Leading vs Lagging: The Indicators that Actually Drive Agency Growth with Simon Kelly

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03/20/25 • 43 min

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Welcome back to The Agency Hour, where we help web design and digital agency owners create abundance for themselves, their teams, and their communities.

In this episode, Troy Dean and Simon Kelly, CEO and Head of Growth at Seriously Good Design, dive deep into actionable strategies for agency growth. They unpack powerful concepts from the Mavericks Club training, reveal untapped revenue potential within existing client bases, and break down how focusing on the right indicators can lead to predictable, sustainable growth. Plus, they explore how to manage a team mindset to ensure a positive and rewarding work environment.

If you're looking to understand the critical difference between leading and lagging indicators, and how to leverage them for your agency's success, this episode is essential listening.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

Leading vs. Lagging Indicators Defined – Understand the difference and why it matters.
Why Focusing on Lagging Indicators Can Be Detrimental – The trap of revenue focus and weight loss goals.
The Power of Leading Indicators – Actions and activities that drive results.
How to Identify Leading Indicators in Your Agency – Practical examples and strategies.
The "No Leads" Embargo- Reframing how to view leads.
Client Management – Setting expectations around leading vs. lagging indicators.
Team Motivation – Keeping your team focused even when results are delayed.
The Importance of Vision – Aligning your team around a purpose bigger than metrics.
Rewarding the Right Behaviors – Incentivizing leading indicator completion.
The Power of "Because"- Explaining the why behind the task.
The Element of Surprise- How to reward the team.
The Roger Federer Mindset – Staying present and focused on the process.
Avoiding Comparison – Focusing on your own progress, not others' highlight reels.
SGD's success story- How they achieved their best month ever.

Handy Links:

The AI Advantage - https://go.agencymavericks.com/event-ai-implementation (Virtual event)
E2M Solutions - https://www.e2msolutions.com/agency-mavericks
WP Remote - https://wpremote.com

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Welcome back to The Agency Hour, where we help web design and digital agency owners create abundance for themselves, their teams, and their communities.

If you're looking to understand the critical difference between leading and lagging indicators, and how to leverage them for your agency's success, this episode is essential listening.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

Leading vs. Lagging Indicators Defined – Understand the difference and why it matters.
Why Focusing on Lagging Indicators Can Be Detrimental – The trap of revenue focus and weight loss goals.
The Power of Leading Indicators – Actions and activities that drive results.
How to Identify Leading Indicators in Your Agency – Practical examples and strategies.
The "No Leads" Embargo- Reframing how to view leads.
Client Management – Setting expectations around leading vs. lagging indicators.
Team Motivation – Keeping your team focused even when results are delayed.
The Importance of Vision – Aligning your team around a purpose bigger than metrics.
Rewarding the Right Behaviors – Incentivizing leading indicator completion.
The Power of "Because"- Explaining the why behind the task.
The Element of Surprise- How to reward the team.
The Roger Federer Mindset – Staying present and focused on the process.
Avoiding Comparison – Focusing on your own progress, not others' highlight reels.
SGD's success story- How they achieved their best month ever.

Handy Links:

The AI Advantage - https://go.agencymavericks.com/event-ai-implementation (Virtual event)
E2M Solutions - https://www.e2msolutions.com/agency-mavericks
WP Remote - https://wpremote.com

Follow us on the socials:

Previous Episode

UGURUS Shutdown: A Message to UGURUS Agencies and a Path Forward

In a sudden move, DigitalOcean has shut down UGURUS, leaving many digital agency owners feeling lost and abandoned. In this special episode of the Agency Hour podcast, Troy Dean acknowledges the incredible impact UGURUS founder Brent Weaver had on the agency world and offers condolences to those affected.

Troy shares the history of UGURUS and its parallel journey with WP Elevation (now Agency Mavericks), highlighting their pioneering roles in the agency coaching space. He expresses his disappointment in DigitalOcean's handling of the shutdown and extends a heartfelt invitation to former UGURUS members to find a new home at Agency Mavericks.

What You'll Discover:

The history and impact of Ugurus and WP Elevation/Agency Mavericks.
Why DigitalOcean's decision is seen as detrimental to the agency community.
How Agency Mavericks' GPS model (Grow, Package, Scale) supports agency growth.
Strategies for building authority, packaging intellectual property, and scaling operations.
The importance of community and mentorship in navigating agency challenges.

Handy Links:

The AI Advantage - https://go.agencymavericks.com/event-ai-implementation (Virtual event)
E2M Solutions - https://www.e2msolutions.com/agency-mavericks
WP Remote - https://wpremote.com

Follow us on the socials:

Next Episode

Borrowed vs. Owned Assets: Why It Matters for Your Agency's Long-Term Success

Welcome back to The Agency Hour, where we help digital agencies escape the project-based rollercoaster and build predictable, recurring revenue.

In this episode, Max Jeffcote and Simon Kelly dive into the art of content leverage for agency growth. Learn how to transform your expertise into powerful content assets that build authority and drive conversions. Whether you're struggling with content creation or overwhelmed by platform changes, you'll discover a practical framework for creating, repurposing, and distributing content that actually moves the needle for your business.

If you want to stop creating "landfill content" that nobody remembers and start building valuable assets that generate leads and sales, this episode is packed with actionable insights you can implement immediately.

What You'll Learn:

Why "Rented" vs "Owned" Assets Matter - How platform changes can destroy your marketing overnight
The Content Leverage Framework - Turn long-form content into multiple high-value pieces
How to Stand Out Without Overproducing - Why "less is more" beats trendy editing styles
The Platform-Specific Strategy - Tailor your content for maximum impact on each channel
Converting Content Into Sales - Create assets that directly support your sales process
The Polarization Principle - Why "wallpaper content" fails and how to create memorable impressions
Building Your Email List - The most valuable owned asset you can develop

Handy Links:

The AI Advantage - https://go.agencymavericks.com/event-ai-implementation (Virtual event)
E2M Solutions - https://www.e2msolutions.com/agency-mavericks
WP Remote - https://wpremote.com

Follow us on the socials: