[Podcast] Agency Growth Takes Blood, Sweat & Tears

"The two challenges with most agencies are that they don't have a clear growth strategy nor the resources to execute it."  – Eric Brown, Co-Founder at Blood Sweat & Tears

(🎙️ listen now)

Where do agencies typically get stuck, and how can they break through?

There are no better people to answer these questions than today’s guests Nora DiNuzzo and Eric Brown, co-founders of the agency growth consultancy Blood Sweat & Tears.

Nora and Eric join the Deep Specialization show to discuss their approach to agency growth, and how all agency leaders should set foundational growth strategies to inform their tactics. 

We cover in this episode:

• The Blood Sweat & Tears approach to agency growth.

• Hair-on-fire growth challenges agencies face.

• The surprising thing weighing down agencies. Hint: It’s not the clients!

• How your brand and persona come into play when driving growth.

Actionable key takeaways for agency founders:

• Selling to your network will dry out eventually; you need a growth strategy for the next phase.

• Foundational strategies always triumph over tactical growth initiatives.

• When you’ve figured out who you are, growth becomes natural.

• Get outside perspective when you’re stuck on growth.

🎧 Listen to the episode now:

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• YouTube 

• Spotify

• Amazon Music

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Best,

CQ

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the two biggest challenges most agencies face, according to Eric Brown?

Not having a clear growth strategy, and not having the resources to execute one even if they did. Both gaps compound to keep agencies stuck without a real path forward.

Why does relying on selling to your network eventually stop working?

Because personal networks dry out over time. Growth strategies built entirely on existing relationships can't sustain the next phase of growth once that network has been fully tapped.

Why do foundational strategies matter more than tactical growth initiatives?

Because tactics without a foundational strategy tend to produce short-term wins without lasting direction. A solid foundation is what actually informs which tactics are worth pursuing in the first place.

What's the surprising thing weighing down agencies, according to the episode?

Not the clients, something else entirely, discussed in the episode as a factor many agency founders don't expect to be holding them back.

Why does getting outside perspective help when growth feels stuck?

Because it's easy to lose objectivity when working inside the day-to-day of a business. An outside view can reveal blind spots that aren't visible from within the agency itself.