pop me with DM with “AGENCY”. I’ll show you how.

The top 10 worst tactics for scaling an agency ⬇ 1. “Just following up” 2. Hiring cheap talent 3. Outsourcing cheap talent 4. Automating outbound leads 5. Racing to the bottom with pricing 6. “ROAS Hungry” “CPA Slashing” etc. 7. Quantity of clients > Quality of clients 8. Putting 100% energy into 1% optimizations 9. Saying yes to a client that you know is a bad fit 10. Exaggerated numbers in your offer- “100x in 1 month” 🙅♂️ 10 tactics that actually work ⬇ 1. 0-to-1 offers 2. Niching down 3. LinkedIn DMs 4. LinkedIn posts 5. Hiring the best 6. Quality creative 7. Referral systems 8. Culture of ownership 9. Quality > Quantity in leads 10. Quality > Quantity in clients And yes, delivering quality results is a must. Things will end quicker than they started if you can’t deliver. But that isn't a tactic. And a lot of new agencies make the mistake of thinking that doing good work is enough. It isn’t. You also need growth tactics. You can’t just do good work and hope to get noticed. — I built and sold a multi 7-figure agency in 2 years. Follow for more on building, scaling, and running agencies.

Are You Hiring Agencies Too Soon? A Common Founder's Mistake In the whirlwind of launching a startup, many founders rush to hire marketing agencies, aiming for quick wins. Steve Blank, a seasoned entrepreneur, identifies this as a critical error. Why? Engaging agencies too early can disconnect founders from the essential process of crafting their startup's messaging. The Cost of Haste Imagine putting the cart before the horse. Founders, driven by urgency, often miss out on a foundational step: understanding their audience and messaging firsthand. Yes, nine times out of ten, founders might not get it right on their first try. But it's that very attempt, that "stake in the ground," which cultivates deeper insights and stronger partnerships in the long run. The Value of Learning the Hard Way By diving into the messaging themselves, founders not only gain invaluable insights but also pave the way for more meaningful collaborations with external partners. This hands-on involvement ensures that when it's time to run an RFP, the conversations are richer, driven by a clearer vision of what the messaging should achieve. Steve Blank puts it simply: “Anyone can make a complicated thing sound complicated. It takes real skill to make it sound simple.” This journey towards simplicity and clarity isn't one to walk alone. At Polything, we champion founders in refining their messaging hierarchy, turning complicated concepts into compelling, simple narratives. Seeking a partner to demystify your startup's messaging? Let's chat. #founders #messaging #agilemarketing

🚨 Join Us LIVE on YouTube for the PAWS Day 3 Recap and Day 4 Preview! 🎥🔥 Attention all digital agency owners and entrepreneurs! 📣 What an incredible journey it's been so far at the Profitable Agency Wealth Summit (PAWS)! 🎉 We've learned so much from the industry's top leaders, and we're not done yet! 💪 Join Jason Swenk and me LIVE on YouTube as we recap the mind-blowing insights from Day 3 and give you a sneak peek of what's to come on the final day of PAWS! 🌟 Day 3 was jam-packed with game-changing strategies from: 🎤 Dobbin Buck - "Any Stage" Agency Guide to Freedom 🎤 Manish Dudharejia - The Self-Sustaining 7-Figure Agency Mental Model Framework 🎤 Marcel Petitpas - Three Levers to Massive Agency Profits 🎤 Nicole Osborne - Land Quality Clients from LinkedIn Without Annoying Your Prospects 🎤 Todd Taskey - 4 Keys to Maximize The Value of Your Digital Agency PLUS A BONUS live session with Dan Kuschell ! And Day 4 promises even more groundbreaking insights from industry trailblazers like: 🎤Drew McLellan - The PROFITABLE Agency Growth Goal Calculator 🎤Ben LeDonni - The 6 Steps to Agency Profit and the Perfect Acquisition 🎤 🎤 Dr. Jeremy Weisz - Attract 50 More High-Quality Agency Referrals a Year With The Indirect Ask Referral System 🎤 Nathan Hirsch- How to Grow an Agency Profitably With Remote Hiring 🎤Brent Weaver - Master Agency Cash Flow to Setup Long-Term True Success Don't miss this opportunity to absorb the wealth of knowledge shared at PAWS and discover how to apply these powerful strategies to your own agency! 🧠💡 Click the link below to join us LIVE on YouTube for the PAWS Day 3 Recap and Day 4 Preview! 👇 See you there! 😄 #ProfitableAgencyWealthSummit #PAWSDay3Recap #PAWSDay4Preview #AgencyGrowth #DigitalAgencySuccess #YouTubeLive

The worst thing you can do as an agency owner if you have big dreams is… Stay in your comfort zone. If you're avoiding bigger clients because they're "too complex," stop. You're leaving money on the table and stunting your agency's growth. Set a bolder vision with a team ready to tackle it. Aim for those mid-market and large clients. They're not out of your league - they're your next big opportunity. Invest in new business systems. Your current processes (referral/word of mouth) might work for slow growth, but they won't cut it to drive aggressive growth. Embrace AI and automation. These aren't just buzzwords - they're tools that can dramatically boost your efficiency and capabilities. Growth happens outside your comfort zone. It might feel scary, but that's where the real magic happens. Go make it happen. Your agency's future depends on it. P.S. Consider subscribing to my newsletter at the top of this post for more insights weekly on navigating successful exits, driving agency growth, and strategic partnership opportunities.

