"It's ok to fail. Pick yourself up, reflect and assess. Don't make the same mistake over and over again" In this episode you will learn: (list 3) My first PIP - the first and last time I was put on a performance improvement plan. Failure in Hiring & Firing - the first failure (failure to assess), led to the next failure (hiring too early, and the last failure (having to let folks go) Failure to Lead - specifically a failure to lead self, led to a failure to lead other. Episode Resources: The GAME Plan   Catch up on the last 3 episodes: Unpacking Content Marketing with Brooklin Nash Who’s Your Mike with Kurt Wilkin Brand Evangelism, Self-Awareness and Clarity with Alexis Scott   Connect With Us! Instagram YouTube Twitter LinkedIn www.catalystsale.com   Please share this podcast episode with friends and colleagues and leave us a review and rating via your favorite podcast platform.  

“I don't think content marketing and inbound are synonymous anymore. I think content marketing can support a whole lot more of the go to market than just top of funnel bringing leads inbound. I mean, they can touch sales enablement, customer marketing, field marketing, social media.” - Brooklin Nash   Brooklin Nash Brooklin Nash is the co-founder of Beam, a content marketing business committed to creating content that is not boring. He has nine years of experience in freelancing, content marketing, and go-to-market strategy.   In this episode you will learn: How content marketing can support more aspects of a go-to-market plan than just inbound marketing The importance of establishing processes for consistent workflow The benefits of outsourcing content marketing to an agency   Episode Resources: Brooklin on Linkedin @realBrookNash on Twitter Beamcontent.co Catch up on our last 3 episodes: Who's Your Mike with Kurt Wilkin Brand Evangelism, Self-Awareness and Clarity with Alexis Scott Community, Learning, Golf and Sales with Jeff Bajorek, Scott Leese and Larry Long Jr.   Connect With Us! Instagram YouTube Twitter LinkedIn www.catalystsale.com Please share this podcast episode with friends and colleagues and leave us a review and rating via your favorite podcast platform.  

  "Most entrepreneurs are reactive with their hiring, but I'm more of a big picture guy. I want to have more of a strategy. So we've developed a strategic approach to recruiting, including assessing your existing team against a future state chart." - Kurt Wilkin   Kurt Wilkin Kurt Wilkin is the co-founder of HireBetter and author of Who's Your Mike? His book explores the characters entrepreneurs encounter in their journey to success.   In this episode you will learn: How a strategic approach to recruitment can help entrepreneurs solve tough hiring problems Why you should be wary of hiring people to be a “quick fix.” The potential pitfalls of promoting from within Episode Resources: Whosyourmike.com Who’s Your Mike Quiz HireBetter.com Kurt on Twitter Kurt on LinkedIn Catch up on our last 3 episodes: Brand Evangelism, Self-Awareness and Clarity with Alexis Scott Community, Learning, Golf and Sales with Jeff Bajorek, Scott Leese and Larry Long Jr. Unlock Value with Customer Led Growth with Georgiana Laudi Connect With Us! Instagram YouTube Twitter LinkedIn www.catalystsale.com Please share this podcast episode with friends and colleagues and leave us a review and rating via your favorite podcast platform.  

“While I am very aware of my blind spots and where I lack, I also beat myself up heavily for those blind spots instead of focusing on what I'm really great at.” - Alexis Scott Alexis Scott Since the recording of this podcast, Alexis founded The Fairy Job Mom. She is also a founding member of the Old Girls Club and a friend of Catalyst. She is a Brand Marketing Consultant, Talent Advocate and Career Connector. From being laid off to career pivoting multiple times, her experience in Corporate America has taught her that the greatest gift you can give yourself is the skills necessary to be Eternally Employable.  In this episode you will learn: How self-awareness can help you make career decisions The power of clarity in achieving your goals How understanding your unique abilities can drive growth for a company Episode Resources: Alexis on Linkedin TheFairyJobMom Alexis on Linktr.ee Catch up on our last 3 episodes: Community, Learning, Golf and Sales with Jeff Bajorek, Scott Leese and Larry Long Jr. Unlock Value with Customer Led Growth with Georgiana Laudi Workshops, Cruising, Community and What’s Next Connect With Us! Instagram YouTube Twitter LinkedIn www.catalystsale.com Please share this podcast episode with friends and colleagues and leave us a review and rating via your favorite podcast platform.

