204: How Lead Cookie is Navigating the Evolution of Outbound with Isaac Marsh

To experience the freedom that entrepreneurship can provide, you need to learn how to let go of certain responsibilities and let others lead.    In this episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, I provide some tips on how to let team members take ownership of more responsibility and what that process looks like.    In many cases, people confuse delegation with letting others lead. Delegating new tasks can be a step toward moving someone into a different role, but you’re still overly involved in the process. The goal is to have others take complete ownership over their role without your daily guidance.    When moving someone into a manager-type role, it's best to set a hard deadline for when they are expected to fully take charge. It's okay to provide occasional support but you want them to be able to problem-solve on their own.   During this process, you should provide a detailed job description, clearly define a team member’s new expectations, and outline what success looks like. If problems do come up, try to avoid immediately jumping back in. If you are always there to come to the rescue, your new leader will stay reliant on you. Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching.   This episode is brought to you by Zapier   My companies could not do what they do without Zapier. We use Zapier to automate tasks and connect all of our various web applications together. It could be connecting Airtable to Slack, our invoicing software to Airtable, our Project Management tool to Payroll… the integrations we use it for are endless. If you aren’t using Zapier, get on the bandwagon and try it out at Zapier.com

There are many shifts you go through as an entrepreneur. And there most definitely will be a time when the tactics and mindsets that worked for you previously will need to be updated in order to level up.   In this episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, I discuss the importance of continuing to evolve as an entrepreneur and why there are always new challenges awaiting you throughout your entrepreneurial journey.   Many entrepreneurs think things will get easier as they reach certain milestones, however, new problems show up at each level of entrepreneurship. Just when you think you have a skill set mastered, things get challenging again when more money and business scale are involved. If you try to rely on the skills and attitudes that got you to this point without further growth, you’ll not only halt progress but actually shrink when faced with new market and business conditions.   For these reasons, I highly recommend working with an advisor or coach who has been through the different stages of entrepreneurship. They will help uncover your blind spots so that you’re able to evolve and tackle the next stage of your journey.   Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching.

Digital agencies are very different from traditional businesses, thus buyers and sellers of these agencies need to approach M&A in a particular way.   In this episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, I sit down with Amanda Dixon, co-founder of Barney, to discuss how agency owners should be thinking about M&A to maximize their exit. We also talk about what buyers are looking for when acquiring digital agencies. Amanda shares that M&A for digital agencies requires a different approach because the focus is on the human capital of an agency versus tangible assets, which is the case with many traditional businesses. She also notes that sellers of agencies are typically younger with long careers ahead of them. This creates unique deal structures. To minimize their risk, Amanda says buyers prefer agencies with a lot of recurring retainer revenue and a more robust management team. Smaller freelance teams with project-based revenue are inherently riskier for buyers. For agency owners looking to sell, Amanda says not to be scared of scaling up before your exit. Reaching a few more key financial milestones can go a long way for increasing your multiple on the sale. Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching. Resources: https://www.vidyard.com/podcast/nopants/ https://contentallies.com/ https://www.wearebarney.com/

Though making money is a key goal of any business, many business owners aren’t very financially savvy. If you’re a business owner that simply hands off your finances to a bookkeeper without involving yourself at all, you’ll likely have a finance problem at some point in time.   In this episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, I discuss the importance of understanding your business’s finances and provide some useful tips to start becoming more financially literate.   Many entrepreneurs don’t consider themselves “finance people,” but that line of thinking will negatively impact their business at some point or another. Though bookkeeping may not be your strong suit, it’s important to educate yourself to make informed business decisions based on your books.   Gaining a better understanding of your books and finances will allow you to set a realistic and predictable salary month after month. It will also allow you to maintain clean and actionable books, which is vital if you ever want to sell your business. Furthermore, taking control of your finances will reduce a lot of stress and chaos for you and your business.   Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching. Resources:  https://www.vidyard.com/podcast/nopants/ https://contentallies.com/ https://www.smokymountaintax.com/ https://www.financeforagencies.com/ Profit First Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits

When building a business or starting a new entrepreneurial pursuit, we tend to handle many of the day-to-day tasks ourselves. And though working this way is fine for a while, at some point you need to turn that chaos into an orderly system.   In this episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, I explore the importance of building systems and why they are needed in order to scale your business in an organized and predictable way.    If you’re new to building systems within your business, it can seem daunting. The key to remember, though, is that you don’t have to be an expert at building systems — you simply need to understand them enough to be able to eventually hire a master to optimize your basic frameworks. If a system has decent bones, a specialist will be able to come in and take that system to the next level of efficiency.   I always recommend starting your system-building efforts by focusing on lower-value work that you want off your plate and then moving on to higher-level work. This will bring you more immediate freedom, allow you to refine your system-building skills, and ultimately help you understand what it will take to systematize higher-level roles or tasks down the line.   Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching.   Resources: https://www.vidyard.com/podcast/nopants/ https://contentallies.com/ https://add1zero.co/ https://www.process.st/ https://www.amazon.com/Built-Sell-Creating-Business-Without/dp/1591845823 https://www.amazon.com/Work-System-Fourth-Mechanics-Working/dp/1626347697 https://www.amazon.com/Clockwork-Design-Your-Business-Itself/dp/0525534016     - - -  This episode is brought to you by Lead Cookie Lead Cookie is a B2B lead generation agency that focuses on quality above all else. Tired of getting burned by low-quality spammy agencies who over-promise and fail to deliver results. Then reach out to us to experience the difference at LeadCookie.com

