Why Your Sales Rep Needs to Be an Architect, Not Just a Closer with Adam Carr

AI Is Not a Strategy: How to Lead Real Transformation with Julie Averill

AI will not fix a business that does not understand itself. In this episode, John sits down with Julie Averill, founder of Gold Thread and former CIO of lululemon, to talk about real transformation, AI adoption, technology leadership, and what companies need to understand before they rush into the next big platform shift. Julie also shares lessons from her time leading technology through major growth at lululemon, digital transformation at Nordstrom, and the early signals that told her when a system problem was really a culture problem. If you are leading sales, technology, enablement, or go-to-market strategy, this episode gives you a practical look at why AI has to serve the business, why trust still drives innovation, and why the companies that win will understand what makes them truly different before the market decides for them. Want to build the kind of team and operating model that can keep up with where business is heading next? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You’ll Learn * Why AI strategy needs to start with business strategy, not technology experiments * How the dot-com shift mirrors what companies are experiencing with AI today * Why AI is changing how customers discover, compare, and choose brands * What a 20-hour website outage revealed about culture, ownership, and escalation * Why innovation depends on trust, candor, and teams that can take risks together * Why AI reveals organizational dysfunction instead of magically fixing it * Why real transformation requires human intelligence, not just artificial intelligence Julie Averill is the founder of Gold Thread and former Chief Information Officer of lululemon, where she led the technology transformation that helped scale the company from $2 billion to over $10 billion in revenue. Prior to lululemon, she led omni-channel and digital transformations at Nordstrom and REI. Today, she advises boards, CEOs, and founders at the intersection of AI capability and organizational readiness, and her book Chief Impact Officer comes out June 16. Connect with Julie Averill: Website: https://goldthreadllc.com/ [https://goldthreadllc.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieaverill/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieaverill/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julie_averill_/ [https://www.instagram.com/julie_averill_/] Grab Julie's new book Chief Impact Officer, out June 16 — connect with her on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/julieaverill [http://linkedin.com/in/julieaverill]) or visit goldthreadllc.com [http://goldthreadllc.com] John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today’s AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/] https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnBBemdVT2pBZ1dhY0szYzlzOGUzYURaekEtUXxBQ3Jtc0trNkZEWVBuS3dOOWZaZ0pZVFNrOGtNNHpuNjZWdGx0aVBhX2dNODRTdjVKVG1tS0xnRlJXWk5WOUpVdzk1YzQ1R3ZoTFhRZ3pxeFFibXU5WnFlVGJtVXl5dDUzM1JqdnkwRGRMaC05VTZ2YmNFLTFiSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fjohnbarrows%2F&v=bULevYtP1Ds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows [https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows] Check out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast [https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast] Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter [https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter]

How AI Agents Are Rewriting Sales with Kris Billmaier

AI agents are not just changing sales tools. They are changing the job of the seller. In this episode, John sits down with Kris Billmaier, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Agentforce Sales and Growth Products at Salesforce, to talk about Agentforce, headless software, AI-native sales workflows, and what happens when sellers start managing teams of agents. If you are in sales, sales leadership, enablement, or GTM strategy, this episode gives you a practical look at where humans still matter, how agents can support pipeline and qualification, and why AI adoption needs clear use cases, measurement, and training. Want to stay ahead of where sales are heading next? Visit http://www.jbarrows.comwww.jbarrows.com [http://www.jbarrows.com] and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You'll Learn * Why product-led growth is moving toward agent-led growth * How Salesforce is thinking about headless software and conversation-first AI * Why AI-first SaaS is not just a front-end feature or branding exercise * How agents are changing SDR and BDR work at Salesforce * Why successful AI adoption starts with a narrow use case and a real training plan * What sellers need to become as agent teams take on more busy work Kris Billmaier is Executive Vice President and General Manager of Agentforce Sales and Growth Products at Salesforce, where he leads the product strategy and vision for Agentforce Sales. With more than 20 years of experience across productivity software, search, and enterprise technology, Kris has launched category-defining products, scaled startups, and is now building a future where agents and sellers work together to grow revenue. Connect with Kris Billmaier: Website: https://www.salesforce.com/ap/ [https://www.salesforce.com/ap/] Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisbillmaier/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisbillmaier/] John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today’s AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/] https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnBBemdVT2pBZ1dhY0szYzlzOGUzYURaekEtUXxBQ3Jtc0trNkZEWVBuS3dOOWZaZ0pZVFNrOGtNNHpuNjZWdGx0aVBhX2dNODRTdjVKVG1tS0xnRlJXWk5WOUpVdzk1YzQ1R3ZoTFhRZ3pxeFFibXU5WnFlVGJtVXl5dDUzM1JqdnkwRGRMaC05VTZ2YmNFLTFiSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fjohnbarrows%2F&v=bULevYtP1Ds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows [https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows] Check out John's Membership: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZxSnNVNDNhZU1zTGlfUHNWX19ZemtTLTM3QXxBQ3Jtc0tuY0sxajVtV1ZsdW5TMGtlV2tWTmNDTGVtUUZ6a1J6VmlMVi1DdU5uQ1cwRjRqdjF2ZlVqcXFveUtBWkp1WnZXSEZqQzA1TnJUclAxRVZWNm9fRjFxSlllYjdoTEd1VHFUUEFJbDdCSkR4SEU4TVgzTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.jbarrows.com%2Fpages%2Findividual-membership%3Fref%3D3edab1&v=bULevYtP1Dshttps://go.jbarrows.com/ [https://go.jbarrows.com/] Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter [https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter]

