#8 - The power and opportunity in the "No"

04/17/17 • 24 min

There’s something about saying “no”, particularly in a work context, that always seems, well... just difficult. Whether it’s saying no to a colleague when they need your help, to a direct report that makes an ask that you can’t agree to, or to a supervisor when they ask you to do something that you don’t believe is a priority (for you or the business). In this episode, learn how to use "no" as an effective tool to drive towards outcomes, to help re-prioritize projects and to get others to see outside the box. Guest - Victoria Nessen, President, NK&A Victoria is the Founder and President of the marketing agency NK&A Marketing. She also advises Boston area startups and is a guest lecturer at Babson College in Boston. Her experience and fascination with the art and the opportunity of the “no” stems from her work mentoring emerging women leaders. Host: Alex Langshur

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#7 - Instilling a culture of innovation

One of the most important, and yet supremely difficult things for any company to do is establish and nurture a culture that promotes and encourages innovation. While we often take our cues from larger companies that have linked their brands to the idea of innovation, it can be a trickier problem for many small and mid-sized agencies to tackle. In this episode, we look at how to make sure that innovation (in approach, processes, technology, culture, etc.) remain a part of the business ethic and Agency DNA. Vicky Brock, CEO, Clear Returns A graduate from King’s College London, Birkbeck and MIT, Vicky Brock is an entrepreneur, an award-winning innovator and the CEO of Clear Returns, a high-growth technology start-up. Named by Forbes.com & Bloomberg as one of the 9 top female tech CEOs to watch, she is also the winner of “Innovator of the Year” at the FDM everywoman in Technology Awards and she has led Clear Returns to be named top Tech Start Up in Europe in the European Commission “Tech All Stars competition”. Vicky is also a Director Emeritus of the Digital Analytics Association. Host: Alex Langshur

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#9 - The anatomy of an ideal startup

In this episode, we bring a laser sharp focus on the startup phase of the agency growth curve by asking the question: what is the anatomy of an ideal startup? Today, entrepreneurship and the startup culture seems to be totally mythologized. But the reality is that it’s not easy, it’s not always fun, and it is almost always super risky. But it can also be incredibly rewarding. We spoke to Dennis Mortensen to get his strategically tactical advice on how to navigate the rollercoaster ride that is a startup.