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 back Karl Sakas, a familiar and trusted voice in the agency world. Through Sakas & Company, Karl offers custom consulting, executive coaching and training programs and products to help agency owners “up-level” at their agency.
He joins this episode of The Innovative Agency to share powerful and practical strategies straight from his latest book, Calm The Chaos, for agency leaders juggling relentless client demands and economic pressures.
Knowing where to turn first to restore calm and focus can feel like a big challenge. Karl’s tips can help your agency get chaos under control, delegate work intentionally, and build stronger teams. If you’re searching for practical ways to regain control and lead your agency with less stress, this episode offers tactics you won’t want to miss.
What you will learn in this episode:
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The most common sources of chaos and stress for agency leaders and which issues are surging right now
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Karl’s 10-part framework for calming agency chaos, with a focus on actionable leadership and management tactics
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The difference between reckless and intentional delegation, and how to avoid creating more problems through abdication
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The critical role of empowering a strong number two and a reliable assistant as your agency scales
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Practical methods for protecting your time as a leader
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How to build a culture of accountability and set clear benchmarks for performance improvement before it’s too late
Karl Sakas helps independent agency owners Work Less and Earn More, while rewarding their best team members. Drawing on his background in agency operations and leadership, Karl has personally advised hundreds of agencies on every inhabited continent. He is the author of four books—including Work Less, Earn More and Calm the Chaos—and hundreds of articles on agency growth. When he’s not helping clients, Karl volunteers as a bartender on an antique train.
Resources:
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Website: https://sakasandcompany.com/
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LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlsakas/
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LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sakas-&-company/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/karlsakas
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Calm the Chaos:10 Ways to Run a Better Agency: https://sakasandcompany.com/lp/calm-the-chaos-book/