Hunters and Unicorns

Discover the secrets to hiring A-players in sales leadership! Learn why focusing on super-rep mindsets can sabotage your recruiting efforts. Dive into a structured three-stage hiring process designed to enhance candidate engagement. Uncover the critical importance of feedback loops and how to ensure candidates are ready to say yes before extending offers. Explore backchannel hiring techniques employed by top executives to identify hidden talent. This insightful conversation is a must for anyone aiming to build winning teams!

Dive into the secrets behind career advancement in tech sales. Discover the power of 'Career Champions' and how they can elevate your path. Learn why promotions often hinge not just on performance, but on visibility and alignment. Find out how to become the top choice for leadership positions with insightful strategies. Plus, unearth the essentials for breaking the glass ceiling and thriving in executive roles. It's all about mastering skills and making strategic choices!

Marina Ayton, VP UK&I at Wiz and co-author of The Female Sales Leader, shares her journey through leadership in the tech industry. She discusses navigating transitions between leadership levels and the importance of emotional intelligence in sales. Marina emphasizes the necessity of embracing humility, overcoming imposter syndrome, and making purposeful career moves. With insights on building diverse teams and strategies to empower women in sales, she offers a playbook for aspiring leaders to thrive and make a lasting impact.

In this episode of Great Leaders UK, we sit down with Alice Carlisle, VP UK&I at Wiz, to uncover how she rose from first-line leader to one of the most sought-after roles in the cybersecurity industry. From taking a struggling ZScaler team and transforming it in under three quarters, to embodying Wiz’s values of confidence and humility, Alice’s journey is proof that authenticity and unrelenting work ethic drive lasting impact. She delves into the hard lessons of leading through fear-based tactics early in her career, learning the Force Management Playbook at AppDynamics, and then applying it to close LogicMonitor’s largest deal ever. Ultimately, we focus on how Alice builds culture, leading by example, caring genuinely for people, and creating internal champions, so that teams win together, not just as individuals. Whether you’re scaling a hyper-growth sales org, building a new culture, or simply looking to be a better human in leadership, Alice’s playbook is packed with actionable insights on driving growth through customer success and winning with authenticity. 🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 – Intro 05:00 – Why Alice Was Chosen for Wiz 10:00 – Wiz Values: Humility & Authenticity 15:00 – Leadership Evolution: Leading Without Fear 20:00 – Early Work Ethic & Foundations 25:00 – Learning the Playbook at AppDynamics 30:00 – Applying Playbook at LogicMonitor 35:00 – Career Pivots & Decision to Join Zscaler 40:00 – Turning Around the Zscaler Team 45:00 – Building Culture & Final Reflections 💥 3 Biggest Lessons Authenticity Over Authority – Leading by fear alienates; leading by genuine care and humility builds lasting loyalty. Learn & Apply Fast – When you join a Playbook organization, absorb everything like a sponge and execute immediately – that’s how you prove its value. Culture Eats Strategy – Even in hyper-growth, small ritualistic acts (e.g., cleaning up after yourself) set the tone for accountability, trust, and team unity. 🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this deep episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog 💬 Notable Quotes “People see through it as much as you might think they don’t. You have to genuinely care.” “Being right is not very valuable. It’s more important to be valuable than be right.” “The most important thing for me is I genuinely give a shit about people more than anything.” #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

The Brutal Truth About Scaling Customer Success, w/ Natasha Evans   Today we’re joined by Natasha Evans, VP of Customer Growth at Hook. Natasha shares the raw reality of going from chaos to clarity while building the customer success function inside a hypergrowth rocketship. We dive deep into the strategic thinking and tough decisions that shaped her journey—from running toward the fire in Saleslofts' early days to scaling operations and rebuilding customer teams at Hook. Natasha unpacks what it really takes to align customer growth with revenue in today’s high-velocity SaaS environment. If you're navigating messy growth, operational debt, or building CS from scratch, this conversation is packed with hard-earned insights. 🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.aiSelr: https://selr.ai   🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 – Intro 03:43 – Natasha's evolving career 05:50 – Building with No Playbook 08:43 – When Your Org Chart Fails 12:41 – Driving Revenue from CS 16:00 – Rebuilding Customer Success at Hook 22:10 – Scaling Fast Without Losing Focus 27:45 – Coaching vs. Commanding 32:12 – Mistakes That Made Her Better 36:30 – What Growth Looks Like Now 💥 3 Biggest Lessons Running toward chaos is how you earn your seat. The people who grow fast are the ones who face the hardest problems first. Customer growth must be tied to revenue. Fluffy CS doesn’t survive—alignment with GTM is critical. Rebuilding is part of scaling. You often have to break what you built to keep growing the right way.🙌 Thanks for listening!This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog 💬 Notable Quotes “Run towards the fire. The hardest problems are where growth comes from.” “Customer success has to earn the right to be there. You tie it to revenue or it dies.” “Sometimes you scale by breaking everything and starting over.”

