Uplevel Your Agency
130 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago -The Uplevel Your Agency Podcast is the go-to resource for Agency Owners or any Service Provider who's looking to get better at delegating client work, improving operations and leading their company.
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Episodes
128: 3 Signs You Need to Hire a Leadership Team
May 10, 2023 05:14 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBHave you moved from being the bottleneck with client work and management to being the bottleneck when it comes to implementing internal operational projects and leading your team? If so, you may be in a position to need higher level support inside your business. Enter: the Leadership Team. In this episode, Nicole walks you through example leadership configurations and the three phases she implements with her clients when establishing their leadership teams. What’s in this episode: Ho...
127: 4 Hiring Myths That Are Hurting Your Business
April 26, 2023 14:50 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBAre you thinking about hiring a team for your business or do you already have a team and want to delegate some higher level responsibilities? If so, this episode is for you! Today we’re talking through 4 hiring myths that are hurting your businesses growth. As a service provider, your time, energy and finances are limited! Let’s make sure you’re taking action on activities that will move your business forward, not backwards! What’s in this episode: Why it’s important to restructure be...
126: How to Have Awkward Conversations With Your Client
April 19, 2023 05:30 - 25 minutes - 24 MBSo you’re looking to make a change that impacts your clients. Maybe it’s transitioning their work to your team members, increasing their pricing, or releasing them all together. These conversations can feel super awkward… so awkward that maybe you’ve been avoiding them all together. Listen, I despise awkward conversations as much as you probably do, but I also know that going through the process of having these interactions helps us grow – and ultimately helps the other person too. What’...
125: How to Pay Yourself and Your Team As An Agency Owner
April 12, 2023 05:30 - 27 minutes - 25 MBYour Agency Financials are one of the four most important shifts you need to make to grow an agency model business. By making this shift, it will ensure that you have the right delegation and financial strategy in place to pay a team and continue to pay yourself too as you continue to grow. I’ve heard so many times from business owners that they’re afraid to have an agency because of the expense. This episode will help you feel more confident by giving you the information and tools that yo...
124: 3 Ways to Streamline Your Operations So You Can Take Time Off
April 05, 2023 05:15 - 21 minutes - 20.2 MBIs one of your goals for this year taking more time off in your business (without it burning down?!) If so, you’re not alone! Most service providers and Agency Owners are way past due when it comes to taking some much needed time away from their business. But how do we do this in a way that will still support our clients, team and ourselves too? The answer is: streamlining your operations! In this episode, I share the top three things you can do to make your business run more efficiently ...
123: 4 Reasons Why You Haven't Scaled Your Agency Yet and How To Overcome These Hurdles
February 22, 2023 05:04 - 24 minutes - 22.5 MBHave you thought about growing and scaling your agency, but feel like you’re getting stuck? Maybe you’re still wondering if an agency model is even for you or maybe you feel like you don’t know the steps to take to make it happen. In this episode, I talk about the top reasons I see business owners NOT scaling their Agency and how you can overcome these hurdles. This is not to convince you that an agency model is the right fit for you. It's to share information so that you can use it to ma...
122: Avoiding Taking on New Clients? Watch this.
February 15, 2023 06:18 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBThis episode was inspired by a conversation that I had with an Agency Owner that generated $1M in revenue last year and is projected to do the same this year. She shared that over the past few months she had to stop taking on more clients because she hit an operational ceiling and needed to make some changes before bringing on more business. This reminded me of another conversation I had with an Agency Owner that was making about $180K in revenue and had to stop attending live in-person e...
121: 3 Signs You Have a Service You Can Scale With An Agency Model
February 08, 2023 06:30 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBAre you a service provider who’s looking to grow beyond 1:1 services and wondering if an agency model could work with your business? Or, did you “accidentally” start an agency and are still trying to figure out if it’s the best model for you? If either of these is true, this episode will help you work out whether or not your service is currently set up to scale with an agency model. If it is - great! The option is there for you. If it’s not - don’t get too bummed. Even if it’s not set up n...
