When Trying a Client’s Product Becomes an HR Violation - HVH Media & Marketing

Company: HVH Media & Marketing
Owners: Hayden Van Hulzen
Year Started: 2013
Employees: 1-10 

What happens when your agency’s biggest client is a billion-dollar adult toy brand and your team is expected to test the products? In this episode, Hayden Van Hulzen of HVH Media & Marketing shares her unexpected path from pre-med student to agency owner, the wild client moments that shaped her journey, and how she built a business rooted in authenticity and boundaries.

Key Takeaways

• The surprising moment that pushed Hayden from a corporate role to founding her agency
• Why she walked away from "great" clients to protect her team
• The bold marketing tactic that led to a billion-view campaign
• What to do when trying your client’s product becomes an HR risk
• Her #1 tip for building loyalty in both clients and team members

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
Welcome to An Agency Storypodcast where we share real
stories of marketing agencyowners from around the world.
From the excitement of startingup the first big sale, passion,
doubt, fear, freedom, and theemotional rollercoaster of
growth, hear it all on An AgencyStory podcast.

(00:24):
An Agency Story podcast ishosted by Russel Dubree,
successful agency owner with aneight figure exit turned
business coach.
Enjoy the next agency story.

Russel (00:41):
Welcome to An Agency Story podcast, I'm your host
Russel.
They engaging and innovativefounder of HVH Media and
Marketing based in Scottsdale,Arizona.
Hayden shares her journey from apre-med student to a top
marketing strategist, revealinghow a pivotal elective class
changed her life and set her onthe path to building her own
agency.

(01:01):
Discover how Hayden's fearlessapproach to marketing, working
with industries as diverse asreligious television and
billion-dollar pleasure brandshas helped her agency thrive
while embracing authenticity.
Hayden also opens up abouttragedy and difficult life
events that spurred or anentrepreneurial leap.
Enjoy the story.
Welcome to the show today,everyone.
I have Hayden Van Hulzen withHVH Marketing Media with us here

(01:25):
today.
Thank you so much for being onthe show today, Hayden.

Hayden (01:27):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm really looking forward tothis.

Russel (01:30):
Likewise.
If you don't mind, start us off.
What does HVH do and who do youdo it for?

Hayden (01:35):
Absolutely.
HVH Media Marketing is a fullservice marketing agency.
We hone in on social mediathough, because that's really
our bread and butter.
We do a little bit ofeverything, you know, as far as
influencer marketing goes tohelp support that.
Digital marketing.
We even do some branding andcontent development to really
round out your strategy.
We work with anyone we believein.
I didn't want to silo us intoone specific niche area in our

(01:57):
industry.
I wanted to be able to talk to abunch of different people and
go, yes, I believe in yourvision and here is the strategy
that we would tailor towardsyour brand to help you be
successful.
When I say we've worked fromeverywhere from sex toys all the
way to religious televisionnetworks, I'm not kidding.
We really have done it all, andI've worked with a lot of really
incredible people.

(02:17):
Being able to do all of this ona daily basis and really love it
is something that I feel veryblessed to be able to say that I
do.

Russel (02:26):
That was quite the diversity of industries that you
shared there.
Variety is the spice of life.
I want to a lot more thingsabout the different clients you
serve and how you serve them.
But before we get to that, we'llgo back in time a little bit.
I know you had an extensivecareer in marketing, but even
before that, I don't know, goback to elementary school,
however far back you want to go.
What did young Hayden want to dowith her life?

Hayden (02:47):
Young Hayden grew up in a smaller town and very
sheltered.
I've written about this so Ihave no problem sharing it now,
I had a really abusive mother areally strange upbringing.
Divorced parents.
They were divorced when I was,like, one, two, like very, very
early.
I don't even have any memoriesof them together.
Because of that, I was alwaysvery driven because I didn't

(03:07):
really have an option not to be.
There wasn't a lot of differentavenues painted for me then,
right?
Because I had this very rigidupbringing and a mother who was
very my value was based on mymerit and my achievements.
It was like, you're either goingto be a doctor or you're going
to be a lawyer.
Which is funny because how thehell did I end up here, right?
I remember like, that was what Iwas groomed for.

