Episode Details

When building an agency, having big brand clients can elevate your agency to a whole other level. This is where the challenge comes in of how do you grab the attention of those big brands?

In this episode, we'll cover:

• Grabbing the attention of big brands.
• 5 Steps to creating a winning environment.
• The hierarchy of an agency with big brand clients.

Mike says the agency's Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Zak Mroueh, has always made it their mission to capture the attention of big brands and get to the next level. He says agencies are always telling their clients to stand out, be different, and do things that are uncomfortable. However, they don't "walk the walk" and follow their own advice. For example, ever notice how agency websites all look the same?

That's why Zulu's website is one of the most entertaining agency site you'll see. It pokes fun at the agency industry's cliches and stereotypes. It's edgy, it's funny, and it's one example of Zulu walking the walk. (I'm telling you that you've got to check out their site - it's pretty awesome.)

1. #SayNoToSpec At Zulu, they don't make decisions based on monetary gain. They're OK with turning down work that doesn't get them closer to their long-term goals. Spec work is a hinderance and an unfair expectation on the client's behalf. Just. Say. No. When they implemented this 5 years ago they were turning down 80%+ of their RFP's.
2. Focus on long-term dominance. Zulu's website is just one example of their out-of-the-box creativity. Mike says the humor on the site isn't for everyone. It's a turnoff for some - and that's OK. They take risks in pursuit of new clients. Zulu's thinking: If a prospective client doesn't like their spoofy website, they're probably not the right fit anyway.
3. Know why you do what you do. What's your agency's purpose? What are your core values? Why did you start an agency? (Don't say you're in it to make money. Money is an outcome, not a goal.) Determine your answers and communicate them from the top down. When you know your belief system it makes bigger decisions a lot easier to make.
4. Be purposeful in your onboarding. Start day 1 with setting the right tone and helping a new employee adapt to the culture. At Zulu it's an orientation called "The Zulu Way" and it's a 90-minute one-on-one with the agency founder where a new hire learns expectations and do's/don'ts of the agency. It sets both parties up for a long and successful relationship.
5. Hire senior people in key roles. This circles back to not making decisions based on money. You need some experienced people - ones who've already made their big career mistakes - in leadership roles. According to Mike, one of the best things they did was hire a seasoned CFO and an IT Director. Stop thinking about how these positions re non-billable. Having senior people in place sets a foundation for success and their value to the agency is priceless.

So wait... the Founder is NOT the President?

That's right. After about one year juggling the roles of Founder and President, Zak Mroueh, realized he'd rather be working IN the business than ON the business. Zak hired Mike Sutton as agency President to deal with all the "business stuff" that was getting in his way of being creative. T