120: How to Be a Better Leader in 2023 with Aisha Crumbine
February 01, 2023 06:30 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBLeadership is something you can’t avoid if you’re wanting to grow and scale with an Agency Model business. Removing yourself from client work and management is going to take both personal and professional leadership development. That’s why I’m so excited to have Aisha Crumbine on the podcast with me today to share her expertise on what it takes to be a great leader - for yourself and for your business and for your team. We dive into how your personal leadership impacts your work, the qual...
119: How to Baby-Proof Your Service Based Business
January 25, 2023 06:30 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBAre you wondering how you can keep your business running while you take time off to have a baby? Maybe you’re pregnant now or wanting to have a baby or looking to adopt and want to understand what goes into keeping your business running without you. Every pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience is different… for each and every parent and also for each and every child. The needs of your agency are also different from other agencies. In this episode, Nicole will give you questions to cons...
118: Not Hiring Because You Don't Have Enough Time? This is for you.
January 18, 2023 06:30 - 17 minutes - 16.5 MBHiring takes time, energy and money, and when Agency Owners are already strapped for time, hiring can feel like an impossible endeavor. From figuring out who to hire, to creating the job post, to hosting interviews, to creating everything needed for successful onboarding… the hiring list can seem endless. It may have you feeling like you’d rather just stay stuck then add even more work to your plate! In this episode, we break down the mindset behind the hiring process and how your thoughts...
117: Stop Being The Bottleneck of Your Service-Based Business. Here's How.
January 11, 2023 06:30 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBBeing the bottleneck in your agency can feel frustrating to say the least. It can cause deadline issues with client work, force you to have to do even more work because things are running behind and hold up your team from being able to do the jobs that you’ve paid them to do. However, it’s important to know that being the bottleneck in your business is not a bad thing. It’s actually something to be expected as you continue to grow. Being the bottleneck is simply an indicator that somethin...
116: How to Create Passive Revenue With An Agency Model
January 04, 2023 06:15 - 23 minutes - 21.3 MBAre you someone who is craving more income without having to work more hours? A way to productize your services so that you can completely take yourself out of delivery? Or at least be less involved? Enter the “magic” solution that everyone’s talking about. A solution that solves all your problems and more: passive revenue. When service providers think about creating passive revenue they usually consider creating one of the following: a product, e-book, or course that they can sell on e...
115: How to Decide What Business Support You Need in 2023
December 21, 2022 06:29 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBAre you committed to growing your Agency next year, but trying to figure out what support you need to get there? Maybe you’re wondering what to invest in to help you reach your goals and vision in 2023 in the most effective way. There are so many options out there it can feel overwhelming! From masterminds to free content to hiring a consultant or even an implementer – what is really going to help you move the needle in your agency? This episode gives you step-by-step guidance on what qu...
114: How to Scale from $200K to $1M With An Agency
December 14, 2022 06:50 - 30 minutes - 28.5 MBHave you ever wondered what it takes to grow an agency from $200K to $1M? You may be wondering: what do I need to do when it comes to marketing, sales and operations? What should I prioritize first? While there isn’t a one-size fits all approach to every business, this episode breaks down the 5 Operational Components that you need to have in place to get your agency to $1M+. It also goes in depth with what’s needed specifically at different revenue tiers: $100K - $300K, $300K - $600K and $...
113: Stop Annual Planning - Do this instead.
December 07, 2022 06:30 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBDo you feel stuck when it comes to planning for next year? Maybe you’re so deep in client work right now that you’re just trying to get by. Maybe you’ve mapped out a whole year in the past only to find that you changed all your plans 1 month in. While, yes, understanding your goals are important to provide direction for you and your team, we want to be flexible with the projects we’re implementing so we can easily adapt to events outside our control. In this episode, Nicole shares what’...
112: How to Create a Human-Centered Team Culture with Julissa Martis
November 30, 2022 06:31 - 1 minute - 205 MBDoes the world of Human Resources (HR) overwhelm you? Maybe you think that you’re too small of a company to have HR. Or maybe you had a bad past experience with the “HR department” in the past. In this episode, I talk about all this and more with HR Agency Owner, Julissa Martis. We dive into bringing the “human” back into Human Resources, how to start integrating HR practices no matter the size of your agency and ways to make your business more inclusive. Whether you have contr...
