Purl Advisors

⚡️Leading the Authentic Leader revolution⚡️

What I do:
• Guide leaders to succeed authentically without compromising who they are
• Transform fear-based business practices into relationship-driven approaches
• Normalize human-centered leadership in a tactics-obsessed world
• Create systematic approaches for leaders who want to go from good to great and great to amazing

Client Transformations:
📣 "My business has taken a full 180 in 10 weeks working with Shannon."
📣 "She was able to quickly empathize with us over our fear of being like 'used-car salesmen' and help us sell authentically while maintaining our values."
📣 "Shannon provides emotional support throughout my founder journey while helping me achieve measurable results."
📣 "My team now experiences intentional grace and authentic leadership that actually drives performance."

Current Services:
🫆 1:1 coaching
🫆 Strategic advising
🫆 The Real Table
🫆 ELT Development
🫆 Rising Leader Community
🫆 Speaking

Core Philosophy:
When people show up authentically, they create deeper trust, stronger relationships, and more sustainable results. The revenue follows because authenticity builds the foundation for everything else.

Chief Executive Officer

Wingspans

Strategic advisor to CEO of award-winning career navigation platform serving 60,000+ adult learners through storytelling-based career exploration. Leading market expansion, organizational scaling, and strategic growth initiatives for U.S. Department of Education FutureFinder Challenge finalist and the Implementation Impact Prize from the Tools Competition.

Strategic Leadership:
• Market expansion strategy to scale college partnerships and employer relationships across healthcare, manufacturing, tech, and construction sectors
• Sales team talent acquisition and go-to-market strategy development
• Company vision and strategic planning for sustainable growth in EdTech market

Operational Excellence:
• Foundational process development including HR playbook and organizational manual creation
• Key customer relationship management and partnership negotiations
• Product development strategy alignment with market needs and user growth

Growth Impact:
Working directly with founder/CEO to transform a Brown University-born startup into a scalable platform that's reimagining career navigation for adult learners nationwide.

Chief Strategy Officer (Fractional)

Dextego

Strategic advisor and investor for AI-powered sales coaching platform serving enterprise B2B teams. Providing expertise across product development, go-to-market strategy, talent acquisition, and market positioning.

Key contributions:
• Go-to-market strategy and product development guidance
• Marketing and positioning strategy for enterprise sales market
• Active prospect introductions and market advocacy
• Keynote speaker at Dextego '25: "The Power of Impactful Storytelling"

Advising a fast-growing sales technology company provides direct insights into the authentic leadership challenges faced by scaling B2B organizations.

Go-to-Market Advisory Board Member & Investor

Women in Sales

Women in Sales is focused on elevating, empowering, and promoting women within the sales profession. 

To realize this vision and create more equitable sales teams in the future, we recognize that everyone needs to be part of the conversation and contribute towards the progress. Through facilitating conversations and sharing resources focused on enabling sales professionals, we can help mold the future of sales to be more inclusive.

Executive Member

Leading global event strategy for high-performing women in sales and sales leadership. I curate speakers, design transformational experiences, and facilitate leadership panels for sales executives worldwide.

Key responsibilities:
• Plan and host events globally (in-person and virtual) for women sales leaders and their teams
• Curate executive speakers and facilitate panels
• Create unique networking experiences that foster authentic professional connections
• Lead wellness integration (yoga/mindfulness) for high-pressure sales environments

Head of Events

Techstars

Recognized as All-Star Mentor (top 1% of Techstars mentors globally) for exceptional guidance to startup founders. I mentor entrepreneurs through critical scaling decisions and authentic leadership challenges.

Work focuses on helping founders stay true to their vision while adapting to rapid growth demands, manage investor pressure without compromising values, and build teams that reflect their authentic leadership style.

This direct advisory experience with high-growth startups provides real-time insights that enhance my coaching methodology.

I am honored to work with the amazing Founders in Boulder, CO, Denver, CO's Workforce Development Program, and The Ohio State University's Columbus, OH accelerator program(s).

