Untap Your Sales Potential

Ian Koniak
  • 5.0 (36)
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Untap Your Sales Potential helps tech sellers close the gap between good and elite. Through real stories of sellers who transformed their results, you’ll learn the mindset, habits, and skills behind top 1% performance. If you know you’re capable of more and want a clear path to get there, this podcast will show you what’s possible and how to achieve it.

Episodes

  1. #10 - She Cried Uncontrollably on the Street After Closing $1.7M | Christina Godwin

    8h ago

    #10 - She Cried Uncontrollably on the Street After Closing $1.7M | Christina Godwin

    I want to share how this story ends before I tell you how it begins.  Christina Godwin had just closed $1.7 million in 36 hours. It was the last stretch of her fiscal year at Workday. She left the Empire State Building, walked out onto the street in New York City, and started crying uncontrollably.  She was on her way to buy herself a Prada bag because she felt so proud of her accomplishments, yet she couldn’t stop sobbing.  She had just finished number one globally at Workday, finishing at 375% of quota with 37 transactions closed in a year. She closed more ACV than I did in my biggest year at Salesforce. And her body finally let go of everything it had been carrying all year.  These weren’t tears of happiness…they were tears of relief because she no longer had put herself under so much pressure to finish #1, and she could finally let go. On the last day of the fiscal year.  This story tells you everything you need to know about what it actually costs to be the best in the world at sales. It requires showing up every single day, being obsessed with achieving your goal, and overcoming constant roadblocks and obstacles to win. And staying cool, calm, and collected while everybody else around you freaks out or crumbles.  Christina is one of the top sellers I’ve ever coached. She has been an AE at Workday for seven years, and made President's Club every single year. She’s been  over 150% of plan and does it while managing a family, working only nine to five, and saying no to almost everything that doesn’t create new pipeline or advance her deals forward. Christina didn’t start in software sales, nor does she have a traditional sales background.  Before Workday she worked in accounting at Deloitte doing tax work she hated. She got into Workday as a solution consultant because she didn’t have the enterprise sales experience to compete for an AE role directly. She spent three years as an SC, describing herself as “mediocre” at it.  When she finally got her chance to prove herself in sales, she was determined not to squander it. She quickly became a top workday performer, and invested in coaching to take her sales game to the next level.  She went ALL IN on herself, attending every weekly call, office hours, and listened to the training videos in the Untap portal on walks or while doing laundry.  But most importantly, she APPLIED what she learned. One one coaching call I told Christina that the top sellers get 80% of their revenue from 20% of their accounts, and she didn’t believe me at first. But she trusted me, and decided to focus only on her biggest accounts. She joined UYSP in 2023, and her results since joining her program have been jaw-dropping.   She’s averaged 223% of quota and $5.52M ACV the past 3 years!  In this week’s podcast, she shares exactly how she’s been able to achieve these results while only working 9-5 and showing up for her family.  Learn more at: https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast/ Email Christina at: ckgodwin12 [at] gmail [dot] com

    1h 6m
  2. #9 - The #1 Global AE at Mambu Wasn’t Even a Salesperson | Ashwin Sirse

