5 Things I Wish I Knew About Automation Agencies Before I Started One
Nick Saraev: Claude, Codex & AI AgentsSummary
The discussion centers on the challenges and strategies for running an automation agency, emphasizing the distinction between technical automation skills and essential business acumen. The speaker reflects on their journey, highlighting that proficiency in automation tools like Make.com or Zapier does not equate to success in managing an automation business. They stress the importance of developing skills in sales, client management, and project delivery, which are crucial for sustainable growth.
Key insights include the necessity of focusing on high-return activities, such as consistent outreach and lead generation, rather than getting bogged down in less impactful tasks. The speaker advocates for a mindset shift towards understanding the client's perspective, emphasizing that the presentation of work often matters more than the unseen effort behind it. They also note that automation services tend to have low client churn due to their integral role in business operations, making it vital to over-deliver on initial projects to secure long-term relationships.
Overall, the speaker encourages aspiring automation agency owners to prioritize learning business management skills and to adopt a consistent, disciplined approach to outreach and client engagement to achieve significant growth.
Show Notes
GET THE FREE GAMMA and TEMPLATES 🙏https://gamma.app/docs/5-Things-I-Wish-I-Knew-About-Automation-Agencies-Before-I-Started-fgvllnctkqbjfl3Uploaded 23-08-24Watch me build my $300K/mo business live with daily videos + strategy ⤵️https://www.youtube.com/@nicksaraevdailyJOIN MY AUTOMATION COMMUNITY and GET YOUR FIRST CUSTOMER, GUARANTEED 👑https://www.skool.com/makerschool/about?ref=e525fc95e7c346999dcec8e0e870e55dSUMMARY ⤵️I've been running an automation agency for ~two years now, and I've naturally learned a lot over that time period. Mostly through failure. If I could transport those failures back in time, I'd be rich!MY SOFTWARE, TOOLS, and DEALS (some of these give me kickbacks—thank you!)🚀 INSTANTLY: https://link.nicksaraev.com/instantly-short📧 ANYMAIL FINDER: https://link.nicksaraev.com/amf-short👻 PHANTOMBUSTER: https://link.nicksaraev.com/pb-short✅ CLICKUP: https://link.nicksaraev.com/clickup-short📈 RIZE: https://link.nicksaraev.com/rize-short (use promo code NICK for addn 25% off)WHAT TO WATCH NEXT 🍿HOW I HIT $25K/MO SELLING AUTOMATION: https://youtube.com/watch?v=T7qAiuWDwLwMY $21K/MO MAKE.COM PROPOSAL SYSTEM: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVLeX600irkGENERATE CONTENT AUTOMATICALLY WITH AI: https://youtube.com/watch?v=P2Y_DVW1TSQFOLLOW ME✍🏻 My content writing agency: https://1secondcopy.com🦾 My automation agency: https://leftclick.ai🕊️ My Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nicksaraev🤙 My blog (followed by the founder of HubSpot!): https://nicksaraev.comWHY ME?If this is your first watch—hi, I’m Nick! TLDR: I spent five years building automated businesses with Make.com (most notably 1SecondCopy, a content company that hit 7 figures). Today a lot of people talk about automation, but I’ve noticed that very few have practical, real world success making money with it. So this channel is me chiming in and showing you what *real* systems that make *real* revenue look like! Hopefully I can help you improve your business, and in doing so, the rest of your life :-) Please like, subscribe, and leave me a comment if you have a specific request! Thanks.Chapters:00:00:00 Introduction to Automation Agencies 00:04:37 Skills for Success 00:09:17 Client Perception vs. Reality 00:15:42 Focus on What Matters 00:21:21 Consistency Over Master Plans 00:28:18 The Power of Opportunities 00:32:00 Conclusion: Mastering Business Skills Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Nick Saraev: Claude, Codex & AI Agents