All-Star Mentor (Top 1% Recognition)

Managed operations for startup accelerator cohort of 11 companies, providing front-row seat to daily founder coaching and venture capital ecosystem. Weekly exposure to authentic leadership challenges faced by growth company founders - from managing investor pressure while staying true to company values to scaling teams without losing culture.

This immersive experience deepens my understanding of the exact leadership struggles my coaching clients navigate.

Program Operations Associate I Startup Ecosystem Catalyst

Pavilion

Active member of elite go-to-market leadership community, contributing insights on authentic leadership and sustainable growth strategies.

Fractionals United

Active member of leading community for senior fractional leaders. Engaging with C-suite fractional executives on leadership challenges, business development, and authentic leadership approaches in flexible work models.

Member

Strategic advisor to CEO on leadership and organizational strategy for premier fractional executive community. Provided counsel on scaling operations, leadership development, and community engagement strategies.

Advisory Board Member

Sol Bound Adventures

Founded corporate wellness and team building company from a mission of bringing innate joy back to the surface and reintroducing organizations to the "art of play." "Those who play together, stay together" Creating tailored corporate experiences that expand as wide as imagination.

Mission & Philosophy:
• Founded from love of facilitating happiness in the world and belief that teams could benefit from reintroduction to authentic play and connection
• Created comprehensive corporate experiences combining activities, sun (sol), laughter, rest, great nourishment, and meaningful team connection
• Designed programs for all ability levels with dedicated staff tailoring each experience to specific team needs and dynamics

Business Development & Client Services:
• Market to corporations seeking engaging team building and wellness experiences that prioritize joy, connection, and authentic play
• Conduct discovery sessions with companies to uncover goals and customize experiences aligned with their team dynamics and objectives
• Allow organizations the freedom to focus on growth, bonding, and enjoying nature together while handling all logistical details

Program Development & Leadership:
• Plan, market, and lead corporate retreats throughout the United States featuring hiking, biking, nature walks, white water rafting, kayaking, and ropes courses
• Develop and deliver specialized workshops including corporate yoga programs designed for diverse ability levels
• Teach "Yoga at Work" programs for corporations nationwide through both in-person and virtual classes

Strategic Impact:
Created innovative corporate wellness model addressing growing demand for joy-centered, authentic team experiences that restore energy while building stronger, more connected organizations through the transformative power of play.

BombBomb

Led revenue strategy and 36-person cross-functional team across Inside Sales, Enterprise Sales, Partnerships, Revenue Operations, Customer Success, and Support. Implemented systematic leadership approaches that drove measurable business transformation.

Leadership & Team Building:
• Built Inside Sales team from 1 to 4 employees with strategic focus on transactional growth
• Scaled Customer Success team from 3 managers to 7 managers + 1 Director
• Led organizational restructuring and process optimization across revenue operations

Business Transformation Results:
• Expanded managed customer base from $4M to $14.5M ARR (260% growth)
• Reduced monthly churn by 7% through systematic process improvements
• Successfully converted key contracts to multi-year terms with price optimization
• Implemented foundational sales methodologies including MEDDICC, Challenger Sales, and value-centric selling

Systems & Process Innovation:
• Designed and deployed standard operating procedures across revenue teams
• Created scalable onboarding and customer success frameworks
• Established speed-to-lead processes that improved conversion metrics

Chief Revenue Officer

PINATA

Led revenue strategy and operations for enterprise TaskFlow platform serving front-line sales, marketing, and logistics teams from startups to Fortune 100 companies. Navigated company through critical restructuring following Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

Crisis Leadership & Restructuring:
• Led executive team through 75% workforce reduction following SVB collapse
• Restructured Sales and Customer Success teams with focus on new verticals and KPIs
• Presented to Board of Directors on revenue strategy and company stabilization efforts
• Preserved enterprise customer relationships and revenue continuity during organizational crisis

Revenue Growth & Operations:
• Refined ICP (Ideal Customer Profile), messaging, personas, and sales methodology for enterprise workflow automation market
• Restructured go-to-market strategy targeting alcohol, food/beverage, beauty, health, finance, distribution, staffing, and retail sectors
• Optimized demo processes and customer acquisition methodology for TaskFlow platform
• Doubled runway in 6 months through strategic restructuring and operational efficiency

Strategic Impact:
Transformed revenue operations for enterprise workflow optimization platform serving Fortune 100 companies, ensuring business continuity and growth trajectory despite external financial crisis affecting the entire venture capital ecosystem.

