310. AI That Works for Creative Agencies, with Hikari Senju
The Innovative Agency
AI isn’t just a buzzword anymore. It’s reshaping how agencies build, deliver, and scale creative at lightning speed. But for every opportunity it unlocks, there are just as many questions: How do you keep your creative edge? What are the legal landmines? And how do you actually integrate AI in a way that drives results and protects your agency? On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek sits down with Hikari Senju, Omneky Founder and CEO. Omneky is at the forefront of AI-powered advertising and Hikari shares what it really looks like to adopt AI inside a creative...
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309. Agency Rebranding Done Right, with Bill Swanston
The Innovative Agency
Today on The Innovative Agency Podcast, Sharon Toerek sits down with Bill Swanston, co-founder and President of Bosun, for a raw and revealing conversation about what it really takes to reinvent a legacy agency. Bill doesn’t just share the highlight reel. He takes us inside the emotional highs and lows of letting go of a longtime identity, including the one literally tied to the founders’ names. From wrestling with fear and uncertainty to rallying his team around a bold new vision, Bill walks through the pivotal moments that turned a daunting rebrand into a launchpad for growth....
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308. Agency M&A – A Seller’s Journey, with Mike Harris
The Innovative Agency
Today on The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek is joined by President and Co-Founder of Uproar PR Mike Harris. Mike brings the kind of hard-earned wisdom you only get from selling an agency. Not once, but twice. If you’ve ever wrestled with the idea of letting go of something you built from the ground up, this conversation is going to hit home. Mike takes us behind the scenes of the emotional rollercoaster and the operational grit required to transition out of agency ownership. He shares the real story behind why he and his co-founder wife made the leap toward strategic...
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307. Growing Your Agency by Stepping Away, with Louise Oliver
The Innovative Agency
Today on The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek welcomes Louise Oliver, Founder and CEO of Peritus PR, for a story that doesn't get told nearly enough, but every agency owner needs to hear it. Louise discusses the bold and deeply personal decision to hit pause and step away entirely from the business she built. Not just a vacation. A real, extended break. And what happened next? Transformation for her agency, for her team, and for her as a leader. In an industry that rarely slows down, the idea of walking away even temporarily feels both daunting and impossible, but Louise...
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306. How to Shorten + Improve the Agency Sales Cycle, with Taylor Frame
The Innovative Agency
Today on The Innovative Agency Podcast, Sharon Toerek is joined by Taylor Frame, Chief Revenue Officer at Best Practice Media. Taylor knows what it really takes to grow agency revenue in a market that’s full of hesitation and slow-moving buyers. With economic uncertainty and client priorities shifting by the week, Taylor shares a refreshingly honest take on the sales challenges agencies are up against, and how to turn data into your secret weapon. From shortening decision cycles to keeping projects alive when clients get skittish, Taylor delivers practical strategies to stay confident, stay...
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305. Evolving PR in a Noisy World, with Jennifer Kaplan
The Innovative Agency
On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast, Sharon Toerek is joined by Jennifer Kaplan, Founder of Evolve PR and Marketing, an industry veteran who’s had a front-row seat to the seismic shifts reshaping how we communicate. In a marketing landscape defined by constant change, Jennifer breaks down what’s actually working today in PR, from the rising influence of podcasts and creators to the high-stakes game of personal branding. She shares how agency leaders can evolve their approach, strike the right balance between traditional media and emerging channels, and safeguard their...
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304. AI and Agency Leadership – In Real Life, with Lori Highby
The Innovative Agency
This episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast welcomes Lori Highby, CEO and Founder of Keystone Click, for an honest and practical conversation about what it really looks like to run a digital agency in the age of AI. Lori shares how her and her team are weaving AI into daily operations, not just the flashy stuff, but the messy, behind-the-scenes realities most agencies aren’t talking about. She tackles how AI is rewriting the customer journey, reshaping content strategy, and forcing agencies to rethink their competitive edge from the ground up. If you’re feeling...
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303. Stop Churn for Long-Term Client Retention, with Chip Griffin
The Innovative Agency
This episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast examines a challenge every agency leader has faced at one point or another: watching a promising new client relationship fall apart too soon. Today’s guest is Chip Griffin, Founder of the Small Agency Growth Alliance (SAGA), and he’s here to unpack how to set agency-client relationships up for success before the contract is even signed. Chip candidly discusses why client churn happens more often than it should, and why misaligned expectations are usually to blame. He brings sharp, practical advice on how to ask better questions, uncover what...
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302. How to Optimize Your Digital Marketing, with Saul Marquez
The Innovative Agency
This episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast welcomes Saul Marquez, Founder and CEO of Outcomes Rocket, an expert in digital marketing for the healthcare sector. Saul dives into the core challenges agencies face in proving the effectiveness of digital campaigns and building lasting client trust, especially when expectations and reality don’t always match up. Saul breaks down the critical framework of assessing client digital maturity, dominating a niche, and establishing measurable KPIs. Listen in for actionable strategies on how to have tough client conversations and position your...
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301. Agency Business Development – Hope is Not a Strategy, with Tom Martin
The Innovative Agency
Today’s episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast is a must-listen if you’ve ever found yourself staring down an empty pipeline, wondering where your next opportunity will come from. Sharon Toerek is joined by Tom Martin, Founder and CEO of Converse Digital. Tom doesn’t pull punches when it comes to one of the most critical and overlooked agency challenges: consistent business development in an unpredictable market. Tom discusses why “hope is not a strategy” and delivers practical, proven frameworks that help agencies build resilient pipelines. From earning trust by...
info_outlineIn this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast, Sharon Toerek sits down with Tom Conlon, Founder of North Street, a branding-focused agency based in New York.
Tom made a bold strategic move, doubling down on a niche, and that led to the launch of his new venture, Circulent. He was able to harness his team’s existing skills to turn specific expertise into a standalone revenue stream.
Tom provides insights on how to innovate within your agency to create new revenue streams while maintaining the vitality of your core business. This conversation explores the power of niching down and transforming agency expertise into new opportunities.
What you will learn in this episode:
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The strategic power of doubling down on a niche in your agency and how it can transform your business trajectory.
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How agency owners can identify unique skill sets within their teams to create new revenue streams.
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How to balance and grow both a new startup initiative and an established agency without compromising either.
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Strategies for setting up symbiotic relationships with other agencies as a distribution channel for specialized services.
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Practical advice on developing a separate pricing and business model for a new offering while managing client expectations.
Bio
Tom Conlon is the Founder of North Street, an independent branding, strategy, and design agency. With over 20 years of experience in design, web programming, copywriting, operations, and people management, Tom has a diverse background that includes working as a web designer, developer, writer, and editor for top media outlets like Wired, Men’s Journal, AOL, and Popular Science.
He earned a degree in Communications with a minor in History from Fordham University and is an active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization in New York City. Tom is passionate about helping organizations succeed during moments of evolutionary change and has a particular interest in entrepreneurship, branding, and the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
Resources:
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Website: https://northstreetcreative.com/
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LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-conlon/
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LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/north-street/