[Fully Managed] Logan Heath from StorySellers Ep. 186

Introduction

Shannon Donnelly (SD): Hello, everyone, and thank you for joining me on the Fully Managed Podcast. My name is Shannon, and I’m joined here with Logan. Thank you so much for joining me, Logan, today.
Logan Heath (LH): Yeah, thanks for having me, Shannon. I appreciate it.

Playing “Market Me This”

SD: So today, we’re going to start with a fun little game. Hopefully, I’m not putting you on the spot too much. As a marketer, I think these are really fun. I think this might be my favorite game to play.
LH: Sure.
SD: This is called market me this. So I’m going to give you a very obscure product and you are going to develop a plan for it. Obviously, this is not real life. There’s so much more that goes into developing a plan. We all know this, but this is like a loose template of what you do for this product. Does that sound good?
LH: Sure.
SD: Cool. Feel free to delve into whatever you prefer to go into about it. It’s not that deep. Okay. So you ready?
LH: Yep.
SD: Okay. Socks with pockets.
LH: Socks with pockets. Okay. Okay. So I’m immediately thinking about how for some people, this is a life changer. And it is something that is so small, but sometimes it’s really in the little things. And it’s those little things that can help you tell the most fun stories. And so that’s what I would be focusing in on is, you know, who are the people that they want to have like that little extra thing they can just sock away, you know? And that’s probably the name that it would be. So I’m thinking about like, you know, kids, if they’re at slumber parties or whatever, having something they can just kind of hide in there. I mean, honestly, I think you would end up with some funny videos is probably where I would want to go with this, like some funny YouTube videos with this. And just thinking realistically, there probably would be some people who would want to have extra hiding places for nefarious reasons. That would probably—
SD: Yeah, I would definitely. That was like the first thing that would come to mind. Like people trying to sneak things into concerts.
LH: Yeah. Across borders, into concerts, just into places where they shouldn’t be. Things should not be. Students sneaking things into test rooms, like, you know, all that kind of stuff. But I don’t know. It could also be kind of fun to like, I think about those Mentos commercials where everything was really cheeky with those Mentos. They were just doing ridiculous and stupid things. You could do something like that. They’re just hiding away. They’re socking away their little contraband as they go places where they’re not supposed to have those things. I don’t know. I think that’d be kind of fun to shoot some cheeky videos like that. Just have fun with it. It sounds ridiculous, but it also sounds like something would be like, I need that in my life. This one actually has utility for it. The last one I gave was spaghetti scissors.
SD: So you got a little lucky. Honestly, I do really like spaghetti scissors—for scissors, not scissors made of spaghetti. Scissors for specifically cutting spaghetti which was like a really dumb idea on my part but also I’m here to make it difficult. Socks with pockets has utility to it that actually kind of makes sense.
LH: Yeah.
SD: Yeah, kid element that you brought into it because I do kind of see like a nineties kind of moon shoes commercial like where it’s like socket and you put, you know, put something in your sock.
LH: Yes, absolutely. I think you put that in there. You put it on some Disney, some Nickelodeon, give it some airtime there. There’s going to be kids who are like, I need this.
SD: Yes, and then there are going to be kids that grow up in fifteen more years and realize that it has other utilities that are not for fun and giggles, I guess.
LH: Yep, that’s it.
SD: I think that you did a great job with that. I think that I might have set you up for success in the idea that this has much more use than previous products. I gave you a little one up for that.

