Empowered Selling

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Join seasoned Sales Enablement consultant & Sales Leader coach, Emily Drew, in conversation with some of the most influential, successful and inspiring Sales leaders in the world. We’ll discuss the hottest topics in sales, sales leadership and selling today and provide you with actionable insights and game-changing tips and guidance to amplify your success as a sales leader!

Episodes

  1. 12/11/2025

    Running Your Patch Like a CEO: Sabya Sen on High-Performance Leadership, GTM Unity & Selling in the AI Era

    In this episode, I sit down with Sabya Sen — one of the most respected sales leaders in tech and a true believer in running your patch like a CEO. With nearly 20 years across Salesforce and now Alteryx, Sabya shares how he builds resilient teams, aligns every GTM function, and leads through constant change. We dive into hiring and retaining top talent, creating a “team sport” pipeline engine, balancing data with intuition, and using AI to sell smarter. Sabya also reveals the toughest leadership lessons he’s learned — and the mindset that keeps him growing through disruption. A must-listen for anyone in sales or sales leadership who wants to lead with clarity, confidence, and impact.

    33 min

  2. 11/25/2025

    From Leadership Lessons to AI Agents: Niamh McArdle’s Take on What’s Next - Episode 9

    In this episode of Empowered Selling, I sit down with Niamh McArdle, Head of SMB at Salesforce Ireland, to trace a career journey that runs from a Dublin department store shop floor to leading one of the most dynamic SMB businesses in tech. Niamh shares how a “rite of passage” retail job became an accidental masterclass in sales culture and customer experience, why her chaotic early days in a fast-growing Irish SMB still shape how she sells to and supports SMBs today, and what six years at IBM (including winning the prestigious Best of IBM award) taught her about brand, sponsorship, and stepping into leadership before you feel “ready”. Niamh and I also dig into: How SMBs can punch above their weight by using AI and agents to operate like an enterprise—without enterprise headcount A real customer story of deploying an agent to deflect repetitive service queries and free humans for higher-value work The leadership shift from “let my work speak for itself” to intentionally building your brand and network Why resilience is now a core sales skill—and how Niamh hires for it (including from high-performance sport) How to build a genuine coaching culture where feedback is frequent, safe, and expected Niamh leaves listeners with two powerful challenges: start acting for the role you want long before the title arrives, and get intentional about how you’ll use the time AI gives you back—to double down on the deeply human skills that truly differentiate great sellers and leaders.

    37 min

  3. 10/07/2025

    Fixing Poopy Pipeline, Building Your Personal Brand & Improving Forecast Accuracy - Episode 8 with Lindsay Rios

    I’m very excited to share this episode - a (super!) candid conversation with Lindsay Rios—a true sales leadership enigma (in the best way) who was also recognized as one of the  "Top 100 Sales Queen to Follow." During our conversation Lindsay shares her incredible journey from nearly becoming a paediatric neurologist to crushing it in automotive sales, tech, and scaling startups. She opens up about her authentic approach to building her personal brand, embracing her unique personality, and sharing real struggles and victories. We dive into practical advice on owning your confidence, sharpening your sales strategies, and fostering true leadership that’s all about people. Whether you’re looking for insights on overcoming challenges like forecasting, building resilience, or just being unapologetically yourself, Lindsay’s got you covered. What you can look forward to: Why being authentic and true to yourself is a game changer in sales and leadership The value of building a personal brand that’s honest, raw, and relatable Tips on defining and evolving your ideal customer profile—spoiler: it’s a game changer How to improve forecasting accuracy by creating a healthy culture and alignment Avoiding the perils of "Poopy Pipeline" The importance of celebrating your wins and owning your achievements Lessons on resilience, tenacity, and trusting your strengths How being recognized as a top sales influencer has fueled Lindsay’s passion for supporting women in the workplace Practical advice for supporting neurodivergent team members and leading inclusively Hoping you'll enjoy this honest, inspiring chat as much as I did. Lindsay’s insights are truly empowering, and her approach to leadership and authenticity is something we can all learn from.

    40 min

  4. 08/21/2025

    Mastering Sales Success in Hyper-Growth Environments: Insights from Snowflake’s Adam Metherell

    My incredible guest this episode provides a tonne of invaluable insights centre on helping you succeed in today’s competitive sales leader environment. I'm thrilled to have had a sneak-peek behind the scenes at hyper-growth organisation, Snowflake and the chance to chat to one of their seasoned Sales leaders, Adam Metherell. We covered a tonne of bases in this discussion - from how to thrive in fast-growth environments and the adaptions required to succeed in an ever-changing sales landscape! A further flavour of what you can look forward to hearing: Career pivots late in life, demonstrating resilience and a growth mindset Building a purpose-driven team culture through clear communication and shared vision Hiring for character—focusing on intelligence, coachability, and effort—and designing rigorous interview processes to attract top talent Developing authentic customer relationships based on trust and long-term value Simplifying complex sales scenarios to focus on key drivers and strategic questioning Navigating the post-pandemic sales world Enjoy!

    33 min

  5. 07/11/2025

    Empowered Selling - Episode 6 - Amy Blanthorn Hazell

    I’m excited to unveil this episode of Empowered Selling, featuring the phenomenal Amy Blanthorne Hazel, now Senior RVP at Salesforce UKI. Amy’s journey from her early days at IBM to leading some of Salesforce’s most dynamic teams is packed with actionable insights on leadership, sales excellence, and building lasting client relationships. Here are some key highlights from the episode: 🔥 The Power of a Playbook 🔥 Building Trust and Authentic Relationships 🔥 Mastering Objection Handling 🔥 Sales Leadership in Large vs. Small Organizations 🔥 From First-line to Second-line Leadership 🔥 Resilience in Tough Times 🔥 Self-sufficiency and Speed  This episode offers inspiring lessons on strategic leadership, building trust-based relationships, and embracing a growth mindset — all from one of the most impressive leaders in the sales world today. 🎧 Don't miss out—listen now and elevate your leadership game!