The Golf and Sales event is my Catalyst this week.  Jeff, Larry, and Scott join me to discuss community, learning, golf and sales. This episode is brought to you by Golf and Sales. A leadership and sales retreat for professionals who are working through tough challenges in leadership, sales, and growth. Show Links Golf and Sales Jeff on LinkedIn Larry on LinkedIn Scott on LinkedIn Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected] Please add your ratings and reviews via your favorite podcast player, and share the podcast with anyone you know who is looking for their "catalyst".

My Catalyst this week is Georgiana Laudi. She is a marketing leader in the SaaS space, and is leading the Customer Led Growth charge. Gia joins me to discuss why we should forget the funnel, the keys to customer led growth, when research goes wrong & what to do about it, and designing for your customer. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. Show Links Forget the Funnel Georgiana on Twitter Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected] Please add your ratings and reviews via your favorite podcast player, and share the podcast with anyone you know who is looking for their "catalyst".

My Catalyst this week was a recent Phoenix Cruise on Virgin. On this episode, Jody and I discuss the cruise, some lessons learned, and three workshops I can facilitate with your team. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected]

My Catalyst this week is Leslie Greenwood. She is a community builder and evangelist. Leslie joins me to talk about communication, community, design, and buidling advocacy. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. Show Links thechiefevangelist.com   Leslie on LinkedIn   Course on Evangelist-Led Growth  https://maven.com/leslie-greenwood/evangelist-led-growth Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected] Please add your ratings and reviews via your favorite podcast player, and share the podcast with anyone you know who is looking for their "catalyst".

My Catalyst this week is Reflection and Focus. Reflecting on 2022, and sharing clarity of focus for 2023. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. What are your key reflections for 2022? Where will you focus in 2023? Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected]

My Catalyst this week is a travel experience. This travel experience provides a great opportunity to reflect on how we plan, how we communicate, how we lead, how we design, and how we move forward. Red Teaming, Pre-mortems, post-mortems, and design - all have a place when leading and communicating through challenges. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected] Please add your ratings and reviews via your favorite podcast player, and share the podcast with anyone you know who is looking for their "catalyst".

My Catalyst this week is Ravi Rajani. He is a master communicator that helps people find and leverage story that works. Ravi joins me to talk about communication, story, reflection, growth, and his ACORN framework. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. Show Links Ravi on LinkedIn Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected] Please add your ratings and reviews via your favorite podcast player, and share the podcast with anyone you know who is looking for their "catalyst".

My Catalyst this week is Nick Capozzi. He is my go to when it comes to creating videos that draw people in. Nick joins me to talk about creating content, imposter syndrome, shooting better video, and why collaboration works in social. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. Show Links Nick on LinkedIn Nick on Twittter Go To Market This Week Social Social Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected] Please add your ratings and reviews via your favorite podcast player, and share the podcast with anyone you know who is looking for their "catalyst".

My Catalyst this week is Todd Caponi.  Many people talk about transparency, Todd embodies it. Todd joins me to talk about his most recent book - The Transparent Sales Leader.  And, if you know Todd, you know we will get into some sales history, and practical application. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. Show Links Todd's Website Todd on LinkedIn The Transparency Sale on Amazon The Transparent Sales Leader - Kindle is just $2.99  Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected] Please add your ratings and reviews via your favorite podcast player, and share the podcast with anyone you know who is looking for their "catalyst".

My Catalyst this week is Larry Long Jr., and as usually he brings the energy.  If you are looking for a JOLT - look no further. Larry joins me to talk about his most recent book - JOLT. This episode is brought to you by the Find My Catalyst - GAME Plan. for more information check out the links below. Show Links Larry Long Jr - on LinkedIn Buy the Book Here - JOLT Larry's Website Larry on Twitter Larry on Instagram Larry on YouTube Find My Catalyst Links Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected] Please add your ratings and reviews via your favorite podcast player, and share the podcast with anyone you know who is looking for their "catalyst".