JOIN MY AUTOMATION COMMUNITY and GET YOUR FIRST CUSTOMER, GUARANTEED 👑https://www.skool.com/makerschool/about?ref=e525fc95e7c346999dcec8e0e870e55dUploaded 08-08-24Watch me build my $300K/mo business live with daily videos + strategy ⤵️https://www.youtube.com/@nicksaraevdailyGET THE 10 SCENARIO BLUEPRINTS HERE FOR FREE ⤵️https://leftclicker.gumroad.com/l/lvbtfzSUMMARY ⤵️Iterators and aggregators in Make.com are the #1 problem area that most people have with this no-code platform. In this video, I dive *deep* into how they work from the ground up, as well as explaining bundles, arrays, etc. If you watch this front-to-back, it will be *impossible* for you not to know everything you need to know about iterators and aggregators in Make.com to get out there and make money. Good luck!WHAT TO WATCH NEXT 🍿How I Hit $25K/Mo Selling Automation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=T7qAiuWDwLwMy $21K/Mo Make.com Proposal System: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVLeX600irkGenerate Content Automatically With AI: https://youtube.com/watch?v=P2Y_DVW1TSQMY TOOLS, SOFTWARE DEALS and GEAR (some of these links give me kickbacks—thank you!)🚀 INSTANTLY: https://instantly.ai/?via=nick-saraev🧠 SMARTLEAD.AI: https://smartlead.ai/?via=nick-saraev📧 ANYMAIL FINDER: https://anymailfinder.com/?via=nick🚀 APOLLO.IO: https://get.apollo.io/bisgh2z5mxc1👻 PHANTOMBUSTER: https://phantombuster.com/?deal=noah60📄 PANDADOC: https://pandadoc.partnerlinks.io/ar44yghojibe📝 TYPEFORM: https://typeform.cello.so/rM8vRjChpbp✅ CLICKUP: https://clickup.pxf.io/4PQo61📅 MONDAY.COM: https://try.monday.com/1ty9wtpsara2📓 NOTION: https://affiliate.notion.so/3viwitl53eg7🤖 APIFY: https://www.apify.com/?fpr=98rff🛠️ MAKE: https://www.make.com/en/register?pc=nicksaraev🚀 GOHIGHLEVEL: https://www.gohighlevel.com/30-day-trial?fp_ref=nicksaraev📈 RIZE: https://rize.io/?via=LEFTCLICKAI (use promo code NICK)🌐 WEBFLOW: https://try.webflow.com/e31xtgbyscm8🃏 CARRD: https://try.carrd.co/myjz1yxp💬 REPLY: https://get.reply.io/yszpkkqzkb8f📨 MISSIVE: https://missiveapp.com/?ref_id=E3BEE459EB71📄 PDF.CO: https://pdf.ai/?via=nick🔥 FIREFLIES.AI: https://fireflies.ai/?fpr=nick33🔍 DATAFORSEO: https://dataforseo.com/?aff=178012🖼️ BANNERBEAR: https://www.bannerbear.com/?via=nick🗣️ VAPI.AI: https://vapi.ai/?aff=nicksaraev🤖 BOTPRESS: https://try.botpress.com/ygwdv3dcwetq🤝 CLOSE: https://refer.close.com/r3ec5kps99cs💬 MANYCHAT: https://manychat.partnerlinks.io/sxbxj12s1hcz🛠️ SOFTR: https://softrplatformsgmbh.partnerlinks.io/gf1xliozt7tm🌐 SITEGROUND: https://www.siteground.com/index.htm?afcode=ac0191f0a28399bc5ae396903640aea1⏱️ TOGGL: https://toggl.com/?via=nick📝 JOTFORM: https://link.jotform.com/nicksaraev-Dsl1CkHo1C📊 FATHOM: https://usefathom.com/ref/YOHMXL🛒 AMAZON: https://kit.co/nicksaraev/longform-automation-content-youtube-kit📇 DROPCONTACT: https://www.dropcontact.com/?kfl_ln=leftclick📸 GEAR KIT: https://link.nicksaraev.com/kit🟩 UPWORK https://link.nicksaraev.com/upworkFOLLOW ME✍🏻 My content writing agency: https://1secondcopy.com🦾 My automation agency: https://leftclick.ai🕊️ My Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nicksaraev🤙 My blog (followed by the founder of HubSpot!): https://nicksaraev.comWHY ME?If this is your first watch—hi, I’m Nick! TLDR: I spent five years building automated businesses with Make.com (most notably 1SecondCopy, a content company that hit 7 figures). Today a lot of people talk about automation, but I’ve noticed that very few have practical, real world success making money with it. So this channel is me chiming in and showing you what *real* systems that make *real* revenue look like! Hopefully I can help you improve your business, and in doing so, the rest of your life :-) Please like, subscribe, and leave me a comment if you have a specific request! Thanks.Timestamps:02:49 Inputs and Outputs08:36 Bundles13:33 Arrays17:38 Built-In It Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
JOIN MY AUTOMATION COMMUNITY and GET YOUR FIRST CUSTOMER, GUARANTEED 👑https://www.skool.com/makerschool/about?ref=e525fc95e7c346999dcec8e0e870e55dUploaded 17-07-24Watch me build my $300K/mo business live with daily videos + strategy ⤵️https://www.youtube.com/@nicksaraevdailyGET THE GAMMA HERE FOR FREE ⤵️https://18k-subs-on-youtube-yd8l4nl.gamma.site/SUMMARY ⤵️Short little walkthrough of how I hit 18,000 subscribers in ~5 months on YouTube with an unconventional strategy.WHAT TO WATCH NEXT 🍿How I Hit $25K/Mo Selling Automation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=T7qAiuWDwLwMy $21K/Mo Make.com Proposal System: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVLeX600irkGenerate Content Automatically With AI: https://youtube.com/watch?v=P2Y_DVW1TSQMY TOOLS, SOFTWARE DEALS and GEAR (some of these links give me kickbacks—thank you!)🚀 INSTANTLY: https://instantly.ai/?via=nick-saraev🧠 SMARTLEAD.AI: https://smartlead.ai/?via=nick-saraev📧 ANYMAIL FINDER: https://anymailfinder.com/?via=nick🚀 APOLLO.IO: https://get.apollo.io/bisgh2z5mxc1👻 PHANTOMBUSTER: https://phantombuster.com/?deal=noah60📄 PANDADOC: https://pandadoc.partnerlinks.io/ar44yghojibe📝 TYPEFORM: https://typeform.cello.so/rM8vRjChpbp✅ CLICKUP: https://clickup.pxf.io/4PQo61📅 MONDAY.COM: https://try.monday.com/1ty9wtpsara2📓 NOTION: https://affiliate.notion.so/3viwitl53eg7🤖 APIFY: https://www.apify.com/?fpr=98rff🛠️ MAKE: https://www.make.com/en/register?pc=nicksaraev🚀 GOHIGHLEVEL: https://www.gohighlevel.com/30-day-trial?fp_ref=nicksaraev📈 RIZE: https://rize.io/?via=LEFTCLICKAI (use promo code NICK)🌐 WEBFLOW: https://try.webflow.com/e31xtgbyscm8🃏 CARRD: https://try.carrd.co/myjz1yxp💬 REPLY: https://get.reply.io/yszpkkqzkb8f📨 MISSIVE: https://missiveapp.com/?ref_id=E3BEE459EB71📄 PDF.CO: https://pdf.ai/?via=nick🔥 FIREFLIES.AI: https://fireflies.ai/?fpr=nick33🔍 DATAFORSEO: https://dataforseo.com/?aff=178012🖼️ BANNERBEAR: https://www.bannerbear.com/?via=nick🗣️ VAPI.AI: https://vapi.ai/?aff=nicksaraev🤖 BOTPRESS: https://try.botpress.com/ygwdv3dcwetq🤝 CLOSE: https://refer.close.com/r3ec5kps99cs💬 MANYCHAT: https://manychat.partnerlinks.io/sxbxj12s1hcz🛠️ SOFTR: https://softrplatformsgmbh.partnerlinks.io/gf1xliozt7tm🌐 SITEGROUND: https://www.siteground.com/index.htm?afcode=ac0191f0a28399bc5ae396903640aea1⏱️ TOGGL: https://toggl.com/?via=nick📝 JOTFORM: https://link.jotform.com/nicksaraev-Dsl1CkHo1C📊 FATHOM: https://usefathom.com/ref/YOHMXL🛒 AMAZON: https://kit.co/nicksaraev/longform-automation-content-youtube-kit📇 DROPCONTACT: https://www.dropcontact.com/?kfl_ln=leftclick📸 GEAR KIT: https://link.nicksaraev.com/kit🟩 UPWORK https://link.nicksaraev.com/upwork🛑 