Revenue Rascals | Sales Strategies for Business Growth

Michelle Terpstra delivers a no-fluff breakdown of the fractional CRO role, and why so many high-performing consultants feel mispositioned, under-leveraged, and capped even while they’re driving executive-level outcomes. 

If you’re consistently pulled into bigger conversations like pricing, go-to-market, team structure, revenue priorities, but you’re still being scoped like a specialist, this episode puts language to what you’re already doing and shows you how to step into the role with clarity. The difference isn’t the work. It’s the level of responsibility attached to it.

Michelle defines what a fractional CRO actually is (and what it’s not), explains why demand is exploding in companies under $50M, and breaks down the myths that keep talented operators stuck in “consultant mode.” From authority and accountability to engagement models and pricing, she lays out what makes this role executive-level—without requiring full-time employment. 

Chapters
[Start] Scoped Like a Specialist: Why high-level operators get trapped in “executor” positioning, and how to spot it fast.
01:22 What a Fractional CRO Really Is: The definition, the misconceptions, and why “fractional” doesn’t mean junior.
04:52 Why Demand Is Exploding Under $50M: Complexity is rising faster than leadership and misalignment is expensive.
06:03 Michelle’s Real Career Path: How she moved from consultant work into fractional CRO responsibility.
15:51 The 4 Moves That Create the Shift: Thought leadership, productizing to a niche, upgrading clients, and building proof.
37:58 Coaching Corner—Are You Ready?: The questions that reveal whether you’re built for CRO-level responsibility.

Links & Resources

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors:
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Terpstra sits down with Ashlee Sang, messaging strategist and founder of Ashlee Sang Consulting, for a candid conversation about the decisions that shape a business and a life. Inspired by the idea that every yes inherently creates a no, they explore what it really means to grow a company with intention. Together, they unpack the tension many founders feel between ambition and alignment, and how values-driven decision making can create a business that is sustainable, profitable, and deeply personal.

Ashlee shares how her work has evolved from traditional marketing and messaging support into guiding entrepreneurs through conscious decision making. They cover capacity, seasons of life, and the myth of a single “right” way to scale, and explore conscious marketing, aligned offers, and how clarity makes strategy simpler. Michelle and Ashlee go on to share practical ways to build recurring revenue through memberships and messaging that reflects the leader you want to become. This episode offers both reflection and tactical insight for entrepreneurs navigating growth, pivots, and the everyday decisions that define a brand.

Chapters
[Start] Every Yes Creates a No: Michelle introduces the core theme of the episode and why aligned decision making matters more than growth at all costs.
05:09 Capacity, Seasons, and Redefining Success: Ashlee and Michelle discuss how life stage and personal values shape the size and structure of a business.
15:03 Values-Aligned Decision Making in Practice: Ashlee breaks down her framework for establishing, defining, and applying values to daily business decisions.
22:20 What Conscious Marketing Actually Means: A deep dive into thoughtful marketing, audience alignment, and attracting the right people while repelling the wrong ones.
31:36 Building Recurring Revenue with Alignment: Ashlee shares how she turned her newsletter into a subscription model that fits her life, capacity, and long-term vision.

Links & Resources

Connect with Ashlee Sang: 

• Instagram: @ashleesang
• LinkedIn: @AshleeSang

Conscious Marketing, Curated: https://www.ashleesang.com/curated
Get 1 month free with promo code: Rascals

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors:
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle breaks down why most follow-up strategies fail. She reframes follow-up as leadership, shifting focus from stressing over sales to supporting a prospect’s decision-making process. When done correctly, follow-up builds trust and creates momentum toward meaningful next steps.

Michelle introduces a follow-up decision tree to help leaders match their communication style to the buyer’s stage. She emphasizes that clarity and relevance are more important than tactics and highlights the importance of personalized selling. Michelle offers a strategic blueprint for closing more sales while strengthening your brand.