Be the Mentor Who Mattered: How Mentorship Drives Real Revenue with Colleen Stanley

IQ is a commodity now. AI can out-think, out-research, and out-process almost anyone in the room. So what is left? In this episode, John shares a conversation with Colleen Stanley, bestselling author and founder of Sales Leadership Development, to talk about the two things that AI cannot replicate — emotional intelligence and meaningful mentorship. Colleen has spent decades proving that EQ is not a soft skill, it is a revenue skill. And her new book, Be the Mentor Who Mattered, makes the case that the next generation of leaders cannot go it alone. They get into why self-awareness is the mega skill every sales leader needs to develop, how to give feedback without triggering defensiveness, and why the best mentorship rarely comes from a formal program. If you lead a team, coach reps, or are trying to figure out what your competitive edge looks like in a world of AI, this one is for you. Want to build the skills that hold up in any market? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You’ll Learn * Why self-awareness is the mega skill and how to actually develop it * How to give feedback using empathy followed by assertiveness * Why the best mentorship happens informally, not through assigned programs * How one conversation from the right person can change your entire trajectory * Why mentorship cultures produce two times the profit of those without them * How to find a mentee instead of waiting to be asked to be a mentor Colleen Stanley is president of SalesLeadership, a sales development firm specializing in the integration of emotional intelligence, sales, and sales leadership skills. She is the author of three books, Emotional Intelligence For Sales Success, now published in eight languages, Emotional Intelligence For Sales Leadership, and Growing Great Sales Teams. Connect with Colleen Stanley: Website: https://www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com/ [https://www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenstanleysli [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenstanleysli] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColleenStanleySalesLeadership [https://www.youtube.com/@ColleenStanleySalesLeadership] Grab your Free Corporate Sales Training Resources: https://www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com/resources/ [https://www.salesleadershipdevelopment.com/resources/] John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today’s AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/] https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnBBemdVT2pBZ1dhY0szYzlzOGUzYURaekEtUXxBQ3Jtc0trNkZEWVBuS3dOOWZaZ0pZVFNrOGtNNHpuNjZWdGx0aVBhX2dNODRTdjVKVG1tS0xnRlJXWk5WOUpVdzk1YzQ1R3ZoTFhRZ3pxeFFibXU5WnFlVGJtVXl5dDUzM1JqdnkwRGRMaC05VTZ2YmNFLTFiSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fjohnbarrows%2F&v=bULevYtP1Ds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows [https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows] Check out John's Membership: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZxSnNVNDNhZU1zTGlfUHNWX19ZemtTLTM3QXxBQ3Jtc0tuY0sxajVtV1ZsdW5TMGtlV2tWTmNDTGVtUUZ6a1J6VmlMVi1DdU5uQ1cwRjRqdjF2ZlVqcXFveUtBWkp1WnZXSEZqQzA1TnJUclAxRVZWNm9fRjFxSlllYjdoTEd1VHFUUEFJbDdCSkR4SEU4TVgzTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.jbarrows.com%2Fpages%2Findividual-membership%3Fref%3D3edab1&v=bULevYtP1Dshttps://go.jbarrows.com/ [https://go.jbarrows.com/] Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter [https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter]