(03:28):
I actually began in college aspre-med.
Now I'm a marketing agencyowner, but it was really funny
because when I made the shift, Iwas taking an elective class
that was in PR advertising andbranding.
I never even realized and I'dnever been told as a child,
like, someone creates the labelon this product and makes
millions of dollars doing it andsomeone decides, like, what this

(03:49):
jingle is going to be in thebackground of this
advertisement.
I was like, oh, I could be greatat that.
I switched to a PR andadvertising marketing background
for communications based, mediabased.
I remember when I made thatswitch, my mom, who we were
already on the outs withspeaking to each other, she was
like, I was the greatestdisappointment of all time.

(04:10):
What's so fun about it now isobviously, like, I have a very
successful marketing agency andI honestly make way more than a
lawyer or a doctor.
It makes me very excited to beable to go, like, success really
is the best revenge.
I wasn't following a pathbecause my, worth was being
defined by being on that path.
This was something that I reallyloved and was passionate about.
We're talking about going backand coming forward.

(04:31):
That's really how I got to thispoint.
After I made that transition, Ijust, I did a lot of scrappy
things.
Some of my first jobs, evenwhile I was in college I wiggled
my way into marketing roles.
Even though I was working, likewas working actually at a puppy
store, if you can believe it.
They had, these designer puppiesand things like that, these
little tiny teacup dogs.
I talked enough about it and hadbuilt enough of my brand for

(04:51):
myself that I convinced theowner, I'm like, give me a go.
Let me do our social media.
We started utilizing MySpace andthen, implementing Facebook, and
Instagram was just starting.
We started using those things tohelp drive more traffic.
While I was in my collegecareer, that was like one of my
first stepping stones.
When I came out, I worked, a lotof different internships under
great people, but I worked myway into different roles that

(05:13):
were higher level.
I talked my way into somepositions just because I really,
I did things different.
I didn't ever want to followjust this, rigid mentality of
things can only be done one way.
I wanted to take the things thatI already knew and learned in my
degree, and I wanted to deploythem in a way that was strategic
and savvy and piggybacked on thefact that so much about any

(05:35):
brand building, any marketing,it's all about building
relationships.
If you have good relationships,they are doors and avenues to so
many other things.
The power of collaboration,through influence and activity
is so valuable and it's beenaround, right?
I think people forget thatthere's always been different
phases of influence.
I capitalized on those.

Russel (05:53):
Doctor turned marketer.
Taking the high achievement fromsaving lives to maybe saving
lives just from a differentperspective.
I'm just curious how that pathand some of your success in your
marketing career actually led upto starting your own agency?

Hayden (06:07):
After I got myself to a place where I had worked my way
up and I had started to be ableto prove myself through my
marketing, I had a lot of reallycrazy things that happened to
get me to starting my agency.
I feel like all goodentrepreneurs have these
stories, right?
These defining moments.
That's what happened for me.
About seven or eight years agonow, I was in a position where I

(06:29):
was working as a director ofmarketing for the company that I
had kind of been referencingpreviously, he was an automotive
trainer.
I built him in using socialmedia and marketing to being one
of the top trainers in theworld, second to Grant Cardone
at the time.
I had been going through a toughtime in my personal life.
I'd already referenced a littlebit about my mother.
She was on the outs with me.
I was on the verge of divorce.

(06:51):
I had this day where I sent mymarketing assistant off with my
company owner who had beenworking for four years.
I loved my career.
They both died in a airplanecrash.
One of the weirdest phone callsI've ever gotten.
A lot of survivor's guilt,feeling like maybe I should have
been in there it was an eventthat I had planned.
I was a very different person atthat time.

(07:11):
I had never knownentrepreneurship.
I knew careers.
I had a lot of the stress offeeling that attachment to my
career.
Not having my career now andknowing that this person was
gone and that I'd lost my friendand a place that I thought it
was going to just be working forprobably for the rest of my life
at that time and losingfriendships and then going
through my divorce.

