That's When I Knew, The Podcast: Recent Episodes
Robert Crayton
That’s When I Knew The Podcast is focused on bridging the personal and professional in the technology sales profession. I invite guests from the entire sales ecosystem including sales managers, sales recruiters, executive leaders, buyers, and more to join me on the podcast to discuss an array of topics, while keeping it real and having fun! Come along the ride with my guests and I, as we discuss how our upbringings affect our career journey, the ups and downs of building a career, career building tips, and more!
On episode 31 of That's When I Knew, I'm joined by sales comp guru and chief of staff at Quotapath, Graham Collins. Here's what we covered:
💡 Graham's upbringing in Mane
💡 Going into business/sales being controversial from his perspective since his parents were both in the medical field
💡 The pros and cons of having "privilege", personally and professionally
💡 Transitioning from an individual contributor to people leader
💡 Being entrepreneurial minded
💡 Advice for sales people when it comes to understanding and maximizing variable compensation
💡 How sales leaders should think about comp structure: standardized and simplify
how the lack of standardization in comp planning disproportionately affects sellers from underrepresented backgrounds
💰 Paid me or Played me #GameTime
Thanks to our Sponsor, Jobski.io
As a front line seller (AE, AM, CSM), your reputation is your greatest asset. Jobski is building the first career management platform built specifically for tech sales professionals.
Jobski is currently in private beta and has extended a special invite to listeners of the TWIK Podcast. Head over to Jobski.io today to apply for your private beta account!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
On episode 30 of That's When I Knew, I'm joined by an up and coming leader in the tech sales space and current Account Executive at Evenbound, Nate Silvey. Here's what we covered:
💡 Growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and being brought up under opposite sides of the socio economic spectrum
💡 Nate's personal journey into tech sales and the transition from account management into net new sales
💡 Advice for account executives to have better working relationships with their postsales counterparts (and vice versa)
💡 Things account executives should do to increase their professional stock
💡 Work life balance and mental health in tech sales
💡 Nate's approach to building his personal brand on Linkedin and tips for other reps looking to do the same
Thanks to our Sponsor, Jobski.io
As a front line seller (AE, AM, CSM), your reputation is your greatest asset. Jobski is building the first career management platform built specifically for us.
Jobski is currently in private beta and has extended a special invite to listeners of the TWIK Podcast. Head over to Jobski.io today to apply for your private beta account!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
On episode 29 of That's When I Knew, Co-Founder & CMO of B3 Media Solutions, Barika Phillips Bell, shares the gems she's acquired on her journey to entrepreneurship in the social media and data analytics space. Here's what we covered:
💡 Barika's upbringing in Dallas and early career aspirations
💡 Barika embarking in the world of social media business early on with Amp Mobile & Myspace, and witnessing the industry mature firsthand
💡 Parlaying client relationships into career opportunities and ultimately founding B3 Media Solutions
💡 Working for a small business before starting your own
💡 Reflecting on past accomplishments to build confidence
💡 Successful sales is about "making your customers look good"
💡 Using social media to maintain/build relationships with prospective customers & how social media can be used to drive business for individual sellers and teams
Thanks to our Sponsor, Jobski.ioAs a front line seller (AE, AM, CSM), your reputation is your greatest asset. Jobski is building the first career management platform built specifically for us.
