Expert to Know: Kevin Smith
What was your first entrepreneurial moment as a kid or teen?
When I was a kid, I used to sell tomatoes in our front yard because my mother insisted on growing more than we could ever possible eat. It was super professional, complete with a Fisher-Price cash register to tally up the purchases. What can I say, I was into organic produce before it was cool!
When do you feel most energized at work?
The most fun I have at work is when I get to collaborate with a client team to solve a sticky business problem. The combination of new challenges and the back and forth with a client who is invested in finding the solution to a marketing and communications challenge is the best part of agency life.
What’s a personal ritual or habit you credit for your success?
I never read the book, but I do live by the “5-minute rule.” If something can be done in less than five minutes, just take care of it. Addressing all the little stuff frees your mind and your calendar to dedicate more attention to the things that really matter.
What do you do to recharge outside of work?
When I need to recharge, I embrace my inner wanderlust and book a trip. There is nothing more fulfilling than travelling. Whether to see old friends or land in a totally unknown place ready to explore a trip will always recharge my batteries.
What makes your agency different from others in your space?
Out singular focus on the financial services space sets Kevin & Co. apart. Our clients look to us to be experts on the solutions, trends and regulatory hurdles of working with advisors who manage client money. We are also a team of people who find the subject matter genuinely interesting—so that helps a lot.
How do you hire? What do you look for in people?
Given our narrow focus, the first think I look for in a team member is deep subject matter expertise. You don’t have to be an expert at every aspect of the financial services industry, but a demonstration of understanding some aspects is key!
What trend in marketing/advertising do you think is overhyped?
I know this will be a controversial opinion, but the usefulness of AI is massively overhyped. While AI can help enhance productivity, often I find that AI gives you answers that are 20% useful and 80% garbage. The bottom line is that you can’t remove the human from the equation.
What advice would you give to someone starting an agency today?
My mantra is ABH… always be hustling. While this is good advice for anyone who runs an agency, the more important advice is to build structure and boundaries. Set aside time away from work to rebalance and recharge so you can be at your best when working with your clients.
How do you approach pricing — any rules you live by?
We price every engagement on a project basis. Retainers and hourly billing is tedious and leads to waste. Fixed fee engagements align incentives and adds an additional incentive for us to get a project done right… and quickly.
What’s one thing you wish clients understood better about agency work?
Good marketing strategy and content development is collaborative. The output is better when the agency and client can work together to brainstorm, debate and let the natural back and forth of a project inform the output.
