In this episode, Chip and Gini discuss the importance of having a clear vision for where an agency is headed while also acknowledging the need for strong operational skills.
They explore different types of agency owners, from visionaries to those who excel in operational management, and emphasize the necessity of balancing these roles within a team. The duo highlights the importance of complementing one’s weaknesses by hiring the right people, whether it involves bringing in operational expertise or visionary ideas. They also share personal anecdotes and practical advice on maintaining this balance for the long-term success of an agency.
Key takeaways
* Gini Dietrich: “You can’t be a visionary and an operations person, that’s pretty rare. So how do you bring in somebody to help you where you’re weak?”
* Chip Griffin: “Clients care about what’s the work you can do for me? What are the results it’s going to produce and how much does it cost?”
* Gini Dietrich: “I don’t think that you have to be a visionary as long as you have somebody who’s on your team, who’s willing to be out there, and who’s willing to be the face of the company.”
* Chip Griffin: “You’ve got to really balance the two in order to have success.”
Related
*
How agency leaders should handle big ideas
View Transcript
The following is a computer-generated transcript. Please listen to the audio to confirm accuracy.Chip Griffin: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Agency Leadership Podcast. I’m Chip Griffin.
Gini Dietrich: And I’m Gini Dietrich.
Chip Griffin: And Gini, I’m having a vision. I see something.
Gini Dietrich: What do you see? Dead people?
Chip Griffin: No, I’m not that harsh today. No, I, that was not the greatest introduction probably, but you know, hey, that’s par for the course.
But what we’re gonna talk about today is when you do or don’t have a vision for where your agency is headed and your vision for what you can do and all of that. And I think there are different kinds of agency owners, some who have a vision or idea, big ideas, that kind of thing. And, and others who are a little bit more, let’s say, workmanlike. And, you know, they can execute really well and, you know, they want to keep growing, but they don’t consider themselves a, a big picture, visionary type.
And, and both can be successful, but I think there are things that both kinds of owners need to be aware of and thinking about.
Gini Dietrich: Yeah, I totally agree. And you know, I think we, I think there’s so much focus just generally on you need to be visionary. You need to be strategic. You need to think about, you know, where the, the business is going.
And there’s something to be said for people who are operationally focused. I am not one of them, and that’s, it’s not my strong suit and I really wish that I had some of those skills because I think I, I would’ve grown my business a lot faster and a lot less expensively than I have if I had that skill set.
So I think there’s something to be said for people who like know how to manage their business financially, know how to manage their balance, their balance sheet,
