296. From Hesitation to AI Integration, with John Munsell
Release Date: 05/07/2025
315. The Table Stakes for Agency Business Growth Now, with Dan Englander
The Innovative Agency
On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek welcomes Dan Englander, CEO and Founder of Sales Schema, to dig into what’s really ahead for agency business development in 2025 and beyond. Dan has spent years in the trenches with independent agencies, and he’s here to share why specialization and perspective are no longer “nice to haves” but are survival skills. This conversation delves into how the current “trust recession” is reshaping the sales landscape and what it means for the way agencies show up with prospects. If you’re ready to rethink how your...
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314. Leading Your Agency through Transition, with Elise Mitchell
The Innovative Agency
On this episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast Sharon Toerek sits down with Elise Mitchell, Founder of the award-winning Mitchell Communications and trusted leadership coach to agency owners. Elise knows firsthand what it takes to build, scale, and sell an agency. She’s bringing that hard-earned wisdom into her work guiding leaders through today’s turbulence. Elise tackles the challenges agencies are facing right now: relentless market uncertainty, leading remote and hybrid teams through cultural shifts, and preparing for the next chapter of leadership and succession. She shares not only...
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313. Find Your Agency’s Profit Sweet Spot, with Mandi Ellefson
The Innovative Agency
This episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast welcomes back Mandi Ellefson, Founder of Hands Off CEO, for a candid and timely conversation about profits, client value, and the hidden levers that drive sustainable growth. Too often, agency leaders obsess over monthly revenue or the size of the next contract while missing the real game-changer: long-term, high-profit “sweet spot” clients who fuel exponential growth. Mandi reveals how to uncover your agency’s unique invisible advantage, reshape your business model for lasting profitability, and develop the kind of bold mindset that allows...
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312. Influencer Marketing and Your Agency’s Role, with Paula Bruno
The Innovative Agency
Today on the Innovative Agency Podcast, Sharon Torek is joined by Paula Bruno, CEO and Founder of Intuition Media Group, and influencer marketing pioneer who’s been navigating the creator economy for more than 15 years. Paula gets candid about the real challenges marketing agencies are facing, including how to separate creators with genuine communities from those chasing vanity metrics, the contractual and compliance landmines that can derail a campaign, and why smaller, deeply engaged audiences are rewriting the rules of influence. She shares hard-won lessons on spotting red flags before...
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311. Turning Ideas into Results, with Emily Hatton
The Innovative Agency
Today on the Innovative Agency Podcast, Sharon Torek is joined by Emily Hatton, an expert at turning bold ideas into real, measurable progress. If your agency has ever wrestled with too many opportunities, scattered priorities, or half-finished projects collecting dust, you’ll want to lean into this conversation. Emily unpacks the hidden barriers that keep agencies stuck in “idea mode” instead of execution, and more importantly, how to break free. From rescuing abandoned initiatives to deciding which opportunities truly deserve your team’s energy, Emily shares practical...
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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...
info_outlineThis episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast welcomes agency veteran and Bizzuka CEO John Munsell for a no-fluff conversation about what it really takes to lead an agency through the AI revolution. Drawing on decades of experience and real-world trials, John shares the hard truths and smart moves behind his transition from traditional agency life to the forefront of AI integration.
As agencies wrestle with talent retention and the breakneck pace of tech change, John explains why so many teams feel unprepared for AI, and what agency leaders must do to change that. His insights go beyond the hype, offering practical strategies to help you cut through the noise, empower your team, and make AI part of your agency’s everyday workflow.
If you're feeling the gap between AI’s promise and your agency’s current reality, this episode delivers clear strategies to help you bridge it.
What you will learn in this episode:
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Why most agency leaders feel unprepared for the realities of AI adoption and the disconnect this creates within their teams
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The hidden reason agencies have a natural advantage when it comes to building excellence with AI tools
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First steps small and midsize agencies can take right now to accelerate AI integration
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Key legal and confidentiality considerations when integrating generative AI into your agency’s workflows
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Why agencies must shift their mindset from selling hours to selling outcomes if they want to thrive in the era of AI
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Strategies for having transparent, value-focused conversations about AI with agency clients
John Munsell is the co-founder and CEO of Bizzuka, an AI consulting and training company based in Lafayette, LA. John is a recognized voice in the artificial intelligence (AI) space having influenced over 200 business leaders in their use and adoption of AI over the past three years. Recognizing AI's potential early on, John integrated it into all of Bizzuka's business processes.
In 2022, John pivoted Bizzuka's entire business model to help companies grow faster and retain more employees through strategic AI use. His thousands of hours mastering AI technologies led to the creation of the AI Strategy Canvas™ and Scalable Prompt Engineering™. These frameworks have transformed AI efficiency in business and have been adopted by forward-thinking institutions, including Louisiana State University, which now mandates them in AI-related degree programs.
Resources:
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Website: https://www.bizzuka.com/
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LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwmunsell/
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LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bizzuka/