What is the key to rapid growth? When is it time to expand your team? How should you approach a global expansion?
In this episode of Agency Growth Stories, Natalie Graeme, Co-Founder of Uncommon - Europe’s fastest-growing start-up in advertising history, answers these questions and more, as she shares her experience of growing Uncommon from 0 to over 200 employees, working with global brand partners - including ITV, WWF, British Airways and SiriusXM - and creating a memorable brand identity through ingenious PR strategies.
Here is what we covered:
00:00:00 - Intro: Who is Natalie Graeme?
00:01:11 - Rapid Fire Question
00:06:11 - Early Days: The Formative Years of Uncommon
00:09:55 - Uncommon’s Studio Model
00:14:35 - Uncommon’s Rapid Growth & Secret to Success
00:23:40 - Uncommon’s Global Expansion &The Strategy Behind It
00:32:23 - Growing Beyond 30 People: When to Hire and How to Structure Your Team
00:44:45 - From 70 to 240 People and How Your Role as a Founder Changes
Questions from the Audience:
00:52:20 - What are the Most Common Mistakes of Agency Start-ups in The Early Days?
00:53:50 - How do you Control Quality and Production during Growth in a Joint Venture?
00:54:53 - How do you Manage Client-Side Delays and Keep Things Running?
00:56:20 - How do you Balance Hiring Full-Time Vs. Freelance?
00:58:39 - How did you Secure Funds at the Start?
01:01:53 - How do you Select Clients?
01:03:33 - Do you work with Retainers or on a One-off Project Basis?
01:04:29 - What was Uncommon’s PR Strategy at the Beginning?
01:05:34 - What is the difference between your Studio Model and an Advertising Agency?
01:08:28 - How do you Get New Clients without Word of Mouth?
01:12:13 - How Important is the Agency’s Brand?
Final Advice
01:15:08 - What Can You Do to Look After Yourself as a Founder?
01:16:50 - If You Could Change One Thing in the World, What Would It Be?
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