    Jun 9

    #9 - The #1 Global AE at Mambu Wasn’t Even a Salesperson | Ashwin Sirse

    One of the biggest myths in sales is that top performers all look the same. They're charismatic, extroverted, and natural-born salespeople. They're great at presenting, excellent communicators, and master negotiators.  But after coaching hundreds of top performers, I've found the opposite is true. The best sellers win because they lean into their strengths…not because they try to become someone else. This week on the Untap Your Sales Potential Podcast, I sat down with Ashwin Sirse, a UYSP client who became the #1 Global AE at Mambu, finishing 295% of quota and closing multiple eight-figure deals. What makes Ashwin's story so compelling isn't the result. It's how he got there. When Ashwin entered enterprise software sales, he had no banking experience. He was surrounded by people who had spent 10+ years in the industry. He struggled with anxiety, imposter syndrome, and questioned whether he belonged in sales. And yet, a few years later, he was the top performer in the company. Why? Because he stopped trying to be a stereotypical salesperson.  Instead, he leaned into his superpower: Project Management. Before sales, Ashwin worked in client services managing complex projects. Most people would have viewed that background as irrelevant, but Ashwin turned it into his competitive advantage. He used his project management skills to build and execute a repeatable sales motion.  He used his project management skills to build out org charts and empower his champions to multi-thread.  He used his project management skills to build a comprehensive spreadsheet to map out the exact steps and timeline that clients need to follow for a successful project.  His philosophy was simple: "Keep customers so busy they don't have time to look elsewhere." He introduces mutual action plans in the second or third meeting, not when the deal is ready to close.  He even introduces himself to clients as the “Project Evaluation Lead,” not an AE.  Because real deals are not “opportunities,” they are “projects.”  This approach helped him close an 8 figure deal and convert 40% of initial meetings into qualified projects.  But this interview isn't just about enterprise sales. It's about building confidence, reducing anxiety, and learning to trust yourself.  And becoming the person you're capable of becoming. In this Fireside Chat, Ashwin shares: • How he overcame anxiety, self-doubt, and imposter syndrome in sales • The mindset shifts that helped him build true confidence • His approach to executive conversations and point-of-view selling • The exact mutual action plan process that accelerates eight-figure opportunities and a demonstration of the spreadsheet he uses • Why he took a three-month sabbatical after becoming #1 globally • The coaching lessons that changed his life forever The biggest lesson I hope people take away from this interview: You don't need to become someone else to be elite. Everything you need to succeed is already within you. You just need to trust yourself and lean into the unique abilities that make you great.  That's exactly what Ashwin did. And it's exactly what every seller can do. Learn more at https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 7m
  3. #8 - He Almost Lost His Job, Then He Made $1M Two Years in a Row | Jonathan Samuelson

    Jun 2

    #8 - He Almost Lost His Job, Then He Made $1M Two Years in a Row | Jonathan Samuelson

    When I interviewed Jonathan Samuelson, I knew his numbers were incredible. 248% of quota his first year with Untap Your Sales Potential, 318% the next, and two consecutive years earning over $1,000,000 W2 in tech sales.  What I didn’t know was his personal story and how much adversity he’d overcome to get here.  Before joining UYSP, Jonathan had been at Genesys for five years and had nearly lost his job due to poor performance. Then his son Miles was born with a heart condition and couldn’t breathe on his own from the moment he entered the world. They spent 21 days in the pediatric ICU. By God’s grace, his son survived and he’s now a happy and healthy boy.  When Miles stabilized, something shifted in Jonathan as a father and a man. He had a much deeper purpose in life, and a greater appreciation for how fragile and precious life can be. At that point, he made the decision to invest in himself and go ALL IN on his career, his family, and his future. The next year he was at Chairman's Club. Then he did it again. In the process, he also runs Ultra-marathons including running a 100-miler. To top it off, he published a children's book called Little Trail Runner to teach kids some of the valuable lessons that he learned from trail running, and is raising two kids under four at home. Want to know how he does it all? This is exactly what we discussed on the podcast.  This conversation is one of the most inspiring and energizing ones I’ve had since starting the podcast. Here is what we covered: His rock bottom before starting coaching: spending his workdays browsing Zillow, being constantly distracted, and feeling deep anxiety from not performing at his potentialHow Miles being born with a life-threatening heart condition became the moment everything changedGoing from under $200K to over $1M in his first year in the program, and the exact shifts he made to 5x his income The daily planning system that keeps him focused and intentional despite having ADHDHow he closed an $8M ACV deal at the director level without ever having true executive access, and what that taught him about champion-buildingThe 40X ROI of coaching: investing $20K and earning $800K that year Why he started doing daily affirmations after mocking them for yearsHow faith changed his relationship with anxiety and quota pressureRunning 100 miles in 24 hours and what that taught him about enduranceWriting a children's bookThe decision to go ALL IN that changed his entire life If you are sick and tired of getting average results, this conversation will inspire you to make the necessary changes to succeed at the highest level in sales and in life.  Learn more at https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 12m
  4. #7 - He Sold $87M at 34 Years Old | Mike Brandt

