5 Success Tips That Will Help You Improve Your Agency And Life

As digital agency owners, we’re always growing something somewhere, whether that’s ourselves, our team, or our agency. But you can’t ignore your personal life in the process! The best way to reach your goals as an entrepreneur and make lasting changes is to extend them past your office and into your home. And after 18 years of running my agency, I’ve discovered (and applied!) key success tips that have helped me grow my personal and professional lives simultaneously. 

5 Success Tips to Uplevel Your Agency and Life

What you do outside of work has a major impact on your agency and how you function inside of it! You need to dedicate just as much time, energy, and care to improving your home life as you do to your professional one. Here are five of my best success tips to help you uplevel all aspects of your life, plus exercises you can do now to take action and start your growth!

#1: Get Clarity on Your Why and Your Values 

As an entrepreneur, your “why” is everything. It’s your purpose, your guiding light, your reason for moving forward when the going gets tough. But this goes for your values, too! Knowing what matters most to you as a digital agency owner and as an individual will help you feel satisfied, fulfilled, and inspired as you navigate your career and your home life. 

When you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, you can grow a career that aligns with your values and supports your dream life. This is my #1 success tip for a reason! Not knowing your “why” or your values creates a major disconnect between yourself and your agency…and that leaves space for setbacks to get the best of you and for you to make poor business decisions on a whim. 

Gaining clarity on your “why” and your values seems intimidating (especially compared to other success tips), but it doesn’t have to be an hours-long soul-searching process! Grab a piece of paper and write down the three most important things in your life, plus why they’re important to you. Don’t be afraid to go deep: your family is important because you love them, but what part of your relationship brings you the most happiness? How do you support each other and make each other proud?

Figuring out why you value what you value helps you gain clarity on your life’s priorities. You’ll have a better grasp on what you hold closest to your heart and what you’re working toward.
 

Related: How to Be More Intentional & Focused as a PR Professional

#2: Boost Your Energy Naturally 

We all love a good cup of coffee or tea in the morning, right? But getting your energy from caffeine always leads to a crash at the end of the day…and you can’t show up to those late-afternoon meetings as your best self after a caffeine slump. 

You owe it to yourself to maintain your stamina throughout the day so you can dedicate energy to what matters most. You’ll never make progress on your business’s big-picture goals if you’re constantly spinning your wheels on low-impact tasks instead of needle-shifting projects! Plus, ending your days exhausted and burnt out leaves you with no energy to deeply connect with friends and family after work. 

To sustain yourself throughout the day and fully commit yourself to all of your goals, responsibilities, and desires, you need to start with natural energy sources. I’m talking about diet, exercise, and sleep — you’ve heard this success tip a million times, but it’s tried and true! 

You have to start small. You’re not going to stick to a new nutrition plan or exercise schedule if you totally overhaul it and overwhelm yourself! Focus on small steps in one area at a time (like swapping your phone alarm for a digital clock) and build on them to make lasting changes.
 

Related: How to Set Client Boundaries So You Don't Get Taken Advantage Of

#3: Develop a More Confident and Courageous Mindset 

I’ve talked so much about the importance of a confident mindset, but having a courageous mindset is important, too! These two together translate into being brave, feeling prepared for challenging situations, and taking leaps of faith knowing you’ll put in the work to succeed. You need to be courageous and confident at home as well — it’s a necessary part of solving conflict and fostering deeper, more meaningful connections. 

Elevating your life takes serious effort, and you can’t achieve your goals if you constantly back down from the hard stuff! Put in the work to develop courage and confidence in all areas of your life. When you do that, all the success tips you’ve learned and the changes you’ve made will have double the impact! 

Start by pinpointing something you’ve been wanting to do for a while (whether big or small, professional or personal) but have been too scared to go after. Grab a sticky note and write down three things you can do now to feel more confident in pursuing that desire, like doing research or chatting with a mentor. Now do them! You’ll get an instant confidence and bravery boost going into the next step toward your goal. 

#4: Minimize Distractions to Improve Productivity 

Let’s get one thing straight: this success tip is not about giving into hustle culture! Productivity is important for digital agency owners, but you can’t be an effective leader and entrepreneur if you’re constantly grinding and working from a place of overwhelm and stress. 

What productivity looks like is up to you. Your time and energy are most valuable and impactful when they’re spent on tasks, activities, and responsibilities that push you toward your goals and align with your life’s values. 

Like my other success tips, this starts with nailing down what’s holding you back, then building a plan to move past it. List out three distractions that are keeping you from getting more done during the day or spending more time with family and friends after work, then brainstorm how you can minimize or eliminate them. Pick the strategy that would be easiest to implement and add it to tomorrow’s routine! Taking one small action to reduce your distractions now can make a world of difference later as you work toward your goals. 
 

Related: 4 Business Productivity Traps to Avoid in Your PR Agency

#5: Recognize That You Have Influence

Lots of entrepreneurs shy away from the word influence because of how often we see influencers online. But being influential doesn’t mean being a TikToker with millions of followers or a celebrity who sparks major trends! You already have influence in your agency and at home — this success tip is about harnessing that and doing good with it. 

When you’re influential, people listen to you. They value your opinion and consider it when making decisions. The people who look up to you emulate you, so you want to set a good example and be a role model for them. 

Think about one or two people you want to influence and become a better role model for, like your kids, your mentee, or a new team member. Next, brainstorm three reasons why you want to increase your influence over them (going back to success tip #1 here!) and three ways to model the behaviors or practices you want them to absorb. Not only will you solidify your habits and become a better leader, you’ll also form a deeper connection with the person you’re influencing! 

You don’t have to ignore your personal life to achieve the agency growth you want! Improving your professional and personal lives together will result in more satisfaction, fulfillment, and happiness in all areas of your life. And with these five success tips in your back pocket, you’re already on your way to making lasting, meaningful changes in your life.