Revenue Builders
Revenue Builders is a weekly B2B sales podcast hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management co-founder John Kaplan. The show features interviews with sales leaders and executives, discussing best practices for scaling and growing a business, as well as pitfalls to avoid. It offers tangible takeaways and insights from experienced professionals in the sales industry.
Episodes
Selling Enterprise AI with Context, Adoption, and Measurable ROI with Daniel Simon
Enterprise AI buying has moved quickly, but durable adoption still depends on context, security, workflow fit, and measurable business impact. Daniel Simon, Enterprise Account Executive at Glean, joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to discuss what it takes to sell AI in complex enterprise environments, why multi-threading matters more when buyers are evaluating broad organizational change, and how
High LTV Isn’t Enough: The ICP Tradeoff Leaders Miss with Dan Sperring
In this today’s segment, Dan Sperring, founder and CEO of Align ICP, breaks down a mistake most revenue leaders make when defining their ideal customer profile. The instinct is to chase the highest lifetime value customers, but those segments are often the hardest to win, the slowest to close, and the first to break when the market shifts. This clip focuses on how to balance three critical factors
The Real Sale Starts After Signature | Proving Value in AI and Consumption Models with Seong Park
Consumption pricing and AI adoption are forcing revenue teams to prove value faster, with less room to hide behind contracts, pilots, or broad technical promises. Seong Park, Senior Vice President of Customer Support and Services at Cursor, joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to examine how customer success has become a consultative, technical, and commercial function in modern go-to-market. The co
Humility & The Art of Letting Go with Doug Holladay
Doug Holladay shares a powerful personal story of forgiving someone he resented for 35 years after an unexpected encounter at a college reunion, emphasizing that forgiveness is fundamentally about personal work rather than the actions of others. He discusses the distinction between forgiveness and reconciliation, stressing the importance of releasing expectations for perfect apologies and instead
How Saturday Night Live Builds Teams That Perform Under Pressure with Lindsay Shookus
High-performing teams need trust before the pressure hits. Lindsay Shookus spent 20 years at Saturday Night Live, including 10 years as a producer, where every week required a team of writers, cast members, celebrity hosts, musicians, producers, and crew to create a live show in six days. In this conversation, Lindsay joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to share what SNL taught her about building t
John McMahon on Building a Better SKO
Sales kickoffs can become expensive calendar events if leaders are not clear on what the gathering is meant to accomplish. In this Revenue Builders replay, John McMahon shares his perspective on how CEOs and CROs should think about SKOs, from motivating the sales force and aligning teams around company goals to delivering training that actually prepares reps to execute. He also explains why peer-t
The Discipline Behind Nine-Figure Deals with Stuart Gwynn
Enterprise sales breaks down when teams confuse activity with progress, champions with coaches, or product interest with business urgency. Stuart Gwynn, a top-performing enterprise seller at MongoDB, joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to unpack what separates disciplined enterprise execution from deal chasing. Drawing from his path from SDR at Pure Storage to closing the largest deal in MongoDB hi
How the Best Sellers Think Differently with Sahir Azam
Today’s episode features Sahir Azam, Partner at Index Ventures and former Chief Product Officer at MongoDB, where he helped scale Atlas into a multi-billion-dollar platform. This conversation breaks down what actually separates top enterprise sellers, from intellectual curiosity to resource orchestration, and why those traits alone aren’t enough without leadership building the right operating mode
Revenue per Employee Is the New Endgame with Alex Bilmes
Revenue leaders are under increasing pressure to grow without adding headcount at the same rate, and AI is forcing a deeper conversation about productivity, consistency, governance, and organizational design. Alex Bilmes, CEO of Endgame, joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to discuss what his team learned from analyzing more than 30,000 real AI workflows across go-to-market teams. The conversation
Why Consumption Pricing Makes Forecasting Harder with Devavrat Shah
Consumption pricing puts pressure on the forecast in places traditional SaaS models rarely exposed. Total usage may be easier to model from the CFO’s seat, but the field still has to answer harder questions: which customer, which channel, which rep, and when. In this replay segment, Devavrat Shah explains how AI can help teams learn across cohorts, spot patterns in uneven data, and create more tru
Training the Mind for High-Stakes Sales: How FOPO Hurts Executive Presence with Dr. Michael Gervais
High-stakes sales puts pressure on the mind before it tests the deal strategy. Reps and leaders have to stay present through judgment, rejection, complex stakeholders, and the weight of the number. Dr. Michael Gervais joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to unpack FOPO, the fear of other people’s opinions, and its impact on executive presence, listening, trust, and decision-making. Drawing from his
The New Standard for Sales Coaching in the AI Era with Marcy Stoudt
In this segment, Marcy Stoudt, Founder of Revel Companies, breaks down how AI is changing one of the most important responsibilities in sales leadership: coaching. This conversation focuses on a simple but critical shift. For years, managers struggled to observe real customer interactions and give meaningful feedback at scale. With AI, that constraint is gone. At the same time, leaders are dealing
How to Build a Predictable Pipeline Engine Without Sales Heroics with Greg Casale
Pipeline generation breaks down when sales organizations rely on individual performance instead of building controlled, repeatable systems. In this episode, Greg Casale shares how his background in engineering shaped a system-first approach to sales, applying principles of process control, data capture, and structured training to reduce variability and improve consistency. The conversation explore
Why Strategic Account Selling Still Comes Down to Value and Alignment with Jane Thompson
Strategic accounts expose where most sales approaches break down, especially when technical capability fails to connect to enterprise-wide value. In this replay segment, Jane Thompson unpacks what it actually takes to navigate complex, multi-division organizations, from building aligned champions to translating solutions into outcomes that matter at the board level. The conversation highlights why
How AI Is Rewriting the Sales Playbook and Raising the Bar on Human Performance with Alex Varel
AI is shifting from model development to real-world usage, exposing a new bottleneck that most sales teams are not prepared to understand or sell against. As inference speed, memory bandwidth, and infrastructure become the true differentiators, traditional software playbooks begin to break down. Alex Varel joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to unpack what it takes to sell in this new environment,
Why Pipeline Generation Fails Before the First Call with Christopher Vick
Today, a segment from our episode on pipeline generation and building a repeatable revenue system with Christopher Vik, VP EMEA at Samsara and former CRO at Leapwork. In this clip, Chris breaks down why most pipeline generation efforts fail before they even start. He explains how preparation drives conviction, why reps avoid pipeline when they lack insight, and what leaders must do to build a cult
Why Sales Execution Wins in an AI-First World with Brian McCarthy, President of Global Revenue and Field Operations at Cursor
PLG can create explosive growth, but it can also mask fundamental gaps in execution, capacity, and long-term durability. As AI-native companies scale at unprecedented speed, revenue leaders face a new tension: how to convert bottom-up adoption into enterprise value without breaking the system that fueled growth. Brian McCarthy joins to unpack how Cursor is navigating this shift, why sales executio
Why Preparation Separates Top Performers from Everyone Else with John Rowell
Preparation does not become less important as sellers gain experience. It becomes more visible as a differentiator. In this replay segment with John Rowell, he breaks down of how disciplined pre-call preparation sharpens positioning, turns cold outreach into meaningful engagement, and allows reps to stay fully present in the moment. The conversation highlights why preparation is not just about inf
Sales as the System and Why Founders Must Own the Problem with Lou Shipley
Most companies don’t fail because of product, they fail because they never build a clear, repeatable sales system around a problem that actually matters. That shows up early when founders delegate sales too soon, chase broad markets without focus, and struggle to translate technical insight into customer urgency. In this conversation, Lou Shipley brings a career spanning door-to-door selling to le
The Feature Trap: Why Enterprise Buyers Don’t Care with John Donnelly
Today, we’re revisiting a segment from our episode on selling enterprise software and connecting technical capabilities to business outcomes with John Donnelly. John is a seasoned enterprise sales leader with deep experience scaling complex sales motions across organizations like MobileIron and Kana. In this clip, he breaks down why so many sellers default to features, where discovery goes wrong,
Aligning Pipeline to Ideal Customer Profile with Dan Sperring
Most revenue teams believe they have a definedIdeal Customer profile (ICP), but the reality is far less precise, with the majority of pipeline often sitting outside the segments that actually drive retention and expansion. This disconnect creates inefficiency across marketing, sales, and customer success, and is only amplified by AI-driven outreach that scales poor targeting. Dan Sperring, founder
How Usage Signals Redefine the Sales Motion with Dan Fougere
Today, we’re revisiting a segment from our episode on Product-Led Growth and modern sales playbooks with Dan Fougere. Dan is the former Chief Revenue Officer at Datadog and former Head of Global Sales at Medallia, now advising high-growth startups. In this clip, Dan breaks down why traditional sales playbooks fail in PLG environments, and how leaders need to shift toward usage-based signals and fi
The Discipline Behind Scaling from PLG to Enterprise with Sahir Azam
High-growth companies demand constant reinvention, yet most leaders underestimate how deeply roles, go-to-market models, and buyer behavior evolve over time. This episode explores what it actually takes to adapt at that level, from navigating internal resistance to aligning product and sales with how customers truly buy. Sahir Azam brings a rare operator-to-investor perspective, unpacking the real
Why Top CROs Focus on Trends, Not Metrics with Bob Ranaldi
In today’s conversation, former Chief Revenue Officer and private equity operating partner Bob Ranaldi shares why great revenue leaders focus less on static metrics and more on the trends behind them. In this segment, Bob explains why looking at a single month of pipeline or bookings can be misleading, and why CROs and CEOs need to study the progression of key metrics over time. He also breaks dow
AI Adoption Requires Leadership Discipline, Not Just Technology with Marcy Stoudt
If you treat AI as just tech or a tool, you’re likely missing out on the true strategic benefit to your organization. Many leaders are waiting on IT, governance, or the “right stack” while competitors are already compounding gains through faster execution, better preparation, and tighter alignment. Marcy Stoudt returns to unpack why AI adoption starts with mindset, how productivity gains break wit
Why Teams Resist Without Relationships with Coach John Mosley Jr.
Today, we're sharing a segment from our episode on leadership, discipline, and relationship-building with Coach John Mosley Jr. Coach Mosley is best known for leading East Los Angeles College and for his role on Netflix’s Last Chance U, where his leadership philosophy is on full display. In this particular conversation, Coach Mosley breaks down a simple but often overlooked principle: rules withou
Pipeline Generation Is Not Broken. Your System Is with Chris Vik, VP EMEA at Samsara
Many teams are finding it harder to generate pipeline these days. Is this new pipeline reality here to stay? Generating strong pipeline is still attainable — but the winning approach has changed. Most sales teams are running highly individualized pipeline gen tactics, without the structure, preparation, or leadership discipline required to sustain it. In this replay episode, Chris Vik breaks down
Why ICP and Persona Clarity Drives Sales Performance with Eric Erston
In today’s segment with Eric Erston, longtime sales leader and CRO of RegScale, Eric shares what separates top-performing sales teams from the rest – from maintaining laser focus on metrics and success definitions, to rigorously qualifying leads based on budget, timeframe, and pain points. Eric emphasizes the critical importance of deeply understanding both the ideal customer profile and the indiv
What Great CRO-CEO Alignment Actually Looks Like with Bob Ranaldi
When the relationship between a CRO and CEO breaks down, the symptoms show up quickly in the forecast, the sales plan, and ultimately the boardroom. Strong revenue organizations avoid that trap by anchoring leadership decisions in shared data, realistic planning, and constant communication. In this replay episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon sit down with former CRO and private equity operating p
AI Superhumans in Sales with Amanda Kahlow
In today's minisode, AI pioneer and enterprise sales leader Amanda Kahlow shares why intent data as we know it is dying – and what replaces it. Amanda is the founder and CEO of 1mind. In this segment, she discusses how SI “superhumans” can operate inside live deals with access to every document and data point, and why the future of go-to-market may move toward agent-to-agent negotiation… with hum
The End of the SDR? AI and the Future of Go-to-Market with Amanda Kahlow, Founder and CEO of 1mind
Amanda Kahlow joins Revenue Builders to unpack what happens when AI stops assisting go-to-market teams and starts replacing entire functions. Drawing on her experience founding SixthSense and now leading 1mind, she explains how technology originally built for Alzheimer’s caregivers evolved into AI “superhumans” capable of running demos, qualifying buyers, building business cases, and onboarding cu
The Leadership Moment That Builds Loyalty | A Sales Leadership Lesson with Cedric Pech, MongoDB
In this minisode, Cedric Pech, President of Field Operations at MongoDB and former CRO, shares a formative leadership moment from early in his career at PTC that shaped how he thinks about building revenue organizations. He tells the story of a manager who invested in him personally before he had proven himself professionally. It is a lesson in what real leadership looks like under pressure. For C
How a French Skier Built a 2,000-Person Sales Team | Building Patriots, Not Mercenaries with Cedric Pech of MongoDB
