Most education founders would celebrate landing one pilot.
Sam and Michael landed nine.

In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh sits down with Samuel Rabkin and Michael Mahoney, co-founders of Mediator Spark, to unpack how clarity around their Perfect Client led to a sharper Signature Solution—and why that clarity turned stalled conversations into fast-moving pilots.

This isn’t a story about selling software or education theory. It’s a case study in what happens when founders stop explaining tools and start enrolling the right buyers around a clear outcome. By tightening who they were building for and what they stood for, Sam and Michael created a belief-led offer that school leaders trusted immediately, no demos, no code reviews, no long sales cycles.

The result: nine pilots with aligned principals who already valued the outcome and were ready to move.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Many founders, especially technical ones, get stuck selling the “How.” They lead with features, software, or curriculum.

But schools don’t buy features; they buy a new reality.

By shifting their pitch from “we have a mediation tool” to “we have a pathway to peace,” Sam and Michael stopped chasing skeptics and started attracting leaders who already believed in culture-first solutions. That belief-first approach, paired with Perfect Client clarity, allowed them to build trust quickly and land nine pilots, without committees, endless demos, or 18-month cycles.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Clear belief accelerates decisions
Mediator Spark didn’t sell a discipline tool, they sold a belief about who owns the problem. That belief alignment removed resistance early and made pilot decisions feel obvious.

2. Sell the destination, not the plane
Michael shares a pivotal moment: “Nobody asked about our tools.” Once the outcome was clear, features became irrelevant. Schools bought the result, not the software.

3. Find clean windows, not skeptics
They focused on principals who already valued culture and student ownership. Conversations moved faster, and pilots followed.

4. Signature Solutions create trust
Their Peacemaker Pathway gave buyers clarity. Principals could see where they were and where they were headed, making the sale feel like a partnership.

WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR

• Education founders selling culture or behavior solutions
 • Technical co-founders learning to sell vision instead of code
 • Anyone stuck explaining instead of enrolling buyers

FEATURED RESOURCE: THE PERFECT CLIENT BUILDER

Landing nine pilots didn’t happen because Mediator Spark had better software. It happened because they got clear on who believed in the outcome and who owned the problem.

Text PERFECT CLIENT to +1 771-333-4233 and we’ll send you the same framework.

NEXT STEP

If this episode exposed why your offer feels harder to sell than it should, it’s time to build your Signature Solution.
 DM PATHWAY to learn how founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience do it.

SUBSCRIBE & SHARE

Follow EdSales Edge and share this episode with a founder who’s tired of explaining instead of enrolling.

​Why is Apple more innovative than everyone else? It’s not better technology; it’s a different way of communicating.

​In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh applies Simon Sinek’s "Start With Why" framework directly to education sales. 

For early-stage founders (<$2M revenue), school leaders aren't just buying software or curriculum. They are buying you. They are buying your judgment, your conviction, and your belief. 

This episode explores why clarity of belief is the fastest route to confidence and the most reliable way to attract your Perfect Client.

​WHY THIS MATTERS

​Most education companies communicate from the outside in: Here is what we do, here is how we do it. Inspired leaders communicate from the inside out: Here is why we exist.

​Leading with features makes you a commodity. Leading with belief makes you a partner. When you articulate your "Why," you stop trying to convince skeptics and start acting as a magnet for leaders who already believe what you believe.

​Josh references the foundational framework that changed how leaders communicate. Watch the full TED Talk here:

👉 Simon Sinek: The Power of Why

​KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE

1. ​People buy why you do it: Sales isn't about doing business with everyone who needs your product. It’s about doing business with people who believe what you believe. That is your Perfect Client.
2. ​The Founder Story is not fluff: Under $2M in revenue, the buyer is betting on the founder. They need to know why you started this and why this problem matters. Your story is your proof of conviction.
3. ​Specificity creates gravity: Josh shares how Paul King stopped selling "tutoring" and started selling "Algebra 1 Regents pass rate improvement for NYC Principals." By being specific about the Who and Why, he stopped chasing leads and started closing contracts.
4. ​Clarity creates confidence: When you clarify your belief system, you stop posturing and start leading. This clarity gives the buyer the confidence to trust your judgment.
5. ​Saying "No" is strategic: Turning down districts that don't share your beliefs is the most strategic move you can make to protect your runway and sanity.

