Fifteen years ago, just before my daughter was born, I was looking for a coach – someone to help me sort out the stressful situation I called a career. “The thing is,” said one of his references, “if you’re going to work with Jerry, he’s going...
The idea started in 2016. My first product sketches were inspired by The People of Chilmark, one of my favorite paintings. I love Thomas Hart Benton’s classical styling of people on the beach in the early part of the 1900s. I felt like every normal...
When you make small investments in relationship-building, you will generate the greatest results. I’ve spent 25 years working for nonprofit organizations, commercial brands, software companies, and all kinds of professional service agencies. For the...
Let’s explore the importance of aligning your objectives with the decision to work with an agency. In this article we’ll look into identifying and prioritizing the problems you want to solve and if an agency can help you do that. By revisiting...
Let’s get one thing straight: If all goes well, you’re about to select an agency to work with for the next three to five years. It’s a big decision, and you’ll be investing a lot of your (and your team’s) time to ensure...
If the questions you get asked by your team during an agency selection process were a pie chart, “How much will we pay for this agency’s support?” is probably the largest slice. I wish I could write a simple formula for you or offer a simple...
Setting good expectations with your new agency is crucial for a successful partnership. First, a word about “partnership.” Often, agencies and clients use this term to describe their collaboration, but in reality, many are primarily referring to an...
Should you issue a request for proposal (RFP) for the services you’re looking for? The short answer, if you’re spending significant money, is YES. Many organizations have policies that require that and guide how an RFP should be conducted. As...
While working with an agency partner, you will encounter challenges or issues that may affect the relationship and project outcomes.The worst thing that can happen is a few missteps leading to tangled feet, missed deadlines, and overall distrust...
Deciding to fire your agency is a significant decision that should be approached carefully. If you’re going to break up, I recommend doing it in an orderly and careful manner, since the last thing you need (in most cases) is for the agency to stop...