Episodes

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes speaks with John-Henry Scherck, the founder of Growth Plays, a B2B SEO and content strategy agency. John-Henry shares his transition from a solo consultant to building a gr...

In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes speaks with Paul Seaton, founder of AgencyFi, which provides outsourced accounting and CFO services for digital and creative agencies. Paul shares his journey from Deloitte...

In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Aidan Sowa, founder and CEO of VelvetVoice PR. Aidan shares his unique journey from running a lead generation agency to building a thriving PR firm. He dives int...

In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes welcomes Tevia Hoalst, founder of TeKoda Accounting, for an engaging conversation on the world of small business finance. Tevia shares her journey from the restaurant indust...

In this solo episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes takes a departure from his usual guest interviews to share a deeply personal and structured discussion on the 12 books that have most influenced his journey as an entre...

In this episode of Retained Trust , host Karl Hughes speaks with Bob Tripathi, founder of Digital Sparx Marketing, about his fascinating journey through corporate roles, entrepreneurial pivots, and building a thriving marketi...