Smart Agency Masterclass Podcast with Jason Swenk
Bi-weekly interviews, strategy, and advice for building your marketing agency the smart way.
The popular agency podcast has just turned 10 years old and covers everything from starting a successful agency to selling your agency.
#1 Agency Leadership Podcast. Check Out Our Past Guests.
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Seth Godin
Best selling Author of Purple Cow, This is Marketing, Linchpin, Permission Marketing
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Guy Kawasaki
Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva and former Apple chief evangelist
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Gino Wickman
The creator of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and author of Traction.
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Neil Patel
Founder of CrazyEgg, Kissmetrics, and other multimillion dollar companies
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![Uri Levine]()
Uri Levine
Co-founder of Waze
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Joey Coleman
Recognized for his expertise in customer retention & enhancing client loyalty
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Mike Michaelowicz
Best-selling author of Profit First and Clock Work
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Amy Porterfield
Renowned online marketing expert and educator
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Pat Flynn
The leaders in the podcast space
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Jay Baer
Best Selling author of Talk Triggers, Hug Your Haters, and one of the best speakers
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Todd Herman
Coach to Elite pro athletes, leaders, and public figures
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Dan Martell
Author of Buy Back Your Time. Influential coach in SaaS startups.
Can You Scale an Agency Without Relying on Retainers? With Eric Baum | Ep #825
Agency veteran Eric Baum hit a wall scaling Bluleadz. After shifting to project-based work, reworking his cash flow strategy, and implementing EOS, he broke past the $5M plateau. Now he’s on track to hit 8 figures with 80% project work.
What You’ll Learn
Why project work doesn’t have to mean unpredictable revenue
What “no man’s land” is—and how to escape it
How to build systems that support scale without burning you out
Why CSMs might be the key to long-term profitability
How to turn past clients into your most reliable revenue stream
Key Takeaways
Project work isn’t the enemy: Bluleadz flipped their model after COVID. Now 85% of revenue is from projects—but structured payment terms keep cash predictable.
EOS fixed the chaos: Eric was stuck between $1M–$5M in revenue. EOS brought structure, accountability, and growth.
Milestone billing = freedom: They moved away from deliverable-based payments. Now they get 100% of project fees before delivery finishes.
Don’t leave cash on the table: Eric admitted they ignored past clients for too long. Just by reselling old customers, they could double or triple revenue.
Triple-team model wins: Sales, Implementation, and Customer Success Managers each own part of the client journey. This model boosted LTV and team focus.
Strategic partnerships are scaling fuel: Bluleadz isn’t just riding HubSpot’s coattails. They’re diversifying leads through inbound, referrals, and partnerships.
Speed Up Your Sales Cycle with a Productized Offer with Spencer Powell | Ep #787
Do you have a sales system in place for showcasing your agencies services at a low-cost price point that creates an easy “yes” for your prospects? Many agencies are giving away insights in order to land big projects. However, a well-crafted foot-in-the-door offer helps you close clients faster by giving them a taste of what it’s like to work with your agency, but also allows you to qualify whether a prospect is the right fit for your agency and team.
Today’s featured guest shares how productizing his offer helped streamline his sales process and communicate a clear value proposition. Furthermore, after building his strategic foot-in-the-door offer, he’s been testing different pricing models to make it an easy “yes” for prospects while still attracting high-quality clients.
Navigating Pricing Strategies & Acquisitions to Build a THRIVING AGENCY with James Pietruszynski | Ep #747
Are you ready to elevate your pricing strategy and focus on quality over quantity? There are certain things that will only get easier with experience. Yet, all agency owners should be aware of how crucial it is to adapt your pricing model and client acquisition strategy to ensure long-term success. Today’s featured guest will share milestones that changed his agency’s growth path, the things that had to change along the way, and why continuous improvement and evolving capabilities are the best way to adapt to a changing market.
Moving from Retainers to Productization to Increase Agency Profitability with Bob Afsari | Ep #746
Are you tired of the endless cycle of client demands and shrinking margins? How can you elevate your agency from a service provider to a strategic partner? Today's guest shares how he identified an untapped market opportunity that revolutionized his business approach. His experience shows how focusing on internal brand strength, selective client relationships, and strategic pricing can transform an agency's profitability and market position.
Mastering CLIENT ACQUISITION for Agency Growth with David Baeza | Ep #705
Do you have a clear understanding of the client acquisition channels you’ll need to grow your agency? Today’s guest found great success with his agency and, for a long time, didn’t have to worry about client acquisition. More recently, he’s been focusing more on setting up the channels that will guarantee his agency’s growth and continued success. Tune in to learn more about his commitment to quality over rushing to ship subpar work.
Overcome Digital Agency Sales Objections: Decode the 'Let Me Think About It' Objection | Ep #622
Every digital agency struggles with some of the most common sales objections. I'm here to tell you how to turn those around and convert more prospects into clients, faster and easier. Have you ever felt your agency’s proposal knocked it out of the park only to have the prospect put you off? It happens to all of us. You put your energy and effort into a stellar proposal only to receive a lackluster response like “Let me talk to my partner”, “let me see if we have the money”, or my personal favorite “Send me more information”.
About the Show
The popular agency podcast has been around since 2014 and covers everything from starting a successful agency to selling your agency. What makes this podcast a must-listen is Swenk’s background as the founder and CEO of an agency for over a decade. Swenk brings his own experience to the table, besides the expertise of his guests. He mostly covers topics that help growing agencies scale to the next level.
YOUR HOST
JASON SWENK
Smart Agency Masterclass
Jason is a family man who also happens to have created a couple big marketing agencies, helped thousands of agency owners, and had a big agency exit too.
