Episodes
July 29, 2025
EP.40 - How to Exit Your Agency the Smart Way
In this solo episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes walks through the real-world process of selling a digital marketing agency. Drawing on his experience as both a buyer and seller, Karl lays out the key financial concep...
July 22, 2025
EP. 39 - Diving Deep with Lana Rafaela
In this episode of Retained Trust, Karl Hughes speaks with Lana Rafaela, founder at Cherry Red Content, a boutique agency focused on tailored content marketing solutions for early-stage, bootstrapped startups. Lana shares her...
July 15, 2025
EP.38 - Building Agency Value with Manuel Weiss
In this episode of Retained Trust, Karl reunites in person with partner Manny to break down how they’ve scaled their agencies and the lessons they’re carrying forward. They discuss real growth numbers, sales call improvements...
July 8, 2025
EP.37 - JD Graffam on Building, Buying & Balancing Agencies and SaaS
In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes talks with JD Graffam, founder of Simple Focus and operator of a portfolio of SaaS companies. JD shares how he grew from a small-town agency owner to running multiple busin...
July 1, 2025
EP.36 - Systems to Space with Louis Shulman
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes sits down with Louis Shulman, co-founder of Orbit, to explore how a content marketing agency evolved into a multi-pronged venture encompassing data analytics, automation tha...
June 24, 2025
EP.35 - The Exit Equation: Len Bruskiewitz on Preparing Your Business to Sell
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Len Bruskiewitz, founder of Greater Heights Coaching, about how small business owners can better prepare for a successful exit. With decades of experience in tec...
June 17, 2025
EP.34 - Early Bets and Big Gains in Dev Marketing with Rebecca Mosner
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes talks with Rebecca Mosner, co-founder of Maximize Partners, about the agency’s journey from a developer-focused content marketplace to a high-touch consultancy. Rebecca shar...
June 10, 2025
EP.33 - Garrett Mehrguth on Scaling, Acquiring, and Staying Sharp
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes sits down with Garrett Mehrguth, founder of Directive and Abe, to unpack what it really takes to build, scale, and sustain a high-performing digital agency. Garrett shares w...
June 3, 2025
EP.32 - Mastering LinkedIn for Agency Growth with Aman Ghataura
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Aman Ghataura, founder of The Media Engine, about his evolution from a number two in a digital agency to starting and scaling his own business. Aman shares how h...
May 27, 2025
EP.31 - John Doherty’s Journey to Sustainable Agency Growth
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with John Doherty, founder of EditorNinja. John recounts the winding path from running a marketplace agency to building a thriving productized editing service. The tw...
May 20, 2025
EP.30 - Marketing Without the Nonsense with Susan Tyson
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Susan Tyson, a fractional CMO and author based in Chicago. Susan breaks down how small business owners can handle marketing strategy without fluff or jargon. Wit...
May 13, 2025
EP.29 - Leading & Growing with Trust with Patty Campagna
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes sits down with leadership coach and entrepreneur Patty Campagna to explore what makes entrepreneurial leadership unique—and challenging. Patty shares her journey from corpor...
May 6, 2025
EP. 28 - Writing With Purpose with Michael Drew
In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes is joined by Michael Drew, founder of Book Retreat and a veteran of the publishing world with over 130 New York Times bestsellers under his belt. Michael opens up about his...
April 29, 2025
EP. 27 - Retained Trust | From Pipeline to Profit with Simon Severino
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Simon Severino, founder of Strategy Sprints, about building scalable and sustainable agencies. Simon shares insights from his 22-year journey in go-to-market str...
April 22, 2025
EP.26 - Sales, Startups, and Staying Power with David Sliman
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes chats with David Sliman, founder of Sales Proformance Consulting and a veteran entrepreneur. David shares his journey from launching a direct mail franchise in 1999 to build...
April 15, 2025
EP.25 - Fear, Growth, and Leadership Alignment with Andy Hite
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Andy Hite, founder of Scaling Minds, about the often invisible role fear plays in entrepreneurship. Drawing on his coaching experience with high-performing found...
April 8, 2025
EP.24 - Sweat-Proof Scaling: Agencies, Acquisitions, and Apparel with Jim Huffman
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes sits down with Jim Huffman—founder of GrowthHit and CEO of Neat—to discuss the journey from agency work to e-commerce entrepreneurship. Jim shares his pivot from finance int...
April 1, 2025
EP.23 - The Discipline of Growth: Tony Wilson on Keeping Agencies Financially Healthy
In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes talks with Tony Wilson, founder of Accquip, a firm specializing in fractional CFO services for digital agencies. Together, they explore the financial missteps that can lead...
March 25, 2025
EP.22 - Building Scalable Sales Teams for Agencies with Karlie Morien
In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes speaks with Karlie Morien, a seasoned sales leader specializing in lead generation and sales development. Karlie shares her journey from sales in the SaaS industry to build...
March 18, 2025
EP.21 - The Reality of Recruiting & Hiring with James Hornick
In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes sits down with James Hornick, Chief Growth Officer at Hirewell, to talk about hiring trends, employer prestige, and why LinkedIn feels like a necessary evil. James shares h...
March 11, 2025
Building Trust and Scaling Agencies with Manuel Weiss
In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes reunites with his business partner, Manuel Weiss, to share insights on scaling digital service agencies. They discuss lessons learned from recent acquisitions, the importan...
March 4, 2025
EP.19 - From Niche to Growth: A Path to Agency Expansion
In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes sits down with entrepreneur and agency expert Sam Shepler, founder of Testimonial Hero, to explore the ins and outs of building, scaling, and acquiring service-based busines...
Feb. 25, 2025
EP.18 – Profitability & Planning: Joey de Wit on Smarter Agency Finances
In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes speaks with Joey de Wit, founder of AgenCFO, a fractional CFO service specializing in helping agencies master their finances. Joey shares his journey from corporate finance...
Feb. 18, 2025
EP.17 - Scaling Success: Agencies, AI, and Acquisition with Corey Northcutt
In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes sits down with Corey Northcutt, a serial entrepreneur and Chief Optimization Officer at Orbit Media Studios. Corey shares his journey from founding a hosting company in col...