The Goats of Growth

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I interview Jacco van der Kooij, founder of Winning by Design, about the challenges facing SaaS companies in achieving go-to-market fit. Jacco explains that the "growth at all costs" mentality has led to inefficient spending on sales and marketing, resulting in unsustainable growth. Tune in to learn how he advocates for a shift towards process-centric strategies, emphasizing the need for data-driven decisions, cost efficiency, and the unique treatment of different market segments. 

Jaccos Linkedin Profile

Revenue Architecture (00:01:12) Jacco's book "Revenue Architecture" and its insights into successful revenue leadership.

Has SaaS lost go to market fit? (00:01:48) Discussion on a paper titled "Has SaaS lost go to market fit?" and its implications for venture-backed SaaS companies.

Product market fit and go to market fit (00:02:53) Exploration of the concepts of product market fit and go to market fit, and their significance for sustainable growth.

SaaS companies' go to market challenges (00:04:23) Analysis of the challenges faced by SaaS companies in maintaining go to market fit and the increasing cost of marketing and sales.

Impact of cost increase on go to market fit (00:05:22) Discussion on the rising cost of acquiring revenue and its impact on go to market fit and sustainability.

Automation and evolving go to market strategies (00:11:13) Insights into the potential impact of automation on certain tasks and the evolution of go to market strategies in response.

The role of the CFO and CRO in go to market strategies (00:13:47) Exploration of the evolving roles of the CFO and CRO in managing go to market strategies for rapid growth companies.

Scaling and efficiency in go to market motions (00:17:25) Consideration of tactics for scaling and maintaining efficiency in go to market motions for companies reaching the $200-300 million revenue level.

The importance of being process-centric (00:21:01) Discussion on the shift from people-centric to process-centric organizations and the need for optimization and automation.

Impact of process automation on productivity (00:22:21) Exploration of how automation and technology can increase productivity and revenue per headcount.

Skills and certification for executives (00:25:54) Discussion on the necessary skills and certification for executives in the context of revenue architecture and the changing business landscape.

The need for education and certification in revenue architecture (00:29:32) Exploration of the importance of education and certification for executives to understand revenue architecture and compound growth.

Investment in retention and expansion for revenue growth (00:32:10) Insights into the shift from new revenue acquisition to investment in retention and expansion for revenue growth.

Challenges in shifting marketing and sales alignment (00:37:43) Discussion on the challenges and time required for shifting marketing and sales alignment in organizations.

Balancing short-term demands and long-term growth (00:40:04) Exploration of the paradoxical challenge of meeting short-term demands while focusing on long-term growth strategies.

Server, software, and GTM (00:41:13) Discussion on the design and success rates of server, software, and go-to-market motion.

Success rates of server and software (00:41:57) Explanation of the success rates of server (99%) and software (five nines).

Success rate of GTM (00:42:39) Exploration of the success rate of companies in the go-to-market motion, defined as closing over a $3 million round in funding.

Vision and compound growth (00:45:41) Discussion on the importance of vision and compound growth in go-to-market strategy.

Changing GTM motion (00:47:44) Exploration of the evolving go-to-market motion and the need for proper architecture in sales strategies.

Exploring future topics (00:48:43) Request for a future episode to delve into the seeds being planted for the next phase of go-to-market strategies.

In this episode, you will hear the excerpts from 6 inetrviews I did for The GOATS of Growth book. I asked everyone the same question, which was, "What major setbacks did you face early on and how did you overcome them?"

In order of appearance, you will hear:

Each one of them has acheived, by definition, uncommon success, and all of them faced challenges early on in their journeys before they achived their respective success. Persistence, is the common theme that I took away from hearing their stories, and I think you will too. 

Enjoy

In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Kayvon Touran, CEO and Co-Founder of Zal.ai.

He shared how a career frustration he had inspired Zal which helps organizations implement career pathing and specifically to help them contextualize, apply and measure the efficacy of their learning and development programs. 

That said, more than anything, this episode is about the start of an entrepreneurial journey and how to take an idea and see it through all the way to builing a product with a market and a strategy to sell it. Lots of leanings along the way. 

Enjoy!

Kayvons Linkedin Profile

The ideation phase (00:02:05) Kayvon's journey in early stage technology startups.

The need for context in learning and development programs (00:03:19) Kayvon's realization of the context problem in workforce development and the need for personalized, dynamic, and applicable learning content.

Challenges in career pathing implementation (00:05:25) The difficulties and opportunities in implementing career pathing, the value of career pathing, and its challenges in terms of cost and time.

Creating alignment between strategic initiatives and career goals (00:07:11) The importance of creating alignment between an organization's strategic initiatives and employees' career goals, and the challenges faced in achieving this alignment.

The messy process of ideation and information gathering (00:16:56) The chaotic process of gathering information, following instincts, and overcoming doubts during the ideation phase.

Judging information and separating signal from noise (00:19:58) Kayvon's intuitive approach to processing information and the importance of combining different perspectives to determine the accuracy of the information.

Resources for Research (00:21:40) Kayvon talks about the various resources used for research, including programs and homegrown research.

Challenges in Job Architecture (00:25:33) Kayvon explains the challenges faced by companies in creating accurate job architecture and how Zol addresses these issues.

Career Path Tool and Skill Verification (00:28:44) Kayvon details the features of the career path tool and the importance of skill verification in their platform.

Staying Disciplined in Feature Development (00:30:54) Kayvon discusses the discipline required to avoid building unnecessary features and the focus on delivering value to users.

Building the First AI MVP (00:31:29) Kayvon explains the process of creating the first AI minimum viable product and the value-driven approach to development.

Customer Acquisition Strategy (00:37:40) Kayvon shares the strategy of building a community of interested individuals and incorporating customer feedback into the product development process.

Pricing and Commercializing (00:40:39) Discussion on pricing strategies and challenges in quantifying the value of solutions for changing job dynamics.

Iterative Process and Refinement (00:41:27) Emphasizing the iterative approach in developing the business, including pricing strategies and market positioning.

Investing in Company Growth (00:45:38) Strategies for reinvesting in the company to enhance product offerings and expand the customer base.

Target Market Segmentation (00:49:40) Segmenting the target market based on company size and tailoring offerings to specific audience and organizational needs.

In this episode of the "Goats of Growth" podcast, I interview Meshach Amuah-Fuster, a dynamic business leader. Meshach shares insights from his journey, emphasizing the evolving role of revenue-focused CEOs. We discuss topics such as customer lifetime value, cost management, and the delicate balance between growth and profitability. Our conversation also highlights the importance of data-driven decisions and creating value in today's digital age. Whether you're just starting your ascent or already a seasoned CEO, this episode is packed with wisdom for every stage of your journey.

Meshachs Linkedin Profile

Becoming a CEO (00:02:34) Meshach's transition from sales to CEO, driven by a passion for operational aspects and the evolving role of a CEO.

CEO's Revenue Focus (00:05:59) The shift towards revenue-focused CEOs due to the paramount importance of top and bottom-line revenue and the need for hands-on leadership.

Leap from CRO to CEO (00:08:18) The significance of the leap from CRO to CEO and the need to fill skill gaps for effective leadership.

Customer Lifetime Value to CAC Ratio (00:13:00) Explaining the significance of the customer lifetime value to customer acquisition cost ratio and its impact on marketing investment decisions.

Cost-Cutting Decisions (00:19:03) The impact of cost-cutting on different business models and the need to understand where to maximize top and bottom-line simultaneously.

Decisiveness in Making Business Decisions (00:21:02) The importance of making quick decisions during crises and the process of decision-making in business.

Organizational Pivots and Decision-Making (00:25:45) Discussion on the frequency and magnitude of organizational pivots, including quick changes and larger strategic shifts.

CEO's Time Management and Daily Routine (00:27:54) Insight into the CEO's daily routine, including early rising, exercise, nutrition, writing, and time for thinking and planning.

Vision, Strategy, and Execution (00:31:59) The relationship between vision, strategy, execution, and the significance of consistency and discipline in achieving success.

The valuation metrics (00:39:41) Explanation of key components influencing the valuation of an organization, including run rate, retention rate, globalization, ROI, and barriers to entry.

Growth vs. profit focus (00:40:55) Discussion on organizations' focus on growing valuation and exiting in a few years versus traditional profit-focused approach.

Creating value and tapping into emotional states (00:43:50) Explanation of creating value and tapping into emotional states in sports and fashion industries to drive revenue and profit.

Importance of Vision vs. Execution (01:01:55) Discussion on the significance of vision and execution in business strategy.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I got a solo episode for you to keep yourself productive and motivated, especially if you're working solo as an entrepreneur or fractional CRO.

Jays Linkedin Profile

Change your latitude (00:06:40) Discussing the benefits of changing work locations daily for increased focus and productivity.

Hire people who can do the teachable and repeatable (00:12:56) Explaining the value of hiring help for tasks that are teachable and repeatable, allowing for focus on strategic activities.

Find and follow people who have walked in your path (00:15:23) Highlighting the significance of seeking guidance and inspiration from those who have pursued a similar career path.

Do the hardest stuff first (00:18:28) Stressing the importance of prioritizing challenging tasks early in the day to ensure focus and productivity.

Time block everything (00:20:19) Emphasizing the benefits of scheduling and time-blocking activities to maintain a purposeful and focused workday.

Partnerships and Collaboration (00:21:25) The speaker discusses the benefits of working closely with partners and finding someone to share experiences and accountability.

Involving Family in Business (00:22:23) The speaker shares how involving family members, in this case, his wife, can provide support and help in managing the business.

Importance of Walks (00:23:17) The speaker emphasizes the value of taking walks for mental clarity, idea generation, and strategic thinking.

Public Accountability (00:25:08) The speaker talks about the importance of being publicly accountable, such as committing to regular podcast episodes, to stay productive and motivated.

Final Remarks and Call to Action (00:27:05) The speaker concludes the episode, encouraging listeners to follow, rate, and share the podcast, and promises a guest for the next episode.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I spoke with Vince Beese, Founder of Sales@Scale and Sales HQ. You'll hear his insights into how he consistenly scaled revenues for many companies, including an IPO and 3 other successful exits. But before sharing his strategic approach to growth, he added the caveat that nothing else will matter if you don't have product, market, fit. Once you have that,the real work begins and there is no silver bullet.  Find out how he finds sales at scale. 

A must listen to anyone.

Vinces Linkedin Profile

Understanding Product-Market Fit (00:02:25) Achieving extreme growth relies on product-market fit. Vince discusses the importance of product-market fit in achieving substantial revenue growth.

Differentiating in a Crowded Space (00:09:53) Vince explains the significance of understanding and communicating the unique value proposition and differentiation in a crowded market.

Generating Top Pipeline (00:13:45) The discussion shifts to strategies for generating top pipeline, including channels, outbound communication, and the handoff process from leads to opportunities.

Testing and Data Reliability (00:15:15) Vince highlights the importance of testing and data reliability in outbound communication, sharing insights on when to consider data reliable.

Benchmarking Response Rates (00:19:45) The conversation touches on benchmarking response rates for outbound communication, providing insights for less experienced individuals.

Importance of Personalization in Enterprise Sales (00:21:26) Exploring the significance of personalization in enterprise sales and strategies for achieving it at scale.

Scalability and Human Element in Sales (00:23:16) Discussing the balance between scalability and the human touch in sales, including recruiting, coaching, and development.

Leveraging Networks and Referrals (00:26:03) Highlighting the value of networking, referrals, and personal connections in sales and business growth.

Overcoming Bottlenecks in Revenue Growth (00:33:43) Addressing common bottlenecks in revenue growth and challenges in advancing from one revenue milestone to the next.

Sales HQ and Co-Selling Community (00:38:53) Introduction to Sales HQ, a co-selling community, and its vision for providing a collaborative environment for sales professionals.

Creating a Hybrid and Remote Sales Environment (00:39:56) Vince explains the concept of recreating a collaborative and motivating environment for remote and hybrid sales teams.

Community and Collaboration at Sales HQ (00:40:45) Vince emphasizes the importance of community, collaboration, and learning from each other in the sales environment.

Benefits of Hybrid Model and Expansion Plans (00:44:26) Vince discusses the performance benefits of the hybrid model and his vision for expanding Sales HQ to other cities.

Personal Interests and Networking (00:49:10) Vince shares his love for sports, particularly being a season ticket holder, and his passion for staying active.

Building a Great Sales Culture (00:50:02) Vince highlights the importance of transparency, open communication, and trust in building a great sales culture.

Bonus Question: An Interesting Fact about Oneself (00:51:21) Vince shares his go-to interview question and discusses the challenge of finding something genuinely interesting about oneself.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of speaking with Sherri Sklar,  a seasoned tech growth strategist and Chief Revenue Officer, while also an Operating Partner at Edison Partners, which a growth equity firm. Sherri partners with Boards, CEOs, and executive leaders to help them build, scale and optimize their sales, marketing and customer success teams. 

In this episode we discuss:

Tune in and enjoy the episode.

Sherri's Linkedin Profile

Sherri Sklar's expertise (00:01:02) Overview of Sherri Sklar's expertise and career in tech growth strategy and revenue leadership.

Defining the role of an operating partner (00:02:07) Explanation of the role and purpose of an operating partner at a private equity firm.

Operating partner expertise areas (00:04:10) Discussion of the different function areas besides go-to-market that operating partners may focus on.

Transition to operating partner role (00:09:24) Sherri Sklar's transition from Chief Revenue Officer to operating partner and the circumstances leading to it.

Networking and career opportunities (00:10:56) The role of networking and relationships in career opportunities and job referrals.

Impact on a portfolio company (00:13:29) Sherris impact on a portfolio company's growth and success.

Strategic decision-making (00:16:31) The process of making strategic decisions and conducting assessments for growth strategies.

Identifying common growth challenges (00:19:49) Common challenges and areas for improvement in scaling companies, particularly related to identifying ideal customer profiles and aligning sales and marketing.

Transitioning from fractional CRO to operating partner (00:25:01) The path from being a fractional CRO to becoming an operating partner at a private equity firm and the necessary qualifications.

The role of an operating partner (00:32:12) The responsibilities and involvement of an operating partner in a private equity firm, including due diligence, creating plans, and being an advocate for portfolio companies.

Measuring success and impact on portfolio companies (00:34:52) Evaluating success and impact in terms of enterprise value, growth, bookings, and retention, and the key levers to impact results positively.

Evaluating sales talent for portfolio companies (00:38:14) The qualities and skills to look for in evaluating sales talent and the impact of getting the right talent on the commercial value of the company.

Coaching and leadership (00:51:15) Sherri discusses the importance of coaching and leadership in developing both talented and struggling team members.

