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Merchants of Change

Business & Economics Podcasts

Merchants of Change is a podcast focused on athletes and veterans in sales, transitioning from competitive athletics and military careers to the working world, and advice for your first sales job. Guests will include former professional athletes, veterans, Olympians, and elite college athletes who have gone on to incredible success in sales as individual contributors and sales leaders. The name “Merchants of Change” is a nod to Jim McInerny, one of JR’s earliest mentors in sales. Jim has mentored and been responsible for hundreds of people getting started and succeeding in sales. Being a “Merchant of Change” has been one of Jim’s cornerstone mantras for his whole career and something that JR has carried with him since seeing the phrase displayed in Jim’s office.

Location:

United States

Description:

Merchants of Change is a podcast focused on athletes and veterans in sales, transitioning from competitive athletics and military careers to the working world, and advice for your first sales job. Guests will include former professional athletes, veterans, Olympians, and elite college athletes who have gone on to incredible success in sales as individual contributors and sales leaders. The name “Merchants of Change” is a nod to Jim McInerny, one of JR’s earliest mentors in sales. Jim has mentored and been responsible for hundreds of people getting started and succeeding in sales. Being a “Merchant of Change” has been one of Jim’s cornerstone mantras for his whole career and something that JR has carried with him since seeing the phrase displayed in Jim’s office.

Language:

English


Episodes
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Always in Go Mode - Tyler Huntey

5/2/2024
Former college baseball player Tyler Huntey joins the show this week to talk about his transition from sports to sales and eventually becoming a CEO! Some great nuggets in this conversation on leveraging the mindset that made you elite at your sport into becoming a successful sales professional! 5:35 Transition from Baseball to Sales 9:53 First Sales Job and Experience 16:55 Advice to Senior Athletes 24:20 The Importance of Selling as a CEO/Entrepreneurship ---------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-huntey-16b90895/ About Face Development: https://www.linkedin.com/company/about-face-development/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:29:17

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What You Do Matters - Pat D'Amico

4/25/2024
Big thanks to Pat D'Amico, for joining us on Merchants of Change this week! This is an awesome conversation digging into the science of selling and the keys to success from BDRs to the C-suite! After serving in the U.S. Army, Pat transitioned to sales and eventually sales development. After 20+ years leading and training sellers, he started his own company About-Face Development, LLC! 8:10 Sales Development, Enablement & Training 15:35 Training Elite Sellers 23:50 The Science of Selling 38:20 Being Dialed In as a Sales Professional ---------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patjdamico/ About Face Development: https://www.linkedin.com/company/about-face-development/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:41:32

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It Takes What It Takes - Canaan Severin

4/18/2024
Excited to welcome former NFL player Canaan Severin to the show this week!! After his college career at UVA, Canaan played with the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers before making his transition to sales as an Account Manager with Coinbase! 8:32 Transition from the NFL to Sales 13:09 Why Athletes Are Successful in Sales 29:00 Skills to Develop as a New Seller 33:14 Being Dialed In as a Sales Professional ---------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/canaan-severin-2a448417b/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:36:40

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Gritty, Not Pretty - Tad Gold

4/11/2024
On this week's episode of Merchants of Change, we welcome Tad Gold, a former professional baseball player, two sport collegiate athlete, and current District Sales Manager at Toast! JR & Tad talk about his transition out of baseball, the skills that translate from sports to sales, and how he has quickly climbed the ladder and earned multiple promotions at Toast! 10:43 Making His Transition to Sales 17:37 Keys to Getting Promoted 26:25 Advice For Your 1st Company 32:41 Being Dialed In as a Sales Professional ---------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tad-gold-5b153751/ Diverse Athlete Placement: https://wearedap.com/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:35:35

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Your Network is Your Net Worth - Danya Abrams

4/4/2024
This week we welcome Danya Abrams, former Boston College basketball player, to Merchants of Change for an awesome conversation! After his college career, Danya played professionally before starting his own financial services firm and founded Diverse Athlete Placement, a platform helping minority student-athletes transition out of sports! 7:57 Transition from Basketball to Sales & Entrepreneurship 12:37 Skill That Translate from Sports to Sales 20:21 Shift Group x Diverse Athlete Placement Partnership 30:51 Being Dialed In as a Sales Professional ---------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danyaabrams/ Diverse Athlete Placement: https://wearedap.com/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:33:03

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Experience Over Expertise - Keenan

