What actually makes a sales team great?

Is it scripts? More leads? Better tech?

In this episode of Chasing Impact, Not Sales, Mandy sits down with Emily Maxie to go behind the scenes of what high-performing sales teams are really built on and ... spoiler alert, it's not ego or hustle culture.

Emily brings the perspective of a true operator: someone who doesn't just talk strategy but builds systems, coaches people, and aligns teams to execute with confidence.

Together, Mandy and Emily unpack what separates average sales teams from elite ones, including:

• Why confidence (not arrogance) is the real sales superpower

• How curiosity and coachability outperform "natural talent" every time

• What weekly call reviews should look like — and why team-wide coaching matters

• The danger of too many good ideas and not enough execution capacity

• Why scripts kill growth and context creates momentum

• How sales, marketing, and product alignment drives real revenue results

This conversation is especially for founders, sales leaders, and growth-minded professionals who are tired of chasing shiny tactics and ready to build teams that win with integrity, confidence, and clarity.

If you've ever felt the tension between swagger and humility, vision and execution, or growth and sustainability, this episode is for you.

Emily Maxie is a revenue-first operator helping B2B SaaS startups use AI to close more deals — not just generate more noise. As Chief Growth Officer at Firm360, she runs the full go-to-market motion, aligning sales, marketing, and product to accelerate pipeline, amplify brand trust, and boost conversion at every stage.

Emily has spent her career inside early-stage and scaling startups, partnering closely with founders to turn vision into execution and build high-performing teams that actually deliver.

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilymaxie/

As always, if this episode resonates, share it with a leader who's building something meaningful — and remember, it's not about chasing sales.

It's about chasing impact. 💥

If this episode resonated and you're ready to lock in your sales systems, leadership approach, or KPI structure and management:

👉 Book a conversation with Mandy: https://calendly.com/mandyminitello-consult/30min

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 [email protected] 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

In this solo episode, Mandy breaks down a simple, human-first KPI framework designed to help sales leaders, founders, and service-based business owners stop chasing vanity metrics and start tracking what actually moves the needle.

If KPIs have ever felt overwhelming, misaligned, or disconnected from how your team really sells, this episode is your reset.

This is not about adding more dashboards. It's about clarity, consistency, and confidence going into your next quarter and beyond.

This episode walks through a practical framework built around:

• Inputs – What your team can control daily and weekly

• Outputs – What indicates progress and effectiveness

• Outcomes – What actually drives revenue, retention, and trust

The goal is to create visibility without micromanagement and accountability without fear.

KPIs should create:

• Better conversations

• Better coaching

• Better decisions

Not anxiety, confusion, or reactive leadership.

This framework is designed to help you lead with intention and build momentum throughout the year instead of constantly "starting over." DOWNLOAD THE CHEAT SHEET

• Sales leaders managing teams

• Founders selling alongside running the business

• Coaches and consultants tracking sales performance

• Anyone who wants a clean, repeatable way to measure progress without overcomplicating it

Audit your current KPIs and ask:

• Which ones actually inform decisions?

• Which ones create clarity?

• Which ones can be eliminated?

Then choose fewer, better metrics and commit to reviewing them consistently. DOWNLOAD THE CHEAT SHEET

If this episode resonated and you're ready to lock in your sales systems, leadership approach, or KPI structure and management:

👉 Book a conversation with Mandy: https://calendly.com/mandyminitello-consult/30min

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 [email protected] 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

🎙️ Episode 19: Where Does AI End?

If you're curious about where AI belongs and where it doesn't, this episode will hit home. We dig into what AI should do in sales, learning, and enablement, and why human judgment, empathy, and strategic thinking still matter.

• How AI can serve as an "assistant" supporting workflows, formatting, and repetitive tasks — without replacing human creativity or strategy

• Why there's value in preserving original thought, human insight, and personal experience in our work even as we lean into powerful AI tools

• The lines between automation and authenticity and how leaning too heavily into AI can erode trust and human connection

• What it looks like to use AI responsibly: letting it enhance productivity, not define the work

• A clear framework for when to rely on AI and when to trust human wisdom and experience

• A sharper sense of how to integrate AI tools without losing your voice or authenticity

• An approach that values strategy, empathy, and impact over flashy automation

• A fresh perspective on how AI and human judgment can complement each other, not compete

Ask yourself: "Is this task I'm giving to AI something that benefits from automation, or does it need my strategic mind, empathy, and experience?"

If you're using AI to polish or structure ideas you've created, that's smart. If you're letting it take over the thinking, you are losing something vital.

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about working with Mandy 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

🎙️ Episode 18: FRACTIONAL LEADERSHIP:THE SECRET WEAPON IN A SKEPTICAL MARKET

In this short, candid episode, Mandy breaks down why fractional leadership has become one of the fastest-growing solutions for modern businesses — and why the real driver isn't budget cuts, it's trust.

