Revenue Builders

Sarah de Lagarde is a living miracle. Her story is one of resilience and is filled with lessons for all of us. Sarah is currently the Global Head of Communications at Janus Henderson in London, but last September her life changed forever when she was involved in a horrific accident that claimed her arm and leg. Somehow, throughout an ordeal that could have been fatal many times over, Sarah remained calm and refused to give up.In this episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk with Sarah about her journey, adjusting to a new reality, and the power of gratitude. They explore how her background in crisis communication helped her on the tracks that night, and Sarah shares some expertise for founders and leaders on how to handle internal and external communications for their teams, particularly in times of crisis.  Here are some key sections to check out: 03:15 Sarah’s miracle story06:09 Gratitude above all emotions after the accident10:42 Pushing through the pain of an accident16:38 Journey to recovery and raising money21:38 Sarah’s background in crisis communication32:26 Advice for companies that don’t have a corporate communications team38:35 Resilience and living in the moment44:06 The psychological immune system and living in the present Additional Resources:Support Sarah’s GoFundMe campaign for a bionic arm: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-sarah-get-a-bionic-armConnect with Sarah de Lagarde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-delagarde-comms/Visit the Janus Henderson Group website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/janus-henderson-group-plc/ QUOTESSarah - choosing gratitude every day: “It's a very conscious decision that I make every day when I wake up. When something like this happens, there's a whole range of emotions that you feel every day, and one overwhelming emotion is that of gratitude, and that is because I could have died so many times that night, and yet I didn't, I clung on to dear life, I made it. And now, everything I see is 10 times more beautiful than before, because I'm here, because I could have not seen it.”Sarah - Take time, no shortcuts: “If you want to do this, right, you have to take your time, there are no shortcuts, you have to just go and accept it.” Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

What’s the ultimate factor to success? A competitive and committed mindset, according to today’s guest JR Butler. A lifelong athlete, he saw the opportunity for sales teams to recruit from groups with a next-level work ethic and passion for growth: athletes and veterans. Drawing on his own experience of transitioning to the sales world, JR founded Shift Group, a company that develops these specially qualified groups into elite sales professionals. Today he joins John McMahon and John Kaplan to discuss how leaders can build a success-driven culture, develop A-Players, and make great hires in today’s challenging market. Dig in to great insights for building an all-star team on this episode of Revenue Builders. Here are some key sections to check out: 03:48 The impetus for starting Shift Group07:40 Learnings from being coached by his father19:15 The pros and cons of hiring athletes in sales24:52 The mindset of an athlete who wants to be great30:07 The importance of having a culture of success34:21 Why would somebody want to work for this company?38:54 Practice starts from the top down42:44 What is a sales boot camp?52:30 Rapid fire questions and answersAdditional Resources:Support the Line In the Sky Foundation: https://www.lineintheskyfoundation.org/Watch “The Russian Five” hockey documentary: https://therussianfive.com/Connect with JR Butler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrbutler/Visit the Shift Group website: https://www.shiftgroup.io/QUOTESJR - Learnings from his dad: “My dad has a saying, he says plant tomatoes, get tomatoes, and what he means by that is sports, hockey specifically, is a meritocracy. Like nobody really cares what your parents accomplished, what you did, where you're from. It's like, how hard are you willing to work to get better every single day? And that's what you're gonna get rewarded for.”JR - Being a great teammate: “When I think back to every team I've ever played for that was great, everybody in that locker room played for each other. And that was it, like a full stop. It was like the old Patriot saying, you did your job because you knew the guy next to you was going to do their job.”Tony - Leaders walk the talk: “What I see is great leadership is like, you're not just telling people what to do, you're showing them what to do, and you're not afraid to do what you're asking your team to do.” Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

