Agency Journey

I interview agency leaders to get them to share their hard-won lessons on how to run a productive, profitable, and healthy agency. 290 episodes published and counting. Rate/follow us on your favorite podcast platforms!

Podcast Host

ZenPilot

Content Marketing Manager

Head of Marketing

Omegalodon

https://www.facebook.com/omegalodon.band

I am the bassist in a progressive doom black metal band inspired by DC comics and the inevitable death of the universe. I am responsible for providing a solid low-end foundation for our band's sound, making sure my bass playing is as dark and brooding as the fast approaching end of all things. My job is to make the ground shake, to make the walls bleed, and to make your soul weep. I am the harbinger of doom, the prophet of the apocalypse, and I am here to play you the soundtrack to the end of the world.

Or, you know, occasionally just play root notes and keep the rhythm. Whatever the piece requires.

Little known fun fact: I also occasionally play intricate solos. Legends say some of the audience even hears them.

Chief Low-End Officer

KOGNAT Jakub Grajcar

• Maintaining productive business relationships with customers, students and other translators/teachers
• Provided interpreting services during a two-month behavioral therapy course in Poznan
• Translated history books, video games, contracts, marketing materials, websites and others

Business Owner - Translation and English Teaching

STX Next

I lead the Inbound & Content Team in the STX Next Growth department. Together, we make exciting campaigns happen such as The Global CTO Survey (hundreds of responses each year), Tech Leaders Hub (insightful interviews with tech leaders, for tech leaders), and the growing library of in-depth content for engineering managers and programmers at stxnext.com.

Marketing Manager

I'm extremely excited (seriously unhealthy levels of excited) to be the host of Tech Leaders Hub, a series of live interviews with CTOs, Engineering Managers, and other tech executives. I invite my guests to share their story and their winning strategies so that other tech leaders can benefit from listening to the conversation. Join us live every 2-4 weeks, ask the questions on your mind live, and speed up your tech leader career. 

techleadershub.com

Host of Tech Leaders Hub

I lead the STX Next Inbound Team comprised of content and social media specialists, keeping them focused on a common goal. To support them, I craft the content strategy, prioritize and assign tasks, and oversee progress and results. I also provide coaching and mentoring to each team member to maximize their potential. When I'm not supporting my team, I create and edit valuable content as an individual contributor to accelerate our growth.

Inbound Marketing Team Lead

I create and edit valuable content in order to raise awareness of the company, attract visitors to its web channels and convert them to actionable leads. My work involves social media management, email marketing, ebook content creation, running the company blog and more.

Inbound Marketing Specialist

POZnaj Toastmasters Poznań wtorek

• Presided over club meetings and executive board meetings
• Directed and managed the work of the executive board
• Resolved interpersonal conflicts in the club
• Provided vision and direction for club development

President

TrainBrain

• Responsible for the production and promotion of marketing materials via social media, email and more
• Compiled a promotional ebook to drive newsletter subscriptions and conversion
• Provided drive for the implementation of the Asana workflow in the company

Junior Trainer/Content Manager

Tłumaczenia24

Freelance translator

If you're reading this, I want you to know one thing: you can always chat me up about marketing, speaking, self-development, music (especially if you play bass and/or are into metal), and just life in general. So don't hesitate!

Started as a one-man marketing army at a software development company, grew until I became Marketing Manager with a team of 10 content marketers...

...and then I became Content Marketing Manager at ZenPilot, the consulting company that helps agencies escape project management chaos and finally stop tool-hopping from one project management platform to the next every 18 months.

Check us out at zenpilot.com

I made content marketing, They Ask You Answer, Content-Based Networking, The Alter Ego Effect, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Atomic Habits my whole personality.

I'm also obsessed with public speaking, and I'll look for any opportunity to get in front of an audience (live or online), especially if I have a great guest to interview.

And I play bass in a progressive blackened doom metal band called Omegalodon.

I can connect you with:
- ClickUp, Teamwork, and agency operations experts
- expert copywriters
- Web Marketing Specialists
- Business English teachers, Polish-English translators/interpreters
- professional public speakers in English and Polish

Come join our team at Ei Digital and share with your networks!!

LouLou Kaufman is #hiring. Know anyone who might be interested?

Jakub Grajcar

Tomorrow, 5 expert agency speakers will help 170+ operators speed up their agency operations using AI. Time to reveal what they'll be talking about!

We're running a roundtable event that will help you rapidly catch up on how other agencies are using AI to:
🧠 deliver better client results, faster,
🧠 make internal workflows smoother,
🧠 save tons of time by automating what seemed impossible to automate just a few years ago.


All 5 of our speakers have come up with killer presentations based on what actually works.

