Not Built to Pitch: Creating LinkedIn Content That Connects
Tim Davidson didn’t plan on becoming a B2B content creator.
He just wanted a career that didn’t involve failing biology. But what started as a fallback degree in marketing eventually led to a full-on brand: B2B Rizz, a one-person LinkedIn Ads consultancy built on skits, psychology, and personality.
In this episode of Smart Route, Tim joins host Andrew Clark to talk about how he went from sales rejection and phone book pitches to running a high-performing, low-pressure solo business with a growing YouTube series and a clear message: if the content sucks, no one will see it anyway. Just post it.
From Valpak to Video Skits
Tim’s path into marketing wasn’t planned. He started college studying biology, with dreams of becoming a zoologist, but quickly realized the sciences weren’t for him. After switching to marketing (mostly to keep playing lacrosse), he discovered a love for psychology, specifically, how people buy and what influences their behavior.
After a rocky start in sales roles (“I got let go from both my first jobs”), Tim eventually found his way into agency life and paid media, where he got his first hands-on experience with platforms like Google, Facebook, and, eventually, LinkedIn Ads.
Building a Business from LinkedIn (and a Baby)
Tim’s pivot to starting his consultancy came after four years in the agency world. By then, he’d built a strong presence on LinkedIn and realized two things: 1) LinkedIn Ads was an underserved niche, and 2) he was about to become a dad.
So in early 2024, with a baby on the way and a growing online network, he leaped. “At the very least, I figured if it doesn’t work, I can go back to a full-time job.”
Spoiler: It worked.
The Rise of the Notorious B2B Show
One thing that sets Tim apart is his willingness to show his personality. That’s especially true in the Notorious B2B he cohosts with fellow B2B creator Taz Bober.
Initially born from a Zoom networking call, the show has evolved into what Tim jokingly calls “TMZ for B2B”—covering industry drama, weird LinkedIn trends, and moments that most marketers avoid talking about.
Their success? A mix of trial and error, a “just show up” mindset, and a refusal to obsess over ROI.
Creating Content Without a CTA
“I’m not great at pitching,” Tim says. “So I don’t.”
Instead, he creates content that entertains, educates, or just adds some levity to the B2B space. Sometimes that means a side-by-side skit of himself as a marketer and a salesperson. Other times, it’s a video of him shoveling snow or cutting fruit for his son, while talking ad strategy.
“Content doesn’t need to have a CTA to be valuable. Just put it out there.”
Advice for New Creators
Tim’s advice for anyone wanting to start building an audience:
- Just post. If it’s bad, no one will see it anyway.
- Don’t worry about ROI on every piece.
- Be yourself. That’s what people connect with.
Oh, and don’t eat the kiwi rind—even if the comments tell you to.
Where to Connect with Tim
About Tim Davidson
Tim Davidson is a semi-funny content creator and the CEO of B2B Rizz, a LinkedIn ads consulting firm for B2B.
Episode Transcript
Andrew Clark: Hey everyone, this is Andrew Clark with the Smart Route podcast, back with another episode. Today we’ve got a rising influencer—at least in my opinion—in the B2B marketing space: Tim Davidson.
Tim is the founder and CEO of B2B Rizz—and yes, we’re definitely going to talk about the name. I need the origin story.
He’s also been working with us at CallTrackingMetrics, helping take our LinkedIn ads to the next level.
So quick plug for what you do, Tim—we’ll get it right out there at the beginning. But really, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. I know you’re busy—you’re running a business, creating content, doing it all.
Let’s start things off by letting you introduce yourself and tell us what you’re all about.
Tim Davidson: Awesome—yeah, thanks for having me on!
Like you said, I’m the founder and CEO of B2B Rizz. But I’m also the CFO, the head of marketing, the sales guy—basically, everything. It’s a one-person company!
B2B Rizz is a LinkedIn Ads consultancy focused on B2B SaaS. I’ve also been creating content for a few years now, mostly in the B2B marketing and sales space—especially on LinkedIn.
It’s been a really interesting ride. It’s allowed me to launch this business, to travel, to meet people, and to do things I never expected. I’m excited to be here—I love these kinds of conversations.
Andrew Clark: Awesome. As you mentioned, you’re now leading your own company—but everyone has an origin story. And we love a good story, especially when it comes to winding career paths.
So let’s start there: how did you get into this space? What led you to a career in marketing?
Tim Davidson: Funny enough, I’m not sure how far back you want me to go—but in college, I actually studied biology.
