Creative Agency Account Manager Podcast

Welcome to episode 175. This episode is a timely one if you’re feeling uncertain or anxious about change and you’re looking for some practical advice and steps to strengthen your resilience.

I'm chatting with James Elliott MSc, former airborne forces, Master of Science in war and psychiatry, best selling author, and Founder of the Think Yourself Resilient Methodology.

We cover:
- what’s going on in your brain when you feel threatened at work
- why a rude comment from your boss can feel so personal
- and how to move on from a mistake.

We also talk about why resting is sometimes the most resilient thing you can do. James shares some really practical advice on two questions to ask yourself when you’re anxious about the future.

I’ve heard James' story twice and it moved me just as much the second time. For someone who’s been through so much, he talks about resilience as hope.

You can connect with James Elliott here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-elliott-msc-8360a41b5/
james@thinkyourselfresilient.com

How agency owners can work with me:
If account growth feels inconsistent, I’m running Account Growth Diagnostic sessions this autumn to find out what’s working and unpick what isn’t before you turn to team training. Details are on my website: https://www.accountmanagementskills.com/account-growth-strategy

Welcome to Episode 174. This episode is particularly useful if you're wondering how your clients are really adopting AI, and what that means for the future value of agencies.

I'm chatting with Zaynab Zubair, a digital change and adoption specialist with more than 12 years' experience helping large organisations turn new technology into genuine business value. Her career has taken her from communications and large-scale digital workplace transformation (including supporting the rollout of Office 365 across 14 countries and 60,000 employees) through to EY, where she worked in Digital People Experience and helped organisations rethink the future of work. More recently, her focus has moved increasingly towards AI transformation: helping senior leaders understand not just what AI can do, but how to drive adoption, change behaviours and ultimately demonstrate measurable value from it. Today, as an independent contractor, she works directly with large enterprise clients on digital change management and adoption. These are the kinds of organisations many agencies have as clients, so I wanted to find out what your clients are being told about AI transformation, and what that means for your agency.

We cover:
- why clients are increasingly doing more execution in-house
- why agencies need to move from being doers to more consultative partners
- what senior leaders are really concerned about when it comes to AI
- why stakeholder management and human judgement are becoming even more valuable
- and how agencies can use AI to strengthen their proposals and stand out.

What really stood out to me during our chat was Zaynab's advice to stress-test your own proposals with AI before you send them.
Your client may well be doing exactly the same thing at their end.

You can connect with Zaynab Zubair here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaynabzubair/

Sign up for my newsletter to stay updated on how AI is changing agency account management, client retention and growth: https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to Episode 173. This episode will be genuinely useful if you're an agency owner thinking about how you'll eventually sell your business, or wondering whether AI is actually giving your agency an edge or just helping you do things faster.

I'm chatting with Dominic (Dom) Marchant, Co-founder of Run Riot and Riot Studios - Running apparel x Hybrid intelligence agency. As a creative, Dom has sat on the jury of several of the world's biggest advertising/creative competitions (including Cannes Lions Health, Head Judge at PM Awards) and continues to be active in judging creative work. He's also won a few gongs in his time, including Cannes Lions, Creative Floor Awards, PM Awards, PMi Awards, and many others. He was Chair of the PM Society for three years and continues to run Creativity for Good. Currently, he is Creative Lead and founder of Riot Studios with his long-term business partner, Olly Childs. As an entrepreneur, he has built and sold three agencies including DJM, Plastic, and ARK. He continues to invest in companies where he has interest and passion and manages a portfolio of startups and more mature opportunities. As a runner, he co-founded Run Riot - a running apparel brand - and, in his own words, is a very average but passionate runner.

We cover:
- what he's learned from building and selling three agencies
- why differentiation matters
- how he shared the proceeds of one sale with employees
- and why agencies should use AI to create better work, not just quicker work.

What really stood out to me during our chat was his point that if you're building your business purely to sell it, you've probably got it wrong.
Build the best business you can, and the rest follows.

