Fungi Media is a Chicago-based video storytelling agency that’s been helping clients break through the noise and get their messages heard since 2017. Their bread and butter is video, but they also offer social media expertise, virtual event production, and content strategy. Why the name? They’re all about growth.

Let’s cut to the chase – what’s your favorite thing about working with Brad?

Brad brings so much curiosity and enthusiasm to his work. I always left our meetings feeling like I’d gotten a second wind. When we first started working together, I frequently found myself struggling with energy management, combining a full life at home with trying to grow the agency while dealing with people problems and tracking down new projects…it was draining. Brad’s curiosity and energy consistently got me excited again; he reminded me why I was doing it all in the first place.

Also, Brad is really well-suited to working with creatives and entrepreneurs – he’s a creative person, but along with that, he brings a lot of operations and finance knowledge that many creative people like myself need help with, especially if they don’t have a co-founder. 

Why did you seek out a business coach?

As an entrepreneur, I’m always looking for ways to “level up” my leadership abilities. When I first started working with Anchor Advisors, my wife was pregnant with our first child, and I was looking at the future, thinking, “How on earth am I going to juggle everything?” 

I shared how I was feeling with Brad, and he introduced me to several different prioritization tools that ultimately helped me restructure my time. At such a massive moment of transition, Brad’s guidance and mentorship were game-changing. Time management will probably always be a work in progress for me, but today, I can tell you that I’m the father of a seven-month-old and both my kiddo and my agency are growing every day. 

Any stand-out pieces of advice or moments of growth?

About a year ago, I had a part-time staff member who was pretty critical to our daily operations tell me that they were ready to move on. The position had always been short-term, but I’d hoped they’d stay longer. 

Initially, I thought, “Well, that’s that,” and started planning how to wrap things up and find their replacement. When I told Brad a few days later, he dug into the “why” – asking me questions like “Why now?” and “What do you think they really need?” In that conversation, I realized I’d made a ton of assumptions. I’d filled the story in myself. 

So, I went back to the staffer and had a fuller conversation. In the end, we devised a plan that kept them on our team a lot longer. While it was a temporary solution, it relieved a lot of stress. And the lesson of slowing down and asking myself, “Okay, what am I assuming? What’s really going on here?” has continued to serve me well.

What’s different at Fungi Media now because of your work with Brad?

I have more clarity. Clarity on when we can afford to hire a new person (which I’ve always found tough to determine). Clarity on how to handle difficult conversations with employees. Clarity on how I should focus my time.

If you had to describe your experience working with Anchor Advisors in just three words?

Clear next steps.

Over the years, I’ve had mixed experiences with coaching, sometimes walking away with a general way of thinking but no tools to apply and no action items. That wasn’t the case with Anchor Advisors. With Brad, I got both the big picture and clear next steps.