Agency Bytes

Ep 140 – Michael Janda, More Creative Academy – The Creative’s Guide to Growing Up: From Portfolio to Profits to Peace of Mind

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Featuring: Michael Janda, More Creative Academy

In episode 140, I sit down with Michael Janda—agency founder, bestselling author, and one of the most respected voices helping creatives master the business side of creativity. Michael built and sold Riser, worked with giants like Disney and Google, and later led creative teams at Fox before dedicating his career to teaching creatives how to price, position, and run their businesses without burning out.

We dig into the mental and operational “growing up” that every creative eventually faces: getting past portfolio thinking, charging confidently, understanding value, eliminating chaos, and building a more peaceful (and profitable) creative life. Michael’s straight-talk wisdom hits every agency owner exactly where they need it—no fluff, no ego, just clarity.

Key Bytes
• Why creatives struggle with pricing — and how to fix it
• The mindset shift from freelancer to business owner
• How Michael positioned his agency to win massive clients
• The surprising relationship between process, profit, and peace
• What creatives get wrong about value
• Why “portfolio thinking” holds owners back
• How to build a business that supports your life, not the other way around

Chapters
00:01 Welcome + Michael’s background and agency journey
04:12 From creative chaos to building processes that scale
09:45 Why pricing is emotional—and how to make it objective
14:30 Portfolio vs. business owner mindset
19:58 Finding ideal clients and positioning that works
25:21 How Michael sold his agency and what he learned
31:44 The psychology of creative profitability
38:10 Achieving peace of mind as an owner
44:22 Michael’s advice for creatives who feel “stuck”

Michael Janda is an award-winning creative director, agency founder, and bestselling author.

He built the creative agency Riser with clients like Disney, Google, Warner Bros., and ABC, then sold the business after 13 successful years. Before that, he served as a creative director at Fox. Michael

is the author of Burn Your Portfolio and The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing. Today, he shares practical, no-fluff strategies to help creative professionals master business, pricing, and growth.

Connect with Michael through his Community, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Website, or explore his Courses.

Ep 139 – Melanie Chandruang, We Consult – Agency Ops that Actually Scale: Financials, Workflows, and AI That Works

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Featuring: Melanie Chandruang, We Consult

In episode 139, I sit down with Melanie Chandruang, founder of WeConsult and a strategic operations partner for creative agencies. Melanie has spent the last seven years helping agencies tighten up their financials, streamline workflows, and build stronger leadership teams—while also navigating two maternity leaves, a cross-country move, and re-entering the industry in one of its toughest seasons.

We dig into how she rebuilt WeConsult after stepping away to have kids, what’s changed in the agency landscape since 2023, and why she’s now staying higher-level as a fractional ops leader instead of getting buried in implementation. Melanie breaks down what healthy leadership actually looks like, why so many founders remain the bottleneck even after hiring “senior” people, and how clear ownership, scorecards, and trust change everything.

We also get tactical: what she looks for first in the financials, the operational metrics that matter most, and why agencies without documented processes are struggling the most with AI adoption. We wrap by talking about leading through uncertainty, avoiding burnout, and the simple practice Melanie uses to remind herself of the value she’s creating—plus her very 90s go-to karaoke song.

Key Bytes
• Clean financials and clear reporting are the true foundation of scalable ops
• Workflow ownership matters — if it’s nobody’s job, it’s nobody’s job
• Founders stay bottlenecks when leadership has no autonomy or scorecards
• Agencies with documented systems adopt AI faster (and with fewer messes)
• Strong leadership = trust, clarity, and shared problem-solving
• Self-care and boundaries are essential for sustainable agency ownership

Chapters
00:01 Intro and how Melanie rebuilt WeConsult after kids and a cross-country move
02:48 Stepping away from client work, losing momentum, and clawing back into a changed industry
05:36 Why Melanie now stays high-level and pushes implementation to internal teams and automation
07:42 Founders as bottlenecks and what a truly strong leadership team looks like
11:15 Ego, scale, and the operational shifts required for owners to get out of the way
15:36 Where Melanie starts operationally: financials, workflows, and clear ownership
18:07 The agency financial metrics that actually matter (profitability, cash, utilization, and more)
22:03 Why documented systems are the key to successful AI adoption (and how messy it gets without them)
26:00 Leading through uncertainty, rebuilding a business, and protecting your own wellbeing
28:38 AI note-takers, imposter syndrome, and Melanie’s “value” practice
31:36 Melanie’s 90s karaoke pick and where to learn more about WeConsult

Melanie Chandruang is the Founder of WeConsult and a Strategic Operations Partner for creative agencies. With over 15 years in the industry, she helps agency owners boost profits, streamline operations, and move big initiatives forward so they can focus on growth and what matters most.

Connect with Melanie on their website.

Ep 138 – Jordan Snider, Token Creative – The impact of integrating Ignition App

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Featuring: Jordan Snider, Token Creative

In episode 138, I sit down with Jordan Snider, co-founder and CTO of Token Creative Services, to break down the real impact of integrating Ignition App into their agency operations. Jordan shares how Token went from scattered proposals, manual invoices, and nearly $40k in aging AR to a streamlined, single-system workflow that clients actually appreciated.

We dig into the operational before/after: centralized proposals and agreements, automated billing, faster close rates, clearer scope definition, easier upsells and renewals, and the elimination of unbilled “mystery hours.” Jordan also talks about forecasting clarity — and why dashboards that tie proposals, renewals, and revenue projections together are a game changer for decision-making.

This episode is a grounded look at what happens when an agency stops tolerating a duct-taped sales and billing process and finally upgrades the operational spine of the business.

Key Bytes
• Token’s breaking point was nearly $40k in aging AR — a clear sign the proposal and billing process was broken.
• Clients were confused by multiple proposal versions, scattered contracts, and manual payments; consolidating everything through Ignition simplified the entire client experience.
• The biggest financial lift came from capturing previously unbilled variable hours and out-of-scope work.
• Automated reminders and stored payment methods dramatically reduced AR and manual follow-up.
• Forecasting became easier with visible open proposals, renewal pipelines, and year-over-year revenue projections.
• Simplifying the tech stack cut both software cost and constant integration maintenance.
• Ignition enabled Token to shift from hourly pricing to value-driven retainers because operations finally supported it.
• Jordan’s advice: delaying this overhaul guarantees regret — proactively fixing it avoids the forced crisis moment.

Chapters
00:00 Intro and why Token’s Ignition story matters
02:05 Token’s early days and “brute force” agency ops
03:10 The $40k AR wake-up call
05:10 What was broken in their proposal + onboarding workflow
06:55 Client reactions after switching to Ignition
07:50 Close rates, renewals, and handling scope creep
09:40 Capturing unbilled work and shrinking AR
11:55 Forecasting and metrics that changed decision-making
14:00 Simplifying the tech stack and ditching integrations
16:40 How clarity improved both scope and service delivery
23:40 Productizing services and shifting to retainers
25:05 Jordan’s advice for agencies resisting the overhaul
26:50 Rapid fire and wrap-up

Jordan Snider is the Co-Founder and CTOof Token Creative Services, a full-service digital marketing and creative agency based in Kitchener-Waterloo. With a background in full-stack software engineering, Jordan bridges the gap between technical development and creative marketing. He has contributed personal reflections to platforms supporting victims of family violence, discussing the unique stressors faced by newcomers and the importance of community support systems.

His work reflects a blend of technical precision and a commitment to social impact, aligning with Token Creative’s mission to support businesses making positive environmental or social changes.

Connect with Jordan on their website, or learn more about Ignition here.

Ep 137 – Jennifer Spire, Preston Spire – Built to Last: The 75-Year Agency Still Breaking Rules

Featuring: Jennifer Spire, Preston Spire

In episode 137, I sit down with Jennifer Spire, Partner and CEO of Preston Spire — a 75-year-old agency that’s somehow still pushing boundaries while many newer shops flame out. Jennifer shares how she modernized a legacy company without losing the cultural DNA that kept it alive for three-quarters of a century. We get into leadership transitions, building a values-driven agency, navigating generational shifts in talent, and how she’s shaping the next era of a Midwest powerhouse.

Key Bytes
• The hidden advantages legacy agencies have but often ignore
• Why values act as a competitive moat — but only if they’re enforced
• How Jennifer leads change without blowing up culture
• The reality of modernizing 75-year-old processes
• Where agencies underestimate the work of staying relevant

Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:20 What it means to run a 75-year-old agency today
05:05 How Jennifer modernized Preston Spier without breaking it
09:40 The cultural DNA that actually drives retention
13:55 Why “values” only matter when leaders enforce them
17:48 Leadership evolution: from partner to CEO
21:30 What younger talent expects from an established shop
25:18 Staying relevant in a fast-changing industry
29:55 How Preston Spire balances legacy and innovation
33:42 Advice Jennifer wishes she had earlier
38:10 Closing thoughts

Jennifer Spire is partner and CEO at Preston Spire, an Ad Age Best Place to Work and Midwest Small Agency of the Year. She is an accomplished agency leader with over 25 years of experience in both consumer and B2B marketing for just about every industry out there. At Preston Spire, Jennifer has played the leading role in reshaping the framework that defines the agency, focused on a strong vision, values and purpose. She has been a speaker at dozens of local and national conferences, has authored articles and thought pieces on various marketing subjects, and has been a board member of several nonprofit organizations. Jennifer was an east coast native before calling Minneapolis home. She was an NCGA gymnast and a gymnastics coach, who also had advertising in her blood, thanks to her grandfather being one of the founding fathers of Madison Avenue.

Contact Jennifer on LinkedIn or the Preston Spire website.

Ep 136 – JP Holecka, Power Shifter Digital – Building the AI-Driven Agency: Lessons from Power Shifter’s Evolution

Featuring: JP Holecka, Power Shifter Digital

In episode 136, I sit down with JP Holecka, founder and CEO of Power Shifter Digital, a Vancouver-based agency leading the shift toward AI-driven digital products and content creation. With over 30 years of experience in design, film, and technology, JP has guided multiple teams through successful AI rollouts—transforming workflows, scaling creativity, and redefining how digital agencies deliver value.

We talk about what it really takes to evolve your agency for the AI era, how to navigate the culture shift that comes with automation, and why embracing AI is less about replacing people and more about amplifying what they’re capable of.

KEY BYTES
• AI isn’t replacing creativity—it’s amplifying it
• True transformation starts with changing workflows, not job titles
• The most successful AI rollouts start with internal adoption before client delivery
• Leadership has to model curiosity and experimentation
• Agencies that treat AI as a tool, not a threat, are finding their competitive edge

SHOW REFERENCES

Access JP's AI Miro Board referenced in the episode here. PW: cleardigital

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
02:01 JP’s background and the evolution of Power Shifter
06:32 The first AI experiments that changed everything
10:45 Getting team buy-in and overcoming initial skepticism
14:58 Building processes around AI rather than forcing it in
|20:10 Human creativity in the age of automation
25:36 How AI has changed client expectations
31:12 Leadership lessons from scaling an AI-driven agency
36:45 The next frontier of digital work
40:30 JP’s advice for agency founders starting their AI journey
43:00 Rapid Fire Questions

JP Holecka is the founder and CEO of Power Shifter Digital, a Vancouver-based agency leading the shift toward AI-driven digital products and content creation. With over 30 years of experience in design, film, and technology, JP has guided multiple agencies through successful AI rollouts—transforming workflows, scaling creativity, and redefining how teams collaborate with generative tools.

Contact JP on the PowerShifter website or on LinkedIn.

Ep 135 – Drew McLellan, AMI – The Owner’s Actual Job: Vision, Profit, and a Pipeline That Isn’t You

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Featuring: Drew McLellan, AMI

In episode 135, I sit down with Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute and host of the Build a Better Agency podcast. Drew’s been in the business for over 30 years and has coached thousands of agencies on how to grow profitably, attract better clients, and actually enjoy the perks of ownership.

In this conversation, we unpack what the real job of an agency owner is — and how easy it is to get lost in the weeds doing everyone else’s. Drew shares how founders can move from day-to-day chaos to the higher-level work of vision, leadership, and building a pipeline that doesn’t depend on them. We also talk about the mental shift from “founder hustle” to “CEO clarity,” and what it really means to build an agency that serves your life, not the other way around.

