In this inspiring interview you will hear:
How Spencer helps agencies unlock their growth mindset and how to shift away from the wrong decisions to the right ones.
The power of yin and yan in business - how pairing with the right partner has been the key to his success.
How by removing hierarchy and embracing 'holacracy' in a business can increase efficiency and improve teams.
The importance of constant learning. He also shares some amazing book recommendations!
The value of outside advice to help avoid self-sabotage and overwhelm.
And finally, how the incredible power of having a single vision, focus and a strong belief system is the key to success.
Or listen via your preferred audio player:
0:00 | Alan introduces the show by talking briefly about his history in business. He continues by describing the format and purpose of the show.
1:14 | Alan invites listeners to get in touch with questions and comments, and gives contact details.
1:36 | Alan welcomes Spencer Gallagher to the show and invites him to introduce his company, Cactus, an agency growth consultancy.
3:06 | Spencer explains that Cactus utilises a collaboration based economy model. He explains that the nature of this model means that his staff are located nationwide.
4:18 | Spencer gives an insight into the company’s customer base and the benefits of this customer base.
6:20 | Spencer details the challenges that Cactus helps agencies to overcome.
7:50 | Spencer reveals how employees will work in pairs to combine strengths and specialities.
9:42 | Spencer touches on his decision to have a small team and why he has started to scale up employment.
10:52 | Spencer describes the circumstances, decisions, and events that led to a business model that has employees working in pairs.
14:46 | Alan and Spencer discuss the benefits of pairing, working in an agile manner, and flat structured business models.
19:24 | Spencer shares his ideas of “eco-pods”, an approach he developed to try and navigate issues that come with scaling up.
21:50 | Spencer recalls the unfortunate beginnings of his career and the events that led him to become a self-employed website developer. He reveals the mantra and mind-set that got him through difficult times, and some of the challenges he faced along the way.
30:31 | Spencer describes the factors that led him to realise the potential of his first company.
33:06 | Spencer gives an insight into the timescale of the growth of his first company.
35:13 | Spencer describes the landscape of web-developing companies at the time of his own company, Blue Halo.
36:30 | Spencer discusses the process of consolidation and “bundling and unbundling” and the benefits and challenges it can present.
38:38 | Spencer elucidates on the elements of both his professional and personal life that led him to start up a new company after selling Blue Halo.
41:11 | Spencer reveals why he decided to go into growth consultancy. He explains the reasons behind taking a different approach towards growth in comparison to his first business.
44:14 | Spencer shares his ambitions for Cactus.
46:51 | Spencer describes the ways in which he has created a flat company culture, and the opportunities a remote working environment offers in creating better experiences for his team.
49:43 | Spencer imparts his learnings, including his discovery of the importance of self-belief and visualisation of goals.
54:20 | Spencer gives the website address where listeners can find out more about him.
54:49 | Alan thanks Spencer for coming on the show and wraps up the interview.
55:15 | Alan reminds listeners how to get in contact with him and where to listen to the interview again.