Building a great sales culture (00:54:33) Sherri suggests a meaty question for the next guest about building a great sales culture and its impact on organizational success.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I have a podcast first in which you'lI hear my interview with not one guest, but two! Scott Anderson and Jason Ingargiola of And1 Advisors join me to  discuss the 6 cultural pillars needed for building startups and that become unicorns which are:

Enjoy the episode!

Here are the link to find out more about my guests and to get in touch with them.

Scott Andersons Linkedin Profile

Jason Ingargiolas Linkedin Profile

And 1 Advisors Website

Living Your Values (00:09:52) Importance of embodying and holding each other accountable to company values for a successful culture.

Foundation of Ownership (00:12:15) Creating a culture where everyone takes ownership of their roles and decisions, fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability.

Culture of Speed (00:13:26) Encouraging innovation, learning from failures, and driving quick decision-making and execution to maintain a competitive edge.

Feedback and Accountability (00:14:46) Establishing a feedback loop and holding individuals accountable for aligning with the company's values and culture.

Leadership Examples (00:16:47) Illustrating the importance of upholding values through executive actions and the impact of living company principles in decision-making.

Company Values in Action (00:18:08) Demonstrating the significance of adhering to core principles through real-world examples from the consumer packaged goods industry.

Mutuality (00:19:06) Internal and external mutuality, vendor and partner relationships, and living company values.

Hiring for Culture (00:20:09) Recruiting best athletes, holding mutual accountability, and conducting separate cultural interviews.

Determining Cultural Fit (00:24:30) Objective and subjective hiring approaches, stability, repeatability, and scalability.

Coaching Culture (00:31:14) Creating a coaching culture, coaching for performance, and soft skills for effective coaching.

The importance of listening and understanding (00:37:28) Understanding the significance of active listening and interpreting communication styles for better understanding and mentorship.

Mentor mentality and cultural dynamics (00:39:31) Discussing the impact of adding team members on the cultural dynamics and the importance of maintaining core values.

Cross-functional and winning culture (00:41:26) Emphasizing the importance of a winning culture and recognizing and rewarding individuals based on their unique motivations.

Customer-centric culture and client selection (00:48:29) Exploring the significance of making customers part of the culture, being part of their culture, and focusing on ROI for successful partnerships.

Saying no to potential clients (00:53:56) Understanding the importance of selecting the right scope of work and being transparent with clients for long-term success.

The importance of living company values (00:56:38) The significance of being consistent with values and engaging with the CEO to uphold company values.

Run a learning culture (00:57:26) The challenges of implementing learning culture in organizations and the need to have a plan for personal and scalable learning.

Accountability and onboarding academy (00:58:55) The role of accountability in information sharing within the organization and the need for a structured onboarding academy.

Culture drives retention and recruitment (01:00:59) The impact of culture on retaining talent and driving recruitment strategy for a company.

Rapid fire five questions (01:02:32) A series of quick questions and answers related to personal motivations, goals, preferred ways of learning, favorite characters, and leisure activities.

Advice to one's past self (01:09:15) Reflections on advice to give to one's past self, including the importance of having a vision and staying true to oneself.

Question for the next guest (01:11:33) The hypothetical choice between a team of middling performers and a team with a couple of high performers and many struggling individuals, and the implications for scaling the business.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth, I talk with Mark Feldman, Co Founder & CEO of Revenue Base. We disucss the pivotal world of data acquisition and its profound impact on business expansion and explore the delicate balance between quantity and quality in outreach strategies. Mark stresses the importance of active listening and adept problem-solving to drive sales aswell as the necessity of cultivating efficient growth in today's dynamic market. 

And if you're in need of understanding what the key strategies are for understanding and addressing customer needs on both logical and emotional levels, and how they contribute to driving sales, well we go into details in this episode. 

Mark Feldmans Linkedin Profile

Mark Feldman's Background (00:01:06) Mark Feldman and Jay reminisce about their first meeting and Mark's career at Net Prospects.

Founding of Revenue Base (00:02:03) Mark discusses the impetus for starting RevenueBase and the problems it solves in data quality.

Challenges of Data Quality (00:02:28) Mark explains the frustration with data vendors and the focus on quality data at Revenue Base.

Time-consuming Data Acquisition (00:03:45) The discussion on the time-consuming and unreliable process of acquiring contact data and building lists.

Struggle with Data Quality (00:05:23) The continued struggle of database companies to provide quick access to accurate data for revenue and sales teams.

Acceptance of Bad Data (00:06:13) The normalization of dealing with bad data and the need for a shift in mindset towards data quality.

Steps for Marketing Growth (00:07:20) Mark Feldman advises on the steps for marketing growth, targeting the right audience, and personalized messaging.

Balancing Volume and Quality (00:14:28) Jay seeks advice on the balance between volume and personalization in outreach efforts.

Creating Segments for Targeting (00:18:30) Mark Feldman discusses the importance of creating segments and providing value to specific audience groups.

Scaling and Iteration (00:20:36) The discussion on finding the right messaging and knowing when to scale and iterate for growth.

The benchmark for change (00:21:43) Discussion on when to change strategies based on data benchmarks and the importance of recognizing false signals.

Avoiding early mistakes (00:23:19) The significance of listening to and understanding customer needs to avoid common mistakes that hinder growth.

Balancing growth and profitability (00:26:08) The shift in investor mindset towards growing efficiently and profitably, and the impact on valuations and exits.

Rapid fire five (00:28:00) Five quick questions to know more about Mark Feldman, including his motivations, preferred learning method, and favorite activities outside of work.

Learning from failure (00:30:21) Mark greatest defeat, lessons learned, and the importance of learning from failures to move forward.

Question for next guest (00:32:43) The question Mark suggests asking the next guest about advice they would give their younger selves at the start of their careers.

In this weeks episode of The Goats of Growth, I found myself on the flip side of the microphone, participating in the insightful 'Allegos EnableMinute.' During our conversation, we delved into the nuances of strategic hiring, the art of coaching for success, and the pivotal role that revenue leaders play in steering the trajectory of growth.

Allegos Linkedin Profile

Allego.com

Jay Webb's background and the Goats of Growth (00:02:04) Jay Webb's role as the founder and CEO of the Goats of Growth, and the concept behind the name.

Interview and hiring process for revenue leaders (00:03:09) The initial steps and process involved in interviewing and hiring a revenue leader.

Qualities and characteristics of revenue leaders (00:06:02) The common qualities and characteristics organizations look for in a revenue leader.

Assessing a candidate's strategic vision and ability (00:09:18) Methods for assessing a candidate's strategic vision and ability to drive revenue growth.

Successful placements and standout candidates (00:13:06) Examples of successful placements for revenue leadership positions and standout candidates.

Key trends and emerging practices in revenue leadership (00:16:30) Discussion on key trends and emerging practices in the field of revenue leadership.

Succession planning for revenue leaders (00:19:17) The importance of succession planning for revenue leaders and the skills needed for the future.

Succession Planning (00:20:28) Importance of staying updated on skills and trends for CEOs and revenue leaders.

Early Conversations (00:21:38) The significance of starting conversations about leadership changes early to avoid disruptions.

Recruiting Mentality (00:22:26) Emphasizing the need for revenue leaders to have a proactive approach to talent identification and recruitment.

In this episode I spoke with Kevin McShane, private equity Operating Partner and former linebacker of the 1988 National Champion Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who built a career in technology and a reputation as a CRO for creating enough value that would lead to multiple successful exits.   We covered everything from the leadership lessons he learned from Coach Lou Holtz,  his move in tech CRO roles, his advice for other CROs and operators who aspire to make the move into private equity, what makes a succeful private equity operating partner, and much more.

Kevin McShanes Linkedin Profile

Timestamps from the show: 

Lessons from Coach Holtz (00:02:40) Impact of Lou Holtz's leadership on the Kevins career and the importance of caring for every individual.

Transition to Private Equity (00:07:27) Kevins journey from CRO to operating partner, including successful exits and leadership principles.

Difference Between Venture Capital and Private Equity (00:13:03) Explanation of the distinctions between venture capital and private equity in terms of investment and ownership.

From Operator to Operating Partner (00:15:16) The impetus for the guest's transition to an operating partner role and the challenges and excitement of the new position.

Training and Leadership (00:17:37) The significance of ongoing training and leadership development in driving growth and success in organizations.

Measuring Performance and Impact (00:22:54) Discussion on the challenges of transitioning from day-to-day operations to a broader role and measuring impact in a new position.

Building Trust and Collaboration (00:23:43) Operating partner's role, building trust with the CEO and leadership, low ego and collaboration.

Co-creating Playbooks (00:26:19) Collaborative approach to combining playbooks, aligning on KPIs, and co-creating game plans.

Measuring Success (00:30:29) Metrics for measuring success: annual revenue growth, EBITDA, hiring/training, sales productivity, and hold period.

Entering Private Equity (00:34:46) Steps for transitioning to an operating partner role in private equity, research, and targeted outreach.

Developing Talent and Leadership (00:42:06) Motivation, extreme ownership, developing talent, and checking ego for leadership success.

Favorite Character (00:47:49) Kevin's admiration for Captain Miller from "Saving Private Ryan" and Tom Hanks' portrayal.

Yoga Practice (00:49:00) Kevin discusses the importance of checking ego and the lessons learned from practicing yoga.

Discipline Equals Freedom (00:51:53) Kevin emphasizes discipline, early rising, and self-care for leadership and personal success.

Greatest Defeat (00:54:28) Kevin suggests asking the next guest about their greatest defeat and the lessons learned from it.

Reaching Out (00:55:21) Kevin invites people to connect with him on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and share experiences.

Passion for Leadership (00:56:18) Kevin shares his passion for developing great leadership and building a supportive community.

How do you hire for growth without over hiring?

That's part of what I spoke to Karl Sharman, Head of Talent at Forgepoint Capital, about in this episode where he shared his perpective on the following:

All that an more in this episode. 

Karl Sharmans Linkedin Profile

The Southampton Football Club (00:01:10) Discussion about the guest's experience and role at the Southampton Football Club.

Talent Spotting in Football (00:03:50) Talent spotting process and decision-making in football recruitment.

Transition to Forge Point Capital (00:07:41) Karls transition from the football world to working with Forgepoint Capital.

Forge Point Capital's Investment Focus (00:10:07) Overview of Forgepoint Capital's investment focus and portfolio companies.

Talent Acquisition and Performance Management (00:15:03) Discussion on the shift from talent acquisition to performance management and its impact on companies.

The portfolio benchmarking (00:19:14) Discussing the mixed portfolio and the benefits of sharing data and benchmarking for better understanding and decision-making.

Performance management and development (00:21:32) Exploring the positive aspects of performance management, including employee development, and dispelling negative connotations.

Culture and talent management (00:23:24) Discussing the impact of culture, naming, and positive language in talent management and the importance of coaching and educating founders and executives.

Coaching and influencing founders (00:24:23) Exploring the role of coaching and influencing founders and executives in making informed decisions and having a positive impact on their companies.

Distribution of organization (00:27:07) Examining the distribution of organizational resources, particularly in relation to engineering, and the importance of achieving a balanced organizational design.

Measuring the value of a CRO (00:30:03) Introducing the concept of valuing a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and discussing the criteria for measuring their impact and success.

Factors affecting CRO tenure (00:31:24) Exploring the reasons for the average 17-month tenure of CROs, including transparency, expectations, and onboarding, and the importance of context and experience in evaluating CRO candidates.

Attributes of a top CRO (00:37:47) Discussing the qualities and attributes of a top CRO, including energy, positivity, and previous experience, and the importance of building scorecards to identify top candidates.

Tom Brady and NFL Player Comparison (00:38:40) Comparing Tom Brady's role in NFL to hiring the right candidate for a company.

Onboarding Responsibility (00:39:43) Discussion on the responsibility of onboarding new hires, particularly for CEO and CRO positions.

CEO's Role in Onboarding (00:40:22) The importance of CEO involvement in onboarding, with a reference to Elon Musk's approach.

Motivation and Impact (00:43:28) Discussion on what motivates the speaker and the impact of making a difference.

Long-Term Goal: Becoming CEO of Disney (00:44:44) Karls ambition to become the CEO of Disney and the long-term goal associated with it.

Community and Collaboration Impact (00:48:42) The significant impact of community and collaboration on the speaker's career and business operations.

In today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jared Robin, Co-Founder of RevGenius and a new side-hustle he calls The Collab. He revealed his secret about how he builds online, empathetic and inclusive communities which are now boasting a remarkable 40k+ members.

What intrigued me the most were Jared's organic growth strategies which were a combination of LinkedIn and a referral program. Pay close attention to the specific ways he used both.  If community-building is anywhere on your radar, this episode is a must-listen. 

Jared Robins Linkedin Profile

The value of a welcome email (00:01:05) Discussion on the impact of a well-written welcome email and its significance for the right audience.

Building empathetic communities (00:03:33) The approach to creating inclusive and empathetic communities for go-to-market leaders.

Creating a private community for senior leaders (00:06:04) The rationale and structure behind the creation of a paid private community for senior leaders.

Passion projects and community building (00:09:11) The philosophy behind passion projects and the importance of community movements.

The growth journey of Rev Genius (00:12:10) Insights into the initial steps and growth strategy of Rev Genius, including the decision to delay monetization.

Formation of Rev Genius and early growth tactics (00:14:57) The formation of Rev Genius, initial growth strategies, and the transition from LinkedIn chat to Slack.

Utilizing LinkedIn and referral programs for growth (00:20:27) The impact of using LinkedIn, referral programs, and badges for community growth and engagement.

Adviser role becomes the norm (00:21:40) Discussion about the trend of having multiple jobs and the experience of being invited to a new job.

Transition to Slack community (00:23:24) The shift to using Slack for the community, website development, and initial member growth.

Community engagement tactics (00:26:05) Strategies for community engagement, including onboarding, volunteer network, and managing engagement over time.

Sponsorship and revenue growth (00:34:21) The various ways sponsors engage with the community, revenue sources, and the core team's structure.

Team growth and revenue goals (00:42:29) Discussion about the need for team expansion based on revenue growth and the long-term revenue goals.

Sleep and leisure activities (00:45:14) Jared talks about his average hours of sleep and his favorite leisure activity.

Impact of AI and collaboration (00:46:36) Jared discusses the potential impact of AI and collaboration on future growth and development.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of chatting with Carol Meyers, a seasoned go-to-market executive, about the ins and outs of serving on a company's board. We covered everything from snagging a board seat to the impact and responsibilities of board members, touching on the time commitment involved.

Carol shared some fascinating experiences, including insights into crisis management and the dynamics of board interactions. We also dived into the path to board membership for different C-level executives and unraveled the distinctions between a board of directors and advisors. A must listen and let us know your key takeaways. 

Carol Meyers Linkedin Profile

Getting the First Board Member Seat (00:02:00) Carol Meyers shares her experience of getting her first board member seat and the value of being a potential customer.

Purpose of Asking Questions (00:04:36) Carol Meyers explains the reasons for asking questions during board meetings, including seeking clarification, provoking different viewpoints, and ensuring good governance.

Measuring Value as a Board Member (00:07:22) Carol Meyers discusses how she gauges her impact as a board member and the indicators of adding value, such as team and CEO appreciation and the implementation of ideas.

Time Commitment as a Board Member (00:09:58) Carol Meyers outlines the varied time commitments for board members, including meetings with company leaders, preparation for board meetings, and the flexibility required for unexpected events.

Weekly Meetings with CEO (00:12:24) Carol Meyers describes her weekly meetings with a CEO, emphasizing the evolving nature of discussions and the role of collaboration and support for the CEO.

Challenges Faced as a Board Member (00:13:42) Carol Meyers highlights potential challenges faced by board members, including crises, mergers, and leadership transitions, and the need for proactive and flexible responses.

Dynamics Between Board Members (00:16:08) Carol Meyers discusses the dynamics between board members, particularly in venture-backed companies, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing shareholder interests over personal agendas.

OpenAI and Sam Altman Board Situation (00:19:12) Jay asks Carol Meyers about the board situation with OpenAI and Sam Altman, seeking her opinion and explanation of what went wrong.

The unique situation (00:19:30) Discussion about a unique situation where a nonprofit board transitioned into a for-profit business, causing misalignment and poor handling.

Career path to the board (00:21:18) Advice for C-level executives on how to position themselves for a board seat, emphasizing personal responsibility, learning, and networking.

Importance of P&L responsibility (00:23:20) The significance of profit and loss responsibility for board members, and its relevance in board discussions and decision-making.

Transition to board roles (00:27:12) Advice for executives without a clear path to board seats, focusing on learning and broadening expertise to become valuable board members.

Board of directors vs. advisors (00:29:41) Differentiating between the roles of board of directors and advisors, including responsibilities and compensation.

Motivation and goals (00:33:14) Discussion on personal motivation and a big goal, with a focus on achievement and a light-hearted goal of improving at golf.

Learning preferences and sleep habits (00:35:34) Carol's preferred way of learning and staying sharp, and her transition to getting eight hours of sleep per night.

Leisure activities and favorite character (00:37:29) Carol's diverse leisure activities, including golf, boating, and traveling, and her admiration for Audrey Hepburn as a favorite character.

Introduction to Inflection (00:40:09) Introduction and discussion about the app "Inflection" and its features.

Using LinkedIn (00:42:10) The use of LinkedIn as the preferred platform for communication and networking.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I sit down with Breen Sullivan, founder of The Fourth Effect. We discuss her company's mission to match board-ready women with companies seeking new board members. 

Our conversation took us through the intricacies of advisory versus governing boards, exploring the significance of directors and officers insurance, and dissecting the strategic roles governing boards play in the corporate landscape. A great discussion that shed light on boardroom dynamics.

Breens Linkedin Profile

You can tour the platform here.

Background and Founding of The Fourth Effect (00:01:26) Breens background and the founding of The Fourth Effect to empower women in board appointments.

Breaking into the Board Candidate Pipeline (00:03:41) Advice on entering the board candidate pipeline and positioning oneself for board roles.

Difference Between Advisory and Governing Boards (00:08:31) Explanation of the distinctions between advisory and governing boards, including contractual relationships and fiduciary obligations.

Stratifying Roles within the Governing Board (00:17:34) Discussion on selecting individuals for the governing board and their roles, emphasizing strategic high-level involvement.

Compensation and Independence in Fiduciary Boards (00:18:43) Insight into the compensation, independence, and trust aspects of fiduciary boards, emphasizing the importance of high trust and independence.

The difference between advisory and governing board (00:22:08) Discussion on the difference between advisory and governing boards, including liability and insurance.

Function of the governing board (00:25:31) Exploration of the role and expectations of governing board members in advising and impacting the company.

Types of directors (00:30:34) Explanation of the differences between independent directors, executive directors, and non-executive directors.

Word of mouth growth and backroom investment club (00:32:28) How the platform grows through word of mouth and the role of the backroom investment club in connecting companies and board candidates.

The importance of diversity and the link between boardrooms and cap tables (00:35:50) Discussion on the significance of diversity in boardrooms and the connection between board service and equity investment.

Rapid fire five and bonus question (00:38:54) A series of quick questions and answers, along with a bonus question about a personal fact not found on LinkedIn.

Reaching out to The Fourth Effect (43:43) Breen shares how to contact The Fourth Effect and invites listeners to visit their website.

Corporate Partnerships and Professional Development (46:06) Breen discusses opportunities for corporations to support women's memberships and professional development at The Fourth Effect.

Welcome to another episode of "The Goats of Growth"! Today, I sit down with Evan Macedo, the Treasurer & VP of Operations/Finance at Sapers and Wallack, a financial services business. We're diving into the world of executive benefits packages and why they matter for venture and private equity portfolio companies

In our chat, Evan breaks down why these packages are a big deal for attracting and keeping the best talent. He shares practical tips on designing these benefits, making sure they match what employees really want and need. Plus, if you're a new executive, Evan has some straightforward advice on how to negotiate your own package.

Evan Macedos Linkedin Profile

https://sapers-wallack.com/

The importance of executive benefits packages (00:02:03) Discussing why having the right executive benefits package is critical for attracting and retaining talent.

Case study: Offering a competitive executive benefits package (00:03:59) Exploring how a tech company under $100 million in revenue can offer a benefits package to incentivize a new Chief Revenue Officer and retain them.

Common mistakes in executive benefits packages (00:09:34) Highlighting the lack of communication and understanding of benefits as a common issue in companies.

The importance of communication and meaningful benefits (00:10:18) We discuss the importance of effective communication and offering benefits that hold personal value to employees.

The "Keep Plan" to incentivize employee retention (00:11:22) Evan introduces the "Keep Plan," which offers financial incentives for employees with children going to college, encouraging them to stay with the company.

The Sharpe Concept for maximizing retirement savings (00:12:38) Evan explains the Sharpe Concept, a supplemental alternative retirement program that allows individuals to maximize their retirement savings beyond traditional 401(k) plans.

Unreasonable Expectations (00:21:41) Discussion on the importance of doing homework on a company and avoiding unreasonable expectations from an incoming employee.

Long-Term Investment (00:22:12) Importance of finding the right fit between company goals and employee goals to avoid making a bad hire and the benefits of upfront due diligence.

Motivation to Help People (00:23:33) Evan's motivation to wake up every day and help people by solving their retirement worries and providing peace of mind.

Evan Macedo's contact information (00:31:46) Evan shares his contact information and encourages listeners to visit the company's website to learn more about their services.

Show notes with Evan Macedo's details (00:32:15) Jay mentions that they will include the details of Evan Macedo's contact information in the show notes for easy reference.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I had the plasure of talking with Cliff McDonald, co-managing partner of BrainHeart Growth and Chief Growth Officer of RehabPath.

Cliff shares his personal journey with addiction and recovery, and how this led him to his role at RehabPath. We discuss the importance of managing career stress, aligning personal values with one's work, the significance of emotional intelligence in team dynamics, and the necessity of psychological safety in the workplace. Cliff dives into insights on evaluating a company's culture and the importance of authentic core values.

Cliff Macdonalds Linkedin Profile

The journey to Rehab Path (00:01:08) Cliff McDonald discusses his transition from BrainHeart Growth to becoming the Chief Growth Officer at RehabPath.

Working in behavioral health (00:03:11) Cliff shares his personal experience with substance use disorder and his passion for working in the behavioral health industry.

Discovering Rehab Path (00:07:04) Cliff explains how he came across Rehab Path and his initial involvement with the company before joining as a formal team member.

The importance of having a guide in recovery (00:11:22) Cliff discusses how having a platform like RehabPath can match individuals with treatment providers.

The pressure of being revenue responsible (00:12:25) Cliff reflects on the pressure of being revenue responsible and shares a story about Shaquille O'Neal's perspective on pressure in comparison to his own experience.

The importance of finding meaning and mission in work (00:16:54) Cliff talks about the significance of finding meaning and purpose in one's career, and how being tied to the mission of an organization contributes to overall well-being and prevents burnout.

The importance of engagement and relationships (00:21:53) Discussion on the significance of engagement and relationships in finding the next opportunity and experiencing positive emotions and achievement.

The value of core values and team dynamics (00:24:56) Exploration of the importance of core values and team dynamics in creating a positive work environment and successful teams.

Challenging toxic cultures in sports and business (00:30:16) Conversation about the need to challenge toxic cultures in sports and business, promoting psychological safety and creating a safe environment for individuals to perform their best.

The culture of an organization (00:31:11) Discussion on how to evaluate the culture of an organization during the interview process and how to uncover if it is authentic or just lip service.

Authentic core values (00:33:01) Importance of authentic core values in a company and how they are proven or disproven through stories shared by leaders.

The spiritual life and past life exploration (00:41:44) Cliff discusses his experience of feeling free in nature and speculates about being an explorer in a past life.

The story of the two wolves (00:42:27) Cliff shares an old Native American tale about the two wolves that exist within each person, one representing negative emotions and the other representing positive emotions.

Reflections on fatherhood and future lives (00:43:24) Cliff and Jay discuss the idea of coming back in a future life, with Cliff expressing a desire to come back as a wolf and Jay jokingly suggesting he wants to come back as his own children.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I interview Lindsay Meyl, co-founder of RevAmp, a platform that enhances the impact of revenue teams by analyzing and intervening in all revenue-generating activities. We discuss discuss her bottoms-up capacity model  and the common mistakes people make in capacity planning--particulary pertaining to have the proper GTM resources to hit your target.  You do not want to miss out on this episode if you're capacity planning for 2024. 

Lindsey Meyls Linkedin Profile

Bottoms Up Capacity Planning Model (00:04:34) Jay discusses the bottoms up capacity planning model created by Lindsay and asks her about common mistakes people make in their planning for the future.

The go-to-market strategy (00:11:13) Explains the different components of a go-to-market strategy, including outbound and inbound actions, partner plays, and customizing resource ratios.

Assigning demand channels (00:12:18) Discusses how the model assigns specific demand channels based on the go-to-market motion, allowing for easy translation into pipe council meetings.

Establishing baselines and improving productivity (00:17:07) Emphasizes the importance of setting personal baselines for performance and improving from there, rather than relying on external benchmarks. Also discusses the relationship between headcount and productivity in achieving revenue goals.

The monthly targets for revenue (00:21:04) Discussion about the monthly targets for each team to ensure they are on track to meet the revenue target.

The importance of having a tool like Revamp (00:21:59) The need for a tool like Revamp to provide visibility and ease of analyzing information to improve performance.

Knowing when to scale (00:23:31) Exploring the concept of scaling based on leading indicators of success, such as time to value and net retention revenue.

The big goal (00:31:17) Lindsay Mitchell talks about her goal for Revamp to become the next HubSpot and disrupt the go-to-market industry.

Preferred way to learn (00:32:17) Lindsay discusses her preferred ways to learn, including listening to podcasts and participating in go-to-market communities and courses.

Favorite thing to do when not working (00:34:09) Lindsay reveals that she enjoys reading as her favorite activity when she's not working.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth", I had the pleasure of speaking with Josh Atkins, VP of Sales and General Manager of Life Sciences at Qualtrics. We discuss the best approach to building a successful sales team, including his "AEIOU" approach, while emphasizing hiring individuals with a deep understanding of the industry and a passion for their work.

We also delve into the importance of clear communication, prioritizing wellness, and fostering a passionate and active work environment.

Josh Atkins Linkedin Profile

Building a New Life Sciences Team (00:02:23) Josh Atkins discusses his role as the VP of Sales and General Manager of Life Sciences at Qualtrics and the process of building a new team.

Core Competencies for Sales Reps (00:03:45) Josh Atkins shares the core competencies he looks for when hiring sales reps, including being active, an ensemble player, inquisitive, an operator, and having industry knowledge.

The Evolution of Hiring Criteria (00:09:26) Josh Atkins talks about how his hiring criteria evolved over time and the advantage of having the freedom to build his own team.

The Love Language of Life Sciences (00:10:30) Josh discusses the importance of finding people who have a passion for life sciences and can understand the industry.

Evolution of Team Building (00:12:29) Josh talks about his desire to build his own team and the shift in his thinking when it comes to location and qualifications of potential team members.

Screening for Operators (00:18:40) Josh explains how he screens for operators by assessing their ability to navigate different roles and stakeholders in order to advance a deal.

The prioritization of deals (00:20:31) The importance of showing up prepared, giving a pre-read, and clearly communicating your ask to prioritize your deal.

The role of leaders in deals (00:20:54) The need for leaders to understand their role and be specific about what they need to do to support the deal.

Defining enterprise sales (00:23:31) The ability to articulate a solution hypothesis, ingest data, and understand the client's business to effectively engage in enterprise sales.

The victim mentality and excuses (00:30:13) Josh Atkins discusses how he used to make excuses to cover up lack of results and the feeling of being a victim in his career.

Taking radical self-assessment and surrounding oneself with smart people (00:31:00) Josh Atkins emphasizes the importance of creating a path, chart, and list to avoid forgetting important tasks, and the value of self-understanding and surrounding oneself with intelligent individuals.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth," I had the pleasure of sitting down with Colin Spector, the VP of Sales at Orum—an innovative AI-powered live conversation platform.

We dive deep into a discussion about the core skills essential for success in sales, such as grit, curiosity, and care, and Colin shared invaluable insights into how he nurtures these qualities within his team. A key highlight was Colin emphasizing the significance of leaders actively listening to their team members' ideas. A must listen for leaders with ambitions of growing their team.

Colins Linkedin Page

Developing Sales Skills and Empowerment (00:04:05) Colin discusses the importance of grit, curiosity, and care in sales reps, and how to empower them to think outside the box and improve their skills.

The reason for pattern interrupt (00:11:09) Colin explains how using an engineer as a salesperson was a pattern interrupt that led to more successful meetings.

The importance of attitude and activity (00:14:05) Colin discusses the two levers that can be controlled every day: attitude and activity, and how they contribute to success in sales.

Caring and champion building (00:18:03) Colin emphasizes the importance of caring for customers and building champions by helping them solve their problems and achieve their goals.

Taking care of each other in business (00:22:12) Discussion about the importance of taking care of employees, sales reps, and customers in order to create a positive work environment.

Big goal: Purchasing a rental property in Portugal (00:23:06) Colin's goal of buying a rental property in Portugal that can be used as a vacation property for his family.

Learning new information through immersion(00:24:24) Colin's preferred way of learning new information, including languages and industries, by immersing himself in the culture and language.

