Today’s guest is someone who’s challenging the way businesses think about growth, relationships, and real human connection in a world that’s increasingly noisy and automated. Carl Gough is the founder of Meetmagic - a platform designed to transform how companies build partnerships, secure referrals, and create meaningful introductions at scale.

What started as a simple idea during COVID has evolved into a global ecosystem connecting thousands of executives and sales leaders across multiple countries - all built on a powerful belief: growth doesn’t come from more outreach, it comes from better connections.

In this conversation, Carl shares the real story behind building Meetmagic - from the early days running it alongside a side hustle just to pay the bills, to scaling a platform that has facilitated thousands of executive introductions and helped generate millions in charitable impact along the way.

We unpack why he believes traditional B2B marketing is fundamentally broken, why events and mass outreach are losing effectiveness, and how genuine, human-first conversations are becoming the most valuable currency in business today. Carl also opens up about the realities of building in competitive markets, dealing with criticism and skepticism, and why staying focused on purpose has been central to his journey.

We dive into the mindset behind scaling in tough environments, his strong views on innovation culture and productivity, and what ultimately drove his move to Dubai - where he’s now expanding Meetmagic globally and building partnerships that link business conversations directly to meaningful social impact.

This episode is honest, unfiltered, and packed with practical insights for founders, operators, sales leaders, and anyone curious about the future of business relationships.

Carl - welcome to the show.