From MongoDB to Founder: How Deirdre Spillane bet on Herself Description In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Deirdre Spillane, co-founder of Selr.ai and former sales leader at MongoDB and Segment. She shares her incredible journey—from building high-performing teams in one of the most feared sales orgs in tech, to stepping into the unknown and launching her own company. We dive into the power of coaching, the danger of drowning in data, and why understanding the “why” behind people’s actions is everything. If you're in sales, leadership, or considering your next bold career move—this is your playbook. 🙌  Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 - Intro 01:54 - From Oracle to MongoDB 04:01 - Learning from Carlos Delatorre 06:58 - ICP and Hard Lessons in Fit 08:44 - Coaching Is About Trust 11:14 - How to Truly Meet People Where They Are 13:19 - Building Intentional Sales Teams 15:01 - Diversity of Thought in Sales 17:38 - Data Overload in Sales Leadership 21:19 - Tracking the Right Metrics 24:10 - Aligning Personal Why with Business Goals 27:03 - Grit, Motivation & Early Indicators of Success 30:49 - What Seller Actually Does 34:42 - Founder Life vs Sales Leader Life 36:59 - Why Coaching Is Her Life's Work --- 💥 3 Biggest Lessons 1. Trust Before Tactics: Effective coaching doesn't begin with playbooks—it starts by understanding and trusting your people. 2. Data Isn’t Insight: Sales orgs today are flooded with metrics, but the true game-changers are conversion points and coaching conversations. 3. Your 'Why' Is the Multiplier: Aligning your personal drive with business objectives creates clarity, resilience, and momentum. --- 🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! --- 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog --- 💬 Borrow these quotes from Deirdre! “Once you get this opportunity, you take it with both hands… and you leave nothing on the field.” “You’ve got to meet people where they are—that’s where the trust builds.” “We don't lack data—we lack the right coaching to make sense of it.” “Being gritty is more important than being gifted.” ---  

They Told Her Not to Work in Sales — She Proved Them ALL WRONG   Description In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Libby Derbyshire, Sales Director at ComplyAdvantage, whose transformation journey is nothing short of extraordinary. From selling boat party tickets in Ibiza to leading with data and empathy at some of the UK’s fastest-growing startups, Libby shares the pivotal moment that changed everything — and the power of combining gut instinct with hard analytics. We explore her early experiences in sales, how Jeremy Duggan and Steve McCluskey shaped her development, what it means to build inclusive teams, and how she balances motherhood with high-performance leadership. Raw, inspiring, and deeply insightful, this is a masterclass in becoming more than the sum of your parts. 🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai   🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 – Intro 00:39 – From Hard Work to Data-Driven Execution 03:01 – Learning to See the Patterns 06:03 – Becoming a Convert to the Playbook 08:17 – How Libby Leads Today 11:40 – Data vs. People: Earning Buy-In 14:38 – The ‘Cookie Cutter’ Myth 16:20 – Libby’s Unconventional Start in Sales 21:40 – Navigating Pregnancy, Leadership & Career Decisions 24:00 – Female Leadership & Real-World Challenges 27:00 – Imposter Syndrome and Identity at Work 30:00 – Balancing Motherhood and Ambition 34:00 – The Mission Behind ComplyAdvantage 38:00 – Values, Priorities & Why This Role Was the Right Move                   💥 3 Biggest Lessons1. Data doesn’t replace instinct — it amplifies it: Libby learned that great leadership isn't about abandoning your gut; it’s about backing it up with data that tells the real story. 2. Authenticity scales, imitation doesn’t: Early on, Libby tried to imitate powerful leaders, but real growth came when she embraced her own leadership voice. 3. Support isn’t just nice — it’s strategic: From Jeremy Duggan’s belief in young talent to Luke Rogers’ immediate support during Libby’s second pregnancy, backing people fully brings out their best. 🙌 Thanks for listening!This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog   💬 Borrow These Quotes From Libby!   "That was the day the lights went on for me."   "If I’m not getting value from data, why would I expect my reps to?"   "You can’t separate yourself from your values — they show up in every meeting."   "More was more. I learned that early, selling in Ibiza."   "I won’t put my family on hold anymore — I know my priorities."   Tags (SEO) Libby Derbyshire, sales leadership, ComplyAdvantage, Jeremy Duggan, female sales leaders, data-driven sales, sales playbook, Hunters and Unicorns, The Playbook Universe, sales transformation, motherhood and career, female empowerment, B2B sales podcast, sales manager advice, sales coaching, tech sales UK, revenue leadership, leadership podcast UK #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