In this podcast of The Goats of Growth, I had the pleasure of talking with Ron Gupta, Chief Revenue Officer at Ushur, an AI-powered customer experience platform.

Ron highlighted the key strategy of focusing on customer retention and lifetime value, especially in the enterprise market. He stressed the importance of understanding reasons for declining revenue and investing in existing customers to expand market share. Ron also touched on challenges in scaling, emphasizing the need for strong customer success, marketing, and account management.

Check out the episode for quick insights into growing a business and excelling in the world of AI and customer experience.

Ron Guptas Linkedin Profile

Customer Retention and Lifetime Value (00:05:42) Ron prioritizes focusing on customer retention rates and lifetime value. He explains that for enterprise companies, it is crucial to invest in existing customers, especially if there are product issues or flaws. By over investing in existing customers, companies are more likely to retain them and increase their lifetime value.

Increase Market Share (00:09:01) Ron mentions that by focusing on customer retention and lifetime value, companies can automatically increase their market share. He gives an example of selling to subsidiaries within an enterprise, which allows for an increase in market share.

Expand into New Markets (00:09:01) Ron also mentions that by focusing on customer retention and lifetime value, companies can expand into new geographies. He gives an example of starting with selling in the US and then expanding to the European entity of a customer.

The importance of customer feedback (00:09:27) Exploring the value of gathering feedback from existing customers to improve products and features.

The snowball effect of customer success (00:11:35) Discussing how satisfied customers can lead to increased case studies, higher net promoter scores, and more positive reviews, which can attract new customers.

Investing in existing customers (00:13:13) Highlighting the need to allocate resources towards customer success, marketing, and account management in order to drive growth from the existing customer base.

Sales Enablement and Cross-Pollination (00:18:41) Discussion on the importance of sales enablement and cross-pollination of successful strategies among customers, partners, and the university program.

Selling to Existing Customers.(00:19:38) The significance of selling to existing customers, the lower cost involved, and the role of capabilities, success, marketing, and account management in this process.

Motivation and Goal Setting (00:20:26) The motivation for winning, personal goal of achieving work-life balance, and the preferred timeframe for accomplishing it.

In this episode of "The Goats of Growth" I interview Alex Levin, CEO and Co-Founder of Regal.io, a customer engagement platform.

Alex discusses the company's approach and focus on customer outcomes which has led to significant revenue growth for over 150 brands. He also talks about the importance of balancing growth and burn rate, and how Regal maintains a competitive edge despite having less funding than incumbents.

Alex Levins Linkedin Profile

The $2 billion in revenue and value proposition (00:01:22) Alex Levin explains the value proposition of Regal and how they quantify the $2 billion in revenue they have helped drive for brands.

The importance of engaging customers in communication (00:02:11) Alex Levin discusses how engaging customers in thoughtful communication leads to higher customer lifetime value and how Regal helps facilitate this.

Scaling the team and the role of engineering (00:04:51) Alex Levin explains why Regal hasn't needed to double their team despite doubling their business, particularly highlighting the role of engineering and the importance of effective communication within a team.

The concept of removing people from a project (00:10:01) The strategy of removing people from a project instead of adding them to ensure focus and efficiency.

Zero-based budgeting and linking metrics to hiring decisions (00:11:41) The concept of zero-based budgeting and the importance of linking hiring decisions to metrics or revenue goals.

Investor expectations and growth vs burn rate (00:13:46) The expectations of public markets regarding growth and burn rate, and how it affects hiring decisions and investor attractiveness.

Marketing spend and payback period (00:19:38)  Discussion on the percentage of revenue spent on marketing and the payback period for SaaS companies.

Competition and competitive advantage (00:20:37)  Exploration of competition in the market and the competitive advantage of startups in terms of distribution.

Attributing success to market opportunity (00:24:32)  The importance of being in the right market with growth potential for success, rather than solely relying on the strength of the team.

Big goal and timeline (00:28:55) Alex Levin shares his big goal of reaching 10 billion in revenue for their customers within a year or two.

Leading with empathy (00:30:46) Alex Levin explains how he leads with empathy by considering the needs and priorities of different stakeholders, including employees, customers, and investors, while making decisions.

In this episode, Rouzbeh Rotabi, the Founder and CEO of The Aval Group, joined me for a second time to discuss the challenges of growing during uncertain times. We highlighted the importance of teamwork, efficiency, and getting everyone on the same page. 

He also mentioned the importtance of using customer data, moving resources wisely, and making sure everyone is aligned throughout the entire organization.  

Rouzbeh Rotabis Linkedin Profile

Scaling through challenging times (00:03:04) Discussion on how to continue scaling during challenging times, including alignment, efficiency, and having the right team.

Becoming more efficient (00:05:05) Exploration of the concept of efficiency in scaling, including focusing on specific markets and aligning go-to-market strategies.

Making data-driven decisions (00:06:12) Importance of honest and transparent conversations in decision-making, considering data, and focusing on profitable verticals for growth.

Terminating customers for business sense (00:10:19) Rouzbeh Rotabi shares an example of when his company made the tough decision to terminate 27 customers due to bad revenue and excessive servicing. He highlights the importance of looking at the information and fact base correctly when making such decisions.

Reallocation of internal resources (00:13:00) The conversation shifts to the reallocation of internal resources, particularly when it comes to personnel matching with different verticals. Rouzbeh suggests having honest conversations with customers about changing the servicing model and discusses the need to assess resource allocation based on ROI calculations and the specific roles and talents of team members.

The importance of understanding the revenue cycle (00:18:35) The importance of understanding the revenue cycle in a B2B environment and the value of gross revenue retention.

The shift towards customer success (00:19:02) Rouzbeh talks about the shift towards focusing on customer success and the need to harmonize execution in marketing, sales, and customer success.

The importance of prioritization (00:28:08) Discussion on the need to prioritize and align on key unit of measures in order to drive growth and success.

The challenge of alignment in venture-backed companies (00:29:43) Exploration of the difficulties in achieving alignment between different teams and departments in venture-backed companies.

The significance of repeatability and product-market fit (00:31:35) Explanation of the importance of having a repeatable product and achieving product-market fit in order to demonstrate success in venture-backed companies.

The challenges of technical difficulties (00:36:57) Discussion on the technical difficulties experienced during the podcast recording and the need to address and react to them.

Being curious and adaptable in the face of market changes (00:38:10) Conversation on the mindset needed to navigate market changes, emphasizing the importance of being curious about technology options and adaptable to current situations.

In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I had the privilege of chatting with Nirav Sheth, who currently serves as the VP of Presales and Specialists for the Americas at Okta. Nirav's career journey is quite a fascinating one, with stints at big-name companies like Google and Cisco. During our conversation, he shared some of his key leadership principles, notably the significance of building capacity within an organization.

Nirav stressed the importance of investing in the growth and development of individuals within a company and highlighted the role of mentorship in helping people build confidence. He also gave us a glimpse into his personal journey, which took him from aspiring to be a doctor to becoming a successful business leader.

This episode is packed with insights that can benefit anyone, so don't miss it!

Niravs Linkedin Profile

Building a Legacy by Creating Capacity [00:04:07] Nirav explains the importance of building capacity throughout all levels of the organization to create a legacy and drive growth.

Meaningful Career Conversations [00:05:48] Nirav discusses the significance of having meaningful career conversations with individuals to understand their aspirations and align them with business needs.

Enabling Empowerment and Entrepreneurship [00:07:37] Nirav shares an example of empowering a high-potential individual to lead a cross-functional team and drive a campaign, creating an entrepreneurial environment within the organization.

Building confidence and support for growth [00:10:19] Discusses the importance of providing support and mentorship to individuals aspiring for leadership roles to build their confidence and help them transition to the next level.

Striking the balance between autonomy and support [00:11:21] Explores the need to strike a balance between empowering individuals with autonomy while also providing the necessary support and removing obstacles when they face roadblocks.

Investing in personal and professional growth [00:12:48] Focuses on the journey of continuous development, including cross-functional experiences, mentorship, executive coaching, and continuous learning through reading and consuming various forms of content.

The surprise of not becoming a doctor [00:19:30] Nirav talks about how his 18-year-old self would be surprised that he did not become a doctor, despite initially planning to pursue a medical career.

Choosing an MBA over medical school [00:19:50] Nirav explains how he made the decision to pursue an MBA instead of going to medical school, and how his family's involvement in business influenced his choice.

In this exciting episode of the Goats of Growth I had the pleasure of interviewing Tony Medrano, an experienced go-to-market executive with a track record of success in health tech and AI SaaS.  Tony focuses on the art of prioritization in the context of a high-growth environment and  underscores the critical nature of honing in on high-revenue opportunities, a strategic move that can lead to your success. 

But what truly sets this episode apart is the personal touch Tony brings to the discussion. He opens up about his most significant failure, a story that holds important lessons for us all. In addition to his professional insights, ensuring this episode is one you won't want to miss.

Tony's LinkedIn Profile

Deals first [00:03:23] Tony discusses the importance of prioritizing deals and focusing on closing them, especially in hypergrowth scenarios.

How to prioritize your deal time [00:04:25] Tony explains how to prioritize deal time by allocating a significant portion of time to pursuing high-revenue opportunities and dedicating a portion to strategic long-term initiatives.

Q Health's growth during COVID [00:07:35] Tony provides context on Q Health, the company he worked for during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their premier molecular diagnostic point-of-care test for COVID-19. He highlights the company's growth and their initial customer, the NBA.

The 60-30-10 Rule [00:10:34] Discussion on how to prioritize time for highest revenue, strategic thinking, and flexibility.

Building a Small Team [00:13:50] Importance of starting with a small team and managing them properly in a hypergrowth situation.

Making Your Bed [00:18:39] Emphasis on taking care of administrative tasks early in the day to be prepared for unexpected customer needs and urgent situations.

The underdog story [00:22:10] Tony discusses how underdog stories motivate him in business and personal life.

Completing another Ironman [00:23:03] Tony shares his goal of completing another Ironman triathlon competition and the benefits it brings to his life.

Tools for learning [00:26:25] Tony provides tips for learning new information, including using chat bots, utilizing YouTube, and taking online courses.

Travel [00:30:26] Tony talks about his experiences traveling and exploring different countries, including biking, running, and swimming in various locations.

Biggest Failure[00:31:47]  Tony shares the story of starting a company during his grad school days, raising funding, experiencing growth, and then facing a sudden market crash.

Question for my next guest [00:34:01]  Tony suggests a question for the next guest, asking what their 18-year-old self would think if they were suddenly placed in their current situation.

In this (part 2) episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Steven Birdsall, a 3X CRO and 4X COO, of both private and public companies.

To recap part 1, we explored pivotal nuances between private and public companies, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of going public as well as the strategies for optimizing go-to-market approaches, including insights on maintaining focus, achieving margin expansion, and the significance of the "rule of 50" in creating value.

This episode is a contuation of that discussion, but it starts off with Steven answering the question of how to manage expecatations when you have multiple investors, in his case, Board members from 5 separate PE firms. Whether you're in that position now, or it's possible you could be in the future, you'll find Steven's perspective and advice helpful. 

Steven's LinkedIn Profile

What to listen for:

Managing Expectations with Board Members  Managing the expectations of different board members requires understanding their specific goals and context, whether it's achieving rule of 50 or market expansion.

Doing more with less: Explains two ways to do more with less: planting seeds by developing new products and adjusting pricing.

Transparency in communication Emphasizes the importance of transparent communication from the CEO when making changes, such as cutting resources or expanding into new markets.

Focus, efficiency, and channel model Discusses the importance of focusing on a specific market, improving efficiency, and utilizing channel models effectively for growth.

What motivates Stephen?  Stephen discusses his motivation to help others in various aspects of his life, such as at work, at home, and in church.

Stephen's goal to become a CEO  Stephen shares his goal to become a CEO and his decision to leave his current company to focus on achieving this goal by the end of the year.

And much more!

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Steven Birdsall, a 3X CRO and 4X COO, of both private and public companies.

Together, we explore pivotal nuances between private and public companies, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities of going public as well as the strategies for optimizing go-to-market approaches, including insights on maintaining focus, achieving margin expansion, and the significance of the "rule of 50" in creating value.

So much so that like mentioned in the outro, I had to seperate this epic episode into 2 parts. Stay tuned for part 2.

Steven Birdsalls Linkedin Profile

Laying the Proper Foundation for Going Public [00:01:12] Discussion on the importance of laying a strong foundation for a company before going public.

Difference Between Board Expectations in Private and Public Companies [00:01:41] Exploration of the contrasting expectations from boards in private and public companies.

Experience with Taking a Company Public [00:07:58] Stephen Birdsall shares his experience of taking Anaplan public in 2018 and discusses the different scenarios he has encountered in his career regarding IPOs.

The significance of changing the go-to-market model [00:11:27] Stephen Birdsall discusses the importance of changing the go-to-market model when preparing for an IPO and the challenges faced in the planning software market.

Creating a pod-based go-to-market strategy [00:14:20] Birdsall explains the concept of a pod-based go-to-market strategy, focusing on the benefits of streamlining different functions and creating accountability at a TAM (Total Addressable Market) level.

Building scale through industry-level TAMs [00:17:08] Birdsall talks about the next step in scaling the business by creating industry-level TAMs and how it leads to a more efficient go-to-market strategy centered around specific industries.

Focus on Industry and Geography [00:18:00] Companies under $100 million should focus on a specific industry or geography to maximize their opportunities and scale.

Traditional Go-to-Market vs Pods [00:19:00] Sub $100 million companies selling to specific personas, such as CFOs, should focus on traditional go-to-market strategies instead of implementing pods.

Private Equity Rule of 50 [00:23:34] Private equity-backed companies aim to achieve the Rule of 50, balancing growth and margin expansion to ensure profitable growth in the business.

Solving Math Equations [00:27:15] Explanation of how to solve math equations by separating known and unknown variables and the importance of setting up the problem correctly.

Different Approaches to Learning Math [00:28:10] Discussion about how kids learn math differently today and the importance of coming to the same solution regardless of the approach.

Growth at All Costs Mentality [00:30:28] Exploration of the concept of growing at all costs and the potential consequences of disrupting the rule of 50 in terms of profitability and workforce.

Private Equity's Value Creation Mode [00:36:43] Private equity firms aim to create value by acquiring rule of 50 companies and unlocking their potential.

The Importance of Rule of 50 [00:37:40] Having a plan to reach rule of 50 is essential for creating value and attracting investors in a company.

In this episode Andy Hershey, Chief Revenue Officer at NS1, shares his journey and drops gems of wisdom on various aspects of successful teamwork and marketing strategies. We dicuss the critical importance of alignment and collaboration within go-to-market teams, explore the power of cross-functional partnerships and the magic of shared goals, as well as why prioritizing lead quality is paramount--especially in challenging business landscapes.

