Last week I wrote about why first sales hires fail, and the feedback said something interesting. Almost nobody pushed back on the infrastructure argument. What they zeroed in on was messaging. One person put it simply: "It's the story, stupid." They're right. And it's worth going deeper on exactly what that means in practice, because "fix your messaging" is advice everyone gives and almost nobody explains how to actually do. So this week: what a Messaging Matrix is, why your

There's a story I keep seeing play out in B2B companies, and it almost always ends the same way. A founder has been carrying the sales function on their own for a year or two. They've landed a handful of clients through their network, through sheer force of will, through the kind of relationship-driven hustle that gets a company off the ground. Revenue is coming in. Things feel like they're working. So they make what seems like the obvious next move: they hire a salesperson.

My brother sent me a text message last week: "Have you ever listened to The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale?" I hadn't. He followed up with: "It's from 1956. Just listen to it. Trust me." I'm going to be honest, my initial reaction was I don't have time, but decided to listen while I read the bike and got a workout in and glad I did. Why I Wish I'd Heard This 20 Years Ago Here's the thing that hit me: Nightingale talks about how only 5% of people who start their careers

Here's something that took me way too long to figure out: sales isn't actually about sales. I know, I know. But hear me out. When most people think about "sales," they picture someone in a button-down shirt hammering away at cold calls, armed with a script and unrealistic quota. And sure, that's part  of it. But if that's your entire sales strategy, you're leaving money—and relationships—on the table. Growth Is a Team Sport Here's what I've learned: growth is a mindset that f