From holiday conversations to behind-the-scenes sales strategy, Mandy shares what fractionals actually do, why companies are turning to them, and how this model is reshaping the way founders and CEOs scale in today's market.

• What a fractional officer really is (beyond the buzzword)

• Why so many leaders are "trigger shy" in 2024–2025

• The difference between a trust recession and a financial recession

• Why consumers and CEOs are evaluating ROI differently

• What makes fractional operators uniquely powerful

• The four biggest reasons companies choose fractional leadership

• How fractional roles give organizations high-caliber expertise without long-term commitment

The market isn't slow — it's skeptical. Trust has become the currency, and fractional leadership gives founders access to elite-level strategy without the risk, cost, or permanence of a traditional executive hire.

If your sales system feels stuck, inconsistent, or unclear, Mandy can help you build a high-trust, high-conversion sales engine.

Connect on LinkedIn to explore fractional or project-based support.

If this conversation pushed you, encouraged you, or gave you your fire back… share it with someone who needs it. And as always, thank you for chasing impact with me — not just sales.

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about working with Mandy 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

🎙️ Episode 17: Sales Start with Vision

If your sales feel scattered, inconsistent, or heavy… this episode is the reset you need. Today, we're breaking down why every powerful sales motion starts with vision. Unpopular opinion, it's not scripts, not tactics, not hustle…Vision.

Because when you're clear on where you're going, the way you sell, lead, and show up becomes intentional. And intentionality creates confidence. Confidence creates consistency. And consistency creates conversions.

Inside this episode, we dig into what it actually looks like to build a vision your team can rally around, how to anchor your daily actions to that vision, and why clarity is the difference between a team that performs and a team that burns out.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why vision is the foundation of every high-performing sales culture
• How to create clarity your team can feel, not just hear
• The link between vision, accountability, and daily habits
• What happens when your onboarding and coaching reinforce the wrong things
• How to course-correct when your team drifts from the mission

Takeaways you'll want to write down:

• Vision isn't a vibe — it's a strategy.
• You cannot ask your team for consistency if you haven't given them clarity.
• The way you onboard people sets the tone for the culture you build.
• When the vision is strong, the tactics become simple.

My challenge to you this week:

Ask yourself, "Is my vision strong enough to hold the goals I keep setting?" If the answer feels like a maybe, this episode will help you tighten it up.

Ready to align your vision with action, energy, and revenue?

If you're tired of guessing, piecing it together alone, or running a team that feels way busier than it is productive… let's work together. I help leaders build sales systems and learning ecosystems that match the vision they say they want — and generate the revenue to support it. If you're ready to lead with clarity and sell with confidence, reach out. Your next level starts with vision.

If this conversation pushed you, encouraged you, or gave you your fire back… share it with someone who needs it. And as always, thank you for chasing impact with me — not just sales.

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about working with Mandy 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

🎙️ Episode 16: Firefighters, Navy SEALs, and Ninjas

In this episode, I'm diving into sales leadership through three personas: the Firefighter, the Navy SEAL, and the Ninja. It's a conversation about how we show up as leaders — not just to solve problems, but to create sustainable, scalable impact.

I share how a recent compliment on my leadership style led me to realize that what feels natural to some of us isn't always common practice and it's time we bring that awareness to the forefront for sales leaders, managers, and consultants across every industry.

🔥 Here's what we explore:

• Firefighters: The startup founders and early-stage leaders who live in constant reaction mode — putting out fires, solving emergencies, and staying in survival gear.
• Navy SEALs: Tactical operators who step in to execute with precision, solve immediate problems, and deliver results fast — but may move on before long-term systems take root.
• Ninjas: Strategic visionaries who take a long-range view, play the slow game, and design systems that sustain success long after the crisis is over.

Through storytelling (including a wild UFC analogy you won't see coming 👀), I break down what it looks like to evolve from being just a Firefighter or a Navy SEAL into being both tactical and strategic — a leader who can solve problems and build futures.

💡 Key takeaway:

If you want to lead sales teams or client relationships that last, you can't just show up as the hero who fixes things. You have to be the partner who helps rebuild the system. Be the Navy SEAL and the Ninja.

🧭 Tune in if you're:

• A sales leader, coach, or consultant who's ready to lead beyond the chaos
• A founder learning to step out of the "firefighting" phase
• Someone who's building teams, systems, or strategies that last

Because true leadership isn't about saving the day — it's about creating days that don't need saving. Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about working with Mandy 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

What if the reason you're stuck in sales has nothing to do with scripts, strategy, or skill—but everything to do with what's happening beneath the surface?

In this episode of Chasing Impact, Not Sales, Mandy sits down with Dr. Javier Carlin, former physical therapist turned mindset performance coach, to explore the powerful link between your subconscious mind and your sales success.