​If these themes feel familiar, the Perfect Client Builder will help you get clear fast. This is the same framework used inside 3E to help founders identify who owns the problem and where urgency lives.

• ​Avoid wasting months talking to the wrong people.
• ​Stop chasing meetings that feel "productive" but never turn into decisions.
• ​Stop over-explaining and start leading with confidence.

​👉 Text PERFECT CLIENT to +1 771-333-4233 and we’ll send the framework straight to you.

​A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT

​Josh highlights the "Vendor" vs. "Partner" shift. Vendors lead with features and compete on price. Partners lead with shared beliefs and are hired to solve problems. Shifting your pitch from what to why slows the conversation down in the best way, you stop convincing and start qualifying.

​WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR

• ​Early-stage Education Founders (<$2M revenue)
• ​Leaders uncomfortable telling their "Founder Story"
• ​Sales teams struggling to differentiate in a crowded market

​SUBSCRIBE & SHARE

​If you found this valuable, follow EdSales Edge and share it with a founder who needs to stand out. Clarity compounds when it’s shared.

Selling into education rewards clarity, not size. Long cycles, layered decisions, and committee-based buying can quietly drain a founder’s runway, especially when growth is tied to landing “big name” districts.

In this episode of EdSales Edge, Josh sits down with Dr. Brooke Olsen-Farrell, a nine-year Superintendent at Slate Valley Unified School District and a national policy leader. Together, they unpack why traction in education doesn’t start with the biggest budgets, it starts with the Perfect Client.

If you’re stuck chasing prestige logos while momentum stalls, this conversation will help you rethink where real growth actually comes from.

WHY THIS MATTERS
Most education founders don’t struggle because their solution isn’t strong.
They struggle because they’re selling into systems that move slowly — while their business can’t afford to wait.

Chasing large districts often feels strategic, but in reality it introduces long procurement cycles, diluted ownership, and endless “almosts.” This episode reframes growth around speed, belief, and influence, not size.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE

1. Perfect Client isn’t the biggest district, it’s the fastest mover
Traction comes from leaders who can decide, test, and implement quickly. Smaller or mid-sized districts often provide the proof points and revenue founders need to survive and scale.

2. Research beats relevance every time
Dr. Brooke shares the simple filter she uses when evaluating outreach: did the founder take time to understand her district’s goals? Generic pitches get deleted. Contextual ones get opened.

3. Stop selling finished products, start co-creating
Superintendents don’t want to be sold to. They want to partner. Positioning your offer as something they can help shape lowers resistance and builds trust faster than polished decks ever will.

4. One right pilot can unlock an entire state
A successful implementation with the right leader doesn’t stop at one district. Brooke explains how she shares trusted partners across networks like AASA, turning one “yes” into many.

5. Early-stage resilience is an asset, not a liability
Being transparent about where you are, and showing responsiveness, can outperform large publishers. Leaders value partners who listen and adapt, not vendors who lecture.

A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT
One of the most telling moments in this conversation is when Brooke explains why she deletes dozens of cold emails a day, not because the ideas are bad, but because they ignore her reality. The founders who stand out aren’t louder or flashier; they’re prepared, curious, and aligned.

WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR
This episode is for:

• Education founders and CEOs
• Consultants and operators selling into districts or education institutions
• Leaders navigating long cycles and high-trust buying environments

If you want traction without burning the runway, this conversation will resonate.

NEXT STEP

If this episode helped you rethink who you’re actually selling to, you don’t have to sort that out alone.

You can DM TRACTION to learn how founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience identify, co-create with, and close their Perfect Clients, without chasing prestige or waiting on the “big yes.”

Details are in the show notes.

SUBSCRIBE & SHARE

If you found this episode valuable:

• Follow or subscribe to EdSales Edge
• Share it with another education founder who’s stuck chasing big districts and getting nowhere

Clarity compounds when it’s shared.

Most education founders think they have a lead problem. You want more emails, more demos, more top-of-funnel activity.

But here is the hard truth: You don't have a lead problem; you have a perfect client problem. If you are chasing the wrong person, no amount of lead gen will fix your revenue. It just gives you more conversations that don't convert.

Traction comes from the "Clean Window" strategy. Instead of trying to convince skeptics to care, you need to target the buyers who already value the outcome.

In this episode, Josh breaks down the exact methodology to stop "persuading" and start "aligning."

