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Agency Forward

Agency Forward

Written by: Chris DuBois
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Agency Forward explores the future of agencies as tech and AI drive down the cost of tactical deliverables. Topics include building competent teams, developing strategic offers, systemizing your business, and more. New episodes delivered every Tuesday.© 2026 Chris DuBois Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • 091 Jody Grunden: From Reactive to Strategic: Financial Planning for Growing Agencies
    Jan 20 2026

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Jody Grunden.

    Jody is a virtual CFO and financial strategist for growing agencies.


    He’s the co-founder of Summit CPA Group (now part of Anders CPAs), where he’s helped scale hundreds of agencies with data-driven financial forecasting and CFO insights.


    I wanted to have Jody on because too many agency owners fly blind with their finances and miss out on stable, scalable growth. Also, we were tablemates at a conference last year, and he's a delightful human being. And when good people are also experts in their craft, I feel this urge to share them with our audience.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Building a 10% cash reserve for long-term stability
    • When to hire a controller or CFO as you scale
    • How to set pricing to maintain profit margins
    • And more...

    You can learn more about Jody on LinkedIn or shoot him an email at jgrunden@anderscpa.com.


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    Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency.

    For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive.

    Gia flips that.

    It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline.

    Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing.

    You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency

    -----------

    No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway.

    So what's different?

    The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content.

    Access to peers who've done it before.

    Access to experts who've designed solutions.

    Access to resources that have been battle-tested.

    And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year.

    Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow.

    You can join at DynamicAgency.Community.

    -----------

    Hiring in the agency world is rough. Most job posting sites get you lots of applicants, but with their “easy applying” options, most of those are unqualified. And worse, they don’t understand what it’s like working at an agency.

    This is why I created the Agency Job Hub. You can post your positions for free to find applicants looking specifically for agency work, and we already have a growing list of candidates who’ll be notified as soon as you post.

    You can list your open positions for free at AgencyJobHub.com.


    -----------

    Our friends at Parakeeto have a powerful resource that dives into everything you need to know about agency profitability.

    This is a must-have for agency owners and operators.

    Get the Agency Profit Toolkit for free now!


    -----------


    Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack.

    We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency.

    -----------


    Want to level up your agency? Get the Dynamic Offers Email Mini-Course


    Explore the 5 of the most common challenges agencies face in today's market.


    We're talking about the challenges that lead to no prospects, no recurring revenue, and nothing for people to buy from you.


    It's worth reading just for the ideas alone.


    5 emails. 5 challenges. 5 strategies to fix them.


    Get it at DynamicAgencyCourse.com.


    -----------


    And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • 090 Leah Leaves: How to Get Out of the Weeds Without Losing Control
    Jan 13 2026

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Leah Leaves.


    She’s the Founder and CEO of Alderaan Operations Solutions, where she partners with remote digital agencies to embed expert operations leadership that clarifies team roles, reduces burnout, and enables owners to focus on growth instead of daily firefighting.


    I wanted to have Leah on because too many agency owners are stuck in operations, stalling growth and burning out. And as we've all seen at some point, your goals are much harder to achieve when you can't escape the day-to-day.


    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Getting your team to make confident decisions
    • Building a "CEO GPT" to scale founder judgment
    • Metrics that show if your ops are truly working
    • And more...

    You can learn more about Leah on LinkedIn.


    -----------

    Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency.

    For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive.

    Gia flips that.

    It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline.

    Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing.

    You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency

    -----------

    No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway.

    So what's different?

    The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content.

    Access to peers who've done it before.

    Access to experts who've designed solutions.

    Access to resources that have been battle-tested.

    And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year.

    Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow.

    You can join at DynamicAgency.Community.

    -----------

    Hiring in the agency world is rough. Most job posting sites get you lots of applicants, but with their “easy applying” options, most of those are unqualified. And worse, they don’t understand what it’s like working at an agency.

    This is why I created the Agency Job Hub. You can post your positions for free to find applicants looking specifically for agency work, and we already have a growing list of candidates who’ll be notified as soon as you post.

    You can list your open positions for free at AgencyJobHub.com.


    -----------

    Our friends at Parakeeto have a powerful resource that dives into everything you need to know about agency profitability.

    This is a must-have for agency owners and operators.

    Get the Agency Profit Toolkit for free now!


    -----------


    Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack.

    We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency.

    -----------


    Want to level up your agency? Get the Dynamic Offers Email Mini-Course


    Explore the 5 of the most common challenges agencies face in today's market.


    We're talking about the challenges that lead to no prospects, no recurring revenue, and nothing for people to buy from you.


    It's worth reading just for the ideas alone.


    5 emails. 5 challenges. 5 strategies to fix them.


    Get it at DynamicAgencyCourse.com.


    -----------


    And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • 089 Thomas Stirling: The Play That Won Billion-Dollar Brands
    Jan 6 2026

    Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Thomas Stirling.

    Thomas is the founder of Stirling Brandworks, a creative agency specializing in bold, experiential campaigns.


    His “Agency Breakup Kit” campaign earned industry awards and opened doors to billion-dollar brands using a mix of humor, direct mail, and high-production video content.


    I wanted to have Thomas on because agency owners constantly battle cold outreach fatigue—and he’s built a campaign that actually cuts through.


    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Creating ABM campaigns that get remembered
    • Using humor without losing credibility
    • Scaling creative outreach beyond word of mouth
    • And more...

    You can learn more about Thomas on LinkedIn.


    -----------

    Lead Gen is the hardest part of running an agency.

    For most, it's unpredictable, it's slow, and it's usually expensive.

    Gia flips that.

    It's the all-in-one growth platform that turns your existing relationships and client work into a steady pipeline.

    Gia automates lead gen follow-up and content, and it's all from the work you're already doing.

    You can check it out and get some free bonuses at getgia.ai/dynamicagency

    -----------

    No one was asking for another community. But I've made one anyway.

    So what's different?

    The Dynamic Agency Community is designed around access rather than content.

    Access to peers who've done it before.

    Access to experts who've designed solutions.

    Access to resources that have been battle-tested.

    And right now, the price for founding members is only $97/year.

    Join today so your agency has immediate access to everything you need to grow.

    You can join at DynamicAgency.Community.

    -----------

    Hiring in the agency world is rough. Most job posting sites get you lots of applicants, but with their “easy applying” options, most of those are unqualified. And worse, they don’t understand what it’s like working at an agency.

    This is why I created the Agency Job Hub. You can post your positions for free to find applicants looking specifically for agency work, and we already have a growing list of candidates who’ll be notified as soon as you post.

    You can list your open positions for free at AgencyJobHub.com.


    -----------

    Our friends at Parakeeto have a powerful resource that dives into everything you need to know about agency profitability.

    This is a must-have for agency owners and operators.

    Get the Agency Profit Toolkit for free now!


    -----------


    Subscribe to the Agency Forward blog on Substack.

    We have weekly blog content with practical advice to help you advance your agency.

    -----------


    Want to level up your agency? Get the Dynamic Offers Email Mini-Course


    Explore the 5 of the most common challenges agencies face in today's market.


    We're talking about the challenges that lead to no prospects, no recurring revenue, and nothing for people to buy from you.


    It's worth reading just for the ideas alone.


    5 emails. 5 challenges. 5 strategies to fix them.


    Get it at DynamicAgencyCourse.com.


    -----------


    And if you're ready for 1-on-1 help to create some mind-blowing offers for your agency, visit DynamicAgencyOS.com to schedule a free consultation. Running an agency is tough, but you don't need to go it alone.

    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
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