Jobski is currently in private beta and has extended a special invite to listeners of the TWIK Podcast. Head over to Jobski.io today to apply for your private beta account!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
On episode 28 of That's When I Knew, Meshell Baker joined the show to put the spirt in sales. Here's what we discussed:
- Growing up in Oakland CA to blue collar parents 👔
- The emotional and spiritual tole of being a seller/business owner 😩
- Meshell's personal path into sales and how the HBCU, Howard, prepared her for entering the corporate America ✊🏾
- Maintaining confidence as a female/BIPOC seller + overcoming imposter syndrome 💪🏾
- The true meaning of confidence 💡
- The gift of clarity & The Golden Rule versus The Platinum Rule 🎁
-How to "learn" your prospects and sell them in a way they can receive your solution and other tactical sales advice 📝 - ConfienceBOOST the Game 🏆
Mentioned in the show
- Discount link to purchase Heels to deals
-Atomic habits for time management
- Get in touch with Meshell via email hello@meshellbaker.com or social media @meshellrbaker
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
On episode 27 of That's When I Knew, Galem Girmay join the show to talk about:
- Humble beginnings, growing up in foster care, and how her early childhood experiences helped her developed a strong work ethic and drive 🙌🏾
- How adversity builds character 💪🏾
- Applying learned lessons in life, to your sales profession 💡
- Being mindful of the influences and peer pressures that are prevalent in your profession🙅🏾♀️
- Galem's path into sales and ultimately making the transition into revenue enablement🔑
- Inspiration for starting the "What Is Your Legacy" podcast ❤️
- The "What Is Your Legacy" GAME #GameTime 😈
Mentioned in the show
- What Is Your Legacy Podcast, by Galem Girmay
- Sales Enablement 3.0: The Blueprint to Sales Enablement Excellence by Roderick Jefferson
- Sales4theCulture
- Galem on Linkedin
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
On episode 26 of That's When I Knew, Justin Solis and I chopped up around the following:
- Growing up around constant change and experiencing opposite ends of socio-economic spectrum at an early age ↔️
- Justin's personal path into tech sales, the moment that he knew he deserved a seat at the tech sales table, as well as the moment he realized the sales industry needed him 💡
- The value of opportunity as it relates to building a career 🙏🏾
- Being a black seller in 2021 ✊🏾
- Justin's top two tips for job seekers when it comes to compensation negotiations 💰
- Side hustles, entrepreneurship, crypto mining, and Blue Blaze Partners ⛏
- Would You Rather #GameTime 🤔
Mentioned in the show
Blue Blaze Investments
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
Morgan Thomas Hall, joined me on episode 25 of That’s When I Knew. Tune in as we talk about:
- When she came to the conclusion she was no longer passionate about law 👩🏾⚖️
- Why sellers would actually make great lawyers and the parallels between the two careers 🏷 ↔️ ⚖️
- Making the transition from law to tech sales and the lessons learned along the way🙌🏾
- Morgan's Key for being successful in tech sales 🔑
- How Morgan's identity as a black woman has impacted her career and why companies should be proactive with recruiting diverse talent ✊🏾
- Redflags 🚩 vs Greenflags✅ (#GameTime)
Mentioned in the show
- Sales4theculture is an online community for black sellers to network, seek mentorship, find jobs, and much more - salesfortheculture.com
- Sistas In Sales is a global community for women of color in sales, if you identify check them out! Sistasinsales.com
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
On this episode of That's When I Knew The Podcast, Robert shares his top 10 keys 🔑 for success in tech sales.
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
15 year enterprise sales veteran, Salman Mohiuddin, joins That’s When I Knew for a casual chat around:
- Growing up in Fort McMurray and Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦
- How his spiritual faith has guided him professionally 🙏🏾
- Starting his sales career at the age of 14 😳
- Salman's "That's When I Knew" moment 💡
- Tips for people interested in pursuing a career in tech sales ✅
- Preparing for the jump from mid market to Enterprise AE ↗️
- Staying true to yourself ✊🏾
- His personal branding journey on Linkedin 😎
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
After an extended break, TWIK Podcast founder & host Robert Crayton, returns with a re-introduction to That's When I Knew, The Podcast. Some of the topics touched on this episode are:
- The what & why behind the podcast 💡
- Target audience for the podcast 🎧
- What's to come with TWIK 🔜
If you've enjoyed this episode, please let me know by leaving a comment, leaving a like, and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform!
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
Founder of the Black History & Culture Academy and co-host of The EdUp Experience podcast, Elizabeth Leiba, joins That’s When I Knew for a casual chat around:
- Inspiration for creating the Black History and Culture Academy
- Black history in our public education systems
- Importance of representation and inclusion in higher education
- Being told to pull yourself up by the bootstrap when you have on flip-flops, and they not even letting you in the boot-store to buy the boots!
- Liz's UK, Caribain, and Floridian background
- Social media as a platform to elevate issues happening around the world
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date!
Referenced in the show
- Black History & Culture Academy
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
- twikpodcast@gmail.com
Director of Collegiate Sales at Teamworks, Larry Long Jr., joins us on That’s When I Knew to share the wealth of knowledge and wisdom he's acquired throughout his career journey. Some of the things we touch on are:
- It's not what you know, and it's not even who you know, it's who knows & trust YOU
- The meaning behind E.P.I.C. & F.I.D.O.
- Crediting his father for his desire to be intentional about positivity
- His experience as a collegiate baseball player and his ultimate path into sales
- His goal to positively impact 1,000 people in 2021
- Becoming an impactful sales leader
-
MidweekMiddayMotivationalMinute on LinkedIn
- The fact that you can't be what you can't see, and how Sales4TheCulture is doing the work to show black professionals the possibilities within careers in sales
- Wisdom, wisdom, & more wisdom!
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date!
