Breaking the Grade: Recent Episodes
Josh Chernikoff
Breaking the Grade is a thought-provoking podcast that follows entrepreneurs in the education space as they make their way to the top. Tune in for stories about breaking norms, introducing new ideas, and shaping our future society through every lesson let out.
An education company almost always starts with one person: a founder, a teacher, or a practitioner who saw a problem and decided to solve it.
Then something strange happens.
The very person who built the solution disappears behind logos, fonts, taglines, company pages and carefully polished messaging.
Meanwhile, buyers are asking a much simpler question:
"Who are you, and why should I trust you?"
That's where deals are won or lost.
You don't need a better logo. You need more conversations. You need more trust. You need more sales.
Logos matter. Taglines matter. Brand recognition matters. But those things become more important as the business grows. Early on, people are buying the person behind the business.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine, explains why so many education founders overcomplicate personal branding, hide behind company pages, and miss the simple truth: people buy people.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Education founders overthink personal branding all the time. They spend months worrying about logos, messaging, websites, and company pages while ignoring the one thing buyers are actually looking for: a person they can trust.
Early on, people buy people.
Your company can deliver the promise, but the founder is often the reason the conversation starts in the first place.
The goal isn't to become famous. The goal is to become known, trusted, and remembered.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Use the founder to build trust. Use the company to deliver the promise.
Your business shouldn't depend on you forever, but the market shouldn't have to discover it without you today.
2️⃣ Stop posting like a press release.
Announcements teach people about your company. Stories teach people about you.
3️⃣ Show something real.
People connect with honesty, not perfection.
4️⃣ Visibility isn't a sales system. It's the entrance to one.
Story. Trust. Conversation. Sales process.
Every story needs a next step: a webinar, a newsletter, a clear invitation forward.
5️⃣ Give people something to act on, not just read.
A practical next step makes you useful long before you're ever hired.
🎯 WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Education founders
- Teacherpreneurs
- EdTech leaders
- Consultants selling into schools
- Anyone building a business that extends beyond the founder
🚀 NEXT STEP
Open your last 10 LinkedIn posts and ignore the likes. Ask yourself this question instead:
"How many show something I know, something I've experienced, something I believe, or something my buyer should do next?"
Then text "90 DAYS" to 771-333-4233.
Get the 90-Day Founder Challenge — a practical framework for your next 90 days.
Teacher-founders: a few 1:1 planning sessions are still open.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and send this episode to an education founder who's hiding behind the company page instead of standing in front of it.
The company may deliver the solution.
But the founder opens the door.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
"We're going to stick with what we have."
Every education founder has heard those words. Usually right after their strongest pitch. Usually after a great conversation. Usually after showing hard proof that the thing works.
And that's exactly what makes it sting.
Most education founders think they lost to another company.
They didn't.
In this live episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine, and John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, dig into one of the hardest truths in school sales:
You're not competing with a rival product. You're competing with familiarity, routine, a packed calendar, a tight budget, and the plain fact that change feels risky even when it's the right call.
School leaders aren't only asking if your solution is better. They're asking if the disruption of switching is worth it.
That's a completely different question — and most pitches never answer it.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Education founders sell what's possible.
Buyers quietly calculate what it will cost them to get there.
While education founders are painting the upside, school leaders are running the numbers on training, rollout, pushback, and who takes the blame if it flops.
That's why "good enough" keeps beating "better."
Not because leaders don't want something better.
Because standing still still feels like the safer bet.
The founders who get this stop pushing harder.
They start asking sharper questions.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ You're not losing to a competitor.
You're losing to how comfortable the current system already feels.
2️⃣ Features get nods. Outcomes get signatures.
School leaders remember what changed, not what the dashboard looks like.
3️⃣ Ask, don't argue.
A sharp question opens more doors than the strongest pitch ever will.
4️⃣ Put a price on standing still.
If staying the same looks free, changing will always look expensive by comparison.
5️⃣ Find whose job gets easier.
Your loudest champion is the person whose daily work your solution actually fixes.
🎯 WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Education founders
- Teacherpreneurs
- EdTech leaders
- Consultants selling into schools
- Anyone trying to move a system that doesn't want to move
🚀 NEXT STEP
Pull up the last deal that went quiet.
Skip the usual question — "how do I push this forward" — and ask a harder one instead:
"What am I actually asking this buyer to give up?"
Text "90 DAYS" to 771-333-4233.
Get the 90-Day Founder Challenge — a practical framework for your next 90 days.
Teacher-founders: a few 1:1 planning sessions are still open.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and send this to an education founder who's tired of hearing "we'll stick with what we have."
Because the real obstacle was never the competition.
It was always familiarity.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
You built the product. You know the problem. You know your solution works.
So why should you have to be the one selling it?
For many teacherpreneurs and education founders, the answer seems obvious: hire a salesperson, find a reseller, or bring in someone with the right connections to get your solution to schools.
But there's a problem with handing off sales too soon.
You may be trying to delegate something you haven't learned yet.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine explores why founder-led sales isn't about becoming a salesperson forever. It's about learning your market well enough to understand who buys, why they buy, what problems they urgently need solved, and what makes them say yes.
Josh shares how Michael Dell learned to pay attention to who was buying newspaper subscriptions—and discovered patterns that helped him target the right people.
That's the real purpose of founder-led sales: market research, discovery, and pattern recognition. Every conversation reveals what resonates, which objections keep appearing, and what moves buyers forward.
A salesperson can't discover your market for you. You have to learn those things first.
Because if you don't, you aren't really delegating sales.
You're delegating confusion.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Teacherpreneurs and education founders don't need to become lifelong salespeople. But they do need enough firsthand experience to understand their buyers before handing the process to someone else.
When you know your ideal client, their problem, objections, and buying triggers, you can build a repeatable process and eventually scale it.
The goal isn't to sell forever. It's to learn enough to teach someone else.
KEY STRATEGIES
1️⃣ Founder-Led Sales Is Market Research
Early sales conversations reveal what your market actually cares about.
2️⃣ Learn the Buyer Before Building the Sales Machine
Know your perfect client, their problem, and why your solution matters.
3️⃣ Don't Mistake a Sales Problem for a Positioning Problem
Weak sales may point to targeting, messaging, positioning, or offer problems.
4️⃣ Get Enough Reps to Know What Works
You need enough experience to recognize patterns and build a process.
5️⃣ Earn the Right to Delegate
Before handing off sales, make sure you're giving someone a system—not asking them to figure out your market.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
Teacherpreneurs and education founders preparing to scale
Founders considering their first sales hire
Education companies exploring sales partnerships
NEXT STEP
Ask yourself:
Am I delegating a proven sales system—or asking someone else to figure out my market?
Text "90 DAYS" to 771-333-4233
Get the 90-Day Founder Challenge—a practical framework for your next 90 days.
Teacher-founders: limited 1:1 planning sessions available.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this episode with a teacherpreneur or education founder who's ready to scale—but needs to learn the market first.
You don't have to sell forever. Before you hand off the sale, understand the buyer.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
AI has made it faster than ever to find prospects, research school districts, write personalized emails, create LinkedIn messages, and build follow-up sequences.
Education founders can now do in minutes what used to take hours. Yet many are still hearing the same thing: silence.
The problem isn't AI. It's expecting AI to do the one job it was never meant to do—build relationships.
In this live episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine, and John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, explore how education companies and teacherpreneurs can use AI to generate more leads without sounding like AI.
Using Lionel Messi's preparation for the World Cup as a powerful analogy, they explain why AI should be your equipment—not the player.
Learn how to use AI to earn more replies by strengthening research, sharpening your messaging, and keeping trust and human judgment at the center of every sales conversation.
WHY THIS MATTERS
AI has lowered the barrier to creating outreach.
It hasn't lowered the barrier to earning trust.
Buyers are getting better at recognizing outreach that feels automated instead of authentic.
The founders who stand out won't be the ones using the most AI. They'll be the ones using AI to strengthen genuine human relationships.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Let AI Be the Equipment, Not the Player
Use AI to research, organize, analyze, and prepare. Human judgment is still responsible for reading the situation, asking better questions, and building trust.
2️⃣ Solve the Foundation Before the Automation
The best prompt can't fix an unclear offer or an undefined ideal customer. Strong positioning comes before stronger AI workflows.
3️⃣ Personalization Starts With Curiosity
Instead of making assumptions about buyers, use research to ask thoughtful questions that open meaningful conversations.
4️⃣ Automate the Work, Not the Relationship
AI can accelerate follow-ups and proposals, but founders should remain the final voice.
5️⃣ Better Conversations Beat More Outreach
The goal isn't simply to send more emails. It's to create messages that deserve a response because they're relevant, thoughtful, and human.
🎯 WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Education founders using AI to support sales and marketing
- Teacherpreneurs building stronger outreach strategies
- EdTech sales teams looking to improve response rates
- Founders balancing automation with authentic relationship-building
- Anyone selling into K-12 education
🚀 NEXT STEP
Ask yourself:
Is AI helping you build more relationships... or simply send more messages?
Join Josh's upcoming masterclass and learn how to turn more conversations into paying clients.
Text "90 DAYS" to 771-333-4233
Get the 90-Day Founder Challenge—a practical framework for your next 90 days.
Teacher-founders: limited 1:1 planning sessions available.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this episode with a founder who's using AI to save time—but wants to make sure it never replaces trust.
The future of education sales belongs to founders who combine smarter technology with stronger relationships.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Many teacherpreneurs and education founders work hard to build credibility.
They earn certifications, highlight partnerships, showcase awards, and perfect their product.
Yet sales conversations still stall. Buyers understand what they built, but never connect with why they built it.
Without that connection, trust takes longer to build, sales conversations lose momentum, and revenue becomes harder to generate.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine, sits down with Peter Mills, founder of Recess Reset, to explore one of the biggest mindset shifts founders face: moving from hiding behind credentials to leading with authentic connection.
Peter shares why he initially avoided telling his unconventional story—from professional dancer to living in India before founding an education company—and how embracing that story transformed his messaging, strengthened conversations with school leaders, and built deeper trust with buyers.
This isn't about personal branding. It's about building trust that leads to better sales conversations and revenue growth.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Whether you're launching, searching for traction, or scaling, trust drives revenue.
Education buyers don't buy products based on features alone. They buy when they trust the founder and believe in the problem being solved.
Your story helps create that trust.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Stories Create Trust
Credentials may open the door, but authentic stories help buyers remember—and trust—you.
2️⃣ Make Buyers Care Before You Try to Impress Them
The strongest messaging helps school leaders see why the problem matters before highlighting achievements.
3️⃣ Connect Your Story to Your Customer's Reality
The best founder stories aren't biographies. They directly explain the problem your solution was built to solve.
4️⃣ Build Familiarity, Not Just Differentiation
Connecting your solution to tools educators already know makes new ideas easier to understand and adopt.
5️⃣ Lead Every Conversation with Purpose
A simple story, a relatable example, and a clear plan create stronger sales conversations than a product pitch alone.
🎯 WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Teacherpreneurs preparing to launch an education business
- Education founders struggling to gain traction
- Founders refining their messaging and positioning
- Education companies building trust with school leaders
🚀 NEXT STEP
Ask yourself:
Are buyers remembering my credentials—or remembering why I care?
Text "90 DAYS" to 771-333-4233
Get the 90-Day Founder Challenge—a practical framework for your next 90 days.
Teacher-founders: limited 1:1 planning sessions available.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this episode with a founder who's been hiding behind their résumé instead of sharing the story that makes their business matter.
The strongest education businesses grow when buyers trust the founder before they trust the product.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Every teacherpreneur and education founder starts with the same belief.
If I create something that genuinely helps students, schools will want it.
It sounds reasonable.
But education businesses don't grow on value alone.
They grow when buyers trust the founder, partners strengthen credibility, and the right people help create momentum around the solution.
That's the real conversation in this episode.
Originally recorded live at IFE in Monterrey, Mexico in April 2025, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine, sits down with Beatriz Guillen, Executive Director of The Resource Foundation. While the conversation explores philanthropy and education across Latin America, the lessons reach far beyond one region.
Together, they explore a question every education founder eventually faces:
What helps great education businesses become businesses that actually grow?
The answer isn't another feature.
It isn't better marketing.
It's learning to think beyond the solution itself.
From partnerships and buyer confidence to credibility and long-term ecosystem building, this conversation challenges founders to stop asking, "How do I sell this?" and start asking, "What needs to exist before buyers are ready to say yes?”
Why This Matters
Whether you're preparing to launch or already selling into schools, education buyers rarely make decisions on value alone.
They look for evidence.
They look for credibility.
They look for trusted partners.
Founders who understand that build momentum faster, create stronger relationships, and give great solutions a better chance to succeed.
🔑 Key Strategies & Mental Models
1️⃣ Build an Ecosystem, Not Just a Business
The strongest education companies don't grow alone. They intentionally build relationships that create momentum.
2️⃣ Credibility Comes Before Adoption
Evidence reduces risk. Buyers need confidence before they make commitments.
3️⃣ Partnerships Beat Isolation
Strategic partners often create opportunities that marketing alone never will.
4️⃣ Solve for the Buyer, Not Just the User
Great products help students. Great businesses also make buying decisions easier.
🎯 Who This Episode Is For
- Teacherpreneurs building their first education business
- Founders selling into schools or districts
- Education companies seeking strategic partnerships
- Operators navigating long education sales cycles
🚀 Next Step
Ask yourself: Who needs to believe in my business before my next customer says yes?
Text "90 DAYS" to 771-333-4233
Get the 90-Day Founder Challenge—a practical framework for your next 90 days.
Teacher-founders: limited 1:1 planning sessions available.
🔁 Subscribe & Share
If this episode changed how you think about growing an education business, subscribe and share it with another founder.
The strongest education businesses are built through relationships, not just great products.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Teacherpreneurs often believe growth will follow once they create something that works.
It won't.
A strong solution is the starting line, not the finish line. The hard part is figuring out who needs it, how to talk about it, and how to create demand around it.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine (previously EdSales Elevation Experience) sits down with Grace Pokela, founder of The Lesson Laboratory. Grace built a digital curriculum and instructional model that helped students become active investigators rather than passive learners. The results were real. But like many teacherpreneurs and education founders, she discovered that expertise alone doesn't create a business.
The conversation explores the shift from educator to entrepreneur. From identifying the right buyer to building confidence, developing a signature solution, and learning founder-led sales, Grace shares what it takes to build a foundation before chasing scale.
This isn't a conversation about curriculum. It's a conversation about what happens when an educator decides to build a business.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Many teacherpreneurs spend years mastering instruction and very little time learning positioning, sales, and customer discovery.
The result is often frustration. Strong solutions struggle because the founder assumes results will create demand.
They don't.
Growth gets easier when buyers understand exactly who you help, what problem you solve, and why it matters.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ A Breakthrough Is Not a Business
A solution can be effective and still struggle in the market. Growth begins when founders learn how to position and sell that solution.
2️⃣ Clarity Creates Traction
The clearer you are about the problem you solve and who you solve it for, the easier it becomes to generate opportunities.
3️⃣ Find the Buyer Closest to the Pain
The person with the budget is not always the person who feels the problem most deeply. Understanding that difference changes your sales strategy.
4️⃣ Confidence Is Built Through Action
Founder confidence doesn't come from motivation. It comes from customer conversations, market feedback, and repeated execution.
5️⃣ Build the Foundation Before You Scale
Positioning, messaging, credibility, and pipeline development are not growth accelerators. They are growth prerequisites.
🎯 WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
Teacherpreneurs turning expertise into a business
Education founders seeking product-market fit
Educators building their first revenue engine
Teams struggling to define their ideal customer
Founders looking to improve positioning
🚀 NEXT STEP
Ask yourself:
Have I built a business, or have I only built a solution?
Text "90 DAYS" to 771-333-4233
Get the 90-Day Founder Challenge—a practical framework for your next 90 days.
Teacher-founders: limited 1:1 planning sessions available.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this with a teacherpreneur who's trying to scale before building a foundation.
Growth gets expensive when clarity is missing.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
The school year may be ending, but the work of building a business doesn't stop.
For teacherpreneurs, summer creates something rare: space. Space to think, plan, and improve the business while the pace of the school year slows down.
But the lesson extends beyond teacherpreneurs. Every education business owner faces the same challenge: using quieter seasons to strengthen the business instead of simply reacting to it.
In this live episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine, and John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, discuss why summer is one of the most important seasons for teacherpreneurs. Not because schools are buying more, but because founders finally have space to think, plan, refine, and prepare for what's next.
The conversation explores common mistakes: forcing offers that no longer match buyer behavior, disappearing completely, or staying trapped in delivery work without improving the business itself.
Josh and John share a practical framework for using summer intentionally. From clarifying offers and understanding buyer priorities to creating a focused 90-day plan, this conversation is about building a stronger fall before it arrives.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Growth problems don’t start when sales slow down.
They start when founders stop checking what’s actually working.
Most education businesses enter a new school year carrying the same problems: unclear messaging, weak positioning, inconsistent outreach, and broken sales flow.
Summer is the window to fix it—before those issues get expensive.
The founders who grow aren’t always the busiest.
They’re the ones who use quiet seasons to sharpen their message, deepen relationships, and prepare for the next buying cycle.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Sell Where Demand Is Real
Focus on buyers already showing interest instead of forcing conversations that aren't moving.
2️⃣ Clarify the Transformation
Be able to explain who you help, how you help, and what outcome you create. If buyers can't repeat it back, your message isn't clear enough.
3️⃣ Build a 90-Day Plan
Skip the giant annual strategy document. Focus on the next ninety days. Clear priorities create momentum.
4️⃣ Work on the Business
Use summer to refine your offer, strengthen outreach, revisit goals, and prepare for the next selling season.
5️⃣ Understand What Buyers Care About
Strong founders focus on the problems buyers are actively trying to solve. Summer is a great time to do that research.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Teacherpreneurs building education businesses
- Educators turning classroom expertise into a business
- Founders struggling with sales consistency
- Operators building repeatable growth systems
🚀 NEXT STEP
Ask yourself:
If the fall started tomorrow, would your business be ready?
The next season is built before it arrives.
Text "90 DAYS" to 771-333-4233
Get the 90-Day Founder Challenge—a practical framework for your next 90 days.
Teacher-founders: limited 1:1 planning sessions available.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this with a founder who plans to "figure it out" in September.
The next school year gets built long before the first day of school.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
The fastest way to lose trust is to try to earn it too quickly.
That's a difficult reality for education companies.
Dr. Jared Bloom sees it every day.
As Superintendent of Franklin Square School District in New York, Jared receives hundreds of emails every day from companies trying to get his attention. Most never get a response.
Not because the products are bad.
Because that's not how trust gets built.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine sits down with Jared for an unusually honest conversation about what actually gets a superintendent's attention—and why most education sales outreach misses the mark.
Jared explains why cold emails rarely stand out, why generic LinkedIn pitches feel transactional, and what separates a vendor from a true partner.
He also shares how districts evaluate new solutions and why some companies earn long-term trust while others never make it past the first conversation.
For founders, sales teams, and customer success leaders, this episode offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the other side of the table.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Most education companies assume they have an outreach problem.
In reality, many have a trust problem.
When relationships are weak:
- Every sales conversation feels harder
- Follow-up becomes chasing
- Pilots stall
- Adoption slows
When trust exists:
- Conversations happen faster
- Feedback becomes honest
- Internal champions emerge
- Partnerships last longer
The strongest education sales strategies aren't built around volume.
They're built around credibility.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Relationships Scale Better Than Outreach
The goal isn't more conversations.
The goal is stronger conversations with the right people.
2️⃣ Relationships Are Built In Real Conversations
Face-to-face interactions allow education leaders to understand who they're working with—not just what they're buying.
3️⃣ Start Small, Then Expand
Successful districts start with small pilots, gather evidence, and expand only after results are visible.
4️⃣ Teacher Buy-In Matters
Even the strongest product can fail if the people using it don't believe in it.
5️⃣ Partnership Continues After The Sale
The most successful companies stay involved, listen closely, and adapt based on district feedback.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Education founders struggling to break into districts
- EdTech sales teams relying heavily on cold outreach
- Customer success leaders focused on retention and adoption
- Companies looking to build long-term district partnerships
- Anyone selling into K-12 education
🚀 NEXT STEP
Ask yourself:
Are you spending more time increasing outreach...
or increasing trust?
Because schools rarely buy from strangers.
They buy from partners.
Text "RELATIONSHIP" to 771-333-4233.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this with someone who thinks more outreach is the answer.
Sometimes the real answer is building better relationships.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
A lot of education founders wear independence like a badge of honor.
Figure it out yourself. Push through. Keep going.
Until one day you're carrying every decision, every problem, and every hard conversation by yourself.
That's usually when growth starts feeling heavier than it should.
In this episode, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Revenue Machine and John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE talk about something most education founders underestimate: the impact of having the right people around you.
Not a bigger network.
Not another Slack group you'll never open.
Real relationships with people who can challenge your thinking, share what they've learned, and help you see around corners.
Drawing from their own experiences building companies, founder communities, and entrepreneurial programs, Josh and John explore why so many founders in the education space try to build alone—and what changes when they stop.
One of the most powerful ideas in this conversation comes from Theo of Golden, the bestselling novel by Allen Levi—what he calls a murmuration.
A flock of birds moving together as one.
No single leader. No one carrying the weight alone.
Just shared direction, shared motion, shared awareness.
It’s a simple image—but it reframes everything about how founders think about growth.
Because most people are still trying to be the one bird doing everything alone.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Building a business is already heavy.
But doing it alone changes the weight completely.
It slows your thinking, limits your perspective, and makes every decision feel bigger than it should.
Most education founders don’t need more effort.
They need better proximity—to people who’ve already seen what they’re trying to figure out.
That’s what community actually solves.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Community Is a Growth Asset
Strong communities create faster learning, better feedback, and stronger execution.
2️⃣ Stop Being the Bottleneck
Whether you're building an EdTech product or leading education sales, growth gets harder when every answer depends on you.
3️⃣ Borrow Expertise
You don't need every skill. You need access to people who bring different perspectives.
4️⃣ Vulnerability Builds Trust
The most valuable founder conversations usually start with honesty, not expertise.
5️⃣ Momentum Is Collective
Growth compounds faster when people move together than when everyone moves alone.
🎯 WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Education founders carrying too much themselves
- EdTech leaders building in isolation
- Education sales teams stuck in growth plateaus
- Operators seeking stronger accountability.
🚀 NEXT STEP
Ask yourself:
Where are you trying to grow alone when the right community could help you move faster?
Community isn't a support system.
It's infrastructure.
Text "COMMUNITY" to 771-333-4233.
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Follow EdSales Edge and share this with a founder in the education industry who feels like they have to carry everything alone...
...because growth gets easier when you stop building by yourself.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
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Every education founder eventually hits a point where their sales system has to evolve.
For Josh Chernikoff, founder of EdSales Revenue Machine, a forced pause and triple bypass surgery accelerated that shift.
It starts from a personal health moment, but this episode isn’t a medical story—it’s a sharper lens on how education companies build growth that actually lasts.
This episode introduces the EdSales Revenue Machine (formerly EdSales Elevation Experience): a rebuilt framework focused on speed, support, and implementation — not more information.
Josh breaks down a simple truth: more activity does not fix a broken or immature sales system. In many cases, it just exposes the friction already there.
Unclear positioning. Slow follow-up. Messy pipelines. Conversations that stall for reasons no one can explain.
That friction is what quietly drains founders.
Inside the new system, Josh walks through the 3E Method — Evaluate, Elevate, Engine — designed to move founders out of confusion and into execution.
Not learning more. Building faster.
At its core, this episode is about replacing business drag with repeatable movement.
If you’re building an education business that needs to grow without constant strain, this episode shows what has to change first.
WHY THIS MATTERS
A lot of founders are carrying systems that quietly exhaust them.
Unclear positioning creates longer sales cycles. Weak follow-up creates stalled conversations. Undefined buyers create heavier messaging and more complicated offers.
The business keeps moving. But it does not actually get lighter.
That is the danger.
Founders normalize friction for so long that they start treating exhaustion like maturity.
This episode challenges that completely.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Motion Can Hide the Real Problem
More activity often delays the harder strategic decisions. Busy founders can still be avoiding clarity.
2️⃣ Clarity Reduces Friction
The faster buyers understand the problem, the safer the next step feels. Especially in education.
3️⃣ Systems Should Create Relief
A business should not become heavier every time demand increases. Strong systems reduce operational drag.
4️⃣ Support Matters Between Decisions
Most founders do not get stuck during inspiration. They get stuck during implementation.
🎯 WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Founders exhausted by constant operational weight
- Education companies stuck in unclear positioning
- Teams confusing motion with momentum
- Operators trying to build cleaner revenue systems
🚀 NEXT STEP
Ask yourself: Where has your business become heavier than it needs to be?
Growth should not depend on constant strain.
Text “REVENUE” to 771-333-4233 to learn more about the EdSales Revenue Machine.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
The strongest businesses are not always the busiest. They are the clearest.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Most education founders think growth comes from landing the biggest district.
Wrong.
In this live episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Elevation Experience returns just 17 days after unexpected triple bypass surgery and gives an update to the community on his recovery and the long road ahead.
John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, joins on his birthday on Wednesday for a breakdown of Moneyball by Michael Lewis(and the film it inspired)—and why it matters for every education founder.
They explore why the smartest founders stop chasing flashy opportunities and start building proof that compounds over time.
Winning companies don’t outspend everyone.
They find overlooked opportunities—and let proof do the work.
This episode is about sales strategy—but also resilience, entrepreneurship, recovery, and staying in the game long enough to win.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Too many education founders are trying to hit home runs before they’ve proven they can consistently get on base.
They chase:
- giant districts
- conference hype
- vanity metrics
- long-shot opportunities
- buyers with no urgency
Meanwhile, the best founders focus on:
- implementation
- speed
- relationships
- feedback
- proof of effectiveness
- repeatable outcomes
John references his favorite line from Moneyball that captures the entire philosophy: “We pay you to get on first, not to get thrown out at second.”
It is a reminder that sustainable growth doesn’t come from chasing home runs—it comes from building proof, stacking small wins, and creating momentum that compounds over time..
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Small Districts Are Not Small Opportunities
Smaller districts often provide faster decisions, stronger access, and quicker implementation cycles than massive systems.
2️⃣ Proof Compounds
The most valuable thing an early-stage company can build is evidence that the solution works. Not hype. Not impressions. Proof.
3️⃣ Compress Contact-to-Contract
Founders waste years chasing deals that never move. Momentum comes from shortening the distance between conversation and implementation.
4️⃣ Clarity Beats Flash
Conference buzz and “interesting conversations” don’t build businesses. Urgency, fit, timing, and measurable outcomes do.
5️⃣ Winning Isn’t Always Loud
Sometimes winning is:
- showing up
- recovering
- learning
- improving
- staying in the game long enough for the proof to compound
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Founders chasing big districts but struggling to close
- Early-stage EdTech companies under $2M ARR
- Sellers confusing pipeline activity with traction
- Entrepreneurs feeling pressure to “look bigger”
NEXT STEP
Before chasing your next “huge opportunity,” ask yourself:
Do we actually have proof this works consistently yet?
The best founders find overlooked value, build proof, and let it compound.
Text “TARGETING” to 771-333-4233
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Follow EdSales Edge and share this with a founder who keeps chasing home runs…
…when the real breakthrough is learning how to consistently get on base.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Some of your best opportunities aren’t missing.
You’re just looking in the wrong places.
In Moneyball, Michael Lewis told the story of how the Oakland A’s competed against richer baseball teams without the same budget or star players. Instead of chasing obvious talent, Billy Beane, GM of the Oakland A’s team used data and pattern recognition to spot undervalued players other teams overlooked.
That shift changed baseball.
And it holds a powerful lesson for education sales.
Most founders think growth comes from more leads, more outreach, and more conversations. But the best founders don’t grow by chasing more. They grow by mining deeper inside the right opportunities already around them.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Elevation Experience breaks down how education founders can apply the Moneyball mindset to uncover hidden revenue inside their pipeline, relationships, and existing conversations.
