How to Turn Your Network Into a Revenue Engine with Stephen Oommen

The Real Reason Coaching Fails in Most Organisations

Most organisations say they coach their people but very few actually do it well. Daniel is wrapping up Season Two of Because Growth Matters with a solo episode to reflect on the themes that kept showing up across every conversation. From elite sport to sales leadership, hiring, culture, customer success and even the nonprofit world, one powerful thread ran through it all. Coaching works when it is done properly. While many organisations talk about coaching, most struggle to implement it in a consistent and effective way. Coaching often becomes the first meeting cancelled and the last activity measured, despite its proven impact on performance and revenue. Daniel breaks down why coaching fails in practice, including the coaching illusion where managers confuse firefighting, deal reviews, or group updates with real coaching. Daniel introduces a simple and practical coaching framework used within Growth Matters, including the ICE coaching model and a three step coaching process that managers can apply immediately. Timestamps: 00:00 Key themes from Season Two 01:45 Why coaching drives performance and development 07:02 What guests taught us about effective coaching 11:06 Why coaching needs structure and cadence 14:27 Making coaching part of everyday management 16:17 The ICE coaching model explained 20:18 Practical coaching tips for managers Thank you to everyone who’s tuned into Season 2 and supported the show! If you enjoyed the season, please make sure to subscribe and rate the show 5 stars⭐️ Would you like to be a guest on Because Growth Matters or learn more about working with Growth Matters International? Fill out the application form HERE. [https://growthmattersintl.membrain.com/Form/534d142c-fcbc-46ac-801a-3f0c6d15f567] Connect with Daniel: LinkedIn: Daniel Robus [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrobus/] Website: https://www.growthmattersintl.com [https://www.growthmattersintl.com]

Leadership Lessons From Two Decades in Nonprofit Work with Julie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza

Today's episode looks at what long term community change really looks like when it is built slowly, intentionally, and with deep trust. Daniel sits down with Julie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza, founder and Executive Director of African Education Program, to explore what it truly takes to create lasting impact in communities, not just short term feel good results. Julie-Anne shares how a teenage service project evolved into a two decade commitment to education, leadership, and community development in Zambia and Rwanda. She opens up about the realities of nonprofit leadership, the complexity of donor relationships, and why real change cannot be rushed or scaled overnight without losing its heart. They explore trust based philanthropy, community led development, leadership in under resourced environments, and the emotional and operational realities of working in the nonprofit sector. Julie-Anne also reflects on the lessons she wishes she had known earlier, including sustainability, fundraising, and the importance of investing for the long term. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro to Julie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza and her work 01:44 How Julie-Anne first arrived in Zambia and what drew her there 02:27 How African Education Program began and why it started 04:42 What daily life looks like living and working in Zambia 08:30 The real impact African Education Program has on communities 15:45 How the organisation is funded and the role of donors 19:07 What it takes to stand out in the nonprofit space 20:47 How the programme has helped reduce early pregnancy rates 24:07 The realities and pressures of leading a nonprofit organisation 28:44 Building trust and maintaining long term donor relationships 32:53 Advice for businesses thinking about corporate social responsibility 35:14 Looking back on 20 years of lessons, growth, and impact 38:38 How you can support the work and get involved If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe so you never miss a conversation. Would you like to be a guest on Because Growth Matters or learn more about working with Growth Matters International? Fill out the application form HERE. [https://growthmattersintl.membrain.com/Form/534d142c-fcbc-46ac-801a-3f0c6d15f567] Connect with Daniel: LinkedIn: Daniel Robus [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrobus/] Website: https://www.growthmattersintl.com [https://www.growthmattersintl.com/] Connect with Julie- Anne: Julie-Anne’s LinkedIn: Julie-Anne Savarit-Cosenza [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-anne-savarit-cosenza-48985627/] Website: https://africaneducationprogram.org [https://africaneducationprogram.org/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aep.youth/ [https://www.instagram.com/aep.youth/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/african-education-program [https://www.linkedin.com/company/african-education-program] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@africaneducationprogram3199 [https://www.youtube.com/@africaneducationprogram3199]

