🔥 Episode Summary:If comfort is your default setting, this one’s going to sting—in the best way. Ronnell chops it up with Patrick Oborn, co-founder of Telarus, to get brutally honest about what it really takes to win now: embracing pain, thinking like a financier, and repositioning yourself where decisions (and budgets) actually live—the C-suite.From Boy Scouts grit to ultrarunning discipline, Patrick lays out how discomfort forged his operating system—and why the channel’s next edge isn’t another tool, it’s smarter capital, sharper positioning, and real human connection. We go there: AI, data centers, power constraints, private equity, partner financing, and how to build a legacy that outlives your last deal.If you’re still camped out with IT while strategy happens upstairs…If you’ve ignored the finance side of growth…If you’re not leveraging supplier MDF to put CEOs in the room…👀 You’re getting lapped.💥 In This Episode:Why “embrace the pain” isn’t a poster—it’s a business modelHow Boy Scouts built Patrick’s leadership reps (and why kids need hard things)The uncomfortable truth about tech addiction & the next generationAI’s real constraint: power, not processors—and what that means for data centersThe future of the channel = enablement plus finance (cash unlocks growth)Private equity without the fear: transparency, discipline, and long-term residualsHow to reposition to the C-suite (and what to say when you get there)Use MDF like a pro: fill a room with CIOs/CEOs and make suppliers fund itThe LinkedIn tenure hack: tailor your pitch by where the CEO is in the job cycleFitness x business: the one coaching move that broke Patrick’s plateau🔍 What You’ll Learn:✔️ How to fund scale: M&A, gear, hiring—without wrecking cash flow✔️ How to stop being “the quote person” and start being the strategic advisor✔️ How to talk AI, utilities, and politics of cloud like an operator—not a tourist✔️ A practical playbook to get out of IT-only loops and into board-level conversations👤 Guest:Patrick ObornCo-Founder @ Telarus | Ultra-runner | Community builder📣 Resources & Recommendations from Patrick:Primal Endurance by Mark Sisson & Mark Allen (on becoming fat-adapted)Telarus Tech Trends (use third-party research to anchor business cases)SayLess Academy: https://www.sayless.academy📌 Timestamps:00:00 – Intro: “Comfort kills growth—let’s get uncomfortable.”03:12 – Boy Scouts, shyness, and the first “hard call” that changed everything08:40 – Tech & kids: dopamine loops, addiction, and creating real-world reps14:55 – Embrace pain: why discomfort is the fastest teacher (ultra lessons)20:18 – AI’s choke point is power: data centers, utilities, and the new bottleneck27:06 – The finance unlock: upfronts vs residuals, lending against commissions34:22 – Private equity without panic: discipline, debt, and long-term thinking41:00 – Partners: stop ghost-hunting—fund real growth (MDF, hires, engineers)46:33 – Reposition to the C-suite: what to pitch in Year 1 vs Year 3 CEOs53:10 – MDF plays that work: pack the room with decision-makers57:48 – Legacy, freedom, and helping entrepreneurs own their time1:01:20 – Fitness tip: hire a coach; kill sugar outside workouts; run “clean”🚨 Like this episode?Subscribe, drop a comment, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Your support helps us keep bringing this fire to the channel sales community.🌐 Get More Sales Firepower:Sales Training, Online Courses, Consulting: https://ronnellrichards.comJoin SayLess Academy: https://www.sayless.academy📢 Follow the Movement:LinkedIn: / ronnellrichardsInstagram: @imabusiness.manTikTok: @ronnellrichards