Ep. 58 - The New World of Thought Leadership & Social Selling in 2026: The Do’s and Don’ts with Tim Hughes

In this episode, hosts Grant Evans and Justin Hanna are joined by Tim Hughes, CEO & Co-Founder of DLA Ignite and author of Social Selling: Techniques to Influence Buyers and Changemakers, to unpack what’s actually working in social selling and thought leadership in 2026 — and what needs to be left behind.Tim breaks down why, despite years of hype, social selling is more relevant than ever, driven by shifting buyer behaviour and the growing importance of trust before a sales conversation even begins. The discussion dives into how LinkedIn has evolved, what the algorithm really rewards today, and why most people still get the fundamentals wrong.They also explore why financial services continues to lag, how organisations can balance compliance with authentic content, and why the biggest missed opportunity sits with the C-suite not showing up publicly. From practical do’s and don’ts to the habits that separate those who win from those who give up, this episode is a clear guide to turning content into a real commercial lever.Plus, Tim steps up for The Payments Shed’s legendary Shelf of Shame — calling out one thing in sales and LinkedIn culture he’d happily banish forever.***The Payments Shed Podcast is headline sponsored by ISX Financial.ISX Financial, delivers a unified ecosystem with multi-currency accounts, online payments,  real-time UK and EU transfers and global mass payouts. Within that platform, PaidBy® provides Pay by Bank with real-time settlement notifications, automated reconciliation and integrated refund management. One partner, one integration — helping your business transact with confidence. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.isx.financial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***The Payments Shed Podcast is sponsored by Cyclops.Cyclops is a crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform for payments companies, enabling PSPs, acquirers and processors to offer crypto acceptance, stablecoin settlement and payouts without building their own blockchain stack. It provides a unified solution for pay ins, payouts and fiat to digital asset conversion, with simple API or low code integration. Built specifically for the payments ecosystem, Cyclops focuses on making stablecoins practical, scalable and commercially viable.Learn more at - https://www.cyclops.io/***The Payments Shed Podcast is supported by PCN.PCN is a boutique recruitment agency rooted in Amsterdam, driven by a singular mission: connecting top talent with industry leaders. PCN specialises in five core pillars — Fintech, Cybersecurity, SaaS, E-Commerce, and Salesforce — backed by a global network across borders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://teampcn.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠***Disclaimer. Any views or opinions referenced in this podcast episode are our own, or those of our respective guests, and they do not represent any views, opinions, or statements from our respective employers, or those of our guests. Additionally, any views expressed here are not intended as investment, legal, tax, or financial advice.