In this new episode of Hunters & Unicorns, we sit down with Shakira Talbot, the Group Vice President at ServiceNow, for one of the most inspiring conversations we've ever had. From growing up in foster care to leading revenue responsibility for over $10B at one of the most influential enterprise software companies, Shakira’s story is a masterclass in grit, champion building, and unapologetic ambition. She shares how she developed her tenacity, why she dropped out of university, and how she found her path through selling timeshares at 14 to leading massive enterprise deals. We dive deep into her early influences, her playbook for high-performance sales leadership, and what truly drives her to never settle. This is not just about sales. It’s about identity, impact, and proving you belong—on your own terms.  Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 In this episode... 01:25 Intro and backstory 03:24 Why she never wanted to be like her boss 06:33 Getting recruited by Jeremy Duggan 11:22 Champion-building as a life skill 15:01 Her biggest deal (and what it taught her) 19:47 What makes a great sales leader 24:08 Owning your ambition unapologetically 28:34 From maternity policy to mindset shifts 31:10 Advice to her younger self   💥 3 Biggest Lessons Champion-building isn’t just for sales – It’s how you win people over in life and career, especially when you come from a non-traditional background. Authenticity scales – Shakira’s leadership works because she leads as herself, not as a copy of what leadership is “supposed” to look like. You don’t need to be perfect to be powerful – She’s made mistakes, changed direction, and still kept rising—all while carrying massive responsibilities at home and work.  Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog   💬 Notable Quotes from Shak! "I didn’t want to be a psychologist. I wanted to sell stuff." "You don’t have a deal until you have a champion who passes the test." "I am the only provider in my house. That’s the role we’ve landed on. So I have a duty of care to make it work." "I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not to make people comfortable." "Would I change things? Yeah—I would’ve done it sooner." #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

In this episode of THE PLAYBOOK UNIVERSE, we sit down with legendary CRO Dan Fougere, a pivotal force behind FOUR $1B IPOs. From engineering roots to building elite go-to-market engines, Dan unpacks the battle-tested frameworks that turned great ideas into generational companies. He shares hard-won lessons from PTC, BladeLogic, Medallia, and Datadog—including how to scale a sales org, recruit world-class talent, and align GTM with visionary founders. Whether you're a startup founder, CRO, or early-stage sales leader, this is a masterclass you don’t want to miss. Dan also reveals the make-or-break mindset shifts that helped him navigate adversity, imposter syndrome, and the constant pressure of building under extreme constraints.   This episode is packed with insights you simply won’t find in any sales playbook. 🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors! PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai Selr: https://selr.ai 🏹 Key Topics Covered 00:00 Intro 02:00 Dan’s 4 IPO Journey 06:45 Why Mentorship Mattered Most 12:00 Building Datadog’s GTM from Scratch 19:30 When Founders Should Hire a CRO 26:00 Go-to-Market Mistakes Startups Keep Making 32:00 The Wrong Way to Hire Sales Leaders 36:30 Datadog’s Hardest Challenges 42:00 Leading Through Pressure & Burnout 48:00 The Power of Having Great Mentors   💥 3 Biggest Lessons 1. Your job as CRO is to make the CEO successful. Leadership alignment and trust are the ultimate foundations for scalable growth. 2. Play the long game—optimize for learning, not short-term comp. Dan’s biggest career leaps came from choosing mentorship over money. 3. Don’t break what’s working—build what doesn’t exist. Great GTM leaders complement product momentum by filling strategic gaps, not overhauling systems. 🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!   🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns: 🌐 Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com 🐦 Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns 📸 Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns 📝 Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog   💬 Borrow These Quotes from Dan! 🗣 “My job as a CRO is to make the CEO successful. Period.” 🗣 “Great sales orgs win even with an average product. That’s the secret.” 🗣 “Don’t try to fix what’s already working—go build what doesn’t exist.” #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverse

In this episode of RAW STORIES LIVE, we sit down with Jennifer Ortegón, Enterprise Account Executive at Harness, to hear how she saved a major account on the verge of churn. With an RFP already in motion and a competitor lined up to replace them, everything was stacked against her. Jennifer had to dig deep, rebuild trust, and take a bold approach. From gathering data to relentless preparation, she and her team refused to back down, showing up day after day until they changed the game. This is a masterclass in resilience, strategic thinking, and leadership in high-stakes sales. 🏹 Key Topics Covered: 00:00 Intro 1:15 A crushing loss 4:16 The account no one wanted 8:03 The turning point 10:52 Winning back trust 12:46 The emotional moment 14:38 Lessons in resilience   💥 3 Biggest Lessons: 🔥 Data is power – Understanding real usage data gave Jennifer the leverage to turn the deal around. 🔥 Trust is earned through action – Showing up consistently and demonstrating commitment made all the difference. 🔥 Own the problem, own the solution – Jennifer refused to let go, took full ownership, and transformed a losing situation into a victory.   🙌 Thanks for listening! This episode was hosted by Simon Koutis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro. If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel! 🔗 Episode’s Links: Jennifer Ortegon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferortegon/ Harness Website: https://www.harness.com 🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns: 🌐 Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com 🐦 Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns 📸 Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns 📝 Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog   💬 Notable Quotes: "This will be different." – Brian Johnson "We just kept showing up every day until we won the deal." – Jennifer Ortegon #rawstorieslive #softwaresales #huntersandunicorns