What Great Sales Managers Do Differently with Olivia Lockwood

Sales performance doesn’t break because people are lazy. It breaks when leaders miss the behaviours that actually drive results! In this episode of Because Growth Matters, Daniel sits down with sales consultant, coach and facilitator Olivia Lockwood for a practical conversation about what really drives sales performance. Olivia shares how her childhood across Jamaica, the US and beyond shaped her grit, resilience and people first leadership style. She unpacks why great sales leadership is less about heroics and more about behaviour and consistency. Daniel and Olivia explore what sales managers often get wrong, why forecast accuracy is one of the clearest signals of leadership effectiveness, and how true customer centricity means helping customers even when your solution is not the right one. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Olivia and her background 01:43 Childhood lessons that built grit and resilience 02:44 What grit really means in real life 04:15 The biggest misconceptions about Jamaica 07:23 Olivia’s early career and entry into sales 09:58 Life as a flight attendant and service lessons that stuck 13:01 Why sales still matters after decades in the field 15:33 Where sales managers unintentionally hold teams back 18:31 Consulting, behaviour change and true customer centricity 25:42 How better pipeline reviews improve forecast accuracy 29:31 What healthy pipelines actually look like 29:55 Making behaviour change stick in sales teams 30:23 Commitment, reinforcement and celebrating progress 33:08 How sales managers should balance priorities 36:17 Top advice for first time sales managers 41:41 Why consent matters in leadership 43:41 Intention versus impact and repairing trust 48:51 The 1% that leads to big changes If this episode resonated, hit subscribe so you never miss a conversation like this. Share it with a sales leader who needs a fresh perspective, and leave a rating or review to help more people find the show. Would you like to be a guest on Because Growth Matters or learn more about working with Growth Matters International? Fill out the application form HERE. [https://growthmattersintl.membrain.com/Form/534d142c-fcbc-46ac-801a-3f0c6d15f567] Connect with Daniel: LinkedIn: Daniel Robus [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrobus/] Website: https://www.growthmattersintl.com [https://www.growthmattersintl.com] Connect with Olivia: LinkedIn: Olivia Lockwood [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviarlockwood/] Website: https://www.openupcoaching.com/ [https://www.openupcoaching.com/]

How to Turn Your Network Into a Revenue Engine with Stephen Oommen

Most sales teams are chasing cold leads while their next best opportunity is already sitting inside their existing network. In this episode of Because Growth Matters, Daniel is joined by Stephen Oommen, a sales and networking expert who is challenging the traditional approach to prospecting. Stephen shares why he believes cold calls and cold emails should be the last step in your sales process, not the first, and how focusing on real relationships leads to faster trust and stronger revenue outcomes. He breaks down how warm referrals have driven over 98 percent of his career revenue and explains why modern sales teams have sacrificed effectiveness for efficiency. Stephen also shares practical frameworks for mapping your network, becoming referable, and building genuine connections that naturally lead to opportunities. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Stephen 01:32 Stephen’s background in sales 04:47 Why warm referrals outperform cold outreach 07:38 Stephen’s career journey and the role of mentors 11:07 Practical networking strategies anyone can start today 13:09 Three simple steps to improve sales results 17:40 Why genuine human connection matters in business 24:17 How referrals shorten sales cycles and build trust faster 25:10 Where sales managers unintentionally block progress 26:09 The real importance of building and maintaining a network 31:16 When and how cold outreach still has a place 34:50 Mentorship lessons that shaped Stephen’s career 38:00 Why investing in sales enablement matters 41:31 Choosing mission over money in sales 44:00 The 1% that leads to big changes If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe to Because Growth Matters so you never miss an episode. Would you like to be a guest on Because Growth Matters or learn more about working with Growth Matters International? Fill out the application form HERE. [https://growthmattersintl.membrain.com/Form/534d142c-fcbc-46ac-801a-3f0c6d15f567] Connect with Daniel: LinkedIn: Daniel Robus [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrobus/]Website: https://www.growthmattersintl.com [https://www.growthmattersintl.com] Connect with Stephen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenoommen/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenoommen/]

The Hidden Mistakes Companies Make in Customer Success with Steve Fiore

In this episode of Because Growth Matters, Daniel is joined by Steve Fiore, a customer success and sales enablement leader with over 30 years of experience across enterprise sales, customer success, and leadership. Steve shares his journey from frontline sales into senior leadership roles and explains how his career evolved from selling products to enabling long-term customer growth. They explore how sales and customer success should work together in modern organisations, where accountability sits once a deal is closed, and why so many companies struggle to get customer success right. Steve also opens up about his personal reinvention journey, the launch of his lifestyle platform Rooted and Refined Living, and why wellbeing and personal productivity are essential for leaders navigating burnout. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Steve Fiore 01:03 How Steve found his way into sales leadership and customer success 03:05 What sales enablement and customer success really mean in practice 05:26 Where companies get customer success wrong and how to do it better 14:22 Reinventing your lifestyle through curiosity and personal productivity 26:16 What job hunting can teach us about sales and confidence 31:32 The one percent habit that makes the biggest difference If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe so you never miss a conversation. Would you like to be a guest on Because Growth Matters or learn more about working with Growth Matters International? Fill out the application form HERE. [https://growthmattersintl.membrain.com/Form/534d142c-fcbc-46ac-801a-3f0c6d15f567] Connect with Daniel: LinkedIn: Daniel Robus [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrobus/]Website: https://www.growthmattersintl.com [https://www.growthmattersintl.com] Connect with Steve LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenmfiore/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenmfiore/] Website: https://www.rootedandrefinedliving.com/ [https://www.rootedandrefinedliving.com/]