Nashville is no stranger to flashy “marketing” companies promising big opportunities.
One of the most persistent — and controversial — examples is Nashville Marketing Group (NMG).
Founded in 2017, NMG describes itself as a firm that helps “nonprofits all around the world increase their donor base.”
On its website, it touts high-profile clients like Netflix and the Tennessee Titans.
Of course, there are no verifiable case studies, no documented campaigns, and no evidence of these connections outside of the company’s own claims.
According to Tennessee Secretary of State filings, NMG initially registered as a for-profit corporation in 2022.
By late 2023, its license had been revoked by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
Despite that, it kept advertising jobs, and in June 2025, it reemerged as Drive Nashville, Inc., which now operates under the assumed name NM Group.
Same playbook, new name
Business filings tie NMG’s registered agent, Lauren Nowakowski, to a string of similar firms: The Dryden Group, Illustrated Marketing, and Knights Worldwide, all active in Nashville in recent years.
Even after NMG’s administrative dissolution in 2023, Nowakowski moved quickly, registering NM Group as a fresh face with an almost identical business model.
A familiar pattern of complaints
Many former employees describe a toxic, cult-like work environment: no benefits, no sick days or PTO, and constant pressure to recruit or sell.
Online reviews from at least the past decade echo these complaints, calling the experience “humiliating” and alleging a bait-and-switch approach to job duties and pay.
Public-facing materials — sharp-dressed teams, rooftop happy hours, and exotic “rest & relaxation” trips to Mexico — push a carefully curated image of success and community.
But dig a little deeper, and these trips often turn out to be standard incentive programs common in the national Cydcor network of independent sales organizations (ISOs).
The Cydcor connection
Many of these companies operate as ISOs linked to larger parent networks like Credico and Cydcor.
They contract with major telecom, energy, and charity clients, using door-to-door sales and street canvassing to push services directly to consumers.
Inside, they rely on an aggressive “promotion culture,” constant promises of leadership positions that often turn out to mean little more than recruiting more foot soldiers.
Recent Instagram posts confirm the same playbook.
NM Group team members tout trips to Playa del Carmen for annual “Rest & Relaxation” retreats, classic Cydcor reward programs for top sellers.
Other posts show the team attending conferences in Atlanta, echoing the typical ISO event circuit aimed at motivation and networking.
Still recruiting
As of July 2025, Nashville Marketing Group (and its reincarnation as NM Group) remains active.
Job boards like Indeed and LinkedIn list openings, from “brand ambassadors with music industry experience” to “marketing assistants.”
It appears they may also have ties to other major cities, including New York City.
The companies promise excitement and advancement.
But it’s the same old story: a revolving door of young, hopeful workers pushed into commission-only sales under misleading job descriptions.
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