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Ginny Nicholls shared thisFreelancers and Founders - what are you excited about at the moment? LinkedIn can be a real misery cave if we allow it be. Repeated rhetoric about how awful the market and the world is. But there’s also a beautiful pool of people who acknowledge the challenges but intentionally bring the joy. These are my kind of people And I want more of you in my ecosystem. I’ll go first - I’m currently on the train to my first London-based Agency Hackers event I can’t WAIT to meet some new folks and learn more about what “Agency Excellence” takes Double whammy as London is my spirit-place The second I step off the train at King’s Cross I chill (even more so than usual 😂) London also motivates me like crazy so I can’t WAIT to get down there. — But enough about me - I want to hear what YOU’RE excited about today. 👇🏻 Because if you can be the person to bring the joy, even when the chips are down, your business (and your life!) will become infinitely better — If you’re struggling with LinkedIn noise then this older video of mine on YouTube might help :-) How I Stayed Positive and Focused as a Freelancer https://lnkd.in/ecBi3cqe
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Ginny Nicholls posted thisEvery time I leave Interim HQ something great happens for me / the business Yesterday was perfect example of why we all need to leave the house more as freelancers / agency owners The Plan Coffees and chewing the fat with the lovely Grace Schofield and Freia Muehlenbein Such a gorgeous way to spend a Tuesday and we all agreed that: A.) we need to do it more often B.) we need to start going to more events (something I’m hearing a LOT from agency owners and freelancers) But here’s the bonus round… Grace kindly invited me into One Degree North’s HQ and I finally got to meet Ian Richardson for the first time! (He’s planted the seed for an idea for Interim Digital - Jo Pope we need to catch up on this 🙌🏻 Thanks, Ian! 😂👍🏻) Whilst Freia Muehlenbein and I were catching up on a decades worth of agency life at Wizu Workspace in Leeds: Gabriella Sheerin came and said hi! So so lovely to meet brilliant freelancers out in the wild (lovely to meet you properly Gaby and hopefully see you at Digital Clubhouse in November 💕) I met John Readman 👋 🚴♂️ 🎙 for the first time properly - so nice to finally put a face to the name! Freia introduced me to Greg Felgate and we all had a lovely catch up - it turns out he lives 5 minutes away from me (tiny world!) Meeting Greg reminded me to drop a DM into Sam Rainey to get a coffee booked in (DM incoming, Sam!) TL;DR - 1 morning 2 scheduled meetings 4 impromptu catch ups A TON of ideas and extra connection suggestions Moral of the story-get off your sofa and good things will happen in spades! — If you’re a freelancer who’s struggling with staying positive and getting out more then this video from my YouTube archives might help 🫶🏻 https://lnkd.in/eePjrwt7
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Ginny Nicholls shared this1000 days ago I made a decision that would change my life and business forever I said goodbye to the Rioja for the final time. I didn’t plan on it being a forever thing but now I can categorically state that, whilst we had our fun, it’s officially over. Here are the reasons sobriety’s been so impactful: 1.) I’m no longer the victim So many of us are trapped in self pity mode without even realising ‘The markets so hard for me’ ‘My clients are a nightmare’ ‘My boss is a muppet’ Me, me, me… All of these things can still be true But ditching the booze has helped me see that it’s on us to show up positively to change the weather 2.) My tolerance for BS (my own included) is zero This may also be to do with being in my 40’s but I’m very at ease with giving myself a rocket when I’m not doing my best. And I’m happy to help others see that too. Occasionally people see me as too direct but it’s only because I really REALLY care and I love seeing people work REALLY hard and reaping the rewards 3.) My empathy is off the charts When people really are doing their best and things are just not clicking I feel it in my bones. Because I’ve been there, occasionally I still am there and I know how hard it can feel sometimes. And just showing up can feel like a gigantic task when you’re in that headspace. 4.) I see the entire universe in 4K FULL HD Colour Alcohol is a depressant. And if you let it, it’ll snatch the colour out of everything. I even wear more colour now and I get outstandingly excited about where things are headed. — I’ve been asked a few times if “sobriety” is really ‘worth it’. For me, undoubtedly. But it’s not for everyone. If you can comfortably enjoy a drink and not negatively impact yourself or the people around you then go for it. That isn’t me. And my only regret is not realising that sooner. 1000 days - DONE 🙌🏻 And it feels like the fun is PROPERLY just kicking off. Let’s. Go.
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Ginny Nicholls shared thisIf you're an agency owner serious about growing your business then this is where you need to be! This will be my 4th Prolific North From Growth to Gold - I flipping love it. It's brilliant if you're looking to: - Hear real life stories from people who have built their own agencies - Want to hear about the market from the fab guys at KPMG - Meet other like minded folks who are also invested in growing their business Highly recommend and if you're already going then I look forward to seeing you there!Ginny Nicholls shared this🥇 Growth to Gold Leeds - Final call for tickets 📣 We have exactly 7 tickets left for the upcoming Growth to Gold event happening at KPMG Leeds on 8th October and the deadline is COP this Wednesday to grab them! Who is this event for? This event is designed for agency owners and senior leaders who are: - Looking to scale their business in a sustainable way - Exploring funding or investment opportunities - Considering a future exit strategy - Focused on increasing their agency’s long-term value - Eager to learn from those with real-world experience Link to tickets 👉 https://lnkd.in/eCqW5Dtb This event is sponsored by KPMG, Synergist and Vestd
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Ginny Nicholls shared thisStop being a misery when people ask you how business is going. As freelancers and agency Founders we have the absolute luxury of deciding exactly: -How we're going to face challenges -When we're going to face them, -And with what attitude. That's on us entirely. If you're facing tricky bits of business this week and you're struggling with the question of “how business is going”, then get up, get on with it, and start making some changes, Because what you're not changing, you're choosing. It’s MONDAY - LETS. GO. 🙌🏻
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Ginny Nicholls shared thisTell me you used to work in agency sales without telling me This photo from Nov 2015 (yes I am that old) feels a bit like a Millenial right of passage — From pinballing around the country selling someone’s else’s stuff To now loving the quiet life of beavering away in my own office selling my own stuff — I still firmly believe there’s no better breeding ground for brilliant freelancers than agency life Abdu Alhadithi (FCMI, FCIM) and I were chatting about exactly this on his podcast the other day - The pressure is unmatched - The speed at which you learn is unmatched - And you ‘accidentally’ learn so so much from all of the other teams around you From how to raise an invoice to how to structure a deal winning deck Your ‘learning via osmosis’ opportunities are outstanding! TL;DR: if you’re considering going freelance get a job in an agency first. And observe people like your life depends on it because your freelance career will one day. — If you’re looking for tips on how to freelance from an aging Millenial head over to my YouTube channel. From mindset to how to find you freelancer “why”…there’s dulcet tones for everyone: https://lnkd.in/euDT2Zin
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Ginny Nicholls reposted thisGinny Nicholls reposted thisWhat if hiring more people isn’t actually the answer to growth? For years, headcount has been seen as a sign of scale. More clients → more work → more people. But Ginny Nicholls has built a business around challenging that model: “You don’t have to employ people to empower them.” In Episode 7 of Still Loading Podcast, we get into what the future of marketing teams could actually look like… smaller core teams, specialist freelancers, AI removing the grunt work, and talent flexing around what the business needs. But this conversation went much further than team structures. Ginny talks openly about starting out at £35 an hour, learning to sell for herself, building momentum, experiencing serious burnout, and completely changing the way she approaches work and running a business. One line particularly stuck with me: “We can’t control the market. We can only control how we react to it.” 🎙️ YOU DON’T HAVE TO EMPLOY PEOPLE TO EMPOWER THEM. Links in the comments #StillLoading #Marketing #Freelancing #FutureOfWork #MarketingLeadership #AI
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Ginny Nicholls posted thisThe worst thing that could happen for Interim happened this month. A client went direct to our freelancer during the contract. And the freelancer engaged back. We’ve worked with 53 businesses in the last 5 years and it’s the first time it’s happened. So what did I do about it? I had 2 options… 1.) react emotionally, boot off with both parties, shout about how frustrating it was, say how unjust it was etc etc 2.) retire the client, part ways with the freelancer and move on. And which did I go with? Honestly, a bit of a mix of the both. In private, I was extremely hacked off (which is a valid reaction.) And I stayed hacked off for a good couple of days. BUT where the ‘me’ of today is wildly different to the ‘me’ of 5 years ago came to light in the next bit. Before I decided what to do next I referred back to our company values. Other than the obvious contractural stuff, both parties had also gone against pretty much all of them. That was it. Decision made. Aside from the formalities, both parties now fell into the type of people I’d rather not have in Interim’s ecosystem. I was so mentally checked out of working with both of them because of this, that it made the retirement of them much easier. Don’t get me wrong, if I still drank I’d be sobbing into my Rioja over the lost revenue. But, the mental space I’ve got back from parting ways with both of them is immense And has allowed me to focus entirely on new biz and booking events this week. Moral of the story - company values are of insane importance. Whether you’re a freelancer or an agency owner - having something to anchor back to when emotions are high is essential for making really really good business decisions. And, most importantly, good business goes beyond what’s on paper. If your values are misaligned, it doesn’t matter what revenue is at stake, you’ll never ever enjoy the process. Now excuse me whilst I redirect my bruised ego into finding epic new clients to work with 🫶🏻🙌🏻 LFG