This isn't just a theory; it is a playbook. You will learn how to identify the "Clean Window" clients who buy fast, the specific 3-part qualifier to filter your pipeline, and the exact LinkedIn headline formula that gets your perfect buyer to stop scrolling and start DMing.

This episode is for education founders selling into schools or districts who are tired of long sales cycles, stalled pilots, and conversations that never convert.

If you are tired of chasing everything and winning nothing, this episode gives you the edge to stop the hamster wheel today. 

5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders

1️⃣ The "Clean Window" Theory
Stop trying to sell window washing to a dirty building that doesn't care. Josh explains why you should only target clients who already value the outcome. Traction comes from alignment, not persuasion.

2️⃣ The "Life Change" Metric
Your perfect client isn't always the person who signs the check. It is the person whose life you change the most. Josh reveals how to identify the "Center of Gravity" in a school district, the person who feels the pain deeply enough to pull you through the procurement maze.

3️⃣ The 3-Part Qualifier
How do you screen for a perfect client? Use this 3-part filter: 

1) Do they already value the outcome? 

2) Is the situation mature enough to matter? 

3) Is there a champion whose daily life improves when you win? 

If you miss one, you don't have a deal; you have a project.

4️⃣ The "Elephant in the Room" Strategy
Your perfect client likely already has a vendor. Don't hide from it. Josh teaches you how to address the "First Elephant" (incumbents) by positioning yourself as a partner who respects what's working while filling the "quality gap" they can't ignore.

5️⃣ The LinkedIn Headline Formula
Clarity attracts. Josh shares the exact formula to rewrite your headline: "I help [WHO] using [WHAT METHOD] get [WHICH RESULT]." This isn't branding; it's a filter that attracts the right DMs and repels the time-wasters.

📩 DM me "PERFECT CLIENT" and I’ll show you how we help founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience identify their perfect client and build a pipeline of "Clean Window" buyers.

📤 Know a founder who is chasing bad leads? Share this episode, it’s the reality check they need to stop wasting time on "dirty windows."

✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can sell smarter, scale faster, and delegate confidently.

#EdSales #TheEdSalesEdge #EducationFounders #EdTech #SalesStrategy #PerfectClient #LeadGeneration #B2BSales #SchoolDistricts #StartupGrowth

We built Breaking The Grade to challenge the status quo. We spent four years inspiring you to think differently about education. We interviewed visionaries, we debated policy, and we celebrated the "idea" of change.

But here is the hard truth I finally had to face: Inspiration does not pay your payroll.

Over the last 12 months, I listened closely to what you, the founders, the sales leaders, the operators, were actually asking me in private. You didn't need more "inspiration." You needed Clarity.

• You were tired of guessing who the decision-maker actually is.
• You were tired of guessing why the district ghosted you after a "great" demo.
• You were tired of guessing how to build a pipeline that doesn't rely on luck.

In education, guessing is expensive.

So, we made a hard decision. We decided to stop "Breaking The Grade" and start giving you the Edge.

Welcome to The EdSales Edge.

This is no longer a show about "what's broken" in schools. This is a show about how to sell the solution.

We are stripping away the fluff, the theory, and the "hacks." In their place, we are building a razor-sharp curriculum on Lead Generation, Credibility, and Sales Strategy.

I am not doing this alone. I am bringing in John Gamba (Director of Innovative Programs at Penn GSE) as my co-pilot. John brings the "Institutional Lens", he knows exactly what happens behind the closed doors where your deals go to die.

Together, we are going to burn the playbook of "hope marketing" and replace it with a system of predictable revenue.

If you are here for high-level theory, this might not be for you anymore. But if you are here to build a lead generation engine you actually own?

You are finally in the right place.

Let’s get to work.

🔑 The New Rules of Engagement

(What you can expect from The EdSales Edge)

1. No More Guessing: We are moving from "Theory" to "System." Every episode will focus on a specific lever you can pull to generate leads, build trust, or close deals.

2. The "Builder" + The "Insider": I bring the Sales perspective. John Gamba brings the System perspective. You will see every deal from both sides of the table. You will hear from decision-makers—from Early Learning to Higher Ed—who will tell you exactly how buying happens when the doors are closed.

3. The "EdSales Elevation" Blueprint: We are open-sourcing the exact methodology we use to help founders move from "Invisible" to "In-Demand."