Sponsorship
- If you are interested in being a TWIK podcast sponsor, you can get in touch with us at twikpodcast@gmail.com
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
- twikpodcast@gmail.com
People & Communities Communications Manager at Cisco, Guerlyne Guercy, joins us on That’s When I Knew to discuss:
- Growing up in New York and her initial dreams of pursuing a medical career
- How your career is a series of opportunities and decisions
- Her journey into sales and account management
- Taking it upon herself to develop as a professional & the value of education
- Being a culture-add, rather than a culture-fit
- How our professional career is actually deeply personal
- Navigating grief and life's many perceived losses (book coming soon!)
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date!
Sponsorship
- If you are interested in being a TWIK podcast sponsor, you can get in touch with us at twikpodcast@gmail.com
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
- twikpodcast@gmail.com
Founder & CTO of Blackfacts.com, Ken Granderson, joins us on That’s When I Knew for a casual chat around:
- Growing up in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn New York in the 70s/80s and not seeing many white-collar jobs
- Getting into MIT and discovering a passion for computer science/technology at an early age
- The inspiration behind starting Blackfacts.com, the first online encyclopedia for black history, and how they are building the technological infrastructure to capture information about black people wherever it's coming from and deliver it back in an organized and effective way
- Advice to younger black professionals: "controlling the narrative", "chasing your passion not money", "doing work to push the culture forward" and several other gems from Ken's 25 year+ career journey
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date!
Sponsorship
- If you are interested in being a TWIK podcast sponsor, you can get in touch with us at twikpodcast@gmail.com
Referenced in the show
- You can connect with Ken directly on social: Linkedin / Personal Website
- BlackFacts.com
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
- twikpodcast@gmail.com
Head of series social at Amazon, Ken Gibbs Jr., joins That’s When I Knew for a casual chat around:
- Growing up in Mattapan MA and rising above his surroundings
- His path to becoming a social media marketing leader at Amazon
- Responsibilities of digital and social media marketing professionals
- Social media trends (i.e. #clubhouse)
- Why black media/content is so influential + cosmetic activism during civil unrest
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date!
Sponsorship
- If you are interested in sponsoring a TWIK podcast episode, you can get in touch with us at twikpodcast@gmail.com
Referenced in the show
- You can connect with Kenn directly on social: Linkedin / Twitter
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
- twikpodcast@gmail.com
CEO of I AM Film Studios, Imani Mitchell, joins That’s When I Knew for a casual chat around:
- Finding her passion for theater/acting at an early age and continuing to pursue her passion
- Her inspiration for creating I AM Film Studios & the release of her first feature film, Whirpool (register for the virtual premiere, Jan 16th 2021)
- Managing ambition and opportunities by staying in your lane
- Advice to other creators that are pursuing their passion while also working in a 9-5
- The importance of seeking out likeminded people when pursuing your passion
- Being a working mother during this COVID era
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date!
Sponsorship
- If you are interested in sponsoring a TWIK podcast episode, you can get in touch with us at twikpodcast@gmail.com
Referenced in the show
- You can learn more about Imani & IAM Film Studios by visiting www.imanimitchell.com
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
- twikpodcast@gmail.com
CEO and Founder of Colorstack, Jehron Petty, joins That’s When I Knew for a casual chat around:
- The impact that his Caribbean heritage and community had on him early on in his life
- How family gave him the resources and confidence to follow his desires
- The concept of "lifting as you climb"
- Why computer science literacy should be required as early as middle school, and how studying CS changes your approach to problem-solving
- Red flags to look out for when evaluating a mentor
- His inspiration for starting ColorStack and how we can all support!
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date!
Sponsor
- Triplebtye: If you’re a software engineer, go to www.triplebyte.com to take a quiz and level up faster!
Referenced in the show
- If you're a student and interested in joining Colorstack, visit www.colorstack.org/apply; for non-students interested in getting involved, follow @Colorstackorg on Twitter & Instagram for updates
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
- twikpodcast@gmail.com
Web Engineer at Dumpling, Emeke Nkadi, joins That’s When I Knew for a casual chat around:
- The benefits of working at a startup vs an enterprise company
- The connection between software development and literature
- Thoughts on how to expose youth from underrepresented backgrounds to computer science
- Lessons learned from being terminated during a pandemic
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to stay up to date!
Sponsor
- Triplebtye: If you’re a software engineer, go to www.triplebyte.com to take a quiz and level up faster!
