"Fractional VP of Sales" with Cynthia West

In this episode, Danny Flores welcomes Cynthia West—tech sales trailblazer, serial entrepreneur, and now director at Chapman University’s Leatherby Center. Cynthia dives into her incredible journey from Silicon Valley startup exits to shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs through education and consulting.

Cynthia shares how her early startups like TestDrive and Audio Highway led to quick exits and IPO success, and how she translated those lessons into scalable sales processes. She explains the importance of building repeatable systems, testing messaging early, and why hiring in cohorts can save both time and money. Danny and Cynthia also dive into how AI is reshaping sales—from outbound prospecting to smarter targeting—and how today's sales professionals must adapt to stay competitive.

Cynthia also introduces her work at Resultant, a fractional VP of Sales firm that supports growing businesses without the overhead of full-time executives. She shares how startups can access top-tier sales strategy on a part-time basis—and when it's time to scale up.

Key Takeaways:

• The real story behind two tech exits and a public offering

• Why building sales processes early helps scale fast

• The surprising truth about hiring (and losing) salespeople

• How AI is changing the role of sales

• Cynthia's vision for entrepreneurship education and her work at Chapman University

 

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