You can connect with Dominic Marchant here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicmarchant/

https://dominicmarchant.com/

https://www.riot-studios.com

https://runriotwear.com/

Sign up for my newsletter for updates on AI, agencies and account management. And if account growth feels inconsistent, I'm running Account Growth Diagnostic sessions this autumn. https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to Episode 172. AI in agencies has moved on significantly from simply experimenting with ChatGPT and saving a bit of time.

My guest is Roy Murphy, Co-founder at G3NR8 - AI innovator for brands including Samsung, Arsenal, and Perrigo. Roy helps businesses unlock exponential technologies as a driver of growth, guiding organisations to understand and act on AI through comprehensive training, strategy, and implementation initiatives. He serves as AI Advisor to the in-house agency network Inside Out and has delivered AI training for over 150 brands, including GSK, Lego and the Bank of England. Roy regularly speaks at AI roundtables, podcasts, and industry events, working with HR, communications, marketing, and operations teams to drive meaningful transformation.

In this episode, we look at:

· what comes next

· why agencies need to rethink their business model and service lines

· how connecting your existing client data can give account managers much better intelligence

· and why agentic workflows could fundamentally change the way we manage and grow client relationships.

We also talk about the skills account managers need to stay valuable as AI becomes embedded in everyday agency life. There’s a lot packed into this one.

You can connect with Roy Murphy on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roymurphy/

He has also generously shared his calendar link for 30 minutes free AI Q&A and Consultancy. Let him know your challenges (either personal or organisational) and he'll look at your next practical step to solve.
https://calendar.app.google/jPAG7FhMFYk7HxED8

If you'd like to keep updated with shifts in the agency world as they relate to account management, or talk to me about client retention and growth training, go to https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to episode 171. I’m joined by Duncan Arbour, Head of AI Innovation in the Kinetic team at Syneos Health.

Duncan has spent a decade in innovation roles in healthcare communications at Syneos Health, first as an evangelist for AI, then as an operator of the tools for live client projects, and now building out agentic services for cross-business teams. He believes the agency world is rapidly shifting from a content economy to a trust economy, where verification, judgment and accountability are the product; and that account teams are better placed for that world than most people are telling them.

In this chat, we cover:
- Why trust, governance and AI disclosure are becoming increasingly important for MedComms agencies
- How procurement and clients may start scrutinising agency AI use much more closely
- How AI could change agency pricing and the traditional hours-based model
- Why some clients may soon have stronger AI capabilities than their agencies
- The skills agency people need to stay valuable as AI adoption accelerates.

Duncan’s message is very human: despite all the advances in AI, critical thinking, judgement, challenging and giving good feedback are going to become even more valuable.

You can connect with Duncan Arbour on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncanarbour/

If you’d like to keep up to date with changes in the agency world as they relate to the account management role, or find out more about my client retention and growth training, go to https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to Episode 170. This is a fascinating one if you work in or with design agencies, or if you’ve ever wondered why brilliant creative work doesn’t always get the influence it deserves inside client organisations.

I chatted with John Gleason, Founder & President of A Better View Strategic Consulting who help corporate organizations elevate and leverage design as a strategic business competence and catalyst for growth, help agencies become more relevant for the markets and clients they aspire to inspire while becoming better businesses, and enhance the client/agency relationship to be better, together.

John is one of the most vocal advocates for the role, power, influence, and BUSINESS impact of Design that you will ever meet. Interested in helping those who lead design... to better lead a strategic design proposition.

In this conversation we talk about:
- Why design has been pushed further down the value chain in many businesses
- What John learned from his time client-side at P&G
- How he's now helping both corporate organisations and agencies work better together
- The rise of in-house teams
- Why agencies often struggle to sound different from one another
- How account managers can have more strategic conversations with clients beyond projects, deadlines and budgets

John shares some brilliant advice on helping clients navigate their own internal politics, ask better questions, and translate design into business impact.