To our listeners, don't forget to hit that subscribe button and leave a review if you found this episode as enlightening as we did. Your feedback is our fuel!

Andy Hersheys Linkedin Profile

Aligning Goals with Cross-Functional Teams [00:03:19] The importance of building strong partnerships and aligning goals with the CMO, CFO, and CPO for successful scaling.

Investing in Relationships and Building Trust [00:05:09] The value of investing in relationships and getting to know team members personally to foster collaboration and effective teamwork.

Focus and Alignment for Successful Execution [00:08:15] The significance of having a clear focus and aligned goals to drive execution and achieve desired outcomes.

The importance of revenue and focus on pipeline [00:08:57] The speaker discusses the common goal of revenue and the opportunity cost of investing in a new product.

Aligning go-to-market teams [00:10:49] The host asks for advice on how to achieve cross-functional alignment within go-to-market teams.

Career trajectory and steps to become a revenue leader [00:17:22] The speaker shares the steps he took to transition from an individual contributor to a revenue leader role.

The trade-off between quantity and quality of leads [00:18:41] Discussion on the importance of not solely focusing on the quantity of leads, but also considering the quality to maximize closing opportunities.

The challenge of managing leads and labeling [00:19:26] Exploration of the age-old question of how to balance the trade-off between quality and quantity when it comes to leads and developing pipeline.

Closing remarks and call for guest nominations [00:19:32] Speaker 1 wraps up the conversation, thanks the guest, and encourages listeners to subscribe, rate, review the podcast, and nominate potential guests.

In this episode, I spoke with Mike Conti, VP of Sales at Copado, about how to properly instrument a go-to-market org to enable it to scale.  We delve into the importance of aligning sales with what buyers really want and how companies can revamp their product descriptions and marketing materials to emphasize the benefits of their products, leading to increased sales.

Mike also walks me through crafting a winning sales plan, which includes implementing a tiered pricing strategy and offering different product bundles to cater to various customers to boost revenue while improving customer satisfaction

Finally, we discuss the importance of getting everyone at the top on the same page. He shares a story about how Copado's leadership team came together to define a clear vision for the company's growth, which served as a compass for all their strategic decisions.

Mike Conti's Linkedin Profile

Finding Your Buyer [00:03:13] The importance of finding the right target audience and marketing the problem rather than the product to attract qualified leads.

Aligning Sales Process with Buyer Emotions [00:07:33] Understanding the emotional journey of the buyer and aligning sales activities with each stage of the buyer's emotions to move prospects efficiently through the buying cycle.

Instrumenting a Scalable Sales Model [00:10:00] The process of continually tweaking and optimizing the sales model to make it scalable, including lead generation, qualification, value demonstration, and post-sales activities.

Finding the Buyer [00:11:05] Discussion on the importance of understanding the organization's structure, decision-makers, and their motivations to navigate the sales process effectively.

Building a Strategy to Win [00:13:06] Exploration of the need for executive alignment, commitment, and investment from early customers, as well as the significance of their role as references in crossing the chasm.

Instrumenting a Scalable Sales Model [00:13:30] Explanation of the process of hiring and scaling a sales team, ensuring resource alignment, enablement, and the exploration of additional channels for growth.

Building teams and businesses [00:22:25] Mike discusses his motivation for building teams and businesses, and the importance of developing salespeople and seeing a business succeed.

Finding the next exciting opportunity [00:23:00] Mike shares his goal of finding a challenging new opportunity by January.

The future of AI in biotech [00:25:18] Mike discusses the potential for AI to make advancements in the biotech space, particularly in genomics and the development of cures.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing, Daniele Di Nunzio who serves as the VP of Sales at Storyly. We dive into Danieles role, their remarkable success in securing key clients, and his keys for expansion into the Latin American market. We also explore the challenges of conducting interviews with non-native English speakers, underlining the importance of evaluating soft skills. Wrapping up our discussion, we venture into the world of mobile industry opportunities and the boundless potential of AI across various fields. See timestamps below.

Building a Motion for the Americas [00:01:49] Our guest discusses his role as VP of Sales at Story League and his responsibility to build a motion for the Americas, specifically North America and Latin America.

Keys to Building a Team in Latin America [00:03:35] Daniele shares insights on building a team in Latin America, emphasizing the importance of understanding the market, localization, and leveraging the talent pool.

Financial Technologies in Brazil [00:10:40] Daniele explains that the financial technologies in Brazil are advanced, with top-notch remittance and online payment systems, surpassing those in the US.

Localization and technology [00:11:07] Discussion on the importance of investing in technology to ensure localization of websites and content for different markets.

Building a local team [00:12:22] Exploration of the preferred approach of building a local team in Latin America to ensure cultural understanding and market expertise.

Talent acquisition challenges [00:15:52] Discussion on the challenges of finding the right talent in Latin America and the importance of validating credentials and focusing on skills rather than just language proficiency.

Overcoming language challenges in interviews [00:22:31-00:23:35] Discussion on how to overcome challenges when interviewing non-native English speakers and the importance of seeking help from consultants or headhunters specialized in the market.

Importance of soft skills and cultural fit in hiring [00:24:31-00:26:18] Emphasis on the significance of soft skills and cultural fit when hiring, rather than focusing solely on language skills or technical abilities.

Motivations, goals, learning methods, and personal interests [00:26:36-00:29:05] Rapid-fire questions covering topics such as motivation, career goals, preferred learning methods, hours of sleep, and favorite activities outside of work. The discussion also highlights the connection between cooking and sales, as well as the changing landscape of jobs due to technological advancements.

The opportunity in mobile [00:32:29] Discussion about the current opportunity in mobile technology and creating the next big thing.

The future of soccer in the US [00:33:11] Exploring the growth and popularity of soccer in the US, especially with Messi joining Inter Miami.

The biggest opportunity with AI [00:33:36] The potential of AI in video editing software and its ability to make the process easier and faster.

I noticed this skills gap during a recent leadership search, which is why I made it the focus of this episode. The gap was between candidates with global GTM leadership experience and those without.

How do you go from leading a domestic GTM team to leading a global GTM team, and what skills do you need to acquire?How do you build and inspire confidence when applying for a global role if you don't have the experience? What are the first steps you should take once you've landed a new global GTM role?

All questions I asked Amy Slater, Vice President of GSI Global Sales at Genesys.

She has a wealth of experience leading global teams and was kind enough to share some of it with me, so I can now share it with you. 

Amy Slaters Linkedin Profile

In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Shawn Green, a seasoned CRO and go-to-market advisor for startups. We go deep into the crucial tasks that every new Chief Revenue Officer should prioritize during their initial 90 days on the job as well as the importance of tailoring your approach to the specific stage of the startup you're joining.

Assessing the current state of the company [00:02:17] Sean discusses the importance of spending time understanding the company's current revenue generation process, strategies, and overall revenue goals.

Developing a revenue growth strategy [00:02:17] Sean emphasizes the need for a comprehensive revenue growth strategy, including setting clear revenue targets, identifying new market opportunities, and creating a roadmap to achieve company revenue goals.

Building and optimizing the sales team [00:03:40] Sean explains the importance of assessing the current sales team, identifying gaps in skills or resources, and making necessary adjustments such as restructuring, hiring new talent, and providing training and development opportunities.

The skills gap assessment [00:12:35] Discussion on how to assess the skills gap in a sales team and the importance of aligning skills with the company's go-to-market strategy.

Failing fast and constant pace [00:13:43] The significance of failing fast and maintaining a constant pace in revenue growth, and the need for internal and external validation in decision-making.

Rapid fire five [00:16:34] A quick Q&A session covering topics such as motivation, preferred learning methods, sleep habits, and favorite hobbies outside of work.

Shawn Greens Linkedin Page

I've changed the format of this podcast. This short episode will explain why and what you can expect going forward.

Please let me know what you think. Also, if you enjoy this podcast please subscribe, rate, and review. I'd appreciate the support. 

In this episode, Andi Wilson, SVP of Sales at ShareThis, discusses her experience about how she successfully navigated through a major company pivot that involved changing their business model and go-to-market strategy. She highlights the significance of embracing change as an opportunity rather than a setback while emphasizing the importance of maintaining a curious mindset and actively seeking solutions to overcome challenges.

Andi's LinkedIn Profile

Episode Time Stamp

Short Podcasts and Attention Span [00:00:00] Discussion on the idea of short podcasts and the influence of platforms like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels on content consumption.

Benefits of Short Podcasts [00:00:53] Exploring the advantages of keeping podcasts short, including increased guest participation and audience engagement.

Navigating a Career Pivot [00:07:57] Andy Wilson shares her experience transitioning from media to data in 2016 and discusses the challenges and opportunities that came with it.

The shift in the business [00:10:23] Discusses the challenges faced by the company in maintaining stability while creating growth opportunities.

Staying calm during change [00:11:39] Explores how Andy Wilson was able to stay calm during the storm of change and navigate through challenges.

Investing in education [00:14:53] Highlights the importance of investing in education and continuous learning for personal and professional growth.

In this episode, I'm thrilled to introduce Collin Mitchell, the VP of Sales at Leadium. Colin has a remarkable background in founding and scaling startups, and today, he's here to reveal why he chose to join Leadium. We jump right into the core of our conversation – asking Colin for his top recommendations to help companies surpass the million-dollar mark. His answer is crystal clear: sales is key. He suggests prioritizing strategic hires and smart delegation to propel growth as well as stressing the significance of processes, giving your team the tools they need to succeed. So tune in for some game-changing wisdom from Colin Mitchell. 

Collin Mitchell's Linkedin Profile

The Journey to Lithium [00:00:00] Colin Mitchell discusses his journey from his previous company to Lithium and how Lithium helped him scale his startups.

Key Areas of Focus for Growth [00:02:14] Colin Mitchell shares three key areas of focus for companies stuck around the million-dollar mark to grow beyond that.

Building a Foundation for Growth [00:08:11] Colin Mitchell explains the importance of building a strong foundation for the business and scaling it to reach the 1 to 2 million and 2 to 5 million revenue milestones.

The journey to revenue leadership [00:12:40] Discussion on the challenges of scaling from 1 to 5 million in revenue and building a foundation for growth.

The role of AI in organizations and personal life [00:15:24] Exploration of how AI can transform businesses and personal lives, with examples of professional and personal use cases.

How to reach out to Colin Mitchell [00:20:47] Instructions on how to connect with Colin Mitchell, including leaving a review, sharing the podcast, and checking out the Sales Transformation podcast.

Joining me in this episode is an incredible guest, Sally Cummins, the Vice President of Sales at Montrose Environmental Group.

We dive deep into Sally's experiences in selecting technology for her sales team. She brings invaluable insights into marketing strategies, lead generation tools, and cutting-edge training methods that can skyrocket your sales performance.

And that's not all, Sally emphasizes the significance of understanding buyer intent, a key element that can make or break your sales efforts. We explore the art of conducting successful product demos and the secrets to closing those elusive deals. 

The episode wraps up with a fascinating discussion on Montrose Environmental Group's relentless focus on enhancing the customer experience. Sally shares her personal goals, including her journey of continuous learning as a busy VP of Sales.

This episode is a goldmine of practical advice and inspiration for anyone looking to boost their sales game.

Sally Cummins Linkedin Profile

In this podcast episode, I interview Sean Burke, the COO of Prometric, a global provider of secure test development and delivery solutions. Sean discusses the initiatives he is working on to impact the business positively, his approach to purchasing new technology, and how to increase a sales rep's likelihood of booking a meeting with him. 

You can access the full transcript here. 

Time Stamps

Initiatives Impacting Business [00:01:00] Sean Burke discusses the initiatives that he is working on to positively impact Prometric's business.

Attracting New Clients with Technology [00:01:00] J Webb asks Sean Burke about how technology is enabling Prometric's sales team to attract new clients.

Buying Process [00:01:00] J Webb asks Sean Burke to walk him through Prometric's buying process and where potential clients begin their journey.

Efficient Sales Play [00:09:30] Sean Burke talks about how technology is enabling the sales team to run an efficient sales play, helping clients walk through the decision-making process as efficiently as possible.

Sales Campaign [00:10:32] Burke discusses how technology is used to run an effective sales campaign, either winning or getting a fast note.

Revenue Prediction [00:12:36] Burke talks about the gap in technology today, specifically in the area of being able to call the shot for an entire year in advance of that year happening, and how he manually puts together formulas and spreadsheets to feed their revenue output.

Auditing Sales Technology [00:17:29] Sean Burke explains how Prometric audits their sales technology every year to assess their spend, usage, and impact on the business. He also shares a tip for sales technology companies to not assume that their customers know where their product is today.

Making Decisions on Sales Technology [00:20:58] J Webb asks Sean Burke about his role in making decisions on sales technology. Burke emphasizes the importance of technology delivering business value and having high usage across the team. He also shares his approach to working with vendors and building personal relationships with executives.

Executive Level Alignment [00:24:59] In the evaluation stage of considering new vendors, Sean Burke highlights the importance of having executive level alignment with the vendor's team. He explains that having a personal relationship with an executive can help him understand how other amazing executives are deploying their technology and running their teams for the betterment of the outcome of the business.

Escalation and Sales Opportunity [00:26:18] Sean Burke talks about how escalation is not always about complaints, but rather about knowledge sharing and best practices. He also discusses the sales opportunity that vendors miss out on by not providing dashboarding and insights to their clients.

Optimizing Investment and Facilitating Meetings [00:28:40] Burke explains that he gets involved in meetings with vendors after the decision to go with them has been made. He also talks about the importance of understanding the nuances of the technology and how it is being used in the vendor's business.

Challenges of Sales and Getting Attention [00:31:17] Burke discusses the challenges of getting attention as a salesperson and how most of the messages he receives go straight to his junk mail. He suggests that salespeople should gather data and insights from the buying team and deliver a powerful impact statement to get his attention.

Initiating contact [00:35:13] Sean Burke discusses the challenges of initiating contact with executives and how to involve decision-makers in the buying process.

Crafting a compelling story [00:37:27] J Webb and Sean Burke discuss the importance of crafting a compelling story for potential clients and how to involve the CEO or highest-ranking official in the buying process.

Standing out in outreach [00:39:47] Sean Burke shares his thoughts on how to stand out in outreach and the importance of understanding a company's unique commercial challenges.

Sales Methodology [00:47:39] Prometric does not subscribe to a specific sales methodology, but instead focuses on learning from win-loss analysis and talking to buyers to understand their decision-making process.

Learning from Lost Deals [00:48:46] Prometric conducts win-loss analysis on all sales and uses feedback from lost deals to inform their sales process and improve their approach.

Past Buyers Helping Future Buyers [00:50:35] Prometric gets past buyers to work with future buyers to help them avoid pitfalls in the sales process and improve their experience.