Using examples from leaders like Brooke Olsen-Farrell, Wayne Bovier, Paul King, Rose Hastreiter, and Kathryn Adabonyan, Josh explains why smaller, overlooked opportunities often create more momentum than the obvious “big wins” founders chase.
Also—after being on the injured list following triple bypass surgery, Josh is stepping up to the plate again. Thank you for all the support and well wishes.
This episode is about learning how to recognize hidden value before everyone else does.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Most pipelines don’t fail from lack of leads. They fail from lack of clarity.
Founders confuse activity with momentum: more emails, more calls, more outreach. But real growth comes from seeing where revenue already exists.
This episode is for founders stuck chasing leads with no traction, busy pipelines that don’t convert, and teams struggling to recognize real opportunities before everyone else does.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Stop Resetting. Go Deeper
Most founders leave opportunities too early. Top sellers revisit conversations and environments until real revenue shows up.
2️⃣ Mining Beats Hustling
Amateurs chase everywhere. Pros look for patterns before they act. Better targeting = better pipelines.
3️⃣ Signal vs. Noise
Not every “interest” matters. Mining means knowing what actually converts into revenue.
4️⃣ Pattern Recognition Is the Edge
Billy Beane didn’t win with more players. He won by knowing what signals mattered—and acting on them.
NEXT STEP
Before you chase more leads, ask:
Am I missing revenue already inside my pipeline?
Text “TARGETING” to 771-333-4233 for the framework to see opportunities more clearly.
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this with someone still chasing more leads… when the real win is learning how to mine the revenue already in front of them.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Every growth story looks like it’s about marketing on the surface.
But underneath, it’s almost always about one thing: who you’re actually building for.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, steps in at the wheel as Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Elevation Experience and host of the EdSales Edge continues recovering after a successful surprise triple bypass surgery. Josh is doing well, resting, and on the mend, with John—his best friend and co-host—carrying the conversation forward until he returns.
Joined by Celine Xu, founder of AskSia, an AI-powered learning platform serving over 2 million users across 120+ countries, the conversation dives deep into the real driver of growth: targeting.
They break down how AskSia went from almost no traction to global scale—not by expanding faster, but by narrowing sharper.
From high-stakes learners to international expansion, John and Celine unpack why growth doesn’t come from reaching more people—it comes from reaching the right people.
If growth feels inconsistent, this episode will make it obvious why.
WHY THIS MATTERS
This isn’t just a startup story—it’s a targeting lesson most education founders need right now.
Many founders think growth comes from:
More content. More ads. More visibility.
But growth starts with clarity.
When targeting is unclear:
• Messaging stretches
• Conversion drops
• Growth depends on luck
When targeting is sharp:
• Users understand faster
• Adoption feels easier
AskSia accelerated once the audience became clear.
Not because the product changed.
Because the targeting did.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Urgent Users Drive Early Growth
Start with people who deeply need the solution.
2️⃣ Build Inside Familiar Markets
Early traction came from a market they understood well.
3️⃣ Narrow Beats Broad
Focused segments create faster adoption than wide reach.
4️⃣ Local Context Matters
Global expansion only worked with cultural understanding.
5️⃣ Systems Beat Virality
Social spikes fade. SEO and AI indexing create consistency.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
• Founders struggling to convert attention into users
• Teams targeting too many audiences
• Builders with unclear positioning
• Anyone fixing marketing instead of targeting
NEXT STEP
Before your next growth decision, ask:
Are we chasing more people…
or finally targeting the right people?
Because targeting clarity turns effort into scale.
Text “TARGETING” to 771-333-4233
SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this with someone trying to grow faster…
…when the real unlock is better focus, not more reach.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Ever feel like you’re doing everything right…
but your pipeline still isn’t working?
You’re having conversations. People respond. It looks promising.
And yet… nothing moves.
It’s not that you need more leads.
You’re spending time on the wrong ones.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Elevation Experience breaks down the shift most education founders avoid:
Not every opportunity deserves your time.
Warren Buffett built his investing philosophy on this, he doesn’t chase every opportunity, he filters for what fits his circle of competence.
Saying yes to every school, every district, every “maybe” conversation doesn’t build momentum, it creates noise.
Like Buffett avoiding investments he can’t understand, you should avoid opportunities you can’t predict.
Because clarity—not volume—drives growth.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Here’s the part no one says:
You can be working hard… and still going the wrong way.
In education sales, activity looks like progress, until it doesn’t.
If your buyers don’t already value what you do, everything feels heavy. Deals drag, conversations stall, and nothing really moves.
When targeting is off, it’s hard.
When it’s right, things click, faster decisions, easier conversations, a pipeline that actually makes sense.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Stop Chasing “Potential”
Just because something could work doesn’t mean it will. Look for alignment, not possibility.
2️⃣ Know Where You Actually Win
Your best opportunities aren’t everywhere, they’re specific. Pay attention to where things have worked before.
3️⃣ Choose Clean Windows
The best clients already believe in the outcome. You’re not convincing, you’re stepping into something that already exists.
4️⃣ Give Yourself Permission to Say No
Every “yes” to the wrong opportunity slows you down. Filtering is what creates focus.
5️⃣ Look for Patterns, Not Random Wins
The goal isn’t one good deal, it’s repeatable success. Find the environments where things consistently work.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
If you’ve ever thought:
- “I have a lot of conversations, but nothing closes”
- “My pipeline looks full, but it doesn’t feel strong”
- “I don’t know which opportunities are actually worth it”
This episode is for you.
NEXT STEP
Before you send your next message or book your next call, pause and ask:
- Does this person already value what I do?
- Do I understand how decisions happen here?
- Or am I just hoping this turns into something?
That one shift—from hoping to knowing—changes everything.
If you want help getting that clarity, text “TARGETING” to 771-333-4233
🔁 SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
If this episode made you rethink how you approach your pipeline, share it with someone who’s been working hard, but not seeing results.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
More services. More customization. More flexibility.
Sounds like value—but it’s often why deals stall.
In this live episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Elevation Experience and John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE break down a hard truth: adding more makes your offer weaker.
Most education founders try to win by doing more—more features, more options, more ways to say yes. But buyers want the opposite: clarity, focus, and a clear outcome.
Deals don’t fall apart at the end—they fall apart the moment your offer creates confusion.
Josh and John unpack how education buyers think, why “vitamins” don’t get funded, and how to position your solution as a true “painkiller” tied to real priorities.
They also show why safety wins—and how pilots, proof, and clear outcomes beat polished pitches every time.
If your deals feel stuck, the problem isn’t effort.
It’s your offer.
WHY THIS MATTERS
In education, buyers aren’t just choosing a product—they’re managing risk.
They’re thinking about:
- Internal pushback
- Budget constraints
- Reputation with leadership and boards
- Whether this will actually work
When your offer feels complicated, unclear, or too broad, it increases perceived risk.
And when risk goes up—decisions slow down or stop entirely.
Simple, focused offers feel safer.
And safer offers move faster.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Less Is More (The Offer Paradox)
Adding more services, features, or flexibility weakens your offer.
Clarity—not quantity—drives decisions.
2️⃣ Painkillers vs. Vitamins
If your solution isn’t tied to a top institutional priority, it won’t get funded.
Solve urgent pain—not “nice-to-have” improvements.
3️⃣ One Offer. One Transformation.
Strong offers focus on a single, clear outcome for a specific buyer.
Anything more creates confusion.
4️⃣ Safety Sells (SPP Framework)
- Story → Show you understand the problem
- Proven → Demonstrate measurable results
- Precedent → Show repeatable success
Buyers move when they feel safe—not when they’re impressed.
5️⃣ Clarity Over Customization
Customization feels helpful—but it turns your offer into a menu.
Menus create hesitation. Clear offers create action.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Founders adding more services but seeing fewer decisions
- Sellers dealing with long, stalled sales cycles
- Education entrepreneurs struggling to position their value
- Anyone hearing “this is interesting” but not getting a yes
NEXT STEP
Before your next conversation, ask yourself:
Is my offer simple enough to understand in one sentence—and strong enough to solve a real, urgent problem?
If not, don’t add more.
Strip it down.
Text “SOLUTION” to 771-333-4233
Join: Skool.com/entourage
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
“If you have to sell hard, your offer sucks."
Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Elevation Experience, opens this episode with a truth bomb inspired by the Alex Hormozi school of business: deals don't die at the finish line; they die the second you introduce a weak offer.
Most education founders are busy tweaking pitch decks and chasing leads, but they’re ignoring the Hormozi fundamental: creating a "Grand Slam Offer" so good that people feel stupid saying no. In education sales, your offer doesn’t stop with you—it has to make sense when your buyer repeats it without you there.
If your offer isn't clear, specific, and easy to defend, it doesn’t move.
In this episode, Josh breaks down how to stop selling and start building offers that travel, defend themselves, and create absolute certainty in a system designed to say "no.”
WHY THIS MATTERS
Education buyers don’t act alone.
In most cases, you’re not selling to one person, you’re selling into a system.
That system often includes superintendents, principals, district leaders, university administrators, and department heads.
They translate your offer.
They defend it internally.
They align multiple stakeholders around it.
If your offer creates confusion at any point in that chain, the deal stalls, or disappears entirely.
This is why clarity isn’t a “nice to have.”
It determines whether your offer survives inside an institution.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ If You’re Selling Hard, You’ve Already Lost
Great offers don’t rely on persuasion.
They remove the need for it.
2️⃣ Menus Kill Momentum
More options feel helpful, but they create hesitation. A strong offer is focused, not flexible.
3️⃣ From → To Wins Every Time
Don’t describe what you do, define the shift.
Where they are → where you take them.
4️⃣ Certainty Is the Real Value
Value isn’t “more.”
Value is confidence.
If your buyer isn’t sure it will work, they won’t move, no matter how many features you add.
5️⃣ Clarity Travels. Complexity Dies.
Your offer has to move through an organization without you.
If it needs explanation, it won’t survive internal conversations.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Founders struggling to convert interest into decisions
- Sellers relying too much on explanation and follow-up
- Teams offering “everything” but closing little
- Anyone whose deals seem to disappear after initial excitement
🚀 NEXT STEP
Before your next sales conversation, test this:
Can someone else explain your offer in one sentence, and defend it internally?
If not, simplify it.
Text “SOLUTION” to 771-333-4233
Join: Skool.com/entourage
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Follow EdSales Edge and share this with someone still trying to fix their sales…
…when it’s really their offer that needs fixing.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Deals stall all the time, even after strong conversations. In the education space, this happens every day with superintendents, principals, university presidents, and decision-makers who are interested, but don’t move forward.
This live episode of EdSales Edge dives into the real reason why: stalled deals aren’t about follow-up, they’re about clarity. When your message isn’t clear, it doesn’t travel. And in education sales, your buyer isn’t the final decision-maker, they’re the one carrying your message into rooms you’re not in.
Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Elevation Experience is joined by John Gamba, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, to unpack exactly why this happens, and how to fix it. Inspired by Steve Jobs’ “1,000 songs in your pocket,” they show why the offers that stick aren’t the ones with the most features, they’re the ones that are simple, outcome-driven, and easy to explain.
This episode shows education founders, entrepreneurs, and teams how to create offers that superintendents can explain, principals can champion, and decision-makers can quickly align around. Because when your message is clear, your deal doesn’t stall, it moves.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Deals don’t stall from lack of interest.
They stall from confusion.
In education sales, your buyer must explain your solution internally. If they can’t clearly articulate what you do, who it’s for, and the outcome, momentum stops.
Clarity makes your message transferable.
Without it, even strong conversations go nowhere.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ The 30-Second Test
If you can’t explain your offer without slides in 30 seconds, it’s not clear enough.
2️⃣ Sell the Transformation, Not the Tool
Take the lesson from Steve Jobs: outcomes stick, features don’t.
3️⃣ The Messenger Test
Your buyer isn’t the final decision-maker—they’re the translator. If they can’t repeat it, it won’t move.
4️⃣ From → To Clarity
A strong offer clearly defines where your buyer is now and the result you deliver.
5️⃣ Simplicity Scales
The simpler your message, the farther it travels inside an organization.
NEXT STEP
Before your next meeting, ask:
Can my buyer explain what I do and the result—without me?
If not, your deal is at risk.
Text “SOLUTION” to 771-333-4233
Join: Skool.com/entourage
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Follow EdSales Edge and share this with someone who’s tired of hearing
“Let me take this back to my team.”
Clarity—not activity—moves deals forward.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
If your deals keep stalling after great conversations… it’s not your follow-up.
It’s your clarity.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff (founder of EdSales Elevation Experience) breaks down why deals don’t die at the end, they fall apart at the beginning, when your offer isn’t clear enough to survive without you.
He’s joined by Edwin Blanton, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Provost at The University of Texas at San Antonio, who shares the shift that changed everything. Instead of offering 1,000+ training options, Edwin built a clear Signature Solution his buyers could actually explain internally.
They unpack how moving from endless options to a simple framework—assess, align, activate, didn’t just improve conversations…
It changed decisions.
They also tackle the moment every seller hears:
“Let me take this back to my team”, and how to turn it from a stall into momentum.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Most deals don’t stall from lack of interest.
They stall from confusion.
In education sales, your buyer often isn’t the decision-maker. If they can’t clearly explain what you do, your deal doesn’t move.
Clarity changes that.
A simple, structured offer helps your buyer carry your message forward, align stakeholders, and move decisions faster.
Without it, more meetings just create more stalled deals.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Clarity Before Options
Too many choices create hesitation. Simplify your offer.
2️⃣ The Flagpole Problem
Your buyer feels the problem—but doesn’t sign the check. Equip them to sell internally.
3️⃣ Signature Solution = Decision Tool
A clear framework moves buyers from interest to action.
4️⃣ Assess Before You Prescribe
Diagnose first so your solution actually lands.
5️⃣ Credibility Arrives First
Trust starts before the conversation—through consistent value.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Sellers losing momentum after strong meetings
- Leaders struggling to explain their offer
- Teams overwhelmed by too many options
- Anyone hearing “let me take this back” too often
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT
“Deals don’t die in follow-up—they die in clarity.”
Edwin’s turning point wasn’t doing more, it was simplifying.
When buyers could explain the offer without him, everything changed.
NEXT STEP
Before your next meeting, ask:
Can my buyer explain what I do, the problem I solve, and the outcome—without me?
If not, your deal is at risk.
Text “SOLUTION” to 771-333-4233
Join: Skool.com/entourage
SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share with someone tired of stalled deals.
Clarity—not activity—keeps deals moving.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
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Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
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Most education founders think sales success comes from bigger networks or constant activity. In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff, founder of the EdSales Elevation Experience (3E), flips that assumption. He shows why clarity about who you serve, what you solve, and the results you deliver drives consistent, high-converting sales.
Josh answers common questions from founders in 3E, a program designed to build repeatable, clarity-driven sales systems. He breaks down whether networks can replace systems, why outreach stalls even with responses, how to know if you’re ready for structure, and what makes 3E different.
He highlights real success stories: Paul King (NEP), Kathryn Adabonyan (GoPursue), Brent Newton (myOwl), Dr. Tara Williams (Innovative Collegiate Consultants, Inc.), and Wayne Bovier (Higher Digital)—founders who used clarity and niche focus to move from inconsistent effort to repeatable results.
Listeners learn why activity isn’t a system, responses don’t equal readiness, and offers must be clear before scaling. The shift: from reactive effort to clarity, credibility, and a repeatable lead engine.
WHY THIS MATTERSEducation sales is slow and trust-driven. Polite responses or referrals often hide confusion and stall growth. Without clarity, more activity creates chaos.
Founders relying on networks hit peaks and plateaus. Those with clarity-driven systems—clear client, transformation, and offer—build predictable pipelines. 3E locks in that clarity and provides a proven path to elevate sales.
KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Clarity Before Activity
Know who you serve, what you solve, and the result. Without it, outreach creates noise.
2️⃣ Latent Readiness ≠ Engagement
A response isn’t a yes. Timing, budget, and alignment matter.
3️⃣ Signature Solution = Transformation
Sell outcomes, not services. Clear results outperform complexity.
4️⃣ Decisions, Not Tactics
Clarity on client, message, and offer drives systems and leads.
5️⃣ Credibility Compounds
Consistent clarity builds trust and makes conversion easier.
WHO THIS IS FOR• Founders with inconsistent pipelines
• Leaders relying on referrals or networks
• Entrepreneurs unclear on offer or audience
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT
Josh delivers the wake-up call: activity isn’t progress.
More effort doesn’t move the needle—clarity does.
Paul King applied this in NYC schools, turning scattered conversations into multiple six-figure deals. Kathryn turned LinkedIn skepticism into real engagement.
That shift—clarity over chaos—is what separates founders who stall from those who scale.
NEXT STEPBefore your next outreach, ask:
Do you know who you serve, what you solve, and the results you deliver?
Are you creating clarity—or confusion?
DM “Raise Your Hand” to 771-333-4233
Join: Skool.com/entourage
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
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Many founders in education sales assume success comes from a sharper pitch, a polished deck, or a stronger demo. In this episode of The EdSales Edge, Josh Chernikoff and Paul King reveal a different truth: strategic listening beats persuasive talking.
Paul King, Founder of Neighborhood Educational Partners (NEP), shares how shifting from explaining to understanding transformed his business. By listening first, he increased confidence, turned pilots into year-round partnerships, and opened new district contracts, including work in juvenile detention facilities.
The episode breaks down the “Raise Your Hand” framework. Not scripts, a mindset: lead with curiosity, ask before you pitch, and prioritize understanding over closing. In education, better questions drive relationships, revenue, and renewals.
WHY THIS MATTERSEducation is a slow, trust-driven market.
Decisions are shaped by staff capacity, procurement rules, and long-term outcomes, not urgency.
Founders who mistake polite conversations for progress push harder — more demos, follow-ups, explanations, and create resistance.
Paul’s story shows the opposite works:
Speak less. Listen more.
When you uncover real challenges, you can adapt your solution without changing your core offer. Even niche needs, like Uzbek-speaking tutors — only surface when you listen.
If you want, I can compress it even further into a high-performing LinkedIn version (more punch, fewer words, higher engagement).
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Ask Before You Pitch
Shift from selling to understanding. Early conversations are for uncovering problems, not presenting features.
2️⃣ Leverage Strategic Note-Taking
Paul uses AI note takers to stay present while capturing insights — turning conversations into follow-ups, proposals, and content.
3️⃣ Curiosity Unlocks Scale
What you learn in 1:1 calls translates to groups. Insights from principals shape presentations to 30–40 leaders and inform district strategy.
4️⃣ Trust Drives Renewals
$25K pilots become $50–100K partnerships when leaders feel heard and see results.
5️⃣ Positioning Without Noise
Listening signals credibility. Founders who understand before they sell stand out naturally.
WHO THIS IS FOR• Founders stuck in conversations that don’t convert
• Teams pitching before understanding
• Operators navigating slow decision cycles
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUTPaul stopped talking.
Instead of explaining his program, he asked questions and listened.
The goal shifted from closing to earning a follow-up.
That changed everything.
NEXT STEPBefore your next district meeting, change the objective.
Don’t present first.
Uncover the real challenge.
The best partnerships start with better questions.
DM “Raise Your Hand” to 771-333-4233
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
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Most founders know listening matters in education sales. But few understand how to structure their questions to uncover real tensions and build trust before pitching.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh explains how the discipline of journalism — inspired by Terry Gross, host of NPR’s Fresh Air since 1975 — became the foundation for his education companies and the Raise Your Hand campaign, now used by hundreds of education vendors.
Terry Gross isn’t loud or flashy. Her interviews succeed because of preparation, curiosity, and thoughtful questioning.
Josh shows how those same principles work in education: preparation signals respect, safety comes before selling, and curiosity over ego uncovers the insights that matter.
Founders who rush to pitch increase risk. Those who ask better questions create alignment, build trust, and move conversations forward naturally.
WHY THIS MATTERSEducation is a trust-based market.
Unlike fast-moving industries where urgency drives decisions, school systems move carefully. Leaders must consider staff capacity, politics, procurement rules, and long-term outcomes.
When founders mistake polite conversations for progress, they push harder — more follow-ups, demos, and explanations.
But in trust markets, pressure increases risk.
Listening reduces it.
The Raise Your Hand framework follows a simple principle: understand the system first, create alignment, and allow decision-ready leaders to step forward safely.
When buyers feel understood, momentum becomes possible.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ Preparation Signals Respect
Like Terry Gross preparing for interviews, strong founders study the system first. Researching district pressures lets you ask questions that show respect and understanding.
2️⃣ Safety Comes Before Selling
The first conversation isn’t for closing — it’s for alignment. Leaders must feel safe sharing real challenges before evaluating solutions.
3️⃣ Curiosity Over Ego
Pitching too early triggers evaluation mode. Questions like “Can you give an example?” or “What led to that challenge?” keep the conversation collaborative and build trust.
4️⃣ Insight Lives Beneath the First Answer
Surface answers often hide systemic tension. Gentle follow-ups uncover the real problem the district is trying to solve.
5️⃣ Clarity Protects Progress
Early conversations answer three questions:
• Is the problem real and current?
• Does the leader have authority and appetite to solve it?
• Is your solution a contextual fit?
Clarity early prevents friction later.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Founders frustrated by polite conversations that don’t convert
- Teams pitching solutions before fully understanding district context
- Operators stuck in slow decision cycles
- Leaders seeking a disciplined, trust-first sales approach
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUTJosh shares a journalism lesson: if you don’t know, you ask. You don’t assume or posture. You prepare, then ask better questions than anyone else in the room.
That discipline became the foundation for Raise Your Hand — proving that in education sales, listening strategically is positioning.
NEXT STEPBefore your next district conversation:
- Research the system first
- Clarify the real problem in the leader’s words
- Ask questions that reveal underlying challenges before pitching
When alignment is clear, selling becomes natural.
SUBSCRIBE & SHAREIf this episode sharpened your approach to education sales, follow EdSales Edge and share it with a founder navigating slow, trust-based decision cycles.
In education, the founders who ask better questions win the long game.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Most founders believe winning districts comes down to a stronger pitch.
Better deck. Sharper demo. Stronger proof.
But in this episode of EdSales Edge, a senior education leader reveals a different problem:
Most vendors never ask what the system actually needs.
Josh sits down with Ryan Donaghy, Deputy Minister of Government, New Brunswick, Canada. Ryan is pitched constantly — AI tools, tutoring platforms, and “transformational” solutions.
Yet one pattern appears again and again.
Vendors talk. Almost none listen.
They arrive with solutions before understanding the system, its constraints, or the outcomes leaders must deliver.
This conversation reframes how education leaders evaluate vendors — and why founders who listen first often win the long game.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Most education founders enter district conversations ready to present.
Deck prepared. Demo ready. Proof points lined up.
But many skip the most important step:
Understanding what the system actually needs.
Ryan shared a frustration he sees constantly — vendors arrive with solutions before asking questions.
That’s where many pilots begin to break down.
Not because the product is weak.
But because the proposal came before the listening.
In education sales, listening isn’t courtesy — it’s a credibility signal.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ The Listening-First Advantage
Most vendors explain what their technology does.
Very few ask how it might help the system.
That single question shifts the entire conversation.
It signals curiosity instead of assumption.
In education sales, listening isn’t passive — it’s positioning.
2️⃣ The System-First Lens
Before leaders evaluate your product, they evaluate your awareness.
Who controls IT?
Who defines outcomes?
Who absorbs implementation risk?
Founders who understand system structure signal safety.
Those who don’t signal noise.
Listening begins before the meeting.
3️⃣ Integration Over Disruption
Education systems are complex.
If your product adds extra logins, parallel workflows, or new reporting burdens, you create friction.
Leaders reward tools that integrate into existing infrastructure, not those trying to replace it.
Staying power beats novelty.
4️⃣ The Long-Horizon ROI Model
Many vendors pitch pilots the way startups measure growth — fast and visible.
Education systems measure outcomes across semesters and years.
When executive promises don’t translate to classroom execution, trust erodes.
Usage data is not outcome data.
If your timeline conflicts with the system’s timeline, credibility suffers.
5️⃣ Credibility Compounds Before It Converts
Winning a pilot isn’t winning the system.
Service consistency, transparent pricing, and disciplined follow-through determine whether pilots scale.
In education networks, reputation travels quietly but quickly.
Credibility compounds before it converts.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
• Founders stuck in repeated pilot cycles
• Sales leaders mistaking silence for rejection instead of context
• Teams leading with features instead of listening first
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT
Ryan oversees a $2.1B education system.
He isn’t looking for the loudest pitch or the cheapest solution.
He’s looking for vendors who take time to understand the system before proposing answers.
That difference explains why some vendors earn trust — and others never move past the first meeting.
If this episode sharpened how you think about selling into education, follow EdSales Edge and share it with a founder navigating pilots.
Listen first. Trust follows.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
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Most founders selling into education think they need more leads.
More visibility.
More meetings.
More activity at the top of the funnel.
In this episode, Josh explains why traditional lead generation breaks down in education, and introduces Raise Your Hand as a different kind of lead generation strategy built for trust-based markets.
Instead of chasing calls or pushing urgency, Raise Your Hand is designed to generate voluntary buying signals from decision-aware leaders. It filters for readiness by lowering risk.
Education buyers rarely say “no.”
They delay.
They stay polite.
They manage decisions quietly.
Raise Your Hand works because it aligns with how education leaders actually decide — slowly, politically, and based on safety.
WHY THIS MATTERSEducation buying involves many stakeholders.
A wrong decision can hurt credibility, create pushback from staff, and add extra work.
That’s why leaders move carefully.
When founders misread delays as disinterest, they respond by pushing harder — more follow-ups, more explanations, more pitching.
In trust-based markets, pushing increases risk.
Raise Your Hand lowers that risk.
It gives decision-ready buyers a safe way to step forward — without pressure or public commitment.
If you don’t understand this, your pipeline will look active but deals will move slowly.
**KEY STRATEGIES & MENTAL MODELS
1️⃣ The Signal Gap**Most founders think selling looks like:
Attention → Call → Close
In education, it looks like:
Attention → Interest → Signal → Conversation → Commitment
The missing step is signal.
Until a buyer takes voluntary action, you don’t have traction. You have politeness.
Raise Your Hand is designed to create that signal.
2️⃣ Interest Is Not ReadinessInterest costs nothing.
Readiness takes time, effort, and buy-in from everyone involved.
Raise Your Hand works because it filters for readiness without forcing it.
Instead of pushing for meetings, it allows buyers who are already decision-aware to identify themselves.
That shift cleans your pipeline.
3️⃣ Listening Creates SafetyEarly on, Josh did what most founders do. He pitched. He explained. He showed slides.
He understood the problem in his language.
He didn’t understand the buyer’s 3 a.m. problem — in their words.
When he shifted to listening, his positioning improved because he was speaking to actual internal tension, not assumed pain.
Raise Your Hand is built on that principle: Name the real tension. Invite a quiet step. Let the right buyer respond.
4️⃣ Why This Works in Education SpecificallyJosh previews a conversation with Ryan Donaghy, Deputy Minister of Education in New Brunswick.
His observation: Most providers talk for 20 minutes and listen for none.
Education leaders are not evaluating energy. They’re evaluating understanding.
In environments with many stakeholders, understanding reduces risk. Less risk makes it easier for decisions to move forward.
Raise Your Hand signals understanding before it asks for commitment.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Founders with warm conversations that don’t convert
- Operators uncomfortable with aggressive selling
- Leaders stuck in long procurement loops
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT“Delay doesn’t mean they dislike your product. It means they don’t feel safe enough yet.”
Raise Your Hand exists to close that safety gap.
NEXT STEPIf your calendar is full but contracts aren’t closing, audit for signal.
Text “Raise Your Hand” to 771-333-4233 to get the Credibility Map and apply the framework inside your own outreach.
In education, credibility compounds before it converts.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Credibility in education isn’t earned through credentials alone — it’s earned through alignment and believability.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh sits down with Dr. Tara Williams, Founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants, Inc. to explore a positioning shift most education founders avoid: When you share your struggles clearly and intentionally, people trust you more.
