Sales Uprising: How to Sell Without Feeling Pushy or Gross With Katie Nelson

Welcome back to Small Business Pivots, the podcast created for small business owners who want real conversations, real lessons, and real growth.

In this episode, host Michael Morrison sits down with Katie Nelson, CEO of Sales Uprising and a serial entrepreneur on her third business journey.

Katie is on a mission to help business owners stop hating sales — and start seeing it for what it really is: a human conversation that fuels business growth.

Together, Michael and Katie dive deep into:

• Why sales feels “icky” for so many business owners — and how to change that mindset
• The real difference between sales vs. marketing (and why confusing the two hurts growth)
• Why sales is the most human function in any business
• How to simplify funnels, pipelines, and CRMs without overcomplicating them
• Why your clients already have the answers to your best messaging
• How to build a simple sales process that actually works
• When to keep things simple — and when systems matter
• Why pivots aren’t failures, but necessary iterations for long-term success

Katie also shares powerful insights from her early days in sales, lessons learned from growing businesses to multi-million-dollar run rates, and practical advice for business owners who want to work on their business — not just in it.

If you’re a small business owner who struggles with sales, avoids it altogether, or wants a simpler, more authentic approach — this episode will change how you think about selling.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another business owner who needs to hear it.

Timestamps (Short)

00:00 — Meet Katie Nelson & Sales Uprising
02:20 — Why sales feels “icky” for business owners
06:45 — Katie’s first sales job at 15 (and what it taught her)
12:10 — Why sales hasn’t really changed over time
16:40 — Sales vs. marketing: the real difference
23:05 — Why sales should come before branding
29:30 — Asking clients for messaging (the golden nugget)
35:20 — Simplifying funnels, pipelines & CRMs
43:10 — How many sales stages do you really need?
49:55 — Working on your business vs in it
56:30 — Pivots, iterations & long-term growth
01:02:15 — Sales playbooks, scripts & keeping it human
01:09:40 — Best beginner sales books
01:13:30 — Final mindset takeaway for entrepreneurs

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