Together, they unpack:

• Why 95% of your results are driven by the unseen programming in your mind

• How "earned confidence" and mental conditioning build authentic sales swagger

• The science behind releasing limiting beliefs around money, rejection, and success

• What it means to upgrade your internal operating system (and stop running outdated mental software)

• Real stories of sales pros who broke through fear and decision paralysis to scale with clarity

Whether you're leading a sales team, building your own business, or just tired of white-knuckling your way through every close—this conversation will shift how you think about performance, confidence, and the mental game of sales. ✨ If you've ever wondered why some people seem to "just have it" in sales—this episode proves you can, too. Because swagger isn't inherited. It's installed.

Connect with Dr. Javier Carlin, Founder, The Hidden Revenue Company™:

The Sales Mind Advantage: hiddenrevenue.co/advantage Email:[email protected]

Website: https://hiddenrevenue.co LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drjaviercarlin Instagram: @drjaviercarlin

• 🎧 Grab his free Sales Mind Advantage audio activation series hiddenrevenue.co/advantage

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about working with Mandy 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

🎙️ Episode 14: Competitive Arrogance – Play Like You've Earned It

In this powerful and personal episode, Mandy breaks down a concept that stopped her scrolling and started her thinking: competitive arrogance.

Inspired by a post from her son's football coach, Mandy explores how what looks like arrogance on the surface is really earned confidence—the mindset that separates the great from the average. Whether you're leading a sales team, coaching athletes, or building your own career, this episode is your reminder that swagger isn't about entitlement. It's about putting in the reps, doing the work, and aligning your value with your vision.

Mandy connects the dots between high-performing athletes and top-performing sales pros, revealing what it truly means to "train for your business the way athletes train for their sport." You'll hear how to build your own version of competitive arrogance, why the greats never cut corners, and how strategy will always win over tactic in the long game of business and leadership.

If you've ever felt the tension between confidence and humility, this one's for you. You've earned your place at the table. Now play like it.

🔥 Key Takeaways:

• Competitive arrogance is not cockiness—it's earned confidence

• The greats don't chase shortcuts, they chase mastery

• Growth is ongoing; entitlement is the enemy of greatness

• Strategy beats tactics every single time

• Confidence is built through alignment, repetition, and readiness

🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: What are you doing today to earn your confidence?

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about working with Mandy 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

🎙 Episode 13: FROM BOOKSTACKS TO EARBUDS: HOW LEADERS KEEP GROWING

In this episode, we're flipping the script a little. This one's not about sales strategies or closing techniques. This one is about growth. Real, continuous, intentional growth.

Every month, I post my book stack, and without fail someone asks, "How do you read so much?" The truth is… I just built it into my life. I swap mindless TV for meaningful pages. I carry a book everywhere. I make space for learning like other people make space for Netflix.

But not everyone's a reader — and that's okay. In this episode, I share how podcasts can become your secret weapon for growth and why every true leader needs to be learning on purpose. Books build a foundation, but podcasts keep you current. They're where you'll find the "now," real-time evolution of ideas, innovation, and insight.

We'll talk about:

• Why great leaders never stop learning

• How to use podcasts as your portable mentorship library

• The importance of staying relevant in a world that changes faster than a sales cycle

• My personal "podcast besties" (and why Ed Mylett is my sage uncle and Mel Robbins is my coffee-date girlfriend)

• How to actually connect with your favorite podcast hosts and become part of the conversation

Whether you're flipping pages, pressing play, or taking notes between client calls, this episode is your reminder that growth isn't optional... it's essential.

If you can't read, listen. If you can't listen long, listen faster. But whatever you do, keep learning. Because the moment you stop, you stop leading.

Let's grow.

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about working with Mandy 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.

🎙 Episode 12: WHY SCRIPTS KILL TRUST (AND WHAT TO DO INSTEAD)

This is a solo episode that every salesperson, coach, and leader needs to hear.

Let's be real: the quickest way to kill a sale (and your credibility) is to sound like you're reading from someone else's script. Authenticity can't be copy-pasted — and neither can trust.

In this episode, I unpack one of my core beliefs: you don't need a script to sell — you need preparation, personalization, and presence.

I share a true story from early in my career, when I thought mimicking a top performer's words would unlock success… and how it nearly tanked every deal I touched. Spoiler alert: the moment I ditched the "golden script" and started showing up as me, everything changed.

You'll learn: ✨ Why "sounding perfect" often sounds phony ✨ How to prepare without memorizing a single line ✨ The difference between having talking points and having a script ✨ Why personalization is your secret weapon in building trust and credibility

If you've ever been told "just use this script," this episode will give you permission to toss it out, trust your voice, and connect in a way that actually converts.

Because sales isn't about perfection — it's about impact.

🎧 Listen in, grab your notebook, and let's flip your next sales conversation from scripted to sincere.

Connect with Mandy: 🔗 Follow Mandy on LinkedIn 🌐 Learn more about working with Mandy 📥 Want a sales system that feels good and works? Let's talk.