Referenced in the show
- The Vera Project
- @emeke.exe
Get in touch
- www.twikpodcast.com
- twikpodcast@gmail.com
Ademusoyo "Soyo" Awosika-Olumo, Sr. Software Engineer from Mailchimp, chats with us about what it REALLY means to be a senior software engineer. Soyo also talks about how she learned to accept being unique early on in her life and how she turned her uniqueness into her superpower, the value she received from getting a degree in computer engineering, tips for managing your career, and of course, her #ThatsWhenIKnewMoments. https://www.blog.ademusoyo.com/about/
This episode is brought to you by Triplebyte. If you are a software engineer looking to showcase your skills and get hired at top tech companies, take a background blind quiz and create a profile at www.triplebyte.com
As you build the career of your dreams, you will face setbacks and get mostly "No's", but you only need one "Yes". Darnele shares her inspiring journey that started in Haiti and led her to IBM as a Software Engineer. Tune in to hear how she stayed true to herself through adversity, held on to her dreams, and built a new life as well as a meaningful career in the states.
This episode is brought to you by Triplebyte. If you are a software engineer looking to showcase your skills and get hired at top tech companies, take a background blind quiz and create a profile at www.triplebyte.com
A common misconception when it comes to software engineering is that you need a degree in computer science to land a job as a software engineer; Stuart suggests that this isn't necessarily the case!
Stuart also shares his personal career journey into tech, how someone took a chance on him early on, and how his upbringing led him to where he is today.
This episode is brought to you by Triplebyte. If you are a software engineer looking to showcase your skills and get hired at top tech companies, take a background blind quiz and create a profile at www.triplebyte.com
With all the uncertainty in today's job market, one thing is clear- it's not a bad idea to take a step back to better understand what you bring and what you want to take from the table.
We’re joined by Randa Atkins, a San Francisco native and multi-talented professional with experience in both education and tech verticals. She currently works as a recruiter at Triplebyte and shares how she became interested in working in the tech industry as a recruiter as well as offers great advice for job seekers in this COVID economy (p.s. it's not what you'd expect to hear!)
Are you are a software engineer looking to showcase your skills and get hired by top tech companies? Take a background blind quiz and create a profile at www.triplebyte.com
With Veterans Day just around the corner, we're excited & honored to be joined by Charles Gunn! Charles shares his experience being a military kid and how ultimately joining the army after graduating high school served as a valuable stepping stone and influenced his career in Human Resources.
Charles implores us to “lean into things that make you feel uncomfortable”, “don’t be afraid to take a break from your career to pursue a passion”, and to “remember, when one door closes you’re just being redirected to something bigger and better”!
Sometimes we'll set plans and goals for our professional lives, but things don't always go as we intended them to. Chez Jennings joins TWIK to reflect on her upbringing and takes us on her journey of self-realization where she learned it's ok to pivot.
Are cover letters still a thing? Do recruiters even read resumes? Is a degree necessary? ! In this episode, Chez also gives job search tips from the insider perspective of a technical recruiter.
Diversity & Inclusion has been a popular topic in 2020 where many companies are starting to create new initiatives to diversify their workforce and practices. Mo takes us on a journey of her personal upbringing which defined and shaped her passion where she knew recruiting and D&I was for her.
Don't doubt the path you're on because if you pay close attention to the signs it'll direct you exactly where you need to be and in Mo's case, she aspired to inspire and make a change. She shows us if you speak your dreams into fruition and roll with the punches you can create a meaningful career.
We close out the sales series with a recap on the main themes, resonating quotes, key takeaways, and moments of self-reflection.
In a time where systemic racism, politics, and a global pandemic have changed the way we live and work so many people have been impacted. In this episode they have real conversations about authenticity, the value of relationships, power of language, work-life balance, knowing when it’s time to pivot, remote work, the influence of tech companies, and looking forward to the future.
Gabrielle Blackwell is a manager of business development and shares tips for people interested in getting into sales and for those that are looking to transition into sales leadership. She gets vulnerable and talks about her upbringing, mental health, and building a meaningful career when you have a criminal record.
Jarrett Thomas has spent the last 10 years working as a business development and sales professional in the tech industry. He discusses the value of building a professional network and highlights the lack of diversity and inclusion within the tech industry.
Nicole has spent the last five years working in sales and marketing operations. She shows us what can happen when you're loyal to a company that actually cares about your career development. Nicole also gives advice to women considering a career in sales and touches on the benefits of working for a small family-owned company.
Christian has spent the last 5 years working as a sales professional in the sports entertainment vertical and is currently working as a Sr. Sales Consultant for the San Francisco 49ers. He shares his inspiring personal journey on why he chose to work in the sports industry and talks about mentorship and betting on yourself!
In Episode 1, Zakiya and Robert provide insight into the inspiration and purpose of the show. They talk about their personal career journey and all of the lessons captured along the way.