Chapters
[Start] Why Follow-Up Fails: Michelle introduces the concept of decision-based follow-up to fix failures.
09:46 The Three Elements of Strong Follow-Up: Three steps to follow for a good follow-up that lead toward a clear next step.
19:37 Path One – Getting the Meeting: Moving prospects from interest to conversation.
24:57 Path Two – Post-Sales Call Execution: How micro commitments anchor follow-ups to prevent deals from stalling.
31:17 Path Three – Long-Term Nurture: Staying relevant with prospects without damaging the relationship.

Links & Resources

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors: 
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Terpstra sits down with Jennifer Frye, founder of Appreciated Assets, to break down one of the most misunderstood parts of building revenue: lead generation. If finding clients has started to feel exhausting, overwhelming, or harder than it should be, this conversation offers a much-needed reframe. Michelle and Jennifer show why most qualified leads aren’t missing—they’re simply being overlooked.

Together, they walk through practical, low-friction ways to uncover opportunities already sitting inside your warm network, events, lists, and social platforms. From mindset shifts around outreach to smarter use of AI and intent-based targeting, this episode gives listeners a clear, grounded approach to generating leads without cold spam, overthinking, or burnout. This conversation is especially valuable for service-based founders and consultants who want consistent pipeline growth without sacrificing integrity or relationships.

Chapters
[Start] Why Lead Gen Feels Harder Than It Should: Michelle and Jennifer unpack why most people overcomplicate lead generation and how procrastination hides behind “perfect strategy.”
07:02 The Warm Network Most People Ignore: Why people assume others know what they do, how that assumption costs revenue, and how to create natural referral conversations.
12:22 Old-School Leads That Still Work: Business cards, community connections, and “old-fashioned” methods that still outperform most modern tactics when used intentionally.
15:38 Events, Rooms, and Strategic Proximity: How being in the right rooms changes opportunity, performance, and long-term trajectory—and when it’s time to upgrade your environments.
20:50 Lists, AI, and Intent-Based Outreach: Why buying lists rarely works, how AI identifies buyers already searching, and how intent changes conversion without increasing volume.

Links & Resources

Download Jennifer’s Appreciated Assets Lead Finder to uncover qualified opportunities already in your network and ecosystem.
Appreciated Assets Lead Finder

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors: 
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Michelle unpacks what it takes to turn your existing relationships into sales opportunities, without risking the relationship itself. She shares her playbook of tips and tricks to help you learn how to share your sales pitch in a natural way without feeling awkward, all while building even stronger connections with people.

Michelle also gives real examples of successful revenue leaders and what they do to increase sales with people they already know. No matter how established you may be, her advice can help at any stage in the process. Everyone has relationships of some kind, but it takes careful skill to know how to identify when a relationship offers a sales opportunity.

Chapters
[Start] Introduction: Michelle introduces the idea of learning to open up about business and sales during conversations.
05:55 Relationships into Sales: How to turn your relationships into sales opportunities without feeling unnatural or awkward about it.
13:01 Tips and Tricks: Some helpful tips to navigate conversations with people you already have relationships with.
18:38 Learning from Successful Leaders: A few things that successful revenue leaders do, and don’t do, to make relationships grow.
28:14 The Coaching Corner: Michelle answers listener questions about business, revenue, and overall growth.

Links & Resources

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors: 
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Terpstra sits down with fractional Chief Marketing Officer Travis Isaacson to unpack why so many businesses waste money on marketing that was never right for them in the first place. Travis introduces his “Marketing Diet” framework, a practical, easy-to-apply way to understand what your business actually needs to grow, and just as importantly, what it should stop doing.

Together, they break down the four stages of sustainable marketing success: setting the table, fishing, hunting, and farming. From fixing broken messaging and brand alignment to testing paid channels, integrating sales and marketing, and building long-term trust through farming strategies like SEO and customer experience, this conversation offers clarity for founders who feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or burned by past marketing efforts. 