    May 26

    #7 - He Sold $87M at 34 Years Old | Mike Brandt

    When I was at Salesforce, I fiercely competed for the #1 Enterprise AE position against another seller named Mike Brandt. I haven’t spoken to him in 8 years since then, and we recently caught up for this month’s Fireside Chat.  You may not have heard of Mike Brandt before, but after today’s conversation you won’t forget him. Mike has one of the most impressive track records I’ve ever seen in tech sales: 12 of 13 years over quota, earning 500K to 1M as a top Enterprise AE at Salesforce, before getting promoted to Enterprise RVP and now leading one of Snowflake’s strongest teams. Mike and his teams have personally sold over 87M in net new ACV!  The most impressive part – he is only 34 years old.  And he’s achieved this without sacrificing his health or personal life.  Mike has five kids under eight years old and his family is “screen-free.” He lives on a small hobby farm with goats, sheep, chickens, and a pony. He’s also been sober for three years. Mike is a force of nature, and this is the first time he has ever gone public with his story. Here are some of the topics we explored during our conversation:  1. How he “does it all” The habits, boundaries, and lifestyle choices that enable him to lead at an elite level, finish work by 5pm, and spend quality time with his family.  2. How he landed a job as an Enterprise AE at Salesforce at just 22 years old.  3. Why selling like a consultant is key to landing big software contracts, and the exact playbook to sell like a consultant.  4. How he develops sales superstars with the goal of getting one person on his team promoted every year, and another to pay off their house!  5. The shift from license to consumption model in software sales, and how to adapt your sales approach to meet the changing market landscape.  6. Why Mike got sober three years ago, and the impact it’s had on his mind and health.  I know this conversation will inspire you as much as it inspired me.  Learn more at https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 1m
  5. #6 - She Climbed From 38% Quota to $14M in One Year | Carolina Chavez

    May 19

    #6 - She Climbed From 38% Quota to $14M in One Year | Carolina Chavez

    What does it take to go from 38% quota attainment to closing $14 million in a single year, landing one of only 20 elite sales roles in all of SAP, and doing it all as the youngest person on her team (and the only Latina woman in the room)? For Carolina Chavez, it started with facing herself. Carolina is now an Account Executive in SAP's Strategic Customer Program, where she manages one of SAP's global strategic accounts. She spent two years in Untap Your Sales Potential and during that time tripled her sales production, closed $14 million on a $5 million annual quota, and earned a promotion that only 20 people in the entire company hold.  She is also a certified hypnotherapist with over 250 hours of training, a co-founder of the Latinas in Tech Denver chapter, and one of the most self-aware sellers I’ve ever coached. But the version of Carolina who walked into our first coaching call was a completely different person. She had hit only 38% of quota in her first year at SAP. She was the youngest on her team, one of the only women, and had zero enterprise sales experience. She was operating from a place of fear and proving herself to others.  She questioned herself constantly and wondered “why would anyone listen to me?”  She was in hustle mode, pouring from an empty cup, and had no idea that the real problem was not her skills. It was what she believed about herself. And underneath all of that was something even deeper. In 2020, she had been through a traumatic personal event that shook her sense of confidence and safety to its foundation. She eventually had to get a restraining order. She tried traditional talk therapy and it didn’t work. Then she tried hypnotherapy for the first time and was shocked by how much it helped. That experience started a years-long personal healing journey that would eventually transform the way she showed up in every room she walked into. Here is what we covered on my latest podcast episode: How to go from a new Enterprise Seller with zero experience to closing $14 million on a $5 million quota and earning one of only 20 strategic customer roles at SAP by age 30Going from hustle mode and proving worthiness to showing up calm and authentic The deep multi-threading playbook she used to break through IT and build C-suite relationships at a 20-year customer who had never once responded to outreachHow she went back to a prospect's college years on LinkedIn to find a warm path to a chief accounting officer and what happened when she finally got the meetingHer morning routine: hypnotherapy, movement, visualization, and why she calls it non-negotiableWhy investing $18,000 in coaching transformed her sales and lifeHow she was able to rise above a traumatic experience through hypnotherapy, and her powerful advice for anybody who remains stuck because of their trauma What she would tell anyone sitting at 38% quota right now who feels like the role is beyond them Carolina's story is proof that the inner work is not separate from the results. When you do the work on yourself, your results skyrocket.  Learn more at https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 9m
  6. #5 - From Homeless Shelter to $1M in Tech Sales | Mikhail Avant