Introduction to Logan’s Career

SD: But again, thank you so much for joining me today. For all those that do not know, this is the Fully Managed Podcast. We’re here to talk about marketing and business tips to help assist you on your business journey. Again, I’m your host, Shannon, and I’m joined here today with Logan from Story Sellers. Thank you so much for joining me today again.
LH: Yeah, thanks. I’m really glad to be here. I appreciate it.
SD: So could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself, kind of like how you got to this point in your professional career, what you’re doing now and maybe your ideals for the future?
LH: OK, so how I got to where I am now, I graduated Belmont University, it’s a small private university here in Nashville, Tennessee, and got a couple of entry-level jobs into digital marketing businesses. And at these different businesses, agencies, they weren’t really the most ethical places. I really kind of learned the industry from the wrong end around of like, okay, here’s how we’re taking advantage of people and lying to them and getting them to pay for things that we’re not really executing on. And that was—it took me way too long to figure out, oh, that’s what we’re doing here. Because again, I didn’t know anything.
SD: Yeah.
LH: Yeah. My first job out of college was in a commercial construction office. And I was like, I just, I need to get out of here. I mean, this is killing me. So let me do something with marketing. I can be in an office. I can be creative. Let me try that. And then getting entry level and then just kind of having to teach myself and then learning like, oh wait, this is what we’re doing here, but this is what we should be doing to help people. Yeah, so when I left that second job, I went out on my own. I was very determined that I didn’t have, at that time, the competency to help people, but I knew I had the integrity. So that’s what I went with. And there’s a ton of talent here in Nashville and close by, but I knew that there was always going to be room for someone who needed to be treated right. So that’s what I started with. And that was 2012. So we’re going on thirteen years ago, started off with just doing websites mainly because that was the most accessible form of value that I could offer people. But since then, I’ve been learning new skills of, OK, you have a website, but what now? And I’ve really been diving more into using the power of story to help people reach their customers and build trust because nothing builds trust like a good story.

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Why Storytelling Works in Business

LH: And you can even get into the science of it. I’m no scientist. I’m not a psychology person, but I do know that when you go immediately into trying to sell someone, they’re going to have those walls come up and they’re going to be like, wait, what is this? We’re all sold to all the time. We’re very good at picking up on when someone’s trying to sell to us. And those walls come up immediately and we’re on guard against this person. And we’re always looking for some way to invalidate or discredit what they’re saying. But if someone’s coming along and they’re telling us a story, that doesn’t activate in us. There’s nothing to argue. There’s nothing to really discredit unless you’re telling me something ridiculous. You’re telling me your story. I’m going to listen and I’m going to look for what I can connect with you on. And when you say something that makes me think, “Oh, you too? That happened to you too?” Now there’s a connection. Now I trust you more. And for businesses nowadays, getting people to trust you—that is gold.

SD: I definitely agree with that. I think that having your story told… I actually just talked to someone earlier today about how they basically create books for establishing credibility of someone’s story for business owners, which I thought was kind of cool. I do believe that even establishing a story establishes credibility with a certain audience for sure. Like even with your story, I think people are more likely, and you probably run into this, to trust you based off of you having that integrity and stating that that’s why you’re not working in this other space. And people value that. Maybe someone who was burned by a previous agency or person or business may be more likely to go to you because they have that same sentiment.

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Helping Clients Out of Bad Situations

LH: Over thirteen years I’ve worked with a lot of people. I’m talking to someone right now—I mean, pick me at any point in the year, I’m probably in conversations with at least one, probably more, people who are in a bad spot and I’m trying to help them out of it. They signed a twelve-month agreement, they’re six months in, and they realize this is bad. But the agency has all of their information. They control everything. Their names are on everything. And what do we do? It gets really sticky and they don’t know what to do. Sometimes they just need someone to come in and say, “Let me help you out. Here’s the best way forward.” Being able to have someone you can trust makes all the difference.

The Problem with Agencies Taking Advantage of Clients

SD: Yes, I do hear this very often. It’s really disheartening sometimes because I talk to a lot of people that are part of agencies, have their own, or are higher up in someone else’s, and I hear that so often—that someone comes to them because they’ve been burned by another agency. And the sheer amount that I’ve talked to makes me wonder, which ones are the ones that are burning people? Obviously, I’m only hearing good things about everyone. But it is definitely a problem. I think sometimes with agency work, because everyone has their own way of doing things, a lot of things are arbitrary. People don’t know what to expect or how to monitor progress. Once they get to the end deadline, the result isn’t there, and they didn’t know enough to keep tabs. It’s a place where people can easily be taken advantage of. It’s really sad.

LH: Yeah, there is a lot of ignorance and a lot of opportunity to profit off of that ignorance. And then you can easily have people who get very arbitrary—like “I’m going to post one YouTube video a month, four LinkedIn posts a month, and seven or eight Instagram reels.” Where are you getting that from? Is this a template? Because it doesn’t work for everyone.