What AI Knows About Your Buyer with Scott Gillum

AI already knows your buyer better than most sales reps do. The question is — what are you going to do about it? In this episode, John is joined by Scott Gillum, author of The Hidden Buyer Journey, to unpack seven years of research on how buyers actually make decisions — and why our sales and marketing tools are barely scratching the surface of what's possible. From personality profiling and corporate culture mapping to the death of the sales stage, this conversation goes deep on what it really takes to sell in a world where the buyer is more informed, more protected, and more machine-assisted than ever before. If you're serious about staying relevant as a sales professional in an AI-first world, this one's a must-listen. Want to make sure you're equipped before the market moves on without you? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You’ll Learn * Why corporate culture predicts deal velocity better than any sales methodology * How to use personality profiling tools to adapt your style to any buyer * Why 85% of the people who actually influence your deals aren't in your CRM * The one thing AI still can't replicate — and why it's your biggest competitive advantage * Why Return on Effort (ROE) is replacing ROI as the real measure of AI in sales Scott Gillum is the Founder and CEO of Carbon Design. Prior to founding Carbon Design, he was the President of the Washington, DC office for gyro (a Dentsu agency), the world’s largest B2B agency. His career follows the pipeline. Starting at the bottom closing deals as a sales rep. Then as a management consultant after graduate school, helping clients build and capture demand for sales and marketing channels. Advertising broadened his knowledge and experience in building brands and creating awareness. Along the way, he’s been the head of marketing for an Inc. 500 company, and an interim CMO for a Fortune 500 company. Today, Scott helps clients improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts up and down the funnel. From transitioning to digital to finding new ways to communicate, connect, and motivate audiences. Scott’s a member of the Gartner for Marketing Leaders Council and he writes a regular column for MediaPost on business marketing. He’s articles have appeared in leading publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Adage, the Huffington Post and he has contributed to various books on marketing. Additionally, his work on sales and marketing integration was made into a Harvard Business School Case Study and is taught at leading business schools across the nation. Website: https://carbondesign.com/scott-gillum/ [https://carbondesign.com/scott-gillum/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottgillum/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottgillum/] John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today’s AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/] https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnBBemdVT2pBZ1dhY0szYzlzOGUzYURaekEtUXxBQ3Jtc0trNkZEWVBuS3dOOWZaZ0pZVFNrOGtNNHpuNjZWdGx0aVBhX2dNODRTdjVKVG1tS0xnRlJXWk5WOUpVdzk1YzQ1R3ZoTFhRZ3pxeFFibXU5WnFlVGJtVXl5dDUzM1JqdnkwRGRMaC05VTZ2YmNFLTFiSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fjohnbarrows%2F&v=bULevYtP1Ds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows [https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows] Check out John's Membership: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZxSnNVNDNhZU1zTGlfUHNWX19ZemtTLTM3QXxBQ3Jtc0tuY0sxajVtV1ZsdW5TMGtlV2tWTmNDTGVtUUZ6a1J6VmlMVi1DdU5uQ1cwRjRqdjF2ZlVqcXFveUtBWkp1WnZXSEZqQzA1TnJUclAxRVZWNm9fRjFxSlllYjdoTEd1VHFUUEFJbDdCSkR4SEU4TVgzTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.jbarrows.com%2Fpages%2Findividual-membership%3Fref%3D3edab1&v=bULevYtP1Dshttps://go.jbarrows.com/ [https://go.jbarrows.com/] Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter [https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter]

Why Your Sales Rep Needs to Be an Architect, Not Just a Closer with Adam Carr

The sales playbook is being rewritten and product-led growth is at the center of it. In this episode, John sits down with Adam Carr, CRO at Apollo.io, to dig into how PLG has evolved, what AI is doing to the sales rep's role, and why the best sellers today need to think less like closers and more like go-to-market architects. From hiring smarter to building SDR programs that actually stick, this one's packed with real talk from two people who've lived it. If you're in sales leadership, trying to figure out how to build and develop a team in this new world, this episode will give you a framework to work with. Want to level up your team before the market moves on without you? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You’ll Learn: * Why people don't buy from people they like but from people they trust * How to hire intentionally and slow down when everyone's pushing you to scale fast * The difference between PLG, product-led sales, and sales-led growth * What product signals actually matter when deciding when to bring in a sales rep * The three skills every modern sales rep needs to stay relevant in an AI-first world Adam Carr is the CRO of Apollo, where he leads the company’s go-to-market strategy and revenue growth initiatives. Since joining in 2025, he has focused on scaling a modern GTM engine that blends product-led and sales-led growth, aligning sales, marketing, product, and customer success into a unified customer journey. Under his leadership, Apollo continues to support millions of users and hundreds of thousands of businesses in accelerating growth through a scalable, customer-centric platform. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhcarr/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhcarr/] John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today’s AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/] https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnBBemdVT2pBZ1dhY0szYzlzOGUzYURaekEtUXxBQ3Jtc0trNkZEWVBuS3dOOWZaZ0pZVFNrOGtNNHpuNjZWdGx0aVBhX2dNODRTdjVKVG1tS0xnRlJXWk5WOUpVdzk1YzQ1R3ZoTFhRZ3pxeFFibXU5WnFlVGJtVXl5dDUzM1JqdnkwRGRMaC05VTZ2YmNFLTFiSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fjohnbarrows%2F&v=bULevYtP1Ds Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/ [https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows [https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows] Check out John's Membership: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGZxSnNVNDNhZU1zTGlfUHNWX19ZemtTLTM3QXxBQ3Jtc0tuY0sxajVtV1ZsdW5TMGtlV2tWTmNDTGVtUUZ6a1J6VmlMVi1DdU5uQ1cwRjRqdjF2ZlVqcXFveUtBWkp1WnZXSEZqQzA1TnJUclAxRVZWNm9fRjFxSlllYjdoTEd1VHFUUEFJbDdCSkR4SEU4TVgzTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.jbarrows.com%2Fpages%2Findividual-membership%3Fref%3D3edab1&v=bULevYtP1Dshttps://go.jbarrows.com/ [https://go.jbarrows.com/] Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter [https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter]