Examining the Reality of Agency Life – with Jade Flogerzi

Hello marketers and agency folk!

We’ve got a good one for you today – one that will probably hit close to home for a lot of you agency peeps.

The Marketing Microscope is happy to welcome Jade Flogerzi, owner of Clever Punch Co, a strategy, branding, and marketing agency based up the road in Santa Barbara.

Jade found me on LinkedIn after reading an article I had written on AdWeek. We chatted for a while and I got to learn all about her agency and what makes them unique. As we were talking offline, a lightbulb went off in my head that this would make an amazing podcast – so here we are!

We kicked off the show by discussing some of the most important core values in starting an agency. Spoiler: it’s not always apples to apples. Core values should be formed based on what is happening on a day-to-day basis in the agency – and how people interact with each other. In other words, core values trickle down from the top.

One of the most interesting parts of the segment deals with this ambiguous term known as “work-life balance”. We see this term on every job listing about how companies take pride in work-life balance for employees. But what does it actually mean? Jade and I unpack this buzzword and discuss some tips for making it a genuine reality in the workplace.

As agency workers, we’re not always confined to the usual 9-5 – and some weeks are more intensive than others. We discuss the importance of self-care in agency life and avoiding burnout. To add to this, we talk about the role a manager plays in a healthy workplace, and what makes a good/bad manager.

A big concept we addressed in this podcast was the shifting paradigm of “the customer is always right.” I bet many can agree deep down: sometimes, it’s best to let some customers go. Jade goes into detail about why it’s better to keep a good employee versus keeping a client. This is a part you don’t want to miss!

As the show comes to a close, we talk about work cultures in high-stress industries like healthcare and the restaurant biz, and how the reality of workplaces might look in the future.

If you live and breathe the agency lifestyle, this podcast is a must-listen!

Check back here for new episodes of The Marketing Microscope!