MSP Consulting

❝ The best way to make a dream come true is to wake up.❞
― Anna Wintour

For over 10 years, I built and grew exceptional sales teams that propelled companies to acquisition. 

Then, in more ways than one, I decided to take Anna Wintour's advice. I abandoned the day-to-day grind of operations so I could impact exceptional leaders at special companies in ways that mattered.

At MSP, I help founders and sales teams reach their goals in the fastest way possible. In every case, we begin with the most impactful priority and advance from there. I’ve helped dozens of companies unlock their next level of growth, delivering well over $20M in revenue and $100M in value creation.

Founder

Pavilion

Pavillion is a private community of sales and marketing executives.

Executive Member

Uprise - Embedded Financial Advisory

Advisor

Altru

❝ Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.❞ 
          ― Dr. Robert Anthony

✪ Highlights:
    ‣ 5X increase in ACV
    ‣ Successful acquisition at 6X starting valuation in under a year.

I was brought in by Altru’s CEO and VP of Client Strategy with one mission in mind: to get acquired. 

Though the team was capable, their contracts were underpriced, and the perceived value of their product was lacking. To jumpstart growth, we needed to rethink the entire sales process and go deeper with our best clients. 

We turned tiny subscriptions with enterprise companies into true enterprise relationships, and by the time Altru was acquired, the client strategy team had become an unstoppable enterprise growth engine.

VP, Client Strategy 

Skaled

❝ Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.❞ 
          ―  Angela Duckworth

✪ Highlights:
 ‣ 40% increase in revenue from existing clients
 ‣ Built account management function from the ground up
 ‣ Led sales trainings for VCs, accelerators and LinkedIn Sales and Marketing teams

At Skaled, a modern, technology-forward sales-consulting firm, I was recruited as the third musketeer of their executive leadership team, beginning in operations before heading their consulting practice.

I led client strategy across four practice areas and was responsible for retaining and growing the entire existing client portfolio. In doing so, I delivered transformative increases in revenue and efficiency.

Principal 

redIQ

❝ The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.❞
― J.M. Barrie

✪ Highlights:
 ‣ Acquired by Berkadia/Berkshire Hathaway
 ‣ Grew Team by 300%
 ‣ Increased Revenue by 600%

My goal at redIQ was to build a profitable sales org in a highly competitive market. 

More than anything, our team needed confidence. Along with leading a massive shift in mindset, we re-engineered our sales process - resulting in expanded pipeline, higher conversion rates, and dramatically higher contract values.

I grew the team from 2 to 15, and was responsible for $6.5M in revenue. 

Our growth in sales was integral to redIQ's acquisition at 3X our starting valuation, and 80% of the team I hired is still there today.

Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

Trello

❝ Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them.❞ 
― Ann Landers

✪ Highlights:
‣ Trello acquired by Atlassian
‣ Sold to NASA, Hearst, Boeing, JPL

I was Trello evangelist long before joining their team, but even I used the free version of the platform.

So, when I was asked to mentor their team, sell to existing clients, and lead enterprise sales initiatives, I knew we had our work cut out for us. 

It was a journey, but a rewarding one. In bringing on clients like NASA, Hearst Publications, Caterpillar, Boeing, and JPL, we laid the groundwork for Trello's acquisition by Atlassian, and many of those I mentored are leaders of Trello today.

Director, Strategic Account Sales

S&P Global Market Intelligence, Research Division

❝ Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for doing it.❞ 
— Katharine Whitehorn

✪ Highlights:
‣ Panjiva acquired by S&P
‣ Grew sales team from 4 to 50 employees
‣ Led pivot to Enterprise sales
‣ Closed largest deal in company history 

After noticing significant trends in accounts and client feedback, I proposed a strategic pivot towards launching and implementing of new data analysis SaaS product with a focus on finance, consulting, and logistics sectors. 

As the link between our sales and product/engineering teams, I came to understand the meaning of relationship capital, gaining extensive experience in leading between departments and disciplines.

Director, Enterprise Sales

As the 4th sales hire, I was a core member of the Panjiva (now S&P Global Market Intelligence) GTM team. 

I refined our market positioning and GTM strategy while skyrocketing average contract values. 

Along with all sales and product-related training and development, I was an instrumental part of the leadership team.

Senior Account Executive

20x200 | Jen Bekman Projects, Inc.

❝ Making money is art, and working is art, and good business is the best art. ❞ 
― Andy Warhol
 
The mission of Jen Bekman Projects is making art accessible to everyone.

I worked on partnerships with West Elm, The Knot, Affordable Art Fair, and New York Magazine.

Working between NYC and the UK, I worked to bring B2B partnership strategy to B2C.

Business Development/Marketing

GlobeTax Services

❝ When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.❞ 
―  Walt Disney

At Globetax, I worked in a five-person team selling securities tax withholding recovery services, which was almost as exciting as it sounds.

So, to make things interesting (and develop new business), I led an overhaul of our entire marketing strategy by redesigning our brand, rewriting our playbook, and pivoting from feature-focused positioning to a customer-focused approach.