I wanted to be a zoologist. I was super into the idea of training hyenas and lions—stuff like that. I loved it.
But… I couldn’t pass biology. Or really any of the science-heavy courses.
So I ended up switching to the easiest classes I could find—which turned out to be business and marketing. And I ended up falling in love with it.
In a weird way, I still ended up training people—it’s just training them to buy things, instead of training animals.
After college, I started in sales. I was selling phone book ads, and then Valpak—you know, those coupon booklets that come in the mail?
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Tim Davidson: Yeah, well… I wasn’t very good at sales. I actually got let go from both of those jobs.
Eventually, I found my way into the agency world. I worked at a few different places—starting with a PR agency, and then a local marketing agency.
That’s where I really got into paid ads. I was doing marketing for local businesses—law firms, HVAC companies, you name it. That’s where I started working with Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and eventually LinkedIn Ads.
Tim Davidson: From there, I kind of stumbled into B2B marketing—just by chance, really.
I found a company out in California that I liked, and started working with them. That’s when I really entered the B2B space.
Part of my role there involved creating LinkedIn content. This was around 2020, and that’s when everything really started to change for me.
Creating content helped me meet a ton of new people, learn new skills, and get deeper into the B2B world. And after four years working in the agency space, all of that content creation eventually led me to start my own business.
Now I’ve been running my own company for about a year and four months—and honestly, it’s been one of the best decisions of my life.
Andrew Clark: That sounds incredible.
And I have to say—I relate to your biology origin story! I started out thinking I was going pre-med, too. But I quickly realized chemistry was not my thing.
So I made a pivot as well. And like you, I’m really glad I did—it’s definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Andrew Clark: When you started taking business and marketing classes, what were the things that really drew you in?
I know you mentioned you enjoy engaging with people—and how marketing, in a way, still feels like training people to make decisions. But originally, what pulled you into this field?
Tim Davidson: Honestly? At first, I picked it because I thought it would be the easiest option.
I was playing lacrosse at the time, and if you fail a class, you can’t play. So I thought, All right, what’s the easiest major I can find?
Andrew Clark: Right—makes sense.
Tim Davidson: But turns out… it wasn’t as easy as I thought!
That said, one of the classes I really loved was psychology. It was super interesting—and when I started to see how it tied into marketing, that’s when I got hooked.
Understanding why people buy and how they react to things really fascinates me.
I love those little nuances—like when you’re testing ad copy, for example. I once ran a test with an ad that had a typo versus a clean, grammatically correct one… and the one with the misspelling converted better.
That kind of thing blows my mind—and it’s exactly what I love about marketing.
Andrew Clark: That’s surprising to me!
Tim Davidson: Yeah—I just love the psychology behind it. That was hands-down one of my favorite classes.
The rest of the business and marketing curriculum was helpful—it gave me a solid foundation. But psychology? That’s what really stuck with me.
Even now, when I read, I gravitate toward science and psychology books. I’m really into space and dinosaurs, too—still kind of a big kid in that way. But that kind of stuff fascinates me.
Andrew Clark: That’s super cool to hear.
You mentioned earlier that you had a few jobs where things didn’t quite work out—you said you got let go from some early roles. How did you decide to keep going in marketing instead of giving up and doing something else?
Tim Davidson: Yeah, that’s the thing.
I went to school for business and marketing, and I knew I liked the marketing side. But I also knew I wasn’t cut out for sales.
Andrew Clark: Okay.
Tim Davidson: It’s just not my personality. I’m not the guy who’s going to follow up with you ten times or make cold calls all day. That’s not me.
But when you’re just starting out and you don’t have much experience, sales is one of the easiest entry points into marketing. So even though I wasn’t great at it, I was essentially selling marketing services—like when I was with Valpak.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Tim Davidson: I was also selling ads in the phone book—which, believe it or not, still had some digital marketing components back then. This was around 2016, so they had to start evolving.
Andrew Clark: Okay.
Tim Davidson: The reason I took those roles was simple: I had to get my foot in the door somehow.
Selling those services gave me valuable exposure. I learned about digital marketing, Google Ads, how local businesses use the phone book, why they rely on coupons—all of that stuff. It was a great learning experience.
At the time though, I just wasn’t good at sales. Especially at that age, I was not the type to cold call. I’ve gotten better at sales now—because I’ve had to—but back then, I was honestly kind of scared of it.
Andrew Clark: Totally get that. I’m much the same way.
