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What happens when you finally land the big meeting… and walk out with nothing but “We’ll think about it”?
It’s the growth killer most founders don’t see coming—your pitch isn’t aligned with how education buyers actually make decisions.
That’s why this live Breaking the Grade episode from ASU-GSV (the edtech conference each April in sunny San Diego) is such a win: I sat down with Paul Vallas——nationally recognized education leader, former superintendent of Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, CEO of the Recovery School District after Hurricane Katrina, and co-founder of both Vallas Group Inc. and Global Educator
And here’s why his perspective can change your sales game:
✅ He’s overseen multi-billion-dollar budgets and made the final call on which solutions get funded.
✅ He’s rebuilt entire school systems in crisis and driven record student gains in districts with 80%+ poverty rates.
✅ He’s been pitched thousands of times—and knows exactly why most vendors fail.
And here’s the kicker: Paul isn’t just sharing his story. He’s pulling back the curtain on the decision-making framework education buyers actually use before they say “yes.”
If you’re chasing deals in the education market, this conversation shows you how to go from “great product” to “signed contract.”
5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ The 3-Point Test Every Buyer Uses
Quality, fit, scalability—miss one, and the deal dies.
Know where you stand before you pitch.
2️⃣ The Core Priorities Every Buyer Protects
Every buyer looks for certain fundamentals—curriculum strength, data use, interventions, support, time on task.
Tie your solution directly to these.
3️⃣ Why Misaligned Products Get Cut First
Misaligned programs are the first to go in a budget cut.
Position yourself as mission-critical, not optional.
4️⃣ How to Make Your Offer Budget-Proof
Solutions tied to measurable outcomes survive funding shifts.
Prove your link to results that matter most.
5️⃣ The Right Way to Start the First Conversation
Your opening determines whether you move forward or get brushed off.
Use approaches that earn a real next step.
If your deals keep stalling at “interested,” this episode gives you the buyer’s-eye view you need to close smarter and faster—straight from one of the most respected education leaders in the U.S.
📩 Want help structuring your pitch so education buyers say “yes”?
DM me “Close” and I’ll walk you through it.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more founders can close bigger, better deals.
#EdTech #FounderSales #MessagingStrategy #EdSales #ChannelSales #EducationInnovation #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #GrowthStrategy
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
What if your biggest lead gen problem isn’t visibility — but the fact that your offer isn’t clear enough to close?
Most EdTech founders think they have a marketing problem.
Some think it’s a sales problem.
But what they actually have is this:
❌ An offer that’s vague
❌ A proven model that’s undefined
❌ And no document that makes buyers say “yes” on the spot
We first aired this episode on March 4, 2024 — and the response was so strong, we’re bringing it back.
Because the Signature Solution isn’t just still relevant in 2025—it’s required for founders who are booking calls but can’t consistently close.
In this re-aired conversation, I go deep on the one tool that turned my “good pitch” into a clear, closeable, and irresistible offer to my perfect client — The Signature Solution.
Before I had it?
❌ Closing deals felt like a coin toss.
❌ Prospects nodded… but didn’t buy.
Now?
💥 Prospects instantly see the value, understand my model, and sign.
🎙️ This episode is your step-by-step reset to package your expertise, clarify your offer, and close more deals — without adding more calls, posts, or pitches.
🎯 3 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ The Confused Mind Doesn’t Buy
Your buyers aren’t saying no—they’re saying “I don’t get it.”
👉 If your offer isn’t converting, it’s not what you’re selling — it’s how clearly you present it.
2️⃣ Framework > Features
What sells isn’t your product’s capabilities—it’s your unique method.
👉 When you show your system, people lean in. Because clarity breeds confidence.
3️⃣ Your Offer Is Your Differentiator
Most founders try to sound impressive. I chose to sound obvious—to the right audience.
👉 In crowded markets, the clearest offer wins. Not the loudest one.
🧠 This episode isn’t about cute frameworks. It’s a tactical reset for education founders ready to close smarter, faster, and more often—with a pitch that actually works.
