Conquer Local Podcast

814 | He Fired $2 MILLION worth of Clients (and it grew his agency) | Robert Patin

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯 Most agencies have a client alignment and retention problem 🎯In this episode, we sit down with Robert Patin — agency advisor and growth strategist who’s helped firms scale by 800%+ — to unpack where real agency growth actually comes from (and why chasing new logos is usually the slowest, riskiest path).Robert has helped agencies fire up to $2M worth of misaligned clients, not because they weren’t big enough, but because they were quietly killing profitability, morale, and momentum.What You’ll Learn in This Episode• The early warning signs that a client is misaligned• Why clients who nickel-and-dime upfront are the most expensive later• How to calculate effective bill rate per client (and why it’s eye-opening)• Why your lowest-paying clients often drain the most energy• How one agency discovered they were losing $4 per hour on a “top” client• When firing a client is the most profitable decision you can make• How to set and communicate boundaries without damaging relationships• Why retention — not acquisition — drives 70%+ of agency growth• How a 5% increase in retention can unlock massive revenue upside• The simple framework for quarterly business reviews that surface expansion• How to turn one-off projects into 3–4 year retainers• Why agencies already have the clients they need to hit their next revenue milestone• How a single outreach email uncovered $1–2M in revenue in 90 days• Why value articulation — not more work — keeps clients longerIf you’re an agency owner, founder, or operator who feels stuck on the growth treadmill — selling more just to stand still — this episode shows you how to stabilize revenue, increase profitability, and grow without burning out.👉 Hit play to learn how the fastest way to grow your agency might be doing less — with the right clients.CONNECT WITH ROBERT PATIN💼 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/creative-agency-success/CONNECT WITH USLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vendasta/X: https://x.com/vendastaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vendasta/Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode 💜💬 Leave a review on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast🟢 Leave a rating on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOnAbout VendastaVendasta is an AI-powered customer acquisition and engagement platform that helps businesses get more customers—and keep them. Our platform unifies fragmented tools across marketing, sales, and operations, and uses AI assistants plus proprietary SMB data to automate busywork, streamline workflows, and amplify the humans on your team.We help digital agencies, franchisors, and MSPs scale profitably, deliver better outcomes for local businesses, and grow long-term revenue with less manual effort.👉 Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Book a Demohttps://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/

813 | The BIGGEST AI Mistake Most Companies Can Avoid in 2026 | Dajana Achelpohl

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯Your AI rollout didn’t fail because of the tools. It failed because no one wanted to use them.🎯In this episode, we sit down with Dajana Achelpohl — former Google and PayPal leader, founder of AI Changemaker, and one of the most trusted voices in human-first AI adoption — to unpack the real reasons AI initiatives stall inside organizations.If your company has:• Rolled out AI tools that barely get touched• A small group of power users and a large group of skeptics• Teams quietly using their own AI tools behind the scenes• Leaders saying “we need to do AI” without a clear outcomeThis conversation will fundamentally change how you think about AI adoption.In this episode, you'll learn:• Why most AI rollouts fail after launch — not before• The hidden danger of “silent non-use” and fake adoption metrics• Why fear of job loss leads teams to actively sabotage AI• What “Shadow AI” is — and why it’s already inside your organization• How to align non-technical teams around AI without overwhelming them• Dajana’s AI Building Blocks Framework for practical adoption• Why small, boring wins beat ambitious AI moonshots• How to create guardrails that enable innovation instead of blocking it• What an AI Team Charter is — and why it works better than policy docs• Why AI adoption only succeeds when teams co-create the rules• How agencies and service-based businesses are uniquely positioned to win with AIKey concepts in this episode:AI adoption barriersSilent non-use of AI toolsShadow AI risksHuman-first AI strategyAI change managementAI literacy for non-technical teamsAI guardrails and governanceAI ethics and data securityAI team chartersBottom-up vs top-down AI adoptionAI in agencies and service businessesAgentic AI and workflowsAI implementation frameworksPractical AI use casesAI culture and trustFrom AI hype to real valueIf you’re a CMO, agency leader, founder, or operator who’s frustrated by low AI adoption, unclear strategy, or teams that feel anxious instead of empowered — this episode gives you a practical, human-centered path forward.👉 Hit play to learn how to turn AI from a mandate into momentum.CONNECT WITH DAJANA ACHELPOHL💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dajana-achelpohl/🌐 https://www.aichangemaker.com/CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vendasta/X: https://x.com/vendastaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vendasta/Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode 💜💬 Leave a review on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast🟢 Leave a rating on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOnABOUT VENDASTAVendasta is an AI-powered customer acquisition and engagement platform that helps businesses get more customers—and keep them. Our platform unifies fragmented tools across marketing, sales, and operations, and uses AI assistants plus proprietary SMB data to automate busywork, streamline workflows, and amplify the humans on your team.We help digital agencies, franchisors, and MSPs scale profitably, deliver better outcomes for local businesses, and grow long-term revenue with less manual effort.👉 Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Book a Demohttps://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/