One of our MOST requested guests is back for Part 2! Tony Parinello is the bestselling author of Selling to VITO - the Very Important Top Officer. A sales veteran, Tony knows how C-suite leaders think, what they look for in a sales conversation, and what it takes to get them on your side in a deal. Today, Tony is diving even deeper into this critical topic for sales success in 2023, when multiple C-suite leaders are getting more involved in every deal. John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Tony about VITO priorities and how to win consistently with this stakeholder group in a game-changing episode for both sellers and leaders. Dig in and get in the mindset of how your team should be approaching these high-stakes conversations.  Here are some key sections to check out: 5:00 What’s on VITO’s To-Do List6:50 How to make sure you’re targeting the right VITOs10:00 what a company owes its sellers12:20 Speaking the language of VITO25:40 The three outcomes to strategize around when you try to reach VITO33:25 The right questions to ask VITO34:50 Voicemail best practices44:52 Active listening54:00 The problem with premature questions55:20 VITO Call Objectives1:05:40 How many slides do you need for a VITO presentation? Additional Resources:Listen to the Part 1 episode with Tony: https://forc.mx/3SxR5puTony Parinello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sellingtovito/Selling to VITO on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Selling-VITO-Very-Important-Officer/dp/1580622240Register for the Selling to the C-Suite Webinar Series: https://forc.mx/3xZdFO9 HIGHLIGHTSVITO parameters in the sales processAccountability and OwnershipThe importance of speaking the language of the processThe importance of opening statementsThe 3 best outcomes of contacting VITOThe power of VITO’s voicemailThe right questions to askCall objectives for your first call QUOTESTony - Forget the word “I”: “Forget the word ‘I’. The up word ‘I’ should be totally out of your vocabulary like, I wanted to know where, I was wondering if or, I had an idea. These executives, these VITOs don't care about us until they understand what we could do for them, and so take the word ‘I’ out of your vocabulary, just replace it with the word we or our.”Tony - The importance of having a process: “Every successful VITO has a process in place for doing everything they want to measure and achieve. Processes are critically important for us to show VITO that whether we're leaving voicemail messages or we're sending them correspondence, we need to follow an identifiable process. So VITO sees what we're doing and can identify with it. So this is why examining our sales process and examining our prospecting process is so critically important.” Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

An inspiring story of love, perseverance and the power of football - Bob Kessler is in awe of where his family was and where they are now. His son Tyler is a walking medical miracle. Tyler suffered from kidney failure when he was just four years old and received a transplant from his grandmother. But, in 2000 he was diagnosed with cancer and his body rejecting the kidney. Suffering from Post Transplant Lymphatic Disorder, he was the only child in the U.S who was undergoing chemo and dialysis at the same time.But Bob didn't want Tyler's childhood memories to only be hospitals and doctors. That's why he set a goal to visit every NFL stadium in the country. Starting the year Tyler was diagnosed, they traveled the country meeting player after player and coach after coach. Their story is not only a football fan's dream, but a lesson to us all to never let our struggle define our story.Additional Resources:Get Involved or Donate to the Make-A-Wish foundation to help change kids’ lives: https://wish.org/Read about Tyler’s story in Sports Illustrated: https://vault.si.com/vault/2005/01/31/the-best-medicineSupport the National Kidney Foundation: https://www.kidney.org/donationListen to More Revenue Builders: https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders-podcastHIGHLIGHTSIntroducing Bob KesslerTyler’s background and storyStaying positive through the tough timesMaking tough decisions with your destination in mindVisiting stadiums with TylerThe value of being made to feel like you belongStories from inside the NFL locker rooms and busesFocusing on what you can do, not what you can'tAdvice for people facing challengesCommunity is more important than you realizeQUOTESBob - Remaining positive: “I will tell you, my wife and I, we agreed at a very early part of this journey that there's no complaining, there is no asking why? Because there's no answer there. All we know is what we can do.”Bob - Building community: “At first, you may be like, Hey, I don't need that. That's what we said, but give it a shot, and try to network and learn from others. You know, we learned a lot from families who have gone through, you know, you meet families in the hospital, who are going through similar challenges, some worse, and we've learned a lot by observing and talking to folks and sharing our story, and, what's the best way to work through all these challenges.”

