Fully Managed

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. The Power of Storytelling in Marketing: Logan emphasizes that authentic stories build trust and connection with customers, contrasting this with aggressive sales tactics that often lead to skepticism and mistrust.

2. The Importance of Integrity in Business: Having learned from unethical practices early in his career, Logan prioritizes integrity and ethical conduct, highlighting how this approach fosters long-term client relationships and a positive reputation.

3. Vetting Clients and Navigating Difficult Relationships: The discussion covers Logan's methods for vetting potential clients to ensure alignment in values, and how overcoming challenging client experiences can strengthen a business owner's character and decision-making abilities.

About Logan Heath & StorySellers:

- Website: https://storysellers.co/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loganheath/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: FULLYMANAGED15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
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Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Marketing as a Foundational Business Strategy: Andrew emphasizes that marketing should be a primary consideration for any business, not an afterthought. He argues that understanding market dynamics, creating compelling narratives, and measuring success through data are crucial for growth and sustainability, especially for small businesses who often lack dedicated marketing teams.

2. Leveraging Technology and AI for Data-Driven Marketing: Further Insights, Andrew's digital marketing agency, focuses on data-driven strategies and is actively implementing AI to automate systems for predictable client outcomes. He highlights the power of digital platforms like social media for reach and visibility, advocating for businesses to embrace technology to make informed marketing decisions.

3. The Power of Authenticity and Storytelling in the Digital Age: Andrew stresses that in today's marketing landscape, transparency and authentic storytelling are paramount. He explains that businesses should focus on building genuine relationships with their audience, sharing their journey, and allowing their team to be part of their social media presence, as opposed to trying to "fake it until you make it.”

About Andrew Schuster & Further Insights:

- Website: http://furtherinsights.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-schuster-b5597a15/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: FULLYMANAGED15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
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Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Addressing Industry Pain Points with a Productized Service: Ben founded Edit Crew to solve common problems faced when hiring video editors, freelancers, or in-house talent, such as inconsistency, high costs, and lengthy onboarding. Edit Crew offers a streamlined, affordable, and high-quality solution by packaging their services to deliver "fast, good, and cheap" results, challenging the traditional "choose two" industry paradigm.

2. Combating Burnout Through Process and Capacity Management: Ben openly shares his own experience with burnout and emphasizes the importance of clear processes and diligent capacity tracking within an agency. Edit Crew meticulously monitors client volume against staff numbers to proactively manage workload, prevent employee burnout, and avoid issues like overstaffing or understaffing.

3. The Importance of Trust and Autonomy in Remote Work: Ben highlights the value of remote work in fostering a better work-life balance and trusting employees to manage their own schedules, as long as they deliver results. He advocates for hiring adults and empowering them with autonomy, arguing that micromanagement is counterproductive and that results, rather than strict adherence to a 9-to-5 structure, should be the ultimate measure of success.

About Benjamin Poss & Edit Crew:

- Website: http://www.editcrew.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-p-aa2231158/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: FULLYMANAGED15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
• Subscribe to Penji's Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Prioritizing Employee Growth and Longevity: Tellwell actively fosters career growth within its organization by developing "trail maps" tailored to individual interests and skills. This approach, which includes formal learning and real-world project application, aims to encourage mastery and retain talent by ensuring employees don't need to leave the agency for career advancement.

2. Authentic, Human-Centered Storytelling: Tellwell distinguishes its storytelling by focusing on real people and their authentic experiences, especially for non-profits and mission-driven businesses. They prioritize building genuine connections with individuals whose stories are shared, ensuring their comfort and willingness to participate, rather than manufacturing narratives for purely commercial purposes.

3. Fostering Collaborative and Accountable Team Dynamics: Tellwell emphasizes continuous learning and communication among its leadership team, incorporating resources like Cy Wakeman's "Reality-Based Leadership" to align their approach to decision-making. This collaborative environment encourages open "rumbling" on ideas, ensuring that the focus remains on serving the client and the story, rather than individual egos or departmental silos.

About Annie Wood & We Tell Well:

- Website: http://wetellwell.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniefwood/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: FULLYMANAGED15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
• Subscribe to Penji's Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Non-Linear Career Path and Value of Diverse Experiences: Ricardo's journey highlights the benefits of not adhering to a traditional, linear career path. His wide-ranging experiences in design, architecture, animation, traditional Japanese painting, and advertising, though seemingly disparate, ultimately provided him with a comprehensive skill set and the ability to "speak many languages" within his current role as an Executive Creative Director.
2. Finding Your Creative Voice Beyond Style or Discipline: Ricardo emphasizes that a true "point of view" in creative work isn't about a specific style or discipline, but rather about infusing one's own experiences, humor, and honesty into the process. This perspective allowed him to embrace his diverse skill set and understand that authenticity makes his work recognizable, regardless of the medium.
3. Learning from Discomfort and Balancing Broad Knowledge with Core Skills: Ricardo advocates for embracing discomfort and challenges as invaluable learning opportunities, transforming even negative experiences into growth. He also stresses the importance of balancing a broad range of knowledge ("jack of all trades") with developing a few strong "hard skills" or areas of mastery, ensuring adaptability and self-sufficiency in a dynamic creative landscape.

About Ricardo Munoz and Comcast:

• Website: https://corporate.comcast.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rxmunoz/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: FULLYMANAGED15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
• Subscribe to Penji's Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

🌐 Evolution of SEO and Adapting to Change: Jason, with 15 years of experience, explains that SEO has shifted from relying on "spam tools" to a more tactical and strategic discipline due to Google's algorithm advancements and increased transparency. He emphasizes that the key to longevity in SEO is an "adapt and evolve" mindset, viewing changes not as harder, but merely different.

