Built to Change: How Modern Agencies Evolve in the Age of Intelligence
ABOUT EPISODE
In this episode, Adam Weil sits down with Carl Smith, Owner of The Bureau, to unpack how the agency model is shifting as AI becomes deeply embedded in the work clients expect. Carl shares why he believes the traditional expertise model is reaching its limit. With clients now tapping into the same tools and information as agencies, the real value is no longer about knowing what can be done. It is about guiding clients toward what they should do and knowing where AI falls short.
The conversation explores what this evolution looks like in practice, from moving away from transactional deliverables to building true partnership models with shared KPIs, accountability based pricing, and long term collaboration. Carl challenges the idea that scale is the only path forward and outlines a future centered on smaller, highly specialized teams working closely with a handful of committed clients. Throughout the discussion, he highlights the human skills that matter more than ever like reading a room, earning trust, and knowing when to push back.
Carl also digs into the operational side of this shift. He talks about treating business development as a relationship driven function rather than a volume play, the growing role of fractional leadership, and how marketplaces of specialized agencies can work together to support complex client needs. His perspective comes from hundreds of conversations within The Bureau community along with lessons from his own years running shops. For agency leaders navigating an AI saturated market, Carl offers a grounded path forward that centers on focus, collaboration, and the irreplaceable value of human judgment.
GUEST BIO
Carl Smith leads The Bureau, a community for agency leaders to connect, learn, and grow. He has hosted over 500 workshops, webinars, talks, and masterminds, giving him a front-row view of what works in modern agency leadership. Known for human-focused leadership and practical insight, he's a trusted voice in the creative and digital services space. His upcoming book, Built to Change: Designing the Agency of Tomorrow, explores how AI, shifting agency models, and more sophisticated clients are reshaping knowledge work, offering a clear roadmap for leaders ready to reinvent.
Through private masterminds, live events, and a highly engaged Slack community, affectionately known as a “therapy group for agency leaders”, he creates space for founders to trade hard-won lessons on positioning, pricing, AI adoption, and the realities of leadership. Outside The Bureau, Carl is an avid distance runner and writes about leadership, loyalty, and second chances.