My catalyst this week is Vince Fowler. Vince is a performance coach, an enabler of great things, and a friend. This week we get into a number of things that really piss us both of, and take some time to chat through what to do about it. We had a blast with this discussion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Mike The Find My Catalyst podcast is brought to you by the GAME Plan - your simplified approach to goal setting, execution, and getting things done. Show Links Vince on LinkedIn Mike on LinkedIn The GAME Plan Thank you - please send questions to [email protected]  

My Catalyst this week is Dale Dupree. We are going to go a bit off script and publish this as an unedited episode. Dale is a sales coach, trainer, and consultant. He is teaching sales teams to Rebel Against "Typical" Results., and he is Founder and CSO of The Sales Rebellion. We hit on a number of important topics, including creativity, innovation, leadership, risk, and observation. Show Links Dale on LinkedIn The Sales Rebellion Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

Darryl Praill is my Catalyst this week. Darryl is the CMO at Agoropulse, top 10 SaaS branding expert, top 50 social seller, and someone I'm excited to claim as a friend. If you are interested in sales and marketing alignment, how this impacts the customer experience, common mistakes we continue to make, problem solving, the importance of team selling, and a couple of things you can do today to address the common challenges that continue to persist - this episode is for you. We talk about groundhog day, lessons you can learn from a planning a wedding and how it applies to business, and 3 challenges that continue to persist. We get a little off track early in this one - you can listen to the background discussion, or fast forward to the 12 min mark - your choice. Show Links Darryl on LinkedIn Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

Cliff Simon is my Catalyst this week. Cliff is the Chief Revenue Officer at Carabiner Group, a full service Revenue Operations Agency. He is a strategic advisor, fractional revenue leader, and RevOps practitioner.  If you are interested in revenue operations, sales process, systems, data, and what's next in this space you will enjoy this discussion. We talk about RevOps, reporting structures, design, alignment, the history, and go pretty deep on the what, why, how, and what's next. "revops at its core is an executive function" - Cliff Simon Show Links Cliff on LinkedIn Carabiner Group Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

David Paul is my Catalyst this week. David is the Managing Director of DWP capital, an early stage growth equity firm that invests in vertical SaaS and tech-enabled services. If you are interested in investment, new to capital, understanding the various types of capital that are available, and the implication of going down one path or another you will enjoy this discussion.  We talk about the benefits of capital, investment, types of investment, risks, mistakes, the importance of alignment, and a number of other topics. Show Links David on LinkedIn David's Newsletter The Capital Stack Podcast Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

Kyle Poyar is my Catalyst this week. Kyle is an Operating Partner at OpenView Ventures, focused on SaaS revenue growth, specifically in the PLG (Product Led Growth) space. If you are interested in PLG, innovation, enabling your customers for success, designing for success, creating alignment across your organization and your customer base, you will enjoy this discussion.  We talk about the benefits of a PLG motion, the bluring of lines between the functional areas within organizations, and the positive impact this will have on customers. We also get into a couple of the common mistakes, and touch on a couple of areas where PLG may not make sense. Show Links Kyle on LinkedIn Kyle's Newsletter OpenView Ventures Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My Catalyst this week is Jason Vana.  Jason is the Founder/Head of Content at SHFT Agency. Jason shares his insight and experience on Brand, Brand Strategy, and Branding - and why it's important to understand the difference. We also get into a discussion on how leaders can get in the way of branding efforts, if they are not careful, and how you can avoid this trap. Branding, communication, leadership, asking the right questions, and the value of external resources - are just a couple of the topics we get into during the discussion. Show Links Jason on LinkedIn Shft Marketing Newsletter  Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My Catalyst this week is Casey Graham.  Casey is the Founder/CEO at Gravy and Author of The No B.S. Small Business Book.   What does it mean to be the best version of yourself - it may be something different than you think.  From Visionary Arsonist to Owner's Intent, to The Inc. of you, we go pretty deep in this conversation.  Casey shares why leaders struggle with creating the environment where employees can share their intent, and what you can let go of, to get better. Leadership, mindset, perspective, communication - are just a couple of the topics we get into during the discussion. Show Links Connect with Casey The No BS Small Business Book Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My Catalyst this week is Jen Igartua.  Jen is the CEO at Go Nimbly.  She and her team help SaaS companies drive revenue by creating a frictionless, human buying experience with RevOps. This is another one of those episodes that has a lot of range, and ends with some things you can start doing inside your organiztaion to reduce friction in the buying process with your customers. RevOps, plants, improv, enablement - what could be better. Show Links Jen on LinkedIn Go Nimbly Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