The most impactful leaders turn challenges into growth opportunities. In this episode, our hosts welcome Dr. Tommy Watson, Ed. D., ACC, one of America's leading experts on turning transitions into triumphs, to their podcast. Dr. Watson has authored two books and is considered an authority on resilience, change, motivation, and leadership. Dr. Tommy explains his definition of resilience as the ability to bounce back from adversity. He believes that no matter what area of life someone comes from or what they do, they will always face challenges and must be able to bounce back in order to be successful. Learn more about Dr. Tommy’s philosophies for life and leadership in this latest episode of Revenue Builders.Additional Resources:Support skill and character building for NC youth: https://www.shieldmentor.org/Read Dr. Tomy’s motivational guide - The Resilience of Champions: Secret Habits of Highly Resilient Individuals and Organizationshttps://www.amazon.com/Resilience-Champions-Resilient-Individuals-Organizations/dp/1491733543Read Dr. Tommy’s memoir - A Face of Courage: The Tommy Watson Storyhttps://www.amazon.com/Face-Courage-Watson-Story-How-survive/dp/0595530567Connect with Dr. Tommy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tawatsonspeaking/Listen to More Revenue Builders: https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders-podcast HIGHLIGHTSDr. Tommy’s definition of resilienceHow sports gave him a dreamBeing a statistical miracle of human resilienceHow to focus on the positiveTuning in to your ‘yes’ voice and tuning out your ‘no’ voiceThe three V’s of motivationNever forget your ‘why’Finding the one thing that is going rightThe resilience of champions and thriving in uncertaintyThe growth comes from the valley, not the mountains.Defining your vision of excellenceSuccess and failure are a cycle, not opposite outcomesRituals of your culture QUOTESDr. Tommy - Definition of resilience: “Resilience, John, and John, is really about just bouncing back from adversity because no matter what area of life you come from, or what you do, we're always going to face some challenges when it comes to life, life is gonna throw things at us, and we got to be able to bounce back. But I think oftentimes people look at resiliency as simply surviving, that's an aspect of it. But resiliency is really about bouncing back and thriving.”Dr. Tommy - Focus on the positive: “Sometimes in the midst of a lot of chaos, you have to hone in on the one thing that's going right, find one thing that's going right and hold on to it.” Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

As sales leaders, our success isn’t defined solely by revenue. Today’s guest Zack Rosenburg is the co-founder of SBP, an organization that supports communities affected by natural disasters. Originally founded as a disaster relief volunteer group in 2006, SBP has evolved to now include government advisory, loan funding programs, and disaster risk education and prevention into their activities. A former defense attorney, Zack has built a career on serving others. His story is inspiring as is his approach to his non-profit. Zack and SBP adopted a unique approach to non-profit growth that focuses on efficiency and the customer experience. He discusses his dedication to continuous improvement and a people-first culture. Listen to the full conversation with John McMahon and John Kaplan to learn about maximizing your impact. Additional Resources:Learn more about SBP and support their mission to end suffering from natural disasters: https://www.sbpusa.org/Connect with Zack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zackrosenburg/Listen to More Revenue Builders: https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders-podcast HIGHLIGHTSZack’s history in lawThe class implications of natural disastersThe “Mom” RuleTalk about problems, not just wins.Are you ahead or behind?If you do it well, share it.The power of knowledge investmentsStrive to put yourself out of businessCreating a safe cultureDon’t get too far ahead or too far behindThe best ideas come from the shop floorConstructive DiscontentYou have to be hearableWithout struggle, there is no progressSteering through turbulenceThe magic of aligning on valuesQUOTESZack - Inspiration from Toyota’s Yokoten Notion: “If a for-profit global company can take their resources to drive efficiency with others, we can do the same thing. And that's what started our share intervention when we began, not just investing money, but time resources in the Toyota Production System.”Zack - Think about what the customer wants: “We realized that just being reactive wasn't enough. Just building houses wasn't enough. They talked about upstream solutions, and the best upstream, and they talked about what would the customer want? Think about does the customer want us to rebuild their house? Or would they want to never need our help in the first place?” Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

