In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Tony Marino, Senior Advisor at Fiserv and executive coach to high-performing leaders. The discussion dives deep into the non-negotiable role of physical and mental wellness in leadership. From billion-dollar responsibilities to 30,000-person teams, Marino explains why sustaining peak performance demands the same discipline as elite athletes. Whether you're leading a company, a team, or just striving to stay on top of your game, this episode will challenge your excuses and inspire a new mindset.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:48] Big Leadership = Big Stress
Leaders often oversee billions in revenue or tens of thousands of people—making personal wellness crucial.

[00:01:32] Corporate Athletes are the New Standard
Executive performance hinges on diet, sleep, exercise, and stress management

[00:02:25] One or Two Hours a Day for You
Marino's rule: If you’re not carving out personal time daily, you’re cheating yourself—and your team.

[00:03:38] You Can't Lead Others If You’re Off Balance
When leaders neglect self-care, it shows up in decision-making, temperament, and team performance.

[00:04:45] Success Requires Pattern Recognition
Great leaders recognize the signs of burnout early and act fast to recalibrate.

[00:05:34] "If I Just Had More Time" Is a Trap
Most leaders don’t lack knowledge—they lack deliberate time management.

[00:06:23] Join the 6% Club
Referencing Michelle Rosen’s book, Marino explains why only 6% stick with goals—and how to be one of them.

[00:07:19] Discipline and Planning are Everything
Plan your day with intent. Success isn’t about hustle; it’s about preparation.

QUOTES

[00:01:58] “You need to be a corporate athlete if you’re going to succeed in these big, tough jobs.”

[00:02:25] “If you’re not giving yourself one or two hours a day, you’re cheating yourself.”

[00:03:38] “You can’t take care of your team if you can’t take care of yourself.”

[00:04:45] “The most successful people I’ve met know themselves really, really well.”

[00:05:34] “The most common sentence I’ve heard from leaders is, ‘If I just had more time…’”

[00:07:44] “The key is being deliberate and planful. That’s how you become part of the 6% club.”

Listen to the full conversation through the link below.
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/embracing-the-work-of-resilient-leadership-with-tony-marino

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox:
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Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here:
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Matt Maloney, SVP of Global Sales at Fireblocks. The discussion dives deep into Matt's background in B2B sales, his journey into the world of cryptocurrency, and how Fireblocks is revolutionizing blockchain security. Matt shares insights on the importance of adaptable, coachable sales teams and the application of traditional sales disciplines to new and emerging markets. The conversation also touches on strategic decision-making when entering new markets, the relevance of a strong ideal customer profile, and how foundational sales processes like MEDDPICC contribute to scaling success. The episode concludes with a nod to the influential book 'Inside the Tornado' by Geoffrey Moore and its relevance to Fireblocks' strategy.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn more about Matt Maloney:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-maloney-75698/

Read Force Management’s Guide to Embedding AI In Your B2B Sales Organization: https://hubs.li/Q03ldrzD0

Download the CRO Strategy Checklist: https://hubs.li/Q03f8LmX0

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:02:13] Matt Maloney's Journey into Crypto
[00:02:55] Understanding Fireblocks and Blockchain
[00:06:36] The Role of Stablecoins
[00:10:28] Security Challenges in Crypto
[00:23:18] Adapting Traditional Sales Disciplines to Emerging Markets
[00:34:44] Mitigating Risk in Emerging Markets
[00:35:07] The Importance of Continuous Development
[00:37:11] Building Trust and Credibility
[00:38:07] Characteristics of Successful Salespeople
[00:39:41] Company Responsibility in Employee Development
[00:41:02] Aligning Company Goals with Sales Strategies
[00:46:05] Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome
[00:48:36] The Role of Ideal Customer Profiles
[00:49:43] Lessons from Mentorship and Experience
[00:58:00] The Innovator's Journey

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

"Your job is to figure out hitting the number and making sure you're calibrating your resources, that you hit the number, because that's foundation to our jobs as sales leaders."

"If you can be part of a disruptive movement... it could be game-changing."

"You need people that are coachable that will take the time to listen and learn about what this market is."

