Future Fuzz - The Digital Marketing Podcast Ep. 102 - From Designer to Dealmaker - Karl Loudon
In this inspiring episode of Future Fuzz, host Justin Campbell speaks with Karl Loudon, a former designer turned serial entrepreneur and now a commercial leader at Rise at Seven. Karl recounts his remarkable journey from running a boutique design studio to leading successful exits from three agencies and helping generate over £20 million in annual revenue. He reflects on embracing failure, finding his strength in client relationships, and the value of mentorship.
Karl introduces the concept of "Selling with Soul" - a human, values-driven approach to B2B sales - and shares how soulful, intentional selling can shape entire buyer experiences. He and Justin also dive into the evolution of CRMs, the power of commercial culture, and the overlooked importance of creating video content to stay top-of-mind. This episode is a must-listen for agency founders, sales professionals, and creatives interested in balancing growth with authenticity.
Guest Bio
Karl Loudon is a serial founder, commercial leader, and passionate advocate for soulful selling. With a background in design and a career spanning over 15 years in creative and media agencies, Karl has helped build and exit three companies, most notably contributing to the growth and acquisition of Moobaloo by IPG. He has worked with enterprise clients and helped scale teams from 5 to 500+ people. Now at Rise at Seven, he champions authentic commercial growth and content marketing. A TEDx speaker and DJ in a past life, Karl brings creativity, strategy, and soul into everything he does.
Takeaways
Selling with soul means prioritizing genuine human connections over transactional tactics.
Failure often serves as a catalyst for personal growth and professional success.
Strong mentorship and feedback can unlock new career paths.
Thoughtful, soulful experiences throughout the sales funnel are as vital as UX or CX.
CRMs and sales infrastructure must serve the team, not burden them.
Creating content - especially video - builds credibility and keeps agencies top-of-mind.
Commercial culture thrives when revenue goals are shared and celebrated collectively.
Chapters
00:00 - Welcome to Future Fuzz and Introduction to Karl Loudon
01:16 - From Design to Entrepreneurship: Karl’s Origin Story
03:48 - Lessons from Failing Early and Learning Sales
05:19 - TED Talk on Failure and Embracing Change
06:18 - Realizations from Mentors and Growing with Moobaloo
10:52 - What "Selling with Soul" Really Means
14:20 - The Sales Experience: SX and Soulful Journey Design
19:35 - Hustle to Infrastructure: Lessons in Scaling Agencies
22:56 - CRMs and Revenue Operations in Modern Agencies
25:35 - Building Commercial Culture Through Shared Goals
27:19 - The Power of Content and Video in Demand Generation
30:29 - Consistency Beats Perfection in Content Creation
32:26 - Embracing Individuality: Culture and Confidence in Contentt