Make It Happen Mondays - B2B Sales Talk with John Barrows

Stephanie Chung grew up on an Air Force base with a Master Sergeant father—so structure, discipline, and high standards were her foundation long before she ever stepped into a boardroom. Today, she’s a #1 international best-selling author, executive coach, and the first African American to lead a major private aviation company.

In this powerful episode, we dive into Stephanie’s remarkable career—from checking bags at an airline to c...

Udi Ledergor is back on the pod—and this time, he’s bringing the fire behind Courageous Marketing, his new book that challenges everything safe, stale, and same-same in today’s crowded GTM world.As the former CMO of Gong during its hypergrowth years (multi-billion-dollar valuation, anyone?), and now Chief Evangelist, Udi knows firsthand how to build brands people actually love. In this episode, he and John ...

What happens when 25 years of corporate procurement experience meets elite business school teaching? You get Giuseppe Conti—a world-class negotiation expert with a gift for turning complex tactics into everyday skills.In this episode, Giuseppe shares his journey from growing up in a family of teachers in Southern Italy to teaching negotiation and influence at institutions like Oxford and Cambridge. His new book, Negotiati...

Eugene “Blue” Bowen joins John Barrows to unpack one of the most important AI sales reports of the year—straight from G2’s research desk. As a Research Principal focused on sales, tech, and AI, Blue co-authored G2’s latest study exploring how sales teams are actually using (or not using) AI in their day-to-day.

Together, they dig into:

1. Why most pipeline numbers are a lie
2. The myth of “fully automated” sales cycles
3. How AI’s most powe...

Lori Richardson is a powerhouse in the sales world—and one of John’s favorite humans, period.In this deeply personal and insightful episode, Lori opens up about her incredible journey: escaping an abusive relationship at 19, raising a child on her own, and diving headfirst into a 100% commission sales role with no safety net. Her story isn’t just inspiring—it’s a masterclass in resilience, grit, and self-belief....

Marcus Chan is a walking masterclass in disciplined growth. As CEO of Venli Consulting, he’s helped sales teams uncover $2M–$10M+ in hidden revenue through what he calls a Revenue Operating System—a system that’s generated $950M+ in results (and counting).In this episode, John Barrows reconnects with Marcus Chan to explore the grit, strategy, and mindset behind high-performing sales orgs. From his...

Vince Beese knows how to close. As a fractional CRO and author of Red Zone Selling, Vince helps early-stage startups and fast-growing sales teams stop spinning their wheels and start running the plays that actually move deals across the finish line.In this conversation, John and Vince ditch the fluff and dive straight into what separates elite sellers from the rest. From his days in enterprise sales to building ...

Jake Mannino isn’t your average sales leader. As a Global Sales Director at Microsoft, he leads a team responsible for over $1B in annual revenue—but his true superpower lies in understanding people.In this deeply insightful episode, Jake joins John Barrows to unpack the psychology of motivation, the neuroscience of behavior change, and what it takes to build a high-performance culture in today’s AI-dr...

On this week’s episode, John Barrows hits the floor at Rev Fest—a one-of-a-kind event hosted by Go Nimbly’s CEO, Jen, at the iconic House of Yes in Brooklyn. This isn’t your typical sales conference. It’s loud, unconventional, and hyper-focused on RevOps—the unsung heroes of modern GTM strategy.In a series of quick-hit, high-impact interviews with leaders from Snowflake, Clay, G2, StrongDM, and Fi...

Monica Stewart has spent 15 years helping B2B SaaS founders escape survival mode and build scalable revenue systems—generating $25M+ in revenue and influencing over $200M in valuations along the way. In this episode, John and Monica dig into what really holds founders back from scaling past the $1–10M mark.

They explore why so many founders—especially technical ones—see sales as a necessary evil, and the dangerous misconceptions thi...

In this episode John Barrows sits down with Zoltan Vardy, B2B sales advisor, author of The Launch Code, and the go-to expert for helping tech founders turn their ideas into scalable revenue.With over $2 billion in closed sales and 30 years of C-suite and entrepreneurial experience, Zoltan breaks down why so many founders still treat sales like a necessary evil and why that mindset kills more startups than any la...

Matt Millen is the co-founder and president of Regie AI, a platform that’s transforming how sales teams scale personalized outreach without losing the human connection. Before Regie, Matt’s career spanned everything from leading sales at Tony Robbins to competitive car racing—experiences that shaped his philosophy on performance, mindset, and winning the long game.

In this conversation, Matt and John dig into the evolving role of th...

In this episode of Make It Happen Mondays, John Barrows sits down with Luke Arno, CRO at Transcend and a powerhouse revenue leader who’s scaled growth at companies like Twilio Segment and Box. Luke shares what sets truly great sales teams apart—and why coaching, optimism, and grit are the unteachable qualities every leader should look for.

They dive deep into the differences between coaching, mentoring, and leadership, and why enabl...

John “JT” Turner is a sales executive, leadership coach, and team builder with a proven track record of turning good teams into great ones. In this episode, John Barrows and JT explore what authentic sales leadership really looks like—and how to apply it in today’s fast-moving, AI-influenced world.

They unpack JT’s formative experiences, including his time at Google X launching moonshot ideas in cybersecurity, and how that environme...

Nick Hill is the Director of Sales Enablement at Crunchbase, with a track record of building performance-driven coaching programs at Miro, Sprinklr, and beyond. In this episode of Make It Happen Mondays, John Barrows and Nick dive deep into all things enablement—from structure and timing to coaching reps and aligning with RevOps for real impact.

They explore when companies should actually invest in enablement, how to differentiate t...

Mark Raffan is the founder and CEO of Negotiations Ninja™, a former procurement pro turned sales ally, and one of the sharpest minds in the negotiation game today. In this episode of Make It Happen Mondays, John Barrows welcomes Mark back for a tactical, no-fluff conversation on why most sales reps lose deals in the final 10%—not to competition, but to poor negotiation.

They dive into some of the biggest silent killers in dealmaking...

John Barrows is joined by Dan Sperring, founder of AlignICP, to unpack one of the most overlooked—but critical—elements of GTM success: your Ideal Customer Profile.

Dan has made it his mission to help sales and marketing teams work together to define, refine, and activate a high-impact ICP strategy. The conversation dives into common ICP mistakes (like defaulting to company size or segment), how your ICP evolves year over year, and ...

Karen Kelly is a sales strategist, speaker, and founder of K2 Performance Consulting, where she helps B2B companies sell with confidence, clarity, and purpose. In this episode of Make It Happen Mondays, John Barrows sits down with Karen for a tactical and inspiring conversation that covers everything from her immigrant upbringing and biology background to coaching, confidence, and creating safe spaces for buyers.

They explore her co...

On today's episode, John Barrows sits down with Blair LaCorte—a transformational leader whose career has spanned aviation, AI, tech, entertainment, and aerospace. With multiple highly successful exits, Blair brings battle-tested wisdom to the table, but what sets him apart is his focus on people, purpose, and emotional intelligence. They explore everything from growing up with entrepreneurial parents to the role of money as a vehic...