Meet CEO & President Ed Heil

Meet Ed Heil CEO, President, and Founder of StoryTeller Media and Communications. With roots in sales and journalism, he is the force that keeps us moving.

Beginning His Career

Ed graduated from Michigan State University in 1987 with a degree in psychology. He originally wanted to be a child psychologist but was pulled elsewhere. He worked in sales for three years until his wife, Kathy Heil, suggested: why not try sports journalism? After all, Ed would walk around the house imitating sportscasters just for entertainment. He said, “I thought it would be really fun, but I didn't realize how hard it would be.”

While still working as an account executive for AT&T, Ed found his way into TV news at the NBC affiliate in Detroit, WDIV, where he spent two years getting his feet wet as an “intern” on weekends. His claim to fame then was interviewing Shaquille O’Neal during his rookie season. In 1994 he landed his first gig in Austin, Minnesota at ABC station KAAL where he was Sports Director for two years. Ed’s next stop was in Columbia, South Carolina at WISTV where he covered the University of South Carolina, NASCAR, and high school sports. Here, he and Kathy started their family adding two boys, Teddy and Tommy, to the mix. 

When Ed reached WCCO-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul he had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest names in sports—Michael Jordan, Randy Moss, Brett Favre, and the like. Toward the end of his time at WCCO, he realized he was ready for a career shift.

The Birth of StoryTeller

At first, Ed wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do. “Sports journalism is unique. So, finding something that has the excitement, fast pace, access and ability to leave your work behind at the end of the day was really hard.” 

He knew he didn’t want a typical office job. Knowing he was passionate about telling stories, he decided to start a PR agency and video production company where he could share people’s experiences through video.

Initially, he was “half-in” on starting StoryTeller Productions. Then one day, Kathy brought him a customized wooden plaque with his logo printed on it. It began feeling very real for Ed, as the gift sparked the realization: “Oh my gosh, this is what I'm gonna do.” It was a surreal beginning and Ed didn’t hesitate to jump in feet-first. 

A Rocky Start

Early in starting a company, Ed realized he had a lot to learn. He chose to shift StoryTeller’s focus away from PR and into inbound marketing. He also got very intentional about his role as a leader. He said: “At the time, I really struggled as a leader and learning to really understand how to create a business that has really great culture.”

To combat this, Ed began meeting with a leadership coach. During one session, she asked him “how will we know if this has been a success?” Ed said he wanted StoryTeller to receive one of Minneapolis Saint Paul Business Journal’s Best Places to Work awards. After building a new cultural foundation, the StoryTeller team was named “Best Places to Work” in 2018 and again in 2022. This became one of Ed’s biggest accomplishments and continues to be a goal he sets each year.

Ed’s Role in the Company 

His role is continuously changing as the company grows, but at the core of his responsibilities, he’s focused on keeping StoryTeller moving forward, improving its services, and continuing to provide opportunities for the team to develop. Ed says his second job is “overseeing our culture and trying to do everything we can to make sure we have a really healthy workplace.” To him, it’s really important that “our employees like coming to work.” 

It’s clear to anyone who works with Ed that he cares deeply about the team, his clients, and the success of the overall company. He says: “What I love most about owning this company is creating solutions for our clients. It's cool to be able to provide services that are really helpful for our clients.” 

Favorite Project

Ed’s favorite project was a video StoryTeller made for Catholic Charities Twin Cities. The piece was made to inspire donors and provide more services for people experiencing homelessness. Ed says they had a unique pitch that the client wasn’t too sure about. Despite the client’s initial apprehension, Ed says: “It ended up being the first Emmy-winning piece we ever produced and that was super gratifying to be part of that vision.” He continued further, saying: “our team did a great job in producing the story and bringing it to life. I was so proud of our team.” You can watch the award-winning piece here.

Life Beyond The Desk

When Ed isn’t working, you can find him on the golf course or the paddle tennis court. His favorite weekend activity is golfing with his wife and three kids. His favorite time of day is the morning, when he walks his dog and spends time outside by himself. It always sets his day off on the right note. 

Conclusion

If there’s one thing Ed wants his clients to know, it’s that, “We really care about making a difference. We really want to earn our paycheck and make a difference in their business. And what I've always said is if we aren't helping, then we shouldn't be working with them.” With Ed leading the StoryTeller team, you can trust that you will be receiving the team’s best work every single time.