I help organizations create modern learning strategies for their people, partners, and customers | AE @ Docebo | 🎙Host of Stories of Selling Human

Sometimes in your life it feels like you lose everything.  

Like the year I was laid off.  Interviews pushed from COVID 19,  But then the real bomb hit,

My Dad got diagnosed Leukemia.

Just 5 months later, unfortunately my Dad passed away.  Despite losing so much, I'll never lose what my Dad taught me about life.  Things like selflessness, a relentless work ethic, and a thirst for knowledge.

His best lesson was how to create genuine connections with everyone in your life.  I've taken that approach to sales my whole life.  I’m still the 8 yr old kid who loved meeting people so much that he went door to door selling Ham and Cheese out of a catalog.

I got genuine connections out of it and the Sony Boombox I won wasn’t half bad either!

Highlights from 15 years in professional sales:

🔥 I launched a new team where I successfully recruited financial producers for a firm owned by Fran Tarkenton, Hall of Fame QB.

🔥I was named the top sales rep in an office of over 50 media sales people.  Judged not just by sales attainment but also by activity.

🔥At Monster, I sold the biggest partnership contract in the history of our team. $300k ARR, 3 year deal. 

What am I most proud of professionally?

A 15 minute meeting.  I drove 3 hours to Chicago to meet a client I’ve never met in person.  For 15 mins to say hi and drive back.  It wasn’t to close a deal.  It was just a Tuesday. 

Those “Just Tuesday” moments are why I love this gig.

I’ve had success in my career because I genuinely seek to understand people. 

An understanding strategy IS my sales strategy.

My relentlessness isn’t driven by my product or a sales number. I'm motivated by digging deeper to discover the “un-discovered” problem.   Sales is something that happens for and with your buyer not to them.  You're a guide on a discovery together with the intention to help and add value.  ALWAYS.

The best feeling in sales isn’t ringing a bell, (even though that’s always fun). 

The real joy is in being told three simple words.

“I trust you.” 

That’s what really lights me up and what I'm going for.

Finally, my approach in sales is guided by attuning yourself to what someone’s entire world is like, actively listening without any agenda, being genuine, and putting them first.

I call these things, “Selling Human”.  I practice it daily.  I think we can all do it.

I choose to study it.

If you want to learn it with me, listen to my podcast:  Sell By Being Human 
(wherever you get your podcasts)

AND for more,

Follow #sellbybeinghuman

Alex Smith

I’m getting on a plane to see my mom this week but I also need your help.

Hoping someone out there has worked with a parent that is searching for assisted living or memory care.

This week we’ll be looking at some places and its a whole journey I’ve bever been a part of before.

So always good to find people that have travelled that same journey.

I also know its big to shout out birthdays on Linkedin recently so shouting out my Mom for turning 79 this past week!

79 has brought a lot of joy and tough realizations.

She’s the same age as my Dad was when he passed away 6 yrs ago.

As your parents age you start counting experiences you’ll have with them in person on your hands.

Trying to squeeze in more time because you know it’s finite.

I always hear people say, 
I’m not ready for my parents to get there.

But its not about being ready.

You’ll never be ready.

Its about being present.

So value the time you have before it’s too late.

Lucky that we have this week and hopefully more weeks in our future to be present.

Presence is the present at 79.  😊

I help organizations make learning enjoyable across their people, partners, and customers | AE @ Docebo | 🎙Host of Sell By Being Human

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I help leaders, executives, career-minded folks turn their thoughts into actions.  

Passionate Coach, Leadership Facilitator, and Connector of Dots.  I use Coaching (discovery), mentoring (sharing) & consulting (advising) when working with clients to support them in their development whether in a team setting, classroom or 1 to 1.  Connecting leadership thoughts to real & realistic actions. PCC Certified.

I have worn many hats in several industries in my career and look forward to partnering with leaders and organizations to build internal leadership capability, team and individual competencies, and organizational effectiveness.

I collaborate with HR and Leadership to design and provide targeted and strategic facilitation, mentoring programs, training and coaching to meet your specific needs.

If I can’t be of service, I may know others that can meet your needs, connecting people is as important as connecting thoughts to actions.

