Trailblazer FM: WordPress without the drama

What do you normally sacrifice when delivering for a client whilst trying to stay within the budget AND meet deadlines!? Look, we're all small businesses here, how on EARTH do we deliver quality without overwhelm? I am sure we'd love nothing better than to tinker till we hit perfection but that aint gonna pay the bills right!? What if there was a way to do it all tho!? Sam Sayer is here to share how! He's a bloody legend, and so was his Grandad (literally)... no spoilers, you HAVE to listen to this episode. Enjoy! Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/form-and-function/

Posts, pages, categories, media, WordPress has you covered. But when it comes to complex builds where do you turn? Great Opomu suggests... WordPress!? Whaaat!? Well I happen to agree if I am honest, I was saying this in 2016! WordPress and the ecosystem has done a LOT of growing up since then. The code base has matured, there are epic tools out there for rapid application development and the community is huge. Great has authored the WPforOPs Manifesto where he encourages folks to consider WordPress as a powerful business operations platform capable of doing the work of multiple SaaS tools all in one place, where you own the data and can customise till your hearts content... within reason right!? Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/more-than-just-a-wordpress/

I having banged on for years about niching down have to admit that today's epic guest, young Adam Lowe is right when recommends we consider becoming a little more generalist! Why? Because like it or loath it, AI, machine learning, automation and other tools are making building websites a commodity and we might wanna consider become the "glue" that holds our client, their team and systems together. Don't drop your niche straight away tho! Listen to the show as it should inspire you to add other services or fill other gaps within the industry or industries you serve as a good starting point! There is still a LOT going for niching especially if you do have a wider skill set than making a site look pretty. Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/uno-reverso-niche-o/

Feeling stuck, and don't know how to get... well... unstuck!? What does stuck even look like? How do you know you're stuck? Why is this opening so confusing? What's with all the questions? Let's face it, running a creative business is hard work. We wanna do that thing we love (be creative) but we own a business. The business has SO many demands on our time and attention that we can no longer enjoy the creative bit. If we do, we can't see the wood for the trees when it comes to developing our business. Over time this robs us of our joy, our passion and we're soon wondering about giving it all up! Remember I was at that point with this very podcast!? In this episode we meet Philip VanDusen, who you may recognise from waaaaay back in 2018! He helps us recognise what being stuck looks like, and how to get unstuck! Simple as! Really worth a listen because this is a ridiculously frank and practical episode. Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/how-to-get-unstuck/

AI streamlines your processes and makes you more productive right? I learned the hard way that it can seriously affect the quality of my output, my happiness and my reach! In this episode I share how AI nearly led to me completely shutting this podcast down, and how my relationship with AI is evolving and changing for the better. No hate toward it (AI), but this is a warning to myself and others not to over rely on automation and lose what makes you special! Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/does-ai-help-or-hinder/

Overwhelmed, overworked, on the brink of burnout? Agency life is known for its fast pace and demanding clients, and I know from personal experience how burnout can completely de-rail you. As I slowly return recovery, I invited Cat Burchmore onto the podcast to help me learn how I could prevent burnout as a business owner by leaning on automation more. In this episode we explore how implementing automation strategies can help you avoid burnout and take control of your well-being. Cat shares her insights on how automating tasks like client onboarding, invoicing, and project management can free up your time, reduce stress, and improve your overall work-life balance. Of course automation isn't just about making your life easier – it's also about providing a better experience for your clients. Cat shares how automation can help you deliver a more personalised and efficient service, without sacrificing the human touch. Heck in this day and age we all need a more human touch! Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/can-automation-prevent-burnout/

Time tracking is often seen as a necessary evil - something that takes time away from doing client work or feels like micromanaging employees. In this episode I interview Ilia from Toggl to discover why those assumptions are wrong. We discuss real-world examples of how time tracking provides valuable data to help agencies work more efficiently, provide better project estimates, optimise team members' time, identify profitable versus unprofitable clients, and ultimately achieve better profitability and work-life balance. Ilia shares tips on how agency owners can implement time tracking in a way that gets buy-in from employees and avoids it feeling punitive. If you think time tracking is a drag that holds your agency back, this myth-busting episode will surprise you and highlight the many bottom-line benefits tracking time can unlock! Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/is-time-tracking-holding-you-back/

Do you feel like your website or brand is lost in the endless sea of search engine results? Does it seem like no matter what you do, you just can't break onto page one or get those coveted top rankings? Well, today's guest, Jason Barnard is here to help you finally stop getting buried by search engines. Known as the "Brand SERP Guy," Jason is an international authority on managing brand search optimisation and online reputation. In this info-packed episode, he shares insider tips to take control of how you appear on Google, Bing, and other search platforms. Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/buried-by-search-engines/

Struggling to build your business? Cash strapped and wish you had investment? What if I told you, you already have everything you need to build an exciting and growing business? Meet Zara and Aaron, the founders of Choppity. They are building their business in public, keeping costs razor thin and laser focusing on their niche. The results are difficult to deny! A powerful solution, tonnes of potential, and a growing MRR. Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/low-cash-growth/

Do you ever feel like your web agency is stuck in a cycle of one-and-done projects? You deliver an exceptional website, only to watch the client fade away, turning what could have been a fruitful, ongoing collaboration into a fleeting transaction. But what if there was a way to turn that one-time project into a long-term partnership? In this episode, we explore an often-overlooked tool that can transform your client relationships and significantly boost your agency's recurring revenue. Providing a website owners manual with web builds can help educate clients on what is involved in keeping their website maintained, performing, and delivering results for them. As clients recognise the value and what is involved, they are significantly more likely to take up your maintenance and support services, allowing you to develop a long lasting relationship. Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/website-manual/

Struggling to grow your agency or finding it tough to reel in new clients? Perhaps you feel conscious that your agency isn't yet what you'd hoped it would be? Simon Penson's journey is sure to inspire you. His own agency journey began at his kitchen table, of all places, where he faced and overcame a multitude of challenges, ultimately leading to the successful sale of his agency. His story highlights the importance of perseverance and the transformative power of a good mentor. Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/simons-agency-exit/

Creating website policies can feel pretty overwhelming. It’s easy to think copying and pasting templates will do, but this shortcut can put both agencies and clients at risk. In this episode, I was really pumped to chat again with Hans from Termageddon. He walks us through his journey of building a tool that does the heavy lifting. He shares valuable insights into building a business on a firm foundation and developing relationships that last. Full show notes: https://trailblazer.fm/privacy-policies/