(07:31):
All of these things at oncewhere I just, I was left with
nothing.
I reached this point of really,like, complete and utter
despair.
I went, like, what do I do now?
Who am I, how do I move forward?
It was at a time where I just, Ididn't have anybody to really
turn to.
I gave myself some space andtime to, to feel sorry for
myself because I feel like youhave to.

(07:51):
Then I went, no, no, no, no, no,I can do this.
I'm going to figure this out.
I got back out there.
I used the thing that I know sowell.
My social media for myself.
I started branding myself.
I talked my way into being adirector of marketing CMO level
at a cosmetics company that waslooking to be acquired by
L'Oreal at the time.

(08:11):
I talked myself into this roleand was like, I'm going to come
in here and I'm going to helpbuild this brand.
I'm going to really do so in away that, like, when you pitch
this and we sell it off, it'sgoing to be worth so much more.
I came in and I got access toall the biggest influencers
because I put myself in thoserooms and I was scrappy and I
worked hard.
And it turned into a billioncampaign views and really

(08:32):
strategic spends.
I actually got us a freecampaign with Kim Kardashian,
where she was getting makeupdone.
By the time we actually sold toL'Oreal and it was like over a
billion dollars, it wasdefinitely my, my time to exit.
Here we are, this is going tohappen.
My role is obviously going tostart to fade out.
What are my next steps going tobe?
I actually talked to the CEO ofthe company at the time.

(08:52):
He was always like, I feel likeyou're going to be your own boss
one day.
Even though he loved me workingthere, he was always like,
you've got this in you.
I listen to how your thoughtswork.
I see how you put yourself inthese rooms.
This is definitely somethingthat's going to happen for you.
I had some really great mentors,then, too.
People in high level positionsthat I really respected and were
like, you can do this.
You gotta make this leap.
I remember having theconversation with my dad and I

(09:14):
was like, dad, I'm going to quitmy great job that pays super
well and has all these options.
I'm going to just start my owncompany.
He was like, don't do it.
Eventually it got to a pointwhere I was like, let's go.
I launched and it was perfecttiming.
Launched my company, started HVHMedia Marketing.
I hit the ground running.
It was like, okay, these clientsare here.
People are asking for me.

(09:35):
There's this demand for this.
I'm slowly probably going to betransitioning out of this
anyway.
Let's do this.
I did.
HVH Media Marketing was borncause that's what it was.

Russel (09:43):
One, I mean, you know, it is, it's always hard to hear
those stories, right?
You shared some of thathardship, but it's always also
great to see the comebackversion of, what obviously
you've turned into andmanifested and capitalized on a
very great career and started abusiness, no easy feat unto
itself.
I can totally see just knowingyou and the conversations we've
had that marketing and sellingand getting the name out there,

(10:06):
probably a la getting clients isnot a challenge for you.
But I am curious, what waschallenging for you in the early
days of the business?

Hayden (10:13):
Timing wise, if you want to talk about, I launched in
2019, right towards the end.
The big challenge was COVID.
Surprisingly, because I felt itcoming, when I caught wind of
COVID, and I'm sure youremember, right when the COVID
era happened, a lot of peopledidn't necessarily know how
serious to take it, right?
We hear about things all thetime, bird flu, swine flu,

(10:34):
monkey pox.
We never know how hard it'sgoing to hit us.
COVID was something that a lotof us, hadn't really experienced
in our lifetime, something thatsevere and that drastic.
When that started coming, Istarted preparing some of my
clients.
I was like, listen, like, we'renot set up well for e-commerce.
I was like, I feel like if we'renot built out on e-commerce and
anything happens, we get put ina position where, like, we

(10:56):
completely have to shut down andwe're likely going to go out of
business.
The clients who believed me andlistened, they pivoted.
We started implementing onlinesystems.
We built out these e-commerceplatforms and it kept us afloat.
Actually, it made us some moneyduring COVID because everybody
was online.
Amazon made a lot of moneybecause everyone was still
needing stuff and we wereordering it.

