Generic GTM is dead → Go to my featured section for actionable GTM insights and elevate your marketing game 🔥| Co-Founder of TACK | Creating the category of People-first GTM 👥| 13+ Years in B2B Marketing 📈

I help B2B companies build go-to-market strategies that prioritize real connection because relationships, not just reach, drive growth.

After 14 years in B2B marketing, I’ve led field marketing, demand gen, community, and influencer programs. I know what works, what doesn’t, and what’s changed.

Too many companies still treat buyers like leads. That’s not how modern GTM works.

I’ve helped 35+ B2B brands shift from transactional tactics to connection-driven growth, building scalable strategies, launching communities, running 30+ webinars, and rolling out on-demand models that replaced bloated in-house teams.

Today, I work directly with brands, founders, and marketers to build go-to-market engines that scale—without the spam.

What I do:
→ Build integrated campaign strategies that drive pipeline
→ Coach creators and brands on influencer marketing
→ Design community-led and field programs that actually work
→ Speak on GTM, content, and creator-led growth
→ Act as a fractional marketing leader or advisor

📚 Author of B2B Influencer Marketing: Work With Creators to Generate Authentic and Effective Marketing (Kogan Page, 2025)

👋 Let’s work together: DM me or visit https://linktr.ee/NickBMarketing

Nick Bennett

In March, I walked away from TACK.

A 7-figure business I co-founded. We crossed a million in revenue in our first 6 months together. I'd never seen anything like it in my life.

I also learned that revenue does not equal pay. Different lesson for a different post.

35+ clients. A book. A community. Two incredible years with Mark.

And honestly? I had no idea if going solo would work.

Everyone has opinions when you make a move like that. Some people thought I was crazy. Some thought I'd be back in a "real job" within 6 months. A few just asked why I'd leave something that was working.

Here's what actually happened:

I had my best year ever.

Not because I scaled. Not because I hired a team. Not because I built an agency.

Because I stayed small on purpose.

9 months in, here's what I learned:

𝟭. 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁.

The first few months were weird. No co-founder to bounce ideas off. No team Slack. Just me, my laptop, and a lot of "what the hell am I doing?"

But then clients started coming. Referrals picked up. And somewhere around month 2, I stopped holding my breath.

𝟮. 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲.

I don't want 10 employees. I don't want an office. I want to do great work with a handful of companies I actually believe in.

That's not a limitation. That's the whole point.

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣&𝗟 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.

Yeah, the numbers worked. Better than I expected, honestly.

But the real win? I end my day every day at 4pm. I make it to school pickup. I watched my three daughters grow up instead of watching Slack notifications pile up.

That's the ROI nobody puts in a spreadsheet.

𝟰. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

I spent 15+ years building a career in B2B marketing. Then I co-founded something. Then I walked away from it.

None of those chapters required anyone's approval. Neither does yours.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵?

Going solo isn't for everyone. Some months are lonely. Some weeks are slow. And there's no one else to blame when things don't work.

But for me? This was the move.

If you're sitting on the fence about betting on yourself, here's what I'd tell you:

You probably already know the answer. You're just scared to admit it.

I was too.

What's holding you back from making your move?

15+ Year B2B Marketing Leader Turned Founder | ABM, Field Marketing & Events, Influencer Marketing & More | DM Me to Learn More

When I was coming up as a marketer, I had nobody to ask.

No mentor. No network. Just Google and a lot of guessing.

I figured it out eventually. But it took way longer than it should have.

Now I get DMs every week from marketers asking for advice. And I love it. But I can't get to everyone.

So I'm trying something new.

Every week, I'll answer a few marketing questions that are submitted. 1:1. Free. No calls. No pitch. No catch.

Whether you're a first-time marketing hire trying to figure out ABM or a CMO wondering why your pipeline dried up, I'll do my best to help.

This platform gave me everything. The clients. The community. The career I have now.

Time to give some of it back.

Drop your question here → https://lnkd.in/eqPW4MD5

I'll tackle as many as I can each week.

Let's see how this goes.

80% of your event ROI happens before your flight takes off.

Most teams obsess over what happens at the event. The booth. The swag. The badge scans.

We obsess over what happens before.

The single most underestimated step? Getting the prior year's attendee list.

No list = No leverage.

That list is how we filter by ICP, pre-book meetings, and personalize every message. Without it, you're just showing up and hoping.

Here's exactly how we run it:

𝟰-𝟲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁:
Before you sponsor anything, ask for a sample of last year's attendee list. This is your filter...if the list doesn't match your ICP, don't waste the budget.

Once you have the full list, build a simple GPT to cross-reference it against your target accounts. It'll score ICP fit, flag priority titles, and surface insights in minutes. No more spreadsheet hell.

𝟮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁:
Send a gift. As a former field/event marketer, I always like going with a spa voucher with a note: "Events are exhausting. Here's something on us to enjoy after."

It's not about the gift. It's about showing you get it before you've even met.

𝟭 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁:
Follow up with specific time slots. "I'll be at [Event]. Free Tuesday 10am or Wednesday 2pm. Where works for you?"

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳:
Skip the booth. Your job is the meetings you already booked.

At a recent MarTech event, we ignored the booth entirely.

Instead:
→ Asked for a sample attendee list before sponsoring
→ Used a GPT to cross-reference against our target accounts
→ Pre-booked 13 meetings with ICP-fit prospects
→ Sent gifts the week before
→ Co-hosted a dinner with another vendor
→ Walked away with 3 new pipeline deals

Meanwhile, the booths around us were scanning badges and giving out frisbees.

Our numbers across events:
• 50-60% response rate pre-event
• Near 100% attendance to booked meetings
• 10+ meetings before we land
• 4-5 new opps added to pipeline per event

And that's before follow-up even kicks in.

The brutal truth?

Most teams treat events like lead gen. We treat them like relationship acceleration.

The ROI isn't in the booth. It's in the prep.

What's your pre-event playbook look like?

Tomorrow I turn 39.

One year from "I'm in my 40s" and I'm not ready.

Before I disappear (birthday + NFL playoffs = zero LinkedIn), 39 things I've learned:

𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿:
1. Revenue ≠ pay.
2. Build your network before you need it.
3. People remember how you made them feel, not your title.
4. Titles are rented. Skills are owned.
5. Most meetings should've been emails.
6. You don't need permission to reinvent yourself.
7. Small on purpose beats big by accident.
8. LinkedIn gave me everything.
9. Betting on yourself is terrifying until it isn't.
10. The people who helped me most asked for nothing.
11. Say yes to things that scare you.
12. The loneliness of solo work is real. So is the freedom.
13. Your career is a marathon with a few sprints that matter.

𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲:
14. Your kids don't care about revenue. They care if you showed up.
15. Health is the asset nobody talks about until it's gone.
16. Sleep won. I stopped fighting it.
17. The friends who stay when things suck are the only ones that matter.
18. Time is the only thing you can't make more of.
19. Therapy isn't weakness. It's maintenance.
20. Your 20s: figure out what you don't want. 30s: build what you do.
21. Saying no is a skill.
22. Nobody thinks about you as much as you think.

𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺:
23. Coffee is non-negotiable.
24. Never trust someone who doesn't like dogs.
25. NFL playoffs AND Pats are back? Rough few years since Brady. This one hits different.
26. Marry someone who makes you laugh.
27. Best ideas come in the shower.
28. Stop comparing your chapter 3 to someone's chapter 20.
29. Your gut beats most spreadsheets.

𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆:
30. I peaked athletically at 17.
31. Hangovers after 35 are a 2-day event.
32. Still don't understand TikTok.
33. Fantasy football causes more stress than most jobs.
34. Dad jokes are mandatory once you have kids.
35. 39 feels like 38. The math isn't mathing.
36. Youth sports cost more than my first car.
37. 9pm is basically midnight now.
38. I've accepted I'll never fold a fitted sheet correctly.
39. 40 is just a number. A terrifying one. But still just a number.

