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Before Reins, WireNut Home Services faced a clear challenge: how do you keep A-players motivated and committed for the long haul?
Owner Trent Urban had already proven the power of incentives back in 2020. Rather than selling to private equity, he offered his team an incentive plan for the first time. The results spoke for themselves. Profit climbed, growth accelerated, and the team surpassed every benchmark he set.
Back in 2020…instead of selling, I put a big bonus in front of my team. They blew past the targets—we grew like crazy and were more profitable than I even set as the benchmark.
The problem was that the system was informal, built entirely on trust, and too difficult to manage over time. Trent needed a structured, repeatable program that wouldn’t consume his time or require endless legal back-and-forth. He wanted a solution that could truly align his people with the company’s goals while protecting what he had built.
When Trent discovered Reins, the timing couldn’t have been better. He knew he needed a new plan but didn’t want to wrestle with attorneys or complicated contracts. Reins gave him the clarity, framework, and technology to take what worked informally and turn it into a scalable system.
I needed to do another plan, this time more formal and better. That’s when Reins showed up at exactly the right time. Simple. Impactful. Now my people can log in and check their progress themselves.
Today, Trent runs multiple programs through Reins: a profit plan for short-term performance and a phantom stock plan for long-term loyalty. Each program is tailored to the individual. People motivated by immediate performance can see quarterly payouts, while long-tenured leaders earn phantom stock that ties them to the future success of the business.
Nexstar Coach Jeff Stagnoli summed it up well, "when the right incentives meet the right audience, change happens quickly."
Almost overnight, people start thinking like owners. They make decisions in the best interest of the whole company, not just themselves.
With Reins, Trent transformed his incentive approach into transparent milestones that genuinely motivate his team.
I’ve got eight people on a phantom stock plan and seven or eight on a profit plan. Phantom stock creates golden handcuffs for long-term leaders, while the profit plan puts money right in front of people who are driving growth.
The benefits go well beyond retention. By aligning rewards directly with company goals, Wirenut has built a culture where employees think and act like owners. The business continues its strong growth trajectory, while Trent enjoys peace of mind knowing his team is locked in.
As Trent put it: “Abundance creates abundance. When you share in the right way, you eliminate the chaos and distractions, and you build a business where people are running with you, not just working for you.
Trent is already expanding his use of Reins across more roles and refining how different incentive types are deployed. Profit plans drive quarterly performance. Phantom stock creates long-term “golden handcuffs.” Together, they form a system that attracts, retains, and elevates top talent.
For WireNut, incentives are no longer just an expense. They’re a lever for growth, culture, and stability. With Reins, Trent has a partner and platform that makes it all simple, clear, and scalable.
Yesterday I went snowboarding with my son. I didn’t have a single concern or interruption. That’s the kind of business I want to build, and aligning my team with incentives makes that possible.
