EP 484: Tapping into non-obvious thinking and thought leadership in 2025 with Rohit Bhargava
Release Date: 01/13/2025
Episode 507 Transformative Agency Strategies with Marcus Sheridan
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan welcomes renowned marketing thought leader Marcus Sheridan to tackle some of the most pressing challenges—and exciting opportunities—facing agency owners today. Known for his influential book They Ask, You Answer, Marcus brings a fresh perspective to the table with the launch of his new book Endless Customers, focusing on how agencies can thrive in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven landscape. In this engaging conversation, Drew and Marcus dive deep into the shifting dynamics of content...
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Episode 506 How Prioritizing Fun Inspires Success with Mike Rucker
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to another engaging episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan shines a spotlight on a topic that’s both enjoyable and essential to agency life—fun. Drew is joined by Dr. Mike Rucker, a behavioral psychologist and author of The Fun Habit, for a lively exploration into how prioritizing fun and joy can make you a better leader, a more creative thinker, and ultimately, help you build a stronger agency. Mike delves into the science behind why Western culture tends to villainize fun in favor of productivity—and why that mindset is doing more harm than good. He...
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Episode 505 Navigating 2025 Agency Trends with Drew and Danyel Newcom McLellan
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to a special solocast episode of Build a Better Agency! In this midyear trend report, hosts Drew McLellan and Danyel Newcom McLellan dig deep into the evolving landscape facing agency owners in 2025. Leveraging data, global industry perspectives, and hands-on agency experience, Drew and Danyel break down what’s really impacting agencies right now and what to keep your eye on as the year unfolds. This episode covers the biggest drivers reshaping the agency world—from economic and political disruptions to shifting client and employee expectations. Drew and Danyel explore findings...
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Episode 504 Explore the Findings of the 2025 Agency Edge Research with Susan Baier
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to a timely episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by research partner Susan Baier from Audience Audit to unveil the results of the 2025 Agency Edge Research, fresh from its debut at the Build a Better Agency Summit. Together, they dig deep into how agency clients really feel about artificial intelligence—where they’re embracing it, where they’re hesitant, and what they truly want from their agency partners as AI becomes an ever-more central part of the marketing landscape. Susan and Drew break down the study’s findings, revealing surprising...
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Episode 503 Mastering the Creative Brief with Pieter-Paul von Weiler and Matt Davies
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by Matt Davies and Pieter-Paul von Weiler, the strategist duo behind the Better Briefs Project, to tackle one of the most persistent and frustrating challenges agencies face: the elusive art of creating a truly effective brief. If you’ve ever struggled with unclear objectives, misaligned expectations, or wasted rounds of creative development, this episode is packed with data-driven answers and practical solutions. Drawing on global research from over 1,700 marketers and agency...
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Episode 502 The Mindset of Inspired Leadership with Christina Langdon
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to another inspiring episode of Build a Better Agency! In this episode, host Drew McLellan sits down with high-performance coach and leadership expert Christina Langdon to explore what it truly means to scale your agency—not just in terms of size or revenue, but in mindset, vision, and team culture. Drawing on decades of leadership experience at organizations like Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Fast Company, Christina offers invaluable insights on unlocking growth and reimagining success for agency leaders and their teams. Throughout their conversation, Drew and Christina unpack...
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Episode 501 Research Insights from Agency Core with Susan Baier and Brian Gerstner
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to a compelling new episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan is joined by familiar faces Susan Baier from Audience Audit and Brian Gerstner from White Label IQ to discuss the findings of the 2025 Agency Core research study. Together, Susan and Brian have launched Agency Core, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to providing agency owners with powerful, unbiased data about what’s really going on in the agency world—and the latest results are as sobering as they are enlightening. Drew, Susan, and Brian unpack the study’s in-depth findings, based on responses...
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Episode 500 5 Agency Leadership Lessons from 500 Podcasts with Drew McLellan
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to a milestone episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan takes the mic solo to commemorate a remarkable achievement—the 500th episode of the podcast. With nearly a decade of weekly episodes under his belt, Drew reflects on the invaluable lessons that have emerged from ten years of conversations, challenges, and growth within the agency world. In this special episode, Drew distills his journey into five key lessons learned through years of podcasting and agency consulting. From recognizing that agency life is a marathon, not a sprint, to emphasizing the...
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Episode 499 Effective Strategies for Winning New Business with Mike Lander
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to another can’t-miss episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan invites negotiation expert Mike Lander to shed light on a critical, and often misunderstood, stage of growing your agency: the art of winning new business and, crucially, negotiating strong client contracts. If your agency is hustling for fresh opportunities in the midst of economic uncertainty, this discussion is perfectly timed to help you secure the deals that matter—on terms that support your profitability and long-term growth. Mike Lander brings a unique dual perspective as both a former...
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Episode 498 Adapting Public Relations for the Modern World with Ryan Gerding
Build a Better Agency Podcast
Welcome to another insightful episode of Build a Better Agency! In this session, host Drew McLellan is joined by PR expert Ryan Gerding, CEO of Inc. Public Relations, to explore the evolving landscape of public relations and its crucial role in modern communication strategies. Ryan brings over two decades of experience in the PR industry, offering a comprehensive look at how the traditional boundaries of PR have expanded far beyond media relations. Together, Drew and Ryan explore the shifting dynamics of the PR world and how agencies can leverage storytelling, media relationships, and new...
info_outlineMany agency owners feel like their clients are putting them in a box of specific skills they’re able to perform for them. And for many of us, that’s not a good feeling. We’re wired to think creatively and break free from that metaphorical box, but it can be hard to communicate that to our clients in a sea of competition.
So, it’s time to break out of that box in 2025.
That means we need fresh ideas, innovative thought leadership, and non-obvious thinking. And there’s nobody better to talk to us about this than Rohit Bhargava, from Non-Obvious Company. He knows exactly what it’s like to be put in a box creatively, but he’s even better at breaking out of it.
For years, he’s taken a hold of the status quo to challenge it, question it, and ask more of it so that he can stay ahead of the conversation and shape it to better serve his clients — and his agency.
So join us to get inspired to do some fresh, non-obvious thinking in this week’s episode.
A big thank you to our podcast’s presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They’re an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- What should be on every agency owner’s mind in 2025
- How to get a seat at the table and show clients you’re capable of more
- The importance of thought leadership to make sales come to you
- The difference between content creation and thought leadership
- How to apply non-obvious thinking to our agency work
- Getting our clients to be more open-minded, creative thinkers with us
- The role of AI in the future of agencies
- The importance of demonstrating real connection and chemistry to both potential and current clients
- Trends agency owners should be paying attention to in 2025