LinkedIn Is the Biggest Highway in the World · Jarrett Thomas, More Than Media

What we talked about.

In this episode of the Sunny Ray Show, host Sunny Ray talks with Jarrett Thomas of More Than Media, a digital marketing agency and the parent company of his podcast, More Than the Title. Jarrett explains how years of boom and bust sales cycles pushed him to look for inbound leads, and how a 90 day LinkedIn experiment built around storytelling led to a post with 100,000 views, a flood of direct messages, and a $450,000 deal on day 89. He shares why he treats LinkedIn like any other social platform, why honest stories beat highlight reels, and how he spots AI written posts. The conversation also covers how sales and marketing teams get misaligned, how AI affects his pricing and production, and his goal of helping Fortune 100 brands tell executive stories. Jarrett closes with where listeners can find him and his live podcast.

Jarrett Thomas went from outbound grind to a $450,000 deal in 89 days by telling honest stories on LinkedIn.

The questions, and the answers.

What made you shift away from the traditional sales grind?

I got tired of the up and down years, where mergers sent me back to proving myself. I wanted inbound leads without the outbound grind. My CEO at IPO Rank built big clients through Twitter, podcasts and webinars, so I asked for 90 days to figure out LinkedIn, focusing on content and my story instead of sending a hundred emails a day.

What happened during that 90 day LinkedIn experiment?

One post about how I got into sales took two minutes, typos and all, and got 100,000 views and over 200 DMs. Meetings with VPs, CEOs and CMOs followed, and my discovery calls dropped from five or six to one or two. On day 89 I closed a $450,000 deal, a week before the pandemic, because my content kept me top of mind.

Why did you choose LinkedIn over other platforms?

I couldn't sell my boss on Instagram bringing in a six figure deal, and LinkedIn was stuffy, just sell, sell, sell. So I treated it like Facebook or Instagram. I shared a medium rare steak with no business angle, got 100 likes and five CEOs reached out. I don't need a sales conversation, I just need a conversation.

What do you tell clients who want to go viral?

I ask what the story is. Everything of mine that went viral was a great story. Anything you post should make someone feel something, even if it's about business, or you get drowned out in the noise. Hook, caption, lighting and video quality all matter, but I start by helping clients tell a better story.

What does a client need in place before a personal brand push is worth it?

Not much, just a company and a decent story. The posts that win are usually the honest ones you don't want to share, like a bad call where I got happy ears and stopped listening. Nobody cares that you closed a big deal. Buyers want to know who you are and whether you're a good person.

How is AI changing your work and your pricing?

I spot AI posts by words like delve, and AI flyers make me numb. As AI spreads, people will want human connection. I use AI for production, clipping and thumbnails, but I charge based on labor, and cutting the time in half doesn't make the work less valuable. The most authentic person wins in this era.

What do founders get backwards about sales and marketing?

They rarely speak. Marketing asks me to share a white paper without asking what problems customers tell me about. Sales blames marketing for leads, and marketing blames sales for not closing. Every salesperson is a marketer on social, and a salesperson who becomes a great marketer is far more valuable to any organization.

What would a Fortune 100 brand need to see before trusting More Than Media with its story?

They need to see your work. I teach people how to fish, and they learn I sell fishing poles. I've interviewed the CMO of McDonald's, an SVP of global creative at Pinterest and an SVP at Coca-Cola, so they know my work. When they see my content on LinkedIn and Instagram, they know who to tap.