Dr. Tara holds a PhD, earned tenure, and built programs at the college level. But her credibility accelerated when she stopped leading with her résumé and started leading with her lived experience. By sharing her academic struggles, including imposter syndrome and early learning challenges, she became relatable, trusted, and aligned with her audience, proving that trust is built through story, not polish.
This episode reframes credibility in slow, trust-based markets like education and shows founders how strategic visibility and authenticity outperform over-polished professionalism.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Education buyers:
- Move slowly and evaluate quietly before deciding
- Prioritize safety and trust in every interaction
- Engage publicly only when necessary
They aren’t asking, “How impressive is this founder?” They’re asking, “Do I trust this person with students?”
Credentials signal expertise. Story signals understanding. Founders who hide vulnerability may appear polished — but those who share structured lived experience become believable and approachable, unlocking trust before contracts are ever discussed.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES FROM THIS EPISODE
1️⃣ Vulnerability as a Positioning Tool
Strategic vulnerability strengthens authority. Sharing real challenges shows buyers you understand their world — it doesn’t weaken your credibility.
2️⃣ Internal Credibility Comes First
Consistent visibility, especially on LinkedIn, builds confidence and clarity in your positioning before buyers even engage.
3️⃣ Depth Beats Breadth
Focus on a specific problem or transition — e.g., neurodivergent students moving from high school support to college independence. Clarity drives recognition and demand.
4️⃣ Authority ≠ Perfection
Education buyers don’t need flawless experts. They need leaders who understand the journey.
5️⃣ Story Completes the Credential
The degree gets attention. The story earns trust. Your lived experience communicates alignment that credentials alone cannot.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Education founders hiding behind credentials
- Academics building businesses
- Consultants serving neurodivergent students
- Leaders struggling with imposter syndrome
- Founders unsure how much vulnerability is “too much”
NEXT STEP
Audit your positioning: Are you leading with your résumé, or with your understanding?
In education, believability beats polish. Show up consistently, share your story strategically, and let credibility compound quietly.
SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
If this episode reframed credibility for you:
- Follow EdSales Edge
Share with a founder over-polishing their authority
Slow trust beats loud positioning — credibility compounds long before contracts appear.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
LinkedIn is filled with confident advice about growing audiences and turning posts into sales. But most of that advice was built for fast-moving industries, not for education.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh explains why so many education founders feel frustrated and stuck on LinkedIn, even when they follow all the popular strategies. He breaks down how education buyers actually evaluate credibility and why likes, comments, and visibility rarely translate into real influence.
Instead of treating LinkedIn as a conversion funnel, Josh shows how to use it as a long-term credibility system built on clarity, consistency, and recognizable positioning.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re posting into a void and questioning whether any of it matters, this episode will help you measure success the right way and show up with confidence, knowing that the right buyers are quietly paying attention.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Most education founders make the same mistake: they try to copy LinkedIn tactics from SaaS or coaching, chase likes, and measure success with the wrong metrics.
Education is different:
- Decisions are slow
- Committees are involved
- Public engagement is rare
- Trust matters more than urgency
LinkedIn isn’t a quick conversion tool. It’s a trust-building platform. When you understand that, your content stops feeling like a performance and starts feeling strategic.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE
1️⃣ Filter Advice Through Your Industry
Josh highlights lessons from LinkedIn experts like Luke Shalom, Justin Welsh, and Richard Vanderblom. Their frameworks are brilliant — but they’re built for fast conversions, not schools. Education founders don’t need to reject the advice; they need to translate it.
2️⃣ LinkedIn Is a Trust System, Not a Funnel
Forget Post → DM → Call → Close. In education, it’s:
Show up → Be recognizable → Be consistent → Be remembered
Every post answers three questions a buyer quietly asks:
- Do they recognize me?
- Do they understand the problem I solve?
- Do they truly get education?
If the answer is yes, LinkedIn is working.
3️⃣ Clarity Beats Cleverness
Education buyers don’t want to be surprised. They want to recognize your thinking.
- Pick one core problem
- Talk about it consistently
- Become known for that problem
Not five rotating topics — one clear lane, repeated over time. That’s how trust grows.
4️⃣ Retention Matters More Than Reach
Likes don’t equal trust. Comments don’t equal buyers. Viral reach doesn’t equal credibility.
The real questions are:
- Did this post reflect me?
- Did it reinforce my point of view?
- Would the right buyer feel safe working with me?
5️⃣ Approach LinkedIn Like a Credibility Engine
- Profile = credibility document, not a resume
- Content = trust deposit, not a pitch
- Consistency beats cleverness
- Authority beats urgency
- Believability beats reach
Posting 3–5 times a week isn’t about chasing metrics — it’s about positioning yourself as someone who can be trusted.
6️⃣ Real-World Proof
Josh shares Kathryn’s story from the EdSales Elevation Experience. By focusing on clarity and consistency, she didn’t “close deals” on LinkedIn — she built credibility. Old leads resurfaced, new conversations started, and momentum grew slowly but powerfully.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Education founders frustrated with LinkedIn
- Teams selling into slow, complex buying cycles
- Leaders measuring success by likes or comments
- Anyone wondering why “guru tactics” feel wrong in schools
NEXT STEP
Follow the gurus, but apply your own lens. Use their systems, clarity, and mechanics — but keep
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
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Rachel Edoho-Eket, President of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals, understands that in education, credibility isn’t earned through noise or constant visibility — it’s earned through consistent, observable behavior over time.
As a principal and state-level education leader, Rachel has seen founders and vendors make the same mistake repeatedly: talking too much, posting too often, and confusing activity with trust.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh sits down with Rachel in a live interview recorded at FETC in Orlando to break down how education buyers actually evaluate credibility — and why silence from leaders is often a signal of serious consideration, not disinterest.
Using two core mental models — the Gym Model and Talent Spotting — this conversation shows founders how credibility compounds through consistency, judgment, and how they show up long before a meeting is ever scheduled.
If you’ve been wondering whether your LinkedIn or visibility efforts are working at all, this episode explains what buyers are really watching for — and why the founders who win stay visible without performing.
WHY THIS MATTERSEducation buyers don’t decide out loud.
They decide slowly, quietly, and politically — watching long before they ever reach out. Public engagement is rarely how trust is expressed.
Founders who measure credibility by likes, comments, or follower counts misunderstand the market. Principals and district leaders aren’t ignoring you — they’re vetting you.
In education, credibility is built through:
- Consistency over time
- Principled, repeatable thinking
- How you engage with others
Rachel’s experience makes this clear: founders who misread silence as disinterest often quit right before trust compounds.
KEY STRATEGIES / MENTAL MODELS
1. Talent Spotting
Education buyers identify potential long before initiating contact. Your posts aren’t closing deals, they’re helping buyers decide if you feel safe, serious, and credible enough to call.
2. The Gym Model
Credibility works like the gym. One post doesn’t matter. Repetition does. Founders who treat visibility like a workout outlast those chasing validation.
3. Engagement Before Broadcasting
Thoughtful participation builds recognition without forcing attention. Credibility comes from how you show up, not how loud you are.
4. Boundaries Prevent Burnout
Consistency only works when it’s sustainable. Systems beat short bursts every time in long-cycle markets like education.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Founders unsure how visible they need to be
- Teams selling into complex education systems
- Leaders frustrated by low engagement metrics
- Anyone translating online presence into real-world trust
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUTRachel says:
“When people see great work, they want to know more about it.”
In education, trust doesn’t require applause. It requires being observable, consistent, and principled long enough for the right people to notice.
NEXT STEPShow up like an educator, not an influencer.
Treat consistency like the gym, not a launch.
Engage before you broadcast.
Trust compounds quietly, and decisions follow.
SUBSCRIBE & SHAREIf this episode helped you rethink credibility in education:
Follow EdSales Edge and share it with a founder who thinks silence means failure.
Quiet isn’t rejection.
It’s the start of trust.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
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Most education founders assume LinkedIn isn’t working because no one is engaging.
Posts get views but no likes.
Thoughtful ideas land quietly.
Weeks go by with no visible signal that anything is happening.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh explains why that silence isn’t rejection — it’s evaluation — and introduces two mental models that change how founders understand credibility in education: the Conference Model and the Gym Model.
This episode isn’t about posting more, going viral, or gaming the algorithm.
It’s about understanding how education buyers actually behave — and adjusting your strategy so credibility compounds instead of burning you out.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Education is not a consumer market.
School leaders don’t buy impulsively.
They don’t announce interest publicly.
And they don’t signal trust until they already feel safe.
Founders who chase validation quit early. Founders who understand this dynamic stay consistent long enough to be chosen.
Paul King, founder of Neighborhood Education Partners, 3E alumni, closed district contracts with superintendents who never liked a single post.
Dr. Tara Williams, founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants, also 3E alumni, built trust by being real instead of polished.
This episode reframes LinkedIn not as a stage — but as a long-term credibility environment where trust compounds quietly.
🔑 KEY STRATEGIES FROM THIS EPISODE
1. The Conference Model
LinkedIn works like a conference:
- The Stage: Posts signal how you think. Clarity matters more than volume.
- The Sessions: Commenting and listening build familiarity.
- The Hallways: Private conversations are where trust and deals form.
Content doesn’t close deals.
It earns access to the conversations that do.
2. The Gym Model
Credibility works like the gym.
You don’t see results immediately.
You don’t get rewarded every time you show up.
But every rep proves you’re consistent, serious, and not going away.
Founders who treat LinkedIn like a routine outlast competitors who quit when validation doesn’t show up fast.
3. Silence Is a Buying Signal
Your best buyer is often watching quietly.
Public engagement can be politically risky.
Likes aren’t how trust is expressed.
Silence often means vetting, not disinterest.
Founders who understand this stop chasing reactions and start building evidence.
4. Founder Story Builds Credibility
Trust isn’t built through polish — it’s built through conviction.
Founders like Paul King and Dr. Tara Williams earned trust by clearly articulating why their work mattered, long before buyers reached out.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Education founders posting without engagement
- Leaders questioning whether LinkedIn is worth it
- Teams measuring success by likes instead of trust
- Anyone selling into long, high-stakes cycles
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT
Paul King’s mantra:
“Take the action. Let go of the result.”
NEXT STEP
Treat LinkedIn like a Conference, not a stage.
Treat consistency like the Gym, not a launch.
Show up with clarity.
Build trust quietly.
Let credibility compound.
SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
If this episode helped you rethink how education buyers decide:
Follow EdSales Edge
Share it with a founder ready to quit too early
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
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Most education founders would celebrate landing one pilot.
Sam and Michael landed nine.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh sits down with Samuel Rabkin and Michael Mahoney, co-founders of Mediator Spark, to unpack how clarity around their Perfect Client led to a sharper Signature Solution—and why that clarity turned stalled conversations into fast-moving pilots.
This isn’t a story about selling software or education theory. It’s a case study in what happens when founders stop explaining tools and start enrolling the right buyers around a clear outcome. By tightening who they were building for and what they stood for, Sam and Michael created a belief-led offer that school leaders trusted immediately, no demos, no code reviews, no long sales cycles.
The result: nine pilots with aligned principals who already valued the outcome and were ready to move.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Many founders, especially technical ones, get stuck selling the “How.” They lead with features, software, or curriculum.
But schools don’t buy features; they buy a new reality.
By shifting their pitch from “we have a mediation tool” to “we have a pathway to peace,” Sam and Michael stopped chasing skeptics and started attracting leaders who already believed in culture-first solutions. That belief-first approach, paired with Perfect Client clarity, allowed them to build trust quickly and land nine pilots, without committees, endless demos, or 18-month cycles.
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Clear belief accelerates decisions
Mediator Spark didn’t sell a discipline tool, they sold a belief about who owns the problem. That belief alignment removed resistance early and made pilot decisions feel obvious.
2. Sell the destination, not the plane
Michael shares a pivotal moment: “Nobody asked about our tools.” Once the outcome was clear, features became irrelevant. Schools bought the result, not the software.
3. Find clean windows, not skeptics
They focused on principals who already valued culture and student ownership. Conversations moved faster, and pilots followed.
4. Signature Solutions create trust
Their Peacemaker Pathway gave buyers clarity. Principals could see where they were and where they were headed, making the sale feel like a partnership.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
• Education founders selling culture or behavior solutions
• Technical co-founders learning to sell vision instead of code
• Anyone stuck explaining instead of enrolling buyers
FEATURED RESOURCE: THE PERFECT CLIENT BUILDER
Landing nine pilots didn’t happen because Mediator Spark had better software. It happened because they got clear on who believed in the outcome and who owned the problem.
Text PERFECT CLIENT to +1 771-333-4233 and we’ll send you the same framework.
NEXT STEP
If this episode exposed why your offer feels harder to sell than it should, it’s time to build your Signature Solution.
DM PATHWAY to learn how founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience do it.
SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
Follow EdSales Edge and share this episode with a founder who’s tired of explaining instead of enrolling.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
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Why is Apple more innovative than everyone else? It’s not better technology; it’s a different way of communicating.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh applies Simon Sinek’s "Start With Why" framework directly to education sales.
For early-stage founders (<$2M revenue), school leaders aren't just buying software or curriculum. They are buying you. They are buying your judgment, your conviction, and your belief.
This episode explores why clarity of belief is the fastest route to confidence and the most reliable way to attract your Perfect Client.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Most education companies communicate from the outside in: Here is what we do, here is how we do it. Inspired leaders communicate from the inside out: Here is why we exist.
Leading with features makes you a commodity. Leading with belief makes you a partner. When you articulate your "Why," you stop trying to convince skeptics and start acting as a magnet for leaders who already believe what you believe.
Josh references the foundational framework that changed how leaders communicate. Watch the full TED Talk here:
👉 Simon Sinek: The Power of Why
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE
- People buy why you do it: Sales isn't about doing business with everyone who needs your product. It’s about doing business with people who believe what you believe. That is your Perfect Client.
- The Founder Story is not fluff: Under $2M in revenue, the buyer is betting on the founder. They need to know why you started this and why this problem matters. Your story is your proof of conviction.
- Specificity creates gravity: Josh shares how Paul King stopped selling "tutoring" and started selling "Algebra 1 Regents pass rate improvement for NYC Principals." By being specific about the Who and Why, he stopped chasing leads and started closing contracts.
- Clarity creates confidence: When you clarify your belief system, you stop posturing and start leading. This clarity gives the buyer the confidence to trust your judgment.
- Saying "No" is strategic: Turning down districts that don't share your beliefs is the most strategic move you can make to protect your runway and sanity.
If these themes feel familiar, the Perfect Client Builder will help you get clear fast. This is the same framework used inside 3E to help founders identify who owns the problem and where urgency lives.
- Avoid wasting months talking to the wrong people.
- Stop chasing meetings that feel "productive" but never turn into decisions.
- Stop over-explaining and start leading with confidence.
👉 Text PERFECT CLIENT to +1 771-333-4233 and we’ll send the framework straight to you.
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT
Josh highlights the "Vendor" vs. "Partner" shift. Vendors lead with features and compete on price. Partners lead with shared beliefs and are hired to solve problems. Shifting your pitch from what to why slows the conversation down in the best way, you stop convincing and start qualifying.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
- Early-stage Education Founders (<$2M revenue)
- Leaders uncomfortable telling their "Founder Story"
- Sales teams struggling to differentiate in a crowded market
SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
If you found this valuable, follow EdSales Edge and share it with a founder who needs to stand out. Clarity compounds when it’s shared.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
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Selling into education rewards clarity, not size. Long cycles, layered decisions, and committee-based buying can quietly drain a founder’s runway, especially when growth is tied to landing “big name” districts.
In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh sits down with Dr. Brooke Olsen-Farrell, a nine-year Superintendent at Slate Valley Unified School District and a national policy leader. Together, they unpack why traction in education doesn’t start with the biggest budgets, it starts with the Perfect Client.
If you’re stuck chasing prestige logos while momentum stalls, this conversation will help you rethink where real growth actually comes from.
WHY THIS MATTERSMost education founders don’t struggle because their solution isn’t strong.
They struggle because they’re selling into systems that move slowly — while their business can’t afford to wait.
Chasing large districts often feels strategic, but in reality it introduces long procurement cycles, diluted ownership, and endless “almosts.” This episode reframes growth around speed, belief, and influence, not size.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE
1. Perfect Client isn’t the biggest district, it’s the fastest mover
Traction comes from leaders who can decide, test, and implement quickly. Smaller or mid-sized districts often provide the proof points and revenue founders need to survive and scale.
2. Research beats relevance every timeDr. Brooke shares the simple filter she uses when evaluating outreach: did the founder take time to understand her district’s goals? Generic pitches get deleted. Contextual ones get opened.
3. Stop selling finished products, start co-creating
Superintendents don’t want to be sold to. They want to partner. Positioning your offer as something they can help shape lowers resistance and builds trust faster than polished decks ever will.
4. One right pilot can unlock an entire stateA successful implementation with the right leader doesn’t stop at one district. Brooke explains how she shares trusted partners across networks like AASA, turning one “yes” into many.
5. Early-stage resilience is an asset, not a liabilityBeing transparent about where you are, and showing responsiveness, can outperform large publishers. Leaders value partners who listen and adapt, not vendors who lecture.
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUTOne of the most telling moments in this conversation is when Brooke explains why she deletes dozens of cold emails a day, not because the ideas are bad, but because they ignore her reality. The founders who stand out aren’t louder or flashier; they’re prepared, curious, and aligned.
WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
This episode is for:
- Education founders and CEOs
- Consultants and operators selling into districts or education institutions
- Leaders navigating long cycles and high-trust buying environments
If you want traction without burning the runway, this conversation will resonate.
NEXT STEP
If this episode helped you rethink who you’re actually selling to, you don’t have to sort that out alone.
You can DM TRACTION to learn how founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience identify, co-create with, and close their Perfect Clients, without chasing prestige or waiting on the “big yes.”
Details are in the show notes.
SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
If you found this episode valuable:
- Follow or subscribe to EdSales Edge
- Share it with another education founder who’s stuck chasing big districts and getting nowhere
Clarity compounds when it’s shared.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
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Most education founders think they have a lead problem. You want more emails, more demos, more top-of-funnel activity.
But here is the hard truth: You don't have a lead problem; you have a perfect client problem. If you are chasing the wrong person, no amount of lead gen will fix your revenue. It just gives you more conversations that don't convert.
Traction comes from the "Clean Window" strategy. Instead of trying to convince skeptics to care, you need to target the buyers who already value the outcome.
In this episode, Josh breaks down the exact methodology to stop "persuading" and start "aligning."
This isn't just a theory; it is a playbook. You will learn how to identify the "Clean Window" clients who buy fast, the specific 3-part qualifier to filter your pipeline, and the exact LinkedIn headline formula that gets your perfect buyer to stop scrolling and start DMing.
This episode is for education founders selling into schools or districts who are tired of long sales cycles, stalled pilots, and conversations that never convert.
If you are tired of chasing everything and winning nothing, this episode gives you the edge to stop the hamster wheel today.
5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ The "Clean Window" TheoryStop trying to sell window washing to a dirty building that doesn't care. Josh explains why you should only target clients who already value the outcome. Traction comes from alignment, not persuasion.
2️⃣ The "Life Change" MetricYour perfect client isn't always the person who signs the check. It is the person whose life you change the most. Josh reveals how to identify the "Center of Gravity" in a school district, the person who feels the pain deeply enough to pull you through the procurement maze.
3️⃣ The 3-Part QualifierHow do you screen for a perfect client? Use this 3-part filter:
1) Do they already value the outcome?
2) Is the situation mature enough to matter?
3) Is there a champion whose daily life improves when you win?
If you miss one, you don't have a deal; you have a project.
4️⃣ The "Elephant in the Room" StrategyYour perfect client likely already has a vendor. Don't hide from it. Josh teaches you how to address the "First Elephant" (incumbents) by positioning yourself as a partner who respects what's working while filling the "quality gap" they can't ignore.
5️⃣ The LinkedIn Headline FormulaClarity attracts. Josh shares the exact formula to rewrite your headline: "I help [WHO] using [WHAT METHOD] get [WHICH RESULT]." This isn't branding; it's a filter that attracts the right DMs and repels the time-wasters.
📩 DM me "PERFECT CLIENT" and I’ll show you how we help founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience identify their perfect client and build a pipeline of "Clean Window" buyers.
📤 Know a founder who is chasing bad leads? Share this episode, it’s the reality check they need to stop wasting time on "dirty windows."
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can sell smarter, scale faster, and delegate confidently.
EdSales #TheEdSalesEdge #EducationFounders #EdTech #SalesStrategy #PerfectClient #LeadGeneration #B2BSales #SchoolDistricts #StartupGrowth
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
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📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
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We built Breaking The Grade to challenge the status quo. We spent four years inspiring you to think differently about education. We interviewed visionaries, we debated policy, and we celebrated the "idea" of change.
But here is the hard truth I finally had to face: Inspiration does not pay your payroll.
Over the last 12 months, I listened closely to what you, the founders, the sales leaders, the operators, were actually asking me in private. You didn't need more "inspiration." You needed Clarity.
- You were tired of guessing who the decision-maker actually is.
- You were tired of guessing why the district ghosted you after a "great" demo.
- You were tired of guessing how to build a pipeline that doesn't rely on luck.
In education, guessing is expensive.
So, we made a hard decision. We decided to stop "Breaking The Grade" and start giving you the Edge.
Welcome to The EdSales Edge.
This is no longer a show about "what's broken" in schools. This is a show about how to sell the solution.
We are stripping away the fluff, the theory, and the "hacks." In their place, we are building a razor-sharp curriculum on Lead Generation, Credibility, and Sales Strategy.
I am not doing this alone. I am bringing in John Gamba (Director of Innovative Programs at Penn GSE) as my co-pilot. John brings the "Institutional Lens", he knows exactly what happens behind the closed doors where your deals go to die.
Together, we are going to burn the playbook of "hope marketing" and replace it with a system of predictable revenue.
If you are here for high-level theory, this might not be for you anymore. But if you are here to build a lead generation engine you actually own?
You are finally in the right place.
Let’s get to work.
🔑 The New Rules of Engagement
(What you can expect from The EdSales Edge)
-
No More Guessing: We are moving from "Theory" to "System." Every episode will focus on a specific lever you can pull to generate leads, build trust, or close deals.
-
The "Builder" + The "Insider": I bring the Sales perspective. John Gamba brings the System perspective. You will see every deal from both sides of the table. You will hear from decision-makers—from Early Learning to Higher Ed—who will tell you exactly how buying happens when the doors are closed.
3. The "EdSales Elevation" Blueprint: We are open-sourcing the exact methodology we use to help founders move from "Invisible" to "In-Demand."
Subscribe now. The first tactical episode drops on Sunday.
EdSales #TheEdSalesEdge #EducationFounders #EdTech #SalesStrategy #Manifesto #Rebrand #B2BSales #LeadGeneration
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
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📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
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Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
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Some episodes don’t just inspire, they show you what execution really looks like.
This one’s a real-time playbook in action.
Originally LIVE from the University of Toronto at the Canadian EdTech Summit on 30th October, 2025, Josh breaks down exactly how education founders can stop wasting time and money at conferences, and start turning them into revenue-driving machines.
After two decades in education and sales leadership, Josh has learned one thing: conferences don’t grow your business, a conference strategy does.
From DC Startup Week to the Canadian EdTech Summit to IEI, Josh shares the same framework he uses to walk into any event and leave with real opportunities, not just business cards.
This replay goes beyond theory. It’s about the systems and habits that turn showing up into closing deals: how to plan before you arrive, connect intentionally, follow up like a pro, and use the stage, not a booth, to build instant credibility.
In this Best of 2025 series of Breaking the Grade, Josh unpacks how education founders can turn every conference, summit, or networking event into a predictable sales engine, one that builds trust, deepens relationships, and drives real pipeline growth long after the booths come down.
🚨 You don’t need more conferences. You need a clearer plan, sharper positioning, and follow-up that builds trust, not pressure.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
1️⃣ Why Most Founders Waste ConferencesToo many founders “show up and hope.” Josh breaks down why that mindset kills momentum, and the pre-event strategy that ensures every handshake counts.
2️⃣ How to Turn Presence Into PipelineLearn how your visibility before the event determines your results after it, and how to use social proof and positioning to attract real conversations.
3️⃣ The Follow-Up Flow That ConvertsMost education founders drop the ball here. Josh reveals the simple follow-up sequence he uses to turn quick chats and DMs into booked strategy calls that lead to closed deals.
4️⃣ Why the Stage Should Be Your StrategyWhether it’s moderating a panel or sharing insights on LinkedIn, Josh explains why visibility builds credibility, and how to anchor yourself to topics that spark business growth.
5️⃣ From Attendee → Authority → AdvisorYou’ll learn the mindset and messaging shift that transforms you from just another attendee to the go-to voice people trust, without pitching or PDFs.
If you’ve ever flown home from a summit with a stack of business cards and zero follow-up calls, This replay shows exactly how presence, purpose, and positioning can turn any event into predictable revenue.
📩 DM me “CONFERENCE” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience turn events, summits, and speaking engagements into predictable lead generation and closed contracts.
📤 Know a founder spending more on booths than strategy? Share this episode, it’ll change how they sell, show up, and scale.
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn their presence into predictable pipeline.
EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #LeadGeneration #JoshChernikoff #EdSalesElevation #EdTechSummit #ScalingEdTech #SalesStrategy #PipelineGrowth
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
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📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
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Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Some episodes can't just be missed… this one is one of them.
Why? Because it shifts how education founders think about sales, delegation, and building predictable pipelines.
Originally streamed as a LinkedIn Live in October 2025, this replay brings back one of the most tactical, mindset-shifting conversations of the year.
When Karim Kuperhause, CEO and Founder ofHierSales, joined Josh for a candid LinkedIn Live conversation, later joined by Rose Hastreiter,founder and CEO ofLeonty3C, the discussion went deeper than closing deals.
They explored the education founder’s role in early sales, how to uncover the real objections hiding behind “surface complaints,” and the steps to systematize sales so that growth isn’t reliant on the founder alone.
Karim, an experienced entrepreneur and education sales strategist, explained why it’s crucial for education founders to lead initial sales conversations, not just to close the deal, but to truly understand what prospects care about, what frustrates them, and why objections often mask the real barrier to saying yes.
Rose added critical insight on testing messaging, iterating offers, and embedding empathy into every sales touchpoint, showing how thoughtful sales processes build trust and open doors for scalable growth.
From learning how to read beyond objections to creating repeatable sales systems, this episode offers a masterclass in the mindset education founders need to confidently delegate, but only after the process is proven and repeatable.
🚨 Your sales team can’t close what you haven’t first validated yourself, and your next rep won’t succeed without a repeatable process.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
1️⃣ Uncover the Real ObjectionHow to ask questions that reveal the underlying problem, not just the surface complaint. Objections are often emotional, not logical.
2️⃣ Selling Before DelegatingWhy founders must lead the first sales conversations to validate offers, messaging, and target audiences before hiring a sales rep.
3️⃣ Build a Repeatable ProcessThe key to scalable sales is repeatability. You can train a team effectively, only after you’ve systematized success.
4️⃣ Test, Iterate, RefineHow to use campaigns, cold calling, and feedback loops to continuously refine your offer and messaging.
5️⃣ Empathy as a Competitive AdvantageHow addressing objections thoughtfully and demonstrating understanding builds trust and positions your solution as aligned with client priorities.
If you’ve ever struggled to delegate sales, felt objections stopping deals, or wanted a process that actually scales, this episode will give you both mindset and tactical clarity.
📩 DM me “DELEGATE” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience validate offers, systematize sales, and build pipelines that scale.
📤 Know a founder who’s stuck doing all the selling themselves? Share this episode, it’s the clarity they’ve been missing.
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can sell smarter, scale faster, and delegate confidently.
EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #SalesDelegation #FounderMindset #LeadGeneration #KarimKuperhause #Rose #JoshChernikoff #EdTech
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
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Some episodes don’t just share insights, they show education founders how to turn relationships, strategy, and innovation into measurable results. This one did.
Robert Martellacci, founder and president of Mindshare Learning Media, has spent 25 years shaping Canada’s EdTech ecosystem, mentoring leaders, and creating opportunities for companies to scale.
