Sales Transformation Lab

Change or Die: Building Values‑Driven, Sustainable Sales in Travel with Jeremy Brady

Jeremy Brady is the Director of Sales (USA & Latin America) at G Adventures, the world’s largest adventure travel company. A veteran of the industry, Jeremy transitioned from a "road warrior" BDM to a strategic leader overseeing a distributed team of Global Purpose Specialists. He is a passionate advocate for community-based tourism and a leadership style that prioritizes values, purpose, and sustainable high performance over traditional "hustle culture." Episode Key Points * [02:57] The G Adventures Story: From a garage startup with two maxed-out credit cards to a global leader in community tourism. * [09:54] Leading a Remote Sales Force: Lessons from a team that was "doing Zoom before Zoom was cool" and how to maintain culture across borders. * [12:37] Killing the "Uninspiring" One-on-One: Why Jeremy pivoted from weekly status checks to deep-dive monthly coaching sessions focused on happiness and growth. * [19:08] The Magic Number for Leadership: Why having 6 direct reports is the "sweet spot" for maintaining high performance and avoiding manager burnout. * [21:34] Values-Based Hiring: Using a "Core Values Exercise" to find talent that aligns with the brand’s mission rather than just hitting a quota. * [27:40] Change or Die: How to create a "safe to fail" environment that encourages innovation and prevents corporate complacency. * [34:06] AI & Sustainable Performance: Why the real power of AI in 2026 isn't doing more work, but creating the "white space" needed for strategic thinking. * [36:52] The 70% Rule: Why 70% effort on some days is the key to avoiding the high turnover and "milk runs" common in the travel industry.

What is the future of the GTM tech stack in 2026 and beyond?

Key Points & Timestamps 1. The "Revenue Operating Brain" Concept (02:08 – 04:18) 2. Systems of Record vs. Systems of Intelligence (04:19 – 05:53) 3. The Death (or Evolution) of the CRM (05:59 – 09:00) 4. Data Infrastructure is More Important than AI (10:04 – 11:44)  5. Behaviour Change and Wearable Tech (12:29 – 14:51) 6. The AI Hype Cycle and 2026 Predictions (15:38 – 18:56) 7. Real-Time "Whisper" Coaching vs. Roleplay (22:56 – 25:33) 8. The Future of the Human Sales Rep (25:38 – 27:22) 9. 2026 Buyer Consolidation & Strategy (27:22 – 30:15)

How to Turn Your Sales Kick Off into a Revenue & Performance Multiplier with Richard Ellis

Richard Ellis is the CEO of Revenue Innovations and a seasoned sales and go-to-market leader with decades of experience in enterprise software, sales leadership, and revenue operations. Originally trained as an engineer, Richard has held roles spanning frontline sales, sales management, and sales operations, and is regarded as an early pioneer of value engineering. He specialises in helping organisations design high-impact Sales and Revenue Kickoffs that drive behaviour change, performance, and sustainable growth. You’ll learn: * How to structure SKOs to engage both new hires and A-players * Common SKO mistakes to avoid for maximum impact * How to launch AI and new products through interactive workshops * Strategies for scaling SKOs to large teams without losing interactivity * The 5P Framework for planning and reinforcing SKO success * Ways to use SKOs to reinforce purpose, culture, and coaching 00:00 – 01:31 | Richard’s Background 01:36 – 02:37 | What is an SKO (and RKO)? 03:01 – 04:11 | Why SKOs Matter More Than Ever 04:29 – 05:51 | Common SKO Mistakes 06:02 – 06:45 | Engaging A-Players & New Hires 08:42 – 09:43 | Launching AI & New Products 09:56 – 11:49 | Scaling SKOs for Large Teams 12:15 – 13:49 | Making SKOs Stick 14:01 – 15:44 | Culture & Coaching 15:44 – 18:46 | Data-Driven SKO Planning 20:10 – 28:58 | The 5P Framework for SKOs 29:31 – 33:37 | Memorable SKO Moments 33:37 – End | Final Reflections