(11:17):
The clients that listened, theydid really well.
Some, they unfortunately closeddown because it was a necessity,
but it kept me afloat duringCOVID too, and actually so much
so that I had clients coming onduring that time.
My COVID experience was busy.
I was in the house and trying tohandle, homeschooling with my
son, but I was getting clientsand taking client calls so much
so that I actually ended uppartnering with a firm out in

(11:40):
California that was focused onPR so that I could actually
outsource that.
Then we started a second companywhich I've since absorbed, which
was called 21 North.
I used that so that I could putall of my PR into there because
it was hard to hire at thattime.
What I ended up doing is like,making use of exactly what we
currently had and then reallydoing a great job for the
clients that we had.
I was able to get through andweather out the storm of COVID

(12:02):
that was really hard on a lot ofother people, but keep HVH
afloat and then actually buildit so that I was able to add on
21 North at the time.

Russel (12:08):
You made it sound like what I know is an extreme amount
of work, effort, not to mentionwhat was going on in the world
at the time adding to distressand homeschooling a kid.
No shortage of things to tacklein that sense.
I guess another example whereyou've turned lemons into
lemonade.
I don't know what short amountof time or a long amount of time
is in the agency space anymore.
Probably depends on the daywhere you say, five years

(12:29):
doesn't seem so long, but thenfive years actually is a long
time, especially when we thinkback to that pandemic.
When you just look back on yourjourney so far, what, what do
you think is, like, one of yourmost rewarding moments?
What stands out in that sense?

Hayden (12:40):
The most rewarding moments for me are honestly give
back moments.
Seven years ago, when I wasgoing through the divorce, my
boss died in a plane crash,like, I lost my job.
By the way, my divorce wasexpensive for me, not him, so I
lost everything.
I had nothing.
I have never, ever shied awayfrom telling people that, like,
seven, eight years ago, like, Iwas broke.
I was in a lot of debt.

(13:00):
I had put a lot of money intoplaces that weren't coming to
fruition.
I was trying to build this newlife for myself, which costs a
lot of money.
I was having to really strugglethrough just making things
happen for myself.
When I look at where I've gottennow and the success that I've
achieved, every time that I gotto a point where I was at a new
level of stable or a new highfor myself, I gave back.

(13:23):
Each year I really focus on,like, that philanthropy of who
I'm giving to.
It means a lot to me and I'llget emotional.
This is like one of those thingsthat, like, oh, I'll always get
a little bit teary about, buteach year I pick something
different that, either one of myfollowers it means a lot to, or
somebody who supported me overthe years.
I really like that I never, everforget how it felt to be that

(13:44):
person and to always make surethat as I succeed, that I make
sure I put a hand back for otherpeople.

Russel (13:49):
This is why I do what I do.
These are the types of stories Ilove.
It's why I believe in the powerof small business is just that
we need more success in folkslike you, because of that very
reason that we remember whatit's like to struggle, to have
to overcome something.
This is by far, the group ofpeople that are more likely to
contribute and give back toothers.
That's amazing.
I don't know from maybe when youwere getting, you just sounded

(14:11):
like that, you know, there'sjust you know, maybe a lot going
on if nothing else.
How has your vision for, if wego back to how you started the
company to where you're attoday, evolved for the company?

Hayden (14:21):
Obviously since then I've absorbed and I bought out
my other agency and so I've madeHVH bigger.
I've also fine tuned somepieces.
Something that I think is alwaysimportant while on your kind of
growth, I don't always thinkgrowth has to be this
exponential trajectory.
I've actually taken some yearswhere I've gone I want to fix
things this year.
I feel like we've been pushingforward and we have no shortage

(14:43):
of leads, but like, do I loveall the people internally?
Do they still fit this visionthat we're trying to build?
Are we all happy?
Do we like the people we'reworking with?
I know I've touched on this withyou before and I've actually
just dealt with it recently, butI am no stranger to clients.
Not because of any other reasonthan we aren't enjoying the work
we're doing.
I feel like the moraleinternally is more important to
me than the monetary side.