I know I do content creation—this podcast, videos, social—but hand me a cold call to make, and I’m probably sweating bullets.
Tim Davidson: Exactly! Like, calling a pizza shop makes me sweat. If I can’t order online, I’m just not ordering. That’s how I operate.
Andrew Clark: For sure.
You also mentioned you eventually went to work for a series of agencies and bigger companies. Was there a specific moment when you thought, You know what? I think I’m better off doing my own thing?
What led to that decision?
Tim Davidson: Yeah, I think deep down, I always had that thought.
Even while working full-time, I always had little side jobs—helping local businesses with Facebook ads or running small campaigns. This started around 2018 or 2019.
And even when I was at the agency right before going out on my own, I still had a couple of side clients. It was just something I kept doing.
Tim Davidson: So yeah, I always figured I’d go out on my own eventually.
That said—I’m pretty risk-averse. The idea of going full-time solo always scared me a bit.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Tim Davidson: But after four years of building content and relationships on LinkedIn, I finally felt comfortable enough to make the leap.
So about a year and four months ago—around January 2024—I decided to go for it.
And, oh yeah, we were also having our first baby. Perfect timing, right?
Andrew Clark:
Yeah. (laughs)
Tim Davidson: At the time, I told myself: If it doesn’t work, I’ll just go back and find a full-time job.
Thankfully, I’d built enough of a presence on LinkedIn that when I went solo, it actually worked really well.
Now, don’t get me wrong—there are still days I think, Maybe I should go back full-time. It’s a rollercoaster. But this is something I’ve always wanted to do.
And one day, I just decided: I’m going to take the shot. If I miss, it’s okay. There’s always another opportunity.
Andrew Clark: That makes a lot of sense.
And with your company’s name being B2B Rizz, maybe this is obvious—but when you were evaluating whether to start your own thing, was LinkedIn always going to be your platform? Or was it just one of many you considered?
Tim Davidson: Honestly, I could have gone in a few directions. I have experience with Google Ads, Facebook, and even Reddit.
But I wanted to go niche.
At the agency I worked for, we focused on B2B marketing. And one of the biggest challenges we had was hiring people with actual LinkedIn Ads experience.
We could find people who knew Google, Meta, Reddit—but LinkedIn Ads? Super rare.
So I saw an opportunity.
And to be honest, that was already the part of the work I enjoyed most. If a client came in and their budget was focused on LinkedIn, the agency would send them to me. I kind of became the go-to.
So yeah, it was partly strategic—there was a gap in the market—but also because I genuinely love the platform.
Andrew Clark: What is it about LinkedIn specifically that you love the most?
Tim Davidson: It’s the targeting. No other platform gives you that level of granularity.
You can target a specific company, with a specific size, a specific title, a specific interest—and get right in front of them with your content.
Whether it’s a video, an image, a carousel—you can build creative that’s hyper-targeted. And I love that.
Andrew Clark: One thing I’ve noticed in your content—and heard from others—is that you’re expanding your network and collaborating with more people doing similar things.
I’d love to talk about your YouTube series, which I think is technically a relaunch, right?
Tim Davidson: I think we can call it officially launched now. (laughs)
Taz Bober, my cohost, and I have been recording for about 15 months. And we just started putting episodes out. It’s been a long time coming.
Andrew Clark: That’s awesome. How did it come about? Were you two just moving in the same circles?
Tim Davidson: Yeah—pretty much.
Taz runs her own one-person business doing B2B landing pages. And when I was getting ready to go out on my own, she reached out and said, Hey, I did the same thing.
So we set up a networking Zoom call, just to chat about business. And we hit it off—we were laughing, debating stuff, having fun conversations.
At some point—can’t remember who said it—one of us went, We should be recording this.
It felt like funny, useful content. And that was the lightbulb moment: Should we do a show? A podcast?
So we started having recurring calls and slowly figured it out.
Andrew Clark: Thank you.
Tim Davidson: We asked ourselves: What should the show be about? What’s the format?
At first, we were doing typical stuff—“how to do landing pages,” “how to run LinkedIn ads”—but that’s already out there in a million other podcasts.
It wasn’t until maybe 8 months in that we found our voice. We figured out what we liked talking about—and what people seemed to enjoy.
The vibe we landed on is kind of like TMZ for B2B.
We talk about stuff like the Rippling deal drama, weird LinkedIn trends, niche industry news—just the quirky side of B2B that’s usually ignored.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Tim Davidson: We’ve started bringing on guests too. But honestly, it’s been a lot of trial and error—just trying things out and adjusting as we go.
