Upcoming Events
The Lodestar team speaks, trains, and facilitates for agencies, conferences, and events.
Upcoming appearance details are shared here - join us!
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Get notified monthly about upcoming events…
Design a High-Performing Team Structure: Smarter, Leaner, “Creative Product Teams.”
A Private Event Hosted by Wripple.com
DESCRIPTION
The right team structure can produce significant performance gains on many fronts beyond what you may think is possible. However, if you’re looking for best practices, you’re missing an opportunity.
Your agency’s structure should directly support your unique business strategy. It should align with the problems you solve for clients, your financial goals, and the cross-functional needs of AI-augmented teams. This won't come from copying what others have done.
Break from legacy thinking and push toward new ways of reconfiguring your teams for higher performance.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
How structure can lift (or limit) creative services
How to tell “good structure” from “bad structure”
Why to shift from assigning “people to projects” to assigning “teams to value”
How to uncover your agency's "Value Architecture" for optimal structure
How to create outcome-driven roles for greater accountability
How to distribute authority for smarter, faster decision-making
How to assess your current structure and uncover new opportunities to improve performance
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
CEOs, COOs, CFOs, and others invested in your agency’s performance, culture, and client relationships
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Brian Kessman is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting. Brian helps agencies fix, focus, and futureproof their firms through positioning, revenue models and pricing strategy, and operating model design. He frequently speaks for industry associations, such as the 4As, Mirren, AMIN, TAAN, Worldwide Partners, Worldcom, MAGNET, and others.
Shannon Denton is Co-Founder and CEO of Wripple, an on-demand talent platform that helps agencies and marketing teams build and manage their workforce with greater speed, flexibility, and efficiency. A former Global CEO of Razorfish, Shannon understands the unique challenges agencies have and has embedded that knowledge in Wripple’s technology to drive fit-for-purpose matching of talent with your needs.
Online Event: Adopting a Product-Based Business Model for Scalable Revenue and Sustainable Profitability
Hosted by Filamentinc.com — you will be brought to their site to register for this event.
DESCRIPTION
The business model of selling time is not sustainable. A product-based business model is the way forward for our industry. Many agencies have already moved in this direction. These future-looking agencies are packaging their value as “solutions,” “programs,” and “products” designed to address specific problems for prospects and clients. In doing so, their pricing strategies and new business conversations focus on the value of their pre-packaged offerings, not the hours that go into them. They can scale revenue without increasing staff. They reduce selling and project management costs and enjoy predictable forecasting and resourcing. Most importantly, they have effectively realigned their business model with their clients’ needs for stronger reliable relationships.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The unique benefits for agencies and clients in a productized model
How the model allows you to scale revenue and increase margin
Many examples of agencies already using a productized model
The steps to begin productizing your own agency
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Agency Principals, Account Services, C-suite, Managing Directors, Heads of Marketing, Business Development
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Brian Kessman is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting. Brian partners with agency leadership teams to improve their firm’s financial performance and organizational health. He does this through positioning strategy, productization, and operating model design resulting in new business success, scalable revenue, and sustainable growth. Brian developed Lodestar’s Agency Wayfinder™ approach based on his 20+ years as a leader in brand strategy, interactive, product design, and full-service agencies across the US. He incorporates concepts and tools from Agile, Lean, and other management innovations and future-of-work movements into his approach to help agencies develop modern, value-driven offerings and operating models.
Hosted by Filamentinc.com — you will be brought to their site to register for this event.
Combat Agency Commoditization – Productize Your Services
PRESENTED FOR MIRREN CEO SUMMIT 2023
As agencies work to escape falling fees, unsustainable workloads, talent burnout, and the commoditization of their services, many are looking for new approaches to maintain growth.
The most future-looking agencies are packaging their value as “products,” “programs,” and “solutions” designed to address specific problems for prospects and clients. In doing so, client conversations focus on the value of their offerings, not the hours that go into them.
In this session, agency veteran and business consultant Brian Kessman will address:
• Benefits of a productized model for agencies and clients
• Examples of agencies using a productized model
• How to begin productizing your own agency
Eight Guiding Principles to Design a High-Performing Agency and Operating Model
Presented by Brian Kessman, Founder & Principal Consultant, Lodestar Agency Consulting
EVENT DESCRIPTION
Leading CMOs and brand marketers evaluate agencies based on criteria beyond creativity – speed, agility, and value. They’ve reported that:
Speed of delivery is a factor in whether agencies win new projects
A nimble working model is a top area of improvement they’d like from agencies
They want better value from their agency relationships
On the agency side, many firms report they are challenged to meet these expectations — to achieve stronger integrated thinking, quicker delivery, and lower costs. Their margins, quality of work, client satisfaction, and employee morale suffer as a result. If this touches a nerve, it’s time to rethink how your agency works.
Join Brian Kessman, Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting, for practical guidance on how you can leverage a new set of eight agency operating principles inspired by Agile, Lean, and other areas of management innovation. You’ll learn how your agency can begin working faster, smarter, and with greater agility across all levels of your business.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Gain perspective and insight into how your agency can achieve the following:
Improved quality of creative ideas and deliverables
More productive teams and faster turnaround times
Adaptability to manage frequently changing client priorities
Stronger cross-discipline collaboration and digital-first thinking
Greater on-time and in-budget work
Fewer meetings and less communication overhead
Greater team autonomy, accountability, and adaptability
Improved client collaboration and satisfaction and employee morale
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
C-suite members invested in stronger agency performance through organizational-wide agility
Directors of agency disciplines that want better cross-functional collaboration
Account managers who want to be more strategic for their clients
HR and Talent Directors who want to help lead organizational change
Project managers who wish to lead high-performing teams
Producers who want to produce a higher quality of work
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Brian Kessman is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting. Lodestar is a US-based consulting firm that partners with agency leadership teams to improve their firm's financial performance and organizational health. We do this through positioning strategy, productization, and operating model design, resulting in new business success, scalable revenue, and sustainable growth.
Brian developed Lodestar’s innovative Agency Wayfinder™ approach over 20+ years as a leader at brand strategy, interactive, product design/development, and full-service agencies across the US. Passionate about sharing what he’s constantly learning about the future of work for agencies, he’s a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for major industry associations and conferences, including the 4As, AMIN Worldwide, TAAN Worldwide, Worldwide Partners, MAGNET Global, Mirren Live, the Bureau of Digital. He’s also a past Favorite Website Awards (the FWA) judge.
Strategic Positioning: Attract and Win More Ideal Clients with Less Effort, and Open the Door to New Business Models
Presented by Brian Kessman, Founder & Principal Consultant, Lodestar Agency Consulting
EVENT DESCRIPTION
The most successful agencies have a focused and differentiating positioning strategy, which enables them to thrive in our competitive market and challenging economy.
But forward-looking agencies see positioning strategy as the gateway to an even greater benefit. Their focused positioning allows them to develop new business models that do not rely on selling billable hours, putting these agencies a step ahead of where our industry is going. Through these models, they can apply new pricing methods, diversify and scale their revenue, and secure their agency’s longevity.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In this session, we will explore:
Why agencies should develop a focused and differentiating positioning strategy
An actionable positioning framework you can use to define your own firm’s positioning
Many examples from around the world, including agencies that have already taken the next step of adopting new business models
Why a strong positioning results in many benefits, such as:
Clear criteria for targeting and qualifying clients who want your agency for what you do best
A stronger win ratio in new business because your agency will know how to play to its strengths
A compelling self-promotion program based on a meaningful, unifying theme
More pricing leverage because you can charge more for differentiated services and expertise
Clear direction for which services you should build up and how to develop or hire talent
How to bring your strategy to life through all areas of your agency’s operating model
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Agency Principals, C-suite, Presidents, Managing Directors, Heads of Marketing, Business Development, and Account Services
Anyone accountable for new business and account growth
Anyone responsible for attracting and retaining talent
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Brian Kessman is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting. Lodestar is a US-based consulting firm that partners with agency leadership teams to improve their firm's financial performance and organizational health. We do this through positioning strategy, productization, and operating model design, resulting in new business success, scalable revenue, and sustainable growth.
Brian developed Lodestar’s innovative Agency Wayfinder™ approach over 20+ years as a leader at brand strategy, interactive, product design/development, and full-service agencies across the US. Passionate about sharing what he’s constantly learning about the future of work for agencies, he’s a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for major industry associations and conferences, including the 4As, AMIN Worldwide, TAAN Worldwide, Worldwide Partners, MAGNET Global, Mirren Live, the Bureau of Digital. He’s also a past Favorite Website Awards (the FWA) judge.
Redesigning Agency Teams for a Productized Business Model
Presented by Brian Kessman, Founder & Principal Consultant, Lodestar Agency Consulting
EVENT DESCRIPTION
Gain a new perspective and straightforward guidance for redesigning your agency's team structure for a productized business model that results in faster, leaner, responsive ways of working.
Join Brian Kessman, Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting, for an eye-opening talk about why the team model that most agencies use today is limiting their performance. Learn practical examples and next steps to evolve your own team model to achieve your agency's full potential.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Why you should move away from “Project-Teams” to form “Creative-Product Teams”
How team structure can lift (or limit) your services, talent retention, and margins
How to uncover your agency’s “Value Architecture” to support optimal delivery and pricing models
How to create outcome-driven team roles for accountability and greater employee engagement
How to distribute authority for smarter, faster decision-making and action across your teams
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
CEOs, COOs, CFOs, other C-suite Executives, Presidents, Directors
Anyone invested in your agency’s performance, culture, and client relationships
Any agency shifting to a productized business model
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Brian Kessman is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting. Lodestar is a US-based consulting firm that partners with agency leadership teams to improve their firm's financial performance and organizational health. We do this through positioning strategy, productization, and operating model design, resulting in new business success, scalable revenue, and sustainable growth.
Brian developed Lodestar’s innovative Agency Wayfinder™ approach over 20+ years as a leader at brand strategy, interactive, product design/development, and full-service agencies across the US. Passionate about sharing what he’s constantly learning about the future of work for agencies, he’s a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for major industry associations and conferences, including the 4As, AMIN Worldwide, TAAN Worldwide, Worldwide Partners, MAGNET Global, Mirren Live, the Bureau of Digital. He’s also a past Favorite Website Awards (the FWA) judge.
