How this Guy Quit his VP role, and 4X’d his income in 1 year.

Ian Nelson quit his VP job with one goal. Survive. 

But instead, his business took off so fast he had to build an 11 person team to keep up. 

Ian runs Marketing Nerdy, a done for you lead magnet and go to market shop that helps companies get their ideal buyers to pay attention, opt in, and book meetings. 

I sat down with Ian to learn about how he grew so quickly. Enjoy. (:

1. Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Ian Nelson, and I’m the founder of Marketing Nerdy.

We’re a done for you lead magnet and go to market marketing company. We do GTM strategy front to back, from ads and angles all the way through backend funnels, systems, nurture sequences, and everything A to Z.

The easiest way to say it is we figure out how to get your target to pay attention, come to you, and book appointments. We do that through lead magnets, funnels, and strong marketing angles that speak to where your buyers are most likely to convert.

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

Honestly, I stumbled into it.

I spent a long time in the ClickFunnels world. Russell Brunson funnels, that whole ecosystem. I built funnels for clients for so long that I ended up winning awards for some of the work.

A couple years ago, when Hormozi released 100 Million Leads, the term lead magnet got really popular because it was at the center of what he talked about.

That created a new problem. People had a ton of questions.

Lead magnets worked for him in gyms and that world, but people were asking if they would work for their business. They were asking what kind to use, how to know what would work, and what to do when it didn’t.

I had been using lead magnets for years across different industries. So I started talking about them, going deep on how they work, and I became known for that. That turned into being a lead magnet specialist, then the business grew into everything GTM around it.

3. How did you get your first paying customers?
   

I used my own lead magnets to do it. I practice what I preach.

The key is no one cares about what you do. They care about what you do for them.

I think about it like this. Every buyer has a destination. A revenue goal, a systems goal, a growth goal. They want to get somewhere specific.

But they also have an inner story. Roadblocks, doubts, questions, and problems that keep them from getting there.

So my first step was mapping every problem they would have on that journey. Then I turned those problems into top of funnel content and lead magnets.

I posted content that hit the inner story and used the same thinking in outreach. I would give people something based on where I thought they were stuck, using their wording and the exact problems they were thinking through.

That gets attention. It gets trust. It does not always get bookings.

My buyers would spend weeks trying to piece together their lead magnet strategy on their own. So my shortcut was simple. I’ll map your entire lead magnet strategy for free. Or I’ll map your GTM strategy for free.

That works because we sell implementation. Funnels, design, content, ads, the whole thing. The free map helps them move forward fast, and then they see how much work it actually is.

The close is straightforward. After I map it, I ask if they want help implementing any of it.

If they say no, I ask who else they know that needs help with lead magnets. Then I use that referral to start the next conversation.

So the “free map” either turns into a sale or it turns into the next warm intro.

4. What’s been the best way to retain customers?

Right now, retention has come down to two things.

Quick wins quickly, and consistent communication.

I’ve learned a lot over the past year. I’m executing faster, the experience is better, and I’m tighter on follow up. There are always kinks, but speed plus communication has been the retention lever.

5. How do you feel about the business today? Where do you want it to go?

Next year my goal is to hit seven figures.

This year my goal was survive. I quit my job to do this full time, and I was just hoping I could make it work.

Little did I know I quadrupled what I was earning as a salaried VP just by doing this.

To hit seven figures, I need my systems dialed in. That’s the key for me.

6. Was there ever a moment you thought it wasn’t going to work?

Not a single moment where I thought it was over.

But I had a lot of moments where I realized things were breaking.

The business took off like a rocket, and it wasn’t built for that. I focused on making sales first, then I looked up and realized I had to fulfill all of it.

I have an 11 person team now. It’s taken the year, but they’ve leveled up.

7. What do outsiders not understand about your industry?
   

People don’t realize how hard it is to come up with lead magnets that actually matter to a target.

I niched on a problem, not an industry. That means I’m industry agnostic, which is great for sales, but brutal operationally.

I attract all kinds of industries. I work with Reddit. I work with Bill. I work with K12 Stride, a 4 billion dollar company. I’m helping them build go to market strategy inside their business.

I’m also working with ADU builders, luxury sauna companies, bounce house party companies, executive coaches, remodelers, AI marketing agencies, and a bunch more.

The hard part is I have to learn a new industry every time. Teaching my team how to do that is also hard. It’s inefficient, but it’s also one of our strengths.

8. Favorite tools?
   

We use ChatGPT and Claude a ton.

We also use GoHighLevel a lot. We’re proficient in Webflow, Squarespace, Wix, WordPress, and we use HubSpot with bigger enterprise clients.

Occasionally we use Midjourney and Nano Banana. We’ve talked about looking into n8n too.

9. Favorite content?
   

The 100 Million books. 100 Million Offers, Leads, and Money Models.

For me, information is not valuable unless I can execute on it. Those books directly shape how I execute.

A lot of books you can get the concept fast, then the rest is just examples. Those Hormozi books are the concepts plus use cases that help you apply it quickly.

10. If you had to start another business, what would it be?
    

Honestly, I’m really happy with what I’m doing.

But if I had to pick something else, I’d love to own a fleet of car washes.

I live in a fast growing area in Utah. My town is Vineyard and it’s expanding like crazy. There’s a big cityscape coming in, more cars every year, and a constant need for washes.

It’s one of those businesses that feels boring in a good way. High demand, repeat behavior, and it should do well if you place them right.

11. Best advice for other entrepreneurs?
    

Figure out the inner story of your target.

No one cares about what you do unless you can explain what they’re going through in their mind, and how you help them move one step closer to their destination.

If you know the inner story, you can sell and market anything.

Final Takeaways

• Your top of funnel should talk to the inner story, not your service list.

• A real lead magnet moves someone one step closer to their destination.

• Mid funnel offers win. A free shortcut can be the bridge from low trust to booked calls.

• If your business takes off fast, systems will break. Fixing them becomes your job.