Last Thursday, we packed a room in Provo, Utah with 75+ agency owners, freelancers, and marketing leaders. The topic was supposed to be AI. It turned into a conversation about trust.
We partnered with Pressable and Big Red Jelly to host a real Utah agency community event with an honest room talking about what is actually changing in agency life in 2026.
AI Made Everyone Fast. Now What?
Kevin McGillivray, CMO at Pressable, part of the Automattic family, delivered the keynote. His thesis in one line:
“Technology scales output. Only humans scale trust.” — Kevin McGillivray, CMO, Pressable
He dropped a stat that hit hard: 85% of workers are still underutilizing AI for high-value tasks. Not because the tools are missing but because the clarity is missing. Most agencies are using AI to rewrite subject lines when they should be rethinking their entire service model.
And here is the bigger problem: when every agency can produce at the same speed and cost, speed stops being a differentiator. It becomes the baseline. Speed is no longer a moat for agencies in 2026. It is table stakes.
Trust and Context Are What Scale Agencies Now
Kevin laid out a framework for what replaces speed:
- Community builds trust. Show up for the same people repeatedly. Familiarity becomes credibility.
- Trust builds context. When people trust you, they share their real goals and constraints.
- Context accelerates growth. Shared context reduces friction and shortens decision cycles. No AI tool can replicate that.
He also drew a sharp line between strategic and transactional partnerships. Transactional partners compete on cost and disappear when a cheaper option shows up. Strategic partners ask better questions, invest in mutual growth, and compound over time. The best ones come from communities, not cold outreach.
The Panel Got Real
A fireside panel with Utah agency leaders surfaced three moments worth noting:
- One panelist shared how a single unplanned conversation at an in-person event turned into a major referral partnership. No pitch. No automation. Just two people in the same room having a genuine exchange.
- On client relationships: The consensus was uncomfortable. By the time you notice the disconnect, you are already behind. Proactive investment in relationships is not optional.
- On agency growth: Multiple panelists agreed that “who” matters more than “how” right now. Tactics are searchable. Trust is not.
5 Takeaways Worth Screenshotting
AI Is Not the Advantage, Knowing Where to Aim It Is
85% of workers underutilize AI for high-value work. The real opportunity is strategic application, not just basic automation.
Speed Is Table Stakes Now
AI equalized output. If your pitch is “we are faster and cheaper,” you are competing on a dimension that no longer differentiates. Stop selling speed. Start selling judgment.
Trust and Context Are the New Edge
Technology scales output. Humans scale trust. Community builds trust, trust builds context, and context accelerates growth. These advantages cannot be replicated by a competitor using the same AI tools.
Strategic Partners Beat Transactional Vendors Every Time
The best partnerships are about alignment and mutual growth, not cost. Growth happens faster inside strong networks and the Utah agency ecosystem proves it.
Do Not Automate the Magic
As digital production gets commoditized, human connection becomes premium. Double down on the things clients cannot get from a tool – strategy, empathy, creativity, and genuine relationships.
What’s Next
The evening closed with breakout discussions that moved attendees from listening to participating, reinforcing the core theme that isolation slows growth, and community accelerates it.
If you were in the room, thank you. If you missed it, we can’t wait to see you at the next one.
Hosted in collaboration with Pressable and Big Red Jelly. Special thanks to Kevin McGillivray and our panelists.
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