Retained Trust

Karl Hughes

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.

  1. 4d ago

    Building Eight-Figure Agencies: John Ghiorso on Venture Studios, Market Timing, and AI

    In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with John Ghiorso, founder of VantaFive, a venture studio and accelerator focused on niche marketing agencies. John shares his journey from bootstrapping Orca Pacific into an eight-figure business to selling it in 2020 and launching a new model for agency growth. They explore the importance of market timing, building enterprise value, and using customer acquisition data to scale profitably. John explains how VantaFive identifies emerging opportunities, partners with entrepreneurs, and builds specialized agencies targeting rapid growth. The conversation also examines how artificial intelligence is transforming agency operations, why traditional production roles must evolve, and how founders can position their businesses for an AI-driven future. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Introduction [00:00:33] John Ghiorso's entrepreneurial background and journey from agency founder to launching VantaFive [00:01:48] How John turned an early Amazon sales opportunity into a successful agency business [00:04:20] The importance of continuous learning, reading, and connecting ideas to accelerate entrepreneurial growth [00:08:41] Transitioning Orca Pacific from a profitable lifestyle business into an eight-figure agency built to sell [00:11:38] Reinvesting profits into sales and marketing through a measured, incremental growth strategy [00:14:17] Using customer lifetime value, acquisition costs, and retention metrics to drive sustainable agency growth [00:17:13] The inspiration behind VantaFive and John's decision to build specialized agencies instead of pursuing traditional acquisitions [00:21:56] Why identifying emerging market trends and anticipating technological shifts are critical entrepreneurial skills [00:23:56] How VantaFive's venture studio model recruits entrepreneurs to launch and scale niche marketing agencies [00:25:56] VantaFive's goal of building agencies capable of reaching eight-figure revenue within three years [00:26:45] Identifying entrepreneurial leaders who can transition from scrappy startup founders to executives managing larger teams [00:28:55] How VantaFive reduces entrepreneurial risk through shared resources, compensation, and accelerated growth opportunities [00:30:20] Equity ownership, compensation, and incentives for entrepreneurs partnering with VantaFive [00:32:32] Inside VantaFive's studio and accelerator models and its portfolio of TikTok Shop, Reddit, LinkedIn, and short-form creative agencies [00:34:37] John's "comet theory" and how technological disruption creates opportunities for specialized agencies [00:39:33] Why strong market demand can make scaling a specialized agency significantly easier [00:40:24] How niche agencies can win Fortune 500 clients despite competition from established agencies of record [00:43:53] Rethinking agency operations around AI-powered production and human-led strategy, creativity, and client relationships [00:43:53] Why agency employees must develop management and delegation skills to effectively direct AI systems [00:50:37] How AI adoption could divide the agency industry between businesses that thrive and those that struggle to compete [00:51:34] Connecting with John through VantaFive's newsletter, LinkedIn, and agency partnership opportunities Links: John Ghiorso on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnghiorso/ VantaFive: https://www.vantafive.com/ Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughesProduction and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com

    Building Eight-Figure Agencies: John Ghiorso on Venture Studios, Market Timing, and AI
  2. Oct 20

    Beyond the Sales Playbook: Christina Brady on AI, Sales Training, and Leadership

    In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Christina Brady, CEO and Co-Founder of Luster.ai, about her journey from sales representative to startup founder. Christina shares lessons from her time at MetLife and Groupon, including the challenges of managing teams without proper leadership training. They examine why traditional sales methodologies often fall short and how Luster uses AI-powered predictive enablement to identify skill gaps before they impact revenue. The conversation also covers personalized coaching, building effective sales processes, and creating a culture where employees can grow beyond their leaders. Christina closes by sharing lessons from hosting her podcast, Taking the Lead, and the importance of giving people opportunities to share their expertise. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Introduction and Karl welcomes Christina to the show [00:00:38] Christina Brady introduces herself and her journey from sales operator to CEO and Co-Founder of Luster.ai [00:01:59] How Christina entered sales through the insurance industry during the financial crisis [00:06:03] Why salespeople don't have to love their products but should care about the problems they solve [00:08:22] Christina's transition from financial services to technology sales at Groupon [00:12:45] How launching a challenging sales territory at Groupon led to Christina's first management opportunity [00:15:56] The difficulties of managing 35 employees without leadership training and the importance of coaching [00:19:38] Why no single sales methodology works for every organization or customer-facing team [00:23:49] Understanding the difference between sales processes and methodologies to improve team performance [00:27:42] The recurring revenue performance challenges that inspired Christina to create Luster [00:30:04] How Luster uses predictive enablement to identify and address skill gaps before they impact revenue [00:33:26] Measuring the right sales skills and using existing data to create personalized training [00:36:49] Applying AI-powered coaching across sales, customer success, support, and management roles [00:39:15] The challenges of introducing a new software category and positioning Luster alongside existing sales tools [00:42:20] How leadership responsibilities evolve from managing individual contributors to leading other leaders [00:44:51] Why effective leaders should help employees grow beyond their own positions [00:47:05] Recognizing that employees have different career ambitions and personal motivations [00:48:19] Lessons from hosting Taking the Lead and helping guests overcome self-doubt to share their knowledge [00:50:22] Karl's observations on creating better podcast conversations and helping guests feel comfortable Links: Christina Brady on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinapbrady/Luster: https://www.luster.ai/Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughesProduction and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com

    Beyond the Sales Playbook: Christina Brady on AI, Sales Training, and Leadership
  3. Oct 13

    Building a Million-Dollar Agency: The Systems Behind Seven-Figure Growth

    In this solo episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes breaks down how service businesses can grow to $1 million in annual revenue. Drawing from his experience building and acquiring seven-figure agencies, Karl explains how to calculate the client base and pricing needed to reach the milestone, find service-market fit through customer conversations, and focus on a narrow beachhead market. He also covers referrals, demand capture, pricing for healthy margins, identifying operational bottlenecks, and hiring adaptable early employees. The episode offers a practical framework for building an agency that can consistently deliver value without requiring the founder to handle every step. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Introduction [00:00:20] Why $1 million in annual revenue is a useful milestone for an agency [00:01:59] Calculating the number of clients and price points needed to reach $1 million [00:03:20] Finding service-market fit before trying to force demand [00:04:41] Choosing a narrow niche and conducting customer research [00:05:13] Using 20–30 conversations to identify recurring customer problems [00:06:07] Understanding who controls the budget and purchasing decision [00:06:49] Turning recurring customer problems into a focused service offer [00:07:42] Using a beachhead market to create a repeatable starting point [00:08:52] How specialization strengthens positioning, messaging, and referrals [00:10:23] Taking strategic work outside your niche during the early stages [00:10:49] Why founder-led business development matters more than cold email [00:12:18] The difference between creating demand and capturing existing demand [00:13:37] Why optimization and outsourcing become necessary as an agency grows [00:14:17] Tracking the founder's time to identify the first tasks to delegate [00:15:12] Pricing services with enough margin to support future hiring [00:16:25] Finding and removing operational bottlenecks [00:17:28] Hiring adaptable “trailblazers” as the first employees [00:18:15] Building SOPs while protecting margins as the team expands [00:19:18] Managing temporary margin pressure when adding management layers [00:19:54] Combining the right offer, pricing, people, and delivery model to reach $1 million [00:20:22] Why service businesses do not need a revolutionary idea to grow [00:21:14] The characteristics shared by agencies that scale beyond $1 million [00:21:48] The core questions founders should ask before trying to generate more lead Links: Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughesProduction and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com Learn more from Karl's blog: https://www.karllhughes.com/posts/1million https://www.karllhughes.com/posts/scaling-services

    Building a Million-Dollar Agency: The Systems Behind Seven-Figure Growth
  4. Oct 6

    Growing a Podcast: Robert Tuchman and Adam Hendricks on Organic and Paid Audience Growth

    In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Robert Tuchman of Amaze Media Labs and Audience Lift, and Adam Hendricks of The Podcast Consultant, about what it takes to grow a podcast. They discuss who should start a podcast, why audience quality can matter more than raw download numbers, and the role of consistency, strong audio, compelling content, and host enthusiasm in organic growth. Robert explains the paid promotion options available to podcasters, including contextually targeted distribution through Audience Lift, while Adam and Karl examine the metrics that matter most for B2B shows, from watch-through and listen-through rates to referrals, conversions, and repeat engagement. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Introduction [00:00:32] Robert Tuchman’s path from hosting a podcast to building Amaze Media Labs and Audience Lift [00:04:29] Adam Hendricks’ introduction to podcasting and journey into podcast production [00:06:31] Which businesses should consider starting a podcast and why the goal behind the show matters [00:08:41] Using podcasts for thought leadership, brand awareness, and authentic conversations [00:13:35] Setting realistic expectations for organic podcast growth and building consistency early [00:15:49] Why reaching the right listeners can matter more than building the largest possible audience [00:23:37] The importance of strong audio, useful content, promotion, and video for podcast growth [00:26:17] Why host enthusiasm and a willingness to promote the show are essential for long-term growth [00:28:27] Defining the value a podcast adds before focusing on audience growth [00:32:13] Moving from organic podcast growth into paid promotion [00:33:07] How Audience Lift uses contextually relevant placements to promote podcasts to targeted audiences [00:38:21] Comparing paid podcast promotion options and the limitations of irrelevant download growth [00:45:36] Measuring listen-through, watch-through, conversions, and business impact [00:48:03] Tracking engagement, retention, and repeat listening alongside total downloads [00:50:57] Using calls to action to help turn podcast attention into business value [00:52:03] Audience Lift’s Preferred Apps product and directing listeners to their podcast app of choice [00:55:45] Adam Hendricks on The Podcast Consultant’s merger with Rise25 and combining operations Links: Robert Tuchman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberttuchman Amaze Media Labs: https://amazemedialabs.com/ Adam Hendricks on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-miller-hendricks/ Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughes Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com

    Growing a Podcast: Robert Tuchman and Adam Hendricks on Organic and Paid Audience Growth
  5. Sep 29

    Building a Podcast Agency That Lasts: Rachael King on Pod People, Creative Growth, and Trust

    In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Rachael King, founder and CEO of Pod People, about building a podcast production company over nearly a decade. Rachael shares how her background in social media and PR led her to podcasting, why audio is such an effective medium for building trust, and how Pod People grew steadily as a bootstrapped agency. They discuss creative excellence, paid podcast promotion, building the right leadership team, managing client concentration and margins, and why bigger is not always better. Rachael also explains why she wants to build a company she would be happy running indefinitely rather than pursuing growth for growth’s sake. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Introduction [00:00:50] Rachael introduces Pod People and explains how podcast production has expanded into multimedia, video, and social content [00:02:00] Rachael’s early career in social media and helping brands understand emerging platforms [00:04:16] Seeing podcasting as the next major opportunity for brands to build trust with audiences [00:05:41] How Rachael’s PR agency experience eventually led to starting a podcast-focused company [00:08:27] Pod People’s original business model combining full-service production with a curated freelancer marketplace [00:10:32] Why Rachael chose not to invest heavily in turning the freelancer marketplace into a technology platform [00:11:46] Choosing a bootstrapped agency model instead of pursuing outside funding and giving up control [00:13:05] Pod People’s slow and steady growth in revenue and team size [00:13:51] How Rachael’s leadership team and co-founder helped make long-term growth sustainable [00:15:16] Trusting a co-founder’s instincts when making important hiring decisions [00:16:11] Building a leadership team with complementary strengths across creative work, pricing, margins, and operations [00:18:13] Turning unused podcast concepts into a creative LinkedIn series [00:20:20] Using podcasts as the engine behind a broader content marketing strategy [00:21:00] Determining whether a podcast makes sense based on the audience, business goals, and desired cadence [00:22:54] What larger brands often underestimate about the amount of work required to produce a successful podcast [00:22:54] Redeveloping existing shows through creative strategy, competitive analysis, branding, hosts, and marketing [00:25:31] Why YouTube and LinkedIn can be powerful paid promotion channels for podcasts [00:25:31] Using paid media at launch to establish the right first audience and support organic growth [00:27:40] How long brands should give a podcast before judging whether it is working [00:28:56] What goes into producing award-winning narrative and documentary-style podcasts [00:31:14] Losing a major source of work during an acquisition and learning the risks of client concentration [00:32:59] Reassessing margins as an agency grows and its delivery model changes [00:34:08] Tracking employee time periodically without requiring constant time sheets [00:35:03] Why Rachael sees roughly 15 to 25 employees as a comfortable agency size [00:36:58] Maintaining creative quality as an agency grows by hiring people with different but complementary strengths [00:38:06] Pod People’s move toward more ambitious video podcasts and larger creative challenges [00:39:55] Building a company you would be happy running forever instead of building solely to sell [00:41:08] Why aspiring entrepreneurs may benefit from working inside other companies before starting their own [00:42:19] Learning entrepreneurship through a smaller bootstrapped business before attempting a larger venture-backed company [00:45:43] Rachael’s recommendation of Wintering and the importance of accepting different seasons in business and life [00:48:12] Rachael invites companies to submit themselves for Pod People’s podcast concept series Links: Rachael King on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelgking/ Pod People: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachaelgking/ Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughesProduction and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com

    Building a Podcast Agency That Lasts: Rachael King on Pod People, Creative Growth, and Trust
  6. Sep 22

    Why Audio Builds Trust: Jeff Large on Podcasting, Agency Growth, and Authority

    In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Jeff Large, founder of Come Alive Creative, about his path from teaching middle school to building a podcast-focused agency. Jeff explains how his company evolved from web development into audio production, why podcasts can create unusually strong trust and engagement, and how businesses can use audio to support authority, sales, education, and client relationships. They also discuss choosing the right clients, the founder’s role in sales, the rise of video podcasting, shifting client needs, and why agency owners should understand the difference between mastering a craft and building a business. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Introduction and Karl welcomes Jeff to the show [00:00:53] Jeff’s experience as a longtime podcaster and learning from people outside the podcast industry [00:02:24] Jeff’s background in multimedia, teaching, and technology [00:04:16] Leaving teaching after a cultural shift at his school and committing to entrepreneurship [00:07:11] How a board game podcast helped lay the foundation for Come Alive Creative’s move into podcast production [00:10:44] The growth of business podcasting and the shift from early adoption to broader interest [00:12:42] Come Alive Creative’s two primary client profiles and how the agency works across industries [00:15:58] Jeff’s evolving role as a founder, integrator, salesperson, and team leader [00:19:25] Why founders may have an advantage in sales when deciding which opportunities to walk away from [00:20:16] Client red flags, industry boundaries, trust, pricing, and choosing people you actually want to work with [00:22:58] Starting with the end goal when deciding whether and how to create a podcast [00:22:58] Using podcasts to build authority, create a content flywheel, support sales, and educate an audience [00:22:58] Examples of podcast strategies for a healthcare agency, a technical company, and former Secretary of Defense William Perry [00:28:25] Measuring podcast success based on the intended business outcome rather than public audience size alone [00:29:03] Using audio to scale relationships with clients and audiences [00:29:29] Why audio can create intimacy, trust, and a strong sense of proximity between hosts and listeners [00:33:08] Parasocial relationships and the connection listeners can develop with podcast hosts [00:35:46] The depth of podcast engagement compared with shorter-form content [00:37:12] Jeff’s view on video podcasting and when high-production video makes sense [00:37:12] Using video primarily for promotion and discovery while keeping long-form episodes focused on audio [00:41:22] The recurring challenge of attracting new clients and fixing bottlenecks as an agency grows [00:41:22] Staying close to the market by regularly talking with clients about their problems and buying decisions [00:46:17] How easier podcast production tools have changed the value proposition for podcast agencies [00:46:17] Understanding margins, technical expertise, and the difference between being good at a craft and running a business [00:50:03] Why someone who loves the work itself may not necessarily enjoy owning and operating an agency [00:51:17] Come Alive Creative’s expansion into live events, audiobooks, authority-building systems, and capturing everyday founder expertise Links: Jeff Large on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefflarge/Come Alive Creative: https://comealivecreative.com/Jeff Large website: https://www.jefflarge.com/Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughesProduction and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com

    Why Audio Builds Trust: Jeff Large on Podcasting, Agency Growth, and Authority
  7. Sep 15

    Building Relationships That Drive Business: Dr. Jeremy Weisz on Podcasting and Networking

    In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes speaks with Dr. Jeremy Weisz about using podcasting to build relationships, strengthen trust, and create business opportunities. Jeremy shares how his path from chiropractic to podcasting led to lasting professional relationships and eventually to building Rise25. They discuss why guest relationships can matter more than download numbers, how podcasts can shorten sales cycles, and ways businesses can use interviews to strengthen referral and strategic partnerships. Jeremy also explains his systems for staying in touch with contacts, choosing podcast guests, and using every episode as an intentional follow-up tool. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Karl welcomes Dr. Jeremy [00:01:12] Jeremy’s path from biochemistry and chiropractic to podcasting and relationship building [00:09:06] Doubling down on podcasting by increasing the number of conversations each week [00:10:38] Why relationship-focused businesses understood the value of podcasting early [00:14:38] Focusing on controllable relationships instead of podcast download numbers [00:15:56] Reaching out to lesser-known founders and executives for memorable conversations [00:17:36] Stories about connecting with Steve Wozniak, Savannah James, and other notable people [00:20:27] How Jeremy helped connect Tony Horton with Steve Nash through shared interests [00:24:35] Why entrepreneurs should be willing to ask and accept the possibility of rejection [00:25:51] How podcasts can build trust and shorten long sales cycles [00:28:37] Using a podcast to strengthen relationships with partners, clients, and referral sources [00:32:14] Why podcasting works especially well for high-trust agency sales [00:33:38] Building authority by sharing expertise and ideas through podcast content [00:35:05] Jeremy’s criteria for selecting guests and focusing on strategic relationships [00:37:58] Organizing a broader podcast into focused series for different audiences [00:38:57] Why a podcast name can stay broad while outreach and messaging remain specific [00:40:46] Jeremy’s daily habit for reconnecting with people in his network [00:42:23] Using CRM pipelines, accountability, and scheduled follow-ups to maintain relationships [00:43:52] Treating each podcast episode as a structured follow-up system [00:46:55] Building networking habits into the podcasting process [00:47:30] Using a simple framework to consistently mention and support important relationships Links: Dr. Jeremy Weisz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drweisz/Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughesRise25: https://rise25.com/Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com