Procurement Process [00:51:11] Sean Burke explains the procurement process at Prometric, involving financial and procurement teams, sales leadership, revenue ops team, and users of the product.

Finding New Technology [00:54:35] Burke shares his approach to finding new technology, including reading, going to G2 Crowd, and googling to solve problems.

Importance of Calendar [00:55:21] Burke emphasizes the importance of his calendar and how it is the most important tool in his tech stack, as it is where he makes investments in the business. He also highlights the importance of reps being on their sales leader's calendar.

In this episode of "Customer Conversations, you'll hear Pattie Grimm, former Senior Director of Sales Enablement Center of Excellence at VMware. You'll hear how Pattie solved a business challenge at VMware through technology, her process for evaluating and selecting sales enablement tools, and the importance of co-creating solutions with customers. Pattie emphasizes the need for salespeople to understand the customer's needs and make them the hero of the story. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding the customer's needs and co-creating solutions with them, as well as the need for salespeople to have a personal touch.

Time stamps below along with the full transcript here.

Business Challenge and Technology Solution [00:02:32] Patty shares how she solved a business challenge of reinventing sales methodology and process at VMware through technology.

Eliminating Non-Working Tools [00:04:19] Patty talks about how they eliminated a ton of non-working tools used by the sales team at VMware.

Mapping Customer Buying Cycle [00:06:50] Patty explains how they mapped their sales process to the customer's buying cycle and used technology to make it easy for sellers to find what they needed.

Starting with the Business Problem [00:08:34] Patty explains how she starts with the business problem she is trying to solve by going out to the field and asking the salespeople and sales teams what challenges they have and what they need.

Referrals and Research [00:09:34] Patty talks about how she goes a lot on referrals and people she knows and trusts when evaluating different tools and technologies. She also mentions doing her own research by going to their website and looking up their customers and value proposition.

Breaking Through to Buyers [00:14:53] Patty shares what really works and resonates with her when a sales rep breaks through to her, including bringing new customer intelligence or insights, building a relationship first, and asking insightful questions.

Co-creating a Sales Methodology [00:15:43] Patty discusses the process of co-creating a new sales methodology with her team and stakeholders, including socializing and vetting it with RVPS, key leaders, and sales operations.

Blending Sales Frameworks [00:20:02] Patty talks about blending her sales leadership framework with the company's model, incorporating their thinking into the existing model, and socializing it with key stakeholders.

Championing the Project [00:23:30] Patty was the champion of the project, with an executive sponsor and buy-in from the executive leadership team. Barbara was her wise advisor, providing feedback and coaching her gently.

Coaching and Sales Methodology [00:24:23] Patty discusses the importance of coaching and sales methodology in enabling sales teams to be more effective.

Selling in a SaaS World [00:25:14] Patty talks about the challenges of selling in a SaaS world and the importance of ensuring customers consume what they buy.

Making Customers the Hero [00:28:13] Patty explains why she wants her sales teams to be the heroes of the story and how it benefits her in the long run.

The Decision Making Process [00:33:33] Patty discusses the decision-making process for choosing technology partners and shares an example of a successful program at Microsoft.

Co-Creating Solutions with Customers [00:35:45] Patty talks about the benefits of co-creating solutions with customers and how it builds buy-in and ownership.

Challenges with IP and Subscription Models [00:38:37] Patty explains the challenges with intellectual property and subscription models when evaluating vendors and how it was a deciding factor in choosing Barbara's solution.

Business Challenges vs Pain Points [00:42:26] Patty and J discuss the importance of focusing on business challenges instead of pain points during the sales process.

Importance of Articulating Future State [00:43:26] J and Patty talk about the significance of sales reps being able to articulate the future state of a product or service during the sales process.

Full Life Cycle Customer Engagement [00:47:51] Patty shares her experience of managing the full life cycle of customer engagement, from awareness to consideration to post-sale, and the importance of a smooth handoff between teams.

Three Sales Principles [00:51:20] Patty shares three sales principles that she has built into every program she has ever run or every methodology she has ever put in place or system or tools.

Co-create with the Customer [00:52:08] Patty talks about the importance of making the customer the hero of the story and solving their business problem, not yours.

Rapid Fire Five [00:54:35] J Webb asks Patty five quick questions, including what motivates her, her most preferred way to learn new information, and her favorite thing to do when she isn't working.

Goodbye [00:58:11] J Webb thanks the audience for listening and asks Patty how people can get in touch with her.

Contact information [00:58:21] Patty shares her contact information and invites people to reach out to her through LinkedIn or email.

Closing remarks [00:58:53] J Webb and Patty say their final goodbyes and the podcast episode ends.

In this episode, you'll hear Jeff Jaworski talk about his buying process when he was with Google and what mattered to him most when someone targeted him as a prospect and wanted to earn his business.

Here is the full transcript, followed by the time stamps of key moments from our conversation. 

Role of Enablement Director [00:02:44] Jeff Jaworski explains his role as an enablement director at Google, including his team's focus on equipping large customer sales teams and internal go-to-market strategy with the knowledge and capabilities they need to be successful.

Teams Enabled by Enablement Director [00:05:19] Jaworski discusses the primary teams he focuses on enabling, including large customer sales teams and internal go-to-market strategy, as well as his global coaching program.

Tools for Coaching and Practicing Sales Skills [00:06:20] Jaworski explains the different tools and techniques used for coaching and practicing sales skills within the organization, including peer-to-peer practice, simulations, and live coaching.

Building a Culture of Coaching [00:07:23] Jeff discusses the importance of coaching and how Google has built a culture of coaching and practice inside the organization. He also talks about the challenges of managers not being properly trained to be coaches.

Challenges with Technology in Coaching [00:08:57] Jeff talks about the challenges of using technology to enable live coaching and how Google is trying to identify ways to be more in the flow. He also discusses the process of choosing a coach and the need for stronger technology to make the process more seamless.

Matching Coaches and Coachees [00:12:23] Jeff talks about how Google matches coaches and coachees using internal tools and profiles. He also discusses the benefits of coaches coaching others and how it helps them become more effective as coaches.

Baseline Training and Certification [00:14:14] Jeff discusses the importance of baseline training and certification for sales enablement and how it helps customers feel more confident in their engagements.

Challenges in Buying Process [00:15:10] Jeff talks about the challenges in the buying process, including the need for a mutual understanding of goals and how technology can address them.

Importance of Discovery in Sales [00:17:09] Jeff emphasizes the importance of discovery in sales and how it can lead to a more meaningful output in terms of effectively solving customer challenges.

Importance of Preparation [00:21:20] Jeff emphasizes the importance of doing research before a conversation and how it can make a difference in building connections.

Follow-up Matters [00:22:01] Jeff stresses the significance of meaningful follow-up after a meeting and how it can impact the decision-making process.

Asking the Right Questions [00:26:08] Jeff talks about the importance of asking the right questions during a sales conversation and how it can help in understanding the customer's needs and expectations.

Practicing and Reinforcement [00:30:45] Importance of practicing and reinforcing sales skills to improve customer interactions and increase productivity.

Stakeholder Management [00:32:11] How to manage multiple decision-makers in a committee deal and involve the right stakeholders to move the deal forward.

Effective Follow-up [00:33:23] The importance of high-quality follow-up and how it impacts the decision-making process of customers.

Advocating for the Sale [00:35:03] Jeff and J discuss how Jeff's role as an advocate can help coach sales teams and move the sales process forward.

Competitor Analysis [00:37:07] Jeff and J talk about how sales teams should prepare for competitors and how to differentiate themselves in the market.

Moving Forward in the Sales Process [00:39:05] Jeff explains how sales teams should approach the sales process when a competitor is already in the picture and how to avoid losing a deal prematurely.

Importance of Discovery Call [00:41:49] Discussion on how a discovery call can accelerate the sales process and shorten the sales cycle.

Factors in Making a Final Determination [00:43:58] Exploration of the factors that can help make a final decision when choosing between two vendors.

Asking About Decision Criteria [00:46:18] The importance of asking about decision criteria and when it should be asked during the customer conversation.

Value of Real Talk Conversations [00:48:31] Jeff discusses the value of having real talk conversations to prepare for sales moments and improve sales skills.

Subscription Value [00:49:20] Jeff talks about how people place value on their time and the perceived return on investment when subscribing to a podcast.

Successful Outcome and Target Audience [00:53:30] Jeff suggests considering the successful outcome for the audience and the purpose of the podcast when deciding on the target audience for messaging.

What motivates you? [00:55:53] Jeff Jaworski talks about what motivates him, which is being helpful to others.

Preferred way to learn new information? [00:56:25] Jeff Jaworski shares that he likes to learn through audio while walking his dog and is big on coaching.

How can folks reach out to you? [00:58:11] Jeff Jaworski shares that the easiest way to reach out to him is through LinkedIn, where his name is Jeff Jaworski.

This episode, with Jeff Oh, VP of Sales at DMI, is part of a series of interviews I called "Customer Conversations", where I explore the buying process of revenue leaders. Jeff explains the meticulous decision-making process they employ when selecting software vendors to integrate into their tech stack. He also emphasizes the significance of knowing the long-term strategy of your prospects when trying to win their business.

Time stamp below:

DMI's Value Proposition [00:00:18] Jeff explains DMI's two-sided value proposition of digital and project excellence, and the company's global team of consultants.

DMI's Tech Stack [00:02:01] Jeff discusses DMI's tech stack, including Salesforce, SalesLoft, HubSpot, Bombora, and Guru, and the recent rip and replace of their old Microsoft Dynamics system.

Choosing Vendors [00:07:40] Jeff talks about DMI's decision criteria for choosing vendors, including relationships, vendor reviews, and pricing, and the importance of not letting architecture decide strategy.

Long-term strategy [00:10:18] Jeff O discusses the importance of building a long-term strategy for a company's growth and aligning solutions with that path.

Sales approach for startups [00:16:58] Jeff O shares two successful methods for startups to approach sales: having a razor-sharp spin and challenger approach, or finding gaps in existing products and building into them.

Product leaching [00:17:59] Jeff O explains how startups can find success by offering a module or solution that can sit next to a big solution and demonstrate its effectiveness.

Product Leaching [00:19:05] Jeff O explains the concept of product leaching, a strategy to gain credibility within a product set by building a product that performs well against existing KPIs.

Buying Process [00:21:14] Jeff O discusses the buying process for sales tools, including the use of email blasting and name aggregation, and how he reached out to his network to work things out.

Effective Email Strategies [00:23:49] Jeff O shares his insights on how to stand out in the inbox, including the importance of subject lines, personalization, and humor in emails.

First Call [00:27:38] Jeff O talks about the importance of making a call to engage with potential clients and how it helps him assess their subject matter expertise.

Making the Case [00:30:01] Jeff O explains the process of making a case to the committee of economic buyers and how they align it with their strategic vision.

Decision Criteria [00:34:47] Jeff O advises account executives to wait until they are one of the finalists before asking about the decision criteria and not to be too assumptive.

Navigating the Decision Process [00:35:47] Jeff O discusses the importance of understanding the decision process and criteria, and how to navigate it effectively.

Subject Line Optimization [00:38:22] Jeff O recommends using subject line optimization tools to improve open rates and avoid spam filters.

Learning about New Technology [00:42:00] Jeff O shares that he learns about new technology through podcasts and YouTube, and finds them to be valuable resources.

Email response rates and intent [00:43:33] The speakers discuss how email response rates drop with spam and how intent matters when reaching out to potential buyers.

Personalization and measuring intent [00:44:26] The speakers talk about how they use personalization and long-term education campaigns to measure intent and engagement.

Wolverine and reaching out to Jeff O [00:46:16] Jeff O talks about how the wolverine is the perfect animal to represent new business buyers and gives out his phone number for people to reach out to him.

In this episode of The GOATS of Growth, I sit down with Mark Nussbaum, the Chief Administrative Officer of Dexian, to discuss building his experiences helping to build a billion dollar business.

Mark shares his profound belief that true success stems from harnessing something unique within ourselves that the world has yet to uncover. But how do we make that inner spark ignite and materialize into reality? Mark sheds light on the dedication, hard work, and unwavering determination required to transform our dreams into tangible achievements.

Ultimately, this episode of The GOATS of Growth serves as a powerful reminder that the path to success demands continuous growth, relentless self-awareness, and an unwavering thirst for knowledge. Tune in and be inspired to challenge your limits and embrace the infinite possibilities that await you when you confront your fears.

Mark Nussbaums Linkedin Profile

Introduction and Jay-Z Appreciation [00:00:00 - 00:05:29] The host introduces the podcast and talks about his premium version called "Customer Conversations". The speakers discuss their mutual appreciation for Jay-Z and live performances.

Mark Nussbaum's Background and Growth of Signature Consultants [00:07:33 - 00:09:47] Mark Nussbaum, the Chief Administrative Officer of Daxia, talks about his background and how he grew Signature Consultants from 0 to $13 billion. He emphasizes that it was a group effort and talks about the challenges and setbacks they faced during the growth process.

Destiny and Vision [00:10:51] Mark Nussbaum talks about his belief in destiny and how he always knew he wanted to be a successful businessman.

Defining Greatness [00:13:21] Nussbaum defines greatness as being a dignified and caring business person who does right by employees, clients, and customers.

Overcoming Failure [00:16:53] Nussbaum shares how he coped with failures and setbacks, including a personal example of a massive failure that taught him the importance of recognizing his weaknesses and learning from them.

Finding Your Unique Ability [00:20:24] Mark Nussbaum talks about how he realized his strengths and weaknesses and how he used that knowledge to find his unique ability.

Leadership Style [00:24:32] Mark Nussbaum discusses how his parenting style influenced his leadership style and how he acts as a helipad for his team.

Pushing People to Their Limits [00:26:54] Mark Nussbaum talks about how he pushes people to find their limits and how failure is a necessary part of growth.

Delegating roles and responsibilities [00:31:43] Mark Nussbaum talks about his leadership style and how he guides his team by focusing on a few simple things to improve the experience for customers, consultants, employees, vendors, and landlords. He emphasizes the importance of delegating tasks to empower others to advance their careers.

Building a team for growth [00:34:33] The host and Mark Nussbaum discuss the importance of building a team that can generate $1 million instead of focusing on generating the revenue themselves. They talk about how delegation and developing people's skills are essential for business growth.

Overcoming self-limiting beliefs [00:39:47] Mark Nussbaum talks about his self-limiting beliefs, including the belief that others were better than him and that he lacked creativity. He discusses how he overcame these beliefs through coaching, internal feedback, and reading books, including "Mindset" by Carol Dweck.

Fear and Belief [00:41:25] Speaker 2 talks about how he overcame his fear of failure by crushing it with the fear of not trying. He also discusses how he changed his beliefs through conversations with his coaches.