📩 Want help building a Signature Solution that turns your expertise into a lead gen machine?
DM me “Signature” and I’ll walk you through how we build one inside the EdSales Elevation Experience.
🚀 Or, grab my FREE Step-by-Step Lead Generation Blueprint and map out your own 90-day plan to consistently book 5–10 high-quality sales calls each week (without ads or content burnout).
👉 Download your FREE Lead Generation Blueprint here
📤 Know an education founder stuck in pitch mode?
Send this episode before they burn another quarter on the wrong message.
Because in EdTech,
Clarity isn’t optional. It’s the close.
#EdTech #LeadGen #FounderSales #MessagingStrategy #SignatureSolution #ClarityConverts #EdSales #SalesBlueprint #BreakingTheGrade
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Most founders think their growth problem is sales.
But Jolene Levin, entrepreneur, innovator and founder of NorvaNivel proved it’s the other way around: your sales reveal your growth problem.
Jolene founded a classroom furniture company in Australia, scaled it across schools, and then brought it to the U.S.
Three months after launching in the U.S., she closed $10M in deals.
No sales team. No systems. No safety net.
Just conviction, urgency—and operational chaos catching up fast.
And two years later?
She was fired from the very company she built.
💥 Because when your backend can’t keep up with your bookings, you’re not scaling.
You’re stalling at a higher speed.
But here’s what makes this episode different:
Jolene didn’t disappear. She didn’t burn out. She didn’t bow out.
She doubled down on the mission—and came back sharper, stronger, and more strategic than ever.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, Josh sits down with Jolene Levin——to unpack what happens when you sell fast, scale hard, and survive the fallout.
✅If you're leading your own sales and chasing growth, this one shows you where most founders break—and how to rebuild smarter
🔑 5 Big Takeaways for EdTech Founders
1️⃣ Why Most Founder Pitches Fail Before They Start
Jolene never “sold furniture”—she sold outcomes. And that mindset shift is the first step founders need to make to stop confusing buyers and start driving outcomes.
2️⃣ The Hidden Risk of Selling to the Wrong Buyer
Not every school is your customer. Jolene explains how she identified who not to sell to—and why filtering for fit was key to her growth.
3️⃣ Why Understanding Buyer Motivation Beats Any Sales Script
Jolene explains how she closed high-ticket deals by deeply understanding what school leaders cared about—and connecting her solution to those priorities, not her pitch.
4️⃣ Why Value > Volume in Sales Strategy
Instead of chasing every contract, Jolene doubled down on districts who aligned with her mission. The result? Bigger deals with better outcomes.
5️⃣ The Real Cost of Frankensteined Funnels
Disconnected CRMs, duct-taped follow-ups, and reactive workflows? Jolene’s story is a case study in what not to build—and how to reset.
If your sales calls are stacking up—but your backend can’t keep up—this is your reset.
📩 DM me “Scale” and I’ll show you how to structure founder-led sales to grow without burning out.
📤 Know a founder chasing growth without a plan for scale?
Send them this episode. It might save them from breaking what they’re building.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more founders can turn big sales into smart growth.
#EdTechSales #FounderLedGrowth #SalesSystems #JoleneLevin#EducationInnovation #ScalingSales #GrowthStrategy #BreakingTheGrade #EdSales
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Most EdTech demos fall flat because they focus on product—not pain.
They walk through features—but skip the funding strategy.
They sound polished—but feel disconnected.
And when the call ends? No buy-in. No follow-up. No deal.
That’s where John Gamba changes the game.
John isn’t just an expert in EdTech innovation—he’s coached thousands of education entrepreneurs through founder-led sales. As Director of Innovative Programs and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, he’s helped founders go from pitch mode to purchase orders—without sounding like a salesperson.
On October 11, 2024, I sat down with John live at the height of demo season—and what he shared still hits just as hard today.
💥 And here’s the controversial truth:
Most demos aren’t just ineffective—they’re repelling your buyers.
EdTech founders are over-investing in decks and under-investing in clarity. And that disconnect? It’s killing conversion.