From launchingKevin O’Leary’s school division to moderating the Canadian EdTech Summit,Robert has seen firsthand how trusted relationships and ecosystem buy-in drive both impact and revenue.
In this conversation, Robert shares lessons from decades of experience: the importance of community buy-in, learning more from setbacks than wins, and how to strategically position your company for adoption and growth. “You learn more from losing than winning,” he says…whether on the hockey rink or in business.
For education founders, this mindset directly translates into stronger pipelines, better partnerships, and predictable sales growth.
Originally streamed as a LinkedIn Live in September, 2025, this replay dives into the strategies behind the Canadian EdTech Summit, a pivotal event connecting founders, educators, policy makers, and investors. Attending events like this isn’t just about networking; it’s about opening doors to channel partners, investors, and schools that accelerate adoption and sales.
🚨 Innovation alone won’t close deals. Trusted relationships, credibility, and ecosystem alignment are what turn opportunities into signed contracts.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
1️⃣ Relationships That Drive RevenueHow trusted connections with educators, district leaders, and investors directly influence sales pipelines.
2️⃣ Learning from Setbacks to Close More DealsHow reflection and problem-solving improve strategy and lead conversion.
3️⃣ Scaling With PurposeWhy thoughtful international growth, summits and conferences participation open doors to new clients, partnerships, and markets.
4️⃣ Community Buy-In = Pipeline AccelerationEngaging teachers, students, and leaders creates faster adoption and measurable impact.
5️⃣ Turning Innovation into Sales OpportunitiesHow tools like the Mindshare Workspace Pod exemplify pivoting ideas into products that schools and co-working spaces adopt, driving revenue.
If you’ve ever chased sales that never close, watched partnerships fade after the first meeting, or wondered why innovation alone isn’t driving revenue, this episode will show you how credibility, community, and community trust turn connections into contracts.
📩 DM me “CREDIBILITY” to learn how education founders can turn ecosystem engagement and summit participation into predictable lead generation and closed contracts.
📤 Know an education founder trying to grow pipeline or close more deals? Share this episode, it’s a playbook for scaling with credibility and impact.
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn relationships, strategy, and innovation into real sales growth.
EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #LeadGeneration #EdTech #RobertMartellacci #JoshChernikoff #EdTechSummit #ScalingEdTech #AIInEducation
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
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Some episodes don’t just start conversations, they shift how education founders think about credibility, leadership, and lead generation. This one did.
When Jolene Levin, entrepreneur, innovator, and founder of NorvaNivel, shared how she built a global company, scaled too fast, got fired from her own business, and rebuilt from the ground up, it became one of the most replayed and quoted episodes of the year.
Her story hit home for education founders who’ve seen their pipeline stall or partnerships implode. Because behind every funding round or fast scale-up lies a tougher truth: you can’t generate consistent leads when your culture, mission, and credibility are out of sync.
Josh still remembers the moment that stopped him cold: “I built the company that would fire me.” That line didn’t just reveal a mistake, it revealed a mindset shift. Jolene’s comeback became a blueprint for rebuilding trust, alignment, and the kind of reputation that naturally attracts the right clients and partners.
Originally streamed as a LinkedIn Live in August 2025, this replay dives deep into how loss, burnout, and broken systems can actually become the foundation for stronger pipelines and more predictable deal flow.
Here’s the truth for education founders:
🚨 Growth without alignment kills credibility, and credibility is what closes deals.
In this Best of 2025 series of Breaking the Grade, Josh and Jolene unpack how founders can rebuild from chaos, restore trust with their teams and investors, and turn that clarity into consistent lead flow and sustainable sales growth.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
1️⃣ When Growth Outpaces ControlHow scaling too fast can disconnect your culture from your mission, and stop leads before they start.
2️⃣ The Day She Got Fired from Her Own CompanyWhy losing control forced Jolene to rebuild from first principles, and how that reset reignited both her purpose and her pipeline.
3️⃣ Rebuilding with Belief, Not BurnoutHow focusing on energy, values, and alignment keeps leads flowing without sacrificing your health.
4️⃣ Investor Alignment That Actually WorksThe key questions that filter out the wrong capital, and attract investors who expand your reach, not your risk.
5️⃣ Credibility as a Lead StrategyWhy founders who lead with honesty, transparency, and mission consistency close more of the right deals faster.
If you’ve ever scaled too fast, watched your lead flow dry up, or lost control of your mission, this episode is your reset button.
📩 DM me “REBUILD” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience rebuild clarity, credibility, and closed contracts after chaos.
📤 Know an education founder stuck between burnout and stalled deals? Share this episode, it might be the shift they need.
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn breakdowns into breakthroughs and credibility into conversions.
EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #FounderMindset #LeadGeneration #EdTech #JoleneLevine #JoshChernikoff #FounderLessons
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Some episodes don’t just offer sales tactics; they redefine how education founders think about visibility, trust, and lead flow. This one did.
When John Gamba joined Josh for a candid LinkedIn Live conversation, it wasn’t just another talk about personal branding; it was a deep dive into how education founders can turn an authentic online presence into real-world partnerships, pipeline, and predictable revenue.
John, entrepreneur, investor, long-time education innovator, and Entrepreneur in Residence and Director of Innovative Programs atPenn GSE, broke down how today’s founders can win attention without losing authenticity.
Together, they unpacked what truly builds credibility in the digital age, and why education founders who lead with voice, vulnerability, and value always outperform those chasing trends.
From leveraging platforms like ERDI to connect with district leaders, to mastering LinkedIn commenting and storytelling that drive genuine engagement, this episode turned into a masterclass in credibility-based marketing.
And when the conversation shifted to AI-generated “slop,” John didn’t hold back. He reminded every education founder that your humanity is your headline, the thing that separates connection from noise and trust from vanity metrics.
Originally streamed as a LinkedIn Live in March 2025, this replay captures a moment when authenticity wasn’t just a buzzword, it was the difference between being seen and being sought after.
🚨 Your next contract won’t come from another cold DM, it’ll come from consistent, credible visibility.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
1️⃣ From Presence to PipelineHow to use LinkedIn to build relationships that convert, without ever sounding salesy.
2️⃣ Visibility that Builds CredibilityThe difference between posting and positioning, and how authentic engagement outperforms paid ads.
3️⃣ The Power of Platforms, conferences and summits
Why relationships with decision-makers still drive the education market, and how to show up where they are.
4️⃣ Avoiding AI “Slop”How to balance technology with authenticity, and make sure your content sounds like you, not a bot.
5️⃣ Consistency as a Growth StrategyWhy education founders who show up daily, with clarity and value, always attract the right clients and partners.
If you’ve ever felt invisible online, struggled to turn posts into pipeline, or questioned if authenticity still works in an AI-driven world, this episode will reignite your voice and your strategy.
📩 DM me “LINKEDIN” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience rebuild credibility, community, and consistent lead flow through LinkedIn.
📤 Know a founder who’s posting but not converting? Share this episode, it’s the clarity they’ve been missing.
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn presence into profit and authenticity into advantage.
EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #LinkedInStrategy #FounderMindset #LeadGeneration #JohnGamba #JoshChernikoff #EdTech #AuthenticMarketing
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Most founders rush to the next metric, the next meeting, the next milestone.
But the truth is: you can’t scale what you don’t stop to appreciate.
This episode is different.
It’s the last show of 2025.
It’s the Thanksgiving episode.
And it’s the moment we zoom out, breathe, look at the year we built together, and acknowledge every founder, leader, innovator, and listener who carried this show to its biggest year yet.
This isn’t a highlight reel.
It’s a gratitude letter.
To 22 guests.
To thousands of listeners across 63 countries.
To the founders who shared their stories, their vulnerability, their setbacks, and their victories, and left fingerprints on this community.
In this episode, I walk through the people who shaped the year, the episodes that shifted perspectives, the conversations that changed founders’ confidence, and the personal moments that defined 2025, including the support this community gave me after my father passed in June.
This is the season wrap.
The celebration.
The thank-you we all need before stepping into 2026.
If you’ve ever been part of this community, on the mic, on a LinkedIn Live, or in the comments, this episode is a tribute to you.
5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Your Community Is Your CredibilityYou don’t grow because you post more.
You grow because people trust you, share your work, and bring others into the room.
This year proved that: every guest, every comment, every share expanded our reach.
2️⃣ Gratitude Builds MomentumEducation founders underestimate the power of reflection.
When you acknowledge how far you’ve come — your pipeline, your progress, your resilience — you move forward with clarity and energy instead of fear and pressure.
3️⃣ Every Story Strengthens the EcosystemFromErnie Delgado to Dr. Tamara Minott, every guest brought a perspective that made another education founder feel understood, inspired, or equipped to take the next step.
When one founder grows, the whole community levels up.
4️⃣ Clarity Grows When You Slow DownThis episode is a reminder: pause.
Look back.
Identify what worked.
Those insights build stronger frameworks, better decisions, and clearer offers in the year ahead.
5️⃣ You Can’t Scale Alone2025 proved it — collaboration, mentorship, community guidance, and shared experience are the multipliers.
No founder wins in isolation.
The people around you shape your breakthroughs.
🙏 If you listened, shared, commented, DM’d, or showed up this year — thank you.
This show is stronger because of you.
This community is growing because of you.
And 2026 will be bigger because of the foundation you helped build in 2025.
📩 If this episode resonated, send me a message. I’d love to hear what you’re grateful for as we wrap 2025.
📤 Know a founder who needs encouragement going into the new year?
Send them this episode — it might be exactly what they need.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more founders can turn clarity into action, and gratitude into fuel for their next breakthrough.
EdSales #BreakingTheGrade #EducationFounders #Gratitude #Leadership #FounderMindset #CommunityGrowth #ClarityConverts #JoshChernikoff
Most education founders think their LinkedIn headline is just a formality.
A place to drop their title. List their company. Maybe add “passionate about education.”
But here’s what they’re missing: your headline is where credibility begins. Where confidence starts. Where clarity is born.
And when you nail those three? Everything else follows. Your LinkedIn sharpens. Your offer becomes clear. Your messaging finally lands with the buyers you’ve been chasing.
But getting your headline right? That’s the hard part.
It seems simple, just 220 characters, right? But distilling your value into one clear line takes a level of clarity most founders haven’t reached. It’s some of the toughest positioning work you’ll ever do.
That’s exactly why it matters.
Because if you can’t clearly say who you serve and what you deliver in one line, how will you do it in your offers, your sales calls, or your content?
Your headline isn’t your job title. It’s the foundation of everything else.
And right now, if yours reads like a résumé, “CEO of…” “Passionate about education…”, you’re not just losing clicks. You’re losing trust before anyone reads your profile. You’re leaving money on the table with every scroll.
Josh breaks down exactly how founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience turned vague, invisible headlines into $100K+ in new contracts, not by posting more, but by getting brutally clear on positioning.
FromEdwin Blanton, Ph.Dat University of Texas San Antonio to Paul King in NYC, he breaks down the exact framework these founders used to go from vague and forgettable to scroll-stopping and lead-generating.
This isn't copywriting magic. It's clarity work. And it's the beginning of your credibility, your confidence, and your ability to communicate your value with precision.
🔑 5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Your Headline Is Where Credibility Begins
Before anyone reads your content or takes a call, they read your headline. If it's vague or generic, you've already lost them. This is where trust starts, or dies.
2️⃣ Clarity Here = Clarity Everywhere
When you can nail your headline, something shifts. Your offers get sharper. Your messaging lands harder. Your confidence grows. It all starts with 8 words.
3️⃣ This Is Hard Work (And That's Why It Matters)
Don't let the simplicity fool you. Condensing your value into one clear line is some of the toughest positioning work you'll do and most founders skip it entirely.
4️⃣ The 3E Framework: Credibility, Confidence, Clarity
Josh walks through the exact framework that turns invisible headlines into pipeline-generators. Every word has a job. Every word matters.
5️⃣ One Line Can Transform Your Entire Business
Founders like Edwin Blanton and Paul King didn't just change their headline. They changed their positioning, their pipeline, and their revenue – $100K+ in new contracts from getting this one thing right.
Your headline is either building your credibility or killing it.
It's either giving you confidence in your positioning or leaving you guessing.
It's either creating clarity in your business or keeping you stuck in vagueness.
Make it the line that stops the scroll, builds trust instantly, and starts the conversations that turn into contracts.
📩 DM me "Headline" and I'll send you the exact framework we use inside the EdSales Elevation Experience to turn clarity into contracts.
Most education founders don’t lose deals because their product isn’t good enough.
They lose them because they hesitate, overthinking the pitch, second-guessing decisions, and waiting for “perfect” when progress is all they need.
That hesitation kills more deals than rejection ever will.
And if you’ve ever felt imposter syndrome creeping in before a big call or proposal, you already know how fast confidence cracks under pressure.
Dr. Tamara Minott, PhD, “Dr. T”, knows that feeling well.
Before becoming the Director of College & Career Readiness at Coney Island Prep, she was a higher-ed expert with a doctorate, a dream, and a business idea, ClarifyEd LLC, that never seemed to get off the ground. She’d filed the LLC back in 2019 but kept delaying, caught between planning and perfectionism.
When she joined the EdSales Elevation Experience, everything shifted.
Week by week, she went from isolated planning to structured accountability. She mapped her offer, faced her imposter syndrome head-on, and discovered that confidence isn’t inherited, it’s built through execution.
Twelve weeks later, the founder who used to overthink every decision was leading strategy sessions, pitching schools, and shaping a college-readiness program for the same Brooklyn community she grew up in. Her confidence didn’t just return, it scaled.
If you’ve been questioning yourself instead of closing with conviction, this is the episode you can’t afford to miss. Because clarity, confidence, and consistency aren’t just mindset wins, they’re what drive revenue that lasts.
5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Confidence Is a Skill, Not a TraitDr. T didn’t “get” confidence, she built it through structure, accountability, and small wins that proved her authority to herself.
2️⃣ Clarity Comes From Action, Not PlanningYou don’t think your way into confidence, you act your way into it. Dr. T learned to ship before she felt ready.
3️⃣ B2C to B2B: Scaling Starts With Self-BeliefWhen she stopped playing small (“one family at a time”) and started pitching schools and districts, everything changed.
4️⃣ Your 9–5 Can Fund Your ConfidenceHer new director role isn’t a distraction, it’s an accelerator that builds credibility and multiplies long-term business value.
5️⃣ Community Builds CourageConfidence grows faster when founders stop pretending they’ve got it all figured out. Real experts still need real support.
Dr. T’s story is your wake-up call: hesitation costs contracts.
Because until you believe in your expertise enough to act on it, no buyer will either.
📩 Want to turn confidence into contracts? DM me “Confidence” and I’ll share the exercise we use inside the EdSales Elevation Experience to help founders find their conviction fast.
📤 Know a founder stuck in overthinking or self-doubt? Send them this episode, it could be the reset that saves their next quarter.
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn confidence into clarity, and clarity into revenue.
EdSales #FounderLedGrowth #BreakingTheGrade #EducationSales #K12 #ConfidenceShift #LeadGeneration #ClarityConverts #EdTech #FounderSales #EdTechStartup #SalesMindset #ImposterSyndrome #Leadership
You crushed the demo.
The buyer smiled. They nodded. They even said, “This is exactly what we need.”
And then… nothing.
That silence isn’t harmless. Every “We’ll be in touch” costs you weeks of follow-up, lost momentum, and deals that should already be on your books.
In Part 1, “Your Demo Is the Problem” with John Gamba, Entrepreneur in Residence and Director of Innovative Programs at Penn GSE, Josh and John exposed a hard truth: most EdTech demos fail before they even start. Founders pitch products, not pain. They confuse polish for persuasion. Head nods happen… but deals don’t.
Part 2 picks up exactly where that left off. Now that your demo is solid, the real question is: what happens after the head nods?
This is the next leak in your funnel, the moment when enthusiasm quietly turns into indifference if you don’t take control.
Because in founder-led sales, praise isn’t pipeline, confusion costs money, and every vague next step is a lost opportunity.
This episode is your wake-up call. Josh reveals how the top 10% of education founders, leaders like Paul King, Kathryn Adabonyan, and Wayne Bovier, stopped collecting compliments and started collecting contracts. They replaced feature tours with funding-aligned conversations that moved buyers from interested to invested.
If your demos impress but don’t convert, this is your reset before another quarter disappears.
5 Big Takeaways for EdTech Founders
1️⃣ Why Praise Alone Doesn’t Close DealsHead nods, smiles, and “This is exactly what we need” don’t guarantee contracts. Josh explains why enthusiasm stops short of intent and how silence after the demo is actually a polite no.
2️⃣ The One Step Founders Often Miss After a DemoIt’s not the demo that fails, it’s the next move. Josh shows why every vague next step costs weeks of follow-up, lost momentum, and deals that should already be booked.
3️⃣ How to Turn Your Product Pitch Into a Partner ConversationShift your mindset from “here’s my product” to “here’s how we solve this together.” Josh breaks down how funding-aligned conversations make buyers see the value and act on it.
4️⃣ Clarity Is the Secret Weapon in Founder-Led SalesIf your pitch is clear, buyers can retell your value to their team. Josh shows how tying outcomes to KPIs like attendance, test scores, and funding makes your offer tangible, urgent, and impossible to ignore.
5️⃣ Urgency, Fit, and Proof Drive DecisionsJosh walks through the exact elements buyers scan for: clarity, proof, fit, confidence, and urgency. Miss any one of these, and the deal stalls, even after a perfect demo.
Your buyers aren’t ghosting because they don’t care.
They’re ghosting because your demo stopped one step too soon.
📩 DM me “Demo” to see the exact framework education founders use inside the EdSales Elevation Experience to turn clarity into contracts, and conversations into cash.
📤 Know a founder stuck after “wow”? Send them this episode, it could save their next quarter.
✍️ Loved the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can stop losing deals after “wow” and start turning demos into dollars.
EdTech #FounderSales #LeadGen #EdSales #BreakingTheGrade #DemoStrategy #PipelineGrowth #JohnGamba #JoshChernikoff #ClarityConverts
Robespierre Reyes had funding, traction, and a winning idea.
Then came the lawsuits, burnout, and partners who betrayed him.
Four companies, three failures, one courtroom showdown. His confidence, credibility, and pipeline of leads were all at risk.
Most founders would quit. Rob didn’t.
Instead, he rebuilt everything that actually drives qualified leads and closed deals, team alignment, credibility, and trust, with radical honesty, clear boundaries, and a repeatable playbook for education founders.
Josh met Rob at the IFE Conference in Monterrey, Mexico. After sharing a panel, they dug into the side of entrepreneurship few talk about: betrayal, exhaustion, and rebuilding in a way that generates real sales opportunities.
Today, Rob is the Managing Director at theBerkeley Executive Instituteand the Strategic Advisor for theIFE Launch-Accelerator, helping education founders and startups turn credibility into contracts that close.
Here’s the truth for education founders:
Misaligned teams, broken trust, and bad partnerships don’t just cost money, they kill lead flow and stall your sales pipeline.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, Josh and Rob unpack exactly how to rebuild your credibility, team, and systems so your leads, partnerships, and deals start converting again.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
1️⃣ Why the Wrong Co-Founders Kill Lead FlowRob shares how ignoring red flags in team selection tanked deals before they even hit the market, and what to do instead.
2️⃣ The Court Battle That Rewired His MindsetA brutal court fight taught him that integrity and transparency are the fastest ways to rebuild trust, attract leads, and generate opportunities.
3️⃣ The Hidden Cost of BurnoutOverwork didn’t just affect Rob, it stalled traction. Learn how pacing and priorities can keep leads flowing consistently.
4️⃣ Failure is a Lead-Generation StrategyBeing open about mistakes doesn’t scare investors or partners, it draws the right opportunities and opens doors for deals.
5️⃣ Generosity + Candor = Repeatable Lead FlowLeading with honesty and giving first rebuilt Rob’s network, partnerships, and next big ventures, all while boosting conversion rates and pipeline growth.
If you’ve ever lost traction, seen your pipeline dry up, or felt partnerships blocking your growth, this episode shows how to turn broken deals, misaligned teams, and credibility gaps into a repeatable lead-generating engine.
📩 DM me “Rebuild” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience turn setbacks into clarity, credibility, and closed contracts.
📤 Know an education founder stuck in stalled deals? Share this episode, it could save their next partnership or pipeline.
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn breakdowns into breakthroughs, and failure into fuel.
EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #FounderMindset #StartupRecovery #RobespierreReyes #JoshChernikoff #EdTech #FounderLessons
Most education founders and EdTech leaders think their problem is marketing.
But sometimes, the real issue is something more critical: Clarity
If your message isn’t clear, your market stops listening, no matter how brilliant your solution is.
That was the hard truth J.D. Mosley-Matchett, PhD had to face.
As the Founder & CEO of InforMaven.AI, JD’s mission was bold: help underfunded, overregulated colleges and universities harness the power of AI to operate more efficiently.
But even her biggest supporters couldn’t answer the question: “What exactly does she do?”
After joining accelerators and business programs, she kept hearing the same feedback:
“You’re clearly brilliant, but we don’t get it.”
Everything changed when she joined the EdSales Elevation Experience.
For the first time, JD wasn’t trying to figure it out alone. Surrounded by other education founders and guided by the Signature Solution framework, she slowed down, wrestled through the hard questions, and built total clarity around her offer.
It wasn’t easy, there were moments of doubt and tough feedback, but she stuck with it. And that discipline turned confusion into confidence.
Her message finally clicked. Her communication connected. And for the first time, clients instantly understood the transformation she was offering.
Because clarity isn’t a marketing skill, it’s a sales weapon.
5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders, EdTech Leaders & Higher Ed Innovators
1️⃣ Smart but Unclear Doesn’t Sell
JD’s story proves even the best product fails if buyers can’t instantly understand its value.
2️⃣ The Signature Solution FrameworkHow she turned years of scattered expertise into one clear, visual process that resonates with decision-makers.
3️⃣ Friction Creates Breakthroughs
The hardest exercise, defining her 9-step client journey, became the clarity unlock that repositioned her entire offer.
4️⃣ Ask Before You SellThe “Raise Your Hand” strategy taught JD how to lead with curiosity, not a pitch, and turn conversations into contracts.
5️⃣ Community Is the Multiplier
Inside the right cohort, collaboration replaces confusion. JD’s growth accelerated because she wasn’t doing it alone.
If you’re an education founder, EdTech leader, or higher ed innovator who’s tired of hearing “I’m not sure I get it,” this episode is your turning point.
JD’s journey proves that scaling isn’t about talent, it’s about clarity, consistency, and the right framework.
📩 DM me “Clarity” and I’ll show you the exact Signature Solution framework JD used inside The EdSales Elevation Experience to turn her message into momentum.
📤 Know an education leader stuck in confusion?
Send them this episode, it might be the clarity shift that changes everything.
✍️ Loved the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders, EdTech leaders, and higher ed changemakers can turn clarity into contracts and messaging into momentum.
EdTech #EducationSales #FounderSales #HigherEd #MessagingStrategy #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #EdSalesElevation #JDmosleymatchett #JoshChernikoff
You’ve got the product, the drive, and the skills, but when pressure hits, your mindset starts to crack.
Suddenly, deals stall, momentum fades, and even your warmest prospects go quiet. The harder you push, the less it seems to move forward.
Most education founders panic. They double down on demos, CRMs, late nights, and new pitches, thinking more effort will fix it.
🚫 Big mistake.
When your mindset cracks, hesitation costs contracts, fatigue kills momentum, and fear turns every objection into self-sabotage.
That’s why this episode of Breaking the Grade is a must-listen for every education founder who's tired of feeling stuck, drained, or second-guessing themselves when results slow down.
Josh sits down with Mitch Weisburgh, mindset coach, author of the Mindshifting series, and former advisor to top education publishers and EdTech companies, to unpack how mental mastery outperforms any sales tactic when pressure peaks.
Mitch draws from elite performers like Mike Tyson and Roger Federer to reveal why the best closers don’t chase perfection, they train their minds to stay calm, focused, and ready when everything’s on the line.
This isn’t fluff. It’s the field-tested psychology of education founders who close under pressure while everyone else freezes.
5 Power Moves for Education Founders when the pressure's on:
1️⃣ When Strategy Crumbles Under PressureEven great plans collapse under stress. Mindset, not tactics, keeps your pitch alive when objections hit.
2️⃣ Stories That Close (or Kill) DealsShift from “What if I lose?” to “I’m built for this.” Reframing turns panic into precision and control.
3️⃣ Perfectionism Is the Silent KillerFlawless demos freeze founders, and Federer’s “win even when losing 49% of points” mindset builds resilience and results.
4️⃣ Energy > EffortMore grinding won’t fix fatigue. Quiet stress, turn pressure into fuel, and stay in flow.
5️⃣ Objections = Openings“No” is feedback. Discover the 5 conflict styles that flip resistance into trust and momentum.
If your mindset is the missing link between stalled outreach and closed contracts, this episode gives you the tools to quiet the noise, reclaim your edge, and finish stronger than you started.
📩 Want help reframing your fears into a winning mindset? DM me “Mindset” and I’ll share a simple exercise to visualize success before your next call.
📤 Know a founder battling fatigue or stuck leads? Send them this episode; it could be the shift that saves their quarter.
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn mindset mastery into deals that stick.
EdSales #EducationSales #FounderLedGrowth #K12 #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #LeadGeneration #MindsetShift #EdTech #FounderSales #Q4Wins #SalesMindset #SchoolSales #EdTechStartup #SalesStrategy
Most education founders think the next rep, agency, or AI tool will solve their sales problem. It won’t.
Here’s the truth: if you can’t sell your own offer clearly, no one else can. Every lead you hand off too early is wasted time, lost money, and a pipeline headed for collapse. Every day you delay founder-led sales is another day your growth stalls and another day your competition pulls ahead.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, you’ll hear the reset education founders don’t want but desperately need. The ones who scaled didn’t delegate early, they sold first, learned fast, and created traction that stuck.
Founders like Ashton Tate,Paul King,Edwin Blanton, and Mitch Weisburgh didn’t stumble into traction, they built it by selling themselves first. With the coaching, tools, and accountability from the EdSales Elevation Experience, they turned objections into clarity and clarity into contracts.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✅ Why skipping founder-led sales is the fastest way to destroy your lead gen
✅ The three signals you’re delegating too early
✅ How to build sales clarity before handing it off
✅ What education buyers are really looking for in a pitch
✅ The exact moment when it’s finally time to delegate sales
✅ Why sales reps multiply what works but never create what works
This episode is your wake-up call, but don’t stop here. If you missed these two conversations, catch them now. They’re the roadmap every founder needs to sharpen clarity and start closing leads immediately:
🎙️ (Re-Air) The Signature Solution: Your Proven Blueprint to a Clear Offer That Generates Leads and Wins the Education Market: Apple or Spotify
🎙️ LinkedIn Connection to Contract: Josh’s Proven Six-Step EdSales Method (No Paid Ads/Funnels/Cold Calls): Apple or Spotify
👉 These episodes + the EdSales Elevation Experience = the clarity and system education founders need to finally scale without spinning their wheels. Miss them, and you risk repeating the same failed sales cycle—losing leads, money, and momentum today.
📩 DM me “Clarity” to see how we help founders build an offer that converts inside the EdSales Elevation Experience.
📤 Know a founder trying to delegate too soon? Send them this episode—it could save them from wasting money on reps who can’t sell what isn’t clear.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can stop delegating too early and start scaling with confidence.
EdTech #FounderSales #LeadGen #ClarityConverts #EdSales #BreakingTheGrade
What happens when you stop trying to serve every school and start solving one urgent problem for the right schools?
It’s the positioning shift most founders resist—but it’s the exact move that transforms “just another vendor” into a mission-critical partner.
That’s why this episode of Breaking the Grade is essential listening: Josh sits down with Paul King—Founder & Director of Neighborhood Educational Partners (NEP)and Founder ofKing Education, who pivoted from one-on-one tutoring to landing public school contracts by solving one high-stakes problem—boosting Algebra 1 Regents pass rates in high schools stuck below 50%.
Here’s why his story changes the game for education sales:
✅ He landed 4 school pilots in one semester by targeting a pain principals couldn’t ignore—low pass rates that risk state takeover or job loss.