Go Pats! See you Monday.

Chaos tolerance is an underrated skill that only shows up when things break.

I hired someone once with a perfectly linear career path. Great resume. Steady climb. No gaps.

First time a campaign flopped? They froze.

Couldn't pivot. Couldn't adapt. Just stared at the data like it personally betrayed them.

Meanwhile, the person with three failed startups on their resume? They just shrugged and said "okay, what's next?"

Same problem. Completely different response.

The brutal truth?

Resumes don't tell you how someone handles chaos. They tell you how someone handles success.

And success is easy. Anyone can look good when things are working.

But when the campaign tanks. When the launch flops. When the plan falls apart at 3pm on a Friday.

That's when you find out who you actually hired.

I've stopped looking for perfect trajectories. Now I look for scar tissue.

The person who's been through it. Who's failed publicly. Who knows what it feels like to rebuild from nothing.

Because that person? They don't panic when things break.

They've already been there. They know the way out.

Your next hire's biggest red flag might be a resume with no failures on it.

What's the most underrated skill you look for when hiring?

In my last post, I said revenue doesn't equal pay.

A lot of you asked what I meant.

So here are 9 things I've learned running a solo business that nobody tells you until you're in it.

𝟭. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 ≠ 𝗽𝗮𝘆.

You can invoice $50K in a month and take home way less. Taxes. Software. Contractors. That big month shrinks fast.

The flip side? I run at insane margins now because I have almost zero overhead. No office. No employees. Barely any software.

From April to December 2025, I spent $550 total on business expenses. Five hundred and fifty dollars. I use what my clients have when working with them versus needing my own stuff. I don't even have a CRM haha. 

That changes everything.

𝟮. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 ≠ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻.

With Mark, we hit $100K-$150k months sometimes. Still felt stretched thin. Growth adds complexity. More clients = more deadlines, more deliverables, more stress.

Bigger isn't always better. Sometimes it's just bigger.

𝟯. 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲.

I don't have a website. Not joking. No landing page. No funnel. No email sequence.

Just this platform. Six years of showing up here. That's it. Oh, and a Linktree, I guess.

𝟰. 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿.

I've never sent a cold email. Never ran ads. Never hired a BDR.

Inbound just finds its way to me. That's not luck. That's 6 years of compounding. Showing up when nobody was watching so I don't have to chase when it matters.

𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹.

No one to riff with. No one to blame. No one to celebrate the small wins with.

I miss having a partner to bounce ideas off. Some weeks are just quiet.

𝟲. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Inbound exploded before I had systems. I was taking money and figuring it out live.

Great for speed. Terrible for sanity.

𝟳. 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 ≠ 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.

Even when things are going well, it's hard to sit still. There's always another idea. Another project. Another thing to chase.

Learning to enjoy the win is harder than getting the win.

𝟴. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿.

People ask how's business and expect a number. But the number doesn't tell them if you're happy. If you're present for your kids. If you're burning out.

The life you build matters more than the number you hit.

𝟵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁.

All of the above is true. And I'd still choose this every time.

I end my day at 4pm. I make school pickup earlier if needed. I work with people I actually like.

That's the ROI nobody puts in a pitch deck.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵?

Running solo isn't passive income and laptop lifestyle. It's real work with real tradeoffs.

But if you design it right, it's the best job you'll ever have.

What's the one thing about running your own thing that surprised you most?

Most pre-event playbooks assume you have an attendee list.

You don't.

Unless you're a sponsor or exhibitor, nobody's handing you a spreadsheet of who's coming. So you build it yourself.

Here's exactly how:

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 (𝟯 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁)

→ LinkedIn search "[Event name]" and filter by your ICP titles. People post "see you at [conference]!" constantly.
→ Check the speaker list and sponsor list. Those companies are definitely sending people.
→ Search the event hashtag on LinkedIn and X.
→ Look for an event Slack or community app where attendees introduce themselves.
→ Ask your sales team who they want to meet.
→ DM 5 people in your network: "Who else is going to X?"

Target 20-30 people. Not 500.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁 (𝟮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁)

$25 coffee card. That's it.

Message:
"Hey [Name], saw you're heading to [Event]. I'll be there too. Would love to buy you a coffee and hear how you're thinking about [specific challenge]. No pitch. Just a conversation."

Coffee cards, DoorDash, lunch vouchers. Small and useful wins.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 (𝟭 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁)

Short message with 2-3 specific time slots:
"Still on for [Event]? I'm free Tuesday 10am or Wednesday 2pm. Happy to meet wherever works."

No response? One more nudge 3 days before. Then stop.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝗽 (𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳)

Skip the booth. Your job is the meetings you already booked.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗽 (𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿)

People who showed: Thank-you note + next step.
People who didn't: "Sorry we missed each other. Here's a coffee on me anyway."

That second group converts more than you'd think.

Total cost: ~$500
Meetings booked: 15-20
Pipeline created: More than most $50K booths.

What's your pre-event play?

Yesterday I mentioned using a GPT to cross-reference event attendee lists against target accounts.

A bunch of you DM'd asking how.

Here's the exact setup. Copy it.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆

You need two CSVs:
→ Attendee list (name, title, company minimum)
→ Target account list (company name, tier, target titles)

Clean both first. Standardize company names (Salesforce vs Salesforce.com will break matching). 10 minutes here saves hours later.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗣𝗧

Go to ChatGPT → Explore GPTs → Create.

In the instructions, paste this:

---
You are an event prospecting assistant. When I upload an attendee list and target account list:

1. Match attendees to target accounts by company name (fuzzy match for "Inc" vs "Inc.")

2. Score ICP fit (1-5):
   - Title: C-suite = 5, VP = 4, Director = 3, Manager = 2, IC = 1
   - Department: Marketing/Sales/RevOps = 5, Ops/Finance = 3, unrelated = 1
   - Account tier: Tier 1 = +1, Tier 2 = +0, Tier 3 = -1

3. Flag priority contacts (4+) with ⭐

4. Output: Name | Company | Title | ICP Score | Priority Flag

5. Summarize: Total matches, priority contacts, recommended outreach order
---

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

Selling to engineering? Swap department relevance:
→ Engineering/Product = 5, DevOps = 4, IT = 3

Enterprise only? Add:
→ "Exclude companies under 500 employees"

The GPT is only as smart as the criteria you give it.

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗶𝘁

Upload both files. Ranked list in under a minute.

Pro tip — ask follow-ups:
→ "Which Tier 1 accounts have no attendees?"
→ "Who should I prioritize if I can only meet 10 people?"

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁

4s and 5s: Gifts + personalized outreach. Book before you land.
3s: Add to nurture. Don't force it.
1s and 2s: Skip entirely.

20 minutes to set up once. 2 minutes per event after.

What's your ICP criteria? Drop it below and I'll tell you how to tweak the prompt.

Your CRM is misleading you.

Not maliciously. Just slowly. One outdated email at a time.

I've seen it happen at every company I've worked with. You build a beautiful segment. Launch a campaign. Get excited about the targeting.

Then 6 months later you realize half those contacts have changed jobs. A quarter have duplicate records. And your attribution is telling you stories that aren't true.

The worst part? You don't even know it's happening.

This is what CRM data decay actually looks like for marketing:

𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘁.
That ICP segment you built last year? It's not the same people anymore. Titles changed. Companies merged. People moved. But your CRM still thinks they're the same contacts.

𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘆.
When one person has 3 records in your CRM, which one gets credit? All of them? None of them? You're making decisions based on data that's fundamentally broken.

𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲.
You think you're reaching decision makers. You're actually emailing people who left months ago. And nobody flags it because the emails don't hard bounce.

The brutal truth?

Manual cleanup projects don't fix this. They just hit pause on the problem.

You clean everything up. Feel great for a month. Then the decay starts again. Because every new tool, every enrichment source, every signal layer you add creates duplicates, conflicts, and more mess.

The answer isn't more rules. It's a different approach entirely.

You need an identity layer that sits outside your CRM. One that continuously resolves who someone actually is. Merges the duplicates. Verifies the emails. Treats your CRM as context, not the source of truth.

It's one of the reasons I've been spending time in Common Room lately. Open any contact and you see multiple CRM records rolled into one person. Verified emails. Merged identities. It changes how you think about routing, outreach, and trust.

Because if your data isn't trustworthy, everything else breaks.

Before workflows. Before AI. Before scale.

How are you handling CRM data decay on your team?

#CommonRoomPartner

Most B2B influencer programs fail because they chase attention.

What should you do instead?

Pursue trust.

At the DemandShift Summit, I’ll break down 5 Steps to Build Pipeline with B2B Influencers.

It’s the exact framework I’ve used to build programs that turn creator partnerships into actual revenue.

You don’t need more reach. You need the right people saying the right things to the right audience.

Grateful to Logan Lyles for inviting me to share this.  Hope to see you there.

To make that happen, just grab the link in the first comment down below.

Clint Hinkle

It took 20 years and 3 companies to realize I was building the wrong life.

I used to think success meant chasing titles, equity, and comp.

Then I turned 40 and faced the truth:

👉 I'm not wired to be an employee.

In my 20s, I led the turnaround of an 8-figure business.

Then another in B2B, closing 6–8 figure deals.

I broke into tech using LinkedIn. Got hired. Got promoted.

But something always felt… off.

I had the income. The equity grants. The security.

But I didn't have time. I didn't have peace. And I wasn't present with my family.

After COVID layoffs and back-to-back burnout, I hit my breaking point.

No safety net. Just a belief that something better had to exist.

So I walked.

Started over in real estate. Commission only. No special head start.

Since then:

✔ Built and exited 2 companies
✔ Launched Real Estate Deal Makers 
✔ Partnered with my mentor to help SaaS leaders do the same

Today, I help SaaS executives and founders turn equity and W-2 income into passive cash flow - averaging 30%+ cash-on-cash returns on turnkey rental properties.

No tenant headaches. No property management. No quitting your job.

Just off-market deals that most investors miss, fully managed, cash-flowing from day one.

Our clients are stacking $300–$500/mo per property in net cash flow while staying in their SaaS roles.

→ So they can become work-optional 
→ Diversify beyond stock options 
→ And build generational wealth with tangible assets

Most don't want to leave SaaS. They just want freedom when the right moment comes.

That's what I help them build.

Not with hype. Not with overnight promises. With calm, proven execution backed by 3 companies, 2 exits, and decades of deal-making.

We work with a small number of SaaS leaders at a time so every deal gets the attention it deserves.

DM me "turnkey" if you want to see our latest 30%+ deal breakdown.

Founder

We're cash buyers of off market properties nationwide. We sell to private investors and hedge funds looking to fix and flip or hold for longterm rental. 

https://www.quicksalerei.com

For 18 years in sales. End of year was always meant one thing...

Grind time. Hit your numbers. Maximize the bonus.

Any PTO you take around it? Hard to actually enjoy.

This year is completely different.

First full year of entrepreneurship.

Woke up one morning and decided I wanted to take my wife on a getaway.

Coordinated someone to watch the kids.

We were at the airport a few hours later.

Spent the next day walking around DC. Historic sites. Amazing hotel with a view of the monument.

Stacey kept saying she couldn't believe this is our life now.

First trip she can truly enjoy because she's not thinking about falling behind at work. No wondering if her boss will approve it. No stressing about needing more notice.

No asking for permission.
No feeling guilty.
No pressure.

Just in the moment. Present. Enjoying time together guilt-free.

For 18 years I chased the end of year bonus.

Now I'm chasing moments like this.

You only get one life don't, be scared to live it.

30%+ returns on turnkey rentals for SaaS Leaders | 3X Founder (2 Exits) | Girl Dad | Golfer

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Four surprises. Four reactions. One year that changed everything for our family.

Seven years ago, things fell apart. 

Screwed out of a large bonus, followed by an unexpected 60% paycut, I left my first 6 figure role after 4yrs growing the business. 

I was in a rough spot and financially stressed as we had our second daughter due in the next few months. 

My in-laws helped with some expenses as we were trying to keep our head above water. 

It took time to fully replace the income.

I told myself I'd pay them back one day.

This year, I finally could.

We surprised them with an 8 day cruise in a suite. 

But that wasn't the only surprise.

I surprise my wife and daughters to see Forrest Frank at Madison Square Garden in June. My oldest daughter who's more reserved like me let out a sound of joy that was both surprising and terrifying lol. 

I surprised Stacey Hinkle  3 weeks before Christmas that she could put in her two weeks and retire from her PA job. She cried.

Then surprised her a few weeks later with her dream car. She cried again. 😂

A year ago, none of this was possible. As I walked away from my w2 determined to take back control of my time and income. 

Let's be honest majority of tech OTE's are make believe and I was done chasing the carrot for a 10% cut of what I did close. 

So we cut back on everything. No beach trips. No summer programs. No golf. Just time together and trusting the process.

Now we're in a position to give back to the people who believed in us when we had nothing to show for it.

That's the part nobody talks about.

Building something isn't just about the money.

It's about what the money lets you do for the people you love.

What's a moment you've been waiting to make happen for someone?

Your manager wants camera on.
Your CRM wants 50 activities logged.
Your VP wants the Zoom recording.

I took my morning calls on a 2-mile walk by the lake.

60° weather. No screen. Just conversation.

You don't realize how unnecessary most of that stuff is until you step out of the SaaS echo chamber.

When you own the business, one metric matters: net profit.

And you get to decide how to get there.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours 🎄

Appreciative to everyone who supported me and Stacey Hinkle on this platform 🙏

 hope y'all are having a good day

Started 2026 in the most glorious way possible!

A $100 Buc-ee's run including a brisket sandwich and beaver Nuggets!

A car picnic with my girls + No hangover = great day

The best part? Being fully present. Not checking my phone. Not thinking about work.

How did you start your year? 

Was it better than a Buc-ee's run!? lol

*Update -  the brisket mac & cheese picked up to have later for dinner is pretty darn good!

The purpose of this post is to bring awareness to the most important and fastest growing page on this platform which is...

Airplane Legs of LinkedIn  

If Marshall Friday doesn't drop a comment in 10 min in support I will retract my vocal support and create a rival page. 

Shout out to Stacey for collabing on this pic!

I'm posting this at 11:40pm after 7hr delay so no one will see this 👀

Got off a call. Weather warmed up. Asked my wife if she wanted to golf. 20 minutes later she made her first...

PAR!

Two years ago, this wouldn't have been possible.

No blocking off my calendar hoping my manager didn't see it. No having to be available in case I had to answer a call.

For her? Would've been impossible. Her PA job required at least 60 days notice and even then her time off was never guaranteed to get approved.

2026 is the first year neither of us have a W-2.

A lot of people wanna jump into entrepreneurship to make more money.

But the true win is owning your time. Being able to just pick up and do what you want without justifying it, explaining yourself to anyone, or feeling bad about it.

This is the life we envisioned for over a decade. A lot of people said "yeah right" when I've shared or now it's "must be nice."

But my delusional optimism came to fruition.

And I wouldn't change it for anything.

PS - Stacey Hinkle's Par details 

Ego Free golf

1. Half hybrid swing 
2. Green side putt. No 60° hero shot.
3. Left with a 3 inch tap in.

All using my clubs. We're getting her fitted right now. Her default shot is a draw...I swear I'm not jealous 🥲😅

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The Battle

Nick Bennett

Clint Hinkle

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taplio

The Battle

Nick Bennett

Clint Hinkle

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Nick Bennett's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreClint Hinkle's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreNick Bennett's LinkedIn Performance