I’m re-airing this episode because too many EdTech founders are still demoing like it’s 2013. Polished decks. Zero traction.
With back-to-school chaos heating up, your demo can’t just look good.
It has to convert.
If your demo is polished but not converting, this episode will help you course-correct fast.
🔑 3 Big Takeaways for EdTech Founders
1️⃣ Flip the Script with the ABC Demo
John’s high-converting framework flips the usual “features-first” pitch on its head.
👉 Start with the buyer’s priorities, link to real funding buckets, and frame your product as a strategic solution—not a wishlist of features.
2️⃣ Start a Conversation—Not a Pitch
Top founders don’t pitch. They guide trust-building conversations.
👉 Use soft openers like “I may have this wrong, but…” to lower resistance and invite collaboration. That small shift? It can change everything.
3️⃣ The Demo Isn’t a Meeting—It’s a System
John maps the whole journey—from when to drop a Loom video, to how to follow up after ghosting.
👉 Demos that close aren’t flashy. They’re structured and strategic.
If your sales calls fade fast—or your “great pitch” keeps getting ghosted—this is your reset.
📩 DM me “Demo” and I’ll show you how to restructure your pitch using John’s proven ABC framework.
📤 Know an EdTech founder demoing features like it’s 2013?
Send them this episode. It could save them a pipeline full of wasted calls.
Because in EdTech,
The clearest, most contextual message wins.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn clarity into traction.
Thanks for tuning in to Breaking the Grade.
#EdTechSales #FounderLedGrowth #SalesStrategy #JohnGamba #EducationInnovation #DemoStrategy #BuyerAlignment #ClarityConverts #BreakingTheGrade #EdSales #PennGSE
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
What happens when your billion-dollar success story ends—and the market forgets your name?
Robert Martellacci knows. And he didn’t quit—he reinvented.
This episode isn’t just about resilience.
It’s about the bold mindset shift it takes to reclaim relevance, rebuild trust, and restart traction when everything you built gets wiped off the board.
Robert Martellacci—founder of MindShare Learning—joins me LIVE from the Education Research & Development Institute (ERDI), one of the most influential gatherings of education decision-makers in North America, to unpack how he went from collapse to becoming one of the most trusted connectors in the EdTech space.
And here’s what makes his story even more powerful:
✅ He worked alongside Kevin O’Leary (aka “Mr. Wonderful”) while helping develop Mattel’s EdTech products.
✅ He helped build Mattel’s EdTech division—before it was acquired for $3.6B.
✅ And today? He runs an ecosystem that keeps him booked, trusted, and closing high-leverage education partnerships.
So if you’re a founder navigating market shifts—or trying to reposition your message so decision-makers say “yes”—this is your reset.
🎯 3 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Reframe Your Edge Before the Market Does
Robert didn’t wait to get picked. He pivoted, rewired his message, and claimed a niche that made him indispensable.
👉 In EdTech, traction belongs to the clearest communicator—not the loudest one.
2️⃣ Design a Business That Buys Back Your Life
Revenue matters. But Robert built a company that also delivers access, margin, and freedom.
👉 If your calendar’s full but your tank is empty, this is your model for long-term wins without burnout.
3️⃣ Reinvention is a Sales Strategy
From faculty hockey to boardrooms, Robert built trust by evolving, not retreating.
👉 Credibility isn’t claimed. It’s earned—one connection, one message, one reinvention at a time.
If you’re in the messy middle of a pivot or chasing leads that don’t convert, this is your blueprint to shift fast and close smarter.
📩 Want help repositioning your offer so decision-makers say “yes”?
DM me “Reinvent” and I’ll hop on a strategy call with you.
📤 Know an education founder stuck in pitch mode?
Send this episode before they burn another quarter on the wrong message.
Because in EdTech,
Your leads follow your clarity.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple and Spotify to help more education founders grow with purpose and precision.
