He Didn’t Launch a Startup. He Just Used Twitter to Sell $160K in Mattresses.

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After college, Nick Hancock took the traditional route: he got a “real job.” But less than a year in, he realized it wasn’t for him. 

The work felt meaningless. 

The corporate structure drained him. 

And when COVID hit, he got laid off.

He moved back home with no clear plan, just time, and a family business that had always been in the background. 

Today, Nick runs a thriving mattress business in Charlotte, North Carolina. But more impressively: over the past five months, he’s made over $160,000 in direct sales through Twitter.

No e-commerce store. 

No paid ads. 

Just consistent content, honest salesmanship, and word-of-mouth momentum.

I sat down with Nick to hear how he made it work, from working with his dad to building a personal brand and closing $30,000 deals via direct messages.

1. Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?

I’m Nick Hancock. Online, I go by “Nick the Mattress Guy.” I run a mattress business in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s part of a larger family business my dad started 30+ years ago. My brother has a store in Raleigh, and my dad’s still running the original store in Wilmington.

So technically, I didn’t “start” the business. But I’ve taken our model and evolved it—first through Facebook, then through content, and now by building a direct sales channel through Twitter and other platforms.

Over the last five months, I’ve sold over $160K worth of mattresses directly through Twitter. No website. No Shopify. Just me, DMing with customers and helping them find the right mattress, from individuals to bulk orders of 400 units.

2. What’s your backstory and how did you come up with the idea? 

After college, I took a job,  standard business stuff. It lasted 11 months. I hated it. I didn’t want to climb a corporate ladder or sit at a desk doing work I didn’t care about. So when COVID hit and I got laid off, I moved back home and regrouped.

That’s when I started learning the mattress business from the ground up. My dad’s been doing this for decades,  selling direct to consumers, focusing on value and relationships. I worked in the warehouse, learned the models, studied materials, and watched how he handled customers. Eventually, I opened my own store in Charlotte.

At first, I relied on Facebook Marketplace. That worked well for a while, especially during COVID, when people wanted one-on-one appointments. But eventually that dried up. So I started thinking: where’s the attention now?

That’s when I turned to Twitter.

How did you get your first customer through Twitter?

Literally just by posting.

I didn’t overthink it. I shared mattress tips, pricing breakdowns, and honest comparisons between what you get from a chain vs. what I offer. I used my real face, real voice, and no gimmicks. The first few DMs turned into sales. Then they told friends. Then the flywheel started turning.

Someone messaged me saying they were quoted $6,300 for a mattress. I got them the same thing for $2,400. People talk when you save them that much.

What worked best to attract and retain customers?

Transparency and being a real person. People are sick of big mattress chains and fake sales. I show my face, post real content, and help people make a decision without pressure.

On the fulfillment side, we keep it simple. I work with freight companies, communicate directly, and deliver what I promise. That alone sets me apart.

Most importantly, I don’t treat people like leads. I talk to them like friends. If someone DMs me at 10 pm with questions, I answer. That kind of service builds loyalty fast.

How is the business going today, and where do you want to take it?

Right now, it’s growing faster than ever.

I’m still running the Charlotte store, but more and more of my revenue comes from content-driven sales. Some people want one mattress. Others want 400. I can handle both,  and the content builds trust on autopilot.

Long-term, I want to build a brand around my name. “Nick the Mattress Guy” can become a national brand, not just a Twitter handle. I want to expand into other platforms — TikTok, YouTube, and eventually podcasting. Not just to sell mattresses, but to teach people what I’ve learned.

Eventually, I might even move beyond mattresses. I love marketing. I love building brands. But for now, I’m going deep on this one.

Was there ever a moment when you thought this wouldn’t work?

Yeah,  the middle stretch.

After the initial Facebook boom faded, there was a year and a half where things felt stuck. I didn’t want to open more stores. I didn’t know how to scale. I even tried starting other businesses. None of them took off.

It wasn’t until December 2023 that I committed to going all-in on content. Since then, everything changed.

What do outsiders not understand about the mattress industry?

How rigged it is.

Most people walk into a big-box store and think they’re choosing between 15 different brands. In reality, it’s the same factory making most of them. Specs are vague. Prices are inflated. Sales reps are trained to confuse you.

What I do is simple: I show you the actual specs, compare the options, and help you save 30–50% by cutting out the BS.

What tools do you use to run the business?

Honestly? Nothing fancy.

I use Google Sheets for tracking. A sideline phone line for DM-to-call transitions. Slack ( hyperlink )  for talking to a few contractors.

 That’s it. Most of my business happens in DMs, texts, and phone calls.

I focus more on communication than tools. The tools just help me stay organized.

If you were to start another business today (not mattresses), what would it be?

Probably a marketing agency.

I love helping small business owners figure out how to use content to sell. That’s what I’ve done for myself, and I think I could help others do the same. Especially people in industries like mine who don’t know how to talk online.

There are thousands of great operators who have no clue how to tell their story. I could help them win.

What’s your best advice for entrepreneurs?

Be human. Show your face. Talk like a person.

You don’t need a perfect funnel or a 15-step automation. You need trust. And the fastest way to build trust is to be yourself.

Oh,  and post every day. Even if it feels awkward at first.

Any final numbers you can share?

• In the last 5 months:

• $160,000+ in sales directly through Twitter

• Largest single deal: 400 mattresses

• Average ticket size: $1,500–$3,500

• Platform breakdown: 95% Twitter, rest through referrals and repeat business

Final Takeaways

1. The internet loves people who go all-in on one thing. Nick wasn’t trying to be everything. He just became the mattress guy and owned it.
   

2. You don’t need a website or ads to sell. Nick made $160K straight from his DMs. Real people, real conversations, and that was enough.
   

3. Doing one thing really well beats doing a bunch of things halfway. While others tried new ideas, Nick just kept showing up in the same lane, and it worked.
   

4. The best way to sell is to be clear. Nick didn’t push. He explained. In an industry full of tricks and confusion, that made all the difference.
   

5. You don’t have to reinvent an industry. Just be better than what’s out there. Mattress stores made it hard. Nick made it easy. That was enough to win.