How to maintain Energy as a Leader navigating change with the former CRO at Caxton

In this episode of Sales Transformation Lab, Matt is joined by Melanie Mills, an experienced revenue leader with 20+ years in B2B and B2C, former Chief Revenue Officer at UK fintech Caxton Payments and now Founder & CEO of Connection Career Collective (CCC). Together they tackle a topic most leadership conversations skip over: 👉 How do you maintain your energy as a leader, especially in a market defined by constant change, AI disruption, tight budgets and talent uncertainty? Mel shares her unconventional journey from fashion and cosmetics to fintech and tech leadership, and how curiosity, community and relentless learning helped her break multiple glass ceilings along the way. In this conversation, they unpack: * Why “sales” has always been about people, not products and how that mindset shaped Mel’s career * How she built an impactful career by creating her own personal advisory board * The hidden risk of today’s hiring trend: prioritising “safe” experienced hires over hungry junior talent * Practical ways leaders can protect and replenish their energy (including why quarterly holidays beat annual burnout) * Mel’s take on the “996” hustle culture and why it’s not sustainable for most leaders * How connection, community and authenticity directly impact team motivation and performance * Why building a trusted network and “paying it forward” has underpinned every major step in her career * How CCC is helping career-driven women (and male allies) progress in underrepresented industries If you’re a CRO, founder, VP or emerging leader trying to lead humans through change without burning out, this episode is your reset button 0:00 Welcome and introduction of Melanie Mills (Revenue Leader, Founder & CEO of CCC). 0:47 Setting the stage: Today's topic is energy and its effects on team performance. 1:17 Melanie’s career journey: From fashion retail to founding the Connection Career Collective (CCC). 7:06 The secrets to career transition: Why curiosity, continuous learning, and an "advisory board" are crucial for success. 9:48 Navigating the evolving market: Why organizations now need a more dynamic profile of leader. 14:04 The risk-aversion trap: Discussing why companies often default to experienced hires over hungry junior talent. 16:29 Practical ways leaders can maintain and improve their personal energy levels. 18:31 Thoughts on the "996" hustle culture and its realism in leadership. 21:09 Connection, community, and motivation: How a leader's authentic energy impacts team performance. 24:48 The value of building a trusted network and paying it forward. 26:38 Overcoming the inertia around building a personal brand and online profile. 31:26 The mission and objectives behind the Connection Career Collective (CCC).

The 6 must-have ingredients for successful Sales Transformation

Jonny Adams brings decades of hands-on experience driving high-impact transformation and commercial excellence across professional services, technology, and financial sectors in Europe and the US. In this episode, he dives deep into what it takes to achieve Go-to-Market (GTM) transformation, aligning strategy, people, and technology to deliver measurable growth. You’ll learn: * What GTM transformation really means and why it matters for your growth mandate. * Key internal and external components: market insights, proposition clarity, planning, team design, and tools. * Triggers for transformation: investment growth, PE consolidation, and new C-suite hires. * Leadership challenges in transformation: alignment, tenure, and change management pitfalls. * How to select the right vendors and avoid technology fatigue. * The importance of people, mindset, and capability assessment to ensure the right talent in the right roles. * Multi-functional alignment: why Marketing and Sales KPIs must talk the same language. 0:00 - GTM transformation overview 6:32 - Core components of GTM transformation 8:59 - Transformation triggers & investment impact 10:56 - Leadership challenges: tenure, alignment & change 14:52 - Leadership as the hub & change management gaps 20:31 - Communication risks in transformations 23:10 - Vendor strategy & tech considerations 28:09 - Watchouts: tech fatigue & CRM reliance 30:28 - Talent, mindset & capability assessment 36:51 - Multi-functional alignment for Marketing & Sales 40:27 - Closing remarks