Hunters and Unicorns

Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Playbook Universe.   We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success. We aim to uncover:    ·         How best to optimise sales within EMEA for scaling companies ·         The role of self-awareness when driving your own career trajectory ·         Why amplifying strong leadership over management is critical to success.   Today we are joined by Philip van der Wilt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EMEA, Samsara. In this episode, Philip shares his inspiring professional journey. From a sales role in the Netherlands, to phenomenal success on the international platform. He shares his insight on how the current economic climate, similar to the financial downturns in the past, will inevitably lead to future opportunities. Philip’s time at Data Domain ignited his passion for implementing European strategy to success. Whilst at CommVault, Philip further developed his leadership skills, identifying the gulf between a good leader as opposed to a good manager. Philip’s perspective on seeing challenges as opportunities to develop rather than opposed to isolated problems to solve, is incredibly thought provoking. Philip discusses his experience at ServiceNow. From understanding the importance of cross-functionality for scaling, to understanding when to expand your product portfolio. Now at Samsara, he shares with us his vision, mission and purpose. Throughout the discussion, Philip talks to us about the role of self-awareness throughout the successes and learning points which have peppered his illustrious career. Make sure you tune in!

Welcome to Dear Future CRO, bought to you by GrowthQ and Culture Crunch. We’re here to showcase leaders within the tech space and explore their guiding principles for future leaders. Today we are joined by Carolyn Henry, VP CMO of Americas Regional Marketing at Intel Corporation. We explore Carolyn’s exponential career trajectory within the tech marketing space. Although she began her professional journey with a liberal arts foundation, Carolyn made the decision after working for a VC firm to return to grad school and qualify in Technical Communications. She explains that a career in STEM can begin slightly later but can still demonstrate exponential cadence. Carolyn discusses her time with IBM where she really learnt the importance of marketers working in synergy with the selling partners. She shares her perspective on the role of empathy for marketers aiming to grow these successful partnerships and scale their careers. Now in a senior leadership position at Intel, Carolyn’s gives us invaluable insight into Intel’s formula for success regarding diverse hires and propelling forward underrepresented minorities for leadership. She also discusses her unwavering passion for marketing – specifically reaching new audiences and connecting generations. Carolyn also talks about the ‘Marketing Wheel’ – a spectrum of different disciplines, areas of focus and wide-ranging skill sets which fall under the marketing umbrella. She shares with us her perspective on the huge significance of mentoring, sponsoring and structured job rotations in contributing to positive business culture and individual career growth.

Dr. Molly Maloof, physician and best-selling author, discusses optimizing high performing individuals and teams, addressing burnout and safe work environments. She explores the impact of remote working on human connection and the balance between money and mission. Dr. Molly shares insights from her new book 'The Spark Factor'.

The team at Hunters and Unicorns is excited to announce their pop-up podcast collaboration bought to you by Culture Crunch and GrowthQ.  Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs.  “Forget the R. The revenue comes from your customers and you better focus on them or that revenue and growth will never come. I chose to be Chief Customer Officer. I never wanted a Chief Revenue Officer title because I thought it was the wrong emphasis. So, forget the R, go focus on your customers. Go make them successful. Go ensure that they trust you. Whether you're just starting out in that first quota role, think about those customers. Make sure that they are first and foremost. Customers first, company second, your unit third, you, a distant fourth.”  Today we are joined by Gerri Elliott, Tech & GTM Senior Advisor for BCG and former Chief Customer and Partner Officer at Cisco, to talk about her incredible career trajectory. We look back on Gerri’s 42 years in the technology industry and how the diverse chapters of her global experience paved the way for life-changing opportunities, shaped her as a leader and led her to her current role.   Listen to discover how to rethink and revitalize your approach mentorship and sponsorship opportunities to scale your career as a future leader as well as Gerri’s strategies on how to actively increase the level of diversity, inclusivity, and collaboration in your workplace to give your company the edge it needs to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.   

The team at Hunters and Unicorns is excited to announce their pop-up podcast collaboration bought to you by Culture Crunch and GrowthQ. Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs. “Dear Future CRO, first, take bold risks on yourself and others. Second, be careful whose toes you step on today, they may be attached to the person you end up having to kiss tomorrow. Third, take each opportunity to learn, not only about the technical stuff but about the individuals and people you're working with because ultimately, we're in this game to be with other people, not to be with products or profit.” Today we are joined by Elaine Mason, Senior Vice President of Purpose Strategy and Innovation at Cisco, to talk about her incredible career journey and how the chapters of her diverse experience and background in organisational development and change management have led her to her current role powering an inclusive culture at Cisco. Listen to discover which aspects of Elaine’s journey provided the foundations for her upward career trajectory as well as vital strategies for progression in sales leadership roles as she speaks from her own experience on the benefits of creating a strong culture of sponsorship, mentorship, coaching and peer-to-peer connections within SaaS organizations.

