Agency Guru Leverages Outsourcing as Secret Sauce – with A.J. Lawrence of Beyond 8 Figures Podcast

In this week’s episode of The Outsource Accelerator Podcast, Derek Gallimore interviewed A.J. Lawrence, the host of the Beyond 8 Figures Podcast. 

A.J. is a former agency owner turned advisor who shared insights into his journey of acquiring and growing businesses. 

The conversation explored A.J.’s experiences with outsourcing in his own firms and through his consultancy work. 

A.J.’s outsourcing journey

A.J. shared that he had been involved in digital marketing since the 1980s and started getting paid for it in the early 1990s. 

He recounted that he made “every stupid mistake on the planet ” during the early stages of the web and sold a few development and marketing agencies. 

In 2006, A.J. started a new agency called The JAR Group, where he began consistently using outsourced talent. 

A.J. recalled that 2006 “was where I really started using [outsourced talent], mostly through Upwork style, but a lot of the back office roles for the agency. We were hiring talent from India and the Philippines.”

A.J.’s agency approach to hiring talent

A.J. discussed the early stages of outsourcing and integrating global talent into their workflow. 

“Around 2007, we began to look at outsourcing as tactical execution rather than integrated teamwork.” 

Initially, they sought talent globally for specific tasks, viewing it as a subcontracting arrangement.

Over time, they began integrating remote workers, “We started working with people that we integrated more into our workflow, into what we were actually trying to do. We could have them be part of the team, but at first, it was very tactical.”

After selling his firm, A.J. delved into various business groups, from those resembling “Four Hour Workweek” enthusiasts to sophisticated global companies with fully remote setups. 

This experience intrigued him, leading to his deeper involvement in consulting and eventually acquiring a podcast.

During the pandemic, A.J.’s team became entirely global. “There were a good number of Europeans, but we also had South Africans, people from Mexico and Ecuador, and Ukrainians for a while. 

Now, our Ukrainians are in the Czech Republic. It’s been fun watching talent that used to be considered more niche.”

“They’ve gotten the experience, and their capabilities have risen so quickly and so fast,” He added.

A.J.’s strategy for the upcoming acquisition

A.J. discovered the concept of acquisition entrepreneurship during his research, recognizing its current popularity despite its long-standing existence. Acquisition entrepreneurship, as A.J. called it, is “a familiar set of actions to take, but repackaged with new cool terms.”

Currently, A.J. is actively searching to acquire a company, specifically conducting due diligence for a local marketing firm that he finds compelling. 

He highlighted the strength of the firm’s team but noted their inability to expand their capabilities. 

“[The firm] haven’t adapted to the change in marketing, the rise of AI, and all this fun stuff that’s going on right now, ” he remarked.

To address this gap, A.J. proposed, “One of the fastest ways is not replacing the company’s talent but integrating specialists in different areas from wherever they are.”

A.J.’s main focus in building acquisition

A.J. shared that his primary focus is on building his acquisition. “My main focus is definitely building this acquisition, but I am an investor in other people’s searches for their own acquisition.”

“I want to be able to provide very high value to partners that I’m invested in just for that outsize return on…it’s a way to increase margin effectively, ” A.J. said.

Reflecting on business dynamics, A.J. mentioned that most businesses seek simplicity and don’t want to delve into complexities. He also noted the importance of providing solutions without burdening clients with intricacies. 

For further information about A.J. Lawrence’s Beyond 8 Figure Podcast, click here and listen on any platform you choose.

For any business transaction or any type of discussion, you can build a connection with A.J. via Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajlawrence3/