Revenue Builders

Force Management
  • 5.0 (11)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Revenue Builders podcast, a weekly show featuring B2B sales leaders and executives. Hosted by Five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management’s Co-Founder John Kaplan, the show goes in the barrel, behind the scenes with the people who have been there, done that and seen the results. Revenue Builders covers the best practices for scaling and growing your business, while sharing the pitfalls to avoid. Great conversation. Solid interviews. Tangible takeaways to help you succeed. If you enjoy our content, please subscribe, rate and review the show to help us reach more people. This show is brought to you by: Force Management where we help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. Check out forcemanagement.com more information.

  1. 1D AGO

    What Great CRO-CEO Alignment Actually Looks Like with Bob Ranaldi

    When the relationship between a CRO and CEO breaks down, the symptoms show up quickly in the forecast, the sales plan, and ultimately the boardroom. Strong revenue organizations avoid that trap by anchoring leadership decisions in shared data, realistic planning, and constant communication. In this replay episode, John Kaplan and John McMahon sit down with former CRO and private equity operating partner Bob Ranaldi to break down what effective CRO leadership looks like from both the operator and investor perspective. The conversation explores how CRO-CEO alignment shapes company performance, why sales efficiency has become a defining metric in private equity environments, and why revenue leaders must take ownership of the forecast from day one. Bob Ranaldi is a former Chief Revenue Officer and current operating partner in private equity, where he works with portfolio companies to improve sales performance, leadership alignment, and revenue growth. He brings experience as both an operator and investor, giving him a unique perspective on what boards and CEOs expect from revenue leaders. Connect with Bob: LinkedIn Resources mentioned: The Qualified Sales Leader by John McMahon Get the Force Management framework for building predictable revenue and aligning leadership teams around the metrics that matter:  The Predictable Revenue Framework: Guide for Leaders Key takeaways from this episode:  00:00 – What strong CRO–CEO alignment actually requires and why frequent communication grounded in shared goals and hard data determines whether the partnership works. 04:30 – Why unrealistic revenue targets quietly create hiring mistakes, missed forecasts, and morale problems long before leadership realizes it. 12:00 – Why looking at a single quarter of metrics can mislead leadership teams and how five-quarter trends reveal the real health of the business. 24:20 – Bob Ranaldi’s simple test for whether a CRO is operating with an owner mindset or just protecting their department. 31:00 – What new CROs often get wrong in their first 90 days and why early wins matter more than sweeping changes. 40:00 – A look inside the three groups every CRO inherits in a sales organization and how early wins turn the middle group into champions. 54:00 – What the best CEOs do differently when building leadership teams and why great leaders hire people they can learn from. Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.   This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.   Connect with Us:  LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

    58 min

  2. 5D AGO

    AI Superhumans in Sales with Amanda Kahlow

    In today's minisode, AI pioneer and enterprise sales leader Amanda Kahlow shares why intent data as we know it is dying – and what replaces it. Amanda is the founder and CEO of 1mind. In this segment, she discusses how SI  “superhumans” can operate inside live deals with access to every document and data point, and why the future of go-to-market may move toward agent-to-agent negotiation… with humans stepping in only for the final mile. If you're a CRO rethinking your funnel, a sales leader questioning the future of the SDR role, or an operator trying to understand how AI fits into active pipeline management, this episode is for you. Amanda Kahlow is the Founder and CEO of 1mind and the Founder of Sixth Sense. She is a multi time enterprise founder building AI systems designed to transform the full go-to-market lifecycle. Connect with Amanda: LinkedIn 1mind Get the Force Management guide to adapting your go-to-market execution for the AI age: The Predictable Revenue Framework: Guide for Leaders Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.   This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.   Connect with Us:  LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

    14 min

  3. MAR 5

    The End of the SDR? AI and the Future of Go-to-Market with Amanda Kahlow, Founder and CEO of 1mind