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Ginny Nicholls shared thisFreelancers - YouTube live Q&A incoming. I’m going to do a YouTube live session as an experiment! Since my pricing post I’ve had a load of incredible freelancers reach out and ask similar questions around: - When’s the right time to go freelancing - How do I price stuff - Freelancer mindset So I thought we could all hop on a YouTube live and help each other in realtime. If you’d be interested in joining comment below with either “day time” or “evening” and I’ll get a date in the diary!! — And if you can’t join the live feel free to rummage through my past content which covers a lot of this too: https://lnkd.in/eyUabGkA
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Grace Schofield you tooooo Grace!! Let’s get many MANY more in 🥳🙌🏻
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Ginny Nicholls liked thisGinny Nicholls liked thisSometimes our limited editions bomb. We’ve never cracked Easter for instance (if you excuse the pun 🫣) But I am so proud of our Halloween glow-in-the-dark case. Back for a third year running - this is our most popular design to date! People struggle to find their inhaler at night or at the bottom of their bag. But no more! Not with our glow-in-the-dark cases 🤩 Asthma and other chronic conditions take up so much space in our lives, why shouldn’t we make it a bit more fun! 👻 #asthma #asthmamanagement #asthmarelief #COPD #smallbusiness
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Ginny Nicholls liked thisGinny Nicholls liked thisOne year ago today, Saulderson Media was acquired by Journey Further. I started Saulderson from a cancer ward, as a distraction while battling cancer, and for 7 years it was my whole life. Then one day I no longer owned it. And that is a super weird feeling. On paper, the acquisition changed my life. I had more money, better access, and more knowledge. But one year on, what surprises me most is how little of that I actually feel day to day. I still wake up excited about building Saulderson. My days are still work, gym, sleep, laptop. I'm no happier or sadder, and I still have the same problems to deal with. Some are easier to solve now that I can pay for convenience, but I don't feel like a different person or any greater than I was before. I even take my weekends off now, which I thought I'd use for relaxing, but they’ve filled up with other projects and my personal brand. But that's what entrepreneurs do. It's in our nature to always be building and challenging ourselves. That said, where things have changed is in how other people treat me. Selling a company, no matter its size, gives you instant authority and social proof. People worth hundreds of millions and even billions are now in my network. I've had investment opportunities I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t sold a business. Then there's the question I get from everyone: "What's next?". Aside from the personal brand, I honestly have no clue. All I've known is building an influencer marketing agency, and people expect me to have it all figured out. But the truth is… I haven't yet. The one thing I do know is how much I've loved teaching. Speaking at many major events this year and seeing my journey help other people achieve success for themselves. I'm very grateful we made this acquisition happen, and to Robin, Lisa, Matt and the team at Journey Further for being great partners this year.
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Ginny Nicholls reacted on thisGinny Nicholls reacted on thisI was asked by my amazing wife Hannah Zora Strong if I wanted to accompany her to Turkey when she spoke at the Search 'n Stuff Antalya Digital Marketing Conference this week. It was a hard sell. Gone are my networking and conference attendance days. I prefer my own company as an SEO freelancer now. I'd have to wear something other than shorts and gym t-shirts! "It's set in a 5* all-inclusive hotel, there's a few SEOs there you might know and you get to watch me talk about PPC - and I'll cover the cost!" So, this week Hannah officially gets to call me a passenger princess as I go to a work conference I am not speaking at, not attending for education or networking but purely to support my wife doing what she does best - educate people with a beautiful smile on her face! And I cannot wait! #searchnstuff #seo #proudhusband
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Ginny Nicholls liked thisGinny Nicholls liked thisHUB is the 34th best agency in the north. And among the integrated agencies on the list, we're number 13. 🤯 WHAT. When I joined HUB in 2023, we came in at number 33 on Prolific North's Top 50 Integrated Agencies list. Last year, we ranked number 27. Before we knew that Prolific North would be merging their Top 50 integrated, PR and digital agencies into one mega-list for 2026, I (half-jokingly) said that I thought HUB could break top 20 next time around. So this is absolutely incredible, and not something we're going to take for granted. HUGE shout out to my wonderful colleagues who are some of the most passionate and driven people I've had the pleasure of working with, and congrats to our fellow agencies who made the list ✨
