Blog

From mining to sculpting

Founding a creative agency is a bit like creating a sculpture. There are two phases: (1) mining a big lump of granite, and (2) chiseling a work of art from it. While artists get to show up just for the second stage, entrepreneurs have to do both.

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Five business books for you in September 2021

For September 2021, here's some interesting books from the world of business and beyond, either out recently or forthcoming, that are worth getting your hands on. Here's five we'd recommend.

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Why we think it's important that we pay our fair share of tax

We've been accredited with the Fair Tax Mark again. This is why we're so proud to have this award — it's partly about enlightened self-interest.

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We've been accredited for paying our taxes fairly, again

Each year Convivio is accredited by the Fair Tax Foundation, showing we pay our taxes and are suitably transparent.

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Culture is like fitness

What it takes to get your agency's culture back to full health after the lockdowns.

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Too many hats

Agency leaders have to wear too many hats. The key is to be aware of this, and reduce context switching.

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The long game

Three approaches to learning that have helped two agency leaders build long-lasting businesses.

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Your day at the top

A practical approach to spending meaningful time in being the owner/director/CEO of your business.

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The 5 levels of agency thinking — and how they can clear your mind

I regularly talk about how agency leaders wear many hats — each hat representing a different role they have in the business as owner, director, CEO, HR, finance, sales, team lead, and maybe even

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Five business books for you in August 2021

For August 2021, here's some interesting books from the world of business and beyond, either out recently or forthcoming, that are worth getting your hands on. Here's five we'd recommend.

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Decision Fatigue

"We're getting more leads in the top of the funnel, but fewer of them are closing than ever. Everything seems to be in stasis. Nobody is making any decisions!" This is an approximation

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Pulling in the right direction?

When I'm in London, my daily walk takes me around a boating lake. There are often people in the boats who have never rowed before. They get handed the oars, shown where to

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What are agencies for?

Here's an existential question to start the week. Why do agencies exist? Why do clients need them? My answer is best summed up by this diagram: Client organisations are generally boxy and square,

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Agency friends

I left the BBC many years ago, but they emailed me last week with an update of what's going on in the organisation, invited me to some staff events, and also asked me

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The big renewal

Last week I had a chat with an agency leader frustrated that one of her team members was leaving. But then she admitted there was an element of relief too, because the person

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Good leaders, bad news

Bad leaders want to be popular, shying away from bad news. Good leaders know that trust is the currency of leadership, not popularity.

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Five business books for you in July 2021

For July 2021, here's some interesting books from the world of business and beyond, either out recently or forthcoming, that are worth getting your hands on. Here's five we'd recommend.

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Mad Men S1E13 — The Wheel

“In Greek, nostalgia means the pain from an old wound,” Don tells clients, and gets a pang of longing himself

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