3/28/2024
Super excited to welcome Keenan to the show this week to kick off another great season of Merchants of Change!! As a Best-Selling Author, Founder, and CEO, Keenan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in sales, making this a must-listen conversation! He pulls no punches, tells it like it is, and is convicted in his opinions not because they get impressions, but because he actually believes them. ---------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkeenan/ Gap Selling: https://www.amazon.com/Gap-Selling-Problem-Centric-Everything-Relationships/dp/1732891001 To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance. 6:55 Transition to Sales 16:05 Writing His Book's Not Taught & Gap Selling 29:17 What is Gap Selling 38:55 Advice to Athletes/Veterans

Duration:00:49:09

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Accountability & Extreme Ownership - Ryan Feely

3/14/2024
Ending Season 7 of Merchants of Change with a bang! Super excited to have Ryan Feely, former Florida State football player, and current Senior AE at Seamless.AI join the show for an awesome conversation! Ryan has had an incredibly successful run in his sales career, being promoted 5 times in 5 years, from BDR to Director of Sales. This conversation highlights the skills, traits, and characteristics he took from his football career that allowed him to succeed in sales! 9:12 Sales Degree's in College 19:22 Climbing the Ranks & Getting Promoted 29:49 Advice to Athletes Preparing to Transition 41:07 Accountability & Extreme Ownership 47:24 Being Dialed In as a Sales Professional ---------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-feely-%F0%9F%94%8E-91801a134/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:51:41

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The Power of Coachability - Nathan Frieberg

3/7/2024
This week on Merchants of Change...we welcome Nathan Frieberg, former Vermont Catamount and current Outbound Sales Manager at 280 Group to the show! After his soccer career Nate started his own company and then transitioned to sales, where he's built an impressive resume as a sales professional leveraging the skills that allowed him to be a Division 1 athlete! 10:56 Advice to Seniors Preparing For Life After Sports 17:52 Critical Sales Skills to Develop 23:17 Characteristics of a Good Hire 27:14 Being Dialed In as a Sales Professional ----------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-frieberg/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:29:56

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When Preparation Meets Opportunity - Katie Grimm

2/29/2024
Excited to welcome Katie Grimm to Merchants of Change this week! A former Virginia Tech lacrosse player and current VP of Sales at S2N Health, Katie offers some great advice for our audience on transitioning your experiences as an athlete into a successful career in sales! 4:50 Transition to Sales & Leadership 15:13 Importance of Coachability 24:45 What to Look for in Your 1st Company/Manager 36:08 What is MedTech 42:33 Being Dialed In as a Sales Professional ----------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-spicer-8189b43/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:45:47

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If Sales Was Easy, Everyone Would Do It - Ryan Spicer

2/22/2024
Merchants of Change welcomes Ryan Spicer to the show this week to talk about the value your athletic background can bring to any organization! As a former professional soccer player and coach, Ryan took his experiences and translated them into a long and successful career in media sales! Sales is hard, but if you apply the same grit, determination, and resiliency that made you successful in sports or military service, you will succeed! 15:50 Transition from Professional Sports to Sales 24:30 What is Media Sales? 42: 35 What to Look for in Your First Company 47:44 Being Dialed In as a Sales Professional ----------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-spicer-8189b43/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:51:37

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A Relentless Sales Mindset - Kevin Reed Jr.

2/15/2024
Joining us this week is Kevin Reed Jr., former pro football player turned sales professional with Excedr! This conversation dives deep into skills, traits, and processes that translate from athletics into a successful career in sales! Kevin also talks about the NIL resource he has built for student-athletes called All Gas Athletics (link in the notes) 10:49 First Cold Call Story 12:52 Skills, Traits, and Processes that Translate from Sports 21:15 First Company Advice 25:21 Keys to Having a Quick Start as a BDR ------------------------ Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinreedjr/ All Gas Athletics: https://allgasathletic.com/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:35:25

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It's All About The Customer - Matt Barr

2/8/2024
Joining us on Merchants of Change this week is Matt Barr, former Bentley basketball player and current VP of Sales & Client Success at Breezeway! 15:45 Starting at a Small or Large Company 17:27 Advice to Transitioning Athletes 27:45 Pillars to Sales Success as a BDR 35:07 What it Means to be Dialed In as a Sales Professional ------------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattjbarr/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:40:01

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The Art of Sales - Jenn Haskell

2/1/2024
Awesome conversation this week with Jenn Haskell, Director of Sales Enablement & Training at Nasuni and former 3 sport collegiate athlete! Jenn is our first guest who works in sales enablement and provides some great insight into the career and how she is training her reps to be successful! 9:37 The Value of Sales Enablement 20:20 The Art of Sales 28:20 Sales Enablement Playbook 40:10 Why I Love Sales & Being Dialed In ------------------------ Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennhaskellmba/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:44:28

