What does it mean to sell through the lens of human connection? Do you believe that we are all in some way involved in selling? We are fortunate to have Alex Smith join Twins Talk it Up to speak about how sales can be viewed from a different perspective. Alex is a Sales Professional with Docebo, a top SAAS Cloud Based LMS – a Learning Management Platform company. He is also the host of the Stories of Selling Human podcast, where he highlights how we ‘sell by being human, not despite it’. We ask ...
May 17, 2022•45 min•Ep. 97
How do you find the courage to climb some of the highest mountains in the world? How do you find the audacity to support and challenge some of the most driven leaders? We are pleased to have Lei Wang, an Executive Coach, Speaker, Author and Host of the Journey with Lei Podcast. Be sure to pick up her book entitled, After the Summit: New Rules for Reaching Your Peak Potential in Your Career and Life. We ask Lei to share why she decided to take on and complete the Explorers Grand Slam, having reac...
May 10, 2022•48 min•Ep. 96
We are honored to have Jennifer Didier, President and CEO of Directions Training, a woman-owned business join us on Twins Talk it Up. Directions Training has a global footprint providing customized training solutions for all major technology vendors. For adoption and a successful implementation to be achieved, they take their clients through their D4 process. The Directions D4 process consists of: Define Develop Deliver Determine Jennifer is a true champion and her passion for diversity in thoug...
May 03, 2022•52 min•Ep. 95
No organization wants to believe that they can be compromised, which is why Managed Service Providers should have more conversations about cybersecurity and risk mitigation with their clients. We are pleased to have our friend Jennifer Bleam back on the Twins Talk it Up program. Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of MSP Sales Revolution, where she helps MSP’s grow and scale their business by adding cybersecurity and best practices to their current tech stack. We invited Jennifer back to talk about ...
Apr 26, 2022•52 min•Ep. 94
Motivating and leading in the remote work environment can be challenging for those who traditionally have relied upon in person, face-to-face conversations with their peers and prospects. Building and maintaining successful remote sales teams requires a balance of creativity, coaching, and a clarity of both expectations and communication. We are thrilled to have a leader join us on Twins Talk it Up to share how he motivates and builds successful remotes sales teams. Mark Davis is the Inside Sale...
Apr 19, 2022•53 min•Ep. 93
Active listening is a communication skill vital for every professional and can build rapport and lead to increased success. In this episode, we dive into the importance of refining this art of listening. Danny's company AppMeetup provides training to organizations looking for strategies and tools such as Gong that will support the development of their leaders and sales teams. Research reveals that the top producing sales reps spend on average 40% of the time talking, while lower performing reps ...
Apr 12, 2022•31 min•Ep. 92
What does the incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars have to do with this episode? Being able to manage conflict and have difficult conversations is a skill and an expectation for those in positions of influence in every organization. We are so pleased to have our friend Eric Williamson join Twins Talk it Up to speak to this very topic. Eric Williamson is a Business Coach, Speaker, Conflict Resolution Consultant and the Author of ‘How to Work with Jerks: Getting Stuff Do...
Apr 05, 2022•45 min•Ep. 91
Congratulations are in order for our next guest, Jasson Walker, Jr. The Founder and CEO of cFocus Software, a $10M in Revenue Company located in the Washington DC region was featured in Microsoft’s Black Partner Growth Initiative Black History Month 2022 Campaign. Jasson joined Twins Talk it Up to share about his entrepreneurial journey within the Tech and Government Contracting space. We touch on how his ATO as a Service™ helps to automate FISMA, RMF, and FedRAMP compliance and reporting. We di...
Mar 30, 2022•51 min•Ep. 90
The name of your organization can be a major contributing factor in its perception and growth. There are companies whose names have reflected their brand perfectly - including Apple, Starbucks and Google. It's essential that the name is unique, authentic, memorable, and enduring, so it resonates with your target audience. Even more important, is if that name represents the heart of the organization and of its leadership. We are pleased to be joined by an entrepreneur who has been experiencing in...
Mar 22, 2022•43 min•Ep. 89
Great sales questions can provide insight into your buyer’s world. Open-ended questions are designed to qualify and discover, and they can build both rapport and uncover pain. Great questions ultimately help sales professionals secure more deals. If you don't engage and ask the right questions, you are less likely to understand the challenges you need to help solve. But there's also an art to asking great questions. In this episode, we address the value and wisdom behind asking open-ended questi...