(15:03):
Part of the reason, like, myteam members stay with me is
because I stick up for them andI care about how much they love
the things they're doing andtake a lot of pride in the fact
that we are in a position wherewe're stable enough and we have
enough leads coming in that itis also a privilege to be
working with us.
I never ever want, thatprostitute complex, right?
You're paying me so you thinkthat we just have to do whatever
you want.

(15:23):
I love that we've been able tobuild the agency into that.
Although we're continuouslygrowing and I know that we're
going to continue to move onthat trajectory, I do take a lot
of pride in the fact that we'vereached a point where I don't
feel the pressures to growexponentially.
I like to grow more mindfully.
I see our, see us growing overthe next probably three to five
years where we're making surewe're growing in a way that all

(15:45):
of the people internally aretaken care of, everybody's
happy.
They've been a part of thisjourney of lifting us up and
moving in that direction and Iwant to make sure they're,
they're as important as thepeople that we're bringing on to
make sure we're supporting that.

Russel (15:57):
It makes me think of this idea and I think it's
important to think of yourbusiness that it pretty much
feel like all life processeswork this way, that we can't be
a hundred miles an hour, go, go,go all the time.
If we want to do quality and ifwe want to have something that's
got strong roots, if you will.
The cycle of innovate, grow andstabilize and be mindful of
which one we should be doing itat any given time.
But I really appreciate theintentionality and

(16:19):
thoughtfulness to which you putto that.
How are you looking at thefuture?
What do they say?
The BHAG?
What does the vision for thefuture of the business actually
look like?

Hayden (16:27):
Currently with the people that I have internally
and also people I'vetransitioned out I've had the
company long enough where I'vehad employees be with me for
about five years.
After all of that mentorship andtraining and working with me, it
was time for them to go on andmaybe start their own things and
I'm supportive of that.
I never ever want my employeesto feel like this is, like, what
they have to live and die by.

(16:47):
I respect that all of them havetheir own aspirations and dreams
and I want this to be either astepping stone or a safe haven.
That's what I love about HVH isI think I can provide that for
very many years to come.
I don't plan for it to alwaysbe, like, my only thing.
I have other things that I'mworking on too, from a business
standpoint, but it's always beenmy baby.
I spent a lot of time in it.
I think as we continue to grow,I'm just going to continue to

(17:09):
make more room for great peoplewith great ideas to have a
position that they love, thatmakes them feel inspired and
then makes them feel justexcited about the work we're
doing.
I have some people internallythat when we brought them on,
just seeing things likedesigning a menu that goes out
to a very large restaurant andthen you can walk into them in
any part of the world and they'dbe like, I designed this.

(17:30):
It's exciting to be able to be apart of little things like that.
That will be always my goal.
I've been approached to bepurchased on many occasions.
I know I talked to you aboutthis and I, I'm not quite there
yet where I want to sell HVH.
I just think I'm still going tokeep growing it and then using
it as an avenue to give back andthen also support some of the
other ventures that I'm hopingto build for myself.

Russel (17:50):
Sounds like a great plan to me.
No one should be able toquestion any of the things you
shared there.
I'm just curious, whether youlook back on your own success,
something you've done reallywell, it's worked really well
for you.
What's a pro tip or two you haveout there for other agency
owners?

Hayden (18:04):
You know what?
I love this.
This is one of my favoritethings.
I've actually been thinkingabout this lately a lot because
I get this question a lot fromclients, right?
What can we do in the meantime?
Where can we start?
It's honestly, you can stop overcomplicating things.
I think a lot of times we tellourselves things have to be a
certain way in order to come offhow we intend to come off.
But when you really dumb thingsdown for yourself and you look

(18:25):
at some of your favorite brandsor your favorite companies, a
lot of times they're doingthings that are very human and
human is flawed.
I think flawed has that negativeconnotation, but flawed doesn't
have to mean broken.
Flawed can mean real.
It means that it has theselittle flecks that give it its
own little nuances that make itinteresting, exciting,