What characteristics make a successful entrepreneur? Jim Baum has over 25 years of tech industry experience as an entrepreneur and board leader. According to Jim, it takes “the smarts, the drive, and just enough of the craziness to make it happen.” As a seasoned president, CEO, and advisor of high-growth, venture-backed B2B software environments, he shares his insights on the limits of technology, the importance of customer-defined value, and how entrepreneurial values are critical to the success of all sales individuals and leaders. Dig in to strategies for personal and organizational growth in this conversation with John McMahon and John Kaplan on Revenue Builders.Additional Resources:Support Angel Flight in providing transportation to lifesaving medical care: https://www.angelflightne.org/Connect with Jim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbaum/Listen to More Revenue Builders: https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders-podcastHIGHLIGHTSHow Jim’s technical background helped him in his careerAdvice for technical people looking to become revenue buildersAdmitting and owning mistakesIteration is keyThe dynamic subordination of leadership and decision makingKey traits of successful entrepreneursEntrepreneurship as a mindset for all sales leadersHow contagious passion shapes enterprise teamsDifferences between being an entrepreneur and being a corporate executiveThe importance of having an outside-in vs inside-out mentalityQUOTESJim - Get to know the customer: “Not to downplay the importance of technology, and the quality of the technology and the architecture and the systems that are used, and the way they're deployed, and the way they scale and all of those things. But on top of all that, there's an end user, there's a person, there's a human or a system that needs to somehow derive value from what this technology is doing. And so I really think the advice is, get to know the customer get to know the use case, get to know, in deeply understand the value.”Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

Work/life balance is often something we strive for, but have difficulty achieving. This week’s guest Marcy Stoudt, CEO and co-founder of Revel Coach, helps leaders avoid burnout and become their best selves. Marcy offers advice for all leaders to avoid burnout and achieve work-life balance without sacrificing success in either area. She also discusses how diversity and new generations are changing the corporate landscape, diving into how both women and their teams can ensure success throughout and after the maternity leave process. Tune in for actionable items on leading, and rising the ranks within, a modern sales workforce in this latest episode of Revenue Builders. Additional Resources:Shop Unique Products that Support Rehabilitation of Human Trafficking Survivors at Rethreaded: https://rethreaded.com/Visit Revel Coach’s Website: https://www.revelcoach.com/Connect with Marcy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcy-stoudt-59469a2/Listen to More Revenue Builders: https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders-podcast HIGHLIGHTSWhat is Revel Coach and why does it exist?Exploring Challenges Faced by Working MomsBalancing Work, Home, and SelfEgo, Affirmation, and BurnoutLiving above the line vs. living below the lineAddressing Work AddictionsGenerational Judgment vs. Growth MindsetCross-Generational Leadership and Cultural ConfusionExecutive Burnout and MicromanagementWomen in Sales, Abundance Mindset, and Modern Maternity ProgramsIdentifying who you are today and what serves you nowThe importance of understanding the other person’s perspectiveLiving Life with No Regrets QUOTESMarcy - What Revel Coach is all about: "Specifically, we serve that time-starved working mom whose vision of success includes a very successful career, but without the sacrifice of personal wellness or quality time at home."Marcy - Leading beyond generational judgment: “The best leaders see the strength and people's unique style, and basically you want to flourish that mute, get that person to flourish…” Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A GREAT LEADER?John McMahon and John Kaplan welcome Dali Rajic, Chief Operating Officer at Zscaler, as he discusses his career in sales leadership, starting as a first-line manager and eventually becoming a Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). He gives advice for fron-tline managers, those coaching front-line managers, and those wishing to take their career to the next level. Dali discusses the difference between working hard and working efficiently, the anatomy of a great team culture, and explains an approach to results-based enablement. Learn more about Dali’s work and achievements in this latest episode of Revenue Builders. Additional Resources:Support At-Risk Youth with National Runaway Safeline: https://www.1800runaway.org/Visit Zscaler’s Website: https://www.zscaler.com/Connect with Dali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dali-rajic-295912/Listen to More Revenue Builders: https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders-podcast HIGHLIGHTSThe Revenue Builders Podcast: A Conversation with Dali RajicThe Different Types of Leaders and What They Need to LearnThe Benefits of Being Vulnerable in the WorkplaceThe Second Line Manager's Role in SalesThe Differentiation Between First and Second Line ManagersThe Impact of Moving from Second Line to Third LineThe Importance of Keeping a Pulse on the BusinessThe Importance of Thinking Like an Executive in a Complex OrganizationThe Importance of a Strong Revenue Operations FunctionThe Importance of Being Selective with PromotionsThe Importance of Trust and Community in BusinessThe Impact of Sales on Organizational Culture and DevelopmentDali Rajic on the Importance of Training and DevelopmentThe Importance of Enablement in Career SuccessThe Power of Enablement and Rev-Ups in BusinessThe Importance of Enablement in BusinessLeadership Enablement: The Key to Inspiring ComplianceThe Importance of Marginal Gains and Training Sales LeadersLeadership Development in a Remote WorldThe Impact of Leaders on Sales PerformanceThe Three R's of Successful Sales: Recruitment, Readiness, and ResultsThe Importance of Coachability and Being a Team Player in a High-Growth CompanyThe Top Three Takeaways from Dali Rajic's Interview on Sales EnablementThe Importance of Leadership in Business QUOTESDali - A leader doesn’t have all the answers: "Actually it's okay to be vulnerable because you think you got promoted, and you got to know everything except you don't know everything. All this talent on your team, and if you create a culture of mutual learning from one another, then it becomes really an approach of exchanging ideas, weighing them, trying to figure out what the best one is forward, you become a sounding board, you learn, evolve your thinking, now you can add more value."Dali - Celebrate every small win: “Everybody waits for like this big miracle to happen this big enlightenment this moment, and what you miss out is, if you're just waiting for the big moments, you miss all the little moments. And what we brought in is a concept of marginal gains, where we celebrated every small win.” Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064

