Podcast
Creative Agency Account Manager Podcast
Hosted by Jenny Plant - Account Management Skills Ltd · EN
This podcast is for you if you are managing day to day client relationships in a creative agency. The aim of the podcast is to share insights and tips to help you add more value to the client's business, strengthen your relationships with your clients, develop your skills in account management and grow your agency's business.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How Agencies Can Stay Legally Safe with AI, with Sharon Toerek
2w ago00:51:12Tap to summarizeWelcome 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 agenciesIn 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.comInnovative Agency podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-innovative-agency/id1419747902
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What’s Next for Account and Project Management?, with Brett Harned
4w ago00:58:19Tap to summarizeWelcome 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/
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Brains Before Bots: How Agencies Can Use AI Without Losing Their Edge, with Michael MacDonald
Jul 301:17:23Tap to summarizeWelcome 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-auditIf 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/
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How to solve the profit visibility problem in your agency, with Anna Appleton-Claydon & Alfie Wenegieme
Jun 2400:58:13Tap to summarizeWelcome 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
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How to become know for your thinking and turn into account growth, with Phil Blackmore
Jun 1000:47:12Tap to summarizeWelcome 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=ACoAAAq4nv0BHgXCU2xyFAjDt3MBp1XCFLXeoeIWhat If?https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBabRfl-Ek1TRYUy5VnPHQMost 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-strategyand there's a 20-minute intro call you can book if you want to talk it through first.
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Why agencies must redesign their value model, with Brian Kessman
May 2700:46:28Tap to summarizeWelcome 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-mapVoxComm's Redesigning the Agency Value Model: https://voxcomm.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Redesigning-the-agency-value-model.pdfIPA 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
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The Embedded Agency model: A different way to support clients, with Neil Follett
May 1300:51:58Tap to summarizeWelcome 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://www.broadviewlabs.caIf 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
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Rethinking agency operations for AI adoption, with Emily Hatton
Apr 2800:52:10Tap to summarizeWelcome 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-hattonhttps://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
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What Makes Your Agency Valuable When Everyone Has AI?, with Eloise Todd
Apr 1401:06:47Tap to summarizeWelcome 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.comIf 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.comAnd 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.
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How account managers build real client trust, with Charles H Green
Mar 3100:46:13Tap to summarizeWelcome 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/charleshgreenWebsite: http://trustedadvisor.comTrusted Advisor test: https://trustedadvisor.com/build-trust/how-trustworthy-are-youIf 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
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