#EdTech #FounderSales #MessagingStrategy #Reinvention #EdSales #ChannelSales #EducationInnovation #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #RobertMartellacci #GrowthStrategy
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Here's the Messaging Fix You Didn’t Know You Needed
If your EdTech offer sounds “nice” but never gets past your perfect client to respond… this episode is your wake-up call.
Carlos Zapata, founder of Unicorn Academy, joins me live from the IFE Conference in Monterrey, Mexico — and pulls back the curtain on the exact moment his company stopped stalling and started closing.
And here’s the kicker: it wasn’t the product that changed.
It was the pitch.
Carlos went from selling English upskilling as a “benefit” to positioning it as a revenue lever — and in the process, moved the conversation from the district HR lead to the top of the district.
If you’re still ghosting your own pipeline with vague messaging or trying to sell transformation to the wrong stakeholder, this episode is your cheat code.
🎯 3 Big Takeaways
1️⃣ It’s Not the Offer. It’s the Positioning.
Carlos didn’t change what he sold—he changed who he pitched it to. Goodbye HR. Hello growth-minded CEOs.
2️⃣ Conferences Aren’t Dead. They’re the Shortcut—If You Have Clarity.
Learn how Carlos leveraged live events to build real traction once his messaging was sharp and specific.
3️⃣ The Power of Channel Partners
Stop knocking on cold doors. Carlos reveals how one channel partner gave him instant access to top-tier clients who were already listening.
💡 Whether you’re a startup founder stuck in the “nice-to-have” trap or a sales team chasing low-quality leads, this episode gives you a messaging playbook you can steal today.
📨 Want help making your message land? DM “Clarity” and I’ll hop on a strategy call with you.
🔁 Know a founder still pitching the wrong person? Send them this.
Because in EdTech, the clearest message wins.
#EdTech #LeadGeneration #EdSales #MessagingStrategy #ChannelSales #FounderSales #CarlosZapata #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts
If you loved this episode, take 10 seconds to subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Your support helps us reach more education founders who need this clarity.
Thanks for tuning in to Breaking the Grade — see you next week.
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Let’s get one thing straight:
September doesn’t start in September. It starts now—in June, July, and August.
Because the biggest mistake founders make in summer isn’t taking a break.
It’s confusing rest with silence.
You can recharge and still generate leads.
But most EdTech founders go dark.
They hunker down. Rebuild ops. Tweak product.
And completely disappear from LinkedIn.
Then they roll into Q4 hoping “back to school” will bring the momentum.
Spoiler: It won’t.
In this episode of Breaking the Grade, I’m sounding the alarm on the Summer Stall-Out—the silent pipeline killer that traps even seasoned education leaders in inconsistent revenue cycles.
Because here’s the reality:
Your dream buyer might be ghosting you today…
But they might also be:
And if you’ve been visible and valuable this summer?
You’ll be the first call they make.
🎯 Inside this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ Why Q4 momentum is built in June—not September
✅ The 3-step Summer Fix Framework we coach inside EdSales Elevation
✅ What to say now to match buyer psychology during slow seasons
✅ How Raise Your Hand campaigns convert warm leads—without ads
✅ How founders like Mitch, Ernie, and others are booking calls right now
✅ The LinkedIn mistake that kills credibility—and what to post instead
✅ Why summer isn’t about volume—it’s about precision
If this resonates, pair it with our recent episode The Rest Advantage (Apple | Spotify), which goes deeper into how rest isn’t lazy—it’s leverage. When combined with the Summer Fix, it’s a one-two punch to reset your voice and rebuild real traction.
This isn’t hustle advice.
It’s the same clarity-first system we teach inside the EdSales Elevation Experience—and it works.
I’ve lived it too. Back when I was running Flex Academies, we didn’t wait for fall to scramble—we built relationships in the summer, so we were ready when the bell rang.
🧠 This episode isn’t about productivity.
It’s about positioning.
📍If you want to start Q4 ahead, not in catch-up mode—this is your Summer Fix.
📩 Know an education founder about to vanish for the summer?
Send this to them.
Their future self—and their pipeline—will thank you.
👉 Want help applying the Summer Fix to your business?
