In this episode of Resilience Rocks Sales, host Stacey welcomes Xiang Li, a mental health counsellor and art therapist, to discuss the issue of burnout, particularly in the sales industry. Xiang shares personal experiences and professional insights into the causes and symptoms of burnout, emphasising that it is not just limited to sales professionals but can affect anyone, including leaders, managers, and parents. Key symptoms like extreme tiredness, resistance to work, cravings for junk food, and anger are discussed, providing listeners with a framework to identify burnout in themselves or others.

Xiang recounts her own journey with burnout, from her time in the sales and marketing industry to becoming an art therapist. She highlights the importance of recognising the warning signs early and the detrimental effects if left unaddressed, such as depression and suicidal tendencies. Xiang also dispels myths about psychiatric care, explaining it’s not just for severe cases but can be beneficial for anyone struggling with mental health. She highlights the importance of slowing down, self-care, and understanding one's own limits to effectively manage stress and avoid severe burnout.

The discussion digs into practical tips and strategies to prevent burnout. Xiang suggests small, manageable steps like incorporating self-care routines, eating healthily, high-quality sleep, and practicing mindfulness and meditation. She shares how even brief moments dedicated to self-care, like longer showers or stepping outside for fresh air, can significantly improve mental well-being. Music and art are also highlighted as therapeutic outlets. The conversation ends with a reminder that being in tune with one’s mental health is crucial for long-term sustainability in both personal and professional life.

Connect with Xiang at https://www.linkedin.com/in/xiangliarttherapy/

Connect with Stacey on LinkedIn or Instagram

Listen to Resilience Rocks playlist on Spotify

About Xiang:

Xiang Li is a registered Professional Art Therapist (AThR), counsellor and award-winning artist. Xiang has lived experience with mental health. Xiang is committed to use art and art therapy to support better mental health and well-being in our society.

In this episode of Resilience Rocks Sales, Stacey is joined by Regan Barker, Head of Revenue Operations at Grant Thornton. The two discuss Regan's career journey from marketing in professional services to her current role, where she extends sales capabilities and integration between sales, marketing, and revenue profitability. Regan shares how she builds and nurtures her team and emphasises the importance of resilience in achieving long-term success.

Regan takes us deep into intelligent sales strategies that focus on building long-term relationships, rather than quick sales. She brings fresh perspectives on embedding great practices within a firm, leveraging sales enablement, and ensuring alignment between different business functions. The episode also touches on personal practices for building resilience, including meditation and journaling, and the significance of positive self-talk.

If you would like to connect with Regan, she is an active LinkedIn user and enjoys early morning virtual or face-to-face coffees. You can find her at https://linkedin.com/in/ReganBarker

Highlights:

- Transition from marketing to revenue operations leadership

- Importance of aligning sales and marketing teams

- Role of resilience in sales success

- Building a strong sales enablement structure

- Strategic long-term relationships vs. quick-win tactics

- Personal resilience practices from journaling to fitness goals

- Critical role of continual learning and team support

In this episode of Resilience Rocks Sales, we get to know the inspiring journey of Maranda Dziekonski. Maranda, a remarkable leader in the customer success space, shares her story of overcoming extreme poverty, and other adversities from her childhood in rural Michigan. Her path is a testament to resilience, having navigated through significant life challenges such as early emancipation, becoming a single mother at a young age, and establishing a successful career.

Maranda discusses the pivotal moments in her life that led her to choose a path of resilience and self-improvement. She sheds light on the importance of having a supportive community, sharing anecdotes about her grandmother's life-changing advice and her husband's unwavering encouragement. Her narrative demonstrates how emerging from hardship with a mindset geared toward growth and self-belief can lead to extraordinary outcomes, both personally and professionally. Maranda's determination and success story are sure to resonate with and inspire many.

The episode also touches upon leadership strategies, particularly in startup environments. Maranda emphasizes the need for resilience in early-stage startups, discussing the challenges that come with unpredictability and rapid changes. She provides insights on how leaders can effectively support their teams through communication, directness, and adaptability. Maranda also reflects on her experiences handling difficult situations like company layoffs and maintaining team trust and morale during tough times. This episode is packed with valuable lessons on resilience, leadership, and personal growth that will benefit anyone facing challenges in their careers or personal lives.

Connect with Maranda on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marandaanndziekonski/

Connect with Stacey on LinkedIn or Instagram

Listen to Resilience Rocks playlist on Spotify

About Maranda:

Maranda Dziekonski is the SVP of Customer Success and Ops at Datasembly. Maranda has over 20 years of experience both working in and building world-class operations.

She has extensive experience building and scaling teams in early and mid-stage startups and has been part of 4 companies with successful exits (one unicorn). Fun fact: Maranda is now working on her 9th startup!

While she has owned everything from sales and marketing, HR, biz ops, and various other functions, her passion remains with Customer Success.

Maranda has been honored as a Top 50 CCOs to Watch, Top 25 Customer Success Influencer for 2021, 2022, and 2023, and various other awards for CS and Leadership. She also sits on numerous boards and is on the advisory board for the University of San Francisco's Customer Success and Insights MBA Program.

In this episode of Resilience Rocks Sales, we meet Samantha J Brunskill, an expert in personal branding and luxury brand creation. She introduces us to the concept of choosing the right buyer and designing your sales process around presupposing people are empowered and self-led.