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Importance of Listening to Clients

LH: I’m a big believer that sharing your story in video form is incredibly powerful. But then it gets harder: how often, and where? That’s where conversations matter—talking to someone who will listen and apply critical thinking to figure out what will work for your specific situation. I had a call earlier today with someone whose marketing person keeps forgetting they only want to target certain neighborhoods. That’s who they are, that’s their target. But this person still pushes for the entire city. If your marketing person isn’t even listening to you, why are you still working with them?

SD: It’s so interesting because I think there are so many agencies that take the perspective that they know better. Sure, clients might not know marketing itself, but they know their industry. They know what works already—maybe they just need it to work better. You might have conflicting views, but you’re also there to make them happy. You can always work with them. Even if you think their idea is bad, you can explain why you disagree but still try it if they insist. I don’t understand the problem with that. You’re getting paid regardless, and you’ve already communicated the risks.

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Balancing Expertise and Client Wishes

LH: Yes. I think that’s one of those push-and-pull balances. You’re the expert, but it’s in your best interest to get the client a higher return. If I think their idea will waste money, I’ll explain why and suggest another route. Sometimes it’s about asking them to step back and really think—does this feel right? A lot of what we do is subjective. The best guiding light is authenticity. Whatever we put out should be 100% them, or as close as possible.

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Vetting Clients for Shared Values

SD: Do you have a way, because you have this view on not taking advantage of people—which is lovely—of vetting clients who share similar values?

LH: Yes. If it’s a referral, I ask the referrer about them. If they have reviews online, I read both the five-stars and the one-stars, paying attention to how they respond. If they have social content, I look at how they communicate. Sometimes I even find old videos and watch them to get a sense of their character. If I can’t find much, I have a long Zoom conversation to see their body language, how they deal with people, and how they respond to honesty.

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The Enneagram and Personality Insights

LH: The Enneagram is a personality typing system—numbers one through nine. I’m a nine, the peacemaker. I want everyone to be happy—me, my team, my clients. If I sense someone will be toxic, I avoid them. Early on, I didn’t have that luxury. Sometimes I had to take on work with people I didn’t align with because I had bills to pay. But over time, I’ve learned the value of saying no.

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The “Asshole Tax”

LH: One client I didn’t like came back years later asking for a new project. I added what I call the “asshole tax”—I marked it up 30–40%. He declined because it was too high. Perfect. If he had said yes, at least I’d be compensated for the headache.

SD: I agree—when you’re new, you sometimes have to say yes to more than you want. But as you grow, you can afford to say no.

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Learning from Difficult Clients

LH: Yes. And in a way, difficult clients are like going to the gym. Resistance makes you stronger. If you never deal with challenges, you might have success, but you’ll be weak. Facing obstacles teaches you when to say yes and no, and how to hold your ground.

SD: And you also appreciate the good times more when you’ve been through the bad.

LH: Exactly. Shared hardship connects people. It’s like the hero’s journey—stories resonate because of the challenges overcome. If business were always easy, you’d have less to offer others in terms of advice and empathy.

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The Value of Authentic Storytelling

LH: If you can’t tie your business and messaging back to something real, people will see right through it. Their walls will go up, they’ll reject you, and you’ll waste money.

SD: I agree. Corporate and agency life often ignores that foundation. That’s why this conversation was so refreshing—it’s more philosophical than business-heavy.

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Closing Thoughts

LH: Thank you for letting me share. I’ve been meaning to put myself out there more. I think the world needs more honesty—people being authentic, telling their stories, and listening to each other.

SD: I think that was the perfect way to end. Like an ending to a book. We’re way over time, so I’ll stop us here. But this was lovely, and thank you so much for being here. And thank you to our listeners—you got some unexpected philosophy today.

LH: Thank you.

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

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/dd82f404-5099-49da-9261-1621f65ee3ea/episodes/cfcc5b42-11c7-4b57-8ab5-5a8c6f318816/fully-managed-the-power-of-ethical-marketing-building-trust-through-story

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-power-of-ethical-marketing-building-trust/id1782589467?i=1000712869725