What separates good sales teams from true market leaders? In this episode, Dana Therrien breaks down the three levers most companies get wrong—visibility, incentives, and coaching—and shows how to transform them into engines of growth. From building a performance intelligence layer that empowers reps, to stripping compensation plans down to what really drives behavior.

We also explore what humane leadership looks like: coaching forward instead of weaponizing tools, mentoring as stewardship rather than content dumps, and building cultures marked by humor, candor, and trust. This conversation is packed with lessons from military leadership and revenue operations, this is a roadmap for leaders ready to elevate their teams with clear data, fair pay, and integrity-first coaching.

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.

When was the last time you examined where you're focusing your coaching efforts as a sales leader? If you're like most of us, you're probably gravitating toward your superstars or your struggling performers—but as Angela Baker reveals, that's leaving your biggest opportunity untapped.

Angela Baker, VP of Sales at Perceptix, shares a transformative framework that's reshaping how forward-thinking sales leaders approach team development. The 70-20-10 model suggests that while we naturally gravitate toward top performers (20%) or struggling reps (10%), the real magic happens when we concentrate on developing the middle performers (70%) who have untapped potential.

Other Key Takeaways:

• More reps doesn't equal more pipeline - scale your sales team slowly and ensure current reps are hitting targets before expanding
• Consistent prospecting is critical - reps must take ownership of building their own pipeline rather than relying solely on inbound leads
• Preventing burnout requires embedding wellness into daily work routines, especially for remote teams
• Leadership development should include identifying future leaders and creating opportunities for them to mentor others

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.

John Matthews, VP of Sales at Buxton, shares powerful insights on leadership during challenging times and the evolution of corporate culture in today's rapidly changing business environment. His approach to leadership centers on empathy, transparency, and standing beside his team rather than in front of or behind them.

Highlights:
• True leadership is tested during tough times, not when everything is going well
• Leaders must balance empathy with expectations of excellence from their teams
• Modern leadership requires significantly more communication and transparency than in the past
• Feedback should be direct but delivered with appropriate tonality and genuine care
• Young employees aren't fundamentally different - they want clear expectations and meaningful opportunities to grow
• AI will enhance sales efficiency but won't replace the human element that customers still crave
• Communication is the cornerstone of effective leadership both professionally and personally

Just remember, no one's perfect, so try to get better 1% every single day.

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.

Zachary Konopka, Chief Revenue Officer of CloudLayerAI and executive advisor for Bohemix, shares insights on implementing AI in enterprise organizations while building high-performing remote sales teams through purposeful collaboration and transparent leadership.

Highlights:

• From living in Rome to establishing offices in New York, Zachary's diverse career spans over a decade in remote technology sales leadership
• Organizations can save 30-40% on cloud costs through optimization tools
• Implementation should start with solving specific problems in one business unit before expanding, using a crawl-walk-run approach
• Building remote team culture requires purposeful effort
• True collaboration stems from curiosity about colleagues' work and genuine interest in their perspectives
• Work-life balance is essential for preventing burnout
• Effective leadership means setting guardrails rather than rigid rules
• Transparency must flow both top-down and bottom-up for organizations to learn and grow effectively

"We don't live to work, we work to live" – remember what matters most at the end of the day.

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.

Bruno Bilardo, VP of Sales at US Media, shares his extensive experience leading sales teams across Latin America and North America with insights on cultural adaptation and effective leadership techniques. His approach focuses on understanding individual team members, building trust through transparency, and fostering collaboration rather than unhealthy competition.

Highlights:

• Recognizing cultural nuances is crucial when managing international teams
• Latin American business culture, building personal relationships precedes business discussions
• Hands-on leadership establishes credibility
• Getting to know team members personally helps identify their strengths, weaknesses, and motivations
• Mental safety and transparency create stronger team performance
• Collaboration should be prioritized
• Old-school pressure tactics damage performance and lead to poor business decisions

Listen to Elements of Culture podcast for more conversations exploring the DNA of thriving organizations.

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.

In this episode, we talk with Arush Lakhani, VP of Sales & Revenue at CloudlEagle.ai, about what it takes to lead high-performing sales teams in today’s tech-driven landscape. From using AI to eliminate busywork to building cultures rooted in psychological safety, Arush shares real-world strategies for scaling leadership and team success.

Highlights:

• How breaking down goals into daily actions drives clarity and results
• Why psychological safety is a non-negotiable for sales teams
• AI tools saving reps up to 70% of their time
• Creating motivation through activity-based recognition
• The role of modeling behavior in leadership development
• Balancing ambition with cultural health in high-growth teams

This episode is a must-listen for sales leaders, founders, and anyone scaling a team in the AI age.

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.

Mitchell Miles and Bee Miles share their expertise and NeWell's approach on modern sales strategies, explaining that what happens off the call is more important than what happens during a sales call. He describes sales as 80% soft skills and 20% hard skills, emphasizing the importance of permission-based selling in today's market where people love to buy but hate being sold to.

• Sales requires a neutral frame where customers don't feel like they're in a sales process
• Permission-based sales language removes sales resistance
• Successful salespeople avoid excessive enthusiasm and rushing through objections
• Sales is fundamentally about leadership - guiding people to make decisions outside their comfort zone
• Mitchell shares his own personal journey from social anxiety to sales success through identity transformation
• NeWell's unique approach to holistic leadership and wellness
• The "I'm Not Enough" book explores Mitchell's personal transformation through addressing mind, body, and spirit

Check out free resources at NeWell.io including an employee turnover calculator, corporate wellness guide, and culture fix guide to help transform any business.

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.

Hear from Mitchell Miles and Bee Miles from NeWell on how company culture affects employee retention, performance, and organizational health beyond just attrition metrics. Deteriorating culture often manifests as departmental silos, internal politics, excessive bureaucracy, and toxic gossip before employees actually leave.

• The fundamental disconnect where executives have authority but lack context while frontline employees have context but lack decision-making power
• A great onboarding experience in the first 90 days dramatically increases the likelihood employees will stay for 3+ years
• Effective onboarding should include company-wide cultural elements, not just role-specific training
• Creating a shared company story and decision-making framework empowers employees while maintaining cultural alignment
• Leadership changes often drive the most significant cultural shifts, either positively or negatively
• The future workplace requires adaptability as younger generations value autonomy and personal development

If you want to improve your company culture, start by evaluating your hiring process, enhancing your onboarding experience, and pushing decision-making power to the lowest appropriate levels in your organization.

Join us weekly as we dig into the real stories behind work culture transformation.

Not theory. Not fluff. Just honest conversations with leaders and innovators who've been in the trenches.