    May 12

    #5 - From Homeless Shelter to $1M in Tech Sales | Mikhail Avant

    Most people never come close to achieving their full potential. Not because they lack talent. Because they never fully commit. This week on the Untap Your Sales Potential Podcast, I sat down live with one of the most intense, disciplined, and inspiring sellers I’ve ever coached: Mikhail Avant. It was one of the most inspiring conversations I’ve ever had.  Mikhail was born in a homeless shelter. He grew up in violence, chaos, poverty, and instability. By age 10, he was helping raise his younger brothers while his mother worked to survive. He became obsessed with discipline through basketball and hardship. Then life humbled him. He dropped out of college and worked as a janitor. Lived in a tiny apartment with cracked walls. He had no mentors, degree, or roadmap to follow.  But he refused to accept his current life.  He started working as a trainer and found out he was really good at sales.  If only somebody would give him a shot in corporate sales, he would take care of the rest.  Eventually, he broke into tech sales and got his opportunity. He became a high performer and continued to put himself in bigger opportunities, finding his way to ServiceNow.  That’s when he decided to level up and coach with me.  When Mikhail joined my coaching program in 2023, his biggest year ever was around $200K. The next year he made over $500K. The following year, he made $1M. But the most powerful part of his story isn’t the money. It’s HOW he transformed. He made a decision to go ALL IN and become the very best in sales.  In this conversation, we go deep on: • The mindset shift that completely changed his life • Why champions don’t “set goals”, they make decisions • What “ALL IN” actually looks like in practice • Executive selling and how to get access to power • How he sold massive enterprise logos like Snowflake, Microsoft, and Lyft at a startup • Why most people never reach their potential • The role spirituality, purpose, and identity play in elite performance • Why he left SaaS for AI and where he sees the future going • The mentality required to become truly world-class This was one of the most emotional, raw, and powerful interviews I’ve ever done. If you know you’re capable of more… If you’re tired of playing small… If you’re ready to stop making excuses and fully commit to your potential… There are nuggets in this conversation that can genuinely change your life - but only if you make a decision to take action afterwards. Learn more at https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 13m
  7. #4 - She Sold $15M in 5 Months at AWS, Then Quit Her Job | Athina Lampru

    May 5

    #4 - She Sold $15M in 5 Months at AWS, Then Quit Her Job | Athina Lampru

    What if the intense drive that makes you successful in the sales comes at the cost of your family, your peace, and your life? What if you run so hard that you end up in the hospital?  In our latest podcast episode, our new sales strategist Athina Lampru shares how running from her past fueled elite performance in sales, but nearly cost her everything.  Athina sat down with me to share her story for the first time publicly.  Here is what we covered on the podcast: Growing up in Venezuela with an alcoholic mother, an absent father, and a childhood defined by survival mode. Why trauma is often the hidden fuel behind high-performing salespeople, and what it costs when you never deal with itThe birth of her first son and the postpartum spiral that cracked everything open What it actually looks like to miss your child's first year because you cannot stop runningThe panic attack that finally forced her to face herselfWalking away from millions because the cost to her family was too highThe integrity gap: why the distance between your values and your actions is directly proportional to the shame you carry every dayHow slowing down at Amazon unlocked a $60 million pipeline and $15 million closed in under 5 months Getting baptized and married on the same weekend, with both parents who hurt her most walking her down the aisleHer advice for anybody running so fast they can’t enjoy the life they are already living Ahtina's story is living proof that you can have it all if you are willing to slow down and face yourself. And when you finally slow down to face the person in the mirror and do the deep work on yourself, you come back more powerful than ever. Book a free discovery call and learn more at untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 11m
  8. #3 - He Made $4M Commissions on a Single Deal | Alpesh Patel