Life Plan [00:45:05] Speaker 2 talks about how he wrote his first life plan at 25 after getting married and realizing that he had no plan for his life. He breaks down the five things he included in his plan: fitness, finances, family, friendship, and faith.

Reviewing the Life Plan [00:51:26] Speaker 2 talks about how he reviews his life plan every Sunday morning and how it has evolved over the years to include more detailed visions and goals for different aspects of his life. He also discusses how he uses makers and breakers to track his progress towards his goals.

Weekly Planning Process [00:51:34] Mark Nussbaum discusses his weekly planning process, which involves waking up early on Sunday mornings, exercising, having breakfast, and spending 12 minutes planning his week.

Taking Care of Yourself as a Leader [00:55:17] Mark Nussbaum emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself as a leader in order to better take care of others. He compares himself to a helipad and says that if he is not spiritually, mentally, and physically fit, his capacity to help others is limited.

Rapid Fire Five [00:58:50] Speaker 1 asks Mark Nussbaum five rapid-fire questions, including what motivates him, his most preferred way to learn new information, and his favorite thing to do when he isn't working.

Introduction and Call to Action [01:01:57] The host thanks the listeners and reminds them to check out his other podcast, Customer Conversations, which features interviews with buyers of technology.

No other timestamps are present in this transcription segment.

Embark on an extraordinary journey of personal transformation and professional growth as we dive into this episode with my guest, Pattie Grimm.

Join me as Pattie shares her powerful journey as she describes how she went from rock star to rock bottom--due to overworking--then embracing a profound shift towards self-care and self-awareness which enchanced not only her performence, but those around her. What lessons can leaders learn from Pattie's experience? How can reshaping leadership foster purpose-driven leaders who can effectively navigate today's diverse workforce? Get ready to explore the limitless possibilities of reimagining the customer experience, re-energizing your workforce, and reinventing work processes to drive extraordinary results.

Discover the profound impact of prioritizing self-care on leadership effectiveness. How does taking care of oneself unleash creativity, innovation, and an empowered approach to leadership and business? Find out in todays episode!

Pattie Grimms Linkedin Profile

In this episode of The Goats of Growth, I speak with Tom Salah, Senior Vice President of Global Sales at SmartBear, who uncovers the secrets of his daily habits and their impact on his remarkable success.

 Discover the importance of establishing early morning routines to eliminate distractions, prioritize tasks, and achieve laser-focused productivity. Learn the benefits of consistent habits for long-term career growth and adaptability in a rapidly changing business landscape. Gain valuable insights on self-assessment, performance evaluation, and finding the balance between professional success and personal well-being.

Tune in for actionable advice and strategies to unlock your own path to success.

Tom Salahs Linkedin Profile

Access Customer Conversations Here

In this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Rush, the CEO & Founder of SmallWorld.

Are you struggling to leverage introductions and referrals effectively for your business? How can you ensure common language and user experience enhance these connections? David shares his personal journey as a sales leader and how it led him to create SmallWorld. Discover how David helps sales reps identify influencers and decision-makers within target accounts.

Plus, learn about SmallWorlds visionary approach called "relationship activation," Join us as we unravel the secrets to driving better business results through introductions and referrals.

David Rushs Linkedin Profile

Access Customer Conversations Here

In this podcast episode, I interview Brett Cavanagh, the President of TempWorks Software, to talk about how he went from selling recruiting services to selling recruiting software while also positioning himself to move from Sales Manager to President in just 4 years, and the strategic decisions he has made along the way to exectute at a high level.

Brett's LinkedIn Profile

Access Customer Conversations Here

Click this link for a 7 Day Free Trial of Customer Conversations. 

In this "building in public" episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jeremy Roberts, Account Executive, at Mindtickle, a sales readiness platform.

I invited Jeremy on after he offered to help me validate Customer Conversations, the new premium version of this podcast. I wanted to record our discussion and workshop a couple of ideas with him. By the end, I came away with 3 major takeways that I will incorporate into the overall offering.

I hope you enjoy this kind of episode. 

Get ready to revolutionize your sales enablement strategy with an expert who knows the secret to unlocking unprecedented growth. In this episode, I sit down with Roderick Jefferson, renowned CEO of Roderick Jefferson and Associates, to delve into the world of sales enablement.

Are you struggling to align your sales enablement efforts with the hiring process? Feeling stuck in a constant cycle of trial and error? Well, Roderick is here to show you the way out. He unveils the game-changing approach of creating the ideal candidate profile and demonstrates how it can supercharge your sales enablement initiatives. But that's not all – we explore the true nature of sales enablement as an ongoing journey of improvement and growth. Roderick shares his groundbreaking Sales Enablement System, a powerful tool that tracks and reports on your sales team's progress.

Discover the critical importance of ongoing communication, iterative processes, and change management to ensure your sales enablement efforts achieve remarkable results.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your sales enablement strategy to new heights. Join us as we unlock the secrets of aligning, improving, and succeeding in the dynamic world of sales enablement. Click this link for a 7 Day Free Trial of Customer Conversations. 

Find out more about Roderick and get in touch 

No guest on this epispode. You'll hear me talk about getting out of my comfort zone as I try to find product, market, fit for Customer Conversations

Click this link to become a member. 

In this episode, Tom Click, Senior Vice President of Sales at Integrate, discusses his journey at the marketing technology platform and the challenges they faced in finding product-market fit. He emphasizes the importance of synthesizing information across various channels to ensure compliance and better buyer experiences as well as reflecting on his personal growth as a leader. 

Cllick here to learn more about Customer Conversation and how Revenue Leaders buy technology to enable their teams' success. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-click-362231/ 

This is a solo episode as I give you a peak behind the curtains into my level of conviction for a premium version of this podcast called, Customer Conversations.  

Cllick here to learn more about Customer Conversation and how Revenue Leaders buy technology to enable their teams' success. 

Chris Smith is the Chief Revenue Officer of Aqua Security, the largest pure play cloud-native security company. 

In this episode we discuss Aqua Security's role in the cloud security market, their strategy for becoming the category leader, and the importance of having a strong playbook for sales and marketing. Chris emphasizes the importance of understanding customers' needs and conducting user interviews to inform marketing, messaging, sales playbook, competitive landscape, and product direction. He also shares his approach to conducting interviews and managing employees. 

Cllick here to learn more about Customer Conversation and how Revenue Leaders buy technology to enable their teams' success. 

This is preview of Jeff Oh's episode, part of the 'Customer Conversation' premium subscription.

In this episode, Jeff Oh, the VP of Sales at DMI, a global leader in digital innovation and transformation, discusses DMI's tech stack and the decision criteria they used to choose these vendors over others. Jeff emphasizes the importance of having a long-term strategy when choosing a software solution. 

https://glow.fm/thegoatsofgrowth-customerconversations/

Today we have on Enfusions CRO, Steven Bachert. Enfusion is the flexible, modern framework for investment management operations that gives fund managers the freedom to perform.

Link to Customer Conversations

In this episode Steven and myself discuss:

All that and more in this episode.

My guest today is CRO, Rachel Bates. 

Customer Conversations Link

In todays episode we discuss -

All that and more on today's episode. 

https://thegoatsofgrowth.com/ 

Show link to 'Customer Conversations'. https://glow.fm/thegoatsofgrowth-customerconversations/.

My guest today is Kevin Warner who is the CEO and founder of Leadium, which is a agency to help you find prospects, automate outbound, and grow your pipeline.

Today we discuss: -

Tyler Barron, Chief Revenue Officer at Encapture, joined me for this weeks episode to discuss the importance of listneing to your customer. Encapture is the intelligent document automation platform that helps companies be more efficient and customer-centric.

In this weeks episode we discuss and cover:

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest today is Sarah Milby, CEO and Founder of Valor Performance, a leadership and performance mindset coaching platform that helps empower executives, managers and teams with data-driven, high performance coaching.

In todays packed episode we discuss various topics such as:

All that and more in this episode. 

In todays episode you'll hear my interview with William Crowder, Managing Partner of Aperture Venture Capital, which is a VC for the multicultural mainstream that backs founders that leverage financial innovation to help individuals and businesses thrive.

In todays episode we discuss:

All that and more on in this episode. 

In todays episode we have back on the show, for a second time, Stephen Messer, serial entrepreneur and the Cofounder of Collective[i]. To find out all about that company, go back and listen to episode # 107.

In today's episode, however,  we will be discussing his previous company, LinkShares, an affiliate marketing service provider that got acquired by Rakuten for a cool $425M

What to listen for:

All that and more on this episode. 

Stephen was also kind enough to give me a private on AI training to break down what goes into business intelligence, machine learning and deep learning. 

To access the training click on this link.  https://youtu.be/aiKrAENS22c 

My guest today is Ethan Schechter, VP of Sales of Snyk, which empowers the world’s developers to build secure applications 

In todays packed episode we discuss

- Convincing Organizations to Prioritize and Invest in New Solutions. - Why Winning Ugly is Sometimes the Key to Success in Early Stage Startups. - Hiring Key Players for a Strong Foundation. - Balancing Priorities of Sales Training and Enablement with Rapid Expansion. - Transparency and Confidence in Upselling Your Product. - The Importance of Honest Communication in Third and Fourth Line Leadership.

All that and more in this episode!

In this episode you'll hear my interview with Jeff Kushmerek, the CEO and Founder of Infinite Renewals, which helps SaaS and B2B emerging tech companies reduce churn and significantly increase recurring revenue. I wanted to interview him to help us understand more about the importance NRR and GRR plays in growing and scaling revenue, and how Customer Success is at the heart of it. 

In this episode we'll cover: 

All that and more on this episode. 

My guest today is David Fattal, Founder and Chief Technial Officier at Leia Inc. Leia combines nanotechnology and AI to build the future of 3D experiences. Just afew topics we cover today are: -

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest today is Mark Haas, the VP of Sales at Incorta, which provides a unified data and analytics platform that makes it quick and easy to unlock the full potential of data from multiple complex source systems.

In todays episode we cover: - How being creative in your pipeline generation will pay off. - Why research and effort will always trumph generic outreach. - How crafting compelling stories helps with overall success - The importance of individualized leadership coaching

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest today is Tony Craythorne, a Revenue Leader and CEO, who specializes in fast revenue growth for start-ups and growth stage companies.

In todays episode we cover: - Why asking the right financial questions will protect you and dictate the problems that need solving. - Diversifying your revenue stream to prepare for unforeseeable obstacles. - The importance of having working synergy and chemistry. - Connecting the data from marketing to pivot from what isn’t working. - Using circumstances outside of your control to become your best moving forward. - How to leverage your channel to scale revenue before scaling your sales team.

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest today is Deidre Hudson, a customer focused and data driven senior marketing leader with strong demand generation and customer aquisation skills.

In todays episode we cover:

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest today is Greg Reffner, CEO and Founder of Abstrakt, a real-time call coaching software that is transforming sales teams around the globe. In todays episode we talk about:

- The variety of challenges that are presented when picking your consumer market - How customer success plays a huge factor in your product price point - Why creating your own outbound playbook might be your best play - Owning your mistakes and using them to elevate yourself and the team - His tough interviewing screening and coaching approach - Three things he looks for when hiring sales reps

Tune in for all that and more in this great episode.

My guest today is Phil Lee, CRO of Foxit Sotware, the leading software provider of fast, affordable and secure PDF solutions, serving over 650 million users worldwide.

In todays episode we discuss:

- The paradigm shift he's making to go from $100M to $500M

- Developing the right relationships to rip and replace market leaders

- Why investing in customer success is a competitive advantage

- The role digital marketing and the use of customer data will play in reaching the next phaese of growth

- The 3 pillars of leadership he focuses on to maintain a successful orgainization and team

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest today is Casey Jacox, a sales & leadership coach who helps companies realize the power and impact that humility, vulnerability, and curiosity have on internal and external relationship building. Casey also wrote a book about relationship building called "Win The Relationship; Not the Deal" where he shares six principles to win new and existing relationships.

He is also a proud father and husband and has his own podcast called The Quarterback Dad Cast, where he interviews guests to discuss topics at the intersection of what it means to be a dad at home and a leader at work. Casey is one of the most genuine, authentic, down to earth people you'll ever hear on this podcast, and I know you'll be inspired by his backstory. 

In todays episode we discuss: - Life long habits, confidence building, and the early setback that has been the Rocket Fuel for his success in life - How accountibility can be the driving force for new opportunities - How curiousity can allow you to find and unlock your 'why'. - The importance of a morning routine - The power of owning your failures and fears - How tonality can be the deciding factor in closing a deal

All that and more on this episode. 

My guest today is Mike Restivo, the Chief Revenue Officer for Bullhorn, the global leaders in software for the staffing industry. 

In this episode we cover a varety of topics ranging from :

-The business plan he wrote in college that started it all -What it was like to be one of the first employees and why he almost quit  -How is inflated ego prevented him from getting promoted sooner -Stragetic decisions he made to drive gowth and expansion -Transtioning from VP to CRO

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest today is the Andre Riley, the CRO of iHire, a platform that uses innovative technology to connect industry-focused and career-minded candidates with employers across 57 talent communities.

Andre is a top-performing SaaS Revenue & Growth Leader with a proven track record of achieving hypergrowth revenue targets through aggressive sales and marketing initiatives that deliver market share and market penetration.

In todays episode we cover topics ranging from:

- Increasing brand recognition

-Making chages to the go-to-market motion

- How different channels can attract new prospects

- Executing assessment plans to have foresight into future decisions

- Organizational alignment in data, KPI’s, and executing targets

- How to determine price point for the market and the framework behind it

- How the right data will allow you to measure growth so you can plan accordingly

- Why key attributes of growth minded salespeople leads to successful sales teams

- Creating expansion opportunities within your customer base.

My guest today is the Brendon Bornancin, the CEO and inventor of Seamless AI, which delivers the worlds best sales leads using AI. He is also a motivtional speaker and the author of 4 best selling books, including "Whatever It Takes".

In todays episode we cover:

- How being put on a performance plan was the catalyst to everything

- The orgins of Seamless A.I. and the moment he broke down and cried as he was trying to get it built

- Why email lists are so effective

- The data needed to scale revenue

- Maximizing customer retention and why that's so important

- The strategic decision behind pricing so he could get as many people paying for it as possible

All that and more on this epsidode, which is a story about grit, resliency, and growth. 

My guest today is Steven Messer, who is a serial entrepreneur and the Co-Founder of Collective[i], which provides the most comprehensive solution on the market for companies seeking to optimize revenue using AI, connections, and collaboration. Prior to Collective [i], he co-founded Linkshare, an affiliate marketing service provider, which eventually sold to Rakuten for a $425 million.

