TLK Fusion

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Lutava

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We make antimicrobial fitness acessories and sell through e-commerce and retail partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire TLK Fusion to accomplish?

• PR
• Retail Outreach
• Media Buy

SOLUTION

How did you find TLK Fusion?

Emailed me

Why did you select TLK Fusion over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from TLK Fusion were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

I hired TLK for Social, PR, Retail Outreach and media buyy.  They were to deliver different deliverables on each but primarily outreach to 15 retailers each month.  They used the likeness of past clients like Kim Kardashian and Gucci to influence my descision to work with them.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

My experience working with TLK Fusion was extremely disappointing and ultimately financially damaging to my small business.

During our 12-month engagement, I repeatedly requested clarity about what work was being performed, including timelines and documentation of outreach to retailers. Only after I withheld payment and discussed cancellation did TLK Fusion provide a generalized list of activity covering several months. This list had never been shared during the engagement and contained no dates, no documentation of outreach, and no measurable outcomes.

When I asked questions about inconsistencies — including the same retailers appearing in multiple monthly updates — I did not receive clear answers. In one exchange, I was told, “Do you think I need your $2,000 retainer to pay my Rolls-Royce payment?” and “I’m sure you’re not struggling to put food on the table.” I found those comments inappropriate in a professional client relationship.

Communication became increasingly limited while monthly billing continued and reminders to pay remained consistent. I also attended a scheduled in-person meeting after being told Ken would stop by to say hello. I drove two hours for this meeting, but he did not appear.

I was told the contract was based on “best efforts.” However, from my perspective there was very little transparency about what those efforts actually consisted of. When I later asked for documentation of work performed, I was told they were not legally required to provide written records. Based on my experience, I did not see verifiable results that I could clearly attribute to TLK Fusion’s work.

In July, I was advised that stopping payments could cause me to “lose out” on opportunities with retailers such as Nordstrom and Macy’s. This influenced my decision to continue paying. Six months later, I still had not seen results, and I ultimately secured a Nordstrom opportunity on my own through my own outreach.

When I later requested a refund for fees paid after July — a period during which communication had significantly declined — TLK Fusion declined the request.

After I indicated that I intended to share my honest experience publicly, their attorney contacted me and warned that doing so would be “unwise” and that they were prepared to litigate.

a few days after posting my review on a few different platforms, I was forced to retain legal counsel after TLK filed a $500,000 arbitration claim against me through JAMS. I believe this action was intended to intimidate me into removing my review. I incurred over $20,000+ in legal fees defending my right to speak about my business experience (this was as of January, and those fees have since increased substantially as the matter has continued) — all over an honest review.

The company then filed an emergency Temporary Restraining Order against my business, forcing me to appear in court within 24 hours and submit a written opposition on extremely short notice in an attempt to silence me. The California Superior Court denied their request, finding they failed to present sufficient factual evidence of harm and noting that the relief they sought implicated important First Amendment rights. The court also acknowledged that enforcing a contractual clause limiting speech raises serious public policy concerns regarding the restriction of lawful criticism.

Since then, TLK Fusion has publicly stated in responses to my posts that they “support free speech.” However, at the same time, my Google review has become hidden and my Reddit posts have been removed multiple times after being reported as false.

In their responses, TLK Fusion has also claimed that they secured PR placements for my brand. This is the first time I have heard that claim. If such placements exist, I would welcome them to share the specific publications and dates publicly so that I can better understand what work was performed.

These actions have placed significant financial and operational strain on my small business and family. I am a woman-owned, minority-owned small business owner and working mother who believes strongly in standing up for what is right.

I am sharing my experience so that other small business owners can make informed decisions when evaluating service providers.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Over the course of our engagement, TLK Fusion provided monthly reports via Basecamp. However, these reports lacked clear timelines, defined deliverables, or measurable outcomes. Each month typically listed retailer names without any substantive updates or documented progress. Since then, my access to Basecamp has been removed, and I no longer have visibility into those records.

After September, written updates largely stopped. I received one final summary in late December only after we began discussing cancellation.

Within the first few months, I scaled back services — including PR and media buying — and retained only retail outreach, as I had not seen any meaningful results or evidence that the services were producing outcomes.

For example, I was told I would be featured in Men’s Journal in February for an April placement. When April arrived, I followed up and was told they had no record of that conversation, and later that Men’s Journal had “changed their mind.” There was no documentation provided to support that opportunity.

I was also encouraged to continue making payments with the understanding that stopping could jeopardize ongoing discussions with major retailers and impact work I had already paid for.

At the conclusion of the 12-month engagement, I did not see measurable results from any of the services I had hired TLK Fusion to perform.

What was your primary form of communication with TLK Fusion?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

I initially found it notable that TLK Fusion maintains consistently high ratings across review platforms. However, based on my experience, I have concerns about how those ratings may be maintained or earned.

After I shared my own review, several individuals reached out to me privately stating they had similar experiences and felt discouraged from speaking publicly due to threats of legal action. Some shared that they removed their reviews because they could not afford to defend themselves, particularly after already investing significant retainer fees. Others expressed that the situation had a serious impact on their businesses, which I found deeply concerning.

While I cannot independently verify every individual claim, the consistency of these messages raised concerns for me about whether negative feedback is being suppressed. I also question the authenticity of some positive reviews, as my experience was markedly different.

Are there any areas for improvement or something TLK Fusion could have done differently?

As a business owner myself, I believe that when a client is unhappy, it presents an opportunity to listen, take accountability, and improve. That is how strong companies build trust and long-term relationships.

In my case, instead of engaging in a constructive dialogue, the response was an immediate escalation to legal action. From my perspective, this felt less like an effort to resolve concerns and more like retaliation.

When I requested a refund after not receiving clear documentation of outreach or measurable deliverables, my request was declined outright.

That experience — combined with the lack of transparency and the response to feedback — raised serious concerns for me about how this business operates and obtains new clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of Keracell. We're a skin and hair care company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TLK Fusion?

We were looking for a vendor to help us with digital marketing and social media. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with digital marketing and then, we moved on to strategy development and branding. TLK Fusion has really filled in the gaps as far as getting the word out to major retailers about our products. That's been extremely helpful especially because we're a small independent beauty brand. They also helped us launch our e-commerce website and taught us how to manage it. 

What is the team composition? 

I speak primarily with Tim (Senior VP, TLK Fusion), who has a team underneath him. 

How did you come to work with TLK Fusion?

They got in touch with me and the relationship grew from there. 

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them about $2,500 a month. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

We started working with them in September 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our e-commerce website is now live and our brand is available at two major department stores, which became possible thanks to TLK Fusion's efforts and the way they presented our brand.

How did TLK Fusion perform from a project management standpoint? 

We mostly use email and phone to communicate and they're very responsive. We also have face-to-face meetings when necessary. They even traveled with us to help us present the brand. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They go above and beyond to meet our needs. It's very beneficial for our business to have a whole team of people that are dedicated to our brand and familiar with different aspects of our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Good communication is very important. Make sure they know your needs and don't hesitate to ask them questions. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Ecoreco Scooters. We manufacture personal transportation devices, namely foldable electric scooters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TLK Fusion?

We needed help with digital marketing, social media management, and PR outreach, and we’d already gone through several marketing firms. Though I had some experience with marketing as an entrepreneur, I wanted to connect with experts in the field and have someone to bounce my ideas off of.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we wanted to bring on a PR team to reach out to media outlets and promote the lifestyle associated with our brand. TLK Fusion has been quite involved with our work, to the point of almost becoming our in-house team for marketing campaign strategies. They bring a lot of ideas to the table and are currently overhauling our website, implementing a new layout and locating new hosting.

TLK Fusion has also contributed their digital marketing expertise, especially regarding Google Ads and Facebook and Instagram ads. They guide us in analyzing our campaign returns and connect us with celebrities and influencers to produce digital assets.

What is the team composition?

Ken (Founder, TLK Fusion) is our account contact, along with another resource. They've assigned us a digital ad campaign lead, as well another lead for celebrity photos and other visual content. Finally, there are two more people in charge of our website and its graphic elements.

How did you come to work with TLK Fusion?

Ken reached out to me. Our company was leading a small niche in the transportation industry, and TLK Fusion liked our brand and message. A previous agency drew out our engagement and charged us without delivering results, leaving a bad taste in my mouth; TLK Fusion’s call came at the right time. They offered us a free trial, and we saw a huge increase in leads immediately. They were professional in all their interactions with us, so we expanded the engagement.

How much have you invested with them?

Our monthly fee is $2,500. We have a separate budget for advertising on different platforms, and they take 10% out of that as well. The total cost of their work so far is around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since May 2017. We’ll continue to expand the scope based on their results.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Consumers have been pleased with the brand image we’re portraying, and internally, everyone is happy with TLK Fusion’s execution. We continue to engage them because they deliver results, including increasing ROI on our digital ad spend.

How did TLK Fusion perform from a project management standpoint?

Their owner and team are responsive and dedicated. They’re friendly and always willing to hop on a call with me on short notice. Even during off hours, they’re quick to reply to messages. We haven’t had any problems with them working remotely. They keep us on task by compiling comprehensive weekly reports and lists of critical items we need to handle.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their responsiveness and professionalism stand out to us. In our three years of business, we’ve used five different marketing firms, but we’re sticking with TLK Fusion. They have the expertise to perform and resolve issues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not holding this against them, but it would be awesome if they had enough resources to help us accomplish everything we wanted to do. There will always be secondary initiatives left out because there are simply too many things to do. This happens within our own team as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a business coach, motivational speaker, and management trainer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TLK Fusion?

I was looking to acquire new clients and to market a new book I published.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They put together a social media program for me through Facebook and LinkedIn and reached out to my target audience.

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with just Ken Collis [Founder and CEO, TLK Fusion]

How did you come to work with TLK Fusion?

I did a web search and reached out to several companies. When I talked to Ken, I felt like he was the person who could design a unique approach to meet my need without using a cookie cutter solution.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $6,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017 and completed the project in January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

I did see a significant improvement in my website visits, comments, and interaction on my social media sites. I engaged them around the same time as publishing the book, so I don’t have a baseline to say how much difference their engagement made on the end results.

How did TLK Fusion perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent from both a content and frequency perspective. We communicated mostly through email or phone. They were very professional.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very attentive, with exceptional customer service. They were willing to do just about anything to make me happy, and I felt they really cared about me and my business. There are a lot of marketing solution companies out there. A lot of them don’t follow up on their promises. Ken and his team followed through with their commitments and accomplished exactly what they said they would.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of a digital agency in Garden Grove, California, called Team Debello.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with TLK Fusion?

I specialize in local marketing in a fairly small niche. Some of my clients, however, want to market on a national scale, which is much larger than what I do. I needed to work with a third party on the national branding strategies for those clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I connect TLK Fusion with my clients almost immediately. They take the lead on the project, and I act more like the account manager. One of the clients we’re helping to take national is Buffalo Wild Wings.

We sit down and talk about where the client is currently and where they want to be. We discuss what keeps them from getting there, and what would help them get there. TLK Fusion provides a gap analysis, using the client’s position relative to competitors as a starting point. They determine where the client is weak and strong, what content to focus on, and what social media avenues to pursue.

Then they map out the project, associating ROI [return on investment] goals and timelines with each stage. We get campaign briefs, creative briefs, tactical reports, and weekly summary reports. They provide click-through rates for PPC [pay-per-click] campaigns and similar metrics.

What is the team dynamic?

I work with Ken [Collis, President, TLK Fusion]. Other people work for him, and they’ve been included in email chains with me, but he’s the single point of contact. He manages everything for us.

How did you come to work with TLK Fusion?

One of my clients had an acquaintance that had done business with them. They requested we work with them, based on what they knew they could provide. I reached out to Ken, and we began working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent $130,000–$150,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since February 2016, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

One of the clients we’ve worked with is King's Hawaiian Bread. Before TLK’s involvement, their local reach was strong, but they're in the western part of the country. They were getting a 2-3% click-through rate on PPC ads we were running. TLK got those rates up to 18%.

We also collaborated on a branding strategy for a client based in Newport Beach, California. They wanted to expand the reach of their financial product. TLK’s brand management campaign led to them opening offices in Oregon and Washington 8–9 months later.

How did TLK Fusion perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They are consistently hands-on and are great at keeping us informed with analytics, statistics, and market positioning. They lay out a project charter, project plan, and campaign plan. They are very organized with their spreadsheets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They can leverage celebrity connections for product endorsements. For instance, they often work with the Kardashians and the Jacksons. I haven’t had firsthand experience with that yet, but I’d like to. I’ve seen it work for other clients of theirs. It’s a unique thing that they offer.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d prefer not to work on the weekends, but occasionally work calls are unavoidable. Otherwise, I'm pretty satisfied with everything they present and how they present it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For businesses that are smaller in size: Be aware that this is a significant investment. I've brought clients to them that weren’t prepared for the cost. If you're willing to only spend $500–1,000, they're probably not the company to work with.

It's not that the price is too high. Marketing at a national level simply requires at least $5,000-15,000. You're going to get results, but you've got to be able to afford the results.