Subscribe now. The first tactical episode drops on Sunday.

#EdSales #TheEdSalesEdge #EducationFounders #EdTech #SalesStrategy #Manifesto #Rebrand #B2BSales #LeadGeneration

Some episodes don’t just inspire, they show you what execution really looks like.

This one’s a real-time playbook in action.

Originally LIVE from the University of Toronto at the Canadian EdTech Summit on 30th October, 2025, Josh breaks down exactly how education founders can stop wasting time and money at conferences, and start turning them into revenue-driving machines.

After two decades in education and sales leadership, Josh has learned one thing: conferences don’t grow your business, a conference strategy does. 

From DC Startup Week to the Canadian EdTech Summit to IEI, Josh shares the same framework he uses to walk into any event and leave with real opportunities, not just business cards.

This replay goes beyond theory. It’s about the systems and habits that turn showing up into closing deals: how to plan before you arrive, connect intentionally, follow up like a pro, and use the stage, not a booth, to build instant credibility.

In this Best of 2025 series of Breaking the Grade, Josh unpacks how education founders can turn every conference, summit, or networking event into a predictable sales engine, one that builds trust, deepens relationships, and drives real pipeline growth long after the booths come down.

🚨 You don’t need more conferences. You need a clearer plan, sharper positioning, and follow-up that builds trust,  not pressure.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1️⃣ Why Most Founders Waste Conferences
Too many founders “show up and hope.” Josh breaks down why that mindset kills momentum, and the pre-event strategy that ensures every handshake counts.

2️⃣ How to Turn Presence Into Pipeline
Learn how your visibility before the event determines your results after it, and how to use social proof and positioning to attract real conversations.

3️⃣ The Follow-Up Flow That Converts
Most education founders drop the ball here. Josh reveals the simple follow-up sequence he uses to turn quick chats and DMs into booked strategy calls that lead to closed deals.

4️⃣ Why the Stage Should Be Your Strategy
Whether it’s moderating a panel or sharing insights on LinkedIn, Josh explains why visibility builds credibility, and how to anchor yourself to topics that spark business growth.

5️⃣ From Attendee → Authority → Advisor
You’ll learn the mindset and messaging shift that transforms you from just another attendee to the go-to voice people trust, without pitching or PDFs.

If you’ve ever flown home from a summit with a stack of business cards and zero follow-up calls, This replay shows exactly how presence, purpose, and positioning can turn any event into predictable revenue.

📩 DM me “CONFERENCE” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience turn events, summits, and speaking engagements into predictable lead generation and closed contracts.

📤 Know a founder spending more on booths than strategy? Share this episode, it’ll change how they sell, show up, and scale.

✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn their presence into predictable pipeline.

#EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #LeadGeneration #JoshChernikoff #EdSalesElevation #EdTechSummit #ScalingEdTech #SalesStrategy #PipelineGrowth

Some episodes can't just be missed… this one is one of them. 

Why? Because it shifts how education founders think about sales, delegation, and building predictable pipelines. 

Originally streamed as a LinkedIn Live in October 2025, this replay brings back one of the most tactical, mindset-shifting conversations of the year.

When Karim Kuperhause, CEO and Founder of HierSales, joined Josh for a candid LinkedIn Live conversation, later joined by Rose Hastreiter, founder and CEO of Leonty3C, the discussion went deeper than closing deals.

They explored the education founder’s role in early sales, how to uncover the real objections hiding behind “surface complaints,” and the steps to systematize sales so that growth isn’t reliant on the founder alone.

Karim, an experienced entrepreneur and education sales strategist, explained why it’s crucial for education founders to lead initial sales conversations, not just to close the deal, but to truly understand what prospects care about, what frustrates them, and why objections often mask the real barrier to saying yes. 

Rose added critical insight on testing messaging, iterating offers, and embedding empathy into every sales touchpoint, showing how thoughtful sales processes build trust and open doors for scalable growth.

From learning how to read beyond objections to creating repeatable sales systems, this episode offers a masterclass in the mindset education founders need to confidently delegate, but only after the process is proven and repeatable.

🚨 Your sales team can’t close what you haven’t first validated yourself, and your next rep won’t succeed without a repeatable process.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1️⃣ Uncover the Real Objection
How to ask questions that reveal the underlying problem, not just the surface complaint. Objections are often emotional, not logical.