In todays episode we cover:

-How Collective[i] is like Waze for sales

-Why companies that just use their own data are missing a big piece of the puzzle

-How AI and data can be used to exponentially increase the odds of winning a deal

-The power of reference, referrals, and warm introductions

-The difference between digital sellers and traditional sellers and why 74% of buyers don't want to deal with sellers at all

If you want to know what the future of b2b/enterprise sales looks like, you've got to listen to this entire interview.

My guest today is Ken Ferguson, the CRO of Virtualitics, which offers innovative next generation enterprise AI, machine learning, and 3D data visualization solutions. Ken has a proven track record of success as a revenue leader and enjoys building teams and solving complex problems.

In todays episode we discuss how differentiantion can and should be used as a go-to-market strategy, along with other topics such as:

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest today is Dustin Gransberry, Vice President of Sales for Pico Mes, which is a factory operations platform built for small and medium size factories.

In todays episode we discuss,

- Onboarding and developing yourself and your team

- Assesing the right candidates.

- Micro habits that elevate your skillset in sales

- The link between personal growth and sales success

- Always remaning curious and finding new ways to do things.

Another packed episode full of key points to elevate your game and sharpen your skillset.

My guest today is Denice Sakakeeny, a Corporate Finance Consultant and outsourced CFO that helps executives and investors remove impediments to organizational growth.

In todays episode we talk about,

From finance, to layouts and return on interests, this episode shows a different side of the business and is full of knowledge and value.

My guest, Steven Hoffmen, also known as Captain Hoff, is the CEO and chairman of Founders Space, a global innovation hub for entrepreneurs, corporations and investors with over 50 partners in 22 countries. Captain Hoff is also a venture investor, founder of three venture backed and a bootstrap startups as well as the author of several award winning books.

In todays episode you will here how Capt. Hoff and his team brought the the world's first-massively multi-user gaming platform to market despite many setbacks, including almost running out of money. 

If you like stories full of setbacks that lead to an ultiimate triumph, you're going to love this episode. 

My guest, Dale Brown, is the Chief Revenue Officer at PachyDerm. Pachyderm is the leader in data versioning and pipelines for MLOps and they provide the data foundation that allows science teams to automate and scale their machine learning lifecycle. Dale's vast career has consistently put him at the intersection of sales execution, revenue, product development, and go-to-market results.

In todays episode we discuss,

Sales, hiring, coaching, data driven performance, outlining outcomes - This episode is full of key insights and value. Let us know your key takeaway from this episode.

Don Hammond, COO at Lightning Fit, the undisputed industry leader in EMS fitness technology, has scaled start-ups from 0 to 8 figures, and from 8 to 9 figures. In this episode we unpack some of the keys to his success.

Including:

This episode is PACKED with so much information and can definitely add value to your toolbox whether you’re new to the game or already operating at the executive level.

I'm celebrating episode 100 with David Barron, Global Director of Sales, leading teams in North America for HubSpot, the unquestionable pioneers of inbound marketing software and a leading marketing automation. Since it's early days, HubSpot has evolved into much more, including the products that David’s team sells, which are HubSpot CMS, Service Hub and Operations Hub.   In todays episode we discuss

I just finished reading "The Qualified Sales Leader" by John McMahon, 5X CRO at start-ups that IPO'd, and a Board member and Advisor to a number of other notable companies--- which make him the G.O.A.T.

If you're a Founder, CEO, Sales Leader, or anyone else in the sales ecosystem, especially if you want to know how the GOATS of Growth lead and scale world-class sales teams, this is a must read. 

To that end, as an experienced recruiter and interviewer, I've learned to read between the lines and l obsess about what's NOT being said. It helps me recognize patterns of behavior that typically lead to success--or failure. 

When I read John's book, I took the same approach. It's not a review of the book, or even a summary of the book, but it's focused on the major takeaways I got from the book that weren't always said, but what I understood certain things to mean--especially when identify and recruiting talent. 

In fact, most people will find my takeaways bland and nothing spectacular--or even new. 

But that's the point. 

It shines a big, glaring light on basic, practical, fundamental leadership and management principles that, frankly, a lot of people know, but just don't commit to.

There is a tale John tells in the book called "The Fox and the Hedgehog", that illustrates this well. 

This book starts with the basics, which are a great reminder for all of us. 

My guest, John Sheffield, is the ‘Vice President of Sales’ at Yottaa, which the the leading cloud platform for eCommerce acceleration. 

In this episode we discuss:

All of that and more. If you’re a sales leader or aspiring to lead a team to success, this episode is for you.

Joe Breen, a senior sales leader who has led start-ups through hyper-growth, including SecureWorks, which grew from $1M to $300M---leading to an eventual acquisition by Dell. Most recently, he led Nuspire, an MSSP, to a 5 year revenue goal in just under 3.5 years, while scaling the sales team from 14 people to 40. 

In this episode we discuss the strategic decisions he made that had the biggest impact including:

All of that and more in this episode. 

My guest, Rouzbeh Rotabi, is the Chief Revenue Officer at Orum, which is  a platform for frictionless money movement. He’s also a Limited Partner at Stage 2 Capital, a venture capital fund led and backed by elite go-to-market professionals.

In the is episode we discuss:

All that and more in this episode. 

My guest, Brent Keltner, is making his second appearance on Over Quota. After this episode, go back and listen to episode 73 where he talks about the 3 pillars of growth acceleration.

Brent is the Founder and President of Winalytics, which helps clients reach their top growth potential by shifting from product-driven conversations to authentic conversations that anchor on buyer-defined value. Prior to Winalytics he spent 10 years as a revenue leader in early-stage and enterprise companies and 10 years as a PhD Social Scientist at Stanford and the Rand Corporation.  He’s also the author of “The Revenue Acceleration Playbook: Creating An Authentic Buyer Journey Across Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success”

In this episode we discuss what he learned from promoting his book, the impact writing a book had on his business, and the major takeaways that readers of the book have gotten. 

My guest,Manuel Rivera, has held leadership roles with global technology and pre-IPO companies managing domestic and international partner programs, alliances, and channel sales. He’s currently the Vice President of Global Channel Sales for Constella Intelligence, which provides Digital Risk Protection for some of the world’s largest organizations.

In the episode we discuss the mechanics of how to build a world-class partner program.

I didn't interview a guest for this episode. Instead, I give a summary of my recent trip to San Francisco at the SaaStr event where 10,000 people got together to network, learn and have fun.

It was worth all the time and eevry day. 

I also give a quick update on The GOATS of Growth, which is a book I'm working. on.

Rob Stevens is one of the people that I consider to be on my personal Board of Directors, who’s made some fantastic introductions and opened up others doors along the way–including helping me with getting guests for this podcast. 

We met on the heels of his successful 7 year run at Kiva Systems, which culminated in a $775M acquisition by Amazon Robotics back in 2012. He then led sales, marketing and business development at 2 more successful start-ups (both acquired) and is now advising other early-stage Founders on their go-to-market strategies. 

Something I found particularly interesting is how he navigated his way to leading 4 major functions within 5 start-ups, including sales, marketing, product, and professional services.  In this episode, we cover how he developed that breadth of skill and what he learned along the way that he is now sharing with his clients.

In this episode you will hear me highlight the 10 most cited traits, mentioned by my guests this year, that are present in top salespeople they've managed. I was reluctant to do it in order of most cited to least cited, because they are all paramount to the success of top sales reps, but I did it anyways to make it more interesting.  Over Quota is sponsored by the j. David Group, a retained sales search firm for lean start-ups. If you're looking to hire a sales leader for your next stage of growth, please visit thejdavidgroup.com. 

If you’re a Founder or an early-stage Sales Leader, you’ll appreciate and recognize many of the topics covered in my latest podcast interview with Brian Benedict, Global Vice President of Sales at Narrator. 

If you aspire to be, on the precipice of, or have just started your journey as an expeditionary sales leader, you’ll appreciate learning about the mechanics of what it takes to get the flywheel moving. 

And, if you’re an individual contributor aspiring to, or are currently working for an early-stage start-up, you’ll get a sense of what it takes to succeed and the expectations of you in such an environment. 

Some of the topics we discussed include:

GTM StrategyShould you go up market or down market and why?Pricing structureWhat should you be focused on from day oneSecuring the right meeting with the right people How he had 5 meeting set before his first day at one company What should your tech stack include? Creating processes and systems What goes in the playbook? When to iterate or not Who to hire first and why?The challenges founders could experience if they hire for the wrong position first What kind of experience should the first members of the sales team have?Which traits and core competencies should you screen for? How do you assign quota (or not) in the absence of precedent and much data? How to build a repeatable motion When should you scale and how

Enjoy the episode.

Teaching and coaching enterprise sales reps to become HIGH-PERFORMING enterprise sales reps is difficult–to say the least. There are many variables to reaching greatness that sales leaders and coaches need to navigate.

Is a rep struggling because she doesn’t understand the value proposition well enough? Is a rep struggling because he’s in a new territory and simply hasn’t generated enough activity? Is your go-to-market strategy flawed? The potential roadblocks that can prevent success are overwhelming and endless.

With all the various reasons and possible impediments to success, wouldn’t it be nice if someone were to distill the complexity of true enterprise sales down to just a few pillars that can be coached and repeated—regardless of which sales methodology you’re using? Well, that’s what my latest podcast guest, Douglas Cole, Enterprise Sales Leader at LinkedIn, achieved in his new book, The Sales MBA–How to Influence Corporate Buyers.

In this episode you’ll not only hear when and how to incorporate these core pillars of successful enterprise sales, but you’ll also hear him talk about the mental shift CRUCIAL to mastering it all. 

Here is the link to buy the book on Amazon

(Republished from June 2020.)

I recently interviewed Samuel Clemens, Partner at Accomplice VC & Founder of Reprise, which helps customer facing teams capture, edit, and assemble the perfect demo every time. 

We discussed the 3 types of sales leaders critical to early stage start-up success. The first type is simply founder-led sales because they know the product best and should be able to close the first handful of sales on passion--as long as their is market fit.  The second type of sales leader is what he calls the expeditionary sales leader who can help create and define a repeatable playbook. The third type of sales leader is someone that is process based and can take that playbook, refine it, and then scale the sales team. 

Additionally, he shared the critical attributes needed in each sales leader, the one thing that he thinks really defines an organization's culture, the 3 big mistakes he's made in the past when scaling a sales organization, what sales leaders should NOT do during their Board meetings, and much more.

Whether I’m interviewing a GTM leader on my podcast or confidentially for a retained search, I tend to geek out over the “how” of how success was achieved by my guest.

It’s like when we first learned long division. It wasn’t enough to give the right answer, we had to show the teacher “our work”. How we got there, so they know it wasn’t simply luck, memory, or a hidden calculator.

From onboarding to strategic planning, to compensation models, to playbooks, I could do on and on but how success was achieved—or not, if I’m screening for a client.

But sometimes, what we’re capable of accomplishing simply comes down to "why" and the traits we have or the traits you don’t have.  In the case of my most recent guest on Over Quota, Ramsey Al Ramahi, 3 traits that came to my mind as I was analyzing the why behind his accomplishments were, curiosity, desire, and a bias towards action.

In this episode, you’ll hear how he went from selling Bakluvit (a family recipe) to a tech sales leader in less than 5 years.

Yes, we dug into strategy and execution, but those 3 traits, curiosity, desire and a bias for action were the hallmarks, from my assessment, as to why he just accepted a CRO role--achieving yet another professional goal.

Graham Collins has given more than 400 compensation consultations over last 2 years, so I couldn’t think of a better guest to have on to learn all the ins and outs of how comp plans and quotas are established.

Whether you're a Founder trying to get your arms around hiring your first sales rep, an established sales leader, or a quota carrying AE, you’ll learn something from this episode, including:

The right ways and wrong ways to structure comp plans

Why 50/50 comp plans exist and the underlying math

The right and wrong ways to establish quota

How to deliver new comp plans and keep your best reps

The most common mistake leaders make when building comp plans

And more!

In this episode you’ll hear Brian Kirk's journey from Submarine Warfare Officer, where he was leading as many as 70 Sailors, to MIT, where he got his MBA, to entrepreneur–and all that he learned from that experience–and then into technology sales where he went from BDR to sales leadership in just 6 months! That’s the journey. 

Tactically, you’ll hear him discuss why he’s made the choices he’s made,  his new way of communicating since moving into civilian leadership, how he went from BDR to sales leadership so quickly, and the strategies and processes he implements to inspire his teams to achieve more together.   

To say Jill Rowley has vision, which, by one definition, is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom, is an understatement.First, early on her career, she saw sales as an avenue to control her own income and destiny. Second, she saw that Salesforce.com would be a great place to launch her sales career when it was just a little-known start-up. Third, she chose to join Eloqua in its infancy (Jill was employee #13) because she saw the power of marketing automation before most did. Then, she saw “social selling” as a powerful go-to-market strategy well before social selling was part of the lexicon. That’s vision.  

So, what does she see next?  Ecosystems. She sees ecosystems as the next big shift in the way SaaS companies will win, and playbooks should start to include them--immediately.  True, many companies use partnerships as part of their go-to-market strategy, but few look at prospective partnerships as part of an ecosystem to authentically delight and over deliver value for their customers.  

Patrick Lynch, a technology sales leader with experience building high-performing teams, says that we have a tendency, as an industry, to overcomplicate things. At the end of the day, it's about discipline, rigor, grit, and focus.  As a leader, do you have the team that can help you get the customers you don't have. Simply put, "hire good people and get the hell out of the way". 

This episode features Paul Fifield, CEO and Co-Founder of Sales Impact Academy. You'll hear Paul talk about his own journey and the, somewhat painful, experience he had as a revenue leader scaling two previous companies that lead to SIA. You'll also hear why most companies don't make it, and how to properly instrument an organization from the beginning which includes one key hire needed IF you want to scale.  

I spoke with the Area VP of Sales at Sky Hive, Janet Rosenthal. After taking a decade off to take care of her family, she struggled to find the perfect fit professionally until she found SkyHive where she leads a team of Enterprise Sales Reps. SkyHive’s mission of upskilling talent aligns with Janet personally. Janet also discusses what to look for in hiring the right person, being coachable, and general goal setting to be successful in sales.

In this episode I speak with the VP of Business Development at Video Elephant, K.C. McLeod. K.C. discusses Vyer Films, a company he once founded,  what encouraged him to launch it, and the go-to-market strategy used to bring it to life. At Video Elephant, he started with a small team and faced high uncertainty as he took on the 1st business development position. KC discusses learning and developing his personal leadership skills to help build the perfect team through data and research. Today’s episode was sponsored by Allego.  Allego allows you to record your best sales content for practice, collaboration, and feedback. Allego gives you a way to organize your best content into one place, making it easily accessible to help improve sales performance.