Andrew Clark: And that really comes through when you watch an episode—which we’ll make sure to link to. It feels like two friends hanging out, having a real conversation. As a viewer, you’re just a fly on the wall.
I also love that the production value is solid—it’s not just a Zoom recording thrown up on YouTube. You both take it seriously.
The humor, the personality—that’s what sets it apart in the B2B space.
Tim Davidson: That’s exactly what we leaned into!
We figured, at the very least, we could be the personality podcast. Maybe people will stick around because they like us.
Of course, we still bring real topics and do our research—and now people are even sending us ideas. But early on, we just wanted to be us and see where it went.
Andrew Clark: That in itself is so cool. And seriously—I know I sound like a broken record, but I can’t say enough how refreshing it is to see you and Taz bringing real personality into the B2B space.
It doesn’t feel performative or like you’re putting on a face to attract new business. Sure, maybe you’re thinking about how content can help you grow—but you’re clearly doing it because you enjoy it.
And I wish more marketers embraced that mindset instead of constantly asking, Can I attach ROI to this?
Tim Davidson: Yeah—and that actually ties back to something I didn’t mention earlier when you asked what kind of content works best for me.
One big thing? I’m not great at pitching.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Tim Davidson: I’m not someone who’s going to pitch in every post or slide in a sales CTA at the end of every video. It’s just not my strength.
What has worked well is just creating content that brings value—whatever that looks like. It might be educational, it might be funny, it might just be real.
And I don’t tie every piece of content to a business objective. I don’t say, Okay, how is this going to convert? I don’t care about tracking that stuff post-by-post.
Especially with the show—there’s no direct tie-in to our businesses at all.
But I do know that people talking about the show, or even just passively listening to us, will bring value to our business eventually. And even if it doesn’t? I’m fine with that.
Andrew Clark: Yeah.
Tim Davidson: It’s fun. It doesn’t cost much to produce, so there’s no real pressure to squeeze ROI out of it. We deliberately keep costs low so we don’t have to stress about that.
Andrew Clark: That makes sense. I’m curious—where do you see the YouTube series going?
Do you want it to grow into something bigger? Or are you happy just keeping it as it is—responding to what the community likes and adapting along the way?
Tim Davidson: That’s a great question—and honestly, I’m not the best at long-term planning. That’s more Taz’s domain. (laughs)
So the real answer is: we don’t exactly know.
We’re going to keep doing it because there’s so much content to work with. It’s already evolving—we’ve started having guests, sponsors have reached out, and it’s clearly building momentum.
But like everything else, it’ll probably change. I have no idea how it’ll change yet.
Right now, the goal is just to have fun—and see what happens.
Taz and I are both the kind of people who never want things to get stale. We like experimenting, evolving, trying new things.
Andrew Clark: Yeah, I mean, you’re not out there saying, We need a million subscribers, but you do want to grow the audience and get more people tuning in. That makes sense—you’re still marketers, after all.
Tim Davidson: Exactly. We want it to grow. We look at all those things—but we’re not obsessed with the numbers. We just want it to keep moving in the right direction.
Andrew Clark: Absolutely.
And on that note, since you’ve been creating content across platforms for a while now—what advice would you give to someone who wants to start creating content themselves?
What are a couple of tips you’d share for getting started and, more importantly, sustaining it?
Tim Davidson: One thing that helped me—and something I really wish I’d embraced earlier—is this:
If the content you post sucks, no one’s going to see it. So there’s literally no harm in posting something just to test it out.
You don’t know what’s going to resonate until you put it out there. Trends come and go, and yeah, there are patterns you’ll start to see… but you’d be surprised at what works and what doesn’t.
A lot of people get stuck trying to say what everyone else is saying. Or they’re worried people will judge them, leave a negative comment, or just ignore it.
But honestly? LinkedIn is the platform where you’re least likely to get those bad comments. I promise.
I’ve posted the same content on LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit—and those other platforms can be brutal.
Andrew Clark: Mm-hmm.
Tim Davidson: I still use them as a consumer, but I try not to dwell on the comments. It’s just tough.
And I know this is the most standard advice ever—but it’s true: just start posting.
Put something out there that you feel you can keep doing consistently. It could be personal, it could be professional.
For example, if you’re a marketer, one thing that’s worked for me is posting stats or campaign results—and explaining how we got there. The good and the bad.
Andrew Clark: Right.
Tim Davidson: That alone sparks questions and comments, and it shows you what people care about. That’s where the flywheel starts.