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The No Playbook, Playbook

1/25/2024
We are excited to welcome Steve Travaglini to Merchants of Change this week to discuss what makes an elite sales professional! Steve is a former football player at Assumption University who transitioned to sales, quickly climbing the ranks, and is currently the Chief Sales Officer at LinkSquares! 7:57 1st Sales Job 17:48 Advice to Young Athletes 30:34 Sales Playbook 41:21 Elite Sales Skill & Being Dialed in ------------------------ Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevetravaglini/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:48:12

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Be Different - Pat MacGregor

1/18/2024
Former Boston University hockey captain, Patrick MacGregor joins us on Merchants of Change this week for an awesome conversation! JR at Pat talk about the challenges of the BDR role, what to look for in your first company, and how to translate your skills as an athlete into becoming an elite sales professional! 9:50 Transition to Sales 19:10 1st Company and Advice to Transitioning Athletes 24:25 Telling Your Story 34:53 Elite Sales Skill & Being Dialed In ------------------------ Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-macgregor-32945386/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:38:28

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Improvise, Overcome, Adapt - Charlie Ruiz

1/11/2024
Merchants of Change is back with a brand new season, loaded with elite guests and awesome conversations! In episode 1, we welcome Charles Ruiz, a former college & professional baseball player who transitioned to sales and eventually started his own coaching company, CLR Connection. JR & Charlie talk about his transition to sales, advice for young sellers, his playbook for sales success, and what it means to be dialed in! 9:37 Transition to Sales 19:40 Telling Your Story 25:50 Playbook for Sales Success 29:30 Elite Sales Skill & Being Dialed In ------------------------ Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-ruiz/ CLR Connection: https://www.clrconnection.com/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:33:39

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Connecting the Unconnected - Esther Iyamu

12/21/2023
On the last episode of Season 6 of Merchants of Change, we welcome Esther Iyamu, Founder & CEO of GrowthQ to the show! Esther is a former NFL and NBA cheerleader who successfully transitioned into a successful sales career before founding her own company, GrowthQ! A conversation filled with advice on starting your sales career, the importance of selling in entrepreneurship, getting dialed in, and much more! 1:53 Cheer/Dance Career 17:40 Transition to Sales 29:40 Entrepreneurship 38:50 Core Sales Beliefs 44:05 Elite Sales Skill and Being Dialed In ------------------------ Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-ayorinde/ GrowthQ: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthq/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:46:09

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Entitled To Nothing, Grateful For Everything - Vince Nistico

12/14/2023
Excited to welcome another elite guest to Merchants of Change this week, Vince Nistico, former college football player and current Strategic Enterprise Account Executive at ServiceTitan! Another awesome conversation, loaded with advice for anyone looking to start a career in sales! JR & Vince talk about picking the right company, establishing your operating rhythm, and being dialed in! 9:10 Preparing for the Transition 25:25 Picking the Right 1st Company 31:55 Establishing Your Operating Rhythm 41:40 Being Dialed in ------------------------ Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincenistico/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:44:24

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The Sales Interview Playbook - Dan Fantasia

12/7/2023
This week on Merchants of Change we welcome Dan Fantasia, President & CEO of Treeline, Inc. to the show! With over 20 years of experience in helping companies build elite sales teams, this is an episode packed full of great advice for athletes & veterans preparing to break into a career in sales! Getting prepared for your interviews takes a lot more than just showing up. There are countless steps you can take to ensure you show up to that interview prepared and land that sales role! 9:00 Core Sales Beliefs 17:15 Preparing For Your Interviews 25:50 Telling Your Story 30:30 Choosing Your 1st Company ------------------------ Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfantasia/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:39:50

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It's a People Game - Cianna Levi

11/30/2023
This week on Merchants of Change, we welcome Cianna Levi, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader and current Enterprise SDR at Outreach to the show! Cianna has taken the skills & characteristics that allowed her to be elite in dance and used them to transition to a successful start in sales. JR & Cianna talk about her transition, advice for telling your story in an interview, picking your first company, and getting comfortable with starting a new career from the bottom of the ladder. 7:40 Dallas Cowboys Operational Excellence 16:50 Cianna's Transition 24:40 Telling Your Story 34:15 Picking Your 1st Company 38:30 Elite Sales Skill & Being a Pro ----------------------- Connect with us on social @shiftathlete on all platforms! Learn more about Shift Group at shiftgroup.io Today's guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levici/ To our Athletes & Veterans: We will find you a career that you love, over prepare you for success, and connect you with great companies where you will grow, learn, and earn consistently. To our Hiring Partners: We will help you find the best candidates in the world that will outwork, outlearn, and outperform your highest expectations. We will work closely with you to match our candidates to your leadership style, your culture, and your expectations for performance.

Duration:00:44:24