    Amanda Kahlow joins Revenue Builders to unpack what happens when AI stops assisting go-to-market teams and starts replacing entire functions. Drawing on her experience founding SixthSense and now leading 1mind, she explains how technology originally built for Alzheimer’s caregivers evolved into AI “superhumans” capable of running demos, qualifying buyers, building business cases, and onboarding customers. The conversation gets real about some of the uncomfortable questions facing sales today: what happens to SDRs, how the AE role changes, why traditional handoffs between Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success break down, and what “the final mile” of human selling really looks like. For revenue leaders, the bigger question isn’t whether AI will impact go-to-market… it’s how quickly org design, skill sets, and accountability models need to adapt. Amanda Kahlow is the Founder and CEO of 1mind and the Founder of Sixth Sense. She is a multi time enterprise founder building AI systems designed to transform the full go-to-market lifecycle. Connect with Amanda: LinkedIn 1mind Get the Force Management guide to adapting your go-to-market execution for the AI age: The Predictable Revenue Framework: Guide for Leaders Key takeaways from this episode:  00:00 – How tech built for Alzheimer’s caregivers evolved into AI that can qualify buyers, run demos, and move deals forward. 05:09 – What Amanda really means by a “superhuman”, and why it’s far beyond an AI SDR bolted onto your website. 06:27 – Why buyers are increasingly more comfortable with AI than humans in early-stage conversations, and what that does to traditional sales handoffs. 16:48 – How automated knowledge ingestion and system integrations are collapsing AI onboarding timelines from ~4 months to ~4 weeks. 30:23 – The GTM shakeup: SDRs disappear, AEs become strategic operators, and humans remain for one thing only… the “final mile.” 46:36 – The ultimate question: can AI replace high-cost revenue roles profitably? And what happens to trust, security, and data ownership in regulated industries? Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.   This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.   Connect with Us:  LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

    58 min

  4. MAR 1

    The Leadership Moment That Builds Loyalty | A Sales Leadership Lesson with Cedric Pech, MongoDB

    In this minisode, Cedric Pech, President of Field Operations at MongoDB and former CRO, shares a formative leadership moment from early in his career at PTC that shaped how he thinks about building revenue organizations. He tells the story of a manager who invested in him personally before he had proven himself professionally. It is a lesson in what real leadership looks like under pressure. For CROs and frontline leaders alike, this clip is a reminder that culture is built in moments like these, not in mission statements. Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.   This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.   Connect with Us:  LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

    13 min

  5. FEB 26

    How a French Skier Built a 2,000-Person Sales Team | Building Patriots, Not Mercenaries with Cedric Pech of MongoDB

    Scaling from regional VP to global CRO is not a promotion. It is a shift from managing execution to defining meaning at scale. In this replay conversation, Cedric Pech reflects on leading a 2,000-person global sales organization at MongoDB, integrating complex routes to market, and building culture that withstands market volatility. He breaks down the difference between compensation-driven leadership and purpose-driven leadership, why execution alone creates burnout, and how resilient organizations are built long before downturns arrive. For CROs and revenue leaders navigating scale, volatility, or retention pressure, this episode offers a grounded perspective on building durable teams without burning them out. Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.   This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.   Connect with Us:  LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

    1h 4m

  6. FEB 22

    The Huddle Is More Important Than the Position | Building Winning Cultures with Brian White

    In today’s minisode, Football coach and author Brian White shares essential leadership lessons on building winning cultures that apply far beyond the field. Brian breaks down why trust must flow both ways, from the individual entering a new organization and from the team itself, and reveals why assimilating into an existing culture before trying to change it is the key to lasting impact. Whether you're a sales leader establishing yourself in a new company, a manager building team cohesion, or a CRO creating a culture where people compete selfishly but give selflessly, this episode delivers actionable insights on peer leadership, the power of direct human engagement, and why the huddle is always more important than the position. Brian White is a veteran Division I football coach, Assistant Coach of the Year, and author of The Locker Room Is Not for Sale. Over 55 years in and around elite programs including Notre Dame, he has coached national champions, developed NFL talent including Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, and built cultures grounded in respect, accountability, and the human touch. Resources mentioned: The Locker Room Is Not for Sale by Brian White The Qualified Sales Leader by John McMahon Want to know how top-performing organizations create a culture of consistent success? Check out Force Management’s guide to the Predictable Revenue Framework:  https://hubs.li/Q03-T6NH0 Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.   This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.   Connect with Us:  LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

