8:00 PM

Swing by The Eliza Jane and say hello to the Bureau crew and some of your fellow attendees.

9:00–9:45 AM Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:45–10:00 AM
Welcome!

10:00–10:50 AM
2023 State of Digital Services Insights

Since the pandemic, it’s been a weird, wacky business environment. In this 5th edition of the State of the Industry Report, Nick Petroski from Promethean Research and Carl Smith from the Bureau dive into the challenging situations shops are facing and try to determine what’s happening in the digital services space and why.

You’ll learn:

• How profitable are most agencies?

• Are digital services firms growing?

• Is turnover a big problem?

• How much are shops charging?

11:00–11:50 AM
Agency Journey: Lessons from Openly Sharing Business Ups and Downs

In this session, Peter Kang from Barrel talks about his decision to share openly about the highs and lows of running his agency in his monthly publication, Agency Journey.

You’ll learn:

• Why he started writing Agency Journey

• Takeaways from recurring topics like business development, performance management, hiring, account management, and project delivery

• What writing every single month has given him in return

• How the space to reflect on mistakes, celebrate wins big and small, and record meaningful moments have been life-changing

12:00–12:50 PM
AI, Your Business & The Long Arm of the Law

In this friendly debate, AI Strategist Dale Bertrand of Fire&Spark and Lawyer Gabe Levine of Matchstick tackle the tough conversations about the legality of using content created by generative AI in our work. And the questions are already here, in fact some image-hosting websites have banned AI-generated content to be extra safe. But do they need to be, or is the idea of copyright a thing of the past? Either way we’ll be digging into how to take advantage of AI in our businesses without getting in (too much) trouble.

1:00–2:30 PM Lunch

2:30–3:20 PM
No good deed… An Interview with Wil Reynolds

Wil started Seer Interactive in 2002 as a one-man operation out of his living room. Today, his company is home to over 200 team members across Philadelphia, San Diego, and Remote.

It’s been one hell of a ride, and during the last two decades, Wil has seen a lot of change. As he saw his slow and steady growth pick up steam, he hired smart people to do the things he wasn’t good at and stayed focused on the work and the people. Which accelerated Seer’s growth even faster.

After receiving a couple of very lucrative offers to sell, he decided not to cash out but instead invest further in the people around him. 

But then the pandemic hit and things changed. For the first time ever, Seer’s growth started to slow down. And with the economic concerns we’re all facing, he’s now facing the repercussions of doing the right things. This begs the question if he had it all to do over again…

3:30–4:20 PM
Finding Significance Beyond Success

What if success is the wrong word? We’ve been told to chase it, pursue it, and achieve it, but does it leave us fulfilled and content?

Maybe our definition of success is wrong. How can we redefine success in a way that makes work more meaningful?

How can we take the companies we’ve worked so hard to create and ensure that they are not just profitable but that they positively impact the world around us?

Traci Barrett will help us adopt not only a new definition of success but understand the mindsets we must embrace to get there.

4:20–4:30 PM
Wrap up

9:00–9:45 AM Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:45–10:00 AM
Welcome & Overview of the Day

10:00–10:50 AM
From D.E.I to DIE (and being reborn!)

From music magazine editors to equity designers (and a lot in-between) Jahan Mantin and Boyuan Gao’s work has always been about centering the well-being of misrepresented communities, to create wellbeing for all. In recent years that meant stepping overtly into the world of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), using equity design practices to ensure big tech and media were creating less harmful products and services. Ironically, that contributed to the rapid decrease of their own well-being, setting off a spiritual crisis – a sharp fork in the road: “Do we close up shop?” or “is it time to transform?” 

Join Jahan and Boyuan, co-founders of Project Inkblot, as they share their odyssey of business ownership, including the big questions like: 

• What happens when you start to feel dead in the eyes (keep smiling!) and dissociate from the day-to-day of work because you don’t see a way out?

• How do you shift when you – the creator(s) of the business – are not the same people anymore?

• What happens when your business becomes a trap of your own making?! (Ahhhhhhh!)

• And – how do you start to recognize and appreciate all of the breadcrumbs you've been leaving along the way? How do you reconnect to your deepest core?

Come hear some case stories, learnings and framing to support us ALL in either choosing a new and refreshed path, or reanimate the one that we’re on!

11:00–11:50 AM
Culture can’t be copied.

In an industry notorious for long hours, psychologically unsafe work environments, high turnover, and a lack of equity and inclusion, JP has made it his mission to advocate for more empathetic work environments that are safe places for ideas to foster. But his dedication to making his agency’s culture the best it can be wasn’t an idea that just sprung up. While he always cared about his team, his dedication to transparency and clarity was the saving grace that pulled his shop from the edge of ruin. And now he’s soaring to newer heights with a team that appreciates being on the journey together.

In this talk, JP will share the lessons he’s learned and how you can create an amazing culture that delivers its very best every day, ultimately leading to more satisfied team members, more satisfied clients, improved margins, and higher engagement rates, as well as eNPS scores that attract and retain the best talent.

12:00–12:50 PM
Work Less, Earn More

Feeling overworked? You’re not alone! Many agency owners feel trapped, working 60+ hour weeks, while seeing Saturday and Sunday as the most productive days in their workweek.

The worst part? They know if they worked for someone else, they’d be making significantly more money...with a LOT less stress.

Fortunately, there’s a better way. Agency advisor Karl Sakas of Sakas & Company will share his step-by-step framework for helping growth-minded agency owners get unstuck, to reach your financial and work-life balance goals.

Bring your questions for Q&A. And exclusive to Owner Summit, you’ll get a complimentary copy of Karl’s 2023 book: “Work Less, Earn More: How to Escape the Grind of Agency Ownership.”

1:00–2:30 PM Lunch

2:30–3:20 PM
The New Rules of Effective Marketing

In Newfangled’s 28 years of working with agencies, they’ve learned a few things. The first is that the number one problem agencies face is a lack of qualified leads. Lead flow impacts every decision you make for your business. That’s why creating a consistent, sustainable flow of leads in your pipeline is critical to your success.

They’ve also learned what works when it comes to lead generation. And by “works” they mean one thing: Is it generating new business?

Digital marketing strategies and techniques used to generate qualified leads are constantly evolving. Newfangled is in a unique position to see trends as they develop and identify the hallmarks of the most successful agencies. And that’s what Mark will be sharing with the Owner Summit audience.

He’ll look at benchmarks for websites, content strategy, email marketing, and paid media — the four pillars of an effective digital marketing strategy — and how they have changed over the years. He’ll also identify the patterns and attributes of the most successful agencies.

3:30–4:20 PM
”Be ye not unevenly yoked." Business ownership and advertising - why you're a bad client.

Let's talk about the unspoken parts of business ownership, and marketing and advertising your business. Dollars to donuts, the person or agency helping you with your marketing and advertising is lying to you. They're either telling you what you want to hear or they are pushing a solution to a problem that you don't really have but it makes them money. Either way, you aren't getting the services you need to grow your business well. You don't know what you don't know, and that makes you a bad client. Derek is going to tell you why, and share some ways you can become a good to great client. And it isn't about spending all your money.

4:30–7:00 PM
Second Line Parade & Happy Hour

Let’s send this final Owner Summit out in style!

Courtesy of our friends at Metis Communications