TODOIST: https://get.todoist.io/62mhvgid6gh3🧑💼 CONVERTKIT: https://partners.convertkit.com/lhq98iqntgjhFOLLOW ME✍🏻 My content writing agency: https://1secondcopy.com🦾 My automation agency: https://leftclick.ai🕊️ My Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nicksaraev🤙 My blog (followed by the founder of HubSpot!): https://nicksaraev.comWHY ME?If this is your first watch—hi, I’m Nick! TLDR: I spent five years building automated businesses with Make.com (most notably 1SecondCopy, a content company that hit 7 figures). Today a lot of people talk about automation, but I’ve noticed that very few have practical, real world success making money with it. So this channel is me chiming in and showing you what *real* systems that make *real* revenue look like! Hopefully I can help you improve your business, and in doing so, the rest of your life :-) Please like, subscribe, and leave me a comment if you have a specific request! Thanks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Inb4 I get turned into paperclips. To be clear: I encourage people to look for better ways of doing things, but Paperclip is hype city.💎 Get all resources 100% free: https://skool.com/maker-zero/aboutUploaded 29-03-26📚 Free multi-hour courses→ Claude Code (4hr full course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoQBzR1NIqI→ Vibe Coding w/ Antigravity (6hr full course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcuR_-rzlDw→ Agentic Workflows (6hr full course): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxyRjL7NG18→ N8N (6hr full course, 890K+ views): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GZ2SNXWK-c🔥 Join Maker School and get customer #1 guaranteed: https://skool.com/makerschool/about📚 Watch my NEW 2026 Claude Code course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoQBzR1NIqI🎙️ Listen to my silly podcast: www.youtube.com/@stackedpodMy software, tools, and deals (some give me kickbacks—thank you!)🚀 Instantly: https://link.nicksaraev.com/instantly-short📧 Anymailfinder: https://link.nicksaraev.com/amf-short🤖 Apify: https://console.apify.com/sign-up (30% off with code 30NICKSARAEV)🧑🏽💻 n8n: https://n8n.partnerlinks.io/h372ujv8cw80📈 Rize: https://link.nicksaraev.com/rize-short (25% off with promo code NICK)Follow me on other platforms 😈📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nick_saraev🕊️ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nicksaraev🤙 Blog: https://nicksaraev.comWhy watch?If this is your first view—hi, I’m Nick! TLDR: I spent six years building automated businesses with Make.com (most notably 1SecondCopy, a content company that hit 7 figures). Today a lot of people talk about automation, but I’ve noticed that very few have practical, real world success making money with it. So this channel is me chiming in and showing you what *real* systems that make *real* revenue look like.Hopefully I can help you improve your business, and in doing so, the rest of your life 🙏Like, subscribe, and leave me a comment if you have a specific request! Thanks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