You're tired of being told there's only one way to succeed.

Every guru has a framework. Every consultant has a playbook. Everyone wants you to follow their exact system, even when it doesn't feel like you.

You're a founder or leader who's built something meaningful by following your instincts. But now you're wondering: Do I have to become someone else to get to the next level?

Here's what I know after 20+ years scaling businesses: The leaders who create lasting success don't copy someone else's playbook. They amplify their own.

I help founders of growing companies and individual leaders turn their authentic strengths into systematic approaches that scale.

Through business transformations and 1:1 coaching, we reverse-engineer what's already working for you and build systems around your natural leadership style.

The result?
⚡ You lead like yourself. Your team connects with the real you. Your business grows in a way that energizes rather than drains you.
⚡ You don't have to choose between being authentic and being successful. When you operate from your genuine strengths, you get better results AND feel better doing it.

Here's how I can help you:
• Subscribe to The Real T newsletter - Weekly insights on authentic leadership and revenue transformation: https://bit.ly/therealt
• Take the Authentic Leadership Audit - Free assessment to see if you're leading authentically or performing a role: https://purladvisors.com/resources
• Book a 30-minute strategy session - We'll dig into what's keeping you stuck and I'll share actionable insights you can use immediately: https://bit.ly/purladvisors

Not ready yet? No problem. Stick around for real conversations about scaling revenue without losing your soul.

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Board of Directors/Founding Member at Women Sales Experts!

If you are interested in learning more, DM me. I serve as the Membership Chair and membership is open only 2x/year.

⚡Shannon Plumb

Stop shrinking yourself • Former CRO helping leaders reclaim their power after they learned to doubt themselves • Top 1% Techstars Mentor • 100 Powerful Women in Sales • Your instincts aren’t broken

If my husband hadn't joined the Army right after high school, we wouldn't be together today.

Not because of timing or circumstance.
But because the person I fell in love with was forged in those experiences.

He enlisted rebellious. Lost. Not on a path.
He came home with discipline. Perspective. Purpose.

He spent months in the cold mountains of South Korea. Sleeping under a foot of snow. His warmth? The engine of his Army tank.

Those weren't just years of service.
They were years that shaped who he would become.

The man who shows up consistently.
The partner who leads with intention.
The person who understands sacrifice.

Today isn't just about thanking veterans for their service.

It's about recognizing the transformation that happens when someone chooses something bigger than themselves.

To my husband: Thank you for your service. Thank you for becoming the man those experiences shaped you into.

To all veterans: Your sacrifice goes beyond what you gave in the moment. It lives on in who you became and what you bring to your families, your communities, and your work.

Happy Veterans Day. 🇺🇸

✨Shannon Plumb✨

💸 Discover the Power of 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 💸

Your business needs revenue. My mission is to help as many startup to scale-up B2B companies overcome challenges like revenue continuity, stagnating growth, ill-defined processes, and creating new revenue channels.

With over four decades of industry experience, Corey Litwin and Shannon Plumb are ready to dive in alongside your team. We don't just offer advice – we're your partners in navigating the complexities of revenue growth.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
📌 Fractional revenue roles
📌 Project-based
📌 Consulting and Advising
📌 C-Suite Coaching
📌 Keynote Speaking

We're your execution engine, providing replicable processes that fundamentally change performance rhythms and decision-making in your business.

Some examples of how we 📈 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙚 📈 include:
• 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Keep your revenue strategy aligned with your business objectives
• 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Ensure efficiency and optimization of current revenue operations
• 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Maintain a consistent approach to decision-making
• 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲/𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Create a strategy for a new revenue channel
• 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Uplevel team leadership skills for upcoming scaling and advancement
• 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Active in the vetting and transition preparation for revenue leadership
• 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲/𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Execution of a new revenue growth strategy
• 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Implementation of new sales processes, methodologies, technologies
• 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Drive cross-functional, transformative change management

𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀:
"𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺, 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳-𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳."