DM “Summer Fix” and Josh will personally walk you through it on a quick strategy call.
#EdTech #EducationFounders #LeadGeneration #SummerFix #MessagingFramework #LinkedInMarketing #FounderSales #EdSales #BreakingTheGrade
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Most EdTech founders are still chasing views.
Anissa Bouderraoui is closing pilots.
She didn’t wait to go viral.
She showed up consistently—with clarity, credibility, and the kind of messaging school leaders actually respond to.
The result?
No gimmicks. No funnels.
Just a pipeline built on trust. Bolstered by LinkedIn consistency.
🎯 When Anissa started posting on LinkedIn, she wasn’t playing the influencer game.
She was speaking directly to curriculum directors, bilingual program leads, and decision-makers who could say yes.
And when the message clicked?
So did the leads.
Warm intros. Follow-up calls. Funded pilots.
In this previously live episode of Breaking the Grade, I sit down with Anissa Bouderraoui—founder of Lingo Circle and a rising voice in bilingual education—to break down the exact approach that turned her content into conversations and her conversations into traction.
Anissa’s not just a guest—she’s a proud alum of the EdSales Elevation Experience.
Which means everything she shares has been tested, refined, and proven to work for education companies trying to stand out in a crowded market.
This isn’t theory.
It’s the messaging shift that turns thought leaders into trusted partners.
🧠 Inside this episode, education founders will learn:
✅ Why confidence follows action—not the other way around
✅ How to collaborate (not pitch) in LinkedIn DMs
✅ The hidden metrics that matter for actual sales traction
✅ What to say in follow-ups so prospects don’t ghost you
✅ The simple system Anissa uses to track DMs, feedback, and pilots
✅ How to build authority—without becoming a content robot
📍If you’re showing up on LinkedIn as an education founder, but not seeing results—this is your reset.
📤 Know an education founder trying to grow on LinkedIn?
Send them this episode. It’s the framework they’ve been missing.
#EdSales #EdTech #LeadGeneration #LinkedInStrategy #FounderSales #BilingualEducation #BreakingTheGrade #EdSalesElevationExperience #ClarityConverts
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Most education founders treat traction like a treadmill.
When the leads slow down, they don’t stop to ask why—they sprint faster.
More posts. More emails. More calls. More grind.
But here’s what most founders miss:
📉 Motion ≠ Momentum
📉 Hustle ≠ Clarity
📉 Activity ≠ Conversion
In this episode, Josh goes solo to unpack a hidden truth in EdTech sales:
Your burnout might be bottlenecking your lead gen.
He shares a real story from inside the EdSales Elevation Experience—Ken Spiegel, founder of LoveWorks, spent years refining his literacy platform and posting multiple times a week—until he hit a wall. It wasn’t hustle he needed. It was headspace. After slowing down and reassessing with Josh, his team rewired their messaging—and the leads started flowing.—who did what most EdTech companies are afraid to do:
They paused.
And in that pause, they found their message.
Their clarity.
And a brand new wave of traction.
This episode isn’t just about taking breaks—it’s about making room for better strategy.
🧠 Because rest isn’t passive—it’s productive.
💡 And sometimes your next breakthrough doesn’t need more noise.
It needs a reset.
🎯 Inside this episode, education founders will learn:
✅ Why constant motion kills messaging clarity (and how to fix it)
✅ How to diagnose lead gen fatigue before it tanks your team
✅ The “strategic pause” framework that helped one founder get unstuck
✅ Why over-communicating can actually confuse or repel district buyers
✅ How rest recharges more than energy—it restores your connection to your audience
✅ What to audit in your content when traction dries up
This isn’t a vacation pitch.
It’s a system-level insight into how high-performing founders reset their business without losing momentum.
📍 If you're stuck in content chaos, chasing leads that don’t convert, or just plain exhausted—this episode is your permission slip to pause... and profit.
Because the best education founders don’t burn out their message.
They refine it—in the quiet.