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Ginny Nicholls reacted on thisGinny Nicholls reacted on thisToday is the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 🩷 It’s also a year this month since I was diagnosed. In the year since, I’ve had surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and started long-term treatment. I’ve lost my hair, my nails, worked when I could, stopped when I couldn’t. Laughed a lot, cried, walked miles, sat in the sun, worried about things that never happened and dealt with things I never imagined I would. Today you might sit opposite someone in a meeting, have lunch with them, work alongside them and have absolutely no idea what they’re carrying. Cancer is mine. For someone else it’s grief, a relationship falling apart, caring for a parent, money worries, a frightened child or family member, their mental health, or something they haven’t told anybody yet. Or all of it. And sometimes what gets you through isn’t one big heroic thing. It’s people. Friends checking in. Someone quietly making something easier. Colleagues who still see your value when you’re not operating at 100%. Messages that land at exactly the right moment. My sister listening without trying to fix it. Food appearing. Flowers and gifts at every milestone. Dog walks, laughter, distraction. Someone remembering an appointment or asking how it went. But some of the best support wasn’t really about cancer at all. It was the people who carried on seeing me. Who still talked to me about work, life, ideas, gossip and absolute nonsense. Who made plans. Asked my opinion. Expected things of me when I was able. Treated me completely normally when normal was exactly what I needed. Everyone is battling something. Sometimes you’ll know what it is. Often you won’t. And even when you do, don’t make the thing they’re carrying the whole story. And because it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please check yourself. A year on and I’m incredibly grateful for the care that got me here, and for every person who has carried some part of this with me. You know who you are. 🙏 So yes, check your boobs! But check in on someone too. 🩷
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Ginny Nicholls liked thisGinny Nicholls liked thisOur 2026 marketing goal was to get free endorsements for The Inhaler Tailor from at least 2 people on BBC's QI Stephen Fry ✅ Victoria Coren Mitchell ✅ Job done - I'm off on holiday for the rest of the year 😎✈ ... I wish In all seriousness, running your own small business is bloody hard and this has given William Hogge and me such a boost. We're on a personal mission to turn the inhaler - something that millions of people rely on every day - into something that they feel comfortable, even proud to use. No one should feel embarassed to use an inhaler. Link to her tweet / X in the comments 👇 Please give it a like, repost & comment if you can ♥
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Andy Harris
What's more important - conversions or clicks analysis? I regularly advise on how to get more conversions from website visitors, and while it's important, it's not always the first step to take. Example: a website has 1,000 visitors but weak conversions to enquiries - is the site at fault or something else? What if it was the Google Ads that was generating loads of irrelevant visibility and clicks to the website - traffic that would never convert? It's important to eliminate some problems first (weak Google Ads in this case) before moving onto viewing conversions, knowing that you're analysing the right types of website visitors.
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Jon Crowder
Got some incredible feedback from a client today. I have obfuscated some details so as to not share confidential information but after completing a CRO audit and giving them loads of recommendations to experiment on and immediate things to fix... "Performance has been record level on CPL and volume using [changed pages]. So we're replicating them over onto the live site and then we're going to start and test the other tweaks we spoke about. Since adding the changes daily lead volume sky rocketed by 200-300%"
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Sean Lang
If I took over your struggling agency tomorrow, here’s where I’d start. 💬 “I can't take a week off without shit going sideways.” → Audit everything you're still doing → Decide what actually requires you → Move everything else into clearly owned roles → Give those roles measurable scorecards → Install a weekly management cadence → Systemize the recurring work that still lives in your head A week away shouldn't be a stress test for the entire agency. If everything falls apart when you're gone, the issue isn't your vacation plan. It's that too much of the business still depends on you. 💬 “We're doing $100k months. Where the hell is the money?” → Calculate profitability by client → Calculate your actual delivery costs → Include the founder labor you're currently pretending is free → Find the clients/services destroying your margins → Fix pricing and scope → Redesign delivery around the economics you actually want Don't try to grow your way out of bad economics. You'll just build a bigger version of the same problem. 💬 “I hired people so I could get out of delivery. Somehow I'm still in delivery.” → Identify exactly where you're still getting pulled in → Find the ownership gaps causing it → Clarify who owns those outcomes → Build scorecards around them → Give the team a cadence for solving problems without you → Track where you continue getting pulled back in Hiring people doesn't remove the founder. Transferring ownership does. 💬 “Everyone's slammed. I know I need to hire, but I don't even know who.” → Map where everyone's time is going → Find the actual capacity constraint → Separate work that should be eliminated, delegated or systemized → Identify the outcomes nobody currently owns → Design the role around those outcomes → THEN hire Otherwise you're just adding another salary to the chaos. 💬 “We've been stuck at the same revenue for a year and I don't know what to change.” → Look at who you're selling to → Look at what you're selling them → Look at what you're charging → Look at the economics underneath it → Look at how you're delivering it → Look at whether your current team can support the next version Sometimes the problem isn't actually sales. You've just reached the limit of the agency you accidentally built. And that's the common thread through all five: The pain you feel usually isn't the actual problem. “I need better people.” “I need more leads.” “I need to get organized.” “I need to hire.” “I need to work less.” Those are symptoms. Figure out what's actually causing them, and the recipe gets a lot clearer.
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