It's time to celebrate - episode 300 is here. Jody joins me to reflect on the past 299 episodes, why I will continue to invest in the podcast, and what's next. Show Links Improve velocity in your pipeline with Catalyst Sale process, tools, design, and methods. Coaching Catalyst Courses Catalyst Sale YouTube - Whiteboard Wednesdays Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My Catalyst this week is Adam Vazquez.  Adam is the founder of Heard Media, and host of the Content is for Closers Podcast.  He is helping founders and creators tell their story through media. We discuss produuctizing your service, why podcasting is a great medium and how it is evolving, where to start when thinking about content, repurposing content, and considerations when thinking about audio vs video. Show Links Connect with Adam Follow Content is For Closers on Substack The Content is for Closers Podcast Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game  Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My Catalyst this week is Breezy Beaumont - Head of Growth at Correlated. If you are wondering what PLG is, why it matters, and what should be thinking about when it comes to Product Led Growth - this episode is for you. Key Takeaways/Topics What is Product Led Growth 91% of SaaS companies are looking to invest more in PLG - impact on NRR & CAC PLG as a movement is putting things back in the hands of the enduser, the consumer. A PLG focus can help you align across the organization, product, sales, success, and marketing. There is a shift to cloud data warehouses - as a central source of data. It is important to have top level buy-in, all functions will feel it. The data tells the story.  Less of a gut feeling - because the data is there for you. True land and expand, while reducing churn. PLG is and it's impact is shifting how we think about sales, selling, and working with customers. Show Links Bi-Weekly - Product Led Revenue - Peer Discussion Breezy on LinkedIn Correlated Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My Catalyst this week is Caron Heady. He is the Director of Health Services at Microsoft, and author of Salesman on Fire & Birth of a Salesman. We go deep into a number of topics including culture, leadership, building teams, building your business, process, focusing on the moment, and a couple of great movie quotes.  If you are interested in the value of process, finding your fuel, and a mistake most leaders make with how they use data, you'll enjoy this conversation. Show Links Connect with Carson Carson's website Podcast Episode with Mike Weinberg Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

This is a TEST - Decided to push a record an episode live on LinkedIn Live - responding to a recent question I received around - Getting over a bad year, and selling in uncertainty. Show Links Conducting Outreach Catalyst Sale Tactical Playlist Catalyst Sale Link Tree Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

Jen is the Chief Evangelist at Challenger™ and the Host of Winning the Challenger Sale Podcast. 38% of complex B2B purchase attempts end in "no decision" and involve ~11 customer stakeholders. How do you overcome status quo? We get into a number of topics in this discussion, including the Challenger Sale, a beginners mind approach, empathy, framing, and the comfort in saying I don't know. Show Links Connect with Jen Listen to the "Winning the Challenger Sale" podcast Challenger - 3 Things Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My catalyst this week is Grant Hayzlett - he helps B2B/B2C orgs sell to state and local governments. State and local governments spend $4 trillion annually - if you are interested in learning more about B2G sales, selling into state and local governments, this conversation is for you. Connect with Grant On LinkedIn Via SLED sales Execute Better. Start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My catalyst this week is Morgan Ingram. Morgan is empowering the sales professional of the future.  He is the host of the 1UP Formula Podcast, and 3x LinkedIn Top Sales Voice. We talk about personal development, creativity, engaging with prospects, body language, mindset, and a number of other topics on this episode. Connect with Morgan. Morgan on LinkedIn Morgan on Instagram - @morganjingram Morgan on TikTok - @morganjingram Execute Better. Stop wasting resources, start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. http://catalystsale.com/game Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My catalyst on this episode is KC Cox.   KC is a marketing leader, fractional CMO, and all around great revenue focused marketer.  In today's episode we get into product market fit, and KC's series on the 4 F's of strong marketing.  Foundation Focus Fit Faith Connect with KC. KC Cox on LinkedIn Execute Better. Stop wasting resources, start getting the right things done, in the right order, and grow your business. Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

