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 d...
Mar 09, 2023•56 min
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 ...
Mar 02, 2023•1 hr 18 min
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 ...
Feb 23, 2023•1 hr 1 min
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 o...
Feb 16, 2023•1 hr 12 min
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 ...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 5 min
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 succes...
Feb 02, 2023•1 hr 1 min
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...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 6 min
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 ...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 2 min
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...
Jan 12, 2023•1 hr 2 min
John McMahon and John Kaplan welcome Mike Hayes in this latest episode of Revenue Builders. In this conversation, Mike shares some of the lessons he learned as a Navy SEAL and how they have helped him in his current role as the Chief Operating Officer at VMware. He conveys the importance of collective accountability, humility, and purpose in leading any successful team. Mike’s book about his SEAL experiences, “Never Enough”, donates proceeds to his charity the 1162 Foundation, which helps famili...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Today we are joined by Managing Director from Foster Beck Associates, Bill Cea, to discuss hiring for sales organizations of every size, from seed stage to market. Bill gives insights on making great long-term hires by sharing startup hiring strategies according to three stages. In the first stage of growth, companies should focus on hiring people who fit the product and market. In the second stage, companies should focus on hiring people who can help them scale. In the third stage, companies sh...
Dec 29, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Michael Cremen is the Chief Sales Officer at Elastic and has nearly 20 years of experience in executive roles at firms like Hitachi, IBM, and Veritas. Through his robust experience as a sales decision maker, he knows a thing or two about the decision making process for a purchase. He discusses with John Kaplan and John McMahon what he calls the “CFO factor” - the need for sales teams to consider executive financial decision-maker involvement in the sales process, particularly now in a price-cons...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 7 min
In this episode of Revenue Builders, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon talk with Bob Brennan. Bob has worked in multiple VP and CEO positions throughout his career and is currently a board chairman for Fairwinds, BitSight, and Thoughtworks. They discuss the metaphorical ‘athleticism’ required to be a successful leader of a high-growth sales organization, gained through self-improvement and practice. Bob’s advice for sales leaders is to own your mistakes, never assume you’re the expert, and ...
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 3 min
In today’s episode, John McMahon and John Kaplan chat with COO of Tenable and veteran sales leader Mark Thurmond. Mark shares his experience with both the personal and professional actions that lead to success, and what he looks for when hiring to build a powerhouse team. He imparts valuable advice for both sellers and leaders on patience, persistence, and humility. His #1 piece of advice? Keep it simple - in sales, in leadership, and in strategy. Hear Mark explain why the basics, done well, can...
Dec 08, 2022•1 hr 5 min
On this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan welcome Izhar Armony, a venture capitalist who has been featured on the Forbes Midas list of top tech investors. After 7 years running marketing and raising money at a startup, he crossed the aisle to become the investor he once pitched to. He has now been a seed investor in over 40 startups, including six ‘unicorn’ startups and four multi-billion dollar IPOs. He shares his history in the Israeli army, his pa...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 10 min
In this inspiring episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to the Founder of Samaritan's Feet International, Manny Ohonme. Manny regales us with his life story of hope, faith, and selfless leadership that all started with a pair of shoes. Once a poor kid selling water and soda in Lagos, Nigeria, Manny worked hard to earn a basketball scholarship that became his ticket to the US. There, he devoted himself to his studies and eventually led a successful c...
Nov 24, 2022•1 hr 17 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Navy SEAL combat veteran- and author of “Embrace The Suck,” Brent Gleeson. Brent talks about his journey from the finance world to the military, the traits that make a successful Navy SEAL, and how the mindsets he learned in training benefited him in his post-service business career. Brent’s formula for effective leadership includes resilience, decentralized command, and constant improvement. His mant...