Key Bytes
• The three things only the owner can and should do
• Why your agency’s profit tells the truth about your leadership
• Building a self-sustaining pipeline that runs without you
• How to structure your week around the owner’s actual job
• The difference between running an agency and owning a business
• What makes an agency truly “sellable”
• Common traps that keep founders stuck in the weeds
• How to get your time back without losing control

Chapters
00:00 Welcome and Drew’s background
04:12 The evolution from founder to true agency owner
09:45 What the “owner’s actual job” really is
14:58 Why agency profit is a mirror of leadership
20:17 Building systems and pipelines that aren’t you
26:04 The importance of clarity and delegation
31:42 Common mistakes that limit scalability
38:27 How to build an agency that can thrive without you
44:10 Preparing for eventual sale or succession
49:22 Drew’s advice for new and seasoned agency owners

Drew McLellan has worked in advertising for 30+ years and started his own agency, McLellan Marketing Group, in 1995 after a five-year stint at Y&R and still actively runs the agency. He spends the lion’s share of his time running Agency Management Institute (AMI), which he also co-owns/runs with his wife Danyel.

AMI serves thousands of small to mid-sized agencies (advertising, digital, marketing, media, and PR) every year, so they can increase their AGI, attract better clients and employees, mitigate the risks of being self-employed in such a volatile business, and best of all — let the agency owner actually enjoy the perks of agency ownership.

AMI is the only agency network that is run by an active agency owner. It offers:

• Public workshops for agency owners, leaders and account service staff

• Owner peer networks (like a Vistage group or 4A’s forums)

• Private coaching/consulting for agency owners

• Annual primary research with CMOs and client decision makers about their work with agencies

• The highly praised podcast Build A Better Agency

• The only conference built for small to mid-sized agencies – the Build A Better Agency Summit

Drew often appears in publications like Entrepreneur Magazine, New York Times, Washington Post, Forbes, AdAge, CNN, BusinessWeek, and many others. The Wall Street Journal calls him “one of 10 bloggers every entrepreneur should read.”

He’s also written several books, the most recent being Sell with Authority (January 2020). The latest book has garnered rave reviews and has been the guidebook for agency growth and business development in today’s world.

Drew also speaks at leading agency and marketing conferences like Inbound, Content Marketing World, and MAICON and is often cited in agency-centric content for his expertise in the industry.

When he’s not hanging out with clients or agency owners and their staff, Drew spends time with his wife, their blended family, and following his beloved Dodgers.

Learn more about Drew and AMI on their website.

Ep 134 – Jen Moss, JAR - Podcasting That Connects: Story First, Metrics That Matter

Featuring: Jen Moss, JAR

In episode 134, I sit down with Jen Moss, Chief Creative Officer and co-founder of JAR, where she helps brands and agencies craft podcasts that move people—not just metrics.

Jen calls herself a podcasting doula, guiding clients through the messy middle of creative storytelling. In this conversation, we dive into how to create audio that actually connects, what makes a podcast worth listening to, and why “Job, Audience, Result” is the framework every agency should adopt before hitting record.

Jen and I explore why most branded podcasts fizzle, how to define success beyond downloads, and the difference between authenticity and algorithm-chasing. If you’ve ever thought about starting a podcast for your agency—or making your current one work harder—this episode’s for you.

Key Bytes

• The JAR method: Job, Audience, Result—a simple framework for podcast strategy.
• Why authenticity and storytelling beat reach every time.
• How agencies can use podcasts as pillar content that drives real relationships.
• Common landmines when launching an agency podcast.
• Why generosity and curiosity build audience trust.
• The most meaningful metrics: engagement, consumption rate, and return listeners.
• When to use internal vs. external hosts—and why it depends.
• The role of creative courage in a crowded podcast space.
• Why “connection” should always be your North Star.

Chapters

00:00 Intro – Meet Jen Moss, podcasting doula and CCO of JAR
02:00 From theater to radio: Jen’s storytelling roots
06:00 The JAR framework explained: Job, Audience, Result
09:30 The real “why” behind launching a podcast
12:30 How agencies can use podcasts as strategic marketing tools
16:30 Internal vs. external hosts: what actually works
19:45 Common landmines and why most podcasts fizzle
22:00 Authenticity, generosity, and giving value away
24:30 Is podcasting too saturated? Finding signal in the noise
27:45 Connection over clicks—how to stand out
31:00 The metrics that matter: consumption, return, and reach trends
33:50 Rapid Fire with Jen Moss: storytelling, creative courage, and dream guests