111: The Real Reason Why Your Agency Isn’t Growing
November 16, 2022 05:01 - 20 minutes - 19 MBEvery agency experiences cycles of growth and sometimes growth can stagnate or even decline. It can feel frustrating and sometimes even defeating, especially with all the mixed messaging out there around how to deal with it. Do you focus on a new marketing platform? Or sales strategy? Do you reach out to your referral network? Or find new ways to serve your current clients? In this episode, we talk about the real reason why your agency might not be growing (hint: it has nothing to do w...
110: Tips for Creating Routine When Everything is Always Changing
November 08, 2022 23:23 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBDo you crave a day-to-day routine you can follow to keep everything moving along in your business? A plan that you can consistently follow so that you know what to expect and where your time will be spent? Maybe you’ve even tried creating a regular schedule for yourself, but then feel totally defeated when your plan goes up in flames because something “popped up” that threw everything else off. Does this sound familiar or is Nicole the only one? :) In this episode, Nicole dives i...
109: 3 Steps to Make the Holidays More Enjoyable This Year
November 02, 2022 05:40 - 23 minutes - 22 MBDo you want to be able to fulfill client work without being stressed about clients requesting last minute work and potentially ruining you and your team’s holiday plans? Are you such a “good boss” that you take on client work so that your team can have time off over the holiday and then feel like you’re drowning in deliverables? Does taking time off from your business feel depleting because you know you’re just going to have to work twice as hard when you return? Taking a b...
108: Creating an Effective Content Strategy with Latasha Doyle
October 26, 2022 05:37 - 47 minutes - 44.1 MBAre you at a point in your business where you know you need to be more consistent with your marketing content, but don’t know where to start? Or perhaps you already produce content regularly, but know that it could be better? In this episode, Latasha Doyle, Founder and CEO of Uncanny Content, a content and copy studio, will share with you her tips for creating a content strategy and plan that works for your revenue goals. This is the process she takes her clients through and that she f...
107: How to Manage Your Agency’s Manager
October 19, 2022 05:34 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBDo you have a Manager on your team and want to be able to manage them better? Or are you thinking about hiring or promoting someone to be a manager inside your Agency? If so, today’s episode is for you! We’re going to chat about how you can get better at leading the Managers on your team so that they can feel empowered to make decisions, handle issues and help you grow your business. A Manager is such a valuable role inside of your business that can absolutely change the tradeto...
106 - You've already delegated client work - now what?
October 12, 2022 05:23 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBHave you delegated client work to a team and are now wondering – what the heck do I do now? What is my role? What is my job? Where do I fit in? This is such an incredible moment to celebrate. You made a decision to have a team, you hired, delegated, created lots of procedures – you have spiraled up, my friend! While spiraling up is something to be proud of, it also comes with a lot of “next level” questions. Questions like: what do I do with my time now that I’m out of (or almost...
105: How to Prepare for an Influx of New Clients
October 05, 2022 05:01 - 17 minutes - 16.6 MB“Oh, so you have too many clients wanting to work with you at once, what a great problem to have.” We’ve all heard it. And while yes, it’s nice to know our services are in demand, it also presents a brand new set of challenges. Many Agency Owners start to wonder: How many clients can I actually handle at once? How can I hire quickly to meet this demand? Will I have to step into client work to get everything done? What happens if I hire and then demand goes down and then I have t...
104: Welcome to Season Two: Uplevel Your Agency
September 28, 2022 05:00 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBWelcome back to Season Two of the podcast! We are happy to announce that we have a brand spankin’ new name: UPLEVEL YOUR AGENCY! Have you ever felt deep down like something needed to change in your business? Maybe it was an offering or a delivery process or a marketing channel? That’s how I felt about our podcast. We had recorded 103 episodes of Season One and while I loved the topics and interviews, something felt off. After a lot of reflection, I realized it was the name! In this epi...