🔥Are you ready to accelerate your revenue?🔥 Let's talk!

Fractional work isn't for everybody. Here's what sucks about it.

In a recent panel planning session with fellow fractional leaders, we cut through the hype.

The conversation wasn't about the freedom, the flexibility, or the high day rates. It was about the messy reality that rarely makes it into a LinkedIn post.

The trend of executives putting "fractional" in their title while waiting for their next full-time gig has created a lot of confusion. It's also burned a lot of companies who watched their "leader" disappear mid-contract for a W2 job.

Being a true fractional executive is a career choice. Not a stopgap.

And it's not all sunshine and optimized calendars.

Here are the things that suck about it, and why for some of us, it's still worth it:
1. The Grind is Real: Especially at the beginning. It takes time to build a reputation and a referral engine. You have to put in the reps.

2. You Are the Product: If you hate selling, this is not the path for you. You have to get comfortable talking about yourself, your value, and your results. Constantly.

3. Feast or Famine is a Real Cycle: One month you have three new client inquiries, the next month it's crickets. You have to have the financial stability and mental fortitude to ride those waves.

4. The Admin is a Killer: You're not just the CRO or Head of Sales. You're also the bookkeeper, the scheduler, and the IT department across seven different calendars that don't sync.

This isn't a complaint. It's a reality check.

The work is incredibly rewarding if you're built for it. But it's not an easy path, and it's definitely not a vacation.

Join the conversation this Wednesday, 12/3, with some of the best in the business Rachel Johnson, Abi Williams, Anne Pao, and me. Link ⬇️

When you turn on the car and the first chord of your favorite song is struck.

When you spot the dusting of snow on mountains on a blue bird day.

When that light that is always against your progress is green.

When your commute ends with coffee with three fellow exec women. The kind of honest talk about PE-backed startups, finding stability, and what product-market fit actually looks like that are best had in real life.

It's going to be a wonderful day!

#thankful

This weekend reminded me how quickly everything can change.

Saturday would have been Chuck Moré's birthday. I tried writing this all weekend, but it felt too raw. It still does.

I hired Chuck for an Enterprise AE role years ago. His resume was impressive (early Silicon Valley names), though he'd stepped away from tech for a while. My final interview was always the same: demo any SaaS product you want.
Chuck demoed GarageBand.

I don't care about GarageBand. Never have. Delete it off my phone immediately. 

But I was completely absorbed in his demo. It was funny, engaging, compelling. 

Because Chuck was a lifelong guitarist. Played in Duran Duran cover bands. Taught music. And genuinely loved it.

He made me care about something I had zero interest in. That's rare.

The last time I saw Chuck was when I took him to lunch in his hometown. I looked all weekend for the photo I swear we took that day. Can't find it. But it's 
clear as day in my mind, and I guess that's where it'll stay.

Here are some photos from a SKO we had together.

You'll be missed, Chuck. But not forgotten.

Stop trying to be authentic.
It's making you less authentic.

Everyone's selling 'authentic leadership' now.
Be vulnerable!
Share your story!
Show up as your whole self!

And you tried it. You shared the struggle. You posted the lessons. You showed up "authentically."

And it felt... performative.

Because here's the truth no one's saying:
🚫 Authentic leadership isn't a content strategy. It's not a LinkedIn post formula. It's definitely not another framework to follow.🚫 

I watch leaders contort themselves trying to be "authentic" in the way some guru told them to be authentic.

That's not authenticity. That's cosplay 🎭 .

Real authentic leadership?
⚡ It's knowing when to shut up instead of oversharing.
⚡ It's making the unpopular decision without apologizing for it.
⚡ It's leading in your actual style...not the one that gets engagement.

One of my clients said: "I thought being authentic meant sharing everything. But I don't want to share everything. Does that make me inauthentic?"

No. It makes you human.

