Taking the Lead

An angel investor is an individual who provides capital — mainly for a business — usually in exchange for convertible debt or ownership equity. Angel investors typically support startups in the beginning, when most investors are not prepared to back them. And if you pick the right investments, you'll get a high reward.But angel investing can be risky since the investment or the business is unproven. While making money is possible, many angel investors lose their entire investment.Amber Illig successfully went from angel investor to the role of founding general partner at The Council Fund, an emerging venture firm that invests in technology companies that are transforming traditional industries in Logistics, FinTech, Digital Health, and the Future of Work. She has a handful of successful investments behind her.In this episode of Taking the Lead, Amber gets into angel investing and venture funding. Amber and our host Christina Brady discuss different ways to invest as an angel investor, how to pick winners, and the impact of COVID on the VC industry.

Onboarding is the process of integrating new hires into the organization, and it helps them adjust to the social and performance aspects of their jobs so they can quickly become productive, contributing members of the organization.But not all companies have onboarding programs that prepare a new hire for success. As a result, many new employees are not ready for work and do not do well.In this episode of Taking the Lead, our host Christina Brady welcomes Carly Lehner, the senior director of RevOps & Enablement at Andela. The two get into the importance of the connection between sales enablement and RevOps and the importance of good onboarding programs. Carly and Christina also discuss RevOps, Andela, and Andela’s onboarding programs and the departments involved in them.

A common misconception regarding sales teams is that they ignore rejections and try to sell at any cost. But, modern-day and high-quality sales departments don't fear rejection. Instead of trying to sell, they focus on understanding the client's needs and challenges and demonstrate that they are trustworthy partners.If you aspire to have such a sales team, you need a leader who understands that employees need to pause and take a breath to perform well and deliver the desired results. You also want your employees to be courageous. In this episode of Taking the Lead, our host Christina Brady welcomes Kim Mirazimi, Senior VP, Commercial Sector at 3Pillar Global. Kim and Christina discuss courage in the workplace. Kim explains that being courageous means being intentional, well-prepared, and curious. She also reminds us that we are humans and encourages everyone, especially those in sales, to not be afraid of asking questions and admit that they are wrong. It is the only path, Kim says, to professional growth. 

There are many processes and structures in a business, and they're the backbone that holds the organization together.But alignment is the secret sauce of success, so you need to ensure that everyone is aligned with the north star of your business.In this episode of the Taking the Lead podcast, our host Christina Brady welcomes Renee Psenka, Head of Revenue Operations at RudderStack. They chat about the key qualities of good leaders, why there's no such thing as bad ambition, and how to align your teams.

Even though there are more women in leadership positions or starting their own entrepreneurial journeys, the fact remains that the fight for gender equality is still going on. Further, recent US events like the overturning of Roe v. Wade highlight how much more progress still needs to be made. Therefore, it's up to all of us to empower women to raise their voices and join forces for a better and more equitable world. In this episode of Taking the Lead, our host Christina Brady welcomes Amy Volas. Amy is the founder and CEO of Avenue Talent Partners. The two discuss the position of women in today's business world. Amy shares her career path and why she prefers being an individual contributor rather than a leader. They also touch on the idea of success in the public and private sphere and conclude that standing up for what you believe is right creates better opportunities for everyone. 

Startups are built for fast and consistent growth, and everything you do must be planned.But sometimes, it's hard to adapt to the changes that happen pretty quickly in a startup. For example, it happens that you need to hire 50 people at once and adding so many people to your team can lead to chaos.Kristen Habacht, President and COO of Shogun, points out that sometimes it just looks like you need more people; so, she advises a detailed analysis to ensure that you have a solid foundation for acceleration.In this episode of Taking the Lead, Kristen describes her journey from an office manager to becoming a female president and COO of a tech company. Kristen and our host Christina Brady get into constant changes in startups and how to adapt to them, employment in a fast-growing startup, and the relationship between PLG and sales. They also discuss how to properly incentivize a new business rep and the importance of looking at your mix of the comp to base.

Enablement-related roles are growing in popularity, and people are increasingly becoming interested in the field. But, not many know what this role involves and the requirements you must meet to land it.Therefore, it is critical to familiarize yourself with those who have already paved the way to becoming enablement professionals by helping others reach their career goals.Lauren Goldfinger, a shared services enablement manager at Salesloft, joins host Christina Brady in this episode of Taking the Lead. The two discuss what the enablement role involves, how companies and especially leaders should approach employee training, and how to go from a good to an excellent manager by acquiring proper coaching skills. ''One of the most important pieces of a leader's job is coaching. It is also often the first thing they don't do [because] of time and priority and commitments and resources. But it is critical. And there is so much data that supports how well teams perform, how much better teams and individuals perform when they are being coached,'' concludes Lauren. 

Being a salesperson is an emotional rollercoaster. And when things don't go your way, or you struggle to make a sale, you will be tempted to ponder on whether you're really cut out for a career in sales.However,  once you master these crucial sales skills, you will be unstoppable.In this episode of the Taking the Lead podcast, host Christina Brady welcomes Jennifer Ives, a founder, advisor, and board member. They chat about the most critical tips for making it in sales and how to embrace your curiosity and build professional resilience.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the world had to adapt to a new way of life and work. Remote work has become commonplace, and both companies and employees are facing many new challenges. Mutual trust has become very important, and companies have been looking for ways to drive the engagement of their employees.Even before the pandemic, so many organizations struggled to hire someone for entry-level positions. But a lot of companies don't accept retail experience as one of the entry points, even though retail could be great preparation for a job in sales. In the new episode of Taking the Lead, Christina Brady welcomes Gianna Scorsone, the Head of North America at Aircall. Christina and Gianna get into why retail is a good starting point for a sales job and discuss the importance of creating more empathy in the workplace. 

One of society’s most complex problems is mass incarceration. And contrary to popular belief, incarcerated people can also be talented, motivated, and capable individuals who are ready for the opportunity for a thriving career — in technology, for example. They need support, inclusion, and a second chance.But many tech companies don’t hire folks with prison backgrounds, and as a result, they often miss out on really good candidates.In the new episode of Taking the Lead, Christina Brady welcomes Kate Leidy, the CEO of Strively. Christina and Kate talk about reducing prison recidivism, the similarity between tech salespeople and those in the prison system, and also the importance of making space for the previously incarcerated because they can be an incredible asset to the tech industry.