Strategic M&A: Unlocking the Potential of Agency Mergers and Integrations
Presented by Brian Kessman, Founder & Principal Consultant, Lodestar Agency Consulting
EVENT DESCRIPTION
If you're considering a merger or acquisition (M&A), you understand the exciting potential for revenue growth and cost savings that M&A can bring to your firm. But sadly, 70-90 percent of M&As fail to meet expectations due to integration problems. For your vision to become a reality, you must look beyond the numbers and ensure you have the right strategic and organizational fit for successful integration.
This workshop provides insightful guidance and actionable resources to inform your pre-letter-of-intent and due diligence considerations to set the stage for successful post-merger integration. So join us and avoid the costly mistake of merging with the wrong firm. If you decide not to pursue a merger, you'll still find these insights valuable for strengthening your own agency.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
A framework and case study to help you identify a firm to merge with that strategically complements your agency's strengths and creates a sustainable, competitive edge for your combined organizations.
Insight into common organizational challenges that can prevent successful integration and practical strategies and tools for overcoming them.
Guidance on how to manage your integration and drive change to create a unified, cohesive organization.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Agency principals and operations executives.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Brian Kessman is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting. Lodestar is a US-based consulting firm that partners with agency leadership teams to improve their firm's financial performance and organizational health. We do this through positioning strategy, productization, and operating model design, resulting in new business success, scalable revenue, and sustainable growth.
Brian developed Lodestar’s innovative Agency Wayfinder™ approach over 20+ years as a leader at brand strategy, interactive, product design/development, and full-service agencies across the US. Passionate about sharing what he’s constantly learning about the future of work for agencies, he’s a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator for major industry associations and conferences, including the 4As, AMIN Worldwide, TAAN Worldwide, Worldwide Partners, MAGNET Global, Mirren Live, the Bureau of Digital. He’s also a past Favorite Website Awards (the FWA) judge.
New operating principles for business agility at all agency levels
Learn new operating principles for business agility at all agency levels
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Join Brian Kessman, Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting, for practical guidance on how you can leverage a new set of eight agency operating principles inspired by Agile, Lean, and other areas of management innovation. You’ll learn how your agency can begin working faster, smarter, and with greater agility across all levels of your business.
Gain perspective and insight into how your agency can achieve the following:
Improved quality of creative ideas and deliverables
More productive teams and faster turnaround times
Adaptability to manage frequently changing client priorities
Stronger cross-discipline collaboration and digital-first thinking
Greater on-time and in-budget work
Fewer meetings and less communication overhead
Greater team autonomy, accountability, and adaptability
Improved client collaboration and satisfaction and employee morale
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
C-suite members invested in stronger agency performance through organizational-wide agility
Directors of agency disciplines that want better cross-functional collaboration
Account managers who want to be more strategic for their clients
HR and Talent Directors who want to help lead organizational change
Project managers who wish to lead high-performing teams
Producers who want to produce a higher quality of work If you have any questions, please reach out to events@lodestaragencyconsulting.com.
Webinar: How to update your agency operating model to supercharge your performance: Better work, stronger financials, passionate employees
Leading CMOs and brand marketers are selecting agency partners based on a new set of criteria that goes beyond services, expertise, and creativity. They are now also evaluating your speed, agility, and measurable value.
Can your operating model deliver?
This button will bring you to the Filament website, who is hosting this event.
Full description
CMOs have reported that:
Speed of delivery is a factor in whether agencies win new projects
A nimble working model is a top area of improvement they’d like from agencies
They want better value from their agency relationships
They’ve also reported that they feel the agencies they work with are weakest at providing integrated solutions and a focus on efficiency.
Many creative agencies are struggling to achieve stronger integrated thinking, quicker delivery, and lower costs. Their margins, quality of work, client satisfaction, and employee morale suffer as a result. If this touches a nerve, it’s time to rethink how your agency works.
Join Brian Kessman, Principal Consultant of Lodestar Agency Consulting, for practical guidance for how you can leverage a new set of agency operating principles inspired by Agile and Lean philosophies. You’ll learn how your agency can begin working faster, smarter, and with greater agility across all levels of your agency.
Key takeaways
How your agency can achieve the following:
Improved quality of creative ideas and deliverables
More productive teams and faster turnaround times
Stronger cross-discipline collaboration and digital-first thinking
Greater on-time and in-budget work
Fewer meetings and less communication overhead
Greater team autonomy, accountability, and adaptability
Improved client satisfaction and employee morale
Who should attend
C-suite members who are invested in stronger agency performance through organizational-wide agility
Directors of agency disciplines that want better cross-functional collaboration
Account managers who want to be more strategic for their clients
HR and Talent Directors who want to help lead organizational change
Project managers who wish to lead high-performing teams
Producers who want to produce a higher quality of work.
This button will bring you to the Filament website, who is hosting this event.
Get notified monthly about upcoming events…