103: Just because you're back in client work doesn't mean you've failed
April 06, 2022 05:11 - 14 minutes - 16.4 MBWe talk a lot on the podcast about delegating 50% - 90% of client work in 12 months or less and strategies for “delegating for good.” But the reality is that many times Agency Owners will need to step back into client work. When this happens it can feel so frustrating and disappointing. Thoughts pop up like – “I’m not good at running an agency” or “I’m doing something wrong.” This can send us into a downward spiral. If this has happened to you I want you to know you’re not alone. And i...
102: Good at delegating, but still struggling to grow?
March 30, 2022 05:35 - 13 minutes - 15.8 MBHave you outsourced different pieces of client work, but still more involved than you would like to be? Maybe you’re answering a ton of team questions or jumping in to finish client projects at the last minute. Whatever it may be, one thing is true – you know you can’t continue to grow the way things are currently operating. In this episode I share exactly what to do if you’re in this situation. We talk about the three areas that you must address regularly in order to allow your agency...
101: 3 Steps to Creating a Solid Team Onboarding Plan
March 16, 2022 06:30 - 9 minutes - 12.1 MBHave you ever hired a team member and felt like it took forever for them to get up to speed? Maybe you had to spend hours on calls with them or felt like you couldn’t close out of Slack because of all the time-sensitive questions they sent you. Looking back you know that you probably could have given them more guidance when they first started. Maybe you didn’t know what information to share or didn’t want to micro-manage. Whatever your reason, you know that one this is true: you need to ma...
100: 3 Delegation Mistakes Agency Owners Make When Growing Their Team
March 09, 2022 06:30 - 12 minutes - 14.7 MBAre you an Agency Owner who’s good at delegating and outsourcing, but still struggling to grow? Maybe you have team members implementing some or most of your client work, but somehow you’re still working 40+ hours per week, getting sucked back into client communication, and feeling the weight of your entire business on your shoulders. If you’re in this position right now, I want you to know that it’s going to be ok. Seriously. This is so common when growing an agency model business and the...
099: What to Do if You Have To Step Back Into Client Work
March 02, 2022 06:00 - 13 minutes - 15.9 MBDid you recently have to step back into client work after you already delegated it to a team member? Maybe a team member quit or needed more training or maybe your business took a financial hit and couldn’t sustain the expense. Whatever the reason, it can feel really defeating to have to step back into doing things you thought would be off your plate forever. In today’s episode, I share why Agency Owners sometimes have to step back into client work, why this doesn’t mean that you have fail...
098: How to Increase Your Rates with Nikki Rausch
February 23, 2022 06:00 - 39 minutes - 57.2 MBDo your sales feel a little too “salesy”? If you’ve been wanting to up your sales skills and sell in a way that feels more authentic to you and your brand, then this is the episode for you. In today’s episode, I had a conversation with Nikki Rausch, CEO of Sales Maven. If you want to make sure that your sales calls lead to dream clients or if you want support in raising your rates with current clients, you’ll definitely want to hear Nikki’s advice. We cover the common challenges that peopl...
097: Stop Asking Your Coach Who to Hire and What to Charge
February 16, 2022 06:00 - 12 minutes - 20.9 MBHave you ever been in a group setting or a coaching relationship and had that moment where you raised your hand and you’re like, “I don’t know who to hire,” “I don’t know what to charge,” “I don’t know who my most ideal client is?” If you said yes to one of these questions, you aren’t alone. I want to challenge you to stop asking others who to hire and what to charge. In today’s episode, I’ll be walking you through exactly what you can do when you face one of these moments where you’re uns...
096: The #1 Thing You Need to Get Out of Your Own Way and Scale Your Agency Beyond Yourself
February 09, 2022 06:00 - 19 minutes - 30.7 MBWhen it comes to delegating client delivery and ultimately scaling your business, are you standing in your own way? It’s time to break those habits that are keeping you from spiraling up. In today’s episode, I shared the #1 thing you need to do to get out of your own way. You’ll hear about the strategic and mindset shifts you may need to make for your business growth and the importance of grieving your outdated identities as you move from done-for-you service provider to agency owner a...
095: Niching Down Your Services with Stacey Harris
February 02, 2022 06:00 - 42 minutes - 61.4 MBAre you doing too much? Offering too many services? Perhaps it’s time to niche down and tailor your services to what you actually want to offer. Sometimes, it takes niching down to spiral up. Meet Stacey Harris, founder and CEO of podcast production agency, Uncommonly More. After originally starting her business offering all things digital and social marketing, Stacey soon realized it was time to change up her offerings to serve the people and services she really loved providing. In thi...