I found it such a useful reminder of what clients are really dealing with internally, and why agencies need to understand the human and political dynamics inside client organisations - account managers can add huge value by helping them make the case internally.

You can connect with and find out more about John Gleason here:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngleason/

THE FUTURE OF... conference (www.TheFutureOf-conference.com)

11 Influencers Who Elevate Packaging Design - Packaging Digest (https://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/11-influencers-who-elevate-packaging-design)

How To Innovation When You Are Asked to Cut Costs - Packaging Digest (https://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/how-to-innovate-when-you-are-asked-to-cut-costs)

Webinar + Panel: Beyond free pitching: building stronger, smarter client relationships [DESIGN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION member content] (https://www.dba.org.uk/resources/beyond-free-pitching-building-stronger-smarter-client-relationships/)

Podcast: Finding Our Way: Episode 59: Design Isn't Dead, But It's Seen Better Days (ft John Gleason) - https://findingourway.design/2025/06/06/59-design-isnt-dead-but-its-seen-better-days-ft-john-gleason/

'Is Design Dead?' - Design Leaders Wrestle With The Question - FAST COMPANY article, by Mark Wilson, Global Design Editor (https://www.fastcompany.com/91299152/future-of-design-leaders-executives)

If you’re listening before September 2026 and you’d like to join me in Atlanta, I’ll be co-hosting the next AM:PM Event on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th, an in-person event for agency leaders focused on the future of account management, project management, client retention and growth. You can find out more and register at https://theampmevent.com

Welcome to episode 169. This episode is going to be timely if you’re currently trying to work out how to navigate using AI legally.
I'm chatting with Sharon Toerek, Founder of Toerek Law (doing business in the agency world as Legal + Creative), where she focuses her national law practice on helping advertising, marketing, communications and creative agencies protect their assets and turn their ideas into revenue. Sharon provides proactive, strategic counsel to communications, marketing, advertising, digital and creative agencies on legal and business issues they face continually in their work, including:
• agency-client relationships, including agency service contracts
• agency-freelancer and agency strategic alliance relationship management
• trademark and copyright protection, enforcement and licensing
• influencer marketing negotiations and content marketing legal compliance
• advertising regulatory compliance
• AI policy and risk management for agencies

In this conversation we cover:
- why AI is forcing agencies to rethink their business model and how they monetise their expertise
- what you need to protect when it comes to your own IP
- why your client contracts need to be much clearer around ownership, licensing and liability.
- the confidentiality and data privacy risks that come with using AI tools, particularly when your teams and freelancers are using different platforms.

Sharon shares some very practical advice on how agencies can audit their contracts and AI policies, so you can be more proactive with clients rather than waiting until something goes wrong.

As always, she gives such practical, clear advice on what can feel like a very complex and fast-moving topic. One of the things that stood out is: don’t wait too long before thinking about how to protect and monetise your agency’s IP.

Useful links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharontoerek/
Website: https://www.legalandcreative.com
Innovative Agency podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-innovative-agency/id1419747902

Welcome to episode 168.
This one is a little different because I’m joined by my AM:PM event co-host, Brett Harned.
On 29th & 30th September, Brett and I are bringing agency owners, account managers, project managers and operations leaders together in Atlanta, Georgia to work through some of the biggest questions facing agencies right now.

How should account and project management roles evolve?
Where can AI genuinely improve delivery?
And how do you grow client relationships without damaging profitability or burning out the team?

My biggest takeaway is that agencies don’t need to have all the answers, but they do need to create the space to ask better questions.
This is what we explore in this episode, and the questions are also at the heart of the AM:PM Event.
The early-bird ticket price ends on 31st July, so you can find out more and book your place here: http://theampmevent.com/

Welcome to episode 167. This conversation is all about how agencies can get smarter, safer and more intentional about using AI.

I'm chatting with Michael MacDonald, Founder of Brains Before Bots which helps independent agency founders get clarity on how AI is actually being used across their teams.