My Catalyst this week is Lee Salz.  We get pretty deep into what it means to "Sell Different" - and how you can do it in your organization and your territory. When salespeople aren’t winning deals at desired levels or volumes, executives turn to Lee B. Salz. Lee is a leading sales management strategist and founder of Sales Architects®. He has helped hundreds of companies, in various industries and sizes, create marketplace disruption – leading to explosive, profitable growth. Lee challenges executives to blast through the artificial barriers that impede their success. He is an entrepreneur, results-driven consultant, and dynamic keynote speaker. Clients say he has a gift for architecting sales success. He is an award-winning, bestselling author of six books including: “Sell Different!,” "Sales Differentiation,” and “Hire Right, Higher Profits.” He is also a columnist with the Business Journals, serves on the Sales Education Advisory Board, and is the Program Advisor to Kansas State University's Strategic Selling Institute. Connect with Lee. Lee Salz on LinkedIn Target Client Profile Sell Different Sales Architects Create Clarity & Focus Inside your Organization. Interested in discussing how you can create clarity and focus inside your organization, improve alignment, and "maximize your MIN"? - contact Mike via LinkedIn or the Catalyst Sale website. Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

Lee Benson is my Catalyst on this episode. With more than 25 years of experience as a CEO, Lee understands the challenging tensions that exist between putting people first while remaining focused on performance.  Over the past 25 years Lee has founded 7 companies with exits ranging from a few million dollars to well into 9 figures. He has worked with hundreds of leadership teams in companies ranging in size from 4 employees to over 40,000 employees (both for-profit and nonprofit). In this conversation we discuss the MIND Methodology, developed by Lee and his team to help organizations gain clarity, maintain focus, and not let process become prioritized over what's "Most Important". Connect with Lee Lee Benson on LinkedIn The ETW website Max Your MIN Interested in discussing how you can create clarity and focus inside your organization, improve alignment, and "maximize your MIN"? - contact Mike via LinkedIn or the Catalyst Sale website. Connect with Mike Mike Simmons Catalyst Sale

This week - my catalyst is Tim Schurrer Tim knows what it takes to build a winning team. He spent almost a decade of his career launching two brands— StoryBrand and Business Made Simple—as COO alongside New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller. Before that Tim worked at TOMS as well as Apple Inc. He is the host of the Build a Winning Team podcast, where he offers listeners actionable advice as he interviews some of the top leaders in business. Tim lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Katie, and their two kids. CONNECT WITH TIM http://SecretSocietyBook.com https://instagram.com/timschurrer/ http://linkedin.com/in/timschurrer/ https://twitter.com/timschurrer Listen to Tim's episode with Katie on the One Spark Solutions podcast - https://onespark.libsyn.com/discovering-the-secret-society-of-success-tim-schurrer This episode is brought to you by the Catalyst G.A.M.E Plan. Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. You can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com. 