Still learning; still growing; still excited about developing others!   

Let’s connect - email me at: Leslie@Getcourageous.com

Strengths: 
•	Executive Coaching
•	Leadership Development
•	Presentation & Messaging Coaching
•	Leadership Talent Reviews
•	Bias Awareness Coaching
•	Emerging Leader Coaching
•	Global & Career Transition Coaching
•	Skill and Knowledge Gap Assessment
•	Proactive Leadership Development
•	Creating a Learning Culture
•	Talent Management & Succession Planning 

Specialties: Talent Development, Management Development, Personal Development Planning, Succession Planning & Sales Training program development/deployment. Training program development & facilitation & career pathing. Needs analysis and ROI delivery. 

Certified in:
•	DDI
•	Fierce Conversations
•	Dare to Lead
•	Conversations (Vital Smarts)
•	Emotional Intelligence (EI); JCS & EQ-i 2.0
•	Leadership Behaviors
•	The Leadership Challenge
•	LPI
•	Hogan
•	MBTI &DiSC
•	5 Behaviors of a Cohesive Team

Leslie Mizerak

I’m honored to be featured in MSN’s article, “10 Entrepreneurs Revolutionizing Their Industries.” It’s always meaningful to be recognized among founders and leaders who are building, innovating, and creating real impact. 

https://lnkd.in/gdYN49Sv

This recognition reflects the work, resilience, and vision that go into growing something with purpose every single day. I’m grateful for everyone who has supported my journey, believed in the mission, and been part of the progress along the way.

Being included in this article is a reminder that entrepreneurship is not just about building a business. It is about solving problems, serving people well, and continuing to evolve.

Thank you to MSN for the feature and to everyone who has been part of this journey.


#Entrepreneurship 
#Leadership 
#Innovation 
#BusinessGrowth
#FounderJourney 
#MSN

Leslie Mizerak - Executive Coach

Feel weird talking about your accomplishments? You're confusing self-advocacy with bragging. 

Here's how to tell the difference.

Bragging = ego + comparison
"I'm the best at this" or "I did better than everyone else"

Self-advocacy = facts + impact
"I led this project end-to-end and we delivered two weeks early"

The shift? Stop using adjectives. Start using evidence.

Instead of: "I'm really good at leading teams"
Try: "I managed a cross-functional team of 8 and we hit all our Q4 targets"

Self-advocacy isn't about impressing people. It's about giving them the information they need to make decisions—about promotions, opportunities, or collaboration.

You're not bragging. You're communicating your value clearly.

getcourageous.com

20 years of being the leader everyone needed.

Good at it. Respected. Effective.

And completely unsure of who you are outside of it.

This came in as a leadership challenge this week, and it hit differently. Because this is what happens when you adapt well, rise consistently, and carry a lot for a long time.

The role didn't steal your identity. You just never had space to figure out where it ended and you began.

So here's where I'd start.

Two columns. One page.

ROLE me — the strengths that made you successful. The strategist. The fixer. The calm one. The one people count on.

REAL me — three questions. What energizes me when no one's watching? What do I believe that I've been too busy to live? What do I miss about myself?

Then one experiment this week. Thirty minutes. Spent as you, not the leader. A walk. A coffee with someone who needs nothing from you. A hobby you're genuinely bad at.

The leader you become when you're finally grounded in yourself, that's the one people actually want to follow.

#Leadership #ExecutiveCoaching

Emily Leon it was such a pleasure to see you again today, It’s been too long!  We can’t wait that long to meet again!  
#hr #friends

The "hustle harder" narrative is broken.

Yes, starting a company demands intensity. But grinding 90-hour weeks is not sustainable.

It's about clarity, boundaries, and building a team that doesn't need you working yourself into the ground.

Early-stage chaos? Different story. 

But once you're scaling, your job shifts from doing everything to enabling everything. That means:

→ Setting clear expectations
→ Defining realistic timelines
→ Building systems that don't require heroics
→ Hiring people who can own outcomes

Working 80 hours isn't a badge of honor. It's often a sign you haven't built the infrastructure to scale.

The real question: Are you leading a company or just running really fast on a treadmill?

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The Battle

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Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Alex Smith's LinkedIn Performance

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