I have spent my entire 30+ year career in tech sales. From landing million-dollar software deals to Fortune 100 clients to selling database consulting projects or selling software to institutions of Higher Education, I have seen a lot. As the Teddy Roosevelt quote says, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,” and I have been in the arena for a while. My origin story - Teachers, entrepreneurs, farmers, civil servants, and business owners pepper my family tree. My dad never had a salary in his life, always running his own business. My mom was a teacher. I grew up working in my stepdad’s small-town grocery store for pocket money, much of which went to keep my old Buick alive. I made a few good decisions and worked through the challenges, and now I am here. I have been fortunate to work with numerous very talented technology folks. I learned a lot from them all, and my impulse is to pay it forward. I like to hire great people and turn them loose to make great things happen. Enabled autonomy drives great results. That level of self-sufficiency starts with trust and collaboration. Numerous of my past team members are now leading teams or companies. And yes, I beam with pride for all of them. I don’t take credit for where they ended up, but my sincere hope is that I contributed what I could to help them blaze their trail. My career has been an eclectic mix of companies, all in the software space. From startups to darlings of Wall Street to mature multinationals, my title always includes “sales.” The actual work spans the business:• Sales process design/delivery• Contract negotiation• Developing and nurturing of corporate culture• Coaching and performance improvement• Sales training, coaching, and individual development• Preservation of revenue recognition policy• Formation/Leading of Sales Operations team • Territory plan, design, management• Compensation plan design and deployment • M&A due diligence, strategy, and integration• Whiteboard/Collaborative sales methodologies• Corporate strategy • Sales team reorganization and optimization …..and don’t forget ten-time Tough Mudder finisher – my knees sure don’tTo this day, my passion is still building teams and developing people. Leading and coaching is just another form of teaching, so I probably get that from my mom. Growing a team and a business surely comes from my dad. There is nothing like making great things happen with great people, then celebrating success together. That’s me in a few paragraphs. That’s the origin story.