In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Marcello Gallo, CRO at Sigma Computing, tackling one of the most critical and misunderstood phases of complex enterprise sales: procurement. They dissect the challenges of "separation of church and state," the pitfalls of weak champions, and the importance of owning the final stretch of the sales cycle with confidence, conviction, and clarity of value.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:25] Understand “Separation of Church and State”: Champions often step back during procurement. Plan for it, but don’t surrender the deal.
[00:01:33] “Participate in Your Own Rescue”: Teach champions to fight for the value they believe in—even through procurement.
[00:03:15] Extreme Ownership is Non-Negotiable: Blaming procurement delays is a weak excuse. Elite sellers own the entire process.
[00:04:00] Know the Negative Consequences: It’s not just about the pain — it’s about what happens if the problem doesn’t get solved now.
[00:05:54] True Champions Have Power and Influence: They actively sell on your behalf and are invested in your success. Anything less is not a real champion
[00:06:38] Elite Sellers Multiply Champion Power: The best reps elevate their champions inside the account. It’s not seller vs. buyer—it’s a partnership.

QUOTES

[00:01:54] “You can’t get alligator arms during procurement. If this is what you want delivered, you have to participate in your own rescue.”
[00:03:35] “Extreme ownership means the deal is yours. No excuses. If procurement’s dragging, you didn't plan it right.”
[00:04:59] “Without understanding the negative consequences, you can’t drive urgency — and urgency drives deals.”
[00:05:54] “A true champion has power and influence, is actively selling on your behalf, and has a vested interest in your success.
[00:07:02] “If a rep’s saying, ‘It’s us versus them,’ you’re in trouble. It means you never had a real champion to begin with.”

Listen to the full conversation through the link below.
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/scaling-high-growth-companies-with-marcello-gallo

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox:
https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here:
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by George Mogannam, CRO at Celigo. George shares insights from his extensive experience in scaling high-growth businesses and leading world-class sales organizations. The discussion delves into the common challenges startups face as they grow, highlighting the importance of establishing the right hiring profiles, formal onboarding and training, key performance indicators (KPIs), and an operating rhythm to drive sustainable growth. The episode offers practical advice for CROs on building high-performing revenue teams, ensuring effective communication, and integrating sales processes across various departments to maintain a competitive edge in today's market. George emphasizes the need for continuous enablement, cultural cohesion, and the pivotal role of the CRO in fostering an accountable and disciplined sales environment.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn more about George Mogannam:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgemogannam/

Read Force Management’s Guide to Embedding AI In Your B2B Sales Organization: https://hubs.li/Q03ldrzD0

Download the CRO Strategy Checklist: https://hubs.li/Q03f8LmX0

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT
[00:02:05] The Importance of Process in Scaling Startups
[00:02:40] Common Challenges in Sales Organizations
[00:03:43] Hiring the Right Salespeople
[00:04:46] The Role of Sales Enablement
[00:06:53] Defining Sales Terminology
[00:09:11] Adapting Hiring Profiles for Growth
[00:23:44] Onboarding and Training New Hires
[00:32:03] Leveraging Tools and Metrics for Success
[00:37:59] Understanding the Five Quarter Report
[00:40:06] Implementing Sales Disciplines Across Departments
[00:44:15] The Role of the CRO in Organizational Growth
[00:48:26] The Importance of Operating Rhythms
[00:52:44] Challenges in Sales Processes and Technology
[00:57:02] The Impact of Remote Work on Sales Teams
[01:00:00] The Criticality of Efficient Hiring Processes

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

"When you implement these disciplines, it helps pull the rest of the company along."

"You must have the right people on the bus executing in the direction we need to go."

"A common language and definitions become critical as part of the enablement."

"Everybody loves to be in an environment where they can be led to a place they couldn't get to on their own."

"Creating a hiring profile that evolves with the company is essential; what works at one stage may not work at another."

"It's critical to have the tools and metrics in place to provide direction and identify gaps in the sales process."

In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with John Rowell, co-founder of Pinned Golf and a former enterprise sales leader, to explore the timeless value of preparation in both sales and entrepreneurship. Rowell breaks down how his enterprise sales discipline shaped his startup success, sharing tactical wisdom on transforming cold calls into warm connections, creating repeatable processes, and winning buyer trust from the very first interaction. Whether you’re a rep, a sales leader, or a founder, this is a playbook for showing up like a pro.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:44] Preparation Builds Confidence: Rowell shares how structured pre-call prep creates clarity and control in high-stakes sales interactions.
[00:01:06] Hypothesize Before You Call: Great reps make educated assumptions about the buyer’s needs before they ever get on the phone.
[00:02:21] Preparation Is the Message: How you prep shows who you are and how you'll show up for the customer.
[00:02:57] Cold Calls Shouldn’t Be Cold: Transform outreach by researching industries, personas, and proof points before dialing.
[00:04:09] Sales Is a High-Performance Sport: Like elite athletes, the best reps obsessively prepare to perform at their peak.
[00:05:31] Preparation Builds Trust Early: First impressions matter—showing up prepared signals reliability.
[00:06:24] Presence Over Performance: When you're prepped, you can truly listen and be present instead of trying to sound “interesting.
[00:07:29] Process Equals Speed: Rowell unpacks how process-driven sales teams outpace the competition by removing guesswork and bottlenecks
[00:08:34] Apply Process to Entrepreneurship: From startup KPIs to sales funnels, the mindset of structure translates directly to building a business.

QUOTES

[00:00:44] “Process equals speed. If you can build what you're gonna do every day into a defined process, you're gonna move faster.”
[00:01:46] “I saw 50-year-old President’s Club winners still taking time to read 10-Ks before calls. That prep never stops being valuable.”
[00:02:57] “They shouldn't be cold calls. They should be warm calls because you should figure out ways to make them warm.
[00:04:09] “If you're an enterprise rep, that’s your NFL. You should be prepping like Patrick Mahomes watches film.
[00:05:55] “Preparation allows you to be present, not scrambling to sound interesting.
[00:06:45] “When you’re prepared, you’re not performing. You’re just being yourself—and that’s when trust is built.
[00:08:34] “Dialing in a process and measuring success—whether in sales or startups—gives you repeatable wins.”

Listen to the full conversation through the link below.
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/pinned-golf-making-the-shift-from-sales-to-entrepreneurship

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox:
https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC4

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here:
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Tony Marino, a senior advisor and executive coach with a storied career as CHRO for major global companies like Fiserv. The discussion revolves around the critical aspects of corporate leadership, the parallels between athletics and business, and the importance of maintaining physical and mental well-being for optimal performance. Marino introduces the concept of 'five-tool players' in a corporate context, emphasizing the need for well-rounded leaders proficient in six key areas: financial and business acumen, client focus, people and team leadership, risk and controls, operational excellence, and innovation. The episode also covers practical strategies for establishing priorities, key lessons from transformative sales effectiveness initiatives, and the impact of habits and routines on leadership success.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn more about Anthony Marino:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-s-marino-94a6476/

Read Force Management’s Guide to Embedding AI In Your B2B Sales Organization: https://hubs.li/Q03ldrzD0

Download the CRO Strategy Checklist: https://hubs.li/Q03f8LmX0

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10x

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:01:59] Corporate Athlete: Balancing Leadership and Well-being
[00:04:13] Transferable Lessons from Athletics to Business
[00:06:31] The Importance of Physical and Mental Health for Leaders
[00:09:56] Setting and Achieving Goals: The 6% Club
[00:12:34] Prioritizing and Managing Time Effectively
[00:28:11] Real-life Examples and Practical Advice
[00:33:54] The Importance of Operating Rhythm in Corporations
[00:35:43] Predictable Management Routines for Leaders
[00:38:18] Understanding the Concept of Five Tool Players
[00:40:17] Six Key Traits of Successful Leaders
[00:47:49] The Role of Feedback and Coachability
[00:51:07] Identifying Team Archetypes
[00:59:36] The Impact of Sales Effectiveness on Company Success

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

"The greatest leaders are well-rounded, like five tool players."