094: 3 Strategies My Clients Are Using to Delegate At Least 50% of Client Delivery in 12 months or Less
January 26, 2022 06:00 - 18 minutes - 28.2 MBIf you want to start delegating more of your client delivery in the next year, this is the episode for you. When most agency owners or done-for-you service providers come to me, they are usually in generally about the same place within their business. We’re going to highlight exactly what that is in today’s episode. You’ll also get a deeper insight into 3 strategies that are actually working right now for agency owners who want to delegate at least 50% of their client delivery in...
093: When You Should Turn to Coaching for Agency Growth
January 19, 2022 06:00 - 11 minutes - 18.7 MBWhen it comes to coaching as a means to help you grow your agency, there are times when it’s supportive and times when it’s not. How do you discern whether or not coaching will help you transition from done for you service provider to Agency Owner and CEO? In today’s episode, I am sharing how you’ll get a better idea of if coaching is the right move for you and your business. You’ll learn why it’s not always the best place to start! I also discuss what my program AGENCY does to h...
092: Hiring an Operations Manager with Caroline Hull
January 12, 2022 06:00 - 39 minutes - 57.4 MBDo you spend more time working in your business or on your business? As CEOs, it's our job to work towards our big, long-term goals for our businesses. But when you’re covered up in the day-to-day operations, that can feel impossible. As the CEO of a podcast agency, Caroline Hull has spent plenty of time “in the weeds” of client work. But as her business grew, she realized she couldn’t spend all her time in the business while also working on the business. After months of preparation, s...
091: How to Delegate Tasks Within Your Team
January 05, 2022 06:00 - 13 minutes - 22.5 MBDo you ever feel like you’re overrun with tasks? Like your to-do list keeps growing, even though you have a team of capable people behind you? If so, you might be a task “hoarder.” Even after you’ve grown your team, it might feel hard to hand over the many tasks on your to-do lists. It could be that you don’t feel your team is ready, that you have a hard time letting go, or that you don’t know where to start. No matter the reason, you deserve a less overwhelming to-do list. In today’s ep...
090: Are You Ready to Grow Your Agency?
December 29, 2021 06:00 - 15 minutes - 24.5 MBSo you know you want to scale your business, but what’s the best way to do it? By offering new services? Creating a second revenue stream? Hiring more teammates? It can feel daunting to take the next step towards growth. And deciding which route to take can be the most difficult part. The good news: You’ve got plenty of options. The trick is finding the best one for your business and truly committing to it. If you’re booked out or close to it, your best bet for increasing your pr...
089: Reflecting on the Past Year
December 22, 2021 06:00 - 15 minutes - 24.2 MBWhat business wins are you celebrating this year? Every winter, I set time aside to really reflect on the year so far: what I’ve learned, what I’ve accomplished, and what I want to leave in the past. This year has been one of “birth,” both in the literal sense with having my first baby and creatively with launching new programs and offers. I’m so grateful for all the wins and lessons 2021 has brought me and my AGENCY students, and I’m excited to see what the new year holds for us all. In...
088: How to Build an Agency That Actually Feels Good
December 15, 2021 06:00 - 17 minutes - 27.6 MBIs it actually possible to build an agency that feels good? The good news is, yes it is. You can build an agency that feels good, not only for you but for your clients and team too. In today’s episode, we’re chatting about what it looks like to build an agency that feels good. The truth is that this will look different for everyone, but what matters is that you are defining exactly what it would look like for you so you can work backward to get there. What’s in this episode: Th...
087: How to Stop Scope Creep In Its Tracks
December 08, 2021 06:00 - 15 minutes - 25 MBHave you ever found that a client asks you to do something out of scope and you didn’t quite know how to respond? You thought, “I don’t want to make my clients unhappy, I don’t want to put more on my team and make them unhappy,” so you went ahead and did the work yourself. In today’s episode, we’re talking about what scope creep is and more importantly, what to do when it happens to make sure you’re taking care of your clients, your team and yourself too. You’ll learn a framework that...