#EdTech #LeadGen #FounderSales #StrategicRest #EducationLeadership #EdSales #BurnoutRecovery #MessagingStrategy #ClarityOverHustle #BreakingTheGrade
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
Most education companies don’t lose leads because their product is weak.
They lose them because the message doesn’t land.
They try to sound professional. Strategic. Smart.
But polish ≠ presence.
And clever ≠ clear.
In this episode, Josh sits down with Mitch Weisburgh—a lifelong educator, EdTech veteran, and founder of MindShifting with Mitch—to unpack what really happens when education founders try to grow… without adjusting their communication to match their audience’s mindset.
Mitch isn’t just a guest—he’s a client inside the Elevation Experience.
And what he models in this conversation is exactly what we coach our EdTech founders to do:
📍 Communicate with credibility.
📍 Build trust before tactics.
📍 Create a messaging system that respects your buyer’s brain.
Because the real sales block?
It’s not your offer.
It’s the resistance your offer hits when your audience is overwhelmed, skeptical, or defensive.
That’s why “mind-shifting” isn’t just Mitch’s business name—it’s the strategy behind his traction.
But here’s what makes this episode even more powerful:
Mitch doesn’t just teach mind-shifting for superintendents.
He shows how the same frameworks can reshape how founders show up—in business and in life.
Whether you're trying to land your next deal, reset your team’s communication, or reclaim clarity in your own leadership—there’s something here for you.
🎯 Inside this episode, education founders will learn:
✅ How fight/flight/freeze impacts EdTech decision-makers—and what to do about it
✅ Why district buyers often “check out” of polished, pitch-heavy messaging
✅ How Mitch built a business that sells transformation to superintendents—without selling at all
✅ What changes when your communication shifts from explanation to connection
✅ Why clarity + confidence = consistent lead flow in the education space
✅ And how mindset shifts apply to both your pitch—and your personal growth
This isn’t a fluff conversation.
It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how one founder shifted his own message—and now helps leaders do the same inside districts across the country.
And it’s proof that when founders show up with empathy, presence, and clarity, the pipeline follows.
📍If you're an EdTech leader trying to generate leads with more consistency and less performance—this episode is your reset.
Because the best lead gen in education isn’t about being louder.
It’s about being understood.
#EdTech #LeadGeneration #MessagingStrategy #EducationLeadership #FounderSales #MindShifting #ClarityConverts #EdSales #BreakingTheGrade
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Revenue Machine
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: [email protected]
Join the Edsales Entourage
Get closer to the conversations, strategies, and operators inside the ecosystem:
👉 https://www.skool.com/entourage
From the publisher's feed
EdSales Edge is the strategy podcast for education founders, consultants, operators, and leaders selling into education.
For years, this show was known as Breaking the…
Over time, one thing became clear:
Education founders don’t just need inspiration.
They need clarity.
They need real strategies for selling into schools.
They need predictable ways to generate leads.
And they need to understand how trust is built in a system that doesn’t move fast, and doesn’t give many second chances.
EdSales Edge was rebuilt to match that reality.
Hosted by Josh Chernikoff, a two-time education founder who’s built and exited companies in this space, the show breaks down how selling into education actually works—across B2C, B2B, B2B2C, and B2E—always through the lens of how education institutions really make decisions.
This is not a show about hacks, shortcuts, or quick wins.
Education doesn’t work that way.
On EdSales Edge, you’ll hear:
You’ll learn how to:
Josh is joined by his good friend and mentor, John Gamba—Director of Innovative Programs and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, and a former education founder who’s led companies through real growth and successful exits. John brings the institutional lens, shaped by years inside districts, universities, and education systems, seeing how decisions get made when the doors are closed and what earns trust over time.
Together, they sit on both sides of the table, the builder side and the system side, so the show stays grounded in reality, not sales theory.
If you sell into education and you’re tired of guessing,
guessing who to talk to,
guessing how decisions get made,
guessing why interest doesn’t convert—
this show is built for you.
EdSales Edge
Clarity. Credibility. Real traction.
If you sell into education, this is where you earn your edge.