2️⃣ Selling Before Delegating
Why founders must lead the first sales conversations to validate offers, messaging, and target audiences before hiring a sales rep.

3️⃣ Build a Repeatable Process
The key to scalable sales is repeatability. You can train a team effectively, only after you’ve systematized success.

4️⃣ Test, Iterate, Refine
How to use campaigns, cold calling, and feedback loops to continuously refine your offer and messaging.

5️⃣ Empathy as a Competitive Advantage
How addressing objections thoughtfully and demonstrating understanding builds trust and positions your solution as aligned with client priorities.

If you’ve ever struggled to delegate sales, felt objections stopping deals, or wanted a process that actually scales, this episode will give you both mindset and tactical clarity.

📩 DM me “DELEGATE” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience validate offers, systematize sales, and build pipelines that scale.

📤 Know a founder who’s stuck doing all the selling themselves? Share this episode, it’s the clarity they’ve been missing.

✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can sell smarter, scale faster, and delegate confidently.

#EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #SalesDelegation #FounderMindset #LeadGeneration #KarimKuperhause #Rose #JoshChernikoff #EdTech

Some episodes don’t just share insights, they show education founders how to turn relationships, strategy, and innovation into measurable results. This one did.

Robert Martellacci, founder and president of Mindshare Learning Media, has spent 25 years shaping Canada’s EdTech ecosystem, mentoring leaders, and creating opportunities for companies to scale. 

From launching Kevin O’Leary’s school division to moderating the Canadian EdTech Summit, Robert has seen firsthand how trusted relationships and ecosystem buy-in drive both impact and revenue.

In this conversation, Robert shares lessons from decades of experience: the importance of community buy-in, learning more from setbacks than wins, and how to strategically position your company for adoption and growth. “You learn more from losing than winning,” he says…whether on the hockey rink or in business. 

For education founders, this mindset directly translates into stronger pipelines, better partnerships, and predictable sales growth.

Originally streamed as a LinkedIn Live in September, 2025, this replay dives into the strategies behind the Canadian EdTech Summit, a pivotal event connecting founders, educators, policy makers, and investors. Attending events like this isn’t just about networking; it’s about opening doors to channel partners, investors, and schools that accelerate adoption and sales.

🚨 Innovation alone won’t close deals. Trusted relationships, credibility, and ecosystem alignment are what turn opportunities into signed contracts.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1️⃣ Relationships That Drive Revenue
How trusted connections with educators, district leaders, and investors directly influence sales pipelines.

2️⃣ Learning from Setbacks to Close More Deals
How reflection and problem-solving improve strategy and lead conversion.

3️⃣ Scaling With Purpose
Why thoughtful international growth, summits and conferences participation open doors to new clients, partnerships, and markets.

4️⃣ Community Buy-In = Pipeline Acceleration
Engaging teachers, students, and leaders creates faster adoption and measurable impact.

5️⃣ Turning Innovation into Sales Opportunities
How tools like the Mindshare Workspace Pod exemplify pivoting ideas into products that schools and co-working spaces adopt, driving revenue.

If you’ve ever chased sales that never close, watched partnerships fade after the first meeting, or wondered why innovation alone isn’t driving revenue, this episode will show you how credibility, community, and community trust turn connections into contracts.

📩 DM me “CREDIBILITY” to learn how education founders can turn ecosystem engagement and summit participation into predictable lead generation and closed contracts.

📤 Know an education founder trying to grow pipeline or close more deals? Share this episode, it’s a playbook for scaling with credibility and impact.

✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn relationships, strategy, and innovation into real sales growth.

#EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #LeadGeneration #EdTech #RobertMartellacci #JoshChernikoff #EdTechSummit #ScalingEdTech #AIInEducation

Some episodes don’t just start conversations, they shift how education founders think about credibility, leadership, and lead generation. This one did.

When Jolene Levin, entrepreneur, innovator, and founder of NorvaNivel, shared how she built a global company, scaled too fast, got fired from her own business, and rebuilt from the ground up, it became one of the most replayed and quoted episodes of the year.

Her story hit home for education founders who’ve seen their pipeline stall or partnerships implode. Because behind every funding round or fast scale-up lies a tougher truth: you can’t generate consistent leads when your culture, mission, and credibility are out of sync.

