"Sarah" was booked solid and struggling to make payroll.She runs a business consulting firm — about $2 million a year, six people. Every piece of business came through a referral or an introduction, and she was proud of that. She'd never had to "sell" a day in her life.She was also exhausted, and...

I didn't know I loved planting flowers until we moved into a house that came with flower boxes. That first year of planting season, I agonized over what to plant where, convinced there was a "right way" to do it, and that all the spaces needed to be filled at the beginning (not realizing the gro...

It's halftime of your business year. Six months down, six to go. So here's the only question that matters this week: based on the first half, are you the Spurs or the Knicks? If you watched any of the NBA Finals, you already know why that question isn't rhetorical. Imagine you’re on the road, ...

This week I kicked off a new Sales Growth Sprint with a group of professional services founders—speakers, consultants, advisors. All seasoned professionals and successful. Different businesses. Same core struggle. When I asked what they wanted five weeks from now, the answers were familiar: A...

Over the holidays—during what we now know was the calm before the storm—I watched a series called The Playbook: A Coach’s Rules for Life. One of the coaches featured was Doc Rivers, reflecting on the 2008 Boston Celtics championship. A team that hadn’t won in 22 years. A team stacked with talent...

There was a time when being underestimated was my edge. My sales manager leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, with that look—the one that said he was about to enjoy this. "You can't close that account. And there's no way you're hitting that number. You're a girl." He came from a family of si...

Last week, I said goodbye to Lyle. Sixteen years old, ten of them with us. A rescue dog who chose us as his second home and spent a decade teaching me more about life and business than I ever expected from a Westie with a persistent bark and an even more persistent heart. For years, I resisted g...

There's nothing like a gathering of good friends to lift you up and add perspective. Radio brought us together. Friendship has kept us together for 30 years. We used to see each other daily, hear each other's phone conversations, cheer each other on, console one another in the low moments. We've ...

An organic pest control salesman knocked on my door last week, working the neighborhood. I hadn't heard of his company, but he was engaging enough that I let him deliver his pitch. Having sold books door-to-door one college summer 30 years ago—and spending a lifetime in sales since—I had empathy ...

  Season 3, Episode 10 SUMMARY Whether or not you want to admit it, you're in sales. It's not just a profession or title description. Anyone who introduces themselves, interacts with others, persuades and influences...is in sales. There is a lot of resistance and declaration of not wanti...