Unpopular opinon: You don’t need to hire an agency to grow your business. 99% of the time, as with any other business problem you’re trying to solve for, you just need systems and information. Both of which you can acquire without breaking the bank - unless you have a large budget and simply dont want to/can’t hire in house (this is very few businesses). If you do hire someone to manage your marketing for you, make sure you are both incentivized by some sort of performance model so you can manage your results. 👌 Note: I’ve built multiple agencies and coaching programs to help agencies grow over the years so no disrespect to my fellow entrepreneurs - there is simply a time and place for everything ✌️😎 With all of the technology and completely free sauce being put online these days… there really is no excuse to not at least have surface level knowledge of how to generate leads or how to oversee your marketing processes. It will be a skill you use forever and if you work with an agency, it will allow you and the agency to accomplish even more together. Don’t be lazy. Someone else is doing what you want to do without a budget because they’re willing to learn. Don’t be the person who throws up their hands because they refuse to acquire new skills or “don’t have time” to watch a few YouTube videos instead of watching Netflix every once in a while ;) Educate yourself. Then decide if you still need to hire outside help. You’ll feel far better about your decision, I promise you that. Do you need a system or an agency to grow your biz this year? Drop a comment below and let me know your thoughts 👇 #business #marketing #content

It's interesting to see job postings these days seeking a Marketing Manager expected to do everything from digital marketing to copywriting. While startups must manage resources wisely, expecting one person to cover such a broad spectrum is neither realistic nor sustainable. ——— Here’s a more effective framework that I implement with my clients: Hire a Marketing Consultant: Engage an expert to develop a customized 30-60-90 day strategic plan. This ensures a solid foundation and clear direction right from the start. Retain as Advisor: Keep the consultant on board as a continuing advisor. I regularly meet with teams to review KPIs, refine strategies, and prepare for subsequent sessions, ensuring ongoing alignment and adaptability. Specialize, Don't Generalize: Instead of one person wearing multiple hats, hire for specific skills. This focused approach allows each area of your marketing strategy to be managed by someone with deep expertise. The Benefits of This Approach: Increased Efficiency: With a consultant guiding your strategy, your team remains focused and efficient. Cost-Effective Expertise: Gain access to expert advice by paying an advisor fee rather than a full-time salary. Sustainable Growth: Expert planning leads to better performance and sustainable business growth. As an on-board advisor for multiple brands, I've seen firsthand how this approach transforms marketing efforts into productive, results-driven campaigns. ——— Lets talk growth - https://lnkd.in/g_uuMVUe #MarketingStrategy #StartupHiring #BusinessGrowth #MarketingConsulting #DigitalMarketing #BusinessStrategy #MarketingEfficiency #Startups #SmallBusiness #DigitalMarketing #StartupGrowth #ROI #StartUpSuccess #Founder #Cofounder #MarketingRevolution #innovation #growthhacking #marketingtips #startups #tech #growth #dallas #texas #bayarea #entrepreneurship

Lately, I’ve heard some CEOs, founders, and VCs express frustration with the operating model of some fractional CMOs. Fractional leadership can be a real lifesaver for companies that don’t have someone in the seat or expertise to solve a thorny problem. Founders and CEOs want to hire a well-credential, strongly recommended leader to find and fix problems. But the “fixing” part is where things seem to fall down. Here's what I am hearing about... 👉 Some fractionals present a strategy and solution and turn the implementation over to the company's team to follow through. ❌ There's an execution accountability gap. All the variables, unknowns, and messiness of execution are left to startup teams that may lack the internal capacity, expertise, and know-how. If everything goes smoothly, the fractional can take credit for it, but if projects fall apart in execution, they can elude blame, saying the startup did something wrong. If the fractional CMO isn't going to lead execution, who is? Are they helping hire someone or sourcing another vendor to do it? 🤷♂️ Startups NEED implementation guidance for things to get done (and done right).   Any marketer can come in with a laundry list like this: 🗣️ Redo your website site. 🗣️ Fix your product messaging to focus on value>features. 🗣️ Run paid ads to get more top-of-funnel (btw, here’s a great agency). 🗣️ Hire this person, and fire these folks.  🗣️ Start a community. The ideas they suggest could very well be the right ideas. But they are just ideas. Companies need a plan to follow. You can have a solid blueprint, but you still need the people to build the house. 🏗️

I call this trend the “juniorization” of agencies - it happens a lot. While I see the financial logic, leaning on less experienced individuals is not a winning strategy IMO. Building Superson, I’ve seen how most clients prefer seasoned professionals to tackle their complex business and communication problems. While juniorization of agencies may cut costs, it comes at a price. Many senior talents have left the agency system, either laid off or simply opting out because too many agency brands have lost their identity and gravitas. As a result, the market has a lot of exceptional talent. Smart businesses leveraging the network economy can offer their clients access to these top professionals. This talent movement means increased competition ‘for the establishment’ as many of these skilled individuals start their networked ventures. The juniorization of agencies is leaving once so-great agency brands with just the bean counters and a "bench" that is not up to par with the network economy, while simultaneously fostering competition from the industry's best. It will be interesting to see how this dynamic evolves. Thanks for a great post on the topic, Brett Banker – I wrote this because your post on the agency cuts popped up on my feed. Ps. The headline is from earlier this year, it’s not the most recent one, yet still topical.