812 | AI Agents Change EVERYTHING in 2026 (And Most Marketers Aren’t Ready) | Scott Brinker

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯Your Martech stack isn’t broken — your mental model is.🎯Your Martech stack isn’t broken — your mental model is.In this episode, we sit down with Scott Brinker, Godfather of Martech, editor of Chief Marketing Technologist and VP of Platform Ecosystem at HubSpot, to unpack a reality most marketers miss:The Martech explosion isn’t chaos — it’s the early stage of an AI-orchestrated system that’s about to collapse thousands of tools into workflows.If you’re feeling crushed by:An exploding Martech landscape, AI tools launching daily, integration hell, unused software, and pressure to “simplify”… this episode flips the narrative and shows why the winners won’t have fewer tools, they’ll have better orchestration.In this episode, you'll learn:Why the Martech Landscape Keeps Growing (and Why That’s Not the Real Problem) The Shift From Tool Accumulation to Stack Orchestration How AI Is Changing the Role of Marketers — Not Replacing Them Why Integration Matters More Than Ever in an AI-Driven World The Hidden Cost of Unused Software and Fragmented Data How Smart Teams Are Simplifying Without Losing Capability Where Agencies Can Create Massive Value as AI Integrators What “Composable Martech” Really Means (Without the Buzzwords)Key concepts in this episode:Martech landscape explained AI in marketing operations Marketing automation vs. orchestration Composable Martech stacks Platform ecosystems and integrations AI agents and copilots in marketing Tool sprawl and software waste Operational efficiency in marketing teams Future of Martech and AI Marketing technology strategy for agencies Data fragmentation and system silos Human-in-the-loop AI workflows How agencies can monetize AI implementation The evolving role of the CMO From execution to orchestration in marketingIf you’re a CMO, agency leader, or marketing operator struggling with an overcomplicated stack, unclear AI strategy, and tools that promise everything but deliver little — this episode will help you rethink Martech as a system, not a shopping list.👉 Hit play to learn how to simplify your stack, use AI intelligently, and turn Martech complexity into a competitive advantage.CONNECT WITH SCOTT BRINKER💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjbrinker/ 🌐 https://chiefmartec.com/CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vendasta/ X: https://x.com/vendasta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vendasta/Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast… 💜 💬 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast ... 🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOn ...ABOUT VENDASTAVendasta is an AI-powered customer acquisition and engagement platform that helps businesses get more customers—and keep them. Our platform unifies fragmented tools across marketing, sales, and operations, and uses AI assistants plus proprietary SMB data to automate busywork, streamline workflows, and amplify the humans on your team.We help digital agencies, franchisors, and MSPs scale profitably, deliver better outcomes for local businesses, and grow long-term revenue with less manual effort.👉 Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Book a Demo https://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/

811 | The Godfather of AI attribution says Your Marketing Dashboard Is a Lie | Jeff Greenfield

