People trust people, not logos - Stef Lait, Sphere of Influence

Agencies spend millions on paid media every year, yet the most powerful channel they have often sits unused. Not a platform. Not an ad format. But the people at the top of the business. Founder-led and executive-led influence isn't about becoming a creator. It's about trust, credibility, and showing up where decisions are made.Stef Lait is Founding Director at Sphere of Influence, a human-first, insights-led B2B influencer marketing agency. She spent 10+ years working in PR, social media, and influencer marketing at OST before taking the plunge to launch her own practice. And in that decade, she watched influence shift from being a transactional relationship with external creators to something that comes from within - employee advocates, founder-led advocacy, people who represent the brand because they are the brand.But here's what Stef kept seeing: some agencies doing it brilliantly, founders building genuine trust and visibility. And many others ignoring the opportunity entirely, treating influence as something you outsource rather than something you embody. The Edelman Trust Barometer has shown for years that brand trust continues to diminish. Voices matter more. People don't trust logos. They trust people. They trust faces.So why aren't more agency founders stepping up? Stef asks the uncomfortable question: what are you afraid of? If you want your teams to step outside their comfort zones and take risks, you need to be willing to do the same. Lead by example. Get upfront. Especially in the beginning when you're not a well-known brand yet, having someone who is the face of your agency isn't optional - it's essential.This episode tackles the tension every agency leader faces: how do you build founder-led influence when it feels unnatural, uncomfortable, or simply not "who you are"? And what's the cost of staying invisible when business is happening in DMs, on LinkedIn, and in conversations you're not part of?About Supo:Supo provides people-first intelligence software for professional services firms, helping businesses maximise profit and motivate their people through powerful, AI-enabled business intelligence dashboards. By connecting over 500+ platforms and providing real-time data analysis, Supo helps firms make better data-driven decisions about their profit, projects, and people.For more information about Supo: ⁠www.supo.co.ukAbout Sphere of Influence:Sphere of Influence is a human-first, insights-led B2B influencer marketing agency. Born out of a love for meeting new people, collaboration, and making real, measurable impact for businesses, Sphere helps brands and agencies explore or scale their B2B influencer marketing efforts while managing risks. After 15+ years working both brand-side and agency-side in PR, social media, and influencer marketing, Stef Lait launched Sphere to solve the resource and budget challenges businesses face when exploring emerging marketing sectors. Whether you're dipping your toe in influencer waters or ready to scale your campaign, Sphere manages the entire process from beginning to end - strategically, authentically, and with measurable results.For more information about Sphere of Influence: https://www.sphereofinfluence.org/Ready to discover why the most powerful channel you have isn't a platform - it's you? This episode isn't about becoming a creator. It's about leading by example and showing up where trust is built.