Authenticity isn't about performing vulnerability for an audience.
It's about not performing at all.

And if that's not "leadership content" enough for LinkedIn? Good. You're doing it right.

Stop following the authentic leadership playbook. Start leading like yourself.

The most powerful word in business is "no."

I watched a consultant turn down a $50K engagement.
The founder wanted help building a sales team. She asked one question: "Do you have a documented sales process?"
Answer: No.
Her response: "Then I can't help you yet."

Because she knows her conditions for success.
She's seen it before: hire someone into a system-less environment and watch them fail. The rep struggles. The founder's disappointed. Her reputation takes the hit.
So she protects everyone by saying no upfront.

This is what 20 years of experience buys you: the clarity to know what you need to win, and the backbone to walk away when those conditions don't exist.

One of the first things I work on with clients (whether they're consultants, founders, executives, or AEs building their careers) is defining their non-negotiables.

Not arbitrary rules. Hard-won boundaries based on the patterns they've lived through.

Because saying no to the wrong work protects your ability to say yes to the right work.

What are your non-negotiables?

This is one of mine. Living near nature and spending time outdoors daily.

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving.
Here's what I'm NOT grateful for:

• Being told to "appreciate" jobs that slowly killed my confidence.
• Forcing gratitude for bosses who punished competence.
• Performing thankfulness while ignoring every instinct screaming "this isn't right."

Here's what I AM grateful for:
⚡  Finally trusting my gut when it says "this environment is wrong" instead of "I'm wrong."
⚡  Leaders who stopped shrinking themselves to fit cultures that never deserved them.
⚡  The clarity that comes when you stop performing gratitude and start demanding environments worthy of your talent.

Real gratitude isn't toxic positivity.

It's having the courage to walk away from what doesn't serve you and create space for what actually does.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who's choosing authentic leadership over forced appreciation.

What are you ACTUALLY grateful for this year?

I spent 30 minutes talking about authenticity.
And never once mentioned a playbook.

Just recorded a podcast with Kay Miller where we dug into what actually separates leaders who do sales from leaders who enable their teams.

We talked about:
• Why my ballet background taught me more about leadership than most MBA programs
• The moment I realized my identity was too tied to my title
• How to know if you're in a growth situation or just a toxic one (hint: use PROVEN)
• Why showing up as yourself is the only competitive advantage that matters

Kay asked great questions. I gave honest answers. No corporate speak. No guru nonsense.

If you're tired of being told there's only one way to lead, this conversation might resonate.

Take a listen...link in comments 👇

They said you were "too much." Turns out, you were just in the wrong room.

You've been told to be more "assertive," but when you are, you're called "aggressive."

The playbook is the problem, not you.

Early in my tech career, I was often the only woman on the revenue team. I was handed the same playbooks as everyone else and told, "Just follow this."

I tried....I really did.

But when I used the prescribed "assertive" tactics, I was called "aggressive." When I emulated a leadership style that wasn't mine, it felt inauthentic and fell flat.

The playbooks weren't written for my reality. They were written for a different context, personality, and environment. They asked me to suppress my instincts and adopt someone else's.

This is why I don't give clients playbooks. We co-create bespoke frameworks.

Here's the difference:
⚡ A playbook tells you what to do. A framework helps you decide how to think.

If you're a perfectionist stuck in the weeds, we don't build a framework around getting every detail right. We build one that pushes you to decide faster and validate earlier.

If you struggle to be direct without creating casualties, we build a framework that leverages your empathy as a strength.

The goal isn't to learn someone else's script.

It's to build a system that amplifies your authentic strengths and helps you trust your judgment again.

Stop trying to fit into someone else's playbook.

Start writing your own. I'm here to help.

The mashed potato incident of 1996 is legendary in my family.

My mom decided (for the first and only time) we weren't cooking. We were going OUT.

I made such a scene about the missing mashed potatoes that my family still talks about it.

Fast forward to this year.

We're going out for Thanksgiving. My tweens/teens have declared they don't like Thanksgiving food. Period. Not the pie. Not the turkey.

But they MUST have mashed potatoes.

The apple doesn't fall far.

I called the restaurant to confirm they're serving the essential food group. And I made homemade mashed potatoes last night. Just in case.

Happy Thanksgiving. May your stomachs and hearts be full.

I was in sales for 20+ years and still stunk at selling myself.
I thought business development for my own practice would be easy.

I was completely wrong.

For the first six months, I'd freeze when people asked what I did. I'd overthink every LinkedIn post. I'd second-guess reaching out to potential clients.

Me. Someone who'd cold-called CEOs and closed million-dollar deals without breaking a sweat.

Talking about myself felt like performing. Like I was trying to convince people I was something I wasn't sure I actually was.

I've had this exact conversation with dozens of executives since. Brilliant operators who build incredible things but feel gross promoting themselves.

The shift that saved me: Stop selling you. Start selling a product.

Productize yourself.

Define the Product, which just happens to be you.
What specific problem do you solve? For whom?
I took everything that came my way early on because I was terrified of saying no.
That changed when I got honest about where I actually create the most value. Now I know my sweet spot: leaders who've been told to tone themselves down, working in environments that mistake their competence for a problem.
Vague doesn't protect you. It just makes everything harder.

Build the Brand

Your personal brand isn't vanity. It's infrastructure.
Most of my clients come from inbound leads or referrals now. That happened because I decided to show up consistently, even when it felt uncomfortable.
I share what I actually think. I challenge the generic leadership advice that makes people smaller.
People seek you out when they know what you stand for.

Run the Sales Process

Treat your own business development with the same rigor you'd bring to a client's.
I track my average contract length. My time-to-close. My pipeline. Strategy removes the emotional volatility that makes business development feel so personal.

When you frame it this way, it stops feeling like you're asking people to validate your worth.

It becomes a process. One you already know how to run.

Happy to share that I'll be speaking at Dextego's Deal Clinic in 30 minutes. Join me and bring your most challenging Q4 deals to the table.
See you soon!

​Get Expert Eyes on Your Most Challenging Deals
​​
Join our monthly Complex Deal Clinics, where industry veterans provide invaluable insights to help you navigate your toughest sales challenges. These exclusive roundtables offer a unique opportunity to:

​​​-Present your complex deals to seasoned experts
-​​​Receive tailored strategies and actionable advice
​​​-Network with peers facing similar challenges
​​​-Gain fresh perspectives to close high-stakes deals faster

This month's host is ⚡Shannon Plumb⚡. Shannon brings over 20 years of experience in Go-To-Market strategy, having navigated some of the most challenging sales landscapes. Her insights will be invaluable for anyone looking to elevate their sales game.

Only 10 spots available per session to ensure personalized attention. Don't miss this chance to supercharge your deal-closing strategies!

Tell me what you are doing this Sunday afternoon without telling me. 

I’ll start…

Everyone's too nice to tell you this.


The problem isn't your strategy.

It's you 💥 .

Your board thinks you need better metrics.
Your team thinks you need clearer direction.
Your coach probably gave you a framework.

But here's what no one's telling you:
All the frameworks in the world won't fix a leader who doesn't trust themselves.

I've worked with founders and executives who had:
• The perfect strategy
• The ideal team
• The right investors
• All the resources

And they were still stuck.

Not because the plan was wrong. Because they kept second-guessing every move. Waiting for validation. Looking for the "right" answer from someone else.

You know what changed everything?
They stopped asking "What would [successful person] do?" and started asking "What do I actually think?"

One client told me: "I've been leading like everyone's watching. I forgot how to lead like myself."

The uncomfortable truth about scaling?
⚡ Your company can't outgrow your self-doubt.
⚡ Your team can't execute on your uncertainty.
⚡ Your vision can't materialize if you don't actually believe in it.

This isn't about confidence. It's about trust.

Do you trust yourself enough to make the call without consensus?
To go against advice that doesn't feel right?
To lead in a way that might not look like everyone else's version of leadership?

Because if you're still looking for permission, you're not leading. You're performing.