    Apr 28

    #3 - He Made $4M Commissions on a Single Deal | Alpesh Patel

    What does it take to close a nine‑figure enterprise deal, earn a $4 million commission check, and become one of the most respected sellers in tech sales history? That is exactly what Alpesh Patel did. At Salesforce, Alpesh closed one of the largest deals the company had ever seen — a transformative, multi‑year agreement with a Fortune 100 insurance company. A deal so complex and hard‑fought that most sellers would have walked away long before the finish line. But the size of the deal is not what makes his story remarkable. Years earlier, this deal started as a failure. The initial pilot went nowhere. He faced rejection, skepticism, and doors that stayed firmly closed. Instead of moving on, Alpesh made a radical decision: he committed himself fully to understanding the customer’s world. He literally became a licensed insurance agent to earn credibility, uncover the real problem, and align himself with the customer’s mission. What followed was not a quick win. It was years of persistence, face‑to‑face presence, and value‑first selling that eventually turned doubt into trust, hesitation into urgency, and skepticism into executive alignment. Here is what we covered: The anatomy of a career‑defining deal and why the long road mattered more than the closeHow a failed pilot became the foundation for one of the biggest wins in Salesforce historyWhy Alpesh chose to become an insurance agent — and what that unlocked with senior executivesHow consistent in‑person engagement changed the trajectory of the dealWhat it actually feels like to receive a $4M commission check — and why it was not the most meaningful part His value selling framework: BelievableAchievableSustainableDifferentiated Why these principles work at the highest levels of enterprise sales. Leadership and culture lessons: Why coin‑operated sellers do not scaleThe four traits Alpesh hired for as a sales leader: Trust, Innovation, Conviction, CourageHow he built teams that felt part of something bigger — and how that culture led to record‑breaking results at Salesforce and DocuSignPersonal growth and authenticity: Why vulnerability strengthens trust instead of weakening itHow to succeed in enterprise sales without being flashy or performativeWhy conviction without vulnerability turns into arrogane This is not a typical sales interview. It is a rare look at how world‑class enterprise sellers actually think, operate, and build trust - quietly, patiently, and with purpose. If you are serious about mastering enterprise sales, earning executive trust, and selling in a way that aligns with who you are, this is 70 minutes worth your time. Book a free discovery call and learn more at untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 4m
  9. #2 - From Plumber to $1M+ Earner at Age 32 | Robby Jones

    Apr 21

    #2 - From Plumber to $1M+ Earner at Age 32 | Robby Jones

    What happens when you reach the top of the mountain you spent your whole life climbing, and you still feel empty? That is the question at the heart of this conversation with Robby Jones. Robby is VP of Sales at SAP, running a $200 million ARR enterprise business with a $60 million ACV quota at just 32 years old. He is a member of our seven-figure club, and last year he closed one of the largest deals in SAP's history — a nine-figure deal. By every external measure, he has made it. But Robby's story did not start anywhere near the top. He grew up in Vancouver with parents who divorced when he was a baby, a mom who raised him in Canada, and a household shaped by addiction and scarcity for most of his childhood and adolescence. No money for basketball shoes. No vacations. A two-bedroom, one-bathroom ground-level suite with no stairs. He remembers as a kid thinking: when I get older, I am going to have a place with stairs. Grand ones. He followed his stepfather into the trades. Got a plumbing apprenticeship. Got laid off on his birthday. Then, inspired by a conversation with his grandfather over coffee, he applied to 50 sales jobs on Craigslist, got into door-to-door sales knocking on residential doors for a Telus contractor, and did it for two years. On the van rides to the territory every morning, they played Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, and Brian Tracy. He had never heard any of it before. It rewired him. That rocket fuel drove him from door-to-door to tech sales to SAP, where over nine years he built a career that most sellers only dream about. And then he closed the biggest deal of his life, hung up the phone, and thought: is that it? This episode is about what happens when achievement stops being enough, and what the real work actually looks like. Here is what we covered: Growing up with scarcity, addiction in the family, and how those have-nots became a relentless drive to succeedThe birthday he got laid off from his plumbing apprenticeship and why it was the best day of his lifeTwo years of door-to-door sales and the positive brainwashing that changed his mindset foreverThe inward to outward shift: how moving from "what can I get" to "how can I help" unlocked his biggest resultsHow Robby became so embedded with one enterprise customer that he had a badge, walked the halls, and built relationships that still greet him with hugs at conferences todayClosing a nine-figure deal and feeling nothing after: the commission hangover nobody talks aboutThe dark side of achievement-driven identity: addiction, inability to be present, and projecting onto the people closest to youHow taking his mom to Italy two years ago was the most sober and present he had ever seen herBreaking a generational cycle of addiction before his first child arrives in OctoberHis north star coming out of coaching and therapy: not fulfillment, not success. Freedom. Robby's story is proof that you can come from nothing and reach the very top. It is also a reminder that the inner work does not stop when the commission check clears. The goal was never just the deal. Book a free discovery call and learn more at untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 15m
  10. #1 - She Became the #1 AE in America Working 9 to 5 as a Mom | Kelsie Neibel