He spent fifteen years co-founding and running two agencies in South Africa, including a pharma-focused agency working with Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Roche, where he led client service through the digital transformation of pharmaceutical marketing. That experience is the foundation for Brains Before Bots, which helps agencies move from scattered AI use to client-ready workflows, particularly those serving regulated and high-scrutiny clients.

We cover:
- why governance shouldn’t be seen as red tape, but as a way to make the agency more resilient and easier to scale
- why simply plugging AI into old workflows can create more rework, more vanilla thinking and more risk
- practical advice, including how to audit the tools your team are using
- why you need a data traffic light system
- the importance of building a prompt library
- why account managers may become the “context engineers” of the agency.

And we also talk about the very human side of AI adoption: fear, psychological safety, honest conversations with your team and why the brains still need to lead before the bots follow.

You can connect with, and find out more information about, Michael MacDonald and Brains Before Bots here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrmichaelmac/
https://brainsb4bots.com/
https://brainsb4bots.com/ai-workflow-clarity-audit

If this conversation gets you thinking about how your own agency is operating, how your AMs and PMs are working together, and how AI is changing delivery, client relationships and agency growth, then I’d love to tell you about AM:PM - a new 1.5 day event taking place in Atlanta, Georgia on 29th and 30th September 2026. I’m co-hosting it with Brett Harned. It’s for agency owners, account managers, project managers and operations leaders who want to step back and have honest, practical conversations about growth, delivery, communication, AI and the operational reality of modern agency life.

We’ll be joined by David C. Baker as our featured speaker, and the event is designed to help agency teams create better alignment between leadership, account management, project management and delivery.

So if your agency is dealing with overloaded teams, scope challenges, communication breakdowns, unclear ownership or AI uncertainty, this event is for you.
You can find out more and buy tickets at https://theampmevent.com/

Welcome to episode 166.

This conversation is going to be particularly interesting for you if you’re an agency owner struggling with spreadsheets, disconnected systems and lack of visibility over pricing, profitability or resourcing.

It’s a story about how one agency owner solved their own operational problem, turned that internal solution into a platform, and is now helping other agencies solve the same challenges.

I’m joined by Anna Appleton-Clayton, Managing Director of We Create Digital and CEO of Rofinery. With over 15 years of agency experience, she understands both the day-to-day pressures and the bigger challenges agencies face as they grow. She’s taken that firsthand experience and built Rofinery to reflect how agencies actually operate - focusing on practical and intuitive features that work in the real world, not just in theory.

Alfie Wenegieme is the Founder of Profit Sprout Consultancy, COO of Rofinery and a chartered accountant with over 18 years’ experience helping agencies unlock profitability and commercial success. Alfie helps agencies of all sizes from small to medium size independent firms to global players to strengthen financial management, build robust commercial operations, and elevate commercial capability across teams through training.

We talk about:
- why so many agencies are still running on gut feel
- why time tracking still matters
- where profit can quietly leak out of the business
- which clients are actually worth more focus
- and how AI is changing client expectations around speed, cost and value.

You can find out more about Rofinery here: https://rofinery.com/
You can connect with Anna and Alfie here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-appleton-claydon/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfie-wenegieme/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rofinery/

If you’d like more insights on agency account management, client retention and growth, go to the Account Management Skills website and sign up for my newsletter. https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to episode 165.

This episode will be particularly useful to you if you’re an agency owner or account manager who wants to move your client conversation away from execution and further upstream into strategy, ideas and innovation.

My guest is Phil Blackmore, the Co-Founder of Create Health, an Ideas Lab for pharma and life sciences brands. He helps clients solve communication and innovation challenges through ideas, thinking and senior experience, combining strategic human insight with AI-enabled ways of working. The business has evolved towards more upstream, ideas-led engagements, including structured ideas days designed to unlock fresh thinking, align teams and create new opportunities for activation. Phil is also a Co-Founder of The Health House, a support network for independent healthcare agencies and is currently writing a book on optimism.