🧠 Making SEO Digestible and Collaborative: Break the Web focuses on simplifying SEO for in-house marketing teams by understanding their preferred information digestion methods and providing advisements that clearly explain outcomes and required effort. Jason highlights the importance of inter-departmental collaboration, ensuring SEO recommendations align with other departments' KPIs (like user experience or conversions) to avoid conflicts.

📲 Integrating AI and Navigating the Social Media Landscape: Jason views AI as a valuable tool for workflow optimization and non-biased information gathering, particularly for tasks that traditionally take more time. While acknowledging the personal impact of social media, he sees its continued importance for DTC brands through targeted ads and social proof, emphasizing the need for marketers to strategically invest in platforms based on audience demographics and engagement stages.

About Jason and Break the web:

• Website: https://breaktheweb.agency/jason-berkowitz/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonberkowitzseo/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: FULLYMANAGED15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
• Subscribe to Penji's Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Leveraging Diverse Experiences for Sales and Marketing Success: Carlos highlights how his varied professional background, including asset underwriting and performing as a pianist, has equipped him with unique skills for sales. He emphasizes the importance of reading people, thinking on your feet, adapting, and maintaining a human touch in interactions—all learned from his experience in a piano bar—as crucial elements for building trust and connection with clients.

2. Data-Driven Personalization and the Role of AI in Sales: Designly's outbound sales strategy heavily relies on evidence-based buyer personas (ICPs) derived from past deals. Carlos discusses using AI and various tools to identify pain points and create highly personalized, timely messages for potential clients, emphasizing that AI should assist in research and template creation, but human authenticity is vital for building trust.

3. The Challenge of Consistency and Embracing Experimentation: Carlos identifies consistency as the biggest ongoing challenge in marketing and sales due to society's preference for immediate results. He stresses the need for patience and humility, encouraging continuous experimentation and embracing failure as a natural part of the process to discover what truly works in the long run.

About Carlos Sanabria and Designli :

- Website: http://www.designli.co/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-ignacio-sanabria-056480108/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: *FULLYMANAGED15*

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
• Subscribe to Penji's Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

🌐 Scaling B2B Businesses in Niche Markets: Igor discusses Vortex's impressive 3x growth in 2023, onboarding 153 new clients in the niche Web3 market-making industry. He emphasizes that "first 100 customers" means something different in B2B compared to B2C, highlighting that even a smaller number of high-value clients can signify massive success for a specialized service.

🧠 Strategic Use of Freelancers for Growth and Testing: Igor advocates for using freelancers to test new markets or roles quickly and cost-effectively before committing to in-house hires. He suggests that while core functions might benefit from dedicated in-house teams, specialized tasks like SEO or initial business development outreach can be efficiently managed by freelancers, offering flexibility and faster deployment.

📲 The Importance of Clear Processes and Team Atmosphere: Igor stresses the necessity of meticulously documenting all business processes and workflows to ensure clarity for the team, whether in-house or freelance. He also highlights the value of fostering an atmosphere where team members feel comfortable providing feedback and suggesting optimizations, contributing to continuous improvement and efficiency.

About Igor and Vortex:

- Website: https://www.vortex.foundation/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dubovin/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: FULLYMANAGED15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
• Subscribe to Penji's Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. The "4 S to Freedom" Framework for Business Growth: Cheryl introduces her comprehensive framework for scaling businesses, emphasizing the foundational importance of Structure and Strategy (including niche, market research, and product definition) before moving into developing robust Systems and Processes (like lead generation, sales, onboarding, and offboarding). Finally, she highlights the role of building a strong Squad through smart outsourcing and team development.

2. Strategic Outsourcing and Team Building: Cheryl stresses that successful outsourcing hinges on clear communication and well-defined expectations. She advises business owners to meticulously document their processes and tasks ("skills and tasks dump") to create effective job descriptions or work orders for external partners, thereby ensuring a better fit and preventing common pitfalls in outsourced relationships.

3. Promoting Diversity & Inclusion and Differentiating Nonprofits: Cheryl, as a Black woman entrepreneur, integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion into every aspect of her business culture, from hiring practices to product delivery, recognizing that diverse perspectives foster creativity and growth. She also distinguishes the structural differences in building nonprofits, primarily highlighting the critical role and unique challenges associated with establishing and managing a strong board of directors compared to a for-profit business.

About Cheryl and her social media  

- Website: https://www.cherylcperez.com/

- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cherylcperez/community

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: *FULLYMANAGED15*

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
• Subscribe to Penji's Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. The Art and Impact of Sound in Media: Matt, drawing from his background as a musician and sound designer, emphasizes the crucial role of sound and music in media, demonstrating how they manipulate emotion and storytelling, even highlighting the power of silence in creating impact, as exemplified by certain commercials and horror films.

2. Branding and the Story Behind Greyburn Productions: The podcast delves into the unique and impactful logo of Greyburn Productions, revealing its origin as a character from Matt's music compositions. This discussion highlights the importance of a strong, narrative-driven brand identity that truly represents the business's "scrappy," impactful approach.

3. Collaboration and Leadership in Post-Production: Matt discusses the collaborative nature of post-production work, stressing the importance of selecting the right team, sharing a common vision, and having a strong leader. He identifies active listening as a key quality for effective leadership in creative environments, ensuring all talents are utilized and disagreements are navigated smoothly.

About Matt Vucic and Greyburn Productions:

- Website: https://www.mattvucic.com/#greyburn-section

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattvucic/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: FULLYMANAGED15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji
• Subscribe to Penji's Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast