Brigitte Lyons of PodcastAlly - a wiiild ride of launching, scaling, shutting down and exiting (!?)

Brigitte Lyons shares her founder journey from running a PR agency to creating a productized podcast booking service. She discusses the challenges of adapting her business model to achieve a location-independent lifestyle, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on her client relationships, and the importance of marketing and capacity in sustaining growth.

Brigitte emphasizes the need to trust her own process and the significance of maintaining integrity in business practices. Brigitte shares her journey of building and eventually shutting down her PR agency, discussing the challenges of team dynamics, client management, and the importance of one-on-one meetings.

She reflects on the economic downturn's impact on her business, her decision to sell, and her new venture, Ops Whisperer, aimed at helping agency owners streamline their operations and delegate effectively.

Topics covered:

- Brigitte transitioned from a PR agency to a podcast booking service.
- She aimed to create a productized agency for scalability.
- Brigitte's journey includes closing and selling her agency.
- Writing comes in bursts, with a focus on quality over quantity.
- Trusting her own process has been a key lesson for Brigitte.
- Brigitte's approach to client onboarding evolved significantly.
- The pandemic forced her to reassess client contracts and relationships.
- She learned the importance of capacity and marketing in business growth.
- One-on-ones help build trust and open communication.
- Scaling requires delegating responsibilities effectively.
- Economic downturns can significantly impact service businesses.
- Transparency with the team during transitions is important.
- Selling a business can be a complex process.
- Creating systems should enable people to do their best work.
- Accountability is key in achieving business goals.
- It's essential to seek help and guidance when needed.

Find Brigitte at https://theopswhisperer.com/
Brigitte's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brigittelyons/
Substack: https://brigittelyons.substack.com/ (I pledged, you should too!)

Find Alex at https://icoachfounders.com/
Alex's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-mcclafferty/

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Brigitte Lyons introduces her PR consulting background
• (00:01:07) - Brigitte shares closing and selling her agency
• (00:06:45) - Alex asks about Brigitte’s van life goal
• (00:10:58) - Brigitte recalls Alex’s scaling question
• (00:13:22) - Brigitte on reimagining client onboarding
• (00:16:57) - Brigitte admits doubting her new process
• (00:19:47) - Brigitte describes beta testing her service
• (00:22:49) - Alex reacts to Brigitte’s no-Slack policy
• (00:26:18) - Brigitte on launching just before the pandemic
• (00:28:15) - Alex recalls Brigitte’s COVID refund offer
• (00:32:05) - Alex commends Brigitte’s integrity in crisis
• (00:36:06) - Alex asks about Brigitte’s growth to 20 clients
• (00:39:54) - Brigitte admits to halting marketing efforts
• (00:43:44) - Brigitte explains her dislike for marketing tasks
• (00:47:13) - Alex relates to struggles with sales
• (00:52:13) - Alex questions targeting specific client groups
• (00:57:44) - Alex on translating values to the team
• (01:01:18) - Brigitte on scaling through early hires
• (01:05:43) - Brigitte shares her decision to close the agency
• (01:09:46) - Brigitte reflects on hating PR work
• (01:14:16) - Alex appreciates Brigitte’s candor
• (01:19:07) - Brigitte details the sale of her agency
• (01:26:54) - Brigitte introduces her new venture, Ops Whisperer