In her role as Chief Creative Officer of JAR, Co-Founder Jen Moss loves bringing stories to life. With her clients, Jen acts as a “podcasting Doula,” helping them harness their strengths in service of great storytelling. Deeply steeped in the creative process, Jen is unafraid of its ambiguities, and enjoys guiding others through its twists and turns. Drawing on her strong background in theatre, arts journalism, audio documentary, and new media storytelling, Jen helps clients tell the authentic stories that matter to them, and to their audience. She spent many years working as a producer and award-winning content creator for CBC Radio, and as an interactive story producer for The National Film Board of Canada’s Digital Studio, which taught her to think of stories as living things, full of potential for impact. It also taught her to take an “audience first” approach. Jen is never afraid of surfacing big ideas, but understands that sometimes, it’s the little things – the specific lens that “only you” can bring – that will gain the most traction with an audience. Jen loves to look for “fresh tracks” in the form of stories that haven’t been told before. She encourages her clients and her team at JAR to try out new ideas, learn from what the audience data reveals, and let that inform future creative strategy. Finally, Jen keeps her own professional learning curve alive as she lectures part-time at the University of British Columbia’s School of Creative Writing, interacting with the next generation of writers, podcasters, new media producers, and audiences.

Contact Jen on their website or on LinkedIn.

 

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Ep 133 – Kirstin Russ, Practical Edge AI – AI Adoption for Agencies: From Internal Automation to Sellable Services

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Featuring: Kirstin Russ, Practical Edge AI

In episode 133, I dive into the real-world path of AI adoption for agencies with guest Kirstin Russ, founder of Principal Edge AI and Mountains to Sea Media. We unpack the four “zones” of adoption (from denial to productized services), why most AI projects fail without structure and change management, and how to turn internal automations into billable client solutions. We also hit on junior-talent pipelines in an AI world, the risk of “robot-trained-by-robots” content, pricing when you’re still learning, and the discovery discipline required to make automations actually stick.

Key Bytes
• The winning agencies move from “dabbling in automations” to selling AI-powered solutions that solve specific client problems.
• 95% of AI projects fail because of missing structure, messy data, and zero change management — fix those first.
• AI should elevate people to higher-value work; train juniors to work with AI, not to be replaced by it.
• Don’t chase every shiny tool; build repeatable agent patterns and a stable stack you trust.
• Discovery is everything: a “15-step” flow usually hides 30 more steps — price and scope accordingly.
• Monetization starts with ops pain: map ugly manual workflows, then automate the “swivel-chair” steps.
• Thought leadership beats generic AI copy: capture founder audio, codify brand voice + ICPs, then assist with AI.
• Profit vs. quality is a real tension — set guardrails so efficiency never erodes outcomes.

Chapters
00:00 Intro & Kirstin’s two businesses
00:57 Why an outsource-first agency model
03:07 Year of deep AI study and first tools “in the wild”
04:43 The four zones of agency AI adoption
06:14 From “getting ahead” to “survive”: disruption hits marketing
09:01 Why AI projects fail: structure, data, and change management
11:00 Practical internal automations (transcripts → CRM, follow-ups, etc.)
12:58 Junior talent in an AI era & the content quality dilemma
15:18 Building an AI content assist system (voice, ICP, research)
18:48 Tool sprawl vs. foundations; avoiding shiny-object traps
20:40 Can clients DIY? Positioning & selling AI services
21:08 Case studies: Square inventory workflow & quote tool
24:38 Pricing while you’re learning; managing expectations
27:18 Aha moments: you can’t do it all; systemize & delegate
29:14 Theme songs, imposter syndrome, and wrap up

Kirstin Russ is a seasoned business strategist with 30 years of cross-industry experience who brings a unique dual approach to business growth. As the founder of Practical Edge AI, she helps businesses leverage artificial intelligence to automate growth, reduce manual workload, and improve profitability—often delivering measurable results within the first week.

Simultaneously, as the driving force behind Mountains to Sea Media, a Western North Carolina-based digital marketing agency, Kirstin helps businesses amplify their online presence through strategic internet marketing, data analytics, and performance-focused web design.

Kirstin's superpower lies in her holistic approach to business analysis, understanding how systems interconnect and where AI can enhance traditional & digital marketing strategies. By combining cutting-edge AI solutions with proven digital marketing expertise, she creates integrated growth pathways that optimize both operations and customer acquisition.

With an approachable style and commitment to practical results, Kirstin transforms business challenges into opportunities. Her guiding question remains: "If you could wave a magic wand and change anything about your business, what would it be?"

Contact Kirstin on the Practical Edge AI website or LinkedIn, Mountains to Sea Media website or LinkedIn.

 

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