How will you show up?

Hey, everybody. Drew McLellan here from Agency Management Institute this week coming to you from my home office in Denver, Colorado. You know, if you're watching this in real time, it's June of 2025, coming up on the 4th of July, and it is a strange and challenging time in 2025 for many, many people, for many, many businesses. And I know for a lot of agencies, many of you came out of the gate strong with new business. And as economic conditions and situations unfolded in the spring, things have gotten tight and they've gotten tight for our clients, too. And I think today, in today's video, what I want to remind you is that we talk a lot about being a partner to our clients. We talk a lot about wanting to be at the strategy table at the big decision table, which means that we have to actually be their partner. And for me, being a partner means that we care as much about what's going on with them as we do for us. And it's challenging when clients are cutting budgets or not approving things or prospects are ghosting you and you have to make payroll. It's hard not to think just about what you need, but the reality is we have to show up differently for our clients. So one of my all time favorite quotes is a quote from Martin Luther King, and it says, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort or convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.” And I think that's the moment we're in today with the economy and the social unrest that's happening here in the States and all over the world, and how we show up in this moment of controversy and challenge says a lot about the kind of partner we are. So I want to challenge you this week to think about, from your client's perspective, what's going on in their business and how could you help them? How could you help them save money? How could you help them make money? How could you help them protect the clients or customers they already have? How can you make sure that the situation that is swirling all around them, the economic situation, the social situation, whatever is impacting their business, doesn't diminish their business any more? That you can help them protect what they have. And yeah, it'd be great if they can grow it. But at this point, I think for a lot of businesses, just protecting it sounds pretty good. So what can you do in this moment of controversy and challenge to really be a partner, to really step up, to really serve your client well or your prospect well, knowing that at the end of the day, when this crisis or moment in time is passed, because they always do, no matter how dire it looks or how hard it is, the one thing that we can count on is change. So it's going to change. So given that it's going to change, you want to be on the other end of that change. You want them looking back on this hard time and seeing how you walked it out with them and how you cared about their business and their job and their circumstance as much, if not more, than you cared about the agency. And I think if you can show up that way now, what you're going to find is the relationship is deeper and more meaningful, and that loyalty is much more valuable to you on the other end of this. So short term, I think we have to be sure that we're thinking about what's best for our client, even at the risk of it being not what's best for us in the short run. Looking for ways to be helpful, whether that's payment plans or reducing budgets or whatever it may be that your client needs you to think about on their behalf, proactively coming to them with ideas. That's going to benefit you in the long run. And honestly, I think it's the kind of business owner that you want to be. You want to be a partner. You want to be somebody who cares about your clients. You want to be somebody who gives of yourself generously. And this is a great opportunity to show up that way. So that's what I got for you this week. I'll see you soon.