Agency Avant-Garde: Charting a Global Course to Scale - Jeff Gapinski - S2 Ep.19

In this episode, we are joined by Jeff Gapinski, Partner and President of Huemor, a master of user-centered design and crafting immersive online experiences. Jeff's insights into user behavior and his ability to design websites that resonate with target audiences have contributed to his agency's success in helping businesses achieve remarkable results. In this conversation, he discusses the motivation behind global expansion and strategies for consistently generating leads.

Discussion Points -

• What sort of bogus myth, strategy, or misconception would you like to set the record straight on? 1:34
• Could you please tell us a little bit about Huemor? What is its origin story? 4:38
• How do you and your co-founder split responsibilities and what does the yin and yang dynamic look like between the two of you? 8:10
• Was there a specific pivot point or moment when you felt that your business had become legitimate and transformed into a real, thriving enterprise? 9:29
• Why did you decide to expand globally? Was it driven by talent, cost, or a mix of factors, and how did you achieve success despite the economic challenges many agencies face today? 12:54
• Do you have a dedicated role, like a project manager, who acts as the liaison between your clients and your overseas team? 19:54
• How do you address client concerns about billing rates when they're aware of your cost-effective global team and question why they're charged the same rate as an onshore team? 22:39
• Where do you find inspiration and information? Any favorite publications, groups, or online communities you rely on for staying informed? 25:14
• How do you, as a business owner, ensure a steady stream of leads and collaborate with your partner for business growth? 28:02
• What's the biggest mistake you've made in your life and how did you learn from it? 29:52
• What's exciting you about the future? 31:25

Show notes -

• I didn't initially plan on running this large-scale business. I started with a passion for a creative skill, and over time, that creative skill evolved into a fully-fledged company. 4:53
• In terms of personality, I am much more strategic and measured, while he (co-founder) is a lot more high-energy, enjoys connecting with new people, and tends to be more spontaneous in that way. I think this is a significant factor in how we naturally settled into these different roles. 8:59
• In 2020, there was one of those moments when many of the learnings and training we had accumulated over approximately eight to nine years in business had to be swiftly put into action to formulate a plan for navigating the challenges that arose in early 2020. 11:11
• I reached out directly to other agency owners who had international team members and picked their brains regarding their strategies for acquiring such team members. I also sought out international recruiters and partnered with one, particularly in Eastern Europe, who had been extremely successful for us. This combination of strategies allowed us to start connecting with various team members. 15:04
• Understanding how people operate across the group was really important, and it's something we continue to learn today. As we've expanded into more countries, there are more nuances to consider. Another aspect is ensuring these individuals feel fully integrated into the team. Every day, we're implementing new measures to facilitate this. 16:19
• We pay significantly above the market rate for all our international team members, resulting in less disparity between our US and international teams in terms of compensation. 23:53
• If I were to go back and restructure things, what I would actually do is focus more on bringing in an operator sooner. Essentially, having that operator work with more freelance talent rather than hiring permanent talent. With me as the operator for the business, I think that would have allowed us to scale a lot more effectively. 30:33
• This year, we've been implementing EOS, and as we approach year-end, lower-level teams are increasingly engaged in EOS meetings. I'm thrilled by the communication improvements we've achieved through this system. 31:35 

Myth-Busted - Having dogs in the office is always amazing and super convenient.

Links - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff