Shockingly honest lessons: contractors, W2s, and turning down six–seven million | Ep. 202

Scrappy ABM host Mason Cosby sits down with Nick Bennett on 1,000 Routes and tells the story behind a “little teeny tiny side hustle” that became “sold a million bucks” and then “another million” within months. Starting with a $25,000 win in March 2023 and a $150,000 deal that “backed out,” Mason lays out “project revenue,” the activation playbook, an $80,000 annual contract, and why “less is more” with “two service lines.” It’s all inbound from LinkedIn and a podcast, plus “speaking engagements,” saying yes to interviews, and an “absurd number of webinars”—including 60 podcast interviews and 18 webinars in ~60 days that created over $2 million in pipeline.

He gets “shockingly honest” about 120 hour weeks, a postpartum spouse editing podcasts, firing seven contractors, moving to W2s, and then learning seasonality and sales cycles. Mason explains why a debt free approach matters, how he’s scaling out for a two-month paternity leave, and why he turned down six to seven million to stay focused on a mission: equip a million marketers with repeatable account-based playbooks by January 2035.

Nick Bennett — host of 1,000 Routes. In this conversation, Nick steers the candid discussion on solopreneurship, scaling, contractors vs. W2, and the shift from “Mason the marketer” to “Mason the CEO.”

📌 What We Cover

• From “little teeny tiny side hustle” to “I think I have a business”: $25K in March ’23, a $150K deal that “backed out,” and stacking project revenue with one $80K annual contract.
• Why “less is more”: from 16 service lines to two service lines that are “way easier to sell.”
• All inbound: LinkedIn, a podcast, “speaking engagements,” saying yes to podcasts, networking calls, and an “absurd number of webinars.”
• Buying back time: hiring a contractor at $70/hr, “bought back 65 hours,” and discovering margin without doing the delivery.
• Contractors vs. W2: “shockingly honest” lessons, firing seven people, then learning seasonality, fixed costs, and building a bench of professional contractors.
• Scaling out of delivery and most selling: hiring an AE, a COO, and “four specialists” per client so the team “does it better than me.”
• Pipeline swings and seasonality: 60 podcast interviews + 18 webinars → over $2M in pipeline as H2 budgets open.
• Mission over exit: turning down six–seven million, staying debt free, and the goal to equip a million marketers by January 2035.

🔗 Resources Mentioned

• 1,000 Routes
• Dave Ramsey / Ramsey Solutions (“baby steps,” “Ramsey guy”)
• System & Soul (business operating framework)
• EOS (operating system reference)
• Acquisition.com workshop
• C12 (Christian business leaders group)
• Terminus (AE experience referenced)
• Create your next digital offer: https://harnessandhone.com/
• Join How Solos Scale: https://www.howsolosscale.com/
• Download the free roadmap: https://fullstacksoloroadmap.com/
• Scrappy ABM: Visit for more ABM tips and strategies.
• Connect with Mason on LinkedIn for a conversation about ABM

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