One of the most common mistakes I see business owners and marketers make is spreading their marketing efforts across too many channels. The focus needs to be on the scalability of a few channels instead of getting caught up in launching as many campaigns as possible.   In this episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, I share my insight on how you should be thinking about marketing in order to produce real results for your business.    To see which marketing channels will work best for your business, some testing is required. Typically, you should be able to see if a channel is working within about three months. Once you find a channel that works, I recommend doubling down on that channel and scaling it up. You can repeat this process with any other channel you think might work.   By focusing on a few channels that produce predictable results, you will not only have consistent leads coming in but will reduce the time and energy you need to spend on marketing. With a repeatable process in place, you can easily delegate those marketing efforts to someone other than yourself.   Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching.   Resources https://www.vidyard.com/podcast/nopants/ https://contentallies.com/

Many people expect quick wins from outbound and if they don’t see results in a few months, they drop it altogether. This is unfortunate because the real power of outbound comes from your ability to build outbound as a long-term growth channel for your business.   In the new episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, Isaac Marsh, Partner at Lead Cookie, joins me to discuss how people should be thinking about outbound and why it's such a sustainable growth channel.   We kick off the show by discussing the fact that more people are realizing that quality beats quantity when it comes to outbound leads. If you’re selling high-ticket packages, one client can pay for all your future outbound efforts. Though an outbound agency may guarantee you a set amount of leads, none of those deals will close if the quality isn't there.    We also highlight how outbound gives you long-term brand exposure and helps you stay top of mind for when prospects are ready to buy. Though you might not close a deal today, you can gauge where a prospect is in their buying cycle. This gives you the ammo you need to nurture that lead and form a strategy for when that lead is ready. Want to learn how Lead Cookie can help with your outbound efforts? Feel free to reach out to us today.   Resources: https://www.vidyard.com/podcast/nopants/ https://www.leadcookie.com/   This episode is brought to you by Lead Cookie Lead Cookie is a B2B lead generation agency that focuses on quality above all else. Tired of getting burned by low-quality spammy agencies who over-promise and fail to deliver results. Then reach out to us to experience the difference at LeadCookie.com

Traveling or engaging in other activities outside of work is always great. But trying to fit in a full week of work in a three- to four-day period to accommodate these activities can be stressful if not approached correctly. Instead of feeling anxious about getting everything done, I’ve found it’s best to re-prioritize work and focus on the essentials.   In this episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, I share my journey of how I’ve come to love a three- to four-day workweek while still being able to accomplish everything I need to.    My first tip if you’re feeling overwhelmed while trying to manage work with play is to take a step back and ask yourself, “What happens if I don’t get XYZ tasks done this week?” What you’ll find is that many of the things you’re stressing about can be pushed back without any consequences. Making this paradigm shift isn’t about making an excuse to be lazy, but rather it’s about supporting your mental health while being fully engaged on the days you are working.    Minimizing your workweek can actually bring about more productivity on the tasks that really matter and allow you more freedom to pursue your interests outside of work.   Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching Resources: https://www.vidyard.com/podcast/nopants/ https://contentallies.com/ https://www.leadcookie.com/

In this special episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, Isaac Marsh joins me to discuss our new business venture, CustomData.ai. At a high level, Custom Data scrapes the internet looking for prospects with your specific intent signals to buy. We gather this intent data and deliver you and your sales team hand qualified leads every single week. Not only is this data immediately actionable, but it gives you all the details you need to confidently approach your outbound efforts. We discuss the key things our research team looks for, including companies that are hiring for roles relevant to your business, decision-makers changing positions, funding or expansion news, and RFPs (request for proposals). Furthermore, you receive the exact contact information for the stakeholders you need to talk to in order to gain new business. We also talk about how Custom Data is able to help you build out a custom CRM of prospects that fit your buyer criteria. Instead of wasting time searching through mediocre databases, you’ll have a pipeline of pre-qualified leads your sales team can contact right away. If you’re interested in learning more about how Custom Data can help you get more deals, feel free to reach out to us at https://www.customdata.ai/.   Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching Resources: https://www.vidyard.com/podcast/nopants/ https://www.customdata.ai/ [email protected]

Many outbound agencies focus on delivering high quantities of leads but leave much to be desired in regards to the quality of those leads.  Though playing the numbers game can work to an extent, we believe there are better outbound strategies that reduce the risk of damaging your agency’s reputation and at the same time bring qualified leads to your clients. In the new episode of the Working Without Pants podcast, Isaac Marsh, Partner at Leader Cookie, joins me to explore how we have seen the outbound industry evolve and how agencies should be thinking about outbound. We discuss the issue of misaligned expectations between agencies and their clients regarding the results clients want to achieve. These agencies promise a certain amount of leads, but this number is really just a vanity metric. To serve clients best, you need to understand their true needs and develop a campaign that puts them in front of their ideal clients. We also describe why outbound has more benefits than just closing deals in a short amount of time. These benefits include getting precise on your ideal clients, expanding your network of influence, and creating a long-term pipeline of potential clients.   Want to work with me as an advisor? Visit jake-jorgovan.com/coaching   Resources: https://www.vidyard.com/podcast/nopants/ [email protected] https://contentallies.com/