In this episode, Mike is joined by Coach Kurt Hines. If you are a coach, an athlete, a parent, a teacher or a leader, this episode is a must listen.  Key Takeaways: The process of building a successful team is a living, breathing organism. My passion for coaching is empowering as many people as I can. People want to know that they make a difference, that they would be missed if they didn’t show up. Life doesn’t happen to us, it happens for us. A huge key to success is loving your life. Be where your feet are. Find people that are passionate about life and spend time with them. Growth is painful but necessary. The world is overpopulated with people who are self proclaimed experts. There aren’t enough people who are passionate. We need more humble leaders.  We are all leaders. The questions are, who are we leading and where are we leading them? It’s our job as coaches to selflessly serve others. Getting players to know their worth as people gets me fired up. Sports build character when coaches intentionally teach and model character. Leaders have to model accountability as a blessing and an opportunity to grow. The way to build relationships is to spend time with people -don’t over complicate it. It doesn’t need to be fancy. Share moments with people.  We miss so much of life by looking ahead.  Links: Coach Kurt Hines on Twitter Coach Kurt Hines on Instagram Coach Kurt Hines on TikTok CoachKurtHines.com Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. You can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com.  Follow our social channels: Catalyst Sale Instagram Catalyst Sale LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Find My Catalyst Instagram  

Samantha McKenna joins me this week on the podcast. We talk about Sam's trademark - Show Me You Know Me™, authenticity, trust, transparency, being yourself, copywriting, and why 85% of copy should be written by someone else. Check out Sam and her team at SamSales.  Connect with Sam on LinkedIn See the #samshorts here You can make an impact through helping others. This episode is brought to you by the Catalyst G.A.M.E Plan.

Greg Head joins me this week on the podcast. We talk about connecting people, building networks, building business, and making an impact. There are people who can help you address the acute problem you are working through.  Greg's List - Phoenix Greg's List - Dallas Dallas Software Podcast GregHead.com PracticalFounders.com Greg on LinkedIn You can make an impact through helping others. This episode is brought to you by the Catalyst G.A.M.E Plan.

In this episode of The Find My Catalyst Podcast, Mike is joined by Andy Paul. They discuss Andy’s most recent book, Sell Without Selling Out. Key Takeaways: The average tenure of a CRO is roughly 1 year. Intellectual Humility = acknowledging, “I don’t know everything.” Our job as sellers is to go out and listen to the buyer. Sales cycles will shorten if you focus on the buyer. Sales is about compelling, not convincing. Humans react badly to being persuaded, we resist it. Make sales work for you by emphasizing what you are good at. Selling is a creative thing. As a leader, help people develop their unique selling methodology. Give generously to understand. Give in a way that helps the buyer achieve what is important to them. If we help the buyer get the things that are important to them, we get the things that are important to us. How to start finding your own way: Document the parts of the job that you enjoy. Document your weaknesses Experiment Show Links: Andypaul.com Andy on LinkedIn Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. This podcast is brought to you by the G.A.M.E. Plan. Learn more here.

In this episode, Mike is joined by Michelle Baker. This is a dynamic conversation that you don’t want to miss.  Key Takeaways: Most people want to know how they are doing and what their blindspots are. As a leader, your actions speak louder than words. If training isn’t integrated into the operation and culture, it’s not going to stick. When leaders are focused on the tasks required to manage and the results needed everyday, they aren’t necessarily taking the time to develop employees, therefore, you won’t see change. Everyday it’s priority and focus. You need buy-in from the very top - it must be a priority for the entire organization. If you can’t get your mind right first, it’s going to be really difficult to lead yourself much less other people. Morning Alignment: Journaling Meditation Move Find what works for you to calm your inner chaos. Try to get away from waking up and immediately checking social media, e-mail, etc… Authenticity is huge - to be able to say you are proud of yourself Calm leadership starts with collaboration. Companies must carve out time. Coaching is telling people what they are doing right just as much as it is the performance side. New leaders must be curious, ask a lot of questions, be comfortable talking to their people. Look at emerging leaders and develop them. Give them stretch assignments. When your actions align with your intentions, that’s pretty powerful. What makes a good mentor relationship? Transparency Genuine interest in seeing you succeed. Communication style that works for you Understanding who you relate with, who you respect, who you have seen go through things and come out in a way you admire. Links: Stoneledge Enrichment Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy Professor Mason Jar Video Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. You can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com.  Follow our social channels: Catalyst Sale Instagram Catalyst Sale LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Find My Catalyst Instagram

