Want to know what it takes to build, scale, and sell your agency?
Retained Trust is a weekly podcast where host Karl Hughes goes deep with digital service business owners to uncover the habits, tactics, and strategies they’ve learned to grow successful companies. Along the way, you’ll hear about Karl’s journey running and acquiring niche digital agencies as he learns from guests with a variety of backgrounds and experience levels.
Recent Episodes
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...
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