JOIN MY AUTOMATION COMMUNITY and GET YOUR FIRST CUSTOMER, GUARANTEED 👑https://www.skool.com/makerschool/about?ref=e525fc95e7c346999dcec8e0e870e55dUploaded 21-06-24Watch me build my $300K/mo business live with daily videos + strategy ⤵️https://www.youtube.com/@nicksaraevdailyGET THE BLUEPRINT HERE FOR FREE ⤵️https://leftclicker.gumroad.com/l/cyqkxaWANT A SYSTEM BUILT? ⤵️https://leftclick.typeform.com/to/RlnRTagzSUMMARY ⤵️In this video, I’ll show you how to parse invoice PDFs like magic with PDF.co, Make.com, and OpenAI. You can apply this flow to any sort of PDF under the sun—whether it’s a resume, a white paper, an article, or something else!WHAT TO WATCH NEXT 🍿How I Hit $25K/Mo Selling Automation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=T7qAiuWDwLwMy $21K/Mo Make.com Proposal System: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UVLeX600irkGenerate Content Automatically With AI: https://youtube.com/watch?v=P2Y_DVW1TSQMY TOOLS, SOFTWARE DEALS and GEAR (some of these links give me kickbacks—thank you!)🚀 INSTANTLY: https://instantly.ai/?via=nick-saraev🧠 SMARTLEAD.AI: https://smartlead.ai/?via=nick-saraev📧 ANYMAIL FINDER: https://anymailfinder.com/?via=nick🚀 APOLLO.IO: https://get.apollo.io/bisgh2z5mxc1👻 PHANTOMBUSTER: https://phantombuster.com/?deal=noah60📄 PANDADOC: https://pandadoc.partnerlinks.io/ar44yghojibe📝 TYPEFORM: https://typeform.cello.so/rM8vRjChpbp✅ CLICKUP: https://clickup.pxf.io/4PQo61📅 MONDAY.COM: https://try.monday.com/1ty9wtpsara2📓 NOTION: https://affiliate.notion.so/3viwitl53eg7🤖 APIFY: https://www.apify.com/?fpr=98rff🛠️ MAKE: https://www.make.com/en/register?pc=nicksaraev🚀 GOHIGHLEVEL: https://www.gohighlevel.com/30-day-trial?fp_ref=nicksaraev📈 RIZE: https://rize.io/?via=LEFTCLICKAI (use promo code NICK)🌐 WEBFLOW: https://try.webflow.com/e31xtgbyscm8🃏 CARRD: https://try.carrd.co/myjz1yxp💬 REPLY: https://get.reply.io/yszpkkqzkb8f📨 MISSIVE: https://missiveapp.com/?ref_id=E3BEE459EB71📄 PDF.CO: https://pdf.ai/?via=nick🔥 FIREFLIES.AI: https://fireflies.ai/?fpr=nick33🔍 DATAFORSEO: https://dataforseo.com/?aff=178012🖼️ BANNERBEAR: https://www.bannerbear.com/?via=nick🗣️ VAPI.AI: https://vapi.ai/?aff=nicksaraev🤖 BOTPRESS: https://try.botpress.com/ygwdv3dcwetq🤝 CLOSE: https://refer.close.com/r3ec5kps99cs💬 MANYCHAT: https://manychat.partnerlinks.io/sxbxj12s1hcz🛠️ SOFTR: https://softrplatformsgmbh.partnerlinks.io/gf1xliozt7tm🌐 SITEGROUND: https://www.siteground.com/index.htm?afcode=ac0191f0a28399bc5ae396903640aea1⏱️ TOGGL: https://toggl.com/?via=nick📝 JOTFORM: https://link.jotform.com/nicksaraev-Dsl1CkHo1C📊 FATHOM: https://usefathom.com/ref/YOHMXL🛒 AMAZON: https://kit.co/nicksaraev/longform-automation-content-youtube-kit📇 DROPCONTACT: https://www.dropcontact.com/?kfl_ln=leftclick📸 GEAR KIT: https://link.nicksaraev.com/kit🟩 UPWORK https://link.nicksaraev.com/upwork🛑 TODOIST: https://get.todoist.io/62mhvgid6gh3🧑💼 CONVERTKIT: https://partners.convertkit.com/lhq98iqntgjhFOLLOW ME✍🏻 My content writing agency: https://1secondcopy.com🦾 My automation agency: https://leftclick.ai🕊️ My Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nicksaraev🤙 My blog (followed by the founder of HubSpot!): https://nicksaraev.comWHY ME?If this is your first watch—hi, I’m Nick! TLDR: I spent five years building automated businesses with Make.com (most notably 1SecondCopy, a content company that hit 7 figures). Today a lot of people talk about automation, but I’ve noticed that very few have practical, real world success making money with it. So this channel is me chiming in and showing you what *real* systems that make *real* revenue look like! Hopefully I can help you improve your business, and in doing so, the rest of your life :-) Please like, subscribe, and leave me a comment if you have a specific request! Thanks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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