Phil shares how he’s moved his agency upstream by focusing on ideas, strategic thinking and innovation workshops - the kind of value clients can’t easily replicate in-house or with AI.

We also discuss how these ideas labs help deepen client relationships, open up new opportunities and reposition the agency from supplier to strategic partner.
Phil’s ideas lab is a brilliant example of creating a space for clients to think differently, solve bigger business challenges, and reposition the agency in the client’s mind as more of a strategic partner that understands their business challenges as well as an agency that executes projects well.

You can connect with Phil Blackmore here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pblackmore/
https://createhealth.com/

Links mentioned in our chat:
10 Commandment:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pblackmore_communication-insight-empathy-activity-7331213480416432129--F5W?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAq4nv0BHgXCU2xyFAjDt3MBp1XCFLXeoeI

What If?
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBabRfl-Ek1TRYUy5VnPHQ

Most agency owners and leaders I speak to have a question they've been carrying around for months. Maybe it's about a client they can't quite work out what to do with. Maybe it's about a team member that should be growing accounts but isn't. Maybe it's about a hiring decision or a team change they've been putting off.

I’m offering a 90-minute owner-level Account Growth Strategy Session. It’s you and I focussed on your agency challenge together drawing on my hands-on experience working with client facing teams for years. You’ll have a written diagnosis afterwards, and a clear next step.

You can find it at:
http://accountmanagementskills.com/account-growth-strategy
and there's a 20-minute intro call you can book if you want to talk it through first.

Welcome to episode 164. This episode is going to be particularly useful if you’re thinking about how agencies can stay profitable and relevant as AI reshapes the way work is delivered and valued.

Brian Kessman, Founder and Principal Consultant at Lodestar Agency Consulting, joins me to talk about why the traditional agency model is under so much pressure, what it really means to move from selling hours to selling solutions and outcomes, and how agencies can start packaging their expertise in a more scalable way.

Lodestar helps CEOs and CFOs of independent agencies, multinational networks, and holding companies redesign their value models - the commercial system that connects how they define, package, deliver, and price their expertise using solutions and outcomes, not hours and headcount.

Brian and I also talk about pricing, procurement, productised offers, and why so much strategic value is often being given away without agencies even realising it.
There’s a lot in this conversation for agency owners and client-facing teams alike.

You can connect with Brian here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/briankessman/
https://www.lodestaragencyconsulting.com/
https://www.lodestaragencyconsulting.com/agency-model-map

VoxComm's Redesigning the Agency Value Model: https://voxcomm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Redesigning-the-agency-value-model.pdf
IPA Pricing Playbook: https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/publications-reports/the-ipa-pricing-playbook/

And, if you’d like to stay updated with changes in the agency world as they relate to account management, client retention and growth, or speak to me about training options for your team, head over to https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to episode 163.

If you’ve been thinking about how the agency business model is evolving, and what clients are looking for from their agency partners now, this conversation might spark some ideas about how to work with clients differently.

I'm talking to President and Founder of Broadview Labs, Neil Follett. Broadview Labs is a creative agency focused on life sciences, currently powering the hybrid studio for a leading US Pharma agency. Neil is a serial entrepreneur who has build and sold a creative agency as well as an events business. He thrives on creating business that create value for clients and provide dynamic environments within which individuals can flourish. And he helps people and brands meet their full potential.

In this episode, Neil shares his journey of creating an embedded agency structure for one client. He talks to me about how the opportunity came about, how it works in practice and how to move beyond being seen simply as a resource.

We also touch on AI and where it may genuinely add value, rather than simply helping agencies do the same work quicker.

You can contact and connect with Neil here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilfollett/
https://http://www.broadviewlabs.ca

If you’d like to be kept updated with changes in the agency world as they relate to the account management role, or speak to me about client retention and growth training options, go to my website at https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to episode 162. If your agency is experimenting with AI, buying new tools and still feeling like not much has really changed operationally, you're not actually imagining it. That is exactly what this episode gets into.

