Episode 546 Agency Chat With Ryan Waterbury Productised Services and Niching Down

Show Summary

The SDM Show, hosted by Rob Cairns, featuring a discussion with Ryan Waterbury. They primarily discuss the concept of productizing services and the importance of niching down for agency owners. The conversation highlights the challenges of scope creep and the benefits of streamlining services to improve efficiency and quality. Both hosts emphasize the significance of work-life balance and suggest prioritizing tasks, potentially outsourcing non-core activities, and seeking personal support if needed to enhance overall well-being and business success.

Show Notes

Main Topics Discussed:

Productizing Services:
- Ryan’s Journey: Transitioning from offering highly customized options (leading to scope creep and overwork) to productized services. He recalled doing this in 2019 for restaurants and lead generation.
- Benefits: Clearer deliverables, more value for clients, better definition of what’s included, and improved ability to manage workload.
- Catalyst: Updating terms and conditions highlighted the need for productized packages.
Niching Down & Defining Scope:
- The importance of saying “no” to out-of-scope work or services that dilute focus and quality.
- Rob’s anecdote: A developer complaining about a theme company not doing custom work (which wasn’t their responsibility).
- Focusing on core services leads to better work, better client relationships, and expertise.
- Ryan’s decision to stop offering services like graphic design, video production, and photography directly, opting to hire out instead.
Productivity and Workflow:
- The negative impact of “jumping around” (multitasking) on productivity. Rob estimates a 30-40 minute loss each time you switch tasks.
- Time Blocking: Advocated by both Rob and Ryan. Rob even schedules family time. Ryan mentioned learning from Tammy McNamara’s newsletter.
- Ryan’s approach: Grouping similar tasks for multiple clients into dedicated time blocks.
- The goal: Streamlining workflows for efficiency and improved quality.
Real-World Examples & Agency Adjustments:
- Rob’s Core Services: Consulting, web care plans (security focus), email marketing, podcast production. Other services are farmed out.
- Ryan’s Core Services (Realigned): Lead generation, local SEO, paid ads management (Meta & Google only), web development (for projects they want to do), and web care (for sites built by them, partners, or using their specific stack).
- Both emphasized streamlining their tech stack for easier management.
Work-Life Balance & Personal Well-being:
- The danger of “living to work” and the importance of “working to live.”
- Ryan’s realization that working 12-16 hour days was unsustainable, now back to 8-10 hours.
- Rob’s personal story: A hospital stay led him to almost quit his agency and podcast, but his wife encouraged him to continue and reprioritize.
- The impact of business stress on personal life and mental health.
- Recommendation: Seek therapy if needed; working on oneself improves business.
Evolution of Agencies: From large, all-encompassing agencies to hyper-focused ones, and now a middle ground of offering a related suite of services.
Building in Times of Turmoil: Rob mentioned that challenging times can be opportunities for business growth (e.g., Amazon).

Key Takeaways:

Productize Your Services: Define clear packages with specific deliverables to manage scope and client expectations.
Niche Down: Focus on what you do best and what makes you money. Don’t be afraid to say “no” or outsource non-core tasks.
Stop “Jumping Around”: Implement time blocking and focused work sessions to improve productivity and quality.
Streamline Your Operations: Standardize your tech stack and processes for efficiency.
Prioritize Work-Life Balance: Working excessive hours is detrimental. Set boundaries and ensure time for personal life and recharging.
Mental Health Matters: If you’re struggling, seek help. Your personal well-being directly impacts your business.
Reprioritize Regularly: Business and personal circumstances change. Periodically step back, evaluate, and realign your priorities.

Resources Mentioned:

Cami McNamara’s Newsletter: For agency streamlining and workflow tips.
Mel Robbins Podcast: For personal development.
John Deloney Podcast: For personal development.

Fun Questions with Ryan Waterbury:

Three Songs on Playlist: Currently listening to Poppy (female-led metal band) – her vocals on other bands’ tracks or her own.
Dream Vacation (Never Been): Jamaica.
Currently Reading: A Volkswagen Audi repair manual.
- (Rob shared he just finished reading “She Comes First”)