086: Values, Equity and Hiring with Meg Baker
December 01, 2021 06:00 - 38 minutes - 55.6 MBHiring can be intimidating. But for socially conscious business owners, it’s also one of our greatest opportunities to combat inequity and injustice in the workplace. When she made the leap from hiring contractors to hiring employees, Meg Baker knew she wanted to create a workplace where everyone felt empowered and supported. Through being open about her values and asking the big, uncomfortable questions–both of her employees and of her clients–she’s been able to foster equity in her busin...
085: What I’m Most Grateful for in 2021
November 24, 2021 06:00 - 15 minutes - 25.2 MBWhat are you most grateful for in 2021? As we wrap up a year and head into a new one, I always like to take time to reflect upon what I’ve learned over the course of the year. In this episode, I get personal as I share a few of my own reflections about this year and what (and who) I am most grateful for. You’ll also get a glimpse into learning lessons that I encountered that helped me realize that it’s okay to relinquish control sometimes. What’s in this episode: Why I l...
084: Is It Possible to Grow an Agency That Doesn’t Cause You Pain?
November 17, 2021 06:00 - 18 minutes - 28.5 MBGrowing an agency, like any business, comes with its woes. Is it possible to scale your agency without growing pains? In this episode, we’re exploring the most common growing pains that are connected with being an agency owner and stepping into the CEO role of your business. You’ll hear about the 4 ways to help mitigate the pain and discomfort that come along with the growth of your business. If you’ve been wanting to grow an agency but are worried about the frustration, overwhelm and...
083: How Managers Can Support You In Stepping Out of the Day to Day Management
November 10, 2021 06:00 - 8 minutes - 15.6 MBAre you ready to step out of the day-to-day management of your business and actually run your business? Are you utilizing your managers to help you achieve that goal? In this episode, I am breaking down some of the habits that cause leaders to struggle with moving forward and how managers can support you in that. You’ll learn why you should consider making a “how to deal with me” document to help you stop getting stuck in the cycle of getting in the middle of your team’s work. What’...
082: Growing a Copywriting Collective with Annie Bacher
November 03, 2021 05:00 - 37 minutes - 54.6 MBPart of starting your own agency is creating a team you’d love to work on. And sometimes, that means doing things a little differently than the corporate world. When copywriter Annie Bacher joined my program AGENCY, she had only recently decided to build a team. In reflecting on her past agency experiences, she realized she had the power to create a team that functioned differently and really get her teammates on board with her vision. In today’s episode, Annie is sharing her journey...
081: Are You Hesitant to Grow an Agency Or Are You Hesitant to Call Your Business an Agency
October 27, 2021 05:00 - 12 minutes - 20.6 MBAre you hesitant to call your business an agency? Or maybe you’ve heard horror stories from people trying to grow their businesses as an agency? I know when I was growing my business, there was a part of me that was hesitant to call my company an “Agency.” What I realized is that the reason most agencies did not work is because they did not prioritize leading their team with intention and great communication. In today’s episode, I’m sharing some of the misconceptions around businesses that...
080: Are You More Comfortable Doing The Implementation Work Versus Being The Ceo?
October 20, 2021 05:00 - 14 minutes - 23.3 MBWhen you think about delegating work, do you ever think, “But I like doing this!” It’s very common as you begin making the transition from implementer to CEO to feel uncomfortable. After all, you built your business by doing the work, but it’s not a long term solution. In this episode, I’m sharing the mindset shifts you need to make to move from implementer to CEO and how you can begin to think creatively about delegating client work instead of taking the work on yourself. What’s in ...
079: How to Lead Managers vs. Implementers (Part Two)
October 13, 2021 05:00 - 21 minutes - 32.6 MBLearning how to lead your managers and implementers is a key part of running your business. In this episode, I am picking back up where I left off in the last episode and talking about more transitions that are helpful as you move from leading implementers to managers on your team. You’ll hear about why I don’t believe in the notion that feelings don’t belong at work and why you need to honor your feelings (and those of your team members) to create a safe space for everyone. What’s i...