(18:45):
relatable.
When you're trying so hard to befor everyone and to come off a
certain way, you loseauthenticity, and we're in an
age where authenticity and thoselittle nuances, those flaws,
they're actually what buildloyal customer bases.
It is so much more valuable tohave a loyal diehard customer
than it is to have a bunch oflike you customers.
They're harder to keep.
Retention is so much moreimportant and that value is just

(19:08):
not there the same way.
You're going to have to spend somany more dollars and work so
much harder to keep convertingthem, whereas you can see so
much more profit and support andgrowth by having a couple of
really good loyal customers.
This is something that I thinkso many people miss, right?
They're always thinking of thebigger picture and I'm like,
let's simplify.
Let's come back to our roots.
Who are we?
Let's define that and let's putmore of that out there.

(19:30):
And that?
That's scary.
That's the hard part about thattip.
That other piece is that it'sscary.
It's scary to put our realselves out there because putting
your real self out there meansthat you're okay with not being
liked by some.
But remember, not being liked bysome is important because your
product, your service isn't forall.
You need to let those people goand then you need to really hone
in on finding those people thatmatter because they're going to

(19:52):
be what drives your brandforward and creates an indelible
brand that will survive manyyears to come and stay
profitable.

Russel (19:58):
I was just taking notes there, just sum that up.
What I think was really greatadvice, embrace being flawed.
I felt like that's reallyinspirational.
The world is complicated enough.
We've got to do a lot, which isactually harder work to
simplify, less is more.
This idea of being authentic.
I talk a lot about folks whenthey are going through this
process of defining their brandor who they want to be, it's not

(20:19):
about who you exclude.
It's who you include, I feellike is kind of what you're
saying there.
Wonderful advice.
When you think of that, how doyou rate yourself on how well
you've taken that advice thatyou've just given?

Hayden (20:30):
Oh, I am the queen of embracing my flaws.
My whole entire brand and partof the reason I have such an
awesome community.
When we talk about the peoplewho follow me on my, and listen,
I think I talked to you aboutthis, but, like, I have a little
bit of a falling, I have like250, 000 people who follow me on
TikTok, I've got a good, like40, 000 or so on Instagram.

(20:50):
Part of the reason I have thesecommunities is because, one, I
practice what I preach, and if Ihonestly can't market myself,
why should you trust me tomarket you?
And I do so in a way that isoverly authentic.
I really dug deep into embracingwho I was, and so some of the
people who have been followingme have known me longer than my
husband, like they have beenfollowing me since I was back in

(21:11):
those days where they knew I wassitting in my empty closet
trying to figure out how I wasgoing to afford my rent that
month.
They see me today and this isalso why they're so invested in
who I am and what I'm buildingfor myself.
When I say that I'm going to dosomething for your brand, I'm
doing it already for myself.
I've put it to practice too andI can say that it is
successful..

Russel (21:30):
Another great tip there.
I talk to a lot of agenciesabout just this idea of how
important it is to do what youdo for others, for yourself, for
those very reasons of you learn,you you validate, you can talk
to clients from experience, youcan test so many things out
there.
It just goes back to your coreadvice of being authentic and
embracing yourself.
Wonderful.
Probably would love to keeptalking for a lot more time, but

(21:53):
I know, we're on a holidayweekend that we both agreed to.
We're going to take it easy, butat least we can get to taking it
easy sooner than later.
Last big question for you,Hayden, are entrepreneurs born
or are they made?

