Episodes

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 experiences transitioning from freelancing and marketplace management at Contently to starting her own agency, highlighting the benefits of personalized client relationships. They explore the evolving landscape of product marketing, the critical role content plays within it...

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, and smart client filtering to boost quality leads. Karl and Manny share hard-earned insights about strategic patience, SEO, referrals, and balancing family life with business goals. They also open up about leadership transitions, the impact of AI on services, and what it m...

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 businesses, balancing a love of craft (and nail guns) with a sharp eye for buying SaaS that makes sense. They examine today’s small acquisition market, agency mergers, culture fit, staying competitive, and the lessons JD’s learned managing teams, clients, and his own entrepreneuri...

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 thannel to launching Orbit Marketing, Metrics, and Flows—each built arools, and an ambitious software roadmap. Louis shares the path from growing a viral YouTube cound a thoughtful blend of automation, services, and long-term vision. He discusses early-stage customer acquisitio...

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 tech and a background rooted in a third-generation family business, Len shares what it takes to move from running a business to exiting with clarity and value. They break down the emotional, financial, and operational components of a strong exit strategy—including the risks of ...

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 shares how she and her team 10x’d revenue in just four months, the challenges of educating technical founders on marketing value, and why they prefer working with early-stage startups over enterprise clients. They also explore hiring strategies, building a strong team culture, a...

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 why he's drawn to the constant reinvention required in agency life, how he structures leadership across multiple teams, and the bold bets he's making—like launching a new LinkedIn ads agency and buying others through his HoldCo, More Good Capital. From hiring to contracting, ...

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 his early agency experiences shaped his understanding of growth, and why he believes personal branding—especially on LinkedIn—is the most undervalued opportunity for agency owners today. The conversation explores cold email challenges, leveraging lead magnets, and AI’s growin...

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 two dig into the challenges of scaling, lessons from running managed marketplaces, and the operational trade-offs of productization. John shares what makes EditorNinja’s model sustainable, why flexible staffing is crucial, and how personal contentment plays a role in entrepren...

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. With a direct and practical style, she shares lessons from a decade of consulting and decades more in marketing across industries. From the value of a one-page strategy to the power of consistent branding and effective SEO, Susan highlights what works—and what wastes your time....

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 corporate banking to founding Leading Teams Inc., offering grounded insights from decades of working with leaders in startups and Fortune 100 companies. They examine common pitfalls founders face when transitioning from doers to leaders, discuss ego, decision fatigue, and the need...

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 path from a high school dropout to a leader in book marketing, sharing lessons on influence, mentorship, and entrepreneurial growth. The conversation explores Michael’s innovative outlining system that demystifies book writing for non-authors, the structure and strategy beh...

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 strategies, offering practical advice on pricing power, ideal client selection, and creating repeatable sales systems. They explore how agency owners can balance high-ticket services with scalable offerings, leverage AI for pipeline management, and design a business around thei...

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 building and selling a multi-million-dollar marketing business. He and Karl explore lessons learned in sales leadership, product positioning, business acquisition, and finding the right growth model. The conversation also touches on mentorship, consistency, and the balancing act ...

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 founders and leadership teams, Andy breaks down how childhood conditioning shapes modern fear, how it blocks business growth, and how entrepreneurs can start addressing it. Karl and Andy explore the differences between coaching and consulting, practical ways to spot ego-driven fe...

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 into growth marketing, how he built and scaled GrowthHit, and what led him to acquire a sweat-proof t-shirt brand. They explore the highs and lows of agency life, the challenges of e-commerce operations, and how AI and acquisition strategies are shaping their next moves. Tune i...

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 to agency collapse, the importance of pipeline visibility, and how to build a resilient, sellable business. Tony shares actionable insights on budgeting for growth, evaluating marketing channels, building a leadership team, and what buyers look for in an agency acquisition. ...

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 building high-performing sales teams within agencies. Together, they explore the challenges agency owners face in creating predictable and scalable sales pipelines, the critical role of SDRs and AEs, and why founder-led sales aren't always sustainable. Karlie breaks down the impor...

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 his journey from tech recruiting to becoming a partner at Hirewell, and why diversification in recruiting is key to surviving economic downturns. They discuss why employer prestige is often overrated, how global hiring is changing the job market, and what really moves the need...

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 importance of building strong relationships between partners, and strategies for creating a sustainable growth pipeline. Manuel reveals their approach to leadership development and the challenges of merging companies. They also explore the role of autonomy, structured frameworks, and...

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 businesses. Sam shares his journey from running a generalist video agency to selling it, launching a productized service, and now expanding through strategic acquisitions. Karl and Sam break down the power of productized services, how acquisitions can unlock new growth, and the cha...

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 to entrepreneurship, highlighting the importance of financial forecasting, pricing strategies, and sustainable agency growth. They discuss the challenges of scaling service-based businesses, how to escape the feast-and-famine cycle, and why many agency owners underinvest in ...

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 college to leading and selling multiple agencies, culminating in his role at Orbit Media. They discuss the evolution of digital agencies, the role of AI in marketing and optimization, and how agencies can leverage automation for smarter workflows. Corey also shares his perspecti...

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 growing agency, despite initially vowing never to hire employees. He discusses the challenges of scaling a strategy-driven service, the importance of hiring experienced talent, and how his approach differs from traditional agency models. The conversation explores the difficulty...