✅ He learned the hard way after a failed SAT prep program showed him his mission wasn’t serving the affluent but addressing systemic inequity.
✅ He turned pilot data into renewals and an invitation to present in front of 60 NYC DOE officials—proof that results drive bigger opportunities.
Paul’s story is a blueprint for education founders who want clarity that generates leads—and leads that actually convert.
🔑 5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Why Broad Messaging Blocks GrowthTrying to “do it all” muddled Paul’s offer and made it hard for schools to understand why they should hire him.
2️⃣ The Pivot That Unlocked Real LeadsPaul traded private clients for contracts by solving one painful, measurable problem: failing Algebra Regents scores.
3️⃣ How to Leverage Pilots Into PipelineFour small pilots became data-driven proof points that fueled renewals and opened doors to bigger district contracts.
4️⃣ Messaging = RevenueClear, specific offers aren’t just marketing—they’re what get superintendents and principals to return your call.
5️⃣ Urgency That Creates DemandFor schools, failing Regents scores mean lost graduations, receivership, even closure. By targeting that pain, Paul positioned himself as the partner they couldn’t afford to ignore.
If your outreach feels generic and your pitches aren’t sticking, this episode gives you the framework to niche down, stand out, and start closing the partners who truly need you.
📩 Want help defining your niche so the right schools find you? DM me “Niche” and I’ll show you how to turn focused messaging into leads that close.
📤 Know a founder trying to serve everyone and reaching no one? Send them this episode—it might be the push they need.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn clarity into contracts.
EdSales #EducationSales #FounderLedGrowth #K12 #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #LeadGeneration #PaulKing#EdTech #FounderSales #NicheDown#SchoolPartnerships #EdTechStartup #SalesStrategy
Most education founders think buyers want the perfect pitch, the flashy product, or the right political connection.
But Kevin Chavous—national education reformer, bestselling author, and President of Stride, Inc. proves that none of those close deals. What does? Credibility, proof, and persistence.
This episode is extra special because Kevin was the very first guest we ever sat down with when we launched Breaking the Grade back on April 1, 2022. And his message then is even more relevant today for education founders, EdTech companies, and leaders chasing traction in a shifting market.
From losing a mayoral race in D.C., to leading one of the most influential school reform movements in the country, to shaping hybrid learning for millions—Kevin’s story is more than inspiration. It’s a blueprint for how to earn credibility, attract trust, and turn setbacks into traction.
Because here’s the truth: wins show your solution works, and setbacks—if you frame them right—make buyers trust you even more.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I sit down with Kevin Chavous and my co-host John Gamba, Director of Innovative Programs and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, to unpack the journey behind Kevin’s impact—and why it matters for every founder chasing traction in the education market.
This isn’t just an interview. It’s a founder playbook for turning obstacles into assets, building buy-in that accelerates deals, and creating solutions that students and teachers actually champion.
🔑 5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Credibility Comes From the Hard PartsKevin’s wake-up call came in a prison where a warden said educating inmates was a “waste of money.” That story became his credibility anchor. For founders, your toughest moments are your most powerful proof points—buyers trust scars, not slogans.
2️⃣ Setbacks Sell—If You Frame Them RightKevin’s failed mayoral run didn’t end his influence—it multiplied it. By framing setbacks as fuel, not failure, he turned doubt into trust. Founders who position setbacks as lessons, not failures, win more trust with buyers and partners.
3️⃣ Student Voices = Buyer Signals“The most dangerous phrase is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’” Kevin shows why aligning with student needs is the ultimate credibility test for founders.
4️⃣ Community Buy-In Is the Real MultiplierD.C.’s reform worked because it was built with community voices, not imposed on them. For founders, the same principle accelerates sales: champions in your market generate warmer, faster-moving leads than cold calls ever will.
5️⃣ The One Yardstick That Closes DealsKevin’s mantra: “Will this help a child learn?” If you can answer that clearly and back it with evidence, you’ve already handled the biggest objection in the sales process. If not, your pitch stalls.
If you’re still treating setbacks as failures, this episode is your reset. Kevin proves they’re your strongest growth story—and that the first guest we ever hosted on Breaking the Grade back in April 2022 still has the blueprint founders need most today.
📩 DM me “Journey” and I’ll show you how to structure your setbacks into proof points that attract buyers, partners, and investors.
📤 Know a founder struggling to turn challenges into momentum?
Send them this episode—it might save them from quitting too early.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcastsand
What happens when a superintendent or a higher ed leader—looks you in the eye and asks:
“What happens if this doesn’t work?”
For most education founders, that’s the deal-killer moment. They freeze. They dodge. They hide behind buzzwords. And the buyer walks away unconvinced.
But here’s the truth: In today’s market, whether it’s K–12 districts or higher ed institutions, leaders don’t buy hope—they buy guarantees.
That’s why this episode of Breaking the Grade could be one of the most important we’ve ever released. I sat down withKarim Kuperhause— former teacher, founder of 3 tutoring centers + 32 satellite programs, and now CEO of HierSales, the company helping education organizations build outcome-based guarantees that change the game.
Karim isn’t just talking theory. He’s building the future. Because the future of education sales—from classrooms to campuses—is guarantees. Superintendents, districts, universities, and decision-makers at every level won’t keep gambling on “maybe.”
They want confidence.
They want results.
They want partners willing to shift the risk.
And guarantees are how you deliver it.
🔑 5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Why Founders Lose Deals They Could WinDucking the “failure” question signals you don’t believe in your own product.
2️⃣ The 3-Part Framework for GuaranteesOutcome. Timeline. Safeguard. Build these in, and you win trust before you pitch.
3️⃣ Why Pilots Build Trust Faster Than PromisesDistricts are risk-averse. A low-cost pilot proves you work and builds confidence without big commitments.
4️⃣ Guarantees Double as a Client FilterA strong guarantee doesn’t just attract buyers—it shows you who’s serious. If they won’t even test, they’re not your client.
5️⃣ Why Guarantees Beat DemosDemos impress no one. Outcomes and guarantees close deals.
If your deals keep stalling at “interested” but never closing, this is your wake-up call. Guarantees aren’t optional—they’re the future of selling in education.
📩 DM me “Guarantee” and I’ll show you how to structure offers that build trust and filter perfect-fit clients.
📤 Know a founder still hiding behind buzzwords instead of outcomes?
Send them this episode—it might save them from losing their next big deal.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more founders can close bigger, better deals.
EducationSales #FounderSales #MessagingStrategy #HigherEd #K12 #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #GrowthStrategy #KarimKuperhause #HierSales
Every education founder, EdTech CEO, and school leader wants growth. But here’s the mistake almost everyone makes: they chase revenue before they’ve earned trust.
In education, trust is the real currency—it turns a pitch into a meeting, and a meeting into a deal.
In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Campbell, president of Advancing Global EDU, Inc., Chief Executive Officer of Dual Bridges Academy and Advisory Board Member at edWeb.net, LIVE from the ASU-GSV Summit (the edtech conference each April in sunny San Diego) —to unpack why rushing to hire sales stalls early growth—and how the smartest founders turn research studies, customer listening, and evidence-backed storytelling into trust that fills their funnels and converts prospects into paying clients.
💡 He even gets into hard numbers: why a $20K–$30K university research study might be the best marketing investment you’ll ever make—and how to turn it into white papers, videos, and proof points that fuel your pipeline.
If you’re tired of stalled pitches and sales hires that underperform, this episode is your blueprint for turning evidence into revenue, trust, and consistent leads.
🔑 5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Invest in EvidenceInvest in a structured research study to prove your solution works. Turn the results into white papers, videos, and other assets that double as lead-generation tools.
2️⃣ Proof = PipelineCase studies, pilots, and research-backed evidence create credibility that fuels conversations, earns trust, and gets buyers to say yes.
3️⃣ Sales Isn’t Your First HireHiring a teacher or untested salesperson won’t magically create revenue. Validate your market and build proof first.
4️⃣ Slow Sales = Smart Sales in EducationOne-call closes are rare. Trust, referrals, and relationships are your real growth multipliers.
5️⃣ Courage + Consistency = ContractsMost founders quit before traction. Those who stick with research, realistic goals, and customer listening win contracts and sustainable growth.
📩Want to flip research into a repeatable lead-generation engine? DM me “Lead Gen” and I’ll walk you through the exact framework we use to help founders turn proof points into paying customers.
📤 Know an EdTech founder struggling to turn their proof into pipeline? Send them this episode—they’ll thank you later.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education leaders can turn research, credibility, and proof into measurable growth and leads.
EdTech #FounderSales #LeadGeneration #EdSales #EducationInnovation #ASUGSV #BreakingTheGrade #GrowthStrategy
Most education founders don’t fail because of bad ideas.
They fail because they lean too hard on “AI-powered” buzzwords, skip the research-to-practice proof buyers demand, and don’t form the partnerships that give them credibility and attract the right leads.
That’s the cycle YourWay Learning set out to break.
Back in January, at the IFE Conference in Monterrey, Mexico, I sat down with Jaime Palés, co-founder and president of Yourway Learning, with 20+ years of global experience scaling educator training and AI-driven learning models— andMichael Golden,Vice Dean of Innovative Programs and Partnerships and Executive Director of Catalyst at Penn GSE and ex-Microsoft exec
At the time, YourWay was still early—focused on building with intention, grounding in research, and designing tools teachers would actually use.
Fast forward: they’ve raised $9 million and launched a partnership with Penn GSE turning credibility and strategic alignment into a pipeline of opportunities.
This episode takes you back to that conversation—before the headlines—showing how YourWay built the foundation that turned momentum into investments and qualified leads.
5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ AI Isn’t the Differentiator—Your Approach IsBuzzwords don’t close deals. Clear, outcome-driven solutions do and they attract schools, districts, and buyers actively looking to invest.
2️⃣ Research to Practice = CredibilityBuyers don’t want “feel good” workshops. They want evidence your AI or EdTech solution drives measurable classroom impact—your strongest lead-generation tool.
3️⃣ Your DNA as a Founder MattersPersistence, humility, and community separate ventures that scale from those that fade—especially in the long sales cycles of education.
4️⃣ Partnerships Trump Solo PlayThe fastest path to traction is aligning with research institutions, accelerators, and trusted partners who validate your model—and bring you in front of qualified buyers.
5️⃣ Mission + AI + Partnerships = Long-Term WinsQuick cash grabs don’t last. Buyers back founders who balance innovation with credibility and sustainability.
YourWay’s story proves that when vision, credibility, and timing align, momentum turns into millions. The lesson is clear: lead with outcomes, use AI with intention, and anchor growth in partnerships that last.
📩 DM me “Momentum” and I’ll show you how to structure your growth story so buyers and investors notice—and respond.
📤 Know a founder chasing buyers with AI hype but no real partnerships?
Send them this episode. It might save them from losing deals before they scale.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn AI innovation + strong partnerships into consistent sales growth.
EdTechSales #FounderLedGrowth #AIinEducation #PartnershipsThatScale #ResearchToPractice #SalesStrategy #GrowthStrategy #BreakingTheGrade #EdSales
What happens when you finally land the big meeting… and walk out with nothing but “We’ll think about it”?
It’s the growth killer most founders don’t see coming—your pitch isn’t aligned with how education buyers actually make decisions.
That’s why this live Breaking the Grade episode from ASU-GSV (the edtech conference each April in sunny San Diego) is such a win: I sat down with Paul Vallas——nationally recognized education leader, former superintendent of Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, CEO of the Recovery School District after Hurricane Katrina, and co-founder of both Vallas Group Inc. and Global Educator
And here’s why his perspective can change your sales game:
✅ He’s overseen multi-billion-dollar budgets and made the final call on which solutions get funded.
✅ He’s rebuilt entire school systems in crisis and driven record student gains in districts with 80%+ poverty rates.
✅ He’s been pitched thousands of times—and knows exactly why most vendors fail.
And here’s the kicker: Paul isn’t just sharing his story. He’s pulling back the curtain on the decision-making framework education buyers actually use before they say “yes.”
If you’re chasing deals in the education market, this conversation shows you how to go from “great product” to “signed contract.”
5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ The 3-Point Test Every Buyer UsesQuality, fit, scalability—miss one, and the deal dies.
Know where you stand before you pitch.
2️⃣ The Core Priorities Every Buyer ProtectsEvery buyer looks for certain fundamentals—curriculum strength, data use, interventions, support, time on task.
Tie your solution directly to these.
3️⃣ Why Misaligned Products Get Cut FirstMisaligned programs are the first to go in a budget cut.
Position yourself as mission-critical, not optional.
4️⃣ How to Make Your Offer Budget-ProofSolutions tied to measurable outcomes survive funding shifts.
Prove your link to results that matter most.
5️⃣ The Right Way to Start the First ConversationYour opening determines whether you move forward or get brushed off.
Use approaches that earn a real next step.
If your deals keep stalling at “interested,” this episode gives you the buyer’s-eye view you need to close smarter and faster—straight from one of the most respected education leaders in the U.S.
📩 Want help structuring your pitch so education buyers say “yes”?
DM me “Close” and I’ll walk you through it.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more founders can close bigger, better deals.
EdTech #FounderSales #MessagingStrategy #EdSales #ChannelSales #EducationInnovation #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #GrowthStrategy
What if your biggest lead gen problem isn’t visibility — but the fact that your offer isn’t clear enough to close?
Most EdTech founders think they have a marketing problem.
Some think it’s a sales problem.
But what they actually have is this:
❌ An offer that’s vague
❌ A proven model that’s undefined
❌ And no document that makes buyers say “yes” on the spot
We first aired this episode on March 4, 2024 — and the response was so strong, we’re bringing it back.
Because the Signature Solution isn’t just still relevant in 2025—it’s required for founders who are booking calls but can’t consistently close.
In this re-aired conversation, I go deep on the one tool that turned my “good pitch” into a clear, closeable, and irresistible offer to my perfect client — The Signature Solution.
Before I had it?
❌ Closing deals felt like a coin toss.
❌ Prospects nodded… but didn’t buy.
Now?
💥 Prospects instantly see the value, understand my model, and sign.
🎙️ This episode is your step-by-step reset to package your expertise, clarify your offer, and close more deals — without adding more calls, posts, or pitches.
🎯 3 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ The Confused Mind Doesn’t Buy
Your buyers aren’t saying no—they’re saying “I don’t get it.”
👉 If your offer isn’t converting, it’s not what you’re selling — it’s how clearly you present it.
2️⃣ Framework > Features
What sells isn’t your product’s capabilities—it’s your unique method.
👉 When you show your system, people lean in. Because clarity breeds confidence.
3️⃣ Your Offer Is Your Differentiator
Most founders try to sound impressive. I chose to sound obvious—to the right audience.
👉 In crowded markets, the clearest offer wins. Not the loudest one.
🧠 This episode isn’t about cute frameworks. It’s a tactical reset for education founders ready to close smarter, faster, and more often—with a pitch that actually works.
📩 Want help building a Signature Solution that turns your expertise into a lead gen machine?
DM me “Signature” and I’ll walk you through how we build one inside the EdSales Elevation Experience.
🚀 Or, grab my FREE Step-by-Step Lead Generation Blueprint and map out your own 90-day plan to consistently book 5–10 high-quality sales calls each week (without ads or content burnout).
👉 Download your FREE Lead Generation Blueprint here
📤 Know an education founder stuck in pitch mode?
Send this episode before they burn another quarter on the wrong message.
Because in EdTech,
Clarity isn’t optional. It’s the close.
EdTech #LeadGen #FounderSales #MessagingStrategy #SignatureSolution #ClarityConverts #EdSales #SalesBlueprint #BreakingTheGrade
Most founders think their growth problem is sales.
But Jolene Levin, entrepreneur, innovator and founder of NorvaNivel proved it’s the other way around: your sales reveal your growth problem.
Jolene founded a classroom furniture company in Australia, scaled it across schools, and then brought it to the U.S.
Three months after launching in the U.S., she closed $10M in deals.
No sales team. No systems. No safety net.
Just conviction, urgency—and operational chaos catching up fast.
And two years later?
She was fired from the very company she built.
💥 Because when your backend can’t keep up with your bookings, you’re not scaling.
You’re stalling at a higher speed.
But here’s what makes this episode different:
Jolene didn’t disappear. She didn’t burn out. She didn’t bow out.
She doubled down on the mission—and came back sharper, stronger, and more strategic than ever.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, Josh sits down with Jolene Levin——to unpack what happens when you sell fast, scale hard, and survive the fallout.
✅If you're leading your own sales and chasing growth, this one shows you where most founders break—and how to rebuild smarter
🔑 5 Big Takeaways for EdTech Founders
1️⃣ Why Most Founder Pitches Fail Before They Start
Jolene never “sold furniture”—she sold outcomes. And that mindset shift is the first step founders need to make to stop confusing buyers and start driving outcomes.
2️⃣ The Hidden Risk of Selling to the Wrong Buyer
Not every school is your customer. Jolene explains how she identified who not to sell to—and why filtering for fit was key to her growth.
3️⃣ Why Understanding Buyer Motivation Beats Any Sales Script
Jolene explains how she closed high-ticket deals by deeply understanding what school leaders cared about—and connecting her solution to those priorities, not her pitch.
4️⃣ Why Value > Volume in Sales Strategy
Instead of chasing every contract, Jolene doubled down on districts who aligned with her mission. The result? Bigger deals with better outcomes.
5️⃣ The Real Cost of Frankensteined Funnels
Disconnected CRMs, duct-taped follow-ups, and reactive workflows? Jolene’s story is a case study in what not to build—and how to reset.
If your sales calls are stacking up—but your backend can’t keep up—this is your reset.
📩 DM me “Scale” and I’ll show you how to structure founder-led sales to grow without burning out.
📤 Know a founder chasing growth without a plan for scale?
Send them this episode. It might save them from breaking what they’re building.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more founders can turn big sales into smart growth.
EdTechSales #FounderLedGrowth #SalesSystems #JoleneLevin#EducationInnovation #ScalingSales #GrowthStrategy #BreakingTheGrade #EdSales
Most EdTech demos fall flat because they focus on product—not pain.
They walk through features—but skip the funding strategy.
They sound polished—but feel disconnected.
And when the call ends? No buy-in. No follow-up. No deal.
That’s where John Gamba changes the game.
John isn’t just an expert in EdTech innovation—he’s coached thousands of education entrepreneurs through founder-led sales. As Director of Innovative Programs and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, he’s helped founders go from pitch mode to purchase orders—without sounding like a salesperson.
On October 11, 2024, I sat down with John live at the height of demo season—and what he shared still hits just as hard today.
💥 And here’s the controversial truth:
Most demos aren’t just ineffective—they’re repelling your buyers.
EdTech founders are over-investing in decks and under-investing in clarity. And that disconnect? It’s killing conversion.
I’m re-airing this episode because too many EdTech founders are still demoing like it’s 2013. Polished decks. Zero traction.
With back-to-school chaos heating up, your demo can’t just look good.
It has to convert.
If your demo is polished but not converting, this episode will help you course-correct fast.
🔑 3 Big Takeaways for EdTech Founders
1️⃣ Flip the Script with the ABC Demo
John’s high-converting framework flips the usual “features-first” pitch on its head.
👉 Start with the buyer’s priorities, link to real funding buckets, and frame your product as a strategic solution—not a wishlist of features.
2️⃣ Start a Conversation—Not a Pitch
Top founders don’t pitch. They guide trust-building conversations.
👉 Use soft openers like “I may have this wrong, but…” to lower resistance and invite collaboration. That small shift? It can change everything.
3️⃣ The Demo Isn’t a Meeting—It’s a System
John maps the whole journey—from when to drop a Loom video, to how to follow up after ghosting.
👉 Demos that close aren’t flashy. They’re structured and strategic.
If your sales calls fade fast—or your “great pitch” keeps getting ghosted—this is your reset.
📩 DM me “Demo” and I’ll show you how to restructure your pitch using John’s proven ABC framework.
📤 Know an EdTech founder demoing features like it’s 2013?
Send them this episode. It could save them a pipeline full of wasted calls.
Because in EdTech,
The clearest, most contextual message wins.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn clarity into traction.
Thanks for tuning in to Breaking the Grade.
EdTechSales #FounderLedGrowth #SalesStrategy #JohnGamba #EducationInnovation #DemoStrategy #BuyerAlignment #ClarityConverts #BreakingTheGrade #EdSales #PennGSE
What happens when your billion-dollar success story ends—and the market forgets your name?
Robert Martellacci knows. And he didn’t quit—he reinvented.
This episode isn’t just about resilience.
It’s about the bold mindset shift it takes to reclaim relevance, rebuild trust, and restart traction when everything you built gets wiped off the board.
Robert Martellacci—founder of MindShare Learning—joins me LIVE from the Education Research & Development Institute (ERDI), one of the most influential gatherings of education decision-makers in North America, to unpack how he went from collapse to becoming one of the most trusted connectors in the EdTech space.
And here’s what makes his story even more powerful:
✅ He worked alongside Kevin O’Leary (aka “Mr. Wonderful”) while helping develop Mattel’s EdTech products.
✅ He helped build Mattel’s EdTech division—before it was acquired for $3.6B.
✅ And today? He runs an ecosystem that keeps him booked, trusted, and closing high-leverage education partnerships.
So if you’re a founder navigating market shifts—or trying to reposition your message so decision-makers say “yes”—this is your reset.
🎯 3 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Reframe Your Edge Before the Market Does
Robert didn’t wait to get picked. He pivoted, rewired his message, and claimed a niche that made him indispensable.
👉 In EdTech, traction belongs to the clearest communicator—not the loudest one.
2️⃣ Design a Business That Buys Back Your Life
Revenue matters. But Robert built a company that also delivers access, margin, and freedom.
👉 If your calendar’s full but your tank is empty, this is your model for long-term wins without burnout.
3️⃣ Reinvention is a Sales Strategy
From faculty hockey to boardrooms, Robert built trust by evolving, not retreating.
👉 Credibility isn’t claimed. It’s earned—one connection, one message, one reinvention at a time.
If you’re in the messy middle of a pivot or chasing leads that don’t convert, this is your blueprint to shift fast and close smarter.
📩 Want help repositioning your offer so decision-makers say “yes”?
DM me “Reinvent” and I’ll hop on a strategy call with you.
📤 Know an education founder stuck in pitch mode?
Send this episode before they burn another quarter on the wrong message.
Because in EdTech,
Your leads follow your clarity.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple and Spotify to help more education founders grow with purpose and precision.
EdTech #FounderSales #MessagingStrategy #Reinvention #EdSales #ChannelSales #EducationInnovation #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #RobertMartellacci #GrowthStrategy
Here's the Messaging Fix You Didn’t Know You Needed
If your EdTech offer sounds “nice” but never gets past your perfect client to respond… this episode is your wake-up call.
Carlos Zapata, founder of Unicorn Academy, joins me live from the IFE Conference in Monterrey, Mexico — and pulls back the curtain on the exact moment his company stopped stalling and started closing.
And here’s the kicker: it wasn’t the product that changed.
It was the pitch.
Carlos went from selling English upskilling as a “benefit” to positioning it as a revenue lever — and in the process, moved the conversation from the district HR lead to the top of the district.
If you’re still ghosting your own pipeline with vague messaging or trying to sell transformation to the wrong stakeholder, this episode is your cheat code.
🎯 3 Big Takeaways
1️⃣ It’s Not the Offer. It’s the Positioning.
Carlos didn’t change what he sold—he changed who he pitched it to. Goodbye HR. Hello growth-minded CEOs.
2️⃣ Conferences Aren’t Dead. They’re the Shortcut—If You Have Clarity.
Learn how Carlos leveraged live events to build real traction once his messaging was sharp and specific.
3️⃣ The Power of Channel Partners
Stop knocking on cold doors. Carlos reveals how one channel partner gave him instant access to top-tier clients who were already listening.
💡 Whether you’re a startup founder stuck in the “nice-to-have” trap or a sales team chasing low-quality leads, this episode gives you a messaging playbook you can steal today.
📨 Want help making your message land? DM “Clarity” and I’ll hop on a strategy call with you.
🔁 Know a founder still pitching the wrong person? Send them this.
Because in EdTech, the clearest message wins.
EdTech #LeadGeneration #EdSales #MessagingStrategy #ChannelSales #FounderSales #CarlosZapata #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts
If you loved this episode, take 10 seconds to subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Your support helps us reach more education founders who need this clarity.
Thanks for tuning in to Breaking the Grade — see you next week.
Let’s get one thing straight:
September doesn’t start in September. It starts now—in June, July, and August.
Because the biggest mistake founders make in summer isn’t taking a break.
It’s confusing rest with silence.
You can recharge and still generate leads.
But most EdTech founders go dark.
They hunker down. Rebuild ops. Tweak product.
And completely disappear from LinkedIn.
Then they roll into Q4 hoping “back to school” will bring the momentum.
Spoiler: It won’t.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I’m sounding the alarm on the Summer Stall-Out—the silent pipeline killer that traps even seasoned education leaders in inconsistent revenue cycles.
Because here’s the reality:
Your dream buyer might be ghosting you today…
But they might also be:
- In transition
- Replacing a vendor that didn’t deliver
- Or finally ready to say yes
And if you’ve been visible and valuable this summer?
You’ll be the first call they make.
🎯 Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ Why Q4 momentum is built in June—not September
✅ The 3-step Summer Fix Framework we coach inside EdSales Elevation
✅ What to say now to match buyer psychology during slow seasons
✅ How Raise Your Hand campaigns convert warm leads—without ads
✅ How founders like Mitch, Ernie, and others are booking calls right now✅ The LinkedIn mistake that kills credibility—and what to post instead
✅ Why summer isn’t about volume—it’s about precision
If this resonates, pair it with our recent episode The Rest Advantage (Apple | Spotify), which goes deeper into how rest isn’t lazy—it’s leverage. When combined with the Summer Fix, it’s a one-two punch to reset your voice and rebuild real traction.
This isn’t hustle advice.
It’s the same clarity-first system we teach inside the EdSales Elevation Experience—and it works.
I’ve lived it too. Back when I was running Flex Academies, we didn’t wait for fall to scramble—we built relationships in the summer, so we were ready when the bell rang.
🧠 This episode isn’t about productivity.
It’s about positioning.
📍If you want to start Q4 ahead, not in catch-up mode—this is your Summer Fix.
📩 Know an education founder about to vanish for the summer?
Send this to them.
Their future self—and their pipeline—will thank you.
👉 Want help applying the Summer Fix to your business?
DM “Summer Fix” and Josh will personally walk you through it on a quick strategy call.
EdTech #EducationFounders #LeadGeneration #SummerFix #MessagingFramework #LinkedInMarketing #FounderSales #EdSales #BreakingTheGrade
Most EdTech founders are still chasing views.
Anissa Bouderraouiis closing pilots.
She didn’t wait to go viral.
She showed up consistently—with clarity, credibility, and the kind of messaging school leaders actually respond to.
The result?
No gimmicks. No funnels.
Just a pipeline built on trust. Bolstered by LinkedIn consistency.
🎯 When Anissa started posting on LinkedIn, she wasn’t playing the influencer game.
She was speaking directly to curriculum directors, bilingual program leads, and decision-makers who could say yes.
And when the message clicked?
So did the leads.
Warm intros. Follow-up calls. Funded pilots.
In this previously live episode of Breaking the Grade, I sit down with Anissa Bouderraoui—founder of Lingo Circle and a rising voice in bilingual education—to break down the exact approach that turned her content into conversations and her conversations into traction.
Anissa’s not just a guest—she’s a proud alum of the EdSales Elevation Experience.
Which means everything she shares has been tested, refined, and proven to work for education companies trying to stand out in a crowded market.
This isn’t theory.
It’s the messaging shift that turns thought leaders into trusted partners.
🧠 Inside this episode, education founders will learn:
✅ Why confidence follows action—not the other way around
✅ How to collaborate (not pitch) in LinkedIn DMs
✅ The hidden metrics that matter for actual sales traction
✅ What to say in follow-ups so prospects don’t ghost you
✅ The simple system Anissa uses to track DMs, feedback, and pilots
✅ How to build authority—without becoming a content robot
📍If you’re showing up on LinkedIn as an education founder, but not seeing results—this is your reset.
📤 Know an education founder trying to grow on LinkedIn?
Send them this episode. It’s the framework they’ve been missing.
EdSales #EdTech #LeadGeneration #LinkedInStrategy #FounderSales #BilingualEducation #BreakingTheGrade #EdSalesElevationExperience #ClarityConverts
Most education founders treat traction like a treadmill.
When the leads slow down, they don’t stop to ask why—they sprint faster.
More posts. More emails. More calls. More grind.
But here’s what most founders miss:
📉 Motion ≠ Momentum
📉 Hustle ≠ Clarity
📉 Activity ≠ Conversion
In this episode, Josh goes solo to unpack a hidden truth in EdTech sales:
Your burnout might be bottlenecking your lead gen.
He shares a real story from inside the EdSales Elevation Experience—Ken Spiegel, founder of LoveWorks, spent years refining his literacy platform and posting multiple times a week—until he hit a wall. It wasn’t hustle he needed. It was headspace. After slowing down and reassessing with Josh, his team rewired their messaging—and the leads started flowing.—who did what most EdTech companies are afraid to do:
They paused.
And in that pause, they found their message.
Their clarity.
And a brand new wave of traction.
This episode isn’t just about taking breaks—it’s about making room for better strategy.
🧠 Because rest isn’t passive—it’s productive.
💡 And sometimes your next breakthrough doesn’t need more noise.
It needs a reset.
🎯 Inside this episode, education founders will learn:
✅ Why constant motion kills messaging clarity (and how to fix it)
✅ How to diagnose lead gen fatigue before it tanks your team
✅ The “strategic pause” framework that helped one founder get unstuck
✅ Why over-communicating can actually confuse or repel district buyers
✅ How rest recharges more than energy—it restores your connection to your audience
✅ What to audit in your content when traction dries up
This isn’t a vacation pitch.
It’s a system-level insight into how high-performing founders reset their business without losing momentum.
📍 If you're stuck in content chaos, chasing leads that don’t convert, or just plain exhausted—this episode is your permission slip to pause... and profit.
Because the best education founders don’t burn out their message.
They refine it—in the quiet.
EdTech #LeadGen #FounderSales #StrategicRest #EducationLeadership #EdSales #BurnoutRecovery #MessagingStrategy #ClarityOverHustle #BreakingTheGrade
Most education companies don’t lose leads because their product is weak.
They lose them because the message doesn’t land.
They try to sound professional. Strategic. Smart.
But polish ≠ presence.
And clever ≠ clear.
In this episode, Josh sits down with Mitch Weisburgh—a lifelong educator, EdTech veteran, and founder of MindShifting with Mitch—to unpack what really happens when education founders try to grow… without adjusting their communication to match their audience’s mindset.
Mitch isn’t just a guest—he’s a client inside the Elevation Experience.
And what he models in this conversation is exactly what we coach our EdTech founders to do:
📍 Communicate with credibility.
📍 Build trust before tactics.
📍 Create a messaging system that respects your buyer’s brain.
Because the real sales block?
It’s not your offer.
It’s the resistance your offer hits when your audience is overwhelmed, skeptical, or defensive.
That’s why “mind-shifting” isn’t just Mitch’s business name—it’s the strategy behind his traction.
But here’s what makes this episode even more powerful:
Mitch doesn’t just teach mind-shifting for superintendents.
He shows how the same frameworks can reshape how founders show up—in business and in life.
Whether you're trying to land your next deal, reset your team’s communication, or reclaim clarity in your own leadership—there’s something here for you.
🎯 Inside this episode, education founders will learn:
✅ How fight/flight/freeze impacts EdTech decision-makers—and what to do about it
✅ Why district buyers often “check out” of polished, pitch-heavy messaging
✅ How Mitch built a business that sells transformation to superintendents—without selling at all
✅ What changes when your communication shifts from explanation to connection
✅ Why clarity + confidence = consistent lead flow in the education space
✅ And how mindset shifts apply to both your pitch—and your personal growth
This isn’t a fluff conversation.
It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how one founder shifted his own message—and now helps leaders do the same inside districts across the country.
And it’s proof that when founders show up with empathy, presence, and clarity, the pipeline follows.
📍If you're an EdTech leader trying to generate leads with more consistency and less performance—this episode is your reset.
Because the best lead gen in education isn’t about being louder.
It’s about being understood.
EdTech #LeadGeneration #MessagingStrategy #EducationLeadership #FounderSales #MindShifting #ClarityConverts #EdSales #BreakingTheGrade
Let’s start with a sitcom—and a truth bomb.
In Seinfeld Season 5, Episode 22 ("The Opposite"), George Costanza hits rock bottom. No job. No love life. No confidence.
So he flips the script.
“If every instinct I have is wrong, then the opposite must be right.”
And suddenly?
He orders chicken salad instead of tuna.
He tells the girl he’s unemployed and lives with his parents—and she’s into it.
He lands a dream job with the New York Yankees.
The world didn’t change. George did.
Now, let’s talk about education founders.
Because I’ve seen this exact thing play out inside EdSales:
✅ Founders overprepare and never post.
✅ They write decks, not dialogue.
✅ They chase polish—and lose clarity.
✅ They wait for confidence… while their pipeline grows cold.
The instinct? Stay safe.
The result? No visibility. No velocity. No traction.
And here’s the real cost:
When you play it safe, you don’t just lose leads.
You lose communication power.
Because what gets lost in the safe zone is the real signal.
The honesty. The boldness. The message that cuts through the noise and connects with the people who need to hear it most.
Great communication isn’t about having the right words.
It’s about having the right courage—and the clarity to use it.
🎯 In this unique episode of Breaking the Grade that George Constanza would be proud of, I unpack:
✅ Why “safe” messaging is silently killing your lead gen
✅ The moment I stopped editing and started engaging—and what happened next
✅ Why LinkedIn and public speaking work together as a credibility flywheel
✅ What EdTech buyers really want to hear (and it’s not your pitch deck)
✅ The shift that turned my content into calls—and my story into sales
✅ Why speaking your message—clearly and consistently—is the best sales system you’re not using
🔥 This episode is for you if:
📍 You’re stuck overthinking every post or pitch
📍 Your message sounds “right”—but gets no response
📍 You’re playing it safe because you think that’s what “professional” looks like
📍 You want to turn your voice into a lead generation asset—not a liability
📍 You’ve been preparing forever, and it’s time to perform
Here’s what George teaches us—and what I’ve learned from watching our EdSales founders break through:
🧩 You don’t need more confidence to be clear.
💡 You need clarity to earn confidence.
And when you communicate clearly—when you stop hiding behind clever and start showing up with truth—that’s when the magic happens:
📍 The university partner finally calls back.
📍 The K-12 decision-maker forwards your post.
📍 The school district admin replies to your CTA.
Because lead gen doesn’t begin with a tool or a tactic.
It begins with trust—and trust starts with clear, confident communication.
So if you’re still waiting for the moment you feel “ready”?
This episode is your nudge to go opposite.
📤 Know a founder stuck in “refinement mode”?
Send them this episode. They don’t need another pitch deck.
They need permission to show up real—and get results.
EdTech #EdSales #LeadGeneration #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #FounderMessaging #Seinfeld #GeorgeCostanza #TheOppositeEffect #LinkedInStrategy #EducationLeadership #AuthenticCommunication
If you’re trying to grow your education business beyond where you started—this episode is for you.
Because whether you’re moving from one country to another, or just one state to the next…
The real challenge isn’t translation.
It’s trust.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I sit down with Denise Abulafia—EdTech founder, Penn GSE professor, and the visionary behind Educatina, a platform that scaled to over 6 million students in Latin America and earned traction across vastly different regions.
But here’s what stood out:
She didn’t just grow into new markets—she built credibility at the ground level.
And that credibility? It unlocked consistent inbound leads and sales-ready conversations—before she ever pitched.
We dig into the soft skills that matter more than any pitch deck:
Understanding cultural context.
Listening before selling.
And building the kind of partnerships that open doors and fill your pipeline.
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ Why early traction often stalls when you move into new regions (even nearby)
✅ How Denise landed high-trust partnerships before she had a product
✅ What she did on vacation that turned into a closed deal
✅ The credibility play that beats credentials every time
✅ Why being underestimated can become your strongest edge
✅ How trust-first founders generate more qualified leads, faster
This is for you if:
📍 You’re growing into a new town, city, state, region, or country
📍 You’re hitting friction with a proven product
📍 You want your next move to be smarter—not just bigger
📤 Then share this with one education founder who’s scaling into new territory—and needs a lead generation strategy rooted in trust.
EdTech #EdSales #LeadGeneration #EducationLeadership #BreakingTheGrade #GlobalEdTech #FounderLessons
LinkedIn builds your credibility — Speaking amplifies it.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I’m sharing how I went from avoiding stages entirely to speaking at in the last 13 months at Penn GSE, the University of Chicago, SXSW EDU, DC Startup Week, Education Research and Development Institute, XEdu, Institute for the Future of Education in Mexico, EdTech Institute of Chicago, and more. Not because I had the biggest platform—because I had the right message.
Here’s the truth: I wasn’t afraid of the mic or the big audiences.
I was afraid of what it would reveal.
❌ No clear positioning
❌ No resonant offer
❌ No confidence in my message
And that fear slowed everything down.
What changed?
I stopped treating speaking as an “extra”—and started using it as a strategic amplifier for the traction I was already building on LinkedIn.
Because when your message is working, a mic doesn’t just elevate it—it accelerates everything.
🧠 In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How to layer speaking engagements on top of your LinkedIn efforts to 10x visibility for your education business.
- The mental shift that helped me go from “just a content creator” to a sought-after speaker in education
- My step-by-step playbook: what to do before, during, and after the mic to drive real revenue
- Why small stages often drive faster conversions than big ones—and how to land the right rooms
- The secret to writing a pitch event organizers can’t ignore
- What happens when your message earns not just applause—but repeat invites and sales
This isn’t about getting famous.
It’s about getting results that compound—and credibility that converts.
📤 Then share this with one education founder who’s ready to use their voice—and own their space.
EdSales #LeadGeneration #EdTech #BreakingTheGrade #SpeakingStrategy
You’re not afraid of hard work.
You’ve put in the hours.
You’ve sent the emails.
You’ve done the demos.
And still—no one’s biting.
That was Ashton Tate.
Founder of The Form Curriculum.
Fitness coach-turned-EdTech founder.
500 cold calls deep… and still stuck.
Then he changed one thing.
He stopped selling—and started listening.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, Ashton shares the real story behind his pivot from “grinding” to getting real results—and how everything shifted when he joined the EdSales Elevation Experience.
This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s the truth about what most education founders get wrong—and what actually builds a system that sells your education business.
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why 500 cold calls didn’t convert—and what Ashton changed
- The uncomfortable moment when Josh “ripped apart” his messaging
- How Ashton finally booked qualified calls (and hired help to keep up)
- What it takes to go from “nobody’s replying” to overwhelmed with leads
- How the cohort model fast-tracked his confidence, clarity, and conversions
If your inbox is quiet…
If your leads are ghosting you…
If your product is strong but no one’s saying yes—
This is your wake-up call.
You don’t need to do more.
You need to say the right thing—to the right people.
EdSales #LeadGeneration #EdTech #BreakingTheGrade
You think your sales process is tough?
Try launching a brand new EdTech company during a global pandemic—while building trust with schools that aren’t exactly raising their hands.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I sat down with Paul Moch, Founder of Camino 21 and now Vice Provost at Talisis, to break down what it really takes to build a scalable education business that gets acquired.
Paul didn’t just build a product.
He built trust.
He didn’t guess what schools wanted.
He asked.
Listened.
Built backwards from the pain.
And then showed up with the clearest offer on the table.
This isn’t your typical founder journey.
This is the blueprint for education entrepreneurs who are serious about scale.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why education is one of the hardest markets to sell into—and how Paul navigated it anyway
- The “3 steps behind” principle that helped him pre-sell before he even launched
- How urgency, credibility, and real institutional relationships led to acquisition
- What EdTech founders must build first if they want to win schools (and not just survive pitch calls)
- The mindset shift required to go from founder to executive leader—and scale your impact inside a holding company
If you’re tired of selling in circles and ready to build something schools actually want, this is the episode for you.
EdSales #LeadGeneration #EdTech #BreakingTheGrade
You’re busy. But you’re not booked.
You’re showing up on LinkedIn.
You’re attending conferences.
You’re tweaking your SEO.
You’re following the playbook everyone told you to run.
And still—your pipeline’s empty.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, Josh Chernikoff breaks down the silent mistake most education founders don’t realize they’re making:
Mistaking motion for momentum.
Mistaking activity for traction.
Mistaking visibility for credibility.
If you’re tired of doing everything “right” and still not closing deals, this episode is your reset.
💡 You’ll learn:
- Why “slow burn” strategies stall growth (and energy)
- What real hunting methods look like—and why they convert faster
- The sales system over 130 EdTech companies have used to create repeatable momentum
- How to stop hoping—and start closing
- When to layer visibility tactics (and when they just waste time)
Busy doesn’t build your business. Hunting does.
This is the episode that will help you stop spinning—and start winning real deals before Fall 2025.
EdSales #LeadGeneration #EdTech #BreakingTheGrade
Recorded live at IFE in Monterrey, Mexico, this episode features Beatriz Guillen, Executive Director at The Resource Foundation—a leader focused on strengthening education outcomes across Latin America.
While her work centers on Latin America, the insights she shares here resonate globally—especially for education companies and founders navigating the U.S. market.
This conversation is packed with real-world takeaways for education companies and founders navigating B2G, credibility-building, and early-stage lead generation—especially those working to unlock high-value partnerships and grow in complex markets.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What makes selling into K–12 education markets so difficult—and how to overcome it
- How to build trust and traction with buyers, donors, and decision-makers
- Why clear messaging and credible evidence are essential for lead generation
- How philanthropy and private-sector partnerships can accelerate sales for early-stage education companies
- A strategy for standing out in crowded education markets—even without massive funding
Whether you’re scaling in Latin America, the U.S., or globally—this episode gives you a roadmap for breaking through in education sales.
EdSales #LeadGeneration #EdTech #BreakingTheGrade #EducationBusiness
Too many education founders build something incredible—only to realize they can’t sell it.
They try to figure it out themselves… piecing together advice from free webinars, Twitter threads, and late-night YouTube binges. But without a proven system, the growth stalls—and burnout creeps in.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I sit down with Nick Farrenkopf, CEO and founder of Wibly, who went from scrappy solo founder to sales-ready CEO. Nick didn’t come from a sales background—but when he joined the EdSales Elevation Experience, he transformed how he showed up, pitched his product, and positioned Wibly for scale.
💡 If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to grow your education business without a clear roadmap—this episode is your permission to stop guessing and start building a system that works.
🎙️ Tune in to hear:
- Why trying to “learn sales” alone is the fastest path to burnout.
- How Nick shortened his sales pitch from 40 minutes to 2 with the Signature Solution.
- The mindset shift that turned objections into opportunities.
- How cohort learning and peer feedback beat Googling 100% of the time.
- What changed when Nick stopped “showing up on LinkedIn” and started strategically engaging.
- How having a clear message made sales calls (and conversations) easier and more effective.
- Why education founders wait too long to implement a sales system—and what happens when they don’t.
🎯 If your calendar feels empty and your sales feel stuck—don’t just try harder. Try smarter.
EdTech #EdSales #EducationFounders #LeadGeneration #StartupGrowth #BreakingTheGrade
You’ve got the vision. The team. The momentum.
So why does it feel like you’re sprinting on a treadmill with no finish line in sight?
Here’s the truth: Most education companies don’t burn out because of a bad idea.
They burn out because they’re trying to scale without a system.
In this live episode of Breaking the Grade, recorded at IFE 2025 in Monterrey (Mexico), I sit down with Sergio Abramovich, CEO of Scala Learning, to unpack how fast-moving education companies can shift from burnout to sustainable growth—without sacrificing mission or momentum.
And trust me—Sergio’s not talking theory. This is real, in-the-trenches wisdom from building EdTech systems that work at scale.
🎙️ In this episode, we break down:
- Why hustle culture is killing your pipeline—and how to build with systems, not just sweat
- How trying to “go global” too fast can backfire (and what to focus on instead)
- Why ROI in your network isn’t about connections—it’s about care and consistency
- What to do when you hit the “founder fog”—and how process brings back clarity
- Why storytelling is your secret weapon in scaling credibility and visibility
Here’s the line that stuck with me:
“If you burn out, you burn your team out. Then your mission never scales.”
Let that sink in.
Whether you’re a founder of an education company, a sales leader at an edtech, or someone trying to build trust with education buyers across borders—this one’s your blueprint.
→ Tune in and discover how the right systems build a business that scales without breaking. Sergio will tell you – staying visible, credible, and consistent is your lead generation strategy.
EdSales #EdTech #EducationMarketing #LeadGeneration #BreakingTheGrade
You’ve added decision-makers on LinkedIn.
You’ve liked a few posts, maybe even commented.
You’re showing up… but nothing’s turning into a call, let alone a contract.
Sound familiar?
That’s what I call the LinkedIn illusion—where activity feels like progress, but the results just aren’t showing up in your pipeline.
Here’s the truth: If you're an education company trying to sell into institutions, LinkedIn isn’t about going viral. It’s about using consistency, clarity, and credibility to turn conversations into clients.
🎯 This episode of Breaking the Grade reveals the Connection to Contract Framework—the same system I use with our clients who own successful education businesses that book 12–20 qualified sales calls a month organically.
Absolutely – No paid ads. No funnels. No cold calls. No gimmicks. Just a proven process that builds trust and moves the right people to take action.
And no—it’s not about only posting more. It’s about positioning yourself so the right people stop scrolling, start paying attention, and ultimately raise their hands to talk.
🎙️ Tune in to hear:
- The #1 reason your messaging isn’t converting—and how to fix it.
- Why “value” isn’t enough—education buyers want clarity and consistency.
- How to build trust with your ideal client before they ever hop on a call.
- The power of listening on LinkedIn (and how it leads to real contracts).
- What working closely with dozens of education companies taught me about the long game.
- Why most education companies stall after connecting—and the simple process to convert those connections into real contracts.
You don’t need a new tool. You need a tighter message and a smarter process. And - our six Cs.
If you’re still wondering whether LinkedIn works for education sales—this is your answer.
This is the method.
EdSales #EducationMarketing #LeadGeneration #LinkedInStrategy #BreakingTheGrade
Selling into education institutions—whether K–12 or higher ed—isn’t just about having a great product.
It’s about understanding how those institutions work: how decisions are made, what roadblocks slow things down, and how to position yourself as a trusted partner—not just another vendor.
In this special live episode recorded at IFE in Monterrey, Mexico, I sit down with Michael Fung, Executive Director of the Institute for the Future of Education at Tecnológico de Monterrey, to break down:
- Why so many education companies fail when selling into schools and universities.
- How to align your messaging with how institutional buyers think.
- Why confidence and clarity matter more than features and flash.
- The power of understanding governance, policy, and internal processes before you pitch.
- Global and local opportunities in education—whether you're working in underserved markets like Latin America or navigating school districts in the U.S., speaking the language of decision-makers is key.
Michael’s experience in education policy, innovation, and navigating complex institutions is a masterclass in how to sell smarter, not harder.
🎯 Even if you typically sell only to universities or only to K–12 schools, the strategies we explore in this episode apply across the board. Institutions may vary, but the approach to building trust and gaining traction is universal.
🎯 If you’ve ever walked into a district meeting or university pitch and felt like you weren’t speaking their language—this episode is for you.
Want traction? Stop selling. Start positioning yourself and listening.
EdSales #EducationBusiness #LeadGeneration #InstitutionalSales #MessagingStrategy #BreakingTheGrade
Does this sound familiar?
You just spent thousands of dollars flying to ANOTHER education conference, setting up a booth, shaking hands with decision-makers. You collected a stack of business cards, had great conversations, and walked away thinking, this was a success.
Two weeks later? It was the kiss of death for their conference strategy—no follow-ups turning into deals, no real sales pipeline, just a stack of business cards from people who seemed interested but have since disappeared.
Here’s the truth: Business cards aren’t contracts.
Education companies do this unsuccessfully for a long time. They go to education conferences expecting immediate ROI, but conferences don’t work that way. They’re a slow burn strategy.
💡 Slow burn strategies are the things businesses know they need to do, but don’t execute well. Like LinkedIn engagement, email outreach, or running a sales pipeline—conferences fall into the same category. They don’t deliver overnight wins, but they are the foundation for building long-term credibility, trust, and business relationships that actually close later.
The companies that win at conferences don’t just show up hoping to make deals. They go in knowing that this is the start of a conversation, not the end of a sale.
That’s exactly what we’re breaking down in this special Coach’s Corner episode, recorded after my time at IFE in Monterrey and ERDI in Palm Springs.
🎙️ Tune in to Hear:
🔥 How education businesses can strategically choose the right conferences.
🔥 Why networking at conferences is about listening, not selling.
🔥 How follow-up and engagement after the event determine ROI.
🔥 Why smaller, targeted conferences are often better than big, crowded ones.
🔥 How clarity in your messaging and ideal client makes conferences more valuable.
💡 If you just listen, people will open up to you. The companies that win at conferences aren’t the ones pushing their product the hardest. They’re the ones who go in with a plan, focus on real conversations, and build relationships that turn into future deals.
EdSales #LeadGeneration #EducationBusiness #ConferenceStrategy #BreakingTheGrade
The education sector is buzzing with AI, but are schools and EdTech businesses truly leveraging it for sustainable growth? In this live episode, we cut through the hype to explore how AI, combined with strategic partnerships, can drive real impact.
In this special live episode of Breaking the Grade, recorded LIVE from the IFE Conference in Monterrey, Mexico, I sat down with Jaime Pales, Co-Founder & President of Your Way Learning, and Michael Golden, Vice Dean of Innovative Programs & Partnerships at Penn GSE. These two educational innovators share their insights from the frontlines of EdTech and higher education. They reveal the critical mistakes businesses make when implementing AI without a solid partnership strategy, and what it actually takes to build impactful collaborations. We also dive into how AI and partnerships can solve real problems for education businesses, from attracting students to scaling operations.
This episode is for you if you're wondering how to navigate the AI landscape and forge partnerships that deliver results.
Tune In to Hear:
- The common pitfalls of AI adoption: Why simply implementing AI won't guarantee growth, and what crucial steps businesses often overlook.
- How strategic partnerships amplify AI's impact: The specific ways collaboration can solve challenges that AI alone can't address.
- The key elements of successful EdTech partnerships: What education leaders and founders must focus on to build collaborations that drive sustainable growth.
- Why a clear understanding of your business needs is crucial before investing in AI: How to avoid the trap of chasing trends without a solid strategy.
- The practical steps to attract more students and scale impact using AI and partnerships: Real-world examples and actionable advice for education businesses.
- What decision makers need to know to make AI adoption a success.
If you run an education business, this episode is a must-listen.
EdTech #AIinEducation #StrategicPartnerships #BreakingTheGrade #LeadGeneration
Josh Chernikoff LinkedIn
EdSales Elevation Experience
SummaryWhen you're growing your education business, one big question always comes up—should you seek investment or bootstrap your way to success? In this episode, Josh Chernikoff breaks down the real challenges behind this decision.
He shares lessons from his own journey, the mistakes founders make when chasing investment too soon, and what it really takes to build a business that attracts the right investors (if you even need them). We also get into smart ways to bootstrap, key signs that you’re actually ready for investment, and why a strong lead generation system is a must before you even think about bringing on investors.
If you're debating whether to seek investment or go it alone, this episode will help you figure out the right next step.
Tune In to Hear: * The warning signs that you’re pitching too early — and what investors really want to see. * How to tell if your business needs more capital — or just a better sales strategy. * Why funding isn’t always the answer — and what might be holding you back instead. * The hidden costs of taking investment: What no one tells you about giving up equity and control — and how to make the right call. * Why so many education entrepreneurs chase investment too soon — and what to focus on instead to grow sustainably. * Why more money won’t fix a broken sales pipeline: The crucial step education founders must take before seeking investors.
Chapters00:00 - Introduction to Funding vs. Bootstrapping
02:59 - Understanding the Pros and Cons of Investment
10:00 - Identifying the Right Time for Investment
15:09 - Bootstrapping Strategies for Growth
21:59 - Preparing for Investment: Key Benchmarks
26:47 - Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Links
Josh ChernikoffJosh Chernikoff LinkedIn
Summary
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, Josh Chernikoff tackles the big question: when’s the right time to bring on a sales team for your education-focused business? He shares why rushing to hire too soon can be a mistake and what you need to do first to make sure you're ready. Josh opens up about his own experiences, talking founder-led sales, how to refine your process, and the importance of building a strong foundation before scaling. If you're wondering how to grow your sales without the growing pains, this episode has the answers you need.
Tune in to hear:
- The hidden risks of scaling your sales team too quickly — and the strategy to scale with purpose and precision.
- How to ensure your first sales hire is the right one for your business — without wasting time and money.
- Why premature hires can slow down your sales cycle — and how to know when you're truly ready to scale.
- How understanding the difference between a founder’s sales role and a sales team’s role can transform your revenue potential.
Chapters
00:00
When to Hire a Sales Team
07:59
The Importance of Founder-Led Sales
13:48
Leveraging LinkedIn for Founders and Sales Teams
21:23
Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts
LinksJosh Chernikoff LinkedIn
Edsales Elevation Experience
Masterclass
The 2025 Annual Sales Planner
Summary
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I chat with Ernie, a seasoned leader who's been navigating the ever-changing education landscape since 2001. He shares valuable insights on how he completely transformed his sales system and unlocked 7-figures in proposals before the new school year started. Ernie shares all about staying adaptable, building relationships, and why rejection can be a powerful teacher.
Together we dive into the unique challenges of selling in education, how networking can shift your business, and the role LinkedIn plays in connecting with decision-makers.
If you're looking to grow your business in a competitive market, this conversation is full of strategies you won’t want to miss.
Tune in to hear:
- The one tool that transformed Ernie’s business and unlocked 7 figures in proposals setting him up for a successful 2025 - and how you can too!
- The power in re-evaluating your business model and setting yourself up to thrive.
- Why rejection can be the key to uncovering your biggest business breakthroughs.
- The game-changing power of selling year-round—and how to make it happen.
- Why being able to start delivery of your program at any time of the year (instead of just the start of the school year) can open you up to big sales opportunities.
- The power of a strong LinkedIn presence—and why it’s essential for building meaningful connections.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Beyond Technology Education
05:56 - Navigating Marketing Challenges in Education
11:55 - Understanding the Education Sales Cycle
18:14 - Future Aspirations for Ernie and Beyond Technology Education
Links
Ernie Delgado
Beyond Technology Education
Edsales Elevation Experience
Masterclass
SummaryNine years of building a business—and then, overnight, everything changes. Suddenly, you’re scrambling to keep things afloat, unsure of your next move. That’s exactly what happened to Matt Barinholtz, founder of Future Makers. When the pandemic hit in 2020, he had to pivot fast—shifting from offering services to selling products. The truth is, pandemic aside, business is always unpredictable—marketing trends shift, relationships fade as new players enter the scene, and sometimes, your strategy just stops working. So how do you navigate these challenges and come out stronger? In this week’s episode, Matt shares exactly how he transformed Future Makers and set it up for success. Whether you’re building from scratch or looking to scale, Matt’s story is packed with actionable insights to thrive no matter what’s thrown your way.
Tune in to Hear:✅ How to navigate big challenges in your business (like pivoting!).
✅ The biggest challenge Matt faced in pivoting his business —and how he overcame it.
✅ Why Matt’s messaging shifts made it easier than ever to spot—and attract—the perfect fit clients (and how you can too!)
✅ The surprising truth about building relationships at scale (it’s not what you think!)
✅ The exact steps Matt took to build a powerful lead generation system so that he could scale —and how you can do it too!
And if you’re ready to build your lead generation system then join my FREE Masterclass: How to get more leads and sales on repeat (without paid ads or creating endless content that no one sees!)