Samantha shares insights from her journey, including her success with the Illuminate Summit, her early struggles and achievements in her family's property development business, and dealing with negativity when building a brand that is authentically you.

The conversation digs into the importance of resilience, the power of personal stories in sales, and unique approaches to building a personal brand.

Connect with Samantha on Instagram DM her the word BOOKS and she’ll send you a free copy of her books

Get tickets for Illuminate Summit in September at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/illuminate-summit-tickets-947024103587

Connect with Stacey on LinkedIn or Instagram

Listen to Resilience Rocks playlist on Spotify

About Samantha J:

Samantha J. is an award-winning entrepreneur hailed as "The Illuminator" by Forbes for her trailblazing approach to purpose-led entrepreneurship. Turning her personal traumas into sources of hope, she built a multi-8-figure empire by the age of 22, overcoming challenges of sexual abuse and mental health.

A globetrotter and perpetual learner, Samantha J. has studied under leading experts in neuroscience, shamanism, sacred sexuality, trauma, entrepreneurship, and leadership. She developed her unique methodology, The Illuminator Method, to help entrepreneurs find deep fulfillment while building the life and 6-8+ figure empire of their dreams.

Recognized as one of Business Elite's Top 40 Under 40 entrepreneurs, Samantha is a 6x best-selling author and a 5x Women Changing the World award finalist and winner of the Women Changing The World - Emerging Leader of the Year (bronze).

She has been featured alongside Oprah, spent time with Richard Branson, Sarah Ferguson the Duchess of York, Dr. Terrai Trent. Her next book will be featured in the Oscars hampers, and is being launched in New York October 2024.

She has empowered thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide and is on a mission to make a billion philanthropic impacts through her business school and branding agency.

In this episode, Stacey chats with James Michael from Justified Talent about his unique journey from the military to becoming a small business sales recruiter.

James shares his insights on resilience, the psychology of performance, and his innovative approach to recruitment that ditches the traditional resume for behavioural analytics.

Highlights:

• James Michael's Background
• The Navy and the Army Experience
• Transition to Sales
• Building Justified Talent
• Innovative Recruitment Approach
• Culture in Recruitment

Connect with James on LinkedIn or at www.JustifiedTalent.com

Get the Scorecard at https://justifiedtalent.scoreapp.com/

Connect with Stacey on LinkedIn or Instagram

Listen to Resilience Rocks playlist on Spotify

About James:

Having reinvented himself, professionally, 5 times, over his working life so far, James Michael, at age 55 launched his first ever recruitment firm.

Justified Talent works with Founders and small business owners to recruit their first sales professionals.

James nominates 'resilience' as one of the key contributors to his success.

In this episode of Resilience Rock Sales, Ben Angel, author of The Wolf is at The Door - How to Survive & Thrive in an AI-Driven World, discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on businesses, particularly in sales.

Ben shares his journey, insights on AI's fast-evolving landscape, and gives practical advice on leveraging AI tools while being cautious of its risks.

He also explores the importance of resilience and discusses steps individuals and business owners can take to stay ahead of the curve.

Highlights:

• The Importance of Ben's New Book
• The Impact of AI on Business and Society
• Challenges and Risks of AI
• The Reality of AI-Generated Content
• Privacy and Intellectual Property Concerns with AI
• Historical Context of Technological Disruptions
• Practical Steps for Individuals and Business Owners
• Music as a Ritual for Resilience

Connect with Ben at www.thewolfofAI.co

Connect with Stacey on LinkedIn or Instagram

Listen to Resilience Rocks playlist on Spotify

About Ben:

Ben Angel is a bestselling author who has predicted trends in business, health, tech and marketing for nearly two decades. As a VIP contributor to Entrepreneur for 8 years, his weekly videos have amassed millions of views. His latest book, The Wolf is at The Door - How to Survive & Thrive in an AI-Driven World explores how AI will reshape work, commerce, relationships and reality, to prepare leaders for the future.

In this episode of Resilience Rocks Sales, we meet Leslie Greenwood, a dynamic force in the world of sales, leadership, and community building. Leslie shares her journey from being a 'stay-at-home mom' to becoming a successful sales leader and the co-founder of Wednesday Women, a platform dedicated to highlighting executive women throughout the year.

Diving deep into the essence of resilience in sales, Leslie opens up about her early challenges and the scrappiness required to succeed in the startup world. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience, a trait that Leslie embodies in every facet of her life. From making telemarketing calls in college to navigating the complexities of SaaS startups without a clear path, Leslie's journey is not just inspiring but also deeply instructional for anyone looking to make their mark in sales or any competitive field.

Leslie introduces us to the concept of evangelism in sales, passionately discussing how exceeding expectations can transform customers into evangelists. Her insights on building communities, leveraging social capital, and the significance of fostering genuine connections add valuable layers to our understanding of modern sales strategies.

Whether you're a seasoned sales professional or new to the field, Leslie's experiences and advice offer a wealth of wisdom on resilience, community building, and leveraging personal stories to inspire and engage. Join us as we explore the intersection of sales and resilience with one of the most influential voices in the community-led growth model.

Connect with Leslie on LinkedIn

Follow Wednesday Women on LinkedIn

Connect with Stacey on LinkedIn or Instagram

Listen to Resilience Rocks playlist on Spotify

About Leslie:

Leslie is the founder of Chief Evangelist Consulting and Wednesday Women, a start up advisor and a champion of diversity in tech.