In this episode of How I Started, host Andrew Kappel interviews Brad McClelland, founder of RevenueForce.io, a consulting firm specializing in RevOps and commercial maturity. Brad shares his unconventional career journey, from working at a tech startup, PeopleMatter, to leading sales at a cell phone repair franchise, and then transitioning into consulting for private equity-backed SaaS and services companies.

He discusses the power of mentorship, the importance of process optimization, and how his experience across B2B, B2C, consulting, and even robotics has shaped his approach to solving business challenges. The conversation also explores the trade-offs between full-time employees vs. contractors, the role of RevOps in scaling companies, and how private equity firms approach revenue growth strategies.

Takeaways

- Early exposure to executive leadership helped Brad develop business acumen quickly.

- Being part of an early-stage SaaS company provided insight into startup growth and sales enablement.

- Transitioning into B2C (franchises and repair services) offered a new perspective on operations and profitability.

- Private equity-backed companies prioritize process optimization and efficiency in revenue operations.

- Building RevOps functions from scratch requires strategic planning and deep understanding of systems like Salesforce and HubSpot.

- The contractor model can be more effective than hiring full-time employees in consulting.

- Revenue growth in PE-backed companies requires a blend of data-driven decision-making and operational expertise.

- Experience across multiple industries allows for cross-pollination of best practices.

- Mentorship is critical for career growth, and Brad credits three major mentors for shaping his journey.

- Downtime in business—whether in retail, consulting, or labor efficiency—is a cost killer.

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to Brad McClelland and His Career Journey

01:49 – Early Experience at PeopleMatter: Learning from Leadership

04:14 – Transition to Franchise Sales: Scaling a B2C Business

07:43 – The Role of Operational Efficiency in Business Growth

12:18 – Side Quest: Brad’s Venture into Industrial Robotics

14:24 – Meeting Andrew & Working at Skaled Consulting

17:20 – Founding Revenue Force: Focus on RevOps & Commercial Maturity

19:09 – Working with Private Equity Firms and Portfolio Companies

22:29 – The Role of Reporting & Data in Revenue Operations

22:44 – Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Brad

Connect with Brad on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradmcclelland/

Revenue Force Website:

⁠https://revenueforce.io/

Questions or Guest Ideas? Contact the Host Andrew Kappel on LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkappel/