[Top Agency Series] Trust, Positioning, and Smarter Agency Acquisitions With Karl Hughes

Karl Hughes is the CEO of The Podcast Consultant, a podcast production company that helps business and financial industry experts build authority and generate long-term value through audio and video content. He also serves as CEO of Rise25, where he helps B2B companies generate clients, referrals, and strategic partnerships through podcasts, and is the Founder of Draft.dev, a developer content agency he launched in 2020. Karl also hosts Retained Trust, a podcast featuring conversations with digital service entrepreneurs about building, scaling, and selling successful service agencies. In this episode… Acquiring an agency can accelerate growth, but a successful deal requires far more than finding a profitable business and agreeing on a price. Buyers must evaluate the people, financials, positioning, and long-term fit while preserving the strengths that made the company valuable in the first place. What does it take to make an agency acquisition work well beyond the closing table? For Karl Hughes, a former software engineer turned multi-business entrepreneur and experienced agency acquirer, the strongest deals are built on trust, careful due diligence, and post-acquisition patience. He highlights the importance of choosing a buyer or seller you can work with throughout diligence, transition, and any long-term payout structure, rather than focusing solely on the biggest number. Buyers also need the discipline to observe before making major changes, since established teams, processes, and client relationships may already be working well. As acquisition experience grows, criteria can become more flexible, allowing buyers to recognize opportunities in companies with solid revenue or leadership even when the financials are not perfect. Karl also emphasizes the value of sharpening a company's positioning after acquisition by identifying where it already succeeds and doubling down on that niche. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Karl Hughes, CEO of The Podcast Consultant, to discuss smarter agency acquisitions. They explore building trust with sellers, refining acquisition criteria, and positioning acquired companies for growth. Karl also shares how to integrate businesses without disrupting what already works.

Matt Watson is the Founder and CEO of Full Scale, an offshore software development company that helps U.S. companies build dedicated software engineering teams in the Philippines. A four-time tech founder and longtime CTO, he previously co-founded VinSolutions, an automotive software company that AutoTrader.com acquired in 2011, and later founded the developer-tools company Stackify. Matt brings more than 20 years of engineering and startup leadership experience to helping companies build and scale high-performing software teams. He is also the author of Product Driven and host of the Startup Hustle podcast. In this episode… As AI transforms how companies build software, they are rethinking what it takes to scale development teams without sacrificing quality, speed, or accountability. With global talent and increasingly capable AI tools changing the economics of software development, how can leaders build teams that are both more efficient and more effective? According to Matt Watson, a serial SaaS founder and longtime software leader, companies can scale development more effectively by combining offshore talent with AI-powered workflows while keeping human judgment at the center. He highlights how staff augmentation allows Philippines-based developers to work directly within a company's existing teams instead of operating as a separate outsourced unit. This approach can give businesses greater flexibility and access to experienced talent while maintaining stronger team integration. Matt also explains how AI tools, MCP servers, and shared plugins can streamline operations by connecting business systems, surfacing information, and standardizing repeatable workflows. As AI accelerates execution, he emphasizes that product thinking becomes even more valuable because teams still need people who can determine what to build, why it matters, and whether the outcome actually serves the customer. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Matt Watson, Founder and CEO of Full Scale, to discuss the future of software teams. They explore offshore staff augmentation, AI-powered business workflows, and why product thinking matters more as development accelerates. Matt also shares how AI is reshaping marketing and website development.

Sequoya Borgman is the Founder and CEO of Borgman Capital, a private equity firm focused on acquiring and growing lower middle-market businesses across the United States. Since founding the firm in 2017, Sequoya has led investments in more than 20 companies and built a network of over 500 accredited investors. With over two decades of mergers and acquisitions experience, including leadership roles at RSM US LLP and KPMG LLP, Sequoya brings expertise in deal structuring, due diligence, and value creation. His investment philosophy emphasizes trust, long-term value creation, and preserving the legacies of the business owners he partners with. In this episode… Building a successful investment firm takes more than financial expertise — it requires resilience, calculated risk-taking, and the ability to keep moving when deals fall apart. But what happens when years of preparation lead to a major setback just as an entrepreneurial dream is beginning? For Sequoya Borgman, a private equity leader with more than two decades of mergers and acquisitions experience, resilience, relationships, and a strong work ethic are essential to turning setbacks into opportunities. He highlights how lessons from a humble upbringing shaped his approach to risk, persistence, and business. When his first planned acquisition collapsed at the last minute, he relied on relationships and persistence to secure an even better opportunity. These experiences ultimately shaped his thoughtful approach to deal-making, company growth, and long-term partnerships with business owners. He also emphasizes the importance of trust, careful evaluation, and adapting to changing market conditions. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Sequoya Borgman, Founder and CEO of Borgman Capital, to discuss building a resilient private equity firm. They explore turning failed deals into opportunities, evaluating businesses, and building lasting relationships with owners and investors. Sequoya also shares lessons from navigating COVID-19, changing valuations, and successful exits.

Joseph Lee is the Co-founder and CEO of Supademo, an AI-powered platform that helps teams create interactive product demos and guides for sales, marketing, onboarding, and customer education. He leads Supademo's product vision and growth, building intuitive, self-guided experiences that enable companies to simplify product education and drive engagement. Previously, Joseph co-founded Freshline, a B2B e-commerce platform for food distributors, where he served as CPO and led product strategy and execution from customer insight through product development. In this episode… Product demos are no longer just a sales tool — they can shape how prospects understand a product, how customers learn to use it, and how teams drive adoption at scale. But what makes a demo effective enough to move users from curiosity to real product value? Joseph Lee, a two-time startup founder and product builder, says the most effective demos help customers understand value faster by letting them experience a product rather than passively watch it. He highlights the power of interactive, self-serve experiences that can support sales, onboarding, training, enablement, and product education. Supademo's product-led approach also allows users to experience advanced features through reverse trials, while AI helps teams personalize, translate, maintain, and scale demos more efficiently. As these experiences become more intelligent and agentic, companies can guide users through workflows with less friction and help them reach meaningful outcomes sooner. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz speaks with Joseph Lee, Co-founder and CEO of Supademo, about using product demos to accelerate sales, onboarding, and adoption. They discuss interactive self-serve demos, AI-powered personalization, and in-app product education. Joseph also shares how Supademo evolved from SaaS into an agentic demo platform.

Sim Desai is the Founder and CEO of Hiive, a marketplace that provides liquidity for private company shares. Since its commercial launch in 2022, Hiive has surpassed $5 billion in closed transaction volume and reached a $123 million revenue run rate while maintaining profitability. With nearly two decades of experience in private equity and secondary markets, Sim is passionate about bringing greater transparency and efficiency to the private-company secondary market. In this episode… What if employees and investors had a clearer path to unlock the value of private company shares before an IPO? As private markets continue to grow, what would it take to make liquidity more transparent, efficient, and accessible? For Sim Desai, a private markets and secondary-market expert, technology can transform an opaque, fragmented private share market into a more centralized, automated marketplace. He highlights how structured liquidity options, the Hiive50 index, and a dual-sided marketplace can give shareholders greater access while allowing companies to maintain control. These innovations bring greater transparency, efficiency, and flexibility to private market transactions. Sim also shares lessons from building trust, creating network effects, and using automation to scale. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Sim Desai to discuss the evolution of private market liquidity. They explore private stock trading, the Hiive50, and employee equity access. Sim also shares lessons on competitive intelligence, growth, and entrepreneurship.

Douglas Feller is the Founder of MyHarvest, a personal growth platform offering free courses, career resources, housing support, and tools to help people build stability and opportunity. An entrepreneur with experience in real estate investing and asphalt business ownership, he rebuilt his career after serving time in federal prison, later building and selling his asphalt company. His own experience with the challenges of reentry helped inspire MyHarvest's mission. Today, Douglas focuses on creating resources that support personal growth, skills, second chances, and stronger paths forward for people from diverse backgrounds. Tom Ruwitch is the Founder and CEO of Story Power Marketing, a marketing company that helps experts create compelling, client-attracting content through storytelling. A content marketing pioneer with more than 30 years of experience, he helps business leaders turn expertise into clear messaging, stronger connections, and business growth. He is also the Founder and CEO of Implementum, which combines strategy, technology, and done-for-you teams to simplify and accelerate growth. Earlier, Tom founded email marketing company MarketVolt in 2001, expanding his work in digital marketing, automation, and business growth. In this episode… Sustainable growth rarely comes from adding more tools, tactics, or ideas just for the sake of doing more. The real advantage comes from choosing resources that sharpen your thinking, strengthen your systems, and help you act with greater intention. So what does smarter growth actually look like in practice? Douglas Feller and Tom Ruwitch suggest that smarter growth comes from combining the right resources with focused systems, practical learning, and a willingness to keep improving. They highlight the value of mentors, specialization, proven frameworks, technology, and curiosity as tools for making better business decisions. Douglas emphasizes learning through experience, surrounding yourself with strong mentors, and knowing when to focus on a specific niche, while Tom stresses connecting strategy, technology, and team into one cohesive system. Tom also explains how customized AI and automation can turn conversations and existing content into useful marketing assets rather than generic output. Together, their insights show that sustainable growth is less about chasing every new tactic and more about building systems that help ideas translate into consistent action. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz speaks with Douglas Feller and Tom Ruwitch about the tools and ideas behind smarter growth. They explore valuable business resources, stronger marketing systems, and practical uses of AI and automation. Douglas and Tom also share lessons on mentorship, storytelling, curiosity, and turning knowledge into action.

Nir Eyal is a bestselling author, behavioral science expert, and keynote speaker who helps individuals and organizations understand how psychology and technology shape human behavior. He is the author of the bestselling books Hooked, Indistractable, and Beyond Belief, which have sold over one million copies, been translated into over 30 languages, and earned recognition from The New York Times, Amazon, Audible, and The Globe and Mail. A former Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer, Nir has worked with organizations, including JPMorgan Chase and the US Air Force and invested in companies including Canva and Kahoot. He helps people build better habits, improve focus, and reach their full potential. In this episode… Why do some people turn knowledge into lasting change while others remain stuck in the same patterns? We have access to more books, podcasts, and expert advice than ever before, yet lasting transformation often feels out of reach. If information isn't the problem, what is the missing piece that drives real change? Nir Eyal, bestselling author and behavioral science expert, says lasting change begins by examining the beliefs behind our actions. He explains that sustained motivation depends not only on knowing what to do and understanding the benefits, but also on having beliefs that support persistence. Rather than treating beliefs as fixed truths, Nir encourages viewing them as tools that can be tested and reshaped. He illustrates this through examples ranging from Serena Williams' coach using "belief hacking" to build confidence to Amazon's "Day One" philosophy of continual innovation. He also shares practical methods, including inquiry-based stress reduction, to help people challenge limiting beliefs, improve relationships, and unlock greater personal and professional potential. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Nir Eyal to discuss how beliefs shape performance, leadership, and personal growth. They explore why persistence matters more than talent, how leaders cultivate empowering beliefs, and practical ways to reframe limiting mindsets. Nir also shares why questioning common psychological assumptions can lead to better decisions and lasting change.

Jarrette Schule is the Founder and CTO of TenFore Golf, a cloud-based, all-in-one management platform built for golf courses and recreational facilities. He founded the company in 2015 after recognizing the limitations of legacy golf management systems. As TenFore's lead architect, Jarrette directs its technology vision and product development, creating mobile-first tools that help single- and multi-course facilities streamline operations, increase revenue, and improve the golfer experience.  In this episode… Golf courses often juggle outdated systems for tee times, payments, food service, reporting, and customer engagement. What does it take to replace those fragmented systems with one platform designed around how modern facilities operate? Jarrette Schule, a lifelong software developer with decades of experience building technology, explains that successful golf management software must address the entire operation rather than solve one isolated problem. He highlights the importance of listening to course operators, validating recurring needs, and designing tools around real-world workflows. This customer-led approach helped transform an on-course beverage-ordering concept into a connected platform spanning tee sheets, point-of-sale, booking, payments, food and beverage, reporting, and self-service kiosks. By bringing an outside technology perspective to golf, Jarrette identified opportunities that legacy providers had overlooked. He also uses a "rule of three" to prioritize features that deliver value across multiple customers instead of reacting to every individual request. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz speaks with Jarrette Schule, Founder and CTO of TenFore Golf, to discuss building an all-in-one platform for modern golf operations. They explore the product's evolution, customer-led development, and growth through multi-course operators. Jarrette also shares lessons from SaaS pricing, payment integrations, and moving from CEO to CTO.

Raveesh Dewan is the President and CEO of Joget Inc., a technology company that provides an open, AI-powered low-code platform for building, automating, and integrating enterprise applications. Under his leadership, Joget has continued to expand as a global enterprise platform used by Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and organizations across more than 100 countries. Before joining Joget, Raveesh held executive roles at CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, helping shape its business and technology roadmaps. His work centers on digital transformation, open innovation, and responsible enterprise AI adoption. In this episode… Organizations face a critical challenge: modernizing legacy systems without sacrificing speed, security, or flexibility. As AI transforms enterprise software development, how can businesses accelerate digital transformation while staying in control? For Raveesh Dewan, an engineer, open-source advocate, and enterprise technology leader, the answer lies in combining low-code development with AI while keeping organizations in control of their technology. He highlights that simply automating inefficient processes only creates faster inefficiencies, making process improvement just as important as automation. From helping a telecommunications company replace a legacy ERP system in under nine months to enabling a hospice to digitize patient records and improve patient care, he demonstrates how visual application development can solve complex business challenges. Raveesh also explains the rise of "vibe composition," the advantages of open-source platforms, and how reusable applications help organizations innovate more quickly without sacrificing governance or scalability. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, host Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Raveesh Dewan, President and CEO of Joget Inc., to discuss building AI-powered enterprise application platforms. They explore how to avoid the pitfalls of automating broken processes, replace legacy ERP systems with low-code solutions, and use AI-driven visual app composition to accelerate innovation. 

Brian Nolan is the Co-owner of Darren & Phillip, a purpose-driven lifestyle brand creating premium matching apparel and accessories for dog lovers and their dogs. He leads the brand's American growth, strategy, and e-commerce expansion while advancing its mission to support dog rescue organizations worldwide. Before acquiring the company, Brian co-founded and led Sellbrite and BookOutdoors, which were acquired by GoDaddy and Hipcamp, respectively. A USC Marshall School of Business alumnus, he draws on extensive experience in entrepreneurship, product development, marketing, and e-commerce to build customer-focused brands that combine commercial growth with meaningful social impact. In this episode… Building a successful software company and buying an established consumer brand require very different operating skills. When a founder moves from SaaS exits into e-commerce ownership, how can past experience create an advantage without obscuring the realities of inventory, brand identity, and customer behavior? According to Brian Nolan, the transition from startup exits to brand ownership requires proven growth instincts and a willingness to relearn the fundamentals. He emphasizes evaluating repeat purchases, unit economics, and audience engagement before an acquisition. After taking over Darren & Phillip, he improved systems, expanded sales channels, refined the product line, and repositioned the brand as a premium, human-first lifestyle company. The experience also showed him the impact of founder visibility and the value of longer transitions, performance-based incentives, disciplined inventory planning, authentic storytelling, and a clear brand identity. In this episode of the Inspired Insider Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz sits down with Brian Nolan, Co-owner of Darren & Phillip, to discuss moving from SaaS exits to building a stronger e-commerce brand. Brian explains how he evaluated and acquired Darren & Phillip, repositioned its products and identity, and managed complex inventory challenges. He also shares lessons on seller transitions, acquisition incentives, and using Shopify and AI to guide decisions.