Resilient Automations that Scale with Your Business

Client

Closer&Closer: an artist representation agency and production studio.

Results Summary

✓ Created effective systems that have scaled for years without intervention

✓ Eliminated file hunting with consistent naming and organization

✓ Reduced project manager administrative burden

✓ Reduced owner oversight to ensure quality control

Challenge

As an independent agency representing over 50 artists, Closer&Closer needed resilient automations to manage their overwhelming document flow. Receiving dozens of project inquiries weekly created a mountain of files and paperwork that quickly became unmanageable. Without consistent naming conventions or organized systems, agents and project managers wasted valuable time hunting for critical documents.

While the agency prided itself on being lean and efficient, this document chaos undermined their effectiveness. The need for resilient automations became particularly evident during project completion, when collecting and archiving final deliverables added significant administrative burden to already busy project managers.

These manual processes had worked when the agency was small but became increasingly cumbersome as the company grew. The owner recognized these issues but faced the classic small business dilemma: lacking the time to fix operational problems while managing daily business demands. The team continued working harder rather than smarter, with inefficiencies steadily eroding productivity and creating unnecessary stress.

Solution

After analyzing their workflow, I discovered Closer&Closer already had the foundation for a solution in their CRM platform, Pipedrive. The system was already tracking project status, but it wasn't leveraging this information to automate downstream processes.

I collaborated closely with the owner and team to design a solution that integrated seamlessly into their existing workflow. Using Zapier, I created automations that triggered when project statuses changed in Pipedrive. These automations standardized file naming, created organized folder structures in Dropbox, and sent personalized messages to artists requesting final deliverables.

Results

The impact of these automations on the agency was immediate and significant. Agents could instantly locate contracts and proposals thanks to the standardized filing system, eliminating frustrating document searches. For project managers, the automated file collection process removed a significant administrative burden, freeing them to focus on meeting project time lines and artist relationships.

Most valuable to the owner was that these systems operated effectively without constant oversight. The automations quietly handled routine tasks in the background, creating organizational consistency without requiring management attention.

Perhaps the strongest testament to the solution's effectiveness is its longevity—the naming convention and automation system has continued to serve the company for over four years without requiring significant modifications. As the agency has grown, the system has scaled seamlessly, handling increasing project volumes while maintaining the same efficiency that made it valuable from day one.

By transforming manual, routine processes into automated workflows, Closer&Closer created a more satisfying work environment where team members could focus on meaningful creative work rather than administrative tasks.

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