Nov 17, 2022•1 hr 24 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to five-time (2 as player and 3 as coach) Super Bowl Champion Thomas “Pepper” Johnson. Pepper shares the good and the bad of the many leadership styles he encountered while playing and coaching alongside some of football’s greatest legends in the NFL. He stresses that talent does not equal success - focus, hard work, and a team-player attitude ultimately determine your fate. Pepper’s advice for leaders: ...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 32 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Chris Reisig, Operating Partner for Jungle Ventures and 5-time CRO. Chris shares insights and wisdom he’s gained through his experience leading the scaling of multiple early-stage companies. From defining the ideal customer to hiring leaders and market expansion, Chris has done and seen it all. Leaders of all levels will appreciate this valuable advice on culture, talent, international sales, and prod...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 11 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to professional golfer Dennis Walters. In 1974, Dennis was paralyzed from the waist down in an accident, an injury that could have put an end to his golfing career. But rather than give up on his dreams, he chose to ‘get a new dream.’ Through perseverance and innovation, Dennis developed an adaptive way of putting, going on to win prestigious accolades such as the Bob Jones Award, the Ben Hogan Award, an...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 8 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to best-selling sales author and corporate sales trainer Tony Parinello about chronic mistakes sellers make. This includes prospecting too low in an organization, ineffective messaging, not speaking the right language, and more. Tune in to discover why you really only want to sell to VITO (Very Important Top Officer), the questions you need to ask, and how you should act in front of them to gain their tr...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 22 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to four-time Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) and current president of OE Connection, Kelly Connery. Kelly talks about his sales journey from sales rep to CRO, and the wealth of knowledge that he has acquired through the years. Tune in to hear Kelly talk about selling on the go, dynamics of leadership in large companies, and why selfless leaders are the ones you want to put in charge of running your organizat...
Oct 13, 2022•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to the Breathe Yogi herself, Neha Saxena. Neha talks about the importance of breath in managing stress levels and improving overall outcomes both in your everyday life and your professional career. Tune in to learn about how your body’s stress response works, and learn breathing techniques such as the physiological sigh, which helps reduce the heart rate and bring down stress levels. Additional Resources...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 7 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Snowflake’s Chief Revenue Officer, Chris Degnan. Chris talks about his experiences working in a raw startup environment, and why he chose to leave a relatively comfortable position to do so. Chris lives and breathes the art of the grind, and relishes the prospect of being challenged, showing his aptitude for adapting to different situations and coming up with creative solutions. Tune in to hear the st...
Sep 29, 2022•1 hr 6 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Articulate’s Chief Revenue Officer Jaimie Buss. Jaimie’s vast experience as an engineer, seller, and then sales leader shows her ability to adapt and overcome challenges, despite learning a little bit differently and having a different educational background from her peers. Jaimie talks about the importance of nurturing new leaders with adequate support, recognizing that there is no one correct career...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 12 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to MW Components’ VP of Sales Kara Bosse about the current state of the manufacturing industry and how they are addressing the most recent challenges, including the backlogs caused by the supply chain issues. Kara emphasizes the need to be communicative, keep a healthy and deep pipeline, and be open to having challenging conversations to develop better relationships. Additional Resources: Connect with Ka...
Sep 15, 2022•1 hr 1 min
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Hubspot’s original senior vice president for sales and later Chief Revenue Officer, Mark Roberge. Mark talks about working at Hubspot since day one, building the sales department from the ground up, offering advice on prioritization, hiring, addressing retention and reducing churn. Mark also shares his present journey as a senior lecturer at the Harvard Business School and Managing Director of the VC ...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 14 min
SHOW SUMMARY In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Afghan freedom fighter, poet, and diplomat, Ambassador Massoud Khalili. By all counts, Masood has lived a life in service of his people and country. In this episode, Masood talks about his experiences of war and its aftermath. He also shares the many lessons that he learned from his time in the resistance against the Soviets and the Taliban, specifically those he learned his father, the g...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 22 min
SHOW SUMMARY In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Sprinklr’s Chief Revenue Officer Luca Lazzaron. Luca, who has held several sales leadership and general manager positions in multiple software organizations over the past 20 years, offers golden lessons in hiring exceptional talent, credible leadership, and effective revenue forecasting. As Sprinklr’s Chief Revenue Officer, Luca talks about the most challenging aspects of transitioning fr...
Aug 25, 2022•1 hr 7 min
SHOW SUMMARY In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, our hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan talk to Saratoga Systems CEO and President Greg Fairbank. Greg, who served in key positions in the US Army for 26 years, talks about the intersection of military training and sales, and how his army background has immensely contributed to his success in the technology industry. Greg also talks about No One Left Behind, a non-profit organization working on evacuating the tens of thousands of U.S. ...
Aug 18, 2022•1 hr 2 min
