COVID was a game-changer for those in the agency space. Most agencies had to shut down and lose their businesses overnight, while others, however, who stood and weathered the storm, grew their businesses exponentially. The contrast between the two make us think of what elements are in play towards the success and failures of running an agency.

My interview with Matt Plapp, CEO of Driven Media Solutions, places a focus on this topic. He bravely shares why the agencies he coached before COVID failed and shut down during the pandemic. He talks about the shiny object syndrome and why you need to avoid it at all costs. We also discuss how COVID became a blessing to the agency industry and the top three things that will make you fail at running your agency.

There’s just so much you could learn from this conversation, so I highly recommend that you tune in to this episode now.

Discussion Points:

  • 0:00 Introduction
  • 3:37 Matt shares what happened to his coaching program
  • 4:49 Reason why most agencies never mature
  • 7:46 The shiny object syndrome
  • 9:06 Lack of focus results in failure
  • 10:39 Agencies that performed well with Matt’s guidance
  • 13:41 The unfortunate thing about some people running an agency
  • 14:51 How COVID became a blessing to the agency industry
  • 17:04 Why people turn to create an agency
  • 20:07 Discipline and how important it is when running a business
  • 20:57 Top three things that will make you fail at running an agency
  • 28:25 Stop using the pandemic as an excuse

Other Links:

About the Guest:

Matt Plapp is the CEO of Driven Media Solutions, a full-service marketing firm located in Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky. He’s been involved in most forms of marketing and has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Matt is passionate about Guerilla & Grass Roots Marketing, Social Media, and Internal Marketing Strategies.

Get a hold of more podcast episodes through our website. You can also tune in and subscribe to Operation Agency Freedom on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Thank you for tuning in!