When we started our agencies, we thought about doing great work, generating profits, and freedom. But we underestimated what it takes to be a leader of a growing marketing agency. And once we hit that “ceiling,” it was hard to break through. We realized that what we did to get our agency here, is not longer what we need to get our agency there. Hear Bob's experience and advice on how to hire and evaluate talent, make people changes, overcome internal crisis, live your purpose and values in everything you do, make your people want to stay with you, and break through that ceiling!

1. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
WHAT THEY NEVER
TAUGHT YOU ABOUT
GROWING AN AGENCY
Making smart people choices, retaining top
talent, overcoming crisis, and more.
Bob Ruffolo, IMPACT

2. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
• Founded in 2009
• Current Staff of 30 People
• Became a HubSpot Partner in 2011
• HubSpot Diamond Partner

3. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
THE BEGINNINGS

4. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
GETTING IMPACT
OFF THE GROUND

5. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO

6. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
FOR THE FIRST 4 YEARS,
THINGS WERE GOING
SMOOTHLY.

7. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
• Built the team up to 18 people, profitably.
• Partnered with HubSpot.
• We were consistently selling retainers.
• Became a Gold Partner within 9 months.
BETWEEN 2009 AND 2013

8. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
AND I WAS ASKED TO PRESENT TO
THE PARTNERS AT INBOUND ’13 ON
“HOW AGENCIES CAN POSITION
THEMSELVES FOR LARGER
RETAINERS AND GROWTH.”

9. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
THINGS WERE EASY.
I THOUGHT I HAD IT FIGURED OUT.

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I DIDN’T.

11. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
2013

12. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
THINGS WERE NOT AS GREAT AS
THEY APPEARED.

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AND I HAD A LOT TO LEARN.

14. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
WHAT HAPPENED
AFTER INBOUND ‘13…

15. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
WE MADE EVERY MISTAKE
AN AGENCY COULD MAKE.

16. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
WE MADE EVERY MISTAKE
AN AGENCY COULD MAKE.
2015 FELT
LIKE ROCK
BOTTOM.

17. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
IN EARLY 2015…

18. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
BY THE SUMMER OF 2015…

19. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
IT SEEMED LIKE IT HAPPENED
ALL OF A SUDDEN, AND
IT HAPPENED FAST.
MUCH LIKE…

20. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO

21. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
I HAD TO LOOK INTO THE
MIRROR, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY,
AND FIX THINGS.

22. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
IF ANY OF THIS SOUNDS
FAMILIAR…

23. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
YOU CAN TURN
IT AROUND
LIKE THAT!

24. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
WHAT WE DID

25. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
Get the right
people on the
bus, the wrong
people off the
bus, and the
right people in
the right seats.
“
”- Jim Collins

26. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
THIS BROUGHT OUR TEAM FROM
36 23TO

27. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
WE GOT
ALIGNED.

28. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
• We had the highest revenue & profit.
• Employee & client NPS had significantly improved.
• We were operating as a collective unit.
Q4 OF ‘15 WAS THE BEST
QUARTER WE EVER HAD

29. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
Q1 OF ‘16 WAS
SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER
THAN THAT.

30. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
MY GOAL FOR TODAY:

31. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
SHARE THE LESSONS I’VE
LEARNED AND THE CHANGES
I’VE MADE IN HOPES THAT IT
HELPS YOU ALONG YOUR
JOURNEY.

32. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
10 LESSONS

33. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
1
BUILD & MAINTAIN
A COHESIVE
LEADERSHIP TEAM

34. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
IMPACT’S
LEADERSHIP TEAM

35. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
2 GET YOUR AGENCY ALIGNED
ON WHERE YOU’RE GOING

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THIS ACTIVITY WAS ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT
COMPONENTS OF OUR
TURNAROUND

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HOW WE DID IT

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3 DEFINE YOUR CULTURE

39. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
A culture is a way of life of a group of
people--the behaviors, beliefs, values, and
symbols that they accept, generally
without thinking about them, and that are
passed along by communication and
imitation from one generation to the next.

40. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
OUR PURPOSE:
TO HELP PEOPLE AND THEIR
ORGANIZATIONS SUCCEED.

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OUR VISION:
A WORLD WHERE ITS EASIER FOR
BUSINESSES TO GROW.

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OUR CORE VALUES

43. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
HOW WE DEFINED OUR
CULTURE

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4 LIVE YOUR CORE VALUES

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HOW WE HIRE

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HOW WE EVALUATE TALENT

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HOW WE FIRE

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HOW WE USE CORE VALUES TO
RECOGNIZE AND REWARD

49. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO

50. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
5 LISTEN TO YOUR PEOPLE
& TAKE ACTION

51. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
WHAT WE DO TO GET HONEST
FEEDBACK

52. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
• Recognize and Appreciate Candid Feedback
• CEO 360 Degree Feedback
• Weekly One on Ones
• Employee Surveys
• Really Care to Listen
WHAT WE DO TO GET HONEST
FEEDBACK

53. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
HOW WE USED FEEDBACK TO
TURNAROUND RETENTION
ISSUES

54. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
“PEOPLE NEED TO SEE THEIR
FUTURE AT IMPACT”

55. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
6 DON’T HOLD ON TO
‘B’ PLAYERS FOR TOO LONG

56. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
7 PEOPLE CAN ALWAYS
DO MORE

57. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
8 NO ROOM FOR BAD
MANAGERS

58. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
9 DON’T DELEGATE
HIRING

59. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
QUESTIONS?

60. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
ONE FINAL LESSON…

61. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
10 ENJOY THE RIDE

62. #INBOUND16@BOBRUFFOLO
WHAT THEY NEVER
TAUGHT YOU ABOUT
GROWING AN AGENCY
Making smart people choices, retaining top
talent, overcoming crisis, and more.
Bob Ruffolo, IMPACT