Chapters
[Start] The Marketing Diet Explained: Why most businesses overspend on the wrong marketing and how the four-stage framework creates clarity.
06:45 Setting the Table: Brand, messaging, and positioning—why misalignment here breaks everything downstream.
18:58 Fishing vs. Hunting: Paid advertising versus sales outreach, and how testing, timing, and messaging actually work.
24:21 Creative Hunting Strategies: How sales and marketing can work together, plus Michelle’s real-world trade show play that actually converts.
32:47 Farming for Long-Term Growth: SEO, renewals, expansions, and why farming is an act of faith that pays off over time.
43:22 Firing Yourself (The Rascal Way): Travis shares why he’s fired himself four times, and why alignment matters more than growth at all costs.

Links & Resources

Connect with Travis Isaacson:

• Website: https://morepowderdays.com
• Email: [email protected]
• LinkedIn: Travis Isaacson

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors: 
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Terpstra challenges one of the most common assumptions in sales: that a struggling sales team means you hired the wrong person. Instead, she views failure as a role-design problem, not a talent problem. Michelle walks listeners through why vague expectations and mismatched responsibilities can derail revenue long before performance ever has a chance to stabilize.

She introduces a practical framework for building a “founding hybrid account executive” role: someone who can generate pipeline, run sales conversations, and close deals in scaling companies. Michelle breaks down quotas and talks about lead volume requirements to show how to move from founder-dependent selling to a repeatable, systemized revenue engine. Her roadmap for designing sales roles creates a predictable path that leads to long-term growth.

Chapters
[Start] You Didn’t Hire the Wrong Rep: Why unclear role design causes most early sales failures.
06:58 The Founding Hybrid AE Explained: Breaking down closing into one intentional role.16:54 Quotas and Compensation: How to design targets that attract senior talent and protect your cash flow.
26:47 Is Your Business Ready for This Role?: Testing offer clarity, scalability, and messaging before offloading revenue.
33:54 Supporting Without Micromanaging: Using simple KPIs to create trust and accountability.

Links & Resources

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors: 
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Terpstra sits down with Chris Yadon from Saprea,  to explore a reality most leaders avoid talking about: emotions are already in the workplace—and ignoring them is costing performance. Together, they challenge the belief that emotional distance equals strength and unpack how hyperproductivity, emotional numbing, and fear of failure quietly shape high-performing cultures.

Chris explains why discomfort isn’t the same as toxicity, how psychological safety can exist without turning work into therapy, and why many top performers tie their identity to output at the expense of connection. This conversation offers practical guidance for leaders who want stronger teams, healthier cultures, and sustainable performance.

Chapters
[Start] Emotions Are Already at Work: Why emotional avoidance doesn’t eliminate emotions, it just drives isolation and burnout.
06:58 Discomfort vs. Toxicity: How avoiding “hard” emotions weakens teams and fuels disconnection.
12:21 Psychological Safety Without Therapy: What leaders should hold space for—and where the line actually is.
18:54 High Performers and Emotional Numbing: Why hyperproductivity is often a coping mechanism, not a superpower.
25:41 Fear, Identity, and the Cost of Never Slowing Down: How fear of breaking keeps high performers stuck—and what changes when they name it.
33:42 Trauma in the Workplace (Whether You Acknowledge It or Not: Why leaders must assume trauma exists and how it impacts productivity.
41:02 What CEOs Can Actually Do: Concrete ways leaders can build safety, support regulation, and protect performance.
54:39 “Everything Is Toxic” and the Messy Middle: Why avoiding discomfort is hurting relationships, leadership, and culture.

Links & Resources

Connect with Chris: 

• Substack: https://cyadon.substack.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-yadon-mpa-3533937/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisYadonSaprea

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors: 
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle Terpstra tackles the frustrating realities of flat revenue in business growth. Instead of treating stagnation as a failure, she reframes it as a signal that something in the sales engine is unclear or inconsistent. Michelle walks listeners through why adding more leads or tactics often creates more chaos, and why simplicity and discipline are the real drivers of predictable growth.

She introduces a practical “CRO order of operations” designed to help revenue leaders regain control without burning out their teams. From offer clarity to organizational focus, Michelle emphasizes the importance of building systems that scale. This execution-first approach to revenue prioritizes calm leadership, clean messaging, and repeatable processes to help boost your flat-line revenue into a steady stream of growth.

Chapters
[Start] Flat Revenue Isn’t Failure: Michelle reframes stagnation as a signal problem, not a motivational or leadership problem.
03:55 Offer Clarity and Simple Messaging: Why complexity kills conversion and how clear language can help you scale.
12:03 Fixing the Sales Process: Michelle walks through how systemized sales create predictability.
18:08 Speed, Discipline, and Lead Handling: How to use automation to improve response time without sacrificing human control.
24:41 The Coaching Corner: Michelle answers your questions about finding the root of your revenue problems.

Links & Resources

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

Connect with Michelle:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube

Today’s Sponsors: 
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
Get 25% off with promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Disclaimer: Some episodes of Revenue Rascals may include paid sponsorships or affiliate partnerships. We only feature brands, products, or services that align with our values and are relevant to helping founders, revenue leaders, and entrepreneurs grow. Sponsorships help support the show—opinions shared are always our own. 

Michelle Terpstra's Privacy Policy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week,  Michelle Terpstra sits down with Dr. Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness at Cal Poly specializing in food retail and supply chain economics, to unpack what’s really driving food prices, grocery store margins, and profitability from farm to shelf. This conversation reframes the food system as a business ecosystem shaped by data, power, and strategic decision-making, not just inflation headlines. Ricky explains why most farms are price-takers, how consolidation has reshaped agriculture, and why the farm share of the food dollar is far smaller than most people expect. 

Michelle and Ricky then explore one of the most overlooked profit levers in food retail: private labels and store brands. From Trader Joe’s to Costco, they break down why store brands reduce middlemen, improve margins across the supply chain, and open massive opportunities for farmers, manufacturers, and independent retailers alike. The episode closes with a look at the future of grocery, the role of data in driving profitability, and why the next generation of agribusiness leaders will need both analytical rigor and operational empathy to thrive.

Chapters
[Start] Why Food Prices Feel So Confusing: Ricky introduces the hidden mechanics of food pricing and explains why grocery frustration is often disconnected from how the system actually works.
06:50 The Food Dollar Explained: A breakdown of where each dollar spent on food actually goes, and why farms receive a surprisingly small share.
12:39 Small Farms, Market Power, and Co-Ops: How consolidation impacts farmers, why most are price-takers, and how cooperatives help smaller producers regain leverage.
20:24  Private Labels and Margin Magic: Why store brands lower costs, reduce supply-chain transactions, and create higher margins for retailers and producers.
58:07 The Missing Role in Grocery Retail: Ricky explains why data analysts may be the most valuable and overlooked hire for improving grocery profitability.

Links & Resources

Connect with Ricky Volpe:

• Instagram @rvolpe123
• Ricky Volpe, Ph.D.

Lean Sales Team Buildout
Ready to build a sales team that can scale without you? Michelle’s Lean Sales Team Buildout™ helps founders build their first sales team, exit the sales seat, or fix an underperforming team. We use AI to eliminate low-value sales work, build the right sales operating system, and put fewer, better humans in the right seats. Learn more and book a discovery call at revenuerascals.com/scalelean.

The Local Guild
Local business owner? Stop guessing your way through growth. The Local Guild helps you get more customers, use AI practically, and build predictable revenue without becoming a full-time marketer. Start the free 7 Day Sales Jumpstart here: revenuerascals.com/thelocalguild

Objectionly 14-Day Free Trial
If you are a founder or sales manager who wants to sell more and stop losing days to call review, Objectionly gives you back your time and puts accountability where it belongs. Grab your 14-Day Free Trial now: https://objectionly.com/?via=revenuerascals

Go High Level 30-Day Free Trial
The AI-powered business operating system. All the tools you need to capture, nurture, and close new leads into bookings, sales, reviews, and repeat customers! Grab your 30-Day Free Trial now: www.revenuerascals.com/ghl

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Today’s Sponsors: 
INDEStove
Get a free workspace stack (a $120 value) with the purchase of a stove when you use promo code: REVENUERASCALS

Jason Markk
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