SBI, The Growth Advisory

In this episode, SBI Managing Director of Talent Development Ray Makela sits down with Mark Magnacca, President and Co-founder at Allego, to explore how organizations are transforming sales performance through digital enablement and AI-powered coaching.Mark shares how companies can move beyond static playbooks to create dynamic, rehearsal-based learning experiences that drive real behavioral change, and how AI role play technology now provides lifelike coaching feedback when it's most effective.Together, they discuss the evolution from traditional training to continuous skill development, the power of digital sales rooms in reducing buyer friction, and how AI tools can augment sales manager coaching by handling routine development while freeing managers to focus on strategic, deliberate coaching that drives lasting performance improvement.

In this episode, host Mike Hoffman sits down with Noel Goggin, multi-time CEO and AI implementation veteran, to explore how executives can navigate the stark reality of AI adoption where 70-95% of projects fail despite widespread claims of success.Noel shares hard-won insights from five years of AI initiatives, revealing why companies must shift from internal process automation to product transformation and why traditional delegation approaches doom AI projects from the start. Together, they discuss the critical need for founder mode leadership with dedicated cross-functional teams, how AI accelerates destructive political behaviors in organizations, and why the entire commercial model—from SaaS pricing to customer value delivery—requires fundamental rethinking in the AI era.

In this episode, SBI's Nick Toman sits down with Craig Riley from SBI Research and Dan Harmeson from QuadSci, to explore how SaaS companies are engineering predictable account growth through AI-powered product usage analytics. Craig and Dan share groundbreaking insights from their analysis of 160 billion data points across 9,100 accounts, revealing how companies can predict churn with 90% accuracy up to 12 months in advance and identify expansion opportunities through natural customer cohorts. Together, they discuss the alarming decline in Net Revenue Retention across the industry, the six critical customer cohorts that emerge from usage patterns, and how the SBI-QuadSci partnership within the WaveForge AI ecosystem is helping commercial teams coordinate around data-driven insights to achieve 5% boosts in NRR performance.

In this episode, Mike Hoffman sits down with Jeff Kiesel to explore how Restaurant Technologies Inc. transformed its operations and sales strategy through AI-powered optimization and strategic partnership. Jeff shares how their 8-year collaboration with SBI helped Restaurant Technologies achieve a 30% reduction in distribution costs through route optimization, maintain consistent mid-teen market share despite double-digit growth, and leverage AI for micro-segmentation that allows sales teams to start conversations at stage 2-3 rather than basic discovery. Together, they discuss the evolution from traditional "hunter" sales models to "hunter-farmer" approaches, the implementation of WaveForge platform for talent assessment, and how human intuition combined with AI intelligence drives sustainable growth in complex go-to-market environments.

In this episode, SBI Growth Advisory Managing Director of Talent Development Ray Makela sits down with Phil Putnam, a seasoned sales enablement leader with over 20 years in tech, to explore how sales organizations can master strategic negotiations without sacrificing value or margins.Phil shares how SBI's Value-Driven Negotiation program helps sellers understand that negotiation isn't just an end-stage activity, but an extension of value-based selling throughout the entire process.Together, they discuss the critical importance of preparation, understanding the "why" behind buyer positions, and how to effectively trade rather than concede when facing today's complex buying committees of 12+ stakeholders.They reveal proven techniques for equipping internal champions to co-sell effectively and maintaining contract sizes in an increasingly price-sensitive market.

In this episode, SBI Managing Director of Talent Development Ray Makela sits down with Bart Freedman, Vice President of Sales at Biamp, to explore how Biamp transformed its global sales organization through a value-driven selling program. Bart shares how partnering with SBI helped BiAmp navigate a hyper-competitive market, elevate sales conversations from technology features to business value, and embed continuous improvement across global teams. Together, they discuss the impact of customized, real-world training, SBI’s collaborative learning platform, and the leadership behaviors that turn skill-building into lasting performance change.

In this episode, Mike Hoffman sits down with Domenic Colasante, CEO of 2X Marketing, to unpack what it takes to drive growth in 2025’s uncertain market. They explore how AI is reshaping go-to-market strategy, why traditional buyer journeys no longer exist, and how leaders can blend machine intelligence with human judgment to find clarity amid the noise. Dom shares lessons from running a 1,500-person AI-first marketing firm and explains how to turn productivity gains into measurable impact.

This episode, Tony Erickson, Managing Partner of SBI Growth Advisory, sits down with Nicole Rogas, President of RevSpring, to talk about what it really takes to make an impact fast in today’s commercial leadership roles. She challenges the old idea of a six-month “listening tour” and shows how AI accelerates impact, while sharing how leaders can balance speed, accountability, and relationships in a high-pressure environment.  Key takeaways: Why leaders can’t afford six months of listening and how to make moves in the first 30 days. How AI can pinpoint GTM friction quickly, while human leadership drives the fixes. Why relationships remain the ultimate advantage, even in an AI-powered future. 

JD Miller, a trusted advisor to Chief Revenue Officers and author of The CRO’s Guide to Winning in Private Equity, shares valuable insights on navigating boardroom dynamics. He highlights the importance of preparation for tough questions and emphasizes effective communication strategies. Miller discusses the balance between transparency and strategic intent, focusing on enhancing board engagement and maintaining trust. Key takeaways include the significance of predictable interactions and mastering follow-up for sustained engagement with board members.

In this episode, Anthony Erickson, SBI Managing Partner, hosts JD Miller, author of “The CRO’s Guide to Winning in Private Equity,” to explore the critical role predictability plays in achieving consistent growth in today’s fast-moving business environment. Together, they break down the common challenges business leaders face when trying to predict outcomes and provide practical solutions for improving forecasting. Key Takeaways: • Game-changing tools and frameworks for improving forecasting reliability.• Striking the right balance between trusting the numbers and listening to your intuition.• Prioritizing predictability across all levels of an organization is key to drive alignment.