    Apr 14

    #1 - She Became the #1 AE in America Working 9 to 5 as a Mom | Kelsie Neibel

    What does it actually look like to crush your sales career without sacrificing your family, your health, or your sanity? That is exactly what Kelsie Neibel has done. In 2025, Kelsie was the number one AE in all of America at SnapLogic, made President's Club, and hit 175% of her quota. The year before that, she was AE of the Year and hit 141% of quota. She has done all of this as a full-time working mom, working strictly nine to five, without burning out. But that is not the most impressive part of her story. Two years ago, Kelsie was a completely different person. She had just pivoted from consulting into enterprise sales at Salesforce with no BDR background, no playbook, and no confidence. She was a brand new mom. She was underperforming, making under $200K, and drowning in imposter syndrome. In her own words, she felt like a "rag doll," showing up reactive every day, constantly in her own head on sales calls, questioning whether she even belonged. She had the drive. She did not have the tools. So she made a decision. She invested $45,000 over two years in coaching and community, bet on herself, and what followed was a transformation that touched every part of her life: her income, her mindset, her presence as a mother, and the way she shows up every single day. Here is what we covered: The rock bottom moment that pushed her to finally ask for helpWhy becoming a mom became the fuel, not the obstacle, for her transformationThe single mindset shift that unlocked everything: detaching from the outcome and selling from serviceHow she went from anxious and reactive on every call to calm, confident, and fully presentThe exact daily habits and time management system she uses to work strictly nine to five and still outsell everyoneWhy saying no is one of her most powerful selling toolsHow she rewired her self-talk using catch, own, replaceWhat it really means to operate like the CEO of your own territoryHer direct advice to anyone stuck in imposter syndrome right now Kelsie's story is proof that you do not have to choose between being a great parent and being a top performer. You do not have to grind 60-hour weeks. You do not have to white-knuckle your way to the top. You just have to be willing to change. Book a free discovery call and learn more at untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    1h 17m
  11. #0 - Untap Your Sales Potential Podcast Trailer

    Apr 13

    #0 - Untap Your Sales Potential Podcast Trailer

    In this trailer, Ian Koniak shares who this podcast is for, why he built it, and what you can expect every week. Ian is the founder and CEO of Untap Your Sales Potential, the world's fastest growing community of tech sellers. Over the past four years, more than 625 sellers have gone through his program and transformed their results. But Ian did not start at the top. For three years in a row at Salesforce, he missed his number. He had hit quota twelve consecutive years before that. He thought he could figure it out alone. He could not.  On the last day of his third missed fiscal year, he looked in the mirror and said never again. He got help, invested in himself, and that year finished number one at Salesforce globally and made a million dollars. He followed it up four years straight. Now the top sellers from Salesforce, DocuSign, SAP, Workday, and some of the biggest companies in the world are coming through his program and transforming their careers and their lives. This podcast is where their stories live, and it is free for everyone. If you feel stuck, if you know you are capable of more, if you want to know exactly what the top performers are doing right now, subscribe and listen every week. Learn more and book your free strategy call: http://untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    15 min
  • 11 Episodes

5
out of 5
36 Ratings

About

Untap Your Sales Potential helps tech sellers close the gap between good and elite. Through real stories of sellers who transformed their results, you’ll learn the mindset, habits, and skills behind top 1% performance. If you know you’re capable of more and want a clear path to get there, this podcast will show you what’s possible and how to achieve it.

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