Scaling from regional VP to global CRO is not a promotion. It is a shift from managing execution to defining meaning at scale. In this replay conversation, Cedric Pech reflects on leading a 2,000-person global sales organization at MongoDB, integrating complex routes to market, and building culture that withstands market volatility. He breaks down the difference between compensation-driven leaders
The Huddle Is More Important Than the Position | Building Winning Cultures with Brian White
In today’s minisode, Football coach and author Brian White shares essential leadership lessons on building winning cultures that apply far beyond the field. Brian breaks down why trust must flow both ways, from the individual entering a new organization and from the team itself, and reveals why assimilating into an existing culture before trying to change it is the key to lasting impact. Whether y
How to Build Sales Teams That Won't Quit When Times Get Tough | The Locker Room Strategy with Brian White, Legendary Football Coach & Author
There’s no shortcuts to a winning sales culture. When leaders compromise standards for convenience, talent, or short-term wins, they erode the very foundation that sustains performance over time. Brian White joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to unpack why elite teams are built on respect first, why trust is collective (not individual), and why commitment without conditions is the only kind that l
The Leadership Capacity Issue That Slows Growth
Today’s minisode features Carlos Delatorre as he shares two hard-earned leadership lessons that every sales leader scaling an organization needs to hear. He reflects on an early moment in his career when he learned the difference between being a top-performing rep and becoming a true manager, and why doing the work for your team might feel helpful in the moment but ultimately breaks scale. If you’
Building the Machine: The Pipeline, Metrics, and Discipline Behind 100%+ Revenue Growth with Carlos Delatorre
Climbing from individual contributor to CRO requires far more than strong execution. It demands disciplined leadership, intentional systems, and the ability to scale through complexity. In this replay episode, Carlos de la Torre joins John McMahon to unpack lessons from decades of enterprise sales leadership, including how he evaluates CRO opportunities, why complex selling environments demand sop
Why Sales Leaders Must Re-Earn the Role as Companies Scale featuring Chris Degnan
Today’s minisode features Chris Degnan, former CRO of Snowflake. In this clip, Chris explains what it really takes to grow with a company as it scales, and why earning your role does not stop once the title changes. He shares how treating every quarter like a 90-day contract, staying open to feedback, and knowing when to shift from grinding in the business to building leaders helped him navigate b
From Zero to Scale: What It Really Takes to Build a Billion-Dollar Revenue Engine with Chris Degnan, Former CRO of Snowflake
Building a company from the ground up is rarely clean, fast, or glamorous. It requires leaders who are willing to earn their role repeatedly, adapt faster than the business evolves, and stay grounded in customer reality even as pressure to scale intensifies. In this replay of one of our favorite Revenue Builders Podcast conversations, Chris Degnan shares what it actually took to help build Snowfla
Why Elite Sellers Watch Their Own Game Film
Today’s minisode features Bob Kocis, author of The President’s Club Mindset. In this clip, Bob explains what separates elite salespeople from the rest, and it’s not just about skill. It’s about the discipline of watching yourself. He breaks down how top performers review their own “game film,” recognize what’s actually happening in the deal, and make micro-adjustments that lead to macro results.If
The President’s Club Mindset | Inside the Behaviors, Beliefs, and Discipline of Elite Sales Performers with Bob Kocis
President’s Club performance is rarely about talent alone. It is built on discipline, preparation, curiosity, and the ability to lead without authority in complex, high-stakes sales environments. In this episode, Bob Kocis joins John McMahon and John Kaplan to unpack what truly separates perennial President’s Club winners from the rest of the field. Drawing on decades of enterprise sales leadershi
How Great Leaders Turn Resistance Into Rapid Growth
In this episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon sit down with Jeremy Duggan, President of Multiverse, to talk about a tension every manager feels: how do you genuinely care about your people while still holding them accountable? They dig into a real story of a high-potential rep who wasn’t thrilled about a big quota increase—and what it took to turn resistance into growth. Along the way, they break
Managing vs. Leading: What Separates Great Leaders from Great Managers with Jeremy Duggan
Managing people and leading them are often treated as the same skill, but the gap between the two is where many organizations stall. In this replay episode, Jeremy Duggan joins the conversation to explore one of the most critical distinctions in business leadership: the difference between driving results and developing people. Drawing on real-world experience scaling multiple companies to billion-