    10 min

  7. FEB 19

    How to Build Sales Teams That Won't Quit When Times Get Tough | The Locker Room Strategy with Brian White, Legendary Football Coach & Author

    There’s no shortcuts to a winning sales culture. When leaders compromise standards for convenience, talent, or short-term wins, they erode the very foundation that sustains performance over time. Brian White joins John Kaplan and John McMahon to unpack why elite teams are built on respect first, why trust is collective (not individual), and why commitment without conditions is the only kind that lasts. Drawing from decades inside championship locker rooms, Brian outlines what it takes to build peer-led accountability, accelerate young talent, demand excellence without demeaning people, and create environments where pride replaces entitlement. This conversation is for revenue leaders who want to build a long-lasting high-performance culture that goes beyond incentives. Brian White is a veteran Division I football coach, Assistant Coach of the Year, and author of The Locker Room Is Not for Sale. Over 55 years in and around elite programs including Notre Dame, he has coached national champions, developed NFL talent including Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, and built cultures grounded in respect, accountability, and the human touch. Resources mentioned: The Locker Room Is Not for Sale by Brian WhiteThe Qualified Sales Leader by John McMahon Want to know how top-performing organizations create a culture of consistent success? Check out Force Management’s guide to the Predictable Revenue Framework: https://hubs.li/Q03-T6NH0 Key takeaways from this episode: 16:53 – Why respect, not trust, is the true starting point of elite team culture25:55 – The human touch as a competitive advantage, not a soft leadership tactic35:27 – Caring is competence, and why pride is earned through preparation and standards40:54 – Why three clear values outperform forty two vague ones47:48 – How peer leaders, not titles, protect the integrity of the locker room55:06 – You don’t rise to the occasion, you fall to your level of preparation01:02:06 – Why great leaders get talent in front of experience and refuse to hide behind youth 01:06:22 – Why direct engagement eliminates fear and prevents cultural drift Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.   This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.   Connect with Us:  LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

    1h 11m

  8. FEB 15

    The Leadership Capacity Issue That Slows Growth

    Today’s minisode features Carlos Delatorre as he shares two hard-earned leadership lessons that every sales leader scaling an organization needs to hear. He reflects on an early moment in his career when he learned the difference between being a top-performing rep and becoming a true manager, and why doing the work for your team might feel helpful in the moment but ultimately breaks scale.  If you’re a manager trying to transition into leadership, or a CRO navigating rapid growth and wondering whether your leadership bench is ready to scale, this clip is for you.  Carlos Delatorre is a seasoned sales leader with over 25 years of enterprise software and SaaS experience. He has served as CRO at MongoDB (driving 100%+ annual revenue growth), TripActions/Navan, and ClearSlide, and as CEO of Vera. Carlos is also an active investor and advisor to high-growth software companies including Starburst, Outreach, and Modern Treasury, and serves on the board of Yalo. Connect with Carlos: LinkedIn Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results.   This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale.   Connect with Us:  LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

    11 min
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5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Revenue Builders podcast, a weekly show featuring B2B sales leaders and executives. Hosted by Five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management’s Co-Founder John Kaplan, the show goes in the barrel, behind the scenes with the people who have been there, done that and seen the results. Revenue Builders covers the best practices for scaling and growing your business, while sharing the pitfalls to avoid. Great conversation. Solid interviews. Tangible takeaways to help you succeed. If you enjoy our content, please subscribe, rate and review the show to help us reach more people. This show is brought to you by: Force Management where we help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. Check out forcemanagement.com more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Force Management
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    324
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2022 - Force Management
  • Show Website
    Revenue Builders

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