Agency life gets weird in the summer. Things get kind of quiet, schedules become irregular, and the overall pace of work slows.  I hope everyone’s summer is full of travel, friends and sunshine but when you must work, here are five things to consider doing as time allows. 

Market yourself. We all backburner our own marketing – especially those of us who do it for a living for other organizations. Now is a perfect time to make those website updates, build a new capabilities deck, try out a revised social media approach or write those blogs (case in point) you’ve been putting off. 

Lunch dates. When was the last time you caught up with that former co-worker? How about that referral partner you used to talk to all the time? A lunch meeting is a quick and easy way to reconnect with people important to your business – and it doesn’t eat into those evening hours you want to spend on your back patio. 

    Pipeline push. Do you still remember your CRM login? Time to get in there and remind yourself of those leads that you were chasing earlier in the year. Maybe a prospect has new budget starting in the second half of the year and it would be a perfect time for them to hear from you. 

    Group gatherings. Summer is a fun time to get together with fellow industry professionals or likeminded leaders. If you own an agency, consider reaching out to 8-10 other owners in your market and see if they want to do happy hour. Same could be said for a group of professional women from varying industries who might all enjoy a break from the summertime family routine – or an afternoon on the golf course for a bunch of execs whose offices all close at 2pm on Friday. 

    Special events. There are  many events being hosted by non-profits and industry organizations during the summer. Consider who your agency is aligned with, sponsoring or doing pro bono work for, and whether it makes sense for you to make an appearance at one of their warm weather functions. There could be a new business lead or partnership just waiting to be discovered. 

    Before we know it, fall will be here, clients will be banging down the doors and we’ll be hustling to keep up with our to-do lists.  So, enjoy the season and if we’re overdue for lunch, please reach out.