Agency Forward 085 Carl Smith: Why Traditional Agencies Are Getting Left Behind
Hey everyone, today I'm joined by Carl Smith.
Carl is the founder of The Bureau, a community for digital agency leaders focused on connection, support, and operational excellence.
He previously ran a successful agency with a radically autonomous model and now helps shops modernize how they lead, hire, and scale. Carl’s insights come from hundreds of deep conversations with owners navigating the post-AI, post-pandemic world.
I wanted to have Carl on because most agency owners are clinging to outdated models while the industry is reshaping beneath them—and he’s seen what’s working now.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why agency complacency is the real threat in 2026
- What the “jellyfish model” teaches about scalable freedom
- How AI is making clients savvier than ever
- And more...
You can learn more about Carl on LinkedIn.
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