Hunters and Unicorns Productions Dear Future CRO - A Culture Crunch and GrowthQ collaboration Join the GrowthQ Community: www.growthq.co The team at Hunters and Unicorns is excited to announce their pop-up podcast collaboration bought to you by Culture Crunch and GrowthQ. Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs. “Dream big. Take risks. And most importantly, be authentic to yourself.” Today we are joined by, Debbie McClure, Vice President of Sales at Americas at Dropbox to discuss her incredible 30-year career trajectory from Sales Executive to Sales Leader. Listen to this episode to discover Debbie’s experiences and personal journey through the ranks as she enlightens us with strategies for establishing a strong and sustainable career in sales and offers her advice on mentorship, sponsorship, skill translation, and the importance of diversity of perspective in today’s sales environment. Sharing both her triumphs and mistakes with our audience today, Debbie pays forward the mentorship she has received in her own career to support the next generation of revenue leaders.

Welcome to Hunters and Unicorns: The Playbook Universe. We’re here to showcase leaders within the Playbook Community and explore their formulas for success. We aim to uncover: · What their non-negotiables were in propelling forward their career · The importance of dynamic hiring · The most effective methodologies utilised when scaling successful teams Today we are joined by Marina Ayton, Regional Director for the Majors UK + Ireland for Zscaler. In this episode, we explore Marina’s formula for success both as an IC and as a leader. The last eight years have seen Marina surpassing 200% of her target consistently year or year and inspiring her teams to all hit the President’s club criteria. Marina shares the importance of thinking BIG for her own ambitions and to that of her teams, and why challenging the status quo is imperative when driving your own career within the software sales space at any level. Whilst serving as a Regional Manager for AppDynamics during Cisco’s acquisition, Marina shares her professional experience and the importance of adaptability and agility. Now at Zscaler, she discusses how hiring diverse teams, focussing on tenacity and revisiting the company vision with the team contributes to her success in building world class sales forces. Marina’s ability to articulate the importance of creating the right work environment where teammates feel safe to fail, illustrates why she and her team will keep on succeeding. This podcast uncovers how best to utilise the formidable playbook community network.

The team at Hunters and Unicorns is excited to announce their pop-up podcast collaboration bought to you by Culture Crunch and GrowthQ.  Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs.  “Dear future CRO, your job is to create and lead cross-functional teams focused on revenue generation and that is a role that will always be evolving. And because of the rapidity of that evolution, more than any other leader, I would encourage you to invest in yourself and your teams by bolstering transferrable skills, which measurably bolster culture and strengthen financial performance because these skills encourage people to be better performers, hands down and predictably.”  Today we are joined by Kat Salazar, CEO & Founder at weThink, to talk about her incredible career journey and how her unique life experiences led her to identify a huge problem with traditional approaches to education and inspired her to start weThink, an intelligence software platform built to help people and organizations thrive in team-based environments.  Listen to discover how transferable skills directly impact the bottom line of every company and learn strategies for identifying the skills that optimize the way people learn and perform in teams. With advice to present and future revenue leaders on how to recognise and engage with soft skills to create better career progression and placement for employees, Kat shares her unique tactics for galvanising office culture, increasing employee performance and propelling sales teams forward.   

Hunters and Unicorns Productions Dear Future CRO - A Culture Crunch and GrowthQ collaboration Join the GrowthQ Community: www.growthq.co The team at Hunters and Unicorns is excited to announce their pop-up podcast collaboration bought to you by Culture Crunch and GrowthQ. Titled ‘Dear Future CRO’, we talk to dynamic and diverse sales leaders and listen to their advice for tomorrow’s CROs. “Remember that you're a CRO because you were a great sales leader and being a great sales leader is the first priority of the CRO. Don't forget the things about sales leadership that are important - building high performance teams, giving great sales coaching to the sales leaders, and talking to the customers of your organization. You are the top salesperson in the organization with access to every customer and every top salesperson so take advantage and understand what's working in your organization and what's not.” Today we are joined by Larry Satterfield, retired Sales Leader at Jazz Networks, to talk about his professional career from learning the sales playbook back in the eighties, to becoming the Sales VP for companies like Dell, Tanberg, and Cisco. Leading with the philosophy of “lift as you climb”, Larry has solidified the science behind sales growth and competitiveness and is currently coaching CEOs and CROs across the industry, consistently creating opportunities and sponsors for the next generation of future revenue leaders to shine. Join in to listen to Larry’s expert opinion on how to transition from sales to leadership as well the value of mentorship and sponsorship, and what it can do for your company. Sharing his strategies for increasing diversity and minimising unconscious bias in the hiring process, Larry talks about his personal journey from the bottom to the top and offers valuable advice to young professionals looking to get into leadership positions.

In this episode, Paula Hansen, President and Chief Revenue Officer at Alteryx, shares strategies for establishing a successful career in sales. She discusses the importance of mentorship, removing unconscious bias in the hiring process, and building quality teams.