Growing A Self-Running Agency With Simon Isaac

When you started your agency, you probably had some end goals in mind. 

A lot of people dream about selling their agency, but the reality is that it's very difficult to sell a service-based business (and make a decent amount of money). So perhaps a better option is to focus on building an agency that is less dependent on you. i.e. a Self-Running Agency. 

Now, you know I'm a big fan of this approach since I have my book called The Self Running Agency, and I also have my membership group (The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group) and this is a strategy I help my clients deliver. 

So in today’s podcast, I am delighted to be joined by someone who is doing just this, Simon Isaac, MD and Owner of Capsule Marketing.

Time Stamp

[01:33] Introduction to Simon Isaac and Capsule Marketing and why he wants to build a Self-Running Agency

[02:22] Simon’s journey to starting and growing a marketing agency

[03:53] What were your hopes and plans in the first couple of years of running your agency

[05:16] Who were your first hires when you started hiring staff?

[07:06] Why did you decide you wanted to start removing yourself from the day-to-day running of Capsule?

[08:43] Simon’s passions and interests outside of Capsule (and why he wanted more time to pursue these)

[10:15] The typical entrepreneur: an ideas person but not a completer/finisher

[10:40] Simon outlines the key steps taken so far to start building a Self-Running Agency and not work 5-days a week in the agency. The importance of hiring a great number 2 and an empowered team

[13:10] “It’s lonely at the top” - The importance of having external advisers (that you listen to!) who can act as our board and provide expert objective advice

[15:17] How and why did you put together a Senior Leadership Team

[16:00] Creating opportunities for growth for all the team

[17:22] Simon’s experience of moving from a corporate world to a creative world - and the many lessons to take from his past corporate life.

[18:20] Creativity is not stifled by implementing systems

[18:40] Simon’s future plans and how he is ensuring they are delivered

[20:30] The importance of letting go and trusting others

[20:57] What advice do you have for other agency owners who are still completely entrenched in delivering client work?

[22:10] What if you did delegate and it all went wrong?

[24:30] Don’t recruit ‘in your like’ but rather hire people who are better than you

[25:30] If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Quotations

“It’s so important to regularly stop working in your business, take a breath, get a high-level view to know what your need to focus on before you take the pause button off” - Rob Da Costa

“Trust your people, invest in them and have high expectations of them” - Simon Isaac

“Surround yourself with people who are better than you and don’t feel threatened by them” - Simon Isaac

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Useful links mentioned in this episode:

• Find out more about Simon: Simonisaac.co.uk
• Capsule Marketing Website
• The Self-Running Agency Book
• The Self-Running Agency Implementation Group