In this episode, Kellis Landrum, Co-Founder at True North Social, unpacks how a graphic design background turned into an eleven-year-old marketing agency built on storytelling, SEO, and consistency.
Kellis shares how he and business partner Kenny started out of an apartment in 2015, why “black magic” SEO clicked once he understood ranking fundamentals, and why the majority of True North Social’s new business now comes directly from organic search.
The conversation covers the difference between a brand and a commodity, why most company homepages fail to tell any real story, and how print design principles from the late 90s still shape how Kellis structures modern e-commerce and service pages today.
He also breaks down EEAT, why consistency is the single biggest differentiator between brands that grow and brands that plateau, and how AI tools like Gemini are reshaping both search visibility and agency workflows.
Kellis closes with candid advice for anyone considering starting their own agency: understand your finances, don’t try to be good at everything, and treat your business as a team sport.
Takeaways:
- True North Social began in 2015 from a web design freelance business.
- Most new client leads now come directly through organic SEO.
- Storytelling separates real brands from interchangeable commodities in any market.
- Print design principles still shape effective modern web page structure.
- Consistency over time is the top signal Google rewards brands for.
- EEAT rewards brands that appear repeatedly across many trusted channels.
- AI tools like Gemini are reshaping both search and agency workflows.
- Successful entrepreneurs delegate everything except finances and core expertise