Meet the new stars shaking up the promo market with their ambition, empathy and passion to be the very best.

>>Back To 2018 Hot List

Mason Linn

Raining Rose (asi/80489)

“It sucks to suck” is a motto that Raining Rose’s Mason Linn coined early in his college years. “I try my best to be the best.” And indeed, in the two short years since he joined the promo industry, Linn has already made an indelible impression, using his own brand of relationship building, industry involvement and educational outreach, winning the trust, respect – and business – of the distributors he serves.

He honed his sales chops selling phonebook advertising space, which was often an uphill battle. “I had to handle every objection under the sun, from every industry,” which was excellent preparation for a promo sales career. He quotes lyrics from the “Eye of the Tiger” on his LinkedIn profile, a song from his favorite movie, Rocky: “Went the distance, now I’m back on my feet. Just a man and his will to survive.”

Linn believes the best way to build relationships is in person, “with a firm handshake,” as he logs countless hours and miles to expand his territory. Linn is always thinking of his distributors and is proactive in developing ideas, including virtual mockups, to help them win deals.

Trust is a core value on his rapidly expanding team, which he credits with much of his success. “I couldn’t travel as much as I do without trustworthy people by my side,” he says. “They handle whatever comes up when I’m out.” The team meets regularly as a group, but also breaks up into smaller pods to bounce ideas around and help develop goals.

Linn recorded 30% year-over-year sales growth. For an encore, he wants “to do it again this year.”

Listen Up!

We asked Hot Listers what song they listen to as motivation for the day, a big meeting, or presentation. Here's what gets Mason fired up!