From Growth to Grit: How HubSpot Agencies Are Preparing for 2026

This episode of the H2H Sales Automation Podcast was recorded live in London during the GROW Europe event. Host Bart Kowalczyk, CEO of AutomateNow, was joined by the team from Baskey Digital to reflect on the past year, talk openly about AI adoption, and share honest predictions for what agency life may look like in 2026.

The conversation wasn’t about hype or shiny tools. Instead, it focused on real agency challenges: growth, clarity, learning, and how to stay human in a world moving faster than ever.

  • 17 min

Ep 28 - How HubSpot Agencies Are Preparing for 2026

H2H Sales Automation Podcast

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Looking Back: Growth Brings New Questions

As agencies grow, their problems change. More tools, more data, and more clients don’t always lead to better decisions. The group reflected on how many companies rush into AI without first understanding what they want to achieve.

Brian Mackey, Founder of Baskey Digital, explained that data alone doesn’t create value:

“A lot of organisations are focused on collecting as much data as possible. But once they have it, they don’t know what action it should influence.”

The key insight was clear: before adding AI, businesses need clarity. Otherwise, automation simply speeds up confusion.

How AI Changed the Way Teams Learn

One of the biggest shifts over the past year has been how people learn. AI has removed many of the barriers that once stopped teams from exploring new skills or ideas. Instead of long training cycles, people can now test, learn, and adapt in real time.

Steven Marshall from AutomateNow described this change as empowering rather than threatening:

“I feel like I have a teacher now. Nothing feels like a waste of time anymore because AI fills the gaps so quickly.”

This mindset has helped teams become more confident, curious, and open to change — especially in areas that once felt too technical or risky.

Technology Is Faster — But Trust Is Human

While AI improves speed and productivity, the group agreed that it also creates a new challenge: everything starts to sound perfect. Perfect emails. Perfect content. Perfect messaging. And perfection can feel fake.

Bart pointed out something many people feel but rarely say out loud:

“People like seeing mistakes. Human isn’t perfect. And that’s what builds trust.”

In sales and marketing especially, trust comes from honesty, emotion, and real experience — not polished outputs. AI can support the work, but it shouldn’t remove the personality behind it.

Looking Ahead to 2026: Curiosity Over Certainty

As the conversation turned to the future, one theme connected everyone’s plans: curiosity. No one claimed to have all the answers. Instead, the focus was on learning faster, building smarter, and staying open to change.

The group shared goals around building scalable products, educating clients, and helping businesses use AI without losing their identity. Rather than chasing every new tool, the priority for 2026 is intention — using technology with purpose and people at the center.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a snapshot of where HubSpot agencies are right now: between growth and uncertainty, excitement and caution. AI is here to stay, but the agencies that win will be the ones that combine smart automation with human judgment, creativity, and empathy.

As Bart said during the conversation, this podcast also acts as a time capsule. In 2026, we’ll be able to look back and see how these ideas evolved — and which ones truly mattered.

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