Hayden (22:03):
This one's a hard one for me because I will tell you
that I have days where I go backand forth.
I would argue, I thinkentrepreneurs are born and I
think they're also made.
Part of this is becauseentrepreneurship is sometimes
just innately in us, but thatdoesn't mean it completely
excludes people who want to be apart of it.
There are some of us who areborn with a calling to it,

(22:23):
right?
There's people who justcompletely skip high school and
college and then they end upmillionaires, billionaires.
Those are people who are borninto it.
I was not born intoentrepreneurship.
I was born into an indoctrinatedemployee mindset.
Although I've met a lot of theborn entrepreneurs, I think I
would fall into the made.
It came from differentexperiences that shaped me.
Different things in my life,hardships that happened that

(22:45):
forced me to realize the powerand potential that is in relying
on yourself and betting onyourself and embracing the fact
that if you go all in with agood and open heart, into
something that you love, and youknow that you can find a way to
monetize it, you will findsuccess and entrepreneurship can
be built around that.
I feel like people who havethose free spirits to want to

(23:07):
make something happen forthemselves and have enough
faith, I think that those peoplecan be made into entrepreneurs
as well.

Russel (23:13):
It would be hard for me and I'd be hesitant to say I
want to claim that there's thebest answer to that question
I've heard, but I'm going to,I'm going to put that a top five
easy, in so many ways, and howyou spoke to that.
Certainly I'd say most people goa mix, but that was just a very
eloquent way to speak to howentrepreneurs are born and
couldn't agree more.
Wonderful.
If people want to hear moreabout your amazing thoughts,

(23:35):
tips, or otherwise, and knowmore about you and or HVH
Marketing, where can they go?

Hayden (23:39):
They can always find us on social media.
HVH Marketing on Instagram was agreat place to find us.
We're also on Facebook.
HVHMarketing.com is our websiteand then you can find me, I'm
Hayden Merryn, but the E's arethrees and it's a complicated
reason why.
You can find me there.

Russel (23:56):
if you get lost, folks, look up her name.
I'm sure you can Google itpretty quick.
A unique name and, as you said,very popular.
I'm sure it won't be too hard tofind.
Thank you so much, Hayden, fortaking the time to share your
hardships, your successes andyour goals and just wonderful
advice and vision you have forwithin the agency space in your
business.
Really appreciate you taking thetime to share that today.

Hayden (24:17):
Thank you so much for having me.
I really enjoyed it.
We hope you've enjoyed thisepisode of An Agency Story
podcast where we share realstories of marketing agency
owners from around the world.
Are you interested in being aguest on the show?
Send an email [e-mail].

(24:38):
An Agency Story is brought toyou by Performance Faction.
Performance Faction offersservices to help agency owners
grow their business to 5 milliondollars and more in revenue.
To learn more, visitperformancefaction.com.
Anytime that we would receive products for PR, cause

(25:00):
we were the sole PR company fora very large sex toy brand,
billion dollar sex toy brand.
As products were received,obviously internally as an
agency owner, I have to be very,very cautious about how this
gets handled with people.
It was always offered to them,like, listen, when these come
in, they would like us to trythem and speak to them.

(25:20):
That's a hard thing to navigate,right?
Like, okay, hello, as your boss,I'm going to send you home with
these, you don't have to shareit as a group, but I'd like you
to draft up your review of this,if you feel comfortable.
Because the brand really did,they were working with an all
female-owned agency because thiswas a female sex toy company
that was all geared towardswomen's pleasure.
Part of me being brought on forthis and why I thought I would

(25:41):
be a good fit is because theyknew I could find people that
would either participate orspeak to it.
But it was really funny havingthose calls with the team where
I was having to deliberate onour experiences in a
professional way.
I remember sitting on thesecalls and trying to be so
serious while talking to thisbig, giant dollar brand.
Getting off later and I'm like,this is hysterical.

(26:01):
How did I get myself here?
It was a great account too.
It was so much fun.
We really did a great job forthem.
We had them all over the place.
It was great.
Trying to talk about butt plugsprofessionally to a boardroom
full of a billion dollars sextoy company while thinking about
it from a marketing perspective,definitely, definitely was a fun
experience and a funny one.

Russel (26:18):
I can't imagine.
I don't think I envy having tobe in that role, but maybe just
a note, right?
Cause we think about this allthe time, how important it is as
marketers to try out ourclients' products experience
whatever it is they do.
Makes you think twice about whatproducts would you or would you
not want to experience, outthere.

Hayden (26:36):
I was a good sport.