Chapters:00:00 - Introduction: Setting the Stage
03:01 - The Importance of Having a System
05:54 - Building Relationships for Success
08:20 - Challenges in Creating a Signature Solution
12:09 - The Role of Listening in the Sales Process
14:01 - The Implementation Process: Highs and Lows
17:54 - Measuring Impact and Growth
22:40 - Evolving the Signature Solution
28:12 - Communicating Value and Building Credibility
30:44 - Trusting the Process and Embracing Iteration
34:06 - Closing Thoughts on Growth and Business Evolution
LinksMatt Barinholtz
Future Makers
Edsales Elevation ExperienceMasterclass
Summary:
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, Josh Chernikoff and Toni McMurray tackle the challenges of sales planning for education companies as the new year approaches. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the tight sales window or struggling with staying top of mind with prospects, this episode is for you. We discuss the impact of inconsistent outreach and follow-ups, and how early planning and overcoming sales fears can set you up for success in 2025. Tune in to learn how to start building momentum now for the year ahead.
Tune in to hear:✅ How to set yourself up for success and hit the ground running in Q1, so you can crush your sales goals!
✅ What you must do during the low seasons, to make sure you're selling during the high seasons...
✅ How to maximize your time in December to set yourself up for success and why waiting until January puts you at a disadvantage
✅ Why waiting until January puts you at a disadvantage
✅ Strategies to stay ahead in a competitive, seasonal sales cycle
✅ And what you need to be focusing on each month with specific actionable steps - to crush your sales goals in 2025!
Timestamps:
- Introduction to the Episode (00:00:00)
- Importance of Pre-Planning (00:01:35)
- Sales Cycle Breakdown (00:03:19)
- Maximizing the Sales Window (00:05:04)
- Budgeting Conversations (00:06:47)
- Active Outreach Strategies (00:07:43)
- Creating Awareness (00:08:49)
- Generating Leads (00:10:29)
- Overcoming Fear in Sales (00:11:05)
- Setting Actionable Goals (00:12:45)
- Benefits-Driven Messaging (00:14:13)
- Goal Setting for Sales (00:15:30)
- Nurturing Leads in Summer (00:17:55)
- Sales Cycle Dynamics (00:19:56)
- Rejection and Resilience (00:21:05)
- Building Relationships in Sales (00:22:54)
- Understanding Market Readiness (00:23:39)
- Nurturing Leads (00:24:33)
- Effective Follow-Up Strategies (00:25:07)
- Tracking Outreach Efforts (00:25:25)
- Taking Action on Lead Generation (00:29:00)
- Closing Thoughts for 2025 (00:30:14)
Links
Planning Document
Edsales Elevation Experience
Summary:Sales in the education space can feel like an endless maze—long cycles, multiple decision-makers, and constant resistance. In this episode, Josh Chernikoff pulls back the curtain on the challenges EdTech founders face when selling to schools and districts. It’s not just about getting through the door; it’s about navigating complex decision-making processes and staying persistent when things don’t move as quickly as you'd like.
If you’re feeling stuck or frustrated by slow progress and tough competition, this episode reveals why patience and strategy are your best tools. But be warned—it's not all about playing it safe. Discover what it really takes to thrive as an entrepreneur in education. The answers might not be what you expect.
Tune in to hear:
- Why focusing only on selling is losing you sales and what you need to do instead... if you want to have sales coming in all year round.
- The one tool you’re probably not using that will boost your outreach and keep prospects engaged.
- My best tip to handle objections and turn them into your biggest opportunities.
- The secret to staying top of mind so schools reach out to you!
Chapters
00:03-01:36 Introduction: The Warrior's Mentality
01:36-02:51 The Complex Sales Cycle in Education
02:51-04:52 Multiple Stakeholders and How to Navigate Them
04:52-07:07 The Story of Overcoming Data Privacy Obstacles
07:07-09:25 Managing the Long Sales Cycle
09:25-11:32 Identifying and Engaging Your Ideal Client
11:32-13:31 Building Momentum with Strategic Follow-Up
13:31-15:46 Personalized Outreach and Staying Engaged
15:46-17:27 Overcoming Resistance to Change
17:27-19:11 Patience and Persistence in the Long Sales Cycle
19:11-20:33 Success Story: Lafayette Elementary
20:33-22:59 Managing Multiple Leads and Opportunities
22:59-End Conclusion: Patience, Persistence, and Pleasantness
Want more help getting leads and sales?
👉 ✨ Book a FREE strategy call with me. Together we'll look at your entire lead gen system and see where you need to focus to start bringing in high-quality, high-converting leads!
Summary:
Wondering when you should really start selling in the education market? In this episode, Josh Chernikoff dives into the right timing and approach for effective sales in the education space. Spoiler: it’s not just about waiting until you have a perfect offer. It’s about understanding the specific buying cycles and decision-making processes that are unique to educational institutions.
Josh breaks down why timing is key—and how positioning yourself early can build valuable relationships that will pay off later. He shares actionable insights on how to engage with your ideal clients even before they’re ready to buy, building trust and awareness that makes your product or service their obvious choice when the time comes. If you’re ready to crack the timing code for education sales, this episode is for you.
Takeaways:
- Why waiting for perfection is the fastest way to miss opportunities… and what you need to do instead to start generating leads now!
- What does a centuries-old shipwreck have to do with your business?
- How to handle seasonality in education sales and why it’s not as tricky as you may believe
- What lessons you can learn from 10-year-olds that will completely transform your sales approach
- Discover why getting in front of your audience sooner than later can actually speed up your sales cycle.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: The Challenge of Timing in Education Sales
03:05 - Why Waiting Until the Last Minute Can Cost You
06:47 - Building Relationships Before They’re Ready to Buy
10:21 - Aligning with the School Year and Budget Cycles
14:36 - Trust-Building Strategies that Pay Off Later
17:54 - Key Takeaways and Next Steps
Want more help getting leads and sales?
👉 ✨ Book a FREE strategy callwith me. Together we'll look at your entire lead gen system and see where you need to focus to start bringing in high-quality, high-converting leads!
Summary:
Are your sales calls feeling like one-way pitches instead of real conversations? In this episode, Josh Chernikoff uncovers a simple yet powerful shift that could change how you approach every sales call moving forward. Spoiler: it’s not about selling harder or pushing your offer more aggressively. It’s about tapping into a skill most salespeople overlook.
Josh dives deep into how listening can transform your calls, build trust, and help you uncover your prospects' true needs—without sounding like just another salesperson. And here’s the kicker: he shares why the best salespeople aren’t just listening—they’re also storytelling in a way that hooks prospects and keeps them engaged. Want to know exactly how he does it? There’s only one way to find out. Listen now and see why this small tweak could completely change your results.
Takeaways:
- Find out why focusing on features is costing you sales—and what to shift your attention to instead.
- The one move that's damaging your sales relationships—fix it, and watch sales flow effortlessly.
- Why most people struggle to sell on virtual meetings and how to instantly build trust and form strong connections…
- Discover the quick way to build instant trust and bust through objections without being salesy.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Effective Sales Calls
02:48 - The Shift from Talking to Listening
05:52 - The Power of Active Listening
09:12 - Building Connection and Trust
12:03 - The Self-Identification Call
15:01 - The Importance of Storytelling
19:54 - Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Want more help getting leads and sales?
👉 ✨ Book a FREE strategy call with me. Together we'll look at your entire lead gen system and see where you need to focus to start bringing in high-quality, high-converting leads!
🔗 www.joshchernikoff.com/call
Summary:
Selling to schools and districts is more than just having a good product—it’s about really understanding the specific challenges and needs of the education market. In this episode, Special Guest: John Gamba (Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education) and I talk about how to deliver better sales demos, especially when technical issues or multiple decision-makers are involved. From using Loom videos to keep the conversation going between meetings to handling tough questions from tech experts, we’ll show you how to turn a demo that’s going off track into a win. If you’ve ever struggled with technical problems or pushback during a demo, this episode will give you practical tips to recover and close the deal with confidence.
Key Takeaways:
- The surprising reason why your demos may fall flat—and how a strategic video sent at the right time could change everything.
- A simple technique to handle tough technical questions without derailing your sales momentum.
- Why demos go wrong more often than you think, and the key shifts that can turn a bad pitch into a win.
- The art of sending personalized demo follow-ups that show prospects you're truly listening—learn how to nail this crucial step.
- How to manage those "bad apples" in the room who seem determined to poke holes in your pitch—and flip the situation in your favor.
- This episode is a must-listen for any entrepreneur in the EdTech space looking to sharpen their sales approach and turn potential pitfalls into powerful selling points!
Chapters:
- Introduction to the Episode (00:00:00)
- Guest Introduction (00:01:00)
- The Importance of Demos (00:01:17)
- Guided Conversations in Demos (00:03:29)
- Consultative Selling Approach (00:04:41)
- Benefits Over Features (00:06:01)
- Contextual Selling (00:07:01)
- Using Strategic Plans Effectively (00:07:56)
- Engaging with Prospects (00:10:08)
- Learning from Successful Demos (00:12:29)
- Demo Timing Considerations (00:16:39)
- Using Video for Demos (00:18:56)
- Listening to Client Needs (00:20:08)
- Personal Experiences with Demos (00:22:25)
- Lessons from Demo Failures (00:23:16)
- Understanding Security Concerns (00:24:19)
- Technical Preparedness in Demos (00:25:34)
- Utilizing Feedback Effectively (00:26:44)
- Handling Technical Questions (00:27:42)
- Staying Calm During Challenges (00:28:34)
- Post-Demo Follow-Up (00:29:36)
- Learning from Challenges (00:30:27)
- Importance of Practice (00:31:01)
- Closing Remarks and Community Engagement (00:31:26)
Resources or Links:
- Connect with John Gamba: LinkedIn
- Interested in Growing Your Education Business? Book your FREE Strategy Call with Josh.
Join me as I sit down with Chris and Corey from Rocket PD to talk about how they revamped their entire sales process to feel more natural and focused on building relationships with their ideal customers. Chris and Cory have years of SaaS experience under their belt and they know a lot about marketing and selling software, but selling to schools felt like a whole different ball game. And so we worked on building out their sales process together to fit them, their business and their clients. If you've ever thought sales has to be pushy and you want a way to sell that feels good to you, then you're going to love this episode!
Tune in to hear:
- My #1 tool for getting potential clients to open up and start talking to you...
- How to build relationships that make selling easy and natural...
- Why most founders make a crucial mistake that can cost them months of wasted effort -- and what to do to avoid that.
- Why EdTech sales is different to other selling and how they overcame some big challenges in generating leads.
- PLUS, learn how to embrace objections, failures, and challenges as vital opportunities for growth in your business!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
04:05 Challenges Faced by Rocket PD
09:42 The Coaching Process and Milestone Coaching
15:19 The Impact of the Signature Solution
22:32 Results and Successes
30:56 The Enjoyment of the Coaching Experience
Here's how you can connect with RocketPD:
Chris Dekmar LinkedIn
Corey Murray LinkedIn
RocketPD LinkedIn
RocketPD
Interested in Growing Your Education Business? Want my eyes on your business? Book your FREE Strategy Call here.
JoshChernikoff.com
EdSalesElevationExperience.com
Summary
Imagine a tool that could revolutionize how students manage their homework—built not by some big tech company, but by a parent and a 12-year-old visionary. Curious?
In this episode, we're diving into a startup story that's as unique as it gets. A co-founder whose biggest challenge wasn’t just building the tech but navigating the labyrinth of the education market...
Join me as I interview Brent Newton, founder of MyOwl, about the challenges he and his daughter faced in getting MyOwl off the ground.
MyOwl is an app that brings student's homework assignments into one centralized dashboard. The average student today has to use more than 143 apps to get their homework done. Talk about a logistical nightmare! So, when Brent and his daughter told other parents about their idea, the parents couldn't wait to get their hands on it. But when he tried to get the app partners on board and schools on board, it felt like he was banging his head against the wall...
Key Takeaways:
Tune in to hear…
- Why having a great product wasn’t enough—and the game-changing move Brent made to get schools on board.
- The crucial shift in his messaging that turned MyOWL from a “maybe” to a “must-have.”
- The surprising power of community—how being part of a group of other education founders gave him the breakthrough he needed.
- AND… hear all about his experience inside the 3E EdSales Elevation Experience.
Chapters
00:00 MyOWL: Revolutionizing Homework Management
05:30 The Impact of the Ed Sales Elevation Experience
10:55 The Power of the Mastermind Group
13:46 Networking and Support for Education Entrepreneurs
21:09 Join the Homework Revolution with MyOWL
Resources/ Links:
- Connect With Brent Newton:Brent Newton | LinkedIn
- Go to MyOwl Website: myOwl | Homework Managed
- Interested in Growing Your Education Business? Book your FREE Strategy Call.
- Learn More about the 3E Edsales Elevation Experience: Join the waitlist for the next cohort here.
Summary:
Starting a business with the goal of solving complex educational problems is a tall order. But Sam Saarinen, founder and CEO of Edapt Technologies, embraced this challenge head-on. In this episode, Sam shares his entrepreneurial journey—one marked by ambitious starts, hard-learned lessons, and a game-changing pivot that led to remarkable business growth. If you’re an entrepreneur struggling to find your footing, this episode is packed with actionable insights on refining your product, focusing your message, and attracting the right clients. Sam’s story is a must-listen for anyone looking to transform their approach to business and achieve long-term success.
Key Takeaways:
- The game-changing realization Sam had about why his first product wasn’t selling—and how you can apply the same insight to your business.
- How Sam’s pivot to a new market led to a dramatic increase in quality leads and sales—find out the strategy behind it.
- The exact steps Sam took to simplify his product and make it irresistible to his ideal clients—learn how to do the same.
- How joining a cohort-based program transformed Sam’s sales strategy and what you can gain from similar opportunities.
- Why having a long-term vision is crucial for entrepreneurial success and how Sam’s perspective shift helped him thrive.
Don’t miss this episode packed with actionable advice and real-world insights that can transform your approach to entrepreneurship!
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:08 Aligning Sales Approach with Values
06:26 The Power of Focusing on One Product
14:36 The Value of Feedback and Cohort-Based Programs
19:24 Pivoting to a New Product
21:16 Building a Roadmap and Confidence
Resources or Links:
- Connect with Sam Saarinen: LinkedIn, Quizius
- Learn More about the 3E Edsales Elevation Experience: Join the waitlist for the next cohort here.
- Interested in Growing Your Education Business? Book your FREE Strategy Call with Josh.
Tune in to discover how focusing on the right strategies can lead to extraordinary results!
In this episode, Josh Chernikoff discusses the importance of implementing systems in order to scale and grow an education business. He highlights three powerful systems: offer system, lead generation and sales system, and delivery system. He emphasizes the need for a repeatable and scalable offer, a lead generation system to attract and nurture ideal clients, and a delivery system to ensure client success. Josh also acknowledges that there will be glitches and mistakes along the way, but it's important to embrace imperfection and learn from them.
Takeaways
- Implementing systems is crucial for scaling and growing an education business.
- A repeatable and scalable offer is essential to attract and retain clients.
- Having a lead generation system helps automate the process of attracting and nurturing ideal clients.
- A delivery system ensures client success and automates tedious tasks.
- Embrace imperfection and learn from mistakes along the way.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Importance of Systems
08:18 The Offer System
12:40 Lead Generation and Sales System
20:20 Delivery System and Client Success
23:25 Embracing Imperfection and Learning from Mistakes
In this episode, Josh Chernikoff shares his experiences and challenges in growing his second business, Flex Academies. He discusses the importance of finding the ideal client, pivoting the business model, and building a strong offer. He also emphasizes the need for a lead generation system and the importance of surrounding oneself with experts. Josh highlights the significance of systems in scaling a business and shares his own journey of continuous learning and improvement.
Takeaways:
- Finding the ideal client is crucial for business success.
- Pivoting the business model based on customer feedback and needs is essential.
- A strong offer that delivers results is key to attracting clients.
- Having a lead generation system is vital for consistent growth.
- Surrounding oneself with experts and building a strong team is important for scaling a business.
- Systems and automation are necessary for efficient and effective operations.
- Continuous learning and improvement are essential for long-term success.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:09 Finding the Ideal Client
05:46 Pivoting the Business Model
08:46 Building a Strong Offer
12:04 The Importance of a Lead Generation System
15:08 Scaling with Experts
18:04 Systems and Automation
21:03 Continuous Learning and Improvement
In this conversation, Josh Chernikoff interviews Kathryn Adabonyan, the founder and CEO of Go Pursue, a company that helps high school students explore career options and connect with professionals in those fields. They delve into Kathryn's journey as an entrepreneur, a testament to her resilience in overcoming sales and marketing challenges. Kathryn shares how the EdSales Elevation Experience helped her reframe her mindset about LinkedIn and establish herself as a thought leader in her industry. She also talks about the value of the mastermind group and the support she received from Josh and other members. Kathryn invites directors of career and technical education programs and employers in the DC area to connect with her.
Takeaways:
- The EdSales Elevation Experience was a game-changer for Kathryn, transforming her LinkedIn presence and propelling her to the forefront of her industry as a thought leader.
- The mastermind group provided valuable advice, different perspectives, and resource connections for Kathryn as an entrepreneur.
- Kathryn's success in generating leads and closing deals resulted from implementing what she learned in the EdSales Elevation Experience, not just on LinkedIn but in all aspects of her sales and marketing efforts.
- The support and generosity of Josh and the mastermind group members played a significant role in Kathryn's success.
- Kathryn is looking to connect with directors of career and technical education programs and employers in the DC area who are focused on career preparedness and building a talent pipeline.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties
03:42 Challenges and Pain Points
07:17 The Importance of Confidence and Messaging
11:32 Implementing Sales and Marketing Strategies
21:45 Connecting with Directors of Career and Technical Education Programs and Employers in the DC Area
25:21 The Support and Generosity of the Mastermind Group
28:58 Conclusion and Invitation to Connect
In this conversation, Josh Chernikoff discusses his nine-step process for building lead generation machines that produce high-quality and high-converting leads on repeat. He addresses the common challenge of not knowing how to get leads and emphasizes the importance of founder-led sales. Josh shares his own experience of starting a tutoring business without any sales experience and explains how he overcame obstacles to become successful. He breaks down each step of his process, including getting clear on the ideal client, prospect-to-relationship building, creating a signature solution, laser targeting, magnetic messaging, and automating processes. He also highlights the significance of success amplifiers and scaling the business.
Takeaways:
- Building lead generation machines requires a systematic approach and a clear understanding of the ideal client.
- Founder-led sales can be a powerful strategy for generating leads and building a successful business.
- Messaging plays a crucial role in lead generation, and it's important to focus on communicating value and addressing the pain points of the ideal client.
- Automating lead generation processes can help scale the business and ensure a steady flow of high-quality leads.
- Success amplifiers, such as attending conferences and leveraging social media, can boost credibility and attract more ideal clients.
- Scaling the business requires a well-defined roadmap and the ability to target and convert a large number of high-quality leads.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: The Nine-Step Process for Building Lead Generation Machines
01:41 Founder-Led Sales: Overcoming the Challenge of Getting Leads
04:29 Scaling the Business: Going Beyond a Few Schools
10:28 Messaging Mastery: Communicating Value and Addressing Pain Points
23:14 Success Amplifiers: Boosting Credibility and Attracting Ideal Clients
26:34 Scaling the Business: A Well-Defined Roadmap for Lead Generation
Don’t miss the Catalyst at Penn GSE Innovation Summit on June 21st at the University of Pennsylvania. It’s a must-attend event for entrepreneurs in the education sector, filled with insights on advancing your business. Register now at https://mailchi.mp/gse.upenn.edu/catalyst-summit-2024
Rose, a successful entrepreneur and educator, shares her experience with the Ed Sales Elevation Experience. She discusses the challenges she faced in growing her business in education and how the program helped her overcome them. Rose highlights the importance of building an authentic community and focusing on quality over quantity when finding ideal clients. She also emphasizes the value of feedback and the support she received from the cohort. The program helped her redefine success and develop a consistent business scaling method.
Takeaways
- Building an authentic community is essential for business success.
- Focusing on quality over quantity when finding ideal clients leads to better results.
- The experience of receiving feedback and support from a like-minded cohort was a game-changer for Rose. It not only helped her overcome challenges but also significantly improved her business strategies. This sense of camaraderie and mutual support within the cohort is a testament to the power of community in business growth.
- Redefining success and developing a consistent method is critical to scaling a business.
- Lifelong friendships and ongoing learning are valuable outcomes of participating in programs like the EdSales Elevation Experience.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Spotlight on Rose
05:35 Challenges in Growing the Business
10:11 Support from the Cohort
14:26 Thinking Beyond Results and Building Authentic Community
Don’t miss the Catalyst at Penn GSC Innovation Summit on June 21st at the University of Pennsylvania. It’s a must-attend event for entrepreneurs in the education sector, filled with insights on advancing your business. Register now at https://mailchi.mp/gse.upenn.edu/catalyst-summit-2024
Welcome to today’s episode where we delve into the world of lead generation within the education industry. We'll explore a variety of strategies from quick social media ads to the slow and steady wins of SEO and relationship building. Join us as we navigate the complexities and discover sustainable methods for growth.
Lead generation in the education sector is both intricate and resource-intensive. This episode unpacks the challenges of deploying various methods like SEO, Facebook ads, and cold emailing. We highlight the importance of tailoring these methods to fit the unique needs of your business, especially when resources are scarce.
Despite their potential high costs in time and money, conferences and networking events are pivotal in lead generation. We discuss how to maximize these opportunities by effectively leveraging contacts and business cards gathered at events. Additionally, we explore the dual-edged sword of social media and content marketing which, while offering excellent targeting options, also require significant investment.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:13 Dissecting Lead Generation Challenges
04:17 Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Various Marketing Methods
06:31 Understanding the Impact of Impersonal Outreach Techniques
09:39 The Role of Traditional Networking in Modern Lead Generation
12:57 The Strategic Use of LinkedIn for Direct Outreach
14:56 The Long-Term Benefits of Relationship Building
15:34 Transitioning to Sustainable Lead Generation Strategies
In this episode, Josh discusses the importance of identifying the main stakeholders in the education space and how to sell to them effectively. He shares case studies of Brent and Katherine, who faced the challenge of determining who to sell to and how they overcame it. Josh emphasizes the need to focus on the benefits and transformation your solution can provide to the main stakeholder while also considering the benefits for other stakeholders. He also mentions the EdSales Elevation Experience and encourages listeners to join the community.
Takeaways
- Identifying the main stakeholders in the education space is crucial for successful sales.
- Focus on the benefits and transformation that your solution can provide to the main stakeholder.
- Consider the benefits for other stakeholders and how your solution can positively impact them.
- Joining a community like the Ed Sales Elevation Experience can provide support and valuable insights for selling in the education space.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
06:44 Focusing on Benefits and Transformation
11:09 Conclusion
In this episode, Josh Chernikoff interviews David Dworkin, the CEO and founder of Hire Cause. They discuss David's experience in the Ed Sales Elevation Experience program and the impact it had on his business. David shares the challenges he faced before joining the program, including the difficulty of setting up consistent meetings with potential clients in the education sector. He also talks about his previous attempts to generate leads, such as attending conferences and sending cold emails. David explains how the Signature Solution, a key component of the program, has made his sales process more efficient and effective. He shares a success story from a conference where the Signature Solution received positive feedback from superintendents and helped him secure new clients. David quantifies the results by mentioning the number of successful meetings and the potential for expanding his business to new markets. He expresses his gratitude for the program and looks forward to implementing more strategies in the future.
Takeaways:
- Hear about the biggest lead generation challenges David faced before joining the Ed Sales Elevation experience and how he overcame them.
- Hear how David went from cold emailing and crickets to getting new leads, booking 10 new sales meetings, and expanding into a new district outside of New York for the first time…
- Discover David’s secret to killer presentations that have the room sitting on the edge of their seats and leaning in to hear more…
- And learn why having a cohort of like minded entrepreneurs can make all the difference!
If you’ve been wanting more leads in your business…
Or if you’ve ever wondered if Ed Sales Elevation Experience is for you, then you gotta hear this!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
01:07 Challenges Before Joining Ed Sales Elevation Experience
05:28 Resistance and Skepticism from the Team
07:16 Experience in the Ed Sales Elevation Experience Cohort
08:51 Success Story at ERDI Conference
11:13 Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Signature Solution
13:53 Quantifying the Results
15:37 Continued Success and Future Updates
In this episode, the host discusses how to transform a LinkedIn profile into a sales page that generates more leads. The importance of having a professional and engaging profile picture is emphasized, as it sets the tone for others to perceive you. The headline is highlighted as a hook that captures attention and showcases how you can help your ideal client. The summary section is an opportunity to showcase the value you bring and how you can make a difference. Other sections such as the link, featured, experience, and education sections are also discussed.
In this episode you will discover:
- Why having a strong LinkedIn profile is critical, especially in the EdTech industry… if you want to boost your credibility and get clients with more ease.The #1 mistake most people make with their LinkedIn Profile that’s costing them leads and sales… and how to fix it!
- Why just listing your skills and work experience is not enough and what you need to say if you want to book more sales calls!
- The step-by-step approach I take all my clients through to transform their LinkedIn profile into a sales page….
- How to write a headline that has your ideal clients reaching out to work with you!
- 3 powerful highlights to include in your featured section to attract high-quality leads instantly.
PLUS learn my simple method for getting more endorsements on LinkedIn… to boost your credibility and position you as the go-to expert in your field!
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:19 Importance of LinkedIn Profile
04:17 Profile Picture and Headline
05:14 Summary and About Section
07:58 Utilizing the Link Section
08:56 Summary and About Section
10:24 Featured Section
13:19 Experience and Education
14:17 Community and Skills
15:45 Recommendations and Engaging Content
16:16 Call to Action
Connect With Me:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
Website: https://JoshChernikoff.com
Summary
In this episode, Josh Chernikoff discusses how to confidently start conversations with potential clients that lead to booking more calls. He addresses the challenge of initiating conversations and offers strategies for building rapport and making connections. Josh emphasizes the importance of offering value and following up with potential clients. He provides tips for opening conversations, such as starting with a warm personalized greeting and getting people talking about themselves. Josh also highlights the value of creating a supportive community and helping clients get comfortable with initial conversations. He invites listeners to join the Ed Sales Elevation Experience and emphasizes the transformative impact of starting conversations.
Takeaways
- Discover your most powerful tool to connect with your ideal clients in a natural and comfortable way.
- My #1 tip for initiating conversations that flow naturally and lead to results: like booking more sales calls and wanting to know how to work with you!
- Find out 5 things I do when reaching out to cold leads… that gets results.
- One tool you MUST have if you want to stay on top of your leads, build strong relationships and convert them into happy clients…
- PLUS hear real-life examples, like Katherine's story about how she finally felt confident to reach out and connect with an ideal client… that booked a sales call effortlessly.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and the Challenge of Starting Conversations
02:21 Building Rapport and Making Connections
03:19 Offering Value and Follow-up
05:15 Tips for Opening Conversations
07:30 Creating a Supportive Community
08:28 Helping Clients Get Comfortable with Initial Conversations
09:28 Joining the Ed Sales Elevation Experience
10:07 The Impact of Starting Conversations
11:22 Conclusion and Call to Action
Summary
In this episode, Josh Chernikoff discusses the importance of having a Signature Solution to generate more leads and close sales faster. He emphasizes the need for clear communication of value and the challenges entrepreneurs in the education space face in this regard. Josh explains that a Signature Solution is a clear visual roadmap that outlines the steps to take clients from where they are to where they want to be. He highlights the benefits of having a Signature Solution, such as standing out in a crowded market and building trust and credibility. Josh shares success stories of individuals and companies who have leveraged their Signature Solution to achieve success.
Takeaways:
- Explore how your signature solution establishes you as an authority in your niche.
- Discover how a signature solution sets you apart from the competition.
- Hear about how a signature solution helped my client get a grant
- Discover how your signature solution makes you the obvious choice for clients.
- Learn how a clear signature solution boosts your confidence.