In this episode of The Find My Catalyst Podcast, Mike is joined by Glenn Pasch. They have an in depth conversation about podcasting, marketing and coaching.  Key Takeaways: Implementation is where people give up or struggle. Decision Making Struggles Time Moving too fast Things that have changed in marketing: It is constantly changing People now have access to everything Advertising your process is now important Humanize your business Communicate visually Bad footing won’t get better on its own Think about running your business like a sports team. There are a lot of people out there willing to help you. Show Links: Glenn on LinkedIn Glenn on Twitter You’re In Charge Podcast pcgdigital.com Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. This podcast is brought to you by Catalyst Sale - you can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com. 

In this episode of The Find My Catalyst Podcast, Mike is joined by Mike Hook. They have a dynamic conversation about leadership, thinking, communication and knowing your team.   Key Takeaways: Find the things that are important to you. Listen - make sure you hear people. Paraphrase back to them what you heard. Teach people how to think. As a leader, you have to be in touch with your team. You have to teach them how to think. Coaching really is about helping people understand and critically think about the task at hand. Coaching is not doing. There is an opportunity to do better if we take a genuine interest in our team. We need to communicate well. Read the room Be self aware Listen Be intentional in the message you give Live what you speak. Show Links: Mike Hook on LinkedIn Mike Hook on Twitter Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. This podcast is brought to you by Catalyst Sale - you can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com. 

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss the value they receive when attending masterminds. Key Takeaways: It feels good to share some stuff that we are working on. It’s nice to know that we aren’t the only one with struggles and fear. Masterminds give you access to a diverse set of experiences and industries. Insecurities tend to rear their ugly head at the most inopportune times. It is important to identify the patterns that precede the insecurities. Plan, design backward, execute forward, take the shot and move on. Forget about moving fast. Too often we fall into the trap of wanting to move really fast. When value comes up, are we looking at it from an internal or external view. How do we balance those two? Everyone has their own perception of value. Ask questions and then listen. If you aren’t clear, if things aren’t as simple as they can be, and you’re not operating with a high level of purpose, ask yourself the question, “should I be doing this work?” This episode is brought to you by the Catalyst Sale G.A.M.E. Plan. Learn more about it here. Show Links: Clarity and Focus Blog Post Have a question you would like us to answer or a topic you would like us to discuss in a future episode? Contact us: [email protected] www.catalystsale.com twitter Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. You can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com.  Follow our social channels: Catalyst Sale Instagram Catalyst Sale LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Find My Catalyst Instagram

In this episode of The Find My Catalyst Podcast, Mike is joined by Brynne Tillman who has earned the title of the LinkedIn Whisperer. Brynne shares a lot of great tips in this episode. Key Takeaways: In order to truly leverage what is available to us today, we need to slow down our outreach to speed up the outcome. Be strategic and look at what matters to those you want to reach out to. We need to small talk with content, but content that matters to our audience. Leverage the information that LinkedIn provides to start authentic conversations. 2 Types of Sales Professionals: Brand new sales professionals that understand technology Seasoned sales professionals that understand relationships. Rarely do you find the ones that have both. Goal is bring the two together. Meaningful conversations from social = value + rapport  Get people engaged in chat  My style (Brynne) is to make it so easy that my audience is confident that they can implement it. Simplify your story. 5 Elements that get people to lean in: Resonate with story Create curiosity Teach your audience something new Get them to think differently about what they are doing Create a compelling moment. We can’t start a conversation with lurkers, we have to convert the lurker into an engager. Create a compelling moment. Ways to increase engagement: Ask a meaningful question Create a poll Do something that gets your audience say, “I want to engage in this.” The more engagement you get in the first hour, the more LinkedIn says this is relevant. Ask for their thought leadership, not their baggage. Ways to get a better understanding of what people value: Social listening - what is your audience engaging on? Polls Research topics being presented at conferences they attend? What podcasts are they listening to? Have a system in place before you reach out to a prospect.  Have a strategy for content that leads to engagement. Nurture existing connections. Show Links: LinkedIn Library Socialsaleslink.com/12week Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. This podcast is brought to you by Catalyst Sale - you can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com.  