"If you don’t take care of yourself, you lose perspective."

"The best leaders I've ever met are self-aware."

"Every leader should evaluate all the activities on their desk regularly to ensure they are adding value."

"Sales productivity should be the number one metric for any company."

In this short segment of the Revenue Builders Podcast, we revisit the discussion with Matt Nolan, CRO of Redwood Software, to discuss what it really takes to scale a revenue organization beyond the $200M mark. Matt shares what he’s learned stepping into the CRO role—shifting from deal-maker to system-builder, navigating cultural integration post-acquisition, managing board dynamics, and building trust through authentic leadership. If you're a sales leader, aspiring CRO, or operating in a private equity-backed company, this candid conversation is loaded with actionable insights.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[00:00:30] The shift from deal involvement to systems thinking as a CRO
[00:01:40] Navigating complexity: PLG, SLG, and assisted motions in one org
[00:02:15] Tackling organizational friction points no one else can move
[00:03:00] Building credibility with a board that has a different go-to-market background
[00:03:45] The challenge of balancing learning vs. initiating change as a new leader
[00:05:00] Why being authentically yourself is the best leadership strategy
[00:06:15] How to build trust without gutting legacy teams
[00:06:45] Culture wins: no account conflicts, cross-region harmony, and shared mission
[00:07:15] Going from “best kept secret” to magic quadrant leader

QUOTES

[00:01:45] “My job is to go turn all the ‘what's not working’ into ‘what's working.’”
[00:02:10] “There are some rocks in the business that only the CRO can move."
[00:03:05] “You’ve got to earn trust to make big moves—especially when your vision differs from the board’s.”
[00:05:00] “The only way to do it is to be yourself—even if that means being more open than most."
[00:06:50] “I’m proud of a very corny thing: no account conflict has ever escalated to me in three years.
[00:07:00] “We were the best kept secret in software—now we’re in the magic quadrant.”

Listen to the full conversation through the link below:
https://revenue-builders.simplecast.com/episodes/navigating-the-cro-role-while-building-a-great-culture-with-matt-nolan

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox:
https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

Check out John McMahon’s book here:
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/1K7DDC

Check out Force Management’s Ascender platform here:
https://my.ascender.co/Ascender/

Force Management is hiring for a Sales Director. Apply here: https://hubs.li/Q02Zb8WG0

Read Force Management's eBook: https://www.forcemanagement.com/roi-of-sales-messaging

In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Marcello Gallo, Chief Revenue Officer at Sigma Computing. The discussion dives into Marcello's extensive experience in enterprise sales leadership, including his non-traditional path, lessons from leading roles at various companies, and the importance of structure, mentorship, and continuous learning. Marcello shares valuable insights on transitioning from technical roles to sales, territory management, and the significance of aligning with customer needs to drive value. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of having a growth mindset, understanding customer environments, and leveraging product-market fit for sustained success.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn more about Marcello Gallo:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gallomarcello/

Download the CRO Strategy Checklist: https://hubs.li/Q03f8LmX0

Read Force Management’s Guide to Increasing Company Valuation: https://hubs.li/Q038n0jT0

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:01:53] Marcello's Journey into Enterprise Sales
[00:08:13] The Importance of Structure in Sales
[00:28:37] Navigating Major Accounts and Complex Sales
[00:34:32] Understanding the Champion's Role in Sales
[00:35:15] Building Strong Relationships with Champions
[00:37:59] The Importance of Predicting and Preparing for Objections
[00:39:14] Role-Playing and Preparation Techniques
[00:40:05] Leadership and Helping Teams Get Unstuck
[00:42:03] Lessons from Climbing the Corporate Ladder
[00:43:21] The Value of Enablement and Territory Management
[00:46:20] Adapting to Market Changes and Customer Feedback
[00:53:59] Choosing the Right Opportunities and Taking Risks
[01:04:50] Sigma Computing's Growth and Opportunities

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

“If you can't bet on yourself, who can you bet on?"
“Knowledge is courage.”
“You get delegated to those that you sound like.”
“Hire the people commensurate to the territory that you have open.”
“Don't confuse position with opportunity.”