I'm chatting with Emily Hatton, a Business Operations Consultant and the founder of AI in Agencies, where she helps agencies turn AI from scattered experiments into structured, profitable ways of working. After years supporting service businesses with operations, capacity planning and profitability, Emily saw a growing gap: agencies were adopting AI tools quickly, but their operating models hadn’t caught up. Today, she works with agency founders and leadership teams to integrate AI into workflows, resourcing, pricing and delivery — helping teams save time, improve margins and get more value from the tools they already pay for. Her work focuses on practical implementation, not hype, and on helping agencies build sustainable AI capability inside their teams.

In this conversation, Emily and I talk about why AI adoption so often becomes a bit chaotic inside the agency. Different teams using different tools, no real ownership and not enough measurement of whether any of it is actually saving time or improving the work.

We also get into why the smarter starting point is actually to look at your processes and workflows, not the latest tool that you can get, but how to get more from the actual tools you're already using, your tech stack.

And finally, we talk about governance, client trust, pricing pressure, and what agencies need to sort out now if they want to stay commercially relevant.

If AI in your agency currently feels a little bit messy, a bit exciting, but also a bit overwhelming all at the same time, then this one is for you.

You can contact and connect with Emily here:
www.linkedin.com/in/emily-hatton
https://aiinagencies.com/

How AI-ready is your account management team? Find out in 3 minutes with our free quiz - and discover where your biggest growth opportunities lie:
https://www.accountmanagementskills.com/ai-readiness-quiz

Welcome to episode 161. In this episode, we’re talking about what it really means to move from “getting stuff done” to becoming a genuinely strategic partner.

I'm chatting with Eloise (Ellie) Todd, Account Director at strategicabm, who support B2B SaaS and Tech clients in building successful and scalable ABM programs.. Ellie loves building relationships with clients and helping ABM programs grow and succeed.

Ellie shares how account-based marketing actually works in the real world — not the textbook version — and why getting sales and marketing aligned can make or break results.

We also get into something I know a lot of you are thinking about… AI. Specifically, what happens when an agency codifies its expertise and builds its own tool rather than just using ChatGPT to write emails.

And we talk about something I bang on about a lot - building relationships across multiple stakeholders inside your client’s organisation so you’re not exposed when your main contact leaves. (Because let’s be honest… that happens.)

If you’re wondering how to add more value beyond deliverables, and protect your accounts at the same time, this conversation will get you thinking.

A few things really stood out for me.

1. Value doesn’t just come from what you deliver. Sometimes the biggest difference you make is getting your client’s internal teams aligned. That’s not fluffy. That’s commercial.

2. Your IP matters. In a world where everyone has access to AI, what makes you different is your thinking, your frameworks, your experience. If you don’t package that up, someone else will.

3. Stay curious. Ask better questions. Challenge gently. Feed insight back into your agency. That’s how you move from order-taker to trusted adviser.

You can connect with Eloise Todd here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eloisetodd/

Resources mentioned:
ABM Mastery — strategicabm's suite of training programmes teaching AI use at each stage of ABM — https://www.strategicabm.com

If you’d like to stay updated with shifts in the agency world as they relate to the account management role , or if you’d like to talk to me about client retention and growth training for your team, head over to https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

And if you haven’t already, take the AI readiness quiz whilst you’re there. It takes a few minutes and it might highlight a few gaps you didn’t realise were there.

Welcome to episode 160.

We’re diving into one of the most important topics in client relationships: trust, with Charles H. Green - an author, speaker and world expert on trust-based relationships and sales in complex businesses. Founder and former CEO of Trusted Advisor Associates, he is author of Trust-based Selling, and co-author of The Trusted Advisor and the Trusted Advisor Fieldbook. Charles spent 20 years in management consulting. He has a BA in philosophy (Columbia), and an MBA (Harvard).