In this episode of The Find My Catalyst Podcast, Mike is joined by John Morris. They have a dynamic conversation about creating culture, finding purpose and building a brand.  Key Takeaways: You have to have a defined set of core principles to fuel culture. In order to have a dynamic culture, you have to know who the individual people are. Put people in a position that rewards and recognition where they are going to feel comfortable. Understanding personality types helps you to coach instead of manage. Share wins on a regular basis. People like to see their name in lights but they would rather it be a green light than a red one. If we are really great coaches and managers and executives, why would we have a process in place and not recognize people for following that process? We have stopped finding joy. We don’t put enough time and effort into the joy of the process.  Immediate gratification is good, but it’s not sustained. There are two sides to building a brand Internal - if the internal is really good, then it will translate to the external External - if the external is really good, it builds loyalty. If we can do it internally, we then share it externally. When people start to understand and believe that their role plays a part in the growth of the organization and the success, then you have brand champions. Experience should hit multiple senses. Every business is a people business. It’s one thing to make a living, it’s a whole 'nother thing to make a life. Purpose can be a whole bunch of small things. Purpose needs to be the thing that fills your heart. Don’t put too much stock on the wins and losses. Show Links: John Morris on LinkedIn Contact John via email at [email protected] Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. This podcast is brought to you by Catalyst Sale - you can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com.  

In this episode, Mike talks with Christie Walters and Jeff Bajorek about why conversations matter and what they learned during the 5 years they hosted The Why and The Buy Podcast.  Key Takeaways: Block time for your most effective activities.  Sometimes the things you think you know the most end up being the things you are most closed to. Conversations develop camaraderie and connection. When you are curious to learn more, just show up and talk.  Show Links: Jeffbajorek.com Rethinkthewayyousell.com Christie on LinkedIn Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. This podcast is brought to you by Catalyst Sale - you can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com. 

On this episode of the Find My Catalyst Podcast, Mike is joined by Andrea Waltz. Andrea is the Co-Author of Go for No, and Co-Founder of Courage Crafters, Inc. In this episode, they discuss how yes is the destination, no is how you get there.  Key Takeaways: How do you think about no? Can you value a no? If so, how? Can you turn a no into a yes? How persistent should you be? Where does courage come in? How does fear play a role? Rejection affects everyone. Go for “no’s” in order to get to the yes. Use what you know to get better. Determine how to go about it differently. Getting “no’s” early seems to be a characteristic of top sales people. They want those out of their pipeline.  Give yourself permission to fail. No’s teach you things if you’re paying attention. Look around and assess where you are. Create a “no” awareness. Set a no goal. Have the courage to execute. A go for no moment is anytime you have the opportunity to ask. Show Links: Go For No Go For No book on Amazon Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. This podcast is brought to you by Catalyst Sale - you can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com. 

In this episode, Mike and Jody discuss the importance of having a process and knowing your approach.  Key Takeaways: Looping Process: Identify Engage Establish Objectives and Next Steps CTA (loop back to engage) *see it here* When you use a specific approach, you start to act as a professional. Have a process. Keep it super simple. Like any process, start with deconstructing. Start with the end in mind.  This episode is brought to you by the Catalyst Sale G.A.M.E. Plan. Learn more about it here. Have a question you would like us to answer or a topic you would like us to discuss in a future episode? Contact us: [email protected] www.catalystsale.com twitter Work With Catalyst Sale: Listen to our free resource (this podcast) and then put the action items into practice. Share your work with us via Twitter or [email protected] Invest in a Catalyst Sale course - self directed. Find our courses here  Hire us as a consultant/advisor within your team or organization  Thank You  Please send listener questions and feedback to [email protected] or contact us directly on twitter  or LinkedIn. You can learn more about Catalyst Sale, and the products and services we provide at www.catalystsale.com or www.findmycatalyst.com.  Follow our social channels: Catalyst Sale Instagram Catalyst Sale LinkedIn Catalyst Sale Twitter Find My Catalyst Instagram