    Building Relationships That Drive Business: Dr. Jeremy Weisz on Podcasting and Networking
  8. Sep 8

    Building a Podcast Portfolio: Karl Hughes and Manuel Weiss on Acquisitions, Integration, and Growth

    In this episode of Retained Trust, host Karl Hughes welcomes back his business partner, Manuel Weiss, for a personal and business update. Manuel shares his move from Vienna back to the U.S., while he and Karl explain why they are shifting their attention toward the podcasting industry. They discuss stepping back from Draft.dev, acquiring Sundial Media and Rise25, and their approach to integrating teams while preserving brands that serve distinct parts of the market. Karl and Manuel also examine how their roles are changing as they focus more on acquisitions, culture, delegation, and building repeatable integration systems. They close with their plans to grow through additional acquisitions, maintain healthy margins, expand services, and continue improving how their portfolio of podcast businesses operates. Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:00] Karl welcomes Manuel back to Retained Trust after the summer break [00:00:36] Manuel shares his move from Vienna back to the U.S. after receiving his green card [00:02:04] How living in the U.S. could create a more regulated workday for Manuel [00:02:38] Karl and Manuel step back from Draft.dev after bringing on a CEO [00:03:18] Why the partners decided to focus more heavily on the podcasting industry [00:05:55] Comparing the stability of the podcast business with the fluctuations of tech content marketing [00:07:40] Why owner-led podcast production companies are creating acquisition opportunities [00:08:29] Karl's approach to building relationships with potential buyers and sellers before an exit [00:10:12] Why integration and culture matter after an acquisition closes [00:10:52] Deciding when to preserve an acquired company's brand instead of merging it [00:12:56] How timing helped bring Sundial Media and Adam Hendricks into the business [00:13:28] Manuel reflects on the trust behind the Sundial acquisition and Adam's fit with the team [00:14:37] Why adding experienced operational leadership became increasingly important [00:16:53] Adam's new role as director of operations and the acquisition of Rise25 [00:17:48] Manuel explains the Rise25 due diligence process and signing the deal just after moving to the U.S. [00:19:33] How Karl's relationship with Rise25's founders developed into an acquisition opportunity [00:21:17] Why Jeremy Weiss's podcasting experience and relationship-based sales approach stood out [00:22:23] Differences between the Rise25 and Podcast Consultant team structures [00:24:56] Why different approaches to running a profitable business can all work [00:27:06] Building an operating layer above individual brands and developing repeatable integration systems [00:28:55] Lessons from Pilot's acquisition strategy about culture, consistency, and customer outcomes [00:32:33] Why Karl and Manuel plan to preserve separate brands when it makes sense [00:34:33] Using multiple brands to serve different segments of the business podcast market [00:35:58] How Rise25 and The Podcast Consultant serve different types of podcast customers [00:38:16] Creating reliable service and continuity for clients across a larger organization [00:39:15] How Karl and Manuel's responsibilities have changed as they step away from day-to-day operations [00:39:37] Manuel shifts from implementing process improvements himself to enabling team members [00:41:26] Karl spends less time on sales and more time supporting teams and sourcing acquisitions [00:43:19] Creating opportunities for others by stepping away from roles the owners do not want to perform [00:44:45] Building momentum while staying disciplined about which acquisition opportunities to pursue [00:46:29] Plans to acquire $1 million to $3 million in podcast production revenue per year [00:47:59] Manuel's goals around acquisition experience, delegation, and making more use of his U.S. location [00:49:27] Karl previews more Retained Trust episodes focused on podcasting and lessons for agency owners Links: Manuel Weiss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuelweiss1986/ Karl Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karllhughesRise25: https://rise25.com/ Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant: https://thepodcastconsultant.com

    Building a Podcast Portfolio: Karl Hughes and Manuel Weiss on Acquisitions, Integration, and Growth

About

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.