Mar 15, 2022•50 min•Ep. 88
According to research by Bupa Global, it was revealed that 64% of senior business leaders have suffered from mental health conditions including anxiety, stress, and depression. There is a real need for more business leaders to normalize conversations around mental health. The health pandemic has confirmed this need, especially as more organizations grapple to balance a hybrid and remote workforce with demands for greater efficiency and increased profits. We are fortunate to have our friend Dr. S...
Mar 09, 2022•52 min•Ep. 87
How can an MSP create stickiness with their clients? How can they take advantage of hybrid and remote work models? How can they benefit from an increased need for flexible and specialized training? We are thrilled to have our next guests from ClipTraining on to share how their platform helps to strengthen and keep clients more engaged while increasing profits. Tim Duggan is the Co-Founder and CEO, and Carl Bauman is the CRO at ClipTraining, an eLearning platform providing cloud-based training re...
Mar 02, 2022•49 min•Ep. 86
Is it time to rethink what servant leadership is? It is more than just a leadership philosophy; it is the heart of a leader demonstrated with a depth of caring to truly serve, listen to, teach, and even share power. They believe in helping and developing others to achieve their very best. We welcome our friend Tre Wright, CEO of One Cube Up to share personally why this approach has benefited him throughout his career. In addition to owning his own organization, Tre is an Executive Coach, Speaker...
Feb 22, 2022•44 min•Ep. 85
Cybersecurity should be a topic of conversation every organization has, beginning with their technology teams and any retained managed service provider (MSP). We are pleased to be joined by our friend and highly sought-after speaker, trainer and author, Jennifer Bleam. Jennifer is a member of the CompTIA emerging Tech Council and is the Founder and CEO of MSP Sales Revolution, where she helps MSP’s grow and scale their business by adding cybersecurity and best practices to their current tech sta...
Feb 15, 2022•55 min•Ep. 84
The pandemic created significant disruptions around the world, impacting many sectors including higher education. We are fortunate to have our friend and educational professional Stephen Ampersand join the program to speak to this and to share about his own experience as an entrepreneur. Stephen has served in several roles throughout his career, specifically within enrollment management and student affairs. He started Turn the Tassel Consulting Group, a private college planning and advising firm...
Feb 08, 2022•46 min•Ep. 83
What is the 'great resignation' and what are the opportunities professionals are pursuing? We invite Joyce Johnson to share insight into this era and what leaders are doing to invest in their top talent. Joyce is an author, podcaster, business coach as well as the Founder and CEO of Why Sales Network. The Covid-19 Health Pandemic was among the many factors that triggered masses to leave their jobs. Many began to re-think where, how, and why they are working the jobs they had. This awakening crea...
Feb 01, 2022•48 min•Ep. 82
How can you maximize your effort to get the most out of your resources and save you both time and money? What if it were as simple as dedicating just a few hours each week? In this episode, we discuss strategies that our next guest not only consults his clients on, but on those he implements within his own practice to achieve incredible growth. Joining us is Jason Lockhart, CEO of Kitchen & Bath Marketing Solutions, a digital marketing solutions firm focused on serving the Kitchen and Bath I...
Jan 25, 2022•40 min•Ep. 81
The global health pandemic has impacted consumer behavior as hybrid and work from home models were implemented and spending habits changed due to a rise of economic uncertainty. Organizations have also had to adjust and have been driven to look at their branding. So, what branding trends will we see in this New Year? Our good friend Reggie Holmes joins us to share his thoughts and predictions about what this year will look like in area of branding. Reggie Holmes is the Founder and Creative Direc...
Jan 18, 2022•54 min•Ep. 80
Week 17 of the NFL produced some astonishing drama. The scene was a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Jets with a star Wide Receiver who abruptly left the field of play. This action led to debate around his attitude and mental health. We are pleased to have Lisa Bonta Sumii join the program to speak about the importance of emphasizing mental health, and not just physical health. Lisa is the CEO & Founder with AthMindset, LLC and she also serves as the Mental Health and S...
Jan 11, 2022•53 min•Ep. 79
Happy New Year! We are so excited for the start of a New Year and for the start of this third season of Twins Talk it Up. Thank you for supporting our program. Last year, we spoke about the impact of goal setting. We expressed how important it was to write your goals down and to consider applying the SMART system to those stated goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time). In this episode, we identify and dive into the key for having a successful 2022. The key to unlocking and captu...