Josh still remembers the moment that stopped him cold: “I built the company that would fire me.” That line didn’t just reveal a mistake, it revealed a mindset shift. Jolene’s comeback became a blueprint for rebuilding trust, alignment, and the kind of reputation that naturally attracts the right clients and partners.

Originally streamed as a LinkedIn Live in August 2025, this replay dives deep into how loss, burnout, and broken systems can actually become the foundation for stronger pipelines and more predictable deal flow.

Here’s the truth for education founders:

🚨 Growth without alignment kills credibility, and credibility is what closes deals.

In this Best of 2025 series of Breaking the Grade, Josh and Jolene unpack how founders can rebuild from chaos, restore trust with their teams and investors, and turn that clarity into consistent lead flow and sustainable sales growth.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1️⃣ When Growth Outpaces Control
How scaling too fast can disconnect your culture from your mission, and stop leads before they start.

2️⃣ The Day She Got Fired from Her Own Company
Why losing control forced Jolene to rebuild from first principles, and how that reset reignited both her purpose and her pipeline.

3️⃣ Rebuilding with Belief, Not Burnout
How focusing on energy, values, and alignment keeps leads flowing without sacrificing your health.

4️⃣ Investor Alignment That Actually Works
The key questions that filter out the wrong capital, and attract investors who expand your reach, not your risk.

5️⃣ Credibility as a Lead Strategy
Why founders who lead with honesty, transparency, and mission consistency close more of the right deals faster.

If you’ve ever scaled too fast, watched your lead flow dry up, or lost control of your mission, this episode is your reset button.

📩 DM me “REBUILD” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience rebuild clarity, credibility, and closed contracts after chaos.

📤 Know an education founder stuck between burnout and stalled deals? Share this episode, it might be the shift they need.

✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn breakdowns into breakthroughs and credibility into conversions.

#EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #FounderMindset #LeadGeneration #EdTech #JoleneLevine #JoshChernikoff #FounderLessons

Some episodes don’t just offer sales tactics; they redefine how education founders think about visibility, trust, and lead flow. This one did.

When John Gamba joined Josh for a candid LinkedIn Live conversation, it wasn’t just another talk about personal branding; it was a deep dive into how education founders can turn an authentic online presence into real-world partnerships, pipeline, and predictable revenue.

John, entrepreneur, investor, long-time education innovator, and Entrepreneur in Residence and Director of Innovative Programs at Penn GSE, broke down how today’s founders can win attention without losing authenticity. 

Together, they unpacked what truly builds credibility in the digital age, and why education founders who lead with voice, vulnerability, and value always outperform those chasing trends.

From leveraging platforms like ERDI to connect with district leaders, to mastering LinkedIn commenting and storytelling that drive genuine engagement, this episode turned into a masterclass in credibility-based marketing.

And when the conversation shifted to AI-generated “slop,” John didn’t hold back. He reminded every education founder that your humanity is your headline, the thing that separates connection from noise and trust from vanity metrics.

Originally streamed as a LinkedIn Live in March 2025, this replay captures a moment when authenticity wasn’t just a buzzword, it was the difference between being seen and being sought after.

🚨 Your next contract won’t come from another cold DM,  it’ll come from consistent, credible visibility.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

1️⃣ From Presence to Pipeline
How to use LinkedIn to build relationships that convert, without ever sounding salesy.

2️⃣ Visibility that Builds Credibility
The difference between posting and positioning, and how authentic engagement outperforms paid ads.

3️⃣ The Power of Platforms, conferences and summits 
Why relationships with decision-makers still drive the education market, and how to show up where they are.

4️⃣ Avoiding AI “Slop”
How to balance technology with authenticity, and make sure your content sounds like you, not a bot.

5️⃣ Consistency as a Growth Strategy
Why education founders who show up daily, with clarity and value, always attract the right clients and partners.

If you’ve ever felt invisible online, struggled to turn posts into pipeline, or questioned if authenticity still works in an AI-driven world, this episode will reignite your voice and your strategy.

📩 DM me “LINKEDIN” and I’ll show you how education founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience rebuild credibility, community, and consistent lead flow through LinkedIn.

📤 Know a founder who’s posting but not converting? Share this episode, it’s the clarity they’ve been missing.

✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn presence into profit and authenticity into advantage.

#EdSales #EducationFounders #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #LinkedInStrategy #FounderMindset #LeadGeneration #JohnGamba #JoshChernikoff #EdTech #AuthenticMarketing