I also went to every hedge fund and banking event that would have me, building a network of clients that were thrilled to work with us.

Business Development Manager

Founder @MSP Consulting | Enterprise Sales for Startups | $2M => $10M ARR

I'm your secret weapon for long-term growth.

I've played a key role in facilitating acquisitions for five companies (most notably achieving a 6X growth in valuation in under a year) and have worked with companies like LinkedIn, Trello (acquired by Atlassian), Panjiva (acquired by S&P), redIQ (acquired by Berkadia/Berkshire Hathaway), and Lean Startup. I've sold over $25 million in revenue and contributing to valuations exceeding $200 million. 

I've had the privilege of addressing hundreds of startup founders and sales leaders globally on sales, leadership, effective communication, account growth, and enterprise sales strategy. You can also find me on podcasts like Sales Leadership and Surf & Sales, talking about sales, negotiation, leadership, change management, account-based sales, account growth, and discovery.

Throughout my journey, I've trained and mentored numerous sales professionals and consultants. I've personally sold to over 25% of the Fortune 500 companies including Meta, Target, FedEx, UPS, Maersk Lines, Ralph Lauren, Caterpillar, HBO/Time Warner, Hearst, NASA, and Citibank.

My approach extends beyond immediate results; it's about instilling a sustainable, growth-oriented mindset that transforms both leaders and their businesses.

Confesssion: I don't know what Alykhan Rehmatullah is doing.

What I DO know is that he's one of the sharpest CEOs I've met. 

And right now, he's dropping extremely valuable knowledge about the things he did to get his last company to a $60M exit in <5 years. For some reason. 

Go follow him!

Monica Stewart

Getting founders out of survival mode through scalable revenue | $2M - $20M ARR

Co-Founder and CEO at Kalpa: AI-generated video for B2B Sales

The Back Door Blueprint: how an $800 bet turned into $300,000 of revenue for my company

"Cold calling and cold emailing are dead." That's what everyone says. But here's the truth: it's not the method that's dead, it's your approach.

At our last company, we were burning through months of cold calling and emailing, with nothing to show for it. Frustration was my constant companion. But then, a lightbulb moment struck.

I discovered a conference where my ideal customers would be gathering. The catch? A booth cost $7,500 - way out of our seed-stage budget. So, I got creative.

I reached out to the conference organizers with a proposition: "Has anyone ever interviewed your speakers?" They were intrigued but budget-constrained. My solution? I'd do it for free in exchange for conference access.

Here's where it gets interesting. I hired a videographer for $800 and requested introductions to the speakers for "pre-interview prep." This was my golden ticket - a chance to build relationships before the event even started.

Suddenly, those same enterprise leaders from Dell, IBM, CVS, and Wells Fargo who had been ignoring my cold outreach for months were engaging with me. The result? 16 interviews, 6 new customers, and over $300,000 in revenue from a $800 investment.

The lesson? Sometimes, the front door is locked. But there's always a back door - you just need to find it.

This approach isn't about being sneaky. It's about providing value in unexpected ways. It's about understanding that your potential customers are humans first, decision-makers second. They're more likely to engage when you're not just another salesperson, but someone offering something of value.

Here's what I learned:

1. Get creative with your outreach. Look for unconventional ways to add value.
2. Invest in face-to-face interactions. They're worth their weight in gold.
3. Don't be afraid to make bold asks. The worst they can say is no.
4. Always be thinking about how you can help, not just sell.
5. Remember, sometimes the indirect path is the most direct route to success.

Cold calling isn't dead. Cold emailing isn't dead. What's dead is the mindset that these are just transactional activities. They're not. They're opportunities to build relationships, add value, and yes, eventually, win customers.

So, the next time you're staring at a list of prospects, wondering how to break through, ask yourself: "What's the back door here?" You might just find your next $300,000 opportunity waiting.

#sales #b2b #gtm

3 ideas B2B startup founders need to consider before building a sales org: 

1. You can’t scale founder magic

The way you got your first 20 customers won’t be the way you get the next 20, 50 or 100. You’ll need a measurable system that you can teach to your team. 

2. Your next hires will take longer than you think to ramp (but maybe not as long as you fear)

If your sales cycle is 3-4 months, it should take a new hire 4-5 months to start producing and 6-8 months to fully ramp. This is doubly true if more than 30% of your leads are from outbound. 
In my experience this is one of the least understood parts of hiring. 

No, your new AE won’t be closing deals in their first month. 

And no, it should not take anyone 12-18 months to close their first deal - no matter how complex your product is. 

3. Salespeople aren’t superheroes

The tenured AE from Microsoft won’t save you. 

The VP from the rocketship startup that single handedly took them from $1 to $100M ARR won’t save you. 

The industry expert with a rolodex won’t save you. 

If you have a strong opinion on your ICP, product market fit, a quasi-repeatable sales process, and existing demand, they will help you. But you must be prepared to help them too. 

What would you add?

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