We explore what really drives trustworthiness, why listening is your most powerful tool as an account manager, how to build credibility without overcompensating, and why authentic relationships will only become more valuable in an AI-driven world.

There are some brilliant, practical insights in this one. My biggest takeaways? Trust is built far beyond credentials, listening is your superpower, and in a world of AI and automation, genuine human connection is only becoming more valuable.

You can connect with Charles H Green here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/charleshgreen
Website: http://trustedadvisor.com
Trusted Advisor test: https://trustedadvisor.com/build-trust/how-trustworthy-are-you

If you’d like to stay up to date with the latest thinking, tools and trends in account management, you can sign up for my weekly newsletter at https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

Welcome to Episode 159. If you’ve ever walked into a client meeting (or a pitch… or a QBR… or onto a stage) and thought, “I’ve got so much to cover - how do I say it without losing people?” - you’re going to love this one.

I'm joined by Martin Barnes, Founder of 8 Seconds 2 Connect and Leadership Communication expert.
Martin help leaders communicate at the moments that matter. When a big idea needs to land, shift a room, or spark momentum. His background spans 25 years in design, advertising, and film across the UK and China. He's pitched to Hollywood producers, coached C-suite teams at Mercedes, ByteDance, VW, and Cartier, and helped founders raise millions and step onto TEDx stages.

In this episode, Martin and I talk about why stories build trust faster than “look how much I know” - and how to share your expertise without sounding like you’re selling, name-dropping, or talking about yourself too much.

We also get into the “data dump” problem: what to do when you’ve got loads of information, but you want the room to actually listen. And Martin shares a really practical way to prepare for presentations, especially if you get nervous, using voice notes and repetition so it feels less scary and more familiar.

You can connect with Martin here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbarnespresentations/

If you’d like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as they relate to the account management role, or you’d like to speak to me about client retention and growth training options, head to https://www.accountmanagementskills.com
You can also sign up to my newsletter there, and you’ll find the AI readiness quiz too.

Welcome to episode 158. I’m joined again by Michael Farmer to unpack what’s really going on in the agency world right now - and what it means for you if you’re running an agency, leading clients, or working in account management.

Michael Farmer is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Farmer & Company LLC, a New York based strategy consulting firm for major advertisers and their creative and media agencies. He also serves as Professor of Branding and Integrated Communications at The City College of New York (CCNY). He's the author of Madison Avenue Manslaughter, an inside view of fee-cutting clients, profit-hungry owners and declining ad agencies (3rd Edition 2019), and Madison Avenue Makeover: the transformation of Huge and the redefinition of the ad agency business (2023). He has completed a new book, Madison Avenue Revisited, to be published in June 2026.

Here’s what we get into:

- Why Michael’s new book Madison Avenue Revisited is a sharper, more hard-hitting update on what’s driving agency decline — especially the impact of holding company decisions.

- What the current wave of M&A and cost-cutting signals for agency capability, talent, and client outcomes - including the knock-on effects for senior experience in an AI era.

- Why independent agencies could be entering a genuine opportunity window — and how “productising” services and focusing on measurable growth can change the game.

- And a brilliant reframing for account managers: why you should stop thinking like a logistics coordinator and start operating like a management consultant to your clients.

It’s one of those episodes that really challenges how we think about the agency business model.
Here are a few key takeaways :

- Agency success can’t just be about delivering output cheaply — the real opportunity is in linking your work to client growth and outcomes.

- The industry’s talent shape is getting distorted: AI may remove more junior execution work, but it raises the need for experienced people who can direct, judge, and advise.
- Independent agencies have a chance to differentiate by being explicit about what they stand for — not “low cost,” but “we help you grow, and we’ll prove it.”
- And for account managers: you’ll be far more valuable when you bring data, insight, and a point of view — not just project updates and deadlines.