You post, you see what resonates, and then you build on it.
If you post something and get no reaction? Cool. Now you know that’s probably not your thing. Move on and try something else.
Andrew Clark: Sure, that’s cool.
Tim Davidson: And that’s good feedback too. LinkedIn is one of those platforms where, if you just try things, you’ll get useful feedback.
Andrew Clark: Yeah, I’ve noticed—there really aren’t that many haters on LinkedIn compared to other platforms.
Tim Davidson: They’re there—don’t get me wrong.
Andrew Clark: (laughs) Oh, they’re there.
Tim Davidson: Yeah, they are.
It’s this weird thing I’ve talked about with other creators—your content will first reach people who know you or are in your circle, and those comments are usually positive.
But once your post starts reaching a broader audience—what I call the “open-to-work plus hater crowd”—you start seeing these strange comments. Some folks don’t get the joke, others just want to pick it apart.
They’re out there. It’s just a different threshold than on TikTok, Instagram, or Reddit.
Andrew Clark: That’s good to know. I never really thought about it like that—definitely something to keep in mind. Not that I’m planning on becoming a LinkedIn content creator anytime soon!
Tim Davidson: (laughs) You should!
Andrew Clark: No, I’m good.
Tim Davidson: Fair enough. It’s not for everyone.
And honestly, I’ve said this before—it’s changed my life, but that doesn’t mean everyone needs to do it. Just because you’re on LinkedIn doesn’t mean you need to be creating content.
It’s super time-consuming. It can be draining. You don’t have to do it to be successful.
Andrew Clark: Yeah, makes sense.
And to wrap up—how are you balancing all this with being a new-ish parent?
I’ve noticed your kid sometimes shows up in your videos—like one where you were cutting fruit, which was already hilarious, but I have to ask… Were you really eating the rind? That’ll be our final question. (laughs)
Tim Davidson: Oh yeah—that was tough. (laughs) It’s very hard.
Andrew Clark: So how do you balance everything—running a business, creating content, and weaving in family life?
Tim Davidson: Yeah, so luckily, because I run my own business—and I’m a one-person shop—I’ve been able to build it in a way that supports balance.
I do have two virtual assistants who handle pretty much everything that’s not client work: finances, billing, email management, admin stuff. That’s been huge.
And honestly, I work fewer hours now than I did in a full-time job. That gives me flexibility—I can pick my son up from daycare, I don’t have to commute, and I get more time with my family.
Andrew Clark: That’s great.
Tim Davidson: Some of my videos are literally created while I’m multitasking. I’ve filmed while shoveling the driveway, while taking care of my son, even while cutting fruit for the family.
Yes, they take more time to produce, but combining it all saves time in the long run. And it makes the content more real.
Andrew Clark: Totally. And I’ve got to ask—what inspired you to take a giant bite out of a fruit rind on camera?
We’ll link the video, because it needs context—but it was definitely a hot topic on LinkedIn for a while. What’s the backstory there?
Tim Davidson: (laughs) That’s what I like to call an “Easter egg.”
In a lot of my videos, I try to include something just slightly weird—something unexpected—to see how people react.
Eating the rind? That was one of those.
Sometimes I cut kiwis and people comment, “Just eat the skin!” So I tried it. And honestly? I don’t like it. (laughs)
Tim Davidson: Some people love it—for whatever reason. (laughs)
But yeah, I’ll cut the fruit, eat the skin, and just leave those little Easter eggs in the videos to see who catches them. It’s a fun way to test engagement.
Andrew Clark: I think that’s super cool—and actually a smart marketing takeaway: include callbacks or little surprises that reward your audience for paying attention. It creates a cohesive narrative.
Tim Davidson: Exactly. Just make sure the content is still good. You can’t just throw in random quirks and expect it to carry the whole thing.
Andrew Clark: Right—yeah, absolutely.
Well Tim, we’re approaching the end of the show, and I just want to say thank you for coming on. I know you’re busy.
Where can people find you and follow your content?
Tim Davidson: LinkedIn is definitely the best place. Just search Tim Davidson—blue background, glasses, you’ll see my face. (laughs)
You can also visit my website: b2brizz.com. That links out to my LinkedIn too.
Those are the two best spots to find me.
Andrew Clark: Awesome. We’ll make sure to link both in the show notes.
Thanks again for being here, Tim—and thank you to all our listeners. We’ll see you next episode. Take care!Tim Davidson: Thanks—take care!