I write about this (and the other truths no one says out loud) here. Ring my bell to follow along and share freely.

"Could you share your pain points so I can tailor my pitch?"
I got this DM today 🤯👇.

And it perfectly demonstrates why most cold outreach fails.

You're asking ME to do YOUR homework.

Here's what this approach actually signals:
You don't know who you serve. You haven't identified patterns in your market. You're hoping I'll build your value proposition for you.

What strong positioning looks like:
"I noticed you're coaching executives through toxic workplace recovery. Most leaders I work with struggle with distinguishing growth discomfort from actual danger signals. If that resonates, here's how we've approached it."

See the difference?

The revision demonstrates pattern recognition. Shows that they understand my work. Offers a specific insight, not a blank template.

The backwards discovery approach:
"Tell me your problems" = I haven't done my research
"Let me customize my pitch" = I don't have a clear point of view
"Share your challenges" = I'm fishing for anything that might stick

The strategic approach:
Lead with observation. Demonstrate understanding. Offer specific insight. Let THEM decide if it resonates.

Stop asking prospects to write your sales pitch.

Do the pattern recognition work. Know your market. Have a point of view.
Then share it clearly and let the right people raise their hand.

Your positioning should answer "who do you serve and what pattern do you solve" BEFORE you ever reach out.

If you can't articulate that without asking them first, you're not ready to be in their inbox. Full stop.

The corporate playbook is dying. Here are 3 signs unscripted leadership is the only path forward:

Sign #1: People are craving real humans
The days of perfectly polished corporate speak are over. Your team can smell inauthenticity from a mile away. They want leaders who show up as actual people with strengths, struggles, and the courage to admit when they don't have all the answers.

→ Try this week: In your next team meeting, start by admitting something you don't know or a challenge you're facing. Watch how it changes the room.

Sign #2: Generic frameworks are failing
Everyone has a playbook. Everyone has a system. But founders and leaders are finally asking: "Do I have to become someone else to succeed?"
The answer is no. The leaders creating lasting success aren't copying someone else's playbook. They're amplifying their own.

→ Ask yourself: What do I do naturally that gets results? That's your playbook. Stop trying to fit into someone else's system and build around YOUR strengths.

Sign #3: Desperation is killing civility
I'm seeing ELT teams yelling at each other. Losing all civility. Because times are desperate, bad behavior has been normalized.
But here's the opportunity: This is exactly when being different matters most.

→ Commit to this: The next time pressure mounts, be the person who stays grounded. Your calm becomes your team's compass when everything else is chaos.

The companies that thrive through this will be the ones who double down on:
⚡ Human-centered leadership
⚡ Unscripted communication
⚡ Values that don't change when revenue gets tight

We're at an inflection point. The leaders who lean into being real now will be the ones still standing when this shakes out.

Which sign resonates most with where you are right now?

The Friday before a holiday week. 

What’s the vibe in your house this morning?

I’m living in the “pleeeeaaassseeee don’t make me go to school today” vibes. 

Oh…they have 9 continuous days off after today. So, they’re headed to school.

So many leaders get year-end wrong...what about you?


You don't need another strategy session.

You need to take care of your people.

With only 45 days left in 2025, here are 5 things that actually matter:
1. Check their PTO balances. If someone on your team hasn't taken time off, they're not a hero. They're heading toward burnout. Have that conversation today.
2. Build a coverage plan together. Create a shared calendar. Make sure people can actually disconnect. Coverage shouldn't be a guessing game.
3. Show appreciation now. Don't wait for the holiday party. Plan something this week. Lunch, happy hour, whatever fits. Acknowledge the emotional weight of this year. The economy, the uncertainty, the grind. Let them know you see it.
4. Own the review conversations. If performance reviews are coming up, don't wait for HR to remind you. Be proactive. Make it two-way. Be transparent about raises and expectations. And listen to what they actually want.
5. Model the behavior. Share what you're working on. Announce your time off in advance and stick to it. No sneaky Slack check-ins. Show photos from your actual life. Be human, not a corporate avatar.

Generic frameworks don't build trust.

Authenticity does.

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