John McMahon and John Kaplan welcome Dave Tiley in this latest episode of Revenue Builders. In this conversation, Dave shares his journey of being a serial entrepreneur, growing and selling multiple successful startups, and how it led him to become a private equity investor. He discusses his experiences running and growing businesses and developing his “good to great” approach along the way. With this approach, Dave and his firm Align Capital Partners get radically honest about what’s working in their companies and what is not benefitting the end goal. Applying this philosophy to culture, accounting, sales and talent is what enables them to help the companies they work with graduate from just good to truly great. Additional Resources:Support Restore Addiction Recovery in fighting the opioid crisis: https://restoreaddictionrecovery.com/Visit Align Capital Partners Website: https://aligncp.com/Connect with Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davetiley/Listen to More Revenue Builders: https://www.forcemanagement.com/revenue-builders-podcast HIGHLIGHTSDifferences Between Venture Capital and Private EquityInvesting in the Middle MarketVC Funding for StartupsThe Future of Venture-Backed CompaniesThe Importance of Both Revenue and Earnings Growth in Private EquityThe Different Types of Private Equity InvestmentsThe Importance of Company Culture in AcquisitionsThe Importance and The Benefits of a Good Leadership TeamInnovation and Culture are Key for Successful CompaniesThe Importance of Company Culture in Hiring New EmployeesThe Importance of a Good Sales ProcessThe Differentiator Between Good and Great SalespeopleThe Benefits of Good to Great for Small BusinessesThe Importance of a Company's Mission StatementTaking Risks and Betting on Yourself QUOTESDave - Keep your mind open to new opportunities: "What I would encourage people is financially, they get rewarded no matter what, and it's usually a pretty life-changing event, and that's why we really focus on the journey, not the exit. It's that journey, because they just, they quiver just got richer and bigger, because they've done now a private equity exit, and that just makes them more right open and the door opens for other opportunities." Dave - You can learn in every situation: "I just want to tell people, man bloom where you're planted. Everyone was trying to think, Well, I gotta get to the next three jobs, or I gotta get over here. I gotta get over here. And they're missing the blessing of what this job can give you. Because I think you can learn something in every situation." Check out John McMahon’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064