You can keep with Michael Farmer here:
http://linkedin.com/in/michaelfarmer
www.farmerandco.com

Madison Avenue Revisited: https://amzn.eu/d/07SX5rrI
Madison Avenue Makeover: https://amzn.eu/d/0je8R4FA
Madison Avenue Manslaughter: https://amzn.eu/d/09U5HbiN

If you’d like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as it relates to the account management role - or you’d like to talk to me about client retention and growth training options - head to my website https://www.accountmanagementskills.com

You can also sign up to my newsletter there so you don’t miss new episodes, mini-trainings, and what I’m seeing in the market.

Welcome to Episode 157.

I've got two returning guests to the show, Kate Eversole (Event Director) and Jonathan Gwillim (Co-Founder) from PharmaBrands. They provide world-class education, support, inspiration and experiences for one of the most challenging and important communication environments there is, healthcare marketing. They bring pharma teams and their agencies together through events and meetups designed specifically to help people thrive in the age of AI.

In this episode, we talk about the shift from last year’s podcast episode where we were talking all about prompting, to what's relevant in March 2026, the big focus on AI agents.

Kate and Jon also share what's happening inside pharma with approved tools like Microsoft Copilot and Gemini and why agencies need to align with the client's approved tool stack.

We also talk about the reality of governance versus shadow AI: employees using AI without a company license. And why compliance and behaviour don't always match.

We cover more about PharmaBrands ‘Age of AI, Europe’ event, taking place in London on 10th March 2026.

If you're listening after the event, don't worry because Kate and Jon shared so many insights into the realities of what's happening right now with the pharmaceutical industry and medical communications when it comes to AI adoption.

You can connect here on LinkedIn:
Kate Eversole
Jonathan Gwillim

Resources mentioned:
PharmaBrands website

Age of AI, Europe - event details and speakers

Real Staffing Report

Sara Rodrigues, Associate Director, Medical Affairs, AI Champion, Vertex shared with PharmaBrands how Agents are now being deployed to answer product related queries. These Agents are trained exclusively on approved sources: Protocols, FAQs, Literature, Product Labels, etc. Sara shares how this solution was easy to build, safe to use, and saves her team a lot of time: https://youtu.be/_Rks3Awp-xE?si=u_Ta_VZ5QgepHMFt&t=1797

If you'd like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as it relates to the account management role, or perhaps you'd like to speak to me about client retention and growth training, please sign up for my newsletter.

Welcome to Episode 156. This episode is especially useful if you're an agency owner thinking about an exit, or perhaps you're an account lead who wants to help your agency become more sellable and less dependent on one person.

Gavin Bell is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and award-winning entrepreneur, known for delivering talks that are positive, engaging and packed with real-world lessons. Recognised as one of the UK’s most candid voices on what it really takes to build and exit a business, Gavin combines first-hand entrepreneurial experience with proven frameworks audiences can use immediately.

In this conversation, Gavin and I dig into what it really takes to build an exit ready agency.

- how he created a predictable growth engine by marketing his own agency

- why recurring revenue and clear productized offer made the business more attractive

- and the systems and SOP mindset that kept delivery consistent and client experience tight.

We also get into the realities of selling from keeping it quiet to surviving due diligence and choosing a buyer based on cultural fit, not just the numbers.

Some key takeaways for me were treating your agency like a product, documenting the client journey, building checklists and fixing the bugs in your process every time an issue comes up. And staying on the front foot with clients, proactive expectation setting, consistent reporting rhythms and QBRs that focus not on what's happened, but also business outcomes and the future.

You can connect with Gavin Bell in various ways:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrgavinbell/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrgavinbell/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MrGavinBell/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrgavinbell
X/Twitter: https://x.com/mrgavinbell
YouTube: https://youtube.com/mrgavinbell
Website: https://mrgavinbell.com

If you'd like to be kept updated with shifts in the agency world as it relates to the account management role, or perhaps you'd like to speak to me about client retention and growth training, please visit https://www.accountmanagementskills.com where you can also sign up for my newsletter.