Lessons From a Messy Integration By Nick Hinckley, FMK Agency
I don’t love conflict. I’m not a drama guy. I’ve got two kids under five, a creative agency to run, a music side hustle I barely get to touch, and just enough time to daydream about riding motorcycles more often. But sometimes, in the middle of a tough project, you hit a point where sugar-coating it isn’t going to help anyone.
That happened recently during a project where we were working with a large enterprise client and two different systems: HubSpot on our side (we’re a Solutions Partner), and NetSuite on the other, managed by a consultancy that will remain unnamed—but let’s just say they love a good sales opportunity.
The job? Integrate the two platforms. Get the data talking. Make it seamless for the client. On paper, it’s a typical CRM-to-ERP project. In real life? Full of landmines.
And here’s the thing: bugs happen. Timelines slip. Data doesn’t sync right. This stuff is supposed to be messy before it gets clean. The real difference-maker is how teams handle that mess. Do they collaborate? Or do they point fingers?
Unfortunately, this one went sideways. Every time something went wrong, the NetSuite side twisted it into a HubSpot problem. There was zero ownership. And while our team was deep in the weeds trying to solve it, the consultants on the other side were working the client from a different angle, trying to turn pain into a new contract instead of fixing what was broken.
So yeah, I said what needed to be said. In a shared Slack channel. In front of everyone, I told their lead I didn’t trust him. That I didn’t appreciate the blame-shifting. That we’re here to solve problems, not push new deals.
Not my proudest moment—but not my biggest regret, either.
Because while I could’ve handled it more gracefully, what I said wasn’t wrong. I’ve worked in this space long enough to know when collaboration is being faked. When salespeople are running the show instead of solution-minded experts. And when that happens, the client loses. Every time.
So, When Should You Be Blunt?
- When trust is being quietly eroded. If something’s rotten in the background, someone has to say it out loud.
- When your team’s being thrown under the bus. If you don't stand up for them, you don’t deserve them.
- When the client’s being misled for someone else’s gain. That’s not just unprofessional—it’s unethical.
- When you’ve tried every polite option and it’s still broken. Sometimes diplomacy turns into delay.
But Here’s the Real Lesson This Situation Reminded Me Of:
Hire good people. Then get out of their way.
After the blow-up, I stepped back and let our Solutions Expert take the reins. No more back-and-forth with the sales guys. Just real humans on both sides who gave a damn about solving the issue. And wouldn’t you know it—once our expert was paired with the right contact on the NetSuite side (someone actually technical, not just chasing the next upsell), they fixed the issue.
Not patched it– fixed it.
It wasn’t magic. It was just alignment. Right people. Right focus. Right mindset.
That’s why I started this agency in the first place. To work with people who love solving real problems. People who build instead of blame. Create instead of spin. Collaborate instead of compete.
We’re not perfect. But we care. And when things get hard, we show up. Not with excuses—but with answers.
So yeah, be blunt when you have to. But also? Make sure you're not standing in the way of the solution you already hired.
And next time… maybe start there.