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯Are your Google Analytics dashboards lying to you and killing your best marketing?🎯In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Greenfield, CEO and co-founder of Provolytics, to rethink how we measure marketing in a world where clicks, last-touch, and GA4 can’t see the full picture.If you’re tired of:Google saying one thing, Meta saying another, numbers that never add up, and CFOs who don’t believe in branding or CTV... this episode will show you a new, impression-first, AI-powered way to measure what actually works.In this episode, you'll learn:Why Your Clicks and Dashboards Don’t Add UpImpression-Based Measurement: The Metric That Actually Matches RealityWhy marketing doesn’t buy clicksHow AI Finally Solves Multi-Touch Attribution (Without Tracking Every User)Finding the “Hidden Experiments” in Your Media PlanExactly Where to Scale—and Where to Cut SpendHow to use impression-level data and AI A DIY Framework If You Don’t Have an Enterprise Measurement StackKey concepts in this episode:AI marketing measurementMarketing attribution without cookiesImpression-based attribution vs. click-based attributionMulti-touch attribution is brokenIncrementality & lift measurementCTV advertising measurement (Connected TV)Digital out-of-home & podcast ad measurementUpper-funnel vs. lower-funnel budgetingBranding ROI and financial impactHow to prove marketing to your CFOGoogle Analytics 4 (GA4) limitationsFull-funnel marketing mix optimizationMicro-experiments in your media planAI for media mix modeling & budget allocationHow to measure brand campaigns and awarenessPerformance marketing vs. brand marketingFuture of marketing analytics in a privacy-first worldIf you’re a CMO, performance marketer, or agency leader who’s drowning in conflicting dashboards, over-spending on bottom-of-funnel clicks, and struggling to prove the value of brand and CTV, this episode will show you a practical, AI-powered path out of the chaos.👉 Hit play to learn how to move beyond clicks, unify your metrics, and get more revenue from the same marketing budget.CONNECT WITH JEFF GREENFIELD (Provolytics)💼 linkedin.com/in/jeffgreenfield🌐 provalytics.com CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vendasta/X: https://x.com/vendastaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/vendasta/Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast… 💜💬 Leave a review on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...🟢 Leave a rating on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOn...About VendastaVendasta is an AI-powered customer acquisition and engagement platform that helps businesses get more customers—and keep them. Our platform unifies fragmented tools across marketing, sales, and operations, and uses AI assistants plus proprietary SMB data to automate busywork, streamline workflows, and amplify the humans on your team.We help digital agencies, franchisors, and MSPs scale profitably, deliver better outcomes for local businesses, and grow long-term revenue with less manual effort.👉 Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Book a Demohttps://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/

810 | From 20% to 80% Margins (The NEW AI Agency Model explained) | Frans Riemersma

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯Go from 20% to 80% Agency margins, without hiring a single new person🎯In this episode, we sit down with Frans Riemersma, Martech legend, co-author of the Martech Landscape, and one of the sharpest thinkers on AI, composability, and the future of services to break down the new AI Agency Model that is quietly redefining how agencies build, deliver, and scale their work.Frans explains why we’re entering the golden age for agencies, not because of more tools, but because AI is turning services into software, unlocking product-level margins for businesses that previously sold labor.In this episode, you'll learn:Why Agencies Are Entering a Golden AgeHow AI shifts work from human execution → human orchestration, and why agencies with standardized knowledge stand to benefit the most.Service-as-a-Software: The Model Behind 80% MarginsWhy AI is unleashing a new category next to SaaS and how agencies can package expertise into repeatable, scalable, automatable outcomes.Where a 10-Person Agency Should StartHow to find your highest-value, most-repeatable outcomes, follow the money, and turn them into automations and AI-powered products.The Biggest Pitfall: Building Tools Before TestingWhy most agencies create tech they never use and Frans’ “Hack → Pack → Stack” method for validating before investing.Composability, Atomization & The New Martech StackWhy the future isn’t mega-suites or tool sprawl, it’s small, composable “Lego block” tools that integrate cleanly and keep your stack lean.The 12% RuleHow top performers identify the tiny percentage of features and tools that drive 80% of customer value and cut everything else.The Skills That Matter in the AI EraWhy the differentiator isn’t technical mastery anymore, it’s customer obsession, storytelling, distribution, and discovering viable ideas.Key concepts in this episode:AI Agency ModelService-as-a-Software80% Margin FrameworkAI-Powered Delivery SystemsStandardizing Agency KnowledgeHack → Pack → Stack MethodComposability & Martech ArchitectureAtomization of Tools & LaborAI Agents & Autonomous WorkflowsProductized Services for AgenciesLead Mining & Lead Intelligence AutomationCustomer-Centric InnovationFeature Bloat & Decommissioning StrategyFuture-Proof Agency SkillsAI + Services ConvergenceDistribution & Community MoatsIf you want your agency to escape the 20% margin trap, and build AI-powered services that scale like software, hit play.CONNECT WITH Frans Riemersma🌐 https://www.martechtribe.com/💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/fransriemersma/CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCooW1kDrMUb1EORhDbmciOw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vendasta/ X: https://x.com/vendasta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vendasta/Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast… 💜💬 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOn...VendastaVendasta is the leading AI software company for customer acquisition and engagement, helping businesses get more customers—and keep them. Our AI-powered platform unifies marketing, sales, and operational workflows, eliminating the need for fragmented tools and streamlining every stage of the customer journey. Powered by proprietary SMB data, intelligent automation, and AI assistants that handle repetitive tasks, Vendasta helps businesses attract, engage, and retain customers with unmatched efficiency.Our solutions empower digital agencies, franchisors, and MSPs to scale operations, optimize campaigns, and drive long-term growth.Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Demo Availablehttps://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/