Here's a sneak peek at what they'll be talking about:

Paris Childress, Hop Online
How to use AI to create a persona messaging matrix—the foundation of your content and creative campaigns

Ian Garlic, Video Case Story
Managing client stories, personal insights, and YouTube content with AI

Chris DuBois, Dynamic Agency OS
The Order of AI Automation: how to roll out AI in an agency to maximize efficiency without compromising innovation

Ali Schwanke, Simple Strat 
Using AI for identifying obstacles, risk mitigation, SOPs, meeting notes, and more

Jeff Cypher, ZenPilot
Using ClickUp AI for designing workflows, breaking down processes, monitoring project status, and giving your company a second brain


Want to join the event?
Wouldn't you know it, we've still got room for a few more sign-ups:
https://lnkd.in/eEzy2qfW

If you're reading this, I want you to know one thing: you can always chat me up about marketing, speaking, self-development, music (especially if you play bass and/or are into metal), and just life in general. So don't hesitate!

Now, on to the rest of it...

There's way too much crap content suffocating the Web. I'm here to push back against that.

I'm a content marketing manager: my team is on a mission to create texts, videos, and assets that our audience will find insanely helpful.

My guiding principle: if we're going to upload something to the Web, it shall be something unique, something immediately useful, and/or the best content ever created on a given subject.

Because we have no right to bloat the internet with thin content.

I'm also obsessed with public speaking, and I'll look for any opportunity to get in front of an audience (live or online), especially if I have a great guest to interview. That's why I became the host of Tech Leaders Hub, a series of live interviews with CTOs, Engineering Managers, and other tech executives. Drop me a line if you think you'd make sense as a guest!

I can connect you with:
- expert copywriters
- Web Marketing Specialists
- Business English teachers, Polish-English translators/interpreters
- professional public speakers in English and Polish
- Python/JavaScript development teams
- UX/UI/Digital Product Designers

Ali Schwanke

This conversation is a must for anyone interested in content strategies and workflows. Jakub Grajcar thank you for sharing your practical tips and being an awesome conversation partner!  

PS. I grew up listening to the radio. The radio was always a companion in my home when I was a little girl. Yeah, you’ve guessed it. I’m talking about the late 80s and early 90s. My mom loved to listen to it while cooking. And my grandma always had her holy, undisrupted time listening to her favorite radio show, no one could talk to her then. I would twirl around our living room, dreaming of one day hosting my own show.

And I can't say enough how happy I am that I get to host the Social Media Made Simple podcast; I get the thrill of connecting with some truly inspiring people. Wanna be next?  Let's connect 😎 

https://lnkd.in/dqFyV27M

At ZenPilot, we get a lot of questions about the best ways to manage contractors in ClickUp.

Most agencies work with contractors but don't have a great way of...
⚙️ Pulling these contractors into their team's workflow;
⚙️ While also limiting their permissions and access;
⚙️ While also making it easy for their contractors to use;
⚙️ And getting a clear view of all their contracted work in one place.

Well, our solutions team at ZenPilot (the biggest ClickUp brains you'll ever see) just built the world's best Contractor Management System in ClickUp.

Here's a video of how it works: https://lnkd.in/d55Qj8We

With this, you can...
✅ Store contractor information directly in ClickUp
✅ Onboard new contractors to ClickUp in minutes (using a simple form and automations)
✅ Simplify your contractors' ClickUp experience by putting all of their work into one list.
✅ Bring contractors into your team's workflow and communication without giving them access to everything
✅ And track all contracted work, time, and progress in one place

-------
✋ Want this implemented for your team?
Here's the link to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dugqvrJ2
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#clickup #projectmanagement #agencylife #contractormanagement

By my estimation, this event will be 400% more educational than our usual webinars.
 
How so?
 
Five speakers instead of one!
 
I’ve enlisted the help of four expert agency speakers outside of ZenPilot (plus our Productivity Professor Jeff Cypher) to talk about AI in agency operations.
 
Why this topic?
 
Because of anxiety, of course.
 
These days it feels like everyone is secretly doing AI R&D behind the scenes, automating away parts of their processes, leveraging the data they’ve built to create semi-self-sufficient agents…
 
But where are they applying AI, and how? Which processes are they tackling first, and why?
 
It's easy to feel anxious when you don't know if you're ahead or behind on AI adoption.
 
Worse still, a lot of agencies will be keeping their AI insights close to their chests.
 
But if you want to be an agency thought leader in 2024, you should be sharing your AI discoveries.
 
And if you want to be the best possible agency operator—you should be paying close attention to the discoveries others have made.
 
Which is why on April 25th, we’ll be running a webinar presenting five quick, proven use cases of AI in agency operations.
 
So you can see how it’s actually being applied, right now.
 
The speakers are all creme de la creme:
 
– Paris Childress, CEO at Hop Online;
– Ian Garlic, CEO at Video Case Story;
– Chris DuBois, Founder at Dynamic Agency OS;
– Ali Schwanke, CEO at Simple Strat ;
– Jeff Cypher, Productivity Professor at ZenPilot.
 
Don’t miss this. Find out where you could be using AI to speed up your operations as well.
 
We’ll be keeping the presentations short and to the point (13 minutes max.), so you get all killer, no filler.
 
Ready to download these AI insights straight into your brain?
 
👉 Sign up for the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/eEzy2qfW

This'll be something else from my usual, but... Maybe it'll reach the right people.
I've listened to too many fiction podcasts, and now I want to be in one.