- Learn how to captivate your audience and avoid using boring PowerPoint presentations.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:17 The Importance of Clearly Communicating Value
03:22 Components of a Signature Solution
05:00 Phases of a Signature Solution
06:19 The Benefits of a Signature Solution
09:12 The Magic of a Clear Visual Roadmap
10:19 The Unique Framework of a Signature Solution
12:18 Success Stories of Using a Signature Solution
14:05 Joining the EdSales Elevation Experience Program
In this episode, Josh Chernikoff discusses the challenge of promoting oneself without feeling salesy or inauthentic. He shares his personal experience with imposter syndrome and how he overcame it. Josh also addresses common fears and challenges faced by entrepreneurs and provides tips to overcome the fear of self-promotion. He emphasizes the importance of not comparing oneself to others and highlights the value of building genuine connections and participating in communities. Additionally, he introduces the concept of using LinkedIn as a sales funnel and invites listeners to join a LinkedIn workshop.
Chapters
00:00 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
03:32 Common Fears and Challenges
05:16 Don't Compare Yourself to Others
06:09 Tips to Overcome the Fear of Promotion
13:01 Using LinkedIn as a Sales Funnel
14:20 LinkedIn Workshop
In this conversation, Josh Chernikoff and Brent Newton discuss the power of LinkedIn for business growth and networking. They highlight the evolution of LinkedIn from a resume platform to a sales funnel and emphasize the importance of improving LinkedIn profiles. The conversation also covers the challenges of consistently posting on LinkedIn and the value of building a supportive community. They explore the potential of LinkedIn groups and the impact of LinkedIn on business opportunities. The conversation concludes with tips for success on LinkedIn and the announcement of a LinkedIn workshop to boost professional presence.
Takeaways:
- LinkedIn is a powerful platform for business growth and networking.
- Improving LinkedIn profiles is crucial for leveraging the platform effectively.
- Consistently posting on LinkedIn can be challenging but is essential for building a presence.
- Building a supportive community on LinkedIn can provide valuable connections and opportunities.
- Engaging with LinkedIn groups can be beneficial for targeted networking.
- LinkedIn can open doors to new business opportunities and partnerships.
- Taking small steps and being consistent on LinkedIn can lead to increased confidence and clarity.
- Attending a LinkedIn workshop can help boost professional presence and lead generation.
- Customizing LinkedIn to suit individual preferences and goals is key to success.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to LinkedIn and its Evolution
02:21 Using LinkedIn for Business Growth
04:26 Improving LinkedIn Profiles
06:31Consistently Posting on LinkedIn
08:35 Building a Community on LinkedIn
09:28 The Value of a Supportive Community
10:28 Engaging with LinkedIn Groups
13:45 The Impact of LinkedIn on Business Opportunities
14:03 The Turning Point in Recognizing the Importance of LinkedIn
15:49 Commenting on Competitors' Profiles
19:49 Tips for Success on LinkedIn
21:22 Gaining Confidence and Clarity on LinkedIn
23:54 Using LinkedIn Workshop to Boost Professional Presence
25:44Making LinkedIn Work for You
26:28 Appreciation and Closing Remarks
In this episode, Josh Chernikoff discusses how to effectively use LinkedIn for lead generation in the education industry. He debunks common myths about LinkedIn and provides tips on optimizing your profile to attract the right audience. Josh emphasizes the importance of nurturing connections and leveraging social proof through testimonials. He also invites listeners to join a LinkedIn workshop to transform their profiles and improve their lead-generation strategies.
Takeaways:
- My journey with LinkedIn and how I used it to start and sell a successful education business…
- How I went from a no-one to a leader in education after transitioning from a career in TV and broadcasting…
- Why most entrepreneurs are burning out creating content and what they should be doing instead...
- The #1 mistake killing your LinkedIn leads and how to fix it
- The top 4 myths about LI and how to actually succeed with it in Lead Generation…
- Why LI should be your go-to platform IF you want more leads for your education business...
Chapters:
01:00 LinkedIn for Lead Generation
03:12 Using LinkedIn to Establish Credibility
05:09 Debunking Myths about LinkedIn
09:04 You Don't Have to Create Content to Get Clients
13:11 Nurturing Connections on LinkedIn
14:35 The Power of Testimonials
18:03 Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile
19:10 The Importance of Social Proof
22:00 LinkedIn Workshop to Transform Your Profile
23:21 Conclusion
Join Us:
- Join our Community: https://edsaleselevation.mn.co/share/1QFYMSMHyPbzxbF0?utm_source=manual
- Sign up for the LinkedIn Workshop: joshchernikoff.com/linkedin
- Social:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff/
- Instagram: @joshuadcdc
- Instantly affiliate link: https://instantly.ai/
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, host Josh Chernikoff is joined by guest Rose Hastreiter to discuss breaking free from traditional goal setting. They explore the difference between goal setting and achieving goals, the importance of designing the experience of success, and the power of the past tense in goal setting. Rose shares actionable tips for goal setting and achievement, including writing down the desired experience, separating task-focused time from people's time, and breaking tasks down into smaller actions. They also discuss the power of LinkedIn for lead generation and announce an upcoming LinkedIn workshop.
Takeaways:
- Discover the insanely simple 3 step method to setting goals that stick… and that transform your life or business!
- Learn why most goal-setting fails and what to do instead.
- Get the inside scoop into what my goals for this year and how I’m going to achieve it.
- Learn how to build a vision-to-action path and get your team aligned with it!
- And hear more about setting powerful lead generation goals to grow your business with more ease!
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Breaking Free from Traditional Goal-Setting
04:20 Guest Introduction: Rose and Her Background
05:32 The Difference Between Goal Setting and Achieving Goals
07:15 Making the Goal Experience Real for Your Brain
09:19 Using the Power of the Past Tense in Goal Setting
11:09 Designing the Future State and Working Backwards
13:41 Actionable Tips for Goal Setting and Achievement
18:32 Transition to Commercial Break
19:00 Lead Generation and the Power of LinkedIn
25:13 LinkedIn Workshop Announcement
28:45 Rose's LinkedIn Journey and Transformation
31:03 Using LinkedIn for Lead Generation
33:09 Conclusion and Closing Remarks
Notes:
Join our Community: https://edsaleselevation.mn.co/share/1QFYMSMHyPbzxbF0?utm_source=manual
- Sign up for the LinkedIn Workshop: joshchernikoff.com/linkedin
- Social:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff/
- Instagram: @joshuadcdc
Sher Downing has been a successful business owner for over 20 years. She’s become the go-to in the ed-tech space and also hosts her own podcast, “Ed-tech Speaks”. But Sher told us that she never discounts her own humble beginnings as an employee of a music store that really prepared her to climb the ladder in her own career. We were lucky to have Sher join us in this episode as she tells us all about risk-taking, building relationships, and the soundtrack that got her there.
Don’t Stop Believing
At first glance, it might be hard to conceive how experience as a customer service worker at a mom-and-pop music store would have set one up for success as a leader in the ed-tech industry. But Sher told us that it’s a no-brainer. In the 80’s, the music store hosted a variety of diverse customers, as it was the only place to buy or rent instruments and the music to accompany them. From reverends to rock stars, Sher had to know her customer, their needs and their preferences. She learned how doing your homework deepened relationships, and brought paying customers back again and again. This skill set her up for success in her own business, later on down the road.
Anyway You Want It: Distance Education in the 90sSher told us that she had a high school teacher who was great with the kinds of kids who didn’t follow a straight path. He once told her, “You always manage to be driven toward a messy situation and you always make it work. Keep doing that. It will make a difference as you go forward.” It was this advice that stayed with Sher as she entered her career in ed-tech before the internet was a thought, much less what it is today.
Sher told us that EdTech in the 90’s was referred to as, “Distance Education” as it basically consisted of mailing exams through the postal system. Enter, the internet and everything changed. People started talking about how they could use it for educational purposes. “ I was in the right place in the right time,” Sher says, “I grew up with all the big tech available now but they were Betas and Version 1. We were a trial space and helped them learn and grow. We were just at the beginning.” Sher told us that students would go to campus for online classes because they didn’t have access to the internet at home. Seeing how far we’ve come is so exciting to Sher. The more online ed and ed-tech grew, the more she saw it as a problem to be solved. There’s always something to be challenged by which is exactly what she loves about it. Looks like her teacher was right after all.
After All These Years: Consulting Advice
Sher told us that ed-tech was a hard sell at first, considering how traditional education is and cares to remain. She describes how she used the perfect storm of a dangling carrot and a good amount of risk taking to get the ball rolling. Now, she helps others do the same. The core of what she does and encourages others to do is simple, yet effective: focus on relationship building. “Really look at what’s coming,” Sher says, in order to develop connections. This is where her background in research at the music store comes in handy. Sher is continuously reading and researching about the needs of her audience and new developments in the industry. She always has her finger on the ed-tech pulse. “Safe space doesn’t move, risk spaces move,” according to Sher. In order to feel confident in the risk-taking, you have to do your homework.
If you want to hear more about Sher’s background in ed-tech such as her experience as a Beta for the first developed LMS Blackboard, advice on how to navigate strategy and relationship development, and other stories of her journey to the top, listen to the full episode.
A fantastic time spent talking with Erin Dowd and how she found her true calling in life! Erin comes from a family of educators, and she always looked up to her father and grandfather as mentors. They were more than just mentors; they were the key to unlocking her true potential. Erin's father, a master storyteller, weaved enchanting tales that made learning fun and relatable.
And let's not forget her mother's father, a true champion of education and a trailblazer during the challenging times of segregation. He was all about building bridges, pushing boundaries, and doing things in the classroom that no other teachers were doing. With the seeds of curiosity planted early in Erin's life, she discovered a passion for education and ignited her own passion for making a difference in the lives of students.
What Makes a Great Teacher?
Every student has their own unique take on teachers - some are unforgettable, while others fade away like yesterday's homework. A great teacher can work some real magic. They're like undercover superstars, sussing out what each child needs and who they are, so they can meet each individual right where they are and ignite their personal passions.
Throughout the years that Erin spent doing what she loved most, it became more and more apparent that the education system was becoming toxic. Erin goes on to explain how educators are constantly training, spending excessive time and money getting master’s degrees, and jumping through certification hoops like circus performers.
Eventually, she hit her breaking point and chose to take a few years off to recover.
During her time away from the school system, she dove into many hobbies and side hustles while traveling to places like Turkey, India, Honduras, and more. She let herself explore and considered being a travel writer, even setting up a blog while living it up in Thailand.
For as long as she can remember, Susan Gold has been the “kid whisperer.” She just gets kids and they get that she gets them. A match made in heaven, especially since she founded her school in 2010.
But - that didn’t mean that Susan’s peers in school got her. In fact, her middle school years were packed with bad days and bullying.
By listening to our show about this excellent educator and even better person, you’ll learn about:
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How Susan made it through those tough years and then absolutely had a confidence-building four years in high school and beyond;
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How her success continued in college, grad school, and as a teacher by joining committees and organizations to support young people;
-
How and why Susan decided to start Feynman School outside of Washington, DC - and - how today this school is changing students' lives one subject at a time.
Breakers band together as we talk to this educator and entrepreneur, Susan Gold.
Sher Downing has been a successful business owner for over 20 years. She’s become the go-to in the ed tech space and also hosts her own podcast, “Ed-tech Speaks”. But Sher told us that she never discounts her own humble beginnings as an employee of a music store that really prepared her to climb the ladder in her own career. We were lucky to have Sher join us in this episode as she tells us all about risk taking, building relationships and the soundtrack that got her there.
A high-powered personality in the fashion industry decides she wants to move into the education space. And she is successful in her first attempt to create a beautiful space for parents to work and children to learn. But, what happens when our education entrepreneur - Keltse Bilbao - decides she wants to take her concept from California to New York and beyond. In this episode of Breaking the Grade, you will learn:
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How Keltse went from fashion to families and created a super sleek and successful daycare plus co-working space for parents – Big and Tiny – in Santa Monica, California;
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How her first East coast location is doing – and how she has created demand and a waiting list for the new location;
-
And why this education entrepreneur – from the fashion world – thinks she can redefine how daycare is managed (and maybe even take on the big players at Bright Horizons).
Breakers band together and be attentive as Keltse Bilbao dishes on her journey of breakage and brilliance!
Eric Nelson has made a habit out of turning setbacks into silver linings. Having grown up in a family of educators, Eric was taught early on to prioritize how to, “learn like a champion”. This lesson served him well as he faced his own hurdles personally and professionally that led to the development of Fanschool; the platform that promotes trust, connection, and growth between students, parents, and community members revolving around students’ published work.
EPIC FAILS
There is much to learn from failure. Eric’s first lessons came from being too over-zealous about a project in speech class that ultimately led to one of his first-ever failures in school- all because he didn’t follow the rules and broke the time requirement by two minutes. It was a hard lesson to learn. His next lesson in failure was getting cut from his High School basketball team, after sitting on the bench for the majority of his freshman year. Eric talked to us about how difficult it was to go for something you loved and just not be good enough. He took these lessons and decided that it was necessary for him to write his own story; and perhaps, he could assist others in writing theirs as well.
As a teacher.
What Are We Doing Here?
After graduating with a master's, Eric told us that he found himself employed at one of the first charter schools in the nation, during a time of transition; for the school and himself. He showed up on the first day of his 9th-grade Civics class, not knowing that neither a 9th-grade class or a Civics class had ever been taught yet in the school. No curriculum was developed. No lesson plans to follow. He was on his own. The seeds of Fanschool had already been planted, but what happened next really made them grow.
Eric told our listeners that one of the most influential events he lived through as an educator was the loss of a ninth-grade student to death by suicide. He was surprised to have a full class the following day, including the girl’s best friend. “What do I say in front of this class?” He wondered. He found a song he felt would be fitting and played it for the class. He knew he needed to acknowledge the loss, and then provide them with an outlet to engage in projects and activities.
It made him ask the question,
“What are we doing here?”
How are parents and teachers alike able to provide a safe space for kids to build trust, connect, and grow? The research shows that everyone's lives are enriched when kids are able to play. He knew he needed a way to get students out of the news and encourage them to write their own stories just like he wrote his.
FanSchool was born.
FANSCHOOL
Fanschool is a safe and engaging student publishing platform that encourages students to own their own learning and verified adults to celebrate it. “ We’re not trying to break the grade,” Eric says,” We’re not trying to be disruptive. We want to activate, celebrate and elevate student work.” Teachers have known for decades that, “student folders are where good work goes to die.” Eric wants to encourage students that whatever they’re working on, publishing will only make it go, “up”. The ability to connect and to grow in their publishing reinforces the social-emotional learning element of who you become is just as important as what you achieve. Fanschool makes it all come together.
If you want to hear more inspirational stories and practical steps on how Eric used his experience as a teacher to build a wildly successful platform like Fanschool, listen to the full episode.
Alberto Rossi always dreamed of being an airplane pilot or even an astronaut. A boy can dream all he wants, but this was a tall order for a young man who couldn’t even drive due to visual impairment.
But Rossi, the son of parents from Italy and the Canary Islands, never saw a challenge or an opportunity in life that he didn’t want to drink up and dominate.
By listening to our show today, you'll learn:
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How Rossi turned growing up isolated in the Canary Islands as a chance to explore languages and live an international life;
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How Rossi saw a chance to work for an international hotel chain as his opportunity to travel the world – even if he wasn’t the one piloting the planes he was on.
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And why that very optimistic way of seeing life - despite his visual impairment - helped him open his mind further and attract fulfilling jobs - like his current one at IMT Lazarus;
Breakers band together and be ready to see, smile, and maybe shed a tear with Alberto Rossi.
Lisa Friedlander is that family member, friend, colleague, and mentor that we all want in our lives. She is strong, smart, and super driven, and that has been evident throughout her personal and professional life.
But, sharing all of these essential qualities with other people has come at a cost at times for Lisa because she has not always put herself first.
By listening to our show today about Lisa, you will learn about the following:
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How her daughter was born at 1.5 pounds, the struggle for her family, and how she turned that crisis into an opportunity at Children’s Hospital in Washington, DC;
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Why she decided to become an entrepreneur and start a company with her best friend (and the many lessons she learned from that adventure);
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And hear what Lisa is up to at her exciting job at NEXT where she is able to be a friend, mentor, legal advisor, and ass-kicker to start-ups looking for sound leagal advice.
Breakers band together and be prepared to make a friend as we listen to Lisa’s bruises and brilliance.
Oliver Knott excelled in school from childhood through university. No surprise there because Knott was lucky enough to attend one of the UK’s prestigious grammar schools, which set him on a path to success.
But – his brother, who did not attend the same school and struggled as a student, had a very different educational experience growing up. UNTIL – he was diagnosed with dyslexia which changed his life. And – Oliver’s life too. Dramatically.
By listening to our show today about this champion for dyslexic people - including his brother - you’ll learn about:
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How Knott used his schooling and his brother’s schooling to shape his early career and drives him every day at International Dyslexia Learning Solutions;
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Why Knott returned to the more financially depressed part of the UK where he grew up - the NW part - and how he plans to make a difference in his hometown;
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And how working at a supermarket after college for five years gave Knott experiences that taught him a lifetime of lessons about the inequality facing people today.
Breakers band together as we talk to a champion of all people – especially dyslexic people – Oliver Knott.
Brian Zapf has always been good at math. And the strategic CFO has taken those number skills from his start at a community bank to investment banking, to M+A advising, and his strategic CFO business today.
But – it wasn’t until an accounting course at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University that Zapf fully grasped how financial statements for a business tell an important story that any business owner needs to know.
By listening to our show today about this math man who has created over $1 billion in value for his 100-plus clients over his career, you’ll learn about:
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How Zapf went from an Econ/Poli Sci major at the University of Michigan to work at a bakery to starting his current company Flight Financial;
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How working for multiple companies across multiple industries has led Zapf to become a seasoned strategic accounting advisor to his clients in the education space;
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And what Zapf learned from failing his first accounting class in college and a failed partnership with his best buddies.
Breakers band together as we talk to a man who is right on the money with his knowledge and caring personality – Brian Zapf.
Growing up in California in the 1970's, Mike Lawrence was surrounded by technology. He was a fan of Jobs, Woz, and Apple before they had fans around the world. His love for tech was just a hobby - at first - and once he got older, he stayed in Cali and became an English teacher.
But -- Mr. Lawrence - as the cool kids called him in English class - quickly learned that tech - specifically helping teachers with tech - would be his path and passion.
By listening to our show today, you'll learn:
- What organization this Apple Distinguished Educator is leading today, and how is he well on his way to creating another engaged community passionate about tech in the classroom.
- Why California was (and still is) the perfect place for ed tech and enables Mike to do his magic in the classroom;
- And - you’ll hear stories Mike and Steve Jobs - and - how he channels Ted Lasso when leading teams today.
Breakers band together and be ready to learn from this brilliant educator Mike Lawrence.
Teacher in the OC
- English, wrote curriculums
- Workshops for teachers with unboxing
CUE.org
- 13 years
- Rockstar teacher camps
- Impact CA and NV
- 2k to 8k for conference
Go to Google
- Want to get into K12
- Give them a list of options
- Google Certified Innovator Program
- Leverage Apple learning for Google
Power Up
- Lead customer advocacy program
- Started Council on Educational Innovation
Cali all the way
- Worked at Disney
- Sister been there 30 years
Apple all the way
- 1981 Jobs rolls out initiative where each kid gets an Apple
- Bought one for himself too
- Why Apple? Adapts to human side
- Mental bicycle
- Know Jobs?
Ted Lasso, not Jobs
- positive work environment
- Vulnerability
- How does Lasso translate to the classroom
Music Man
- Greatest Showman
Jamf (Present)
- Jamf's Purpose: Empower people with technology that puts humans first
- Mission: Help organizations succeed with Apple
- Values: Selflessness, Relentless Self Improvement
Virtual Reality allows learners to experience an immersive environment where they can play, engage, and explore with real-time feedback.
In this episode of Breaking The Grade, we will have an exciting and grade-breaking discussion with Malcolm Lee, CEO and Founder of Gabb Global, on games and VR tech in language learning.
He will share with us:
- How to take advantage of current technologies available to build a company that will uplift education quality and provide innovative solutions;
- The importance of bringing accessibility to language learners, building their confidence and how the immersiveness of VR, and how engagement from games can create accelerated learning;
- His experience in startups and how it helped him launch his very own company;
- And much more!
If you are ready to learn and discover the power of learning through innovative solutions and zero in on the spots that need breakage and rebuilding in the education space, hit play and listen along!
Malcolm Lee is a neuroscience graduate from George Mason University. He has a wide range of background in business, research, and technology start ups. And his work experience includes project management, business development, biological research, and language learning in the classroom setting.
In 2017, he built and founded Gabb Global to break language learning barriers. His company is on a mission to use the power of VR technologies to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of immersive language learning experiences so they can eliminate the language barrier and create a more equitable world.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malcolm-lee-0349a718a/Website: https://www.gabbglobal.com/
With the rise of disinformation and biased media and content, how can we raise a generation that can sift through and process information in a healthy way?
Join us with Daniel Stedman. Founder and CEO of Pressto. And let’s dive into
The importance of learning how we can break the manipulations of social media and what it means for the future generation
Including media literacy in every writing curriculum
Understanding the different types of media and the message they are sending, and its importance to the media YOU create
Are you ready to rethink how we consume media, zeroing in on the spots that need breakage and rebuilding? Then hit play and listen along today.
Every child should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential regardless of their uniqueness with their own path. But what happens if neurodivergent children's only option to learn is the same as the norm - a thing that is working against them?
Join us with Dr. Celest Austin. Founder and CEO of GoManda. And let's address this and dive into:
- How the trajectory of her life changed because of the influence of her sister, Amanda;
- The current situation of the learning landscape for autistic people and neurodivergent learners and the importance of empowering them;
- How she overcame the challenges in running and launching her company GoManda;
- And many more!
Listen along and be in the know on how Dr. Celest Austin is zeroing in on the spots that need breakage and rebuilding in the education space.
More about our Guest:
Celest Austin's appreciation and interest in her sister Amanda’s understanding of the world and way of thinking had led her to study more about autism and its uniqueness. She pursued a dual degree M.D. and Ph.D. from University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio and graduated in 2016 with her thesis focused on the neurophysiology of autism.
Wanting to take action immediately for her sister and the people in the autism community, she walked away from further medical training and finally founded and established GoManda! The company’s name is a homage to moments of celebration when Amanda is being cheered by their whole family, chanting “GoManda! GoManda!”
GoManda is dedicated to empowering autistic children by helping them accept, nurture, and cheer for their strengths. To uphold the vision of the company, Dr. Celest participates in all aspects of its business development.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celestaustin/
Website: https://www.gomanda.com/
In the era of advanced technology and rapid change, what is the role of the leaders in the education space in responding to the challenges it entails?
The Breaking the Grade crew, had the opportunity to have a conversation with Dr. Quintin Shepherd to talk leadership as a Superintendent and his new book “The Secret to Transformational Leadership.”
Breaking the Grade is produced by Cascade Communications.
Follow us online:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel
Follow us for more updates: Cascade's Facebook
College students invest thousands of dollars in their education and the other things that come with it, not to mention the time and energy they put into providing for themselves only to come out making less than $35K a year.
In this episode of Breaking The Grade, we will be joined by Nancy Soni, CEO, and Founder of PathMatch in discussing:
The realities freshly graduated students are facing today
The disconnect between the skills employers need and the current skills of the graduates and how this gap can be closed and more
Listen along and be in the know on how Nancy Soni is zeroing in on the spots that need breakage and rebuilding in the education space.
Breaking the Grade is produced by Cascade Communications.
Follow us online:
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel
Follow us for more updates: Cascade's Facebook
Our students deserve to know they belong. But equality isn’t always placed as the priority it deserves to be.
Alexa Escobedo discovered this as she was teaching elementary, and immediately switched gears to create an impact.
- She knew she could affect far more than her group of 35.
- She moved out of the classroom and into larger education organizations.
- She put her effort toward expanding student equality every single day.
Join us now to hear what Alexa has to say about the current teaching climate, equality in schools, and how we can make a difference alongside her hard work.
**ABOUT THE GUEST
Alexa Escobedo spent 10 years working in elementary education before following a larger-scale dream to support all students through difference-making national organizations.
She found herself working in areas that didn’t prioritize equality in schools. She’d cover topics in current events that she knew were being ignored at home. After all, there’s nothing wrong with teaching kids to have an open mind — especially when you know it may be the only place they’re hearing that every one of them belongs.
Still, Alexa knew her work with equality had the potential to reach far beyond her class of 35. She moved into a marketing role with the Institute for Education Innovation to spread the word across the country.
Today, Alexa is taking on a new role with the Center for Transformative Teacher Training where she will continue to make a widespread impact on equality in our schools.**
We know social-emotional learning is essential. But we haven’t all figured out how to teach it effectively.
Nicole Lipkin, Clinical Psychologist and founder of HeyKiddo, is breaking traditional methods with her unique curriculum. Join us today as she shares:
- Why social, emotional, and leadership skills are so important for kids in current times.
- Why typical SEL isn’t as effective as we’d hoped.
- How teachers can make an impact in the social and emotional lives of students.
After all, the future of the world is in our students' hands. Let's give them the skills they need to handle it with care.
**ABOUT THE GUEST
Nicole Lipkin started her career with an undergraduate in Psychology and Dance, and later added on a degree in executive coaching, her MBA, and her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. She has founded and currently runs two companies — one of which falls in the education space.**
HeyKiddo! Gives parents and teachers everything they need to teach social, emotional, and leadership skills both at home and in the classroom. The curriculum was created by a team of psychologists, educators, and parents for top-level trust. The school-based version is a no-prep curriculum that can make a measurable impact in virtual, hybrid, and in-person classrooms in just 125 minutes each day.
Nicole is also the owner and founder of Equilibria Psychological and Consulting Services and proud author of “What Keeps Leaders Up At Night” and co-author of “Y in the Workplace: Managing the ‘Me First’ Generation.” She’s a Forbes.com contributor and has been featured on NPR, NBC, CBS, and more.
Schools are at the forefront of learning, but they don’t always feel up to par. Kevin Chavous is an education activist, lawyer, author, and podcast host with innovative ideas on how to fix this.
Join us to hear how:
- The education system is breaking, but we as a culture can build it back better.
- Education isn’t an end-goal, but a lifelong process.
- Virtual learning will change not only classrooms, but education and society.
Are you ready to rethink the American education system, zeroing in on the spots that need breakage and rebuilding? Then hit play and listen along today.
ABOUT THE GUEST
Kevin Chavous started his career with an undergraduate degree from Wabash College and a law degree from Howard University School of Law. His college accomplishments included being named NCAA District All American for Basketball and President of his class in law school.
Chavous spent years working for the largest law firm in the United States and published six books — three education nonfictions and a series of political thrillers.
And the experience we’re here to cover today — Chavous’ education background. He has spent his entire career increasing the quality of nearby schools. He has served as Education Committee Chair for the Council of the District of Columbia, founder of Democrats for Education Reform, owner of The Chavous Group, and current President of Stride, Inc.
Some of Chavous’ most notable education achievements include being inducted into the Washington DC Hall of Fame and playing a key role in charter school transformation across the country.
Kevin Chavous is highly skilled in several areas, but he’s chosen to commit his talents to break and rebuild American education. And we can’t wait to hear all about this important work today.
In the first episode of Breaking the Grade, we interview our very own John Gamba, Entrepreneur in Residence & Director of Innovative Programs at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.
Join us as we dive in to see the grade-breaking changes and initiatives that John is actively pursuing and what else can listeners expect in the next episodes of BTG.
Breaking the Grade is a thought-provoking podcast that follows entrepreneurs as they transform learning and advance equity and impact in the global education space. Tune in for stories about breaking norms, introducing new ideas, and shaping our future through every lesson learned.
Breaking the Grade hosts Josh Chernikoff and John Gamba have been education entrepreneurs for most of their professional lives. They’ve witnessed firsthand how positive change and creative thinking can impact this space. They’ve coached other companies on their entrepreneurial journeys. . . Now it’s time to lift others up by letting more stories out.
The future of the world’s classroom is falling into our hands. How can we help shape the next generation to learn more and live better than we do today?
This type of change won’t come from repetition. We need to BREAK the education industry if we want its EVOLUTION to take place.
That's why we’re working to Break the Grade.