Jan 04, 2022•47 min•Ep. 78
What sets top performers apart from the rest? What is that determining factor – that one element needed to set yourself apart? Could it be as simple as having a confident mindset? We are pleased to have Meshell Baker join us to speak about how this is far too often the missing component for a successful and sustainable career. Meshell is the Owner of Meshell Baker Enterprises, a consulting firm focused on supporting women business owners, and sales leaders with the goal of empowering sales profe...
Dec 29, 2021•48 min•Ep. 77
Let’s talk about leadership and why it is so important to lead with empathy. Compassion is foundational for a healthy environment, and one that will foster open communication and more valuable feedback. By now, we imagine that most have heard about the recent events surrounding Better.com and their CEO Vishal Garg. You may have even seen a video of him virtually addressing 900 employees, and stating, "If you're on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off." We are going...
Dec 22, 2021•54 min•Ep. 76
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella outlined a commitment to increase diversity in representation and strengthen a culture of inclusion. We are fortunate to have two of the thought leaders helping to lead Microsoft's global channel inclusion strategy. Karen Fassio is the Director and head of Microsoft One Commercial Partner Group and is responsible for digital partner experience and operations, scale partner engagement and channel inclusion strategy. She is also a Co-Founder of Women in Cloud and has ov...
Dec 14, 2021•53 min•Ep. 75
It’s that time of the year where parents will begin assembling gifts for their children. Don’t make the mistake of not following the directions. Who do organizations with far more complex projects look to when there may not be a guided set of directions? We are pleased that our friend Ben Chan is joining the program. He is Management Consultant, the Founder of CLYMB Consulting and host of the Organized Chaos Café Podcast. We ask Ben to reveal the value a good Project Manager can bring to a team ...
Dec 07, 2021•49 min•Ep. 74
We are pleased to have Lauren Anderson back on Twins Talk it Up. Lauren is the Owner & CEO of All-In Recruiting & Talent Boutique, an executive search firm, specializing in the direct-hire placement of top talented and diverse professionals. We are delighted that Lauren shares her entrepreneurial journey and how she sees herself as a gatekeeper and a bridge for those under-represented within the technology sector and within senior level leadership. Lauren speaks about securing and establ...
Nov 30, 2021•51 min•Ep. 73
We welcome a thought leader within the Vendor & Managed Services Providers space to the program. Jay McBain is the Principal Analyst of Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems for Forrester. Jay is a highly sought-after speaker, author and has received numerous accolades, including being named as the 2021 Channel Influencer of the Year by Channel Partners Magazine. We ask Jay to share how the pandemic has and will continue to impact the tech channel community. His research certainly piques c...
Nov 23, 2021•54 min•Ep. 72
Not all incredible influencers initially set out to be in the spotlight or to become the leader. Their rise to leadership is usually framed not by a desire for a title but by a respond to a need. Our guest Jim Rafferty shares about this being the case through his new book, Leader by Accident: Lessons in Leadership, Loss and Life. Jim is not only an author, but he is also an entrepreneur serving as the Principle of JMRketing, LLC. We learn how an unforeseen event led to Jim answering the call to ...
Nov 16, 2021•56 min•Ep. 71
There’s something to be said about how great food can bring people together. Every region has that special cuisine and dish you need to try whenever you visit. When you mention Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic, you instantly think Crab Cakes and Seafood. We are pleased to have our friend John Minadakis, co-owner of Jimmy’s Famous Seafood and co-host of the Crabcast podcast join us. We ask John to share about his resolve to call upon the Greater Baltimore community when this global health pandemic c...
Nov 09, 2021•50 min•Ep. 70
We can all hope and talk about true equality or we can go after it. We are pleased to have a true change agent and champion for gender equity join the program. Chaitra Vedullapalli is the Co-Founder and CMO of Meylah as well as the Co-Founder of Women in Cloud. She is also an author and an accomplished speaker. We ask her about her experience with the Cloud and her journey in becoming a tech entrepreneur. It was her desire to increase awareness through an economic development initiative platform...
Nov 02, 2021•52 min•Ep. 69
Less than 2% of NCAA athletes ever move on to compete at the professional or Olympic level. Of those who play at the highest level of competition, many are faced with the challenge of answering what a post sports career looks like. Danielle Berman is the CEO of Tackle What’s Next and the host of the Big League Philanthropist podcast. She joins us to share about the journey an athlete goes through when transitioning to life after sports. No matter the industry, many suffer from an identity crisis...
Oct 26, 2021•59 min•Ep. 68