I love stories. I love doing voices and paying attention to intonation and pacing in minute detail whenever I read books to my son. I love to put on a good show.

I've also been exposed to way too many of Christopher Tester's posts. Blame him!

Hence, by the sheer amount of input, I want to try voice acting all of a sudden.

My experience? Worry not: I played Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. In middle school.

(Well, I guess there's also the time I was one of the best in Poland in a Toastmasters public speaking contest and went on to represent us internationally in Athens.)


So if you've got a fiction podcast or audio drama script hidden in the drawer...
...or you know someone who's willing to take a chance on a voice actor with no portfolio (and no financial expectations)...

...I'm your guy. Let's (try to) do this.


P.S. I believe if you put stuff like this out there into the ether, eventually something bounces back. So let's see!

Real talk—and I hope some of you will share your honest thoughts here.
Who here is worried they're falling behind vs. AI?

And I don't mean "ChatGPT can do what I do, only better". We all know that's not true.

I mean falling behind vs. others in the same space who are using AI to automate parts of their workflow. Or generate ideas faster, or re-use good (human) content across multiple channels at scale with AI.

I've even heard talk of folks building themselves their own custom GPTs and scaling themselves that way.

I mean, you must have heard stories like this already as well.

Are they true, or was it all just bragging and blown out of proportion?

What do y'all think? What have you seen? Are you worried too? Eager to hear from y'all.

-------
Edit: I'm also running an event about this this Thursday, focusing on the agency space—the AI in Agency Operations Roundtable. 5 expert agency speakers will be presenting. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eEzy2qfW

How does Super Mario 64 relate to AI in agency ops?
Going live in 30 minutes—join us to find out!
https://lnkd.in/eEzy2qfW

Yesterday, I hosted an agency ops webinar with 254 signups and 108 attendees.
And I kicked it off by talking about speedrunning Super Mario 64.

Why?

Because it perfectly connects to AI in agency operations, that's why.

I swear I pulled off the metaphor. See video below for proof.


P.S. If you want the webinar recording, leave a like for reach and DM me. I'll share the recording once it's ready.

P.P.S. Relative to my previous events the # of signups and attendees was exciting—but can somebody with deeper expertise tell me if the proportion of signups vs. attendees was a healthy one?

P.P.P.S. What's your favorite Mario game? Mine's Super Mario All-Stars on SNES.

Turning down a $250,000 contract.



#agencyjourney #podcast #agencylife

[An excerpt from the latest First Class Operations newsletter...]
What’s something that both myself and my two year old have difficulty with?
 
Dealing with negative emotions.
 
It’s an absolutely universal struggle—whether the source of the emotion is me falling behind on the content calendar or him being limited to reading just two books before bedtime. (He would prefer six, and is vocal about it.)
 
And why the heck am I mentioning this in a newsletter about agency operations?
 
Because operations are a breeding ground for negative emotions too.
 
The anxiety when you look at your overloaded to-do list.
 
The panic of remembering a task that slipped your mind—and it’s due tomorrow. 
 
The confusion when you don’t have it clearly documented who does what and when—and who’s blocking who—at every step of your process.
 
Have you ever felt an uncomfortable feeling like that, and suddenly decided it’s time to switch tasks, or open up Slack, or do some quick laundry?
 
Because in the moment, it was too uncomfortable to confront ‘the scaries’.
 
And yet, confronting them is the only way out. It’s the only method, and it’s been helping me a lot recently:
 
When an uncomfortable feeling comes, just let it sit there.
 
Don’t unlock your phone, don’t step away from your keyboard—just be aware of it for a while.
 
“Oh, a bad feeling has come. Can we just let it be here for a while and let it pass?”
 
It’s the kind of stuff I would say to my toddler—but it turns out it works on adult scaries too.
 
After a moment, if you don’t turn away, any uncomfortable feeling becomes at least a little bit more tame. A little more manageable.
 
And besides, you’ve acted despite feelings of discomfort before. So just do it again.
 
Do it scared.
 
It saves a lot of time, gets you to your destination faster.
 
And the little acts of courage compound to make you a better operator—in all areas of your life.


🧑‍✈️ Of course, if you’re dealing with unbalanced to-do lists, unclear processes, and deliverables slipping through the cracks—you can always book a call with our team at ZenPilot and begin your agency operations makeover. We’ll help you build an airtight project management system on top of ClickUp.
Book a call here: https://lnkd.in/dSPrPnN9


-------
This was an excerpt from the latest edition of the ZenPilot newsletter, First Class Operations.

🌐 Read the full web version here (including links to our latest ClickUp tutorials): https://lnkd.in/d_7q2Swf

💌 Subscribe to get the next edition as soon as it lands: https://lnkd.in/dxuzGNKp

The danger of being an idea-driven leader.


#agencyjourney #podcast #agencylife

Selfish entrepreneurs are making an unfair sacrifice.


#agencyjourney #podcast #agencylife

The complicated origin story of a popular YouTube channel.


#agencyjourney #podcast #agencylife

Shifting boundaries between work and life as a CEO.


#agencyjourney #podcast #agencylife #ceo

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