    37 min

  6. 05/26/2025

    Empowered Selling, Episode 5 - Doreen Pernel

    In this latest episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Doreen Pernel, CSO at Scaleway, a trailblazing European cloud and AI solutions provider. With a stellar background at Bloomberg, Facebook, and Dataiku , Doreen shares her insights on transforming organisations, building high-performance teams, and embracing innovation. Highlights of our conversation include: The power of relationship-building in sales—trust is your true superpower. How a culture of enablement and coaching drives scalability and talent retention. Creative strategies for outbound sales engagement—surprise touches, video outreach, and team challenges. The role of AI in automating mundane tasks and freeing up sales teams to focus on strategic in-person interactions. The importance of daring to take risks—asking for forgiveness, not permission—and seizing growth opportunities. Doreen’s growth-mindset, authenticity, and adaptability make her a truly inspiring leader. Her advice? - Be bold, stay curious, and never be afraid to "ask for forgiveness"—the most successful often do. Enjoy!

    32 min

  7. 04/25/2025

    Empowered Selling - Episode 4 - Scott Barghaan

    In the latest episode we had the great pleasure of speaking to the awesome Scott Barghaan, an inspiring Senior GTM leader with an impressive career spanning over 25 years in sales and consultancy. From his impactful roles at EMC and Salesforce, where he shaped sales strategies and developed a groundbreaking global seller experience, Scott shares insights into his work and the lessons learned along the way. As ever this episode is packed with actionable insights, making it a must-listen for anyone looking to elevate their sales leadership game. Some of the key topics discussed: Evolving landscape of selling and the role of Sales Leaders The need for sales leaders to adapt their strategies to stay relevant Scott's own journey as a cancer survivor, providing him with a unique perspective on the balance between work and personal life Fostering a culture of experimentation The crucial role of understanding buyer behaviour Leveraging AI for improved sales processes The need for sales leaders to adapt their strategies to stay relevant The art of asking the right questions to enhance customer engagement We also dive into Scott's role in advising and investing in early-stage sales technologies, while also teaching at a prestigious MBA program and contributing to a national nonprofit that empowers individuals with disabilities. His passion for helping others is highlighted through the touching story he shares of  getting his daughter into skiing with the help of the National Ability Center.   Enjoy!

    40 min

  8. 04/11/2025

    Empowered Selling Episode 3 - Maddy Storr

    Sales leaders, if you’re ready to level up, this podcast is a must-listen! I was thrilled to reunite with a friend and former coachee of mine who also happens to be one of the most successful Sales Leaders in the UK, SVP of Cloud Services at Salesforce, Maddy Storr.  Maddy starter in career in her (small) family business, later working in recruitment which she says proved the foundation for her future success. She joined Salesforce a decade ago as an Account manager and has enjoyed tremendous success ever since. She transitioned into first line leadership in 2019, and was promoted into 2nd line leadership in 2022, and in 2024 she transitioned into a third-line leadership role with responsibility for leading the Salesforce Digital business, Revenue & Commerce Clouds, Slack and Service Cloud organisations across UKI.  In this episode we covered a wealth of topics including: How to truly build and lead a high performance sales team Insights on how to hire great talent (teaser: Experience matters less than core characteristics + potential!) Importance of doing the (future) job before you get the job Overcoming the most challenging aspects of Sales Leadership Approaches for (two-way!) feedback and coaching  The value of clarity & expectation setting + consistency Listen now and gain insights that’ll elevate your sales strategy and leadership skills!

    29 min
  9. Empowered Selling: Episode 2 - JB Graire

    03/22/2025

    Empowered Selling: Episode 2 - JB Graire

    Sales leaders, if you’re ready to level up, this podcast is a must-listen!  I had the privilege of speaking with Jean-Baptiste Graire, an incredible sales and tech leader who’s partnered with industry giants like Mars, Coca-Cola, and Chanel. He shares his wealth of experience, from leading a €30 million business at Salesforce to mentoring the next generation of sellers. In this episode, we discuss: The increasing power and importance of human relationships in Sales in the age of AI Why mentorship is the key to accelerating your sales career How to diversify your sales pipeline and navigate uncertainty Transforming from transactional to transformational selling Listen now and gain insights that’ll elevate your sales strategy and leadership skills!

    32 min

  10. 02/24/2025

    Empowered Selling: Episode 1 - John Zurowski

    What a first episode with rockstar Fractional CRO, John Zurowski as our first guest.  We're jumping right in, covering some of the hottest and meatiest topics in Sales Leadership today including:  Setting up for Success at the start of your selling FY Countering the 'Hockey Stick' effect in Sales Overcoming Pipegen challenges + driving (effective!) prospecting and piorgen efforts Responding to key challenges in Sales/Sales leadership This episode's guest, John Zurowski has spent 20 years leading sales functions for high-growth companies like Salesforce and Xerox and now works as a Fractional CRO for a range of organisations - from early-stage start-ups to Enterprise orgs, so he has incredible insight in driving a successful sales motion in organisations of all sizes. He shares a tonne of inspiring advice in this episode!

    32 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

Join seasoned Sales Enablement consultant & Sales Leader coach, Emily Drew, in conversation with some of the most influential, successful and inspiring Sales leaders in the world. We’ll discuss the hottest topics in sales, sales leadership and selling today and provide you with actionable insights and game-changing tips and guidance to amplify your success as a sales leader!

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  • Creator
    empoweredselling
  • Years Active
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  • Episodes
    10
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