Jackie Hermes

Growing B2B software co's w/ marketing that *actually works* | founder + CEO @ Accelity | built from $0 to 7-figures with no funding

It all started in 1986 in Lansing, Michigan.

Kidding. (Well, not really, but that’s not how I’m going to start this story.)

I started my entrepreneurial journey with cookies. Really. A vegan cookie company… and I wasn’t vegan (I gave it a shot and dang, it was hard!). I turned four cookie recipes into a business—designing packaging, finding a kitchen and making the cookies, eventually outsourcing production, then selling and establishing distribution to 12 grocery stores around Wisconsin.

The cookies taught me how to hustle. As a 24-year-old MBA, I definitely didn’t picture myself hoisting up tents at farmers markets to hand out $5 bags of cookies, or being the demo lady at the grocery store, but there I was. I still had a full-time job running the marketing department at a SaaS company, and a baby.

I’m so grateful for that experience because the money I made helped me start Accelity. What began as a one-woman consultancy blossomed into a kick-ass team of 20 and counting and a group of amazing, loyal clients all over the US.

LinkedIn has been a HUGE contributor to our growth over the past few years. I got talked into—okay, almost forced; I really, really didn’t want to do it—publishing videos about my entrepreneurial experiences in mid-2018 and have steadily grown an audience since. The LinkedIn community has given me so much love and support and I could not possibly be more grateful for the opportunities.

Outside of my professional life, I was a foster parent for two years and two of my three beautiful kiddos were adopted in Milwaukee. People always ask about hobbies, so here you go: lots of travel, fitness, exploring Milwaukee, and playing a lot of Taco vs. Burrito with my kids.

Founder & CEO

We help B2B software companies grow faster with bold sales and marketing processes that actually work—not the “push content and say a prayer” method that many agencies use.

We’re different. An agency born from software, our team has years (and years) of hands-on experience working with high-growth B2B software companies.

Want to know how we do it? Check out the links below.

In all my years selling, I’ve found that when people say you’re “too expensive,” that’s actually rarely about price.

Hear me out.

You have to establish these things in order to make your price worthwhile:

1. clear ROI
2. the right comparison
3. a sense of urgency

And it’s HARD to establish all of these things especially when your buyer is in a hurry or providing limited time.

That means you probably don’t have a pricing problem. You have a value problem.


Taking the following steps makes all the difference:

> Anchoring to emotional impact
As an agency, we’re not delivering strategy or content. We’re delivering relief for marketers that are doing it all.

> Give context for them to compare to
If you don’t show what your work replaces (a hire, wasted spend, lost time), buyers will compare you to whatever is top of mind for them.

> Tie yourself to real business goals
When your product or service clearly ladders up to revenue, retention, or growth, price becomes easier to justify.


Final PSA: Discounting doesn’t solve this problem! The buyer needs clarity, not just a cheaper price. (You get what you pay for!)


I break this down more in Episode #304 of The Art of Entrepreneurship, including how to raise perceived value without sounding salesy or desperate.

🎧 Full episode link in comments!
📩 Send this to a founder who keeps second-guessing their pricing

CEO @ Accelity | Growing companies w/ marketing that *actually works*

Justin Jay Johnson

Teaching Sales Reps How To Be In The Top 1% Without Burning Out 👊 2023 Top 40 CROs to Watch | 5x Sales Leader | Author | Beautiful Savage

I’ve been blessed with adversity. From nearly dying at birth as the first ever ECMO baby at Children’s Memorial in Chicago, to having 34 surgeries after another near death snowmobile accident, to growing up blue collar in construction and being the first one in my family to graduate college, blessings upon blessings helped prepare me for life as a leader once I entered the workforce. 

What’s enabled me to not only survive but thrive is leveraging this adversity to my advantage to fuel my endless pursuit to make an impact on the world. My inner BEAUTIFUL SAVAGE if you will. 

My approach to life has lead to many successes, failures, and learnings on my journey. 

My mission is to help tech sales professionals live life on their terms which is why I created the Software Sales Coach (TheSoftwareSalesCoach.com)

SSC is a destination for tech sales professionals to go to learn what it takes to be elite at their craft, master their conscious, and how to navigate their career.  The results are driven through 1-1 coaching, group training, robust coursework, and community. 

Want to learn more? Shoot me an email at jjj@justinjayjohnson.com

Here's the official overview of who I am: 

Justin has worked with thousands of tech sales professionals from Salesforce, Samsara, Hubspot, and many other top tech companies to rapidly increase their results. 

With degrees and certifications in over a dozen top Sales programs and 15 years of being #1 in Sales and Sales Leadership at top companies like Salesforce and several others, he is highly respected by tech sales professionals. 

His expertise has been asked to speak at dozens of leading University Sales Programs, tech sales podcasts, and tech sales communities like NIU, “The Brutal Truth About Sales Podcast”, and Salesforce's "Salesblazer" community. His passion is helping others leverage tech sales to live life on their terms. 

As the Founder and CEO of Software Sales Coach, he now provides accelerator programs for reps, leaders, and companies that are trying to unleash their full potential through proven systems and frameworks.

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

FitGrid is the boutique fitness industry’s first SaaS solution to fuel studio owners with the data and tools they need to strengthen instructor-client relationships, improve retention, and drive greater revenue.

Our clients see the following benefits: 
- 2.4x increase in new client spend
- 3 month increase in client lifespan
- 35% increase in new client retention

I'm fortunate enough to lead our Revenue Organization where we live by the following principles:
- EXECUTE
- EVOLVE
- CELEBRATE 

If you're interested in learning how FitGrid can help your studio or if you want to learn more about our culture, send me an email at justin@fitgrid.com

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