Stop Selling to the Wrong Customers | The Science of Scaling Your ICP with Mark Roberge
In this episode, Mark Roberge, author of the upcoming book The Science of Scaling, breaks down why so many companies fail to evolve their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) despite changing market conditions—and reveals the surprising truth: it's emotional decision-making, not data, holding them back. Discover the game-changing "green, yellow, red" framework that separates truly ideal customers (those w
Designing Systems That Scale with Mark Roberge, Founding CRO of HubSpot
Scaling often looks like momentum on the surface: more pipeline, more headcount, more pressure from boards and capital. But underneath? Many leaders feel the strain of decisions moving faster than their systems can support. In this conversation, Mark Roberge sits down to unpack why scaling is not a milestone, but a system that must be intentionally designed and continuously recalibrated. Drawing o
Forgiveness as a Leadership Advantage with Doug Holladay, Author of Rethinking Success
In this episode of the Revenue Builders podcast, returning guest Doug Holladay joins the show to explore why forgiveness is not just a personal virtue, but a critical leadership skill. Drawing from Doug’s book Rethinking Success and decades of leadership experience, the conversation reframes forgiveness as a way to reclaim mental bandwidth, build trust-driven cultures, and prevent resentment from
Here's to 2026!
Don't miss these resources from Force Management: Read the Guide on Six Critical Priorities for Revenue Leadership in 2026: https://hubs.li/Q03JN74V0Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0
Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sal
Scaling and Selling with Brian Halligan
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, HubSpot co-founder Brian Halligan pulls back the curtain on the uncomfortable truth of scaling: there is no magic inflection point—only relentless progress, painful setbacks, and self-inflicted potholes. Brian shares how HubSpot embraced a “Pothole Report” mindset to identify unforced errors before they became existential threats, why most sca
Comp Plans for Consumption-based Businesses
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Jose Fernandez — former Head of Global Sales Development at Google and now CEO of Easy Comp — breaks down how compensation must evolve when companies shift from traditional SaaS licensing to consumption-based models. Drawing from his experience at Google Ads, one of the most successful consumption engines in busi
Helping People Thrive in Your Organization
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Susan Lucia Annunzio, author and CEO of the Center for High Performance. Backed by the world’s first global quantitative study on accelerated growth, Lucia reveals the single biggest differentiator of companies that grow profitably over the long term: how they treat their people.She introduces the concept of Retu
Success Doesn't Happen in Isolation
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Dean Otto, a top-performing enterprise sales rep whose life changed in an instant after being struck by a vehicle while cycling. Given a 2% chance of ever walking again, Dean went on to run a half-marathon just one year later—alongside the man who hit him and the neurosurgeon who operated on him.Through forgivene
Thank you Leave Us a Review
Thank you for being part of the Revenue Builders community! We’re grateful for your support and feedback, which helps us deliver the content you love. If you enjoy the show, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review—it truly makes a difference. Here’s to finishing the year strong!Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0Read the Guide
Rewind: Leading Authentically with Doug Holladay
In this special Revenue Builders Rewind episode, we revisit our powerful first conversation with Doug Holladay, CEO & founder of PathNorth and author of Rethinking Success: Eight Essential Practices for Finding Meaning in Work and Life. Doug shares his unconventional career journey and explores his philosophy on leadership, purpose, and living a more intentional life.The discussion dives into the
Avoiding Burnout with Marcy Stoudt
In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we talk burnout with Marcy Stoudt, CEO and co-founder of Revel Coach. Marcy helps leaders avoid burnout and become their best selves without sacrificing success in either area. In this segment, she covers a few tips for avoiding burnout.KEY TAKEAWAYS[00:00:27] Burnout affects individuals beyond just moms, particularly leaders who lose perspe
The Power of Belief with Dean Otto
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our host John Kaplan is joined by Dean Otto, an endurance athlete with a background in senior strategic global account sales. Dean shares his journey of recovery after a near-fatal cycling accident that left him with a 2% chance of ever walking again. His incredible story is a testament to the power of resilience and purpose, from overcoming immense
Building PLG Playbooks with Dan Fougere
In this segment, Dan Fougere breaks down how Product-Led Growth (PLG) fundamentally changes the traditional sales playbook. Drawing from his experience at Datadog and advising startups, he explains that PLG companies must rethink how they engage prospects—especially when users begin interacting with the product before any formal sales conversation.Dan emphasizes the importance of usage signals—suc
Leading from the Front: Building Credibility at your SKO
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon dive deep into the world of Sales Kickoff (SKO) events. They discuss the critical importance of aligning SKO content with sales rep needs, emphasizing that it should be more than just an event—it should be a holistic process aimed at motivating and educating the sales force. The conversation covers the signific
Scaling Sales at a Startup with Chris Reisig
In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast hosted by John McMahon and John Kaplan, Chris Reising, a five-time Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) with extensive experience in scaling sales at early-stage tech companies, shares invaluable insights into the challenges and strategies involved in scaling sales functions for startups. From finding product-market fit to hiring the right sales reps and unde
Creating Adaptive Sales Playbooks with Dan Fougere
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Dan Fougere, a venture partner at Index Ventures and former CRO of Datadog. Dan shares insights from his extensive sales career, emphasizing the importance of developing adaptive and context-specific sales playbooks. He discusses the evolution of PLG (Product-Led Growth) strategies, the integratio
Owning the Recruiting Process with Andy Price
In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Andy Price from Artisanal Ventures and Artisanal Talent. With over 30 years of experience in the recruiting industry, Andy shares valuable insights on why it's crucial for sales leaders to own the recruiting process. The discussion delves into the pitfalls of delegating recruitment to HR, the import
Leadership, Generational Insights, and the Power of People with Susan Lucia Annunzio
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Susan Lucia Annunzio, the “CEO Whisperer” and President of the Center for High Performance. With over 25 years of expertise in leadership and organizational culture, Lucia shares her insights on fostering sustainable growth by treating people well, the importance of leveraging brain power, and the
Champions and a Bias for Action with Richard Rivera
In this episode of The Revenue Builders Podcast, join hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan as they explore the multifaceted world of sales champions with veteran sales leader and author Richard Rivera. Discover the nuances of champion dynamics, including the often-overlooked aspect of bias for action. Rivera breaks down the four champion tendencies—Complacent, Teaser, Protector, and Transformer—reve
Driving Sales Behavior with Effective Compensation Plans with Jose Fernandez
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon dive into the intricacies of sales compensation plans with special guest Jose Fernandez, co-founder of Easy Comp. The discussion covers the primary purpose of sales compensation plans, the impact of incentives on sales behavior, and various strategies for aligning sales incentives with company goals. Jose share
The Negativity Bias with Pouli
In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan dive deep into the concept of negativity bias and its impact on sales performance. Joined by Jim “Pouli” Pouliopoulos, a seasoned sales management facilitator and author of "How to Be A Well-Being," the conversation explores the roots of negativity bias, its evolutionary significance, and practical strategies to
The Power of Gratitude: An In-Depth Discussion with J. Douglas Holladay
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon welcome back J. Douglas Holladay, Founder & CEO at PathNorth, to discuss his book, 'Rethinking Success' focusing on the chapter on gratitude. Doug shares his insights on the profound impact of gratitude on personal and professional life. The conversation delves into the science behind gratitude, practical steps
Preparing for the EB Meeting with Anne Gary
In this curated episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan go on a deep dive with industry expert Anne Gary as they explore the essential steps in preparing for the Economic Buyer meeting. Ann shares valuable insights on how salespeople can differentiate themselves, become true business partners, and align their solutions with both corporate and individual objectives.KEY
Resilience in Sales Leadership: Steve Garraty's Journey from Cancer Survivor to Successful Leader
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Steve Garraty, a tech sales leader and author who shares his inspiring journey from a troubled teen diagnosed with cancer to a successful career in sales leadership. Steve delves into his incredible story of resilience, how he overcame a devastating cancer diagnosis at 18, and how this battle shap
Intention and Delegation with Tom Heiser
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Tom Heiser to explore the true meaning of empowerment, accountability, and intent in leadership. From the dangers of “pocket vetoes” to the military-inspired concept of Commander's Intent, this discussion unpacks how transformational leaders create environments where teams thrive. Listeners will gain
Navigating Energy Challenges and Innovations with Carl Coe
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by Carl Coe, Chief of Staff for the US Secretary of Energy. Carl shares his impressive career journey, from his initial sales role at PTC to his current influential government position. The conversation covers the urgency of addressing the United States' power capacity, the role of nuclear and renewa
Building an Operational Cadence with Meghan Gill
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Meghan Gill, who spent 17 years scaling MongoDB. Meghan shares her approach to building credibility in sales operations, enabling leaders to think with a business mindset, and creating a management operating rhythm that empowers organizations to scale effectively. From fixing broken reporting to estab
Scaling Success: Revenue Growth and AI in Sales with John Schoenstein
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon are joined by John Schoenstein, the CRO of Customer.io. The discussion dives into Schoenstein's extensive experience in scaling companies from startup stages to large enterprises, touching on key topics like repeatable revenue systems, the importance of talent, and sales rep productivity. The conversation also
Breaking Down the Critical Role of a Manager with Scott Rudy
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan dive deep into one of the most important and most overlooked drivers of organizational growth: the roles of first and second line managers. Joined by Scott Rudy, CRO at Zywave, the conversation unpacks why these leadership levels are vital to sales success, where companies often blur responsibilities, and how to bu
Mission Driven Leadership with Mike Hayes
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, our hosts John Kaplan and John McMahon welcome back Mike Hayes, former Navy SEAL and current sales leader at Insight Partners. They discuss Mike’s new book, Mission Driven: The Path to a Life of Purpose, and how its lessons apply to sales success and leadership. Mike emphasizes the importance of rooting your work in alignment with personal values an
Everyone Has a Story with Doug Holladay
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, John McMahon and John Kaplan share a thought-provoking segment with Doug Holliday, author of Rethinking Success: Eight Essential Practices for Finding Meaning in Work and Life. Doug explores the significance of vulnerability, owning your story, and fostering authentic communication in leadership and relationships. Learn how asking the right qu
A Masterclass in Closing Big Deals with Steve Waugh
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Steve Waugh, a legendary enterprise software salesperson. Steve shares his journey from starting at IT resellers to executing some of the largest deals in enterprise software at companies like Blade Logic, BMC, and Medallia. He outlines strategies for identifying champions and detractors, the importan
Demonstrating Opportunity with Your SKO
The best sales kickoffs are planned in a way that aligns with the company’s strategic goals and sets your revenue teams up to execute successfully. In this segment, John Kaplan and John McMahon talk through the importance of demonstrating the opportunity your company is providing your revenue teams and why committing their time to your organization is going to be worth it. Force Management’s Sales
Scaling Sales Operations with Meghan Gill
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Meghan Gill to discuss the pivotal role of sales operations in scaling a company from $100 million to a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Drawing on her 15 years at MongoDB, Megan shares valuable insights on evolving RevOps functions, the complexities of comp planning, the integration of AI in sales, a
Conscious Leadership and Coaching with Kara Gilbert
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, Kara Gilbert, executive coach, startup advisor, and former Chief People Officer at Turbonomic, unpacks the transformative role of coaching—not as a remedial tool, but as an accelerator for growth, leadership, and personal clarity.She explains how elite performers unlock their potential by pausing, reflecting, and holding themselves accountable
Empowering Leadership: Persistence, Adaptability, and Self-Awareness with Tom Heiser
In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Tom Heiser, a distinguished technology chairman, CEO, and board director with extensive leadership experience. The episode delves into Heiser's career journey from a sales trainee at EMC Corporation to leadership roles in multiple private equity-backed companies. Key topics discussed include the impor
Listening, Engaging and Winning with John True
In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with John True, General Partner at Cultivation Capital, to explore the critical role of emotional intelligence (EQ) in sales leadership. From reading the room to eliminating partial listening, John shares insights on why understanding personal and professional wins is as important as the deal itself. He reveals why ac
