Ultimate Partner®

Carson Heady is a best-selling author, award-winning seller, recognized thought leader, and podcast host. Carson joins this podcast to help you learn, how can Microsoft Partners achieve their greatest results co-selling.

My mission is to help technology organizations achieve their greatest results working with the technology giants like Microsoft. We are seeing an acceleration of the transformation of our partner ecosystems fueled by marketplaces. Technology buyers have rapidly shifted and partners need to align. My next guest for the podcast is Jake Swenson, Microsoft VP for Commercial Marketplace and joins to answer this question, "how can partners achieve their greatest results through marketplace?"

My mission is to help technology organizations achieve their most significant results working with the technology giants like Microsoft. In the work I do coaching and advising organizations, I often find they miss an important untapped opportunity to work with the teams closest to the customer. It is why I invited my next guest to Ultimate Guide to Partnering®. David Lochridge, the General Manager for the Client Success Unit for Microsoft US Financial Services, joins to introduce partners to navigating Microsoft's customer success unit to achieve your greatest results.

In this episode, Toby Bowers, Microsoft GM for Industry Apps and Data Marketing, joins to tell us how partners achieve their greatest results with Microsoft's Industry Cloud Strategy.

B2B Sales Expert and Award Winning Author, Jim Irving

I'm thankful to all of the great thought and business leaders who come to Ultimate Guide to Partnering®, sharing principles, success strategies, and best practices that help technology organizations thrive during this age of change and transformation. For the last of this three-part series, I am excited that award-winner author, Jim Irving, joins Ultimate Guide to Partnering to share how to achieve your greatest results in 2022, with a view toward "Selling with Partners."

CEO at Merit Consulting and Author of three bestsellers, Jim Irving, has built an enviable international reputation in IT. Over decades in the IT industry in various sales and marketing capacities, Jim Irving now works with many startups in the technology space, primarily helping them execute and grow the business.

After our recent collaboration on his third book, "The B2B Sales Top Tips Guidebook", I invited Jim to discuss how partner leaders can optimize sales to deliver their most outstanding results. In this episode, Jim and I discuss our collaboration and his view of integrating partner-selling into large multi-national sales organizations.

I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I enjoyed welcoming Jim Irving as a guest on Ultimate Guide to Partnering®.

Other episodes featuring Sales Experts.

* 119 – One Sales Leaders Focus to Empower Organizations Through Effective Selling Skills with Sam McKenna.* 90 - Partner Co-Selling - Why Trust, Commitment, and Focus are Critical to Success with Cassandra Gholston, CEO of PartnerTap.

Links & Resources

* Jim's Latest Book, Featuring Chapter 30 on Partnering * Find Jim Irving on LinkedIn* See All Episodes* Rate & Review – please, this helps more listeners find us!* Learn more how Ultimate Partnerships helps technology organizations optimize partner results.* Ultimate Guide to Partnering Linked In – Stay tuned as I'll share details around our new offering for you.* Subscribe to Ultimate Guide to Partnering on Apple, Spotify,  Google,  Audible,  

A View to 2022 with Ecosystem Expert, Jay McBain

As we kick off this podcast's fifth anniversary and leap into 2022, I'm thankful to all of the fantastic thought and business leaders who come to this podcast to share principles, success strategies, and best practices that help technology organizations thrive during this age of change and transformation. For this three-part series, I am excited to be joined by "Industry Thought Leaders" on "How to Achieve Your Greatest Results in 2022." Part Two of the series features my friend and neighbor in South Florida, Jay Mc Bain –Principal Analyst – Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems at Forrester. Jay joins Ultimate Guide to Partnering to share how to achieve your greatest results in 2022, with a view toward Channels and Ecosystems.

It is great to welcome back Jay McBain for a record-setting fourth interview on Ultimate Guide to Partnering®. The evolution in our technology partner ecosystem is happening at breakneck speed, and Jay brings a unique and well-shaped view of the channel based on his engagement with all communities and constituent groups. Jay is a numbers guy and his command of the numbers driving channels and ecosystems is like no other. For this episode, we discuss what partners need to do to achieve their greatest results in 2022.

What You'll Learn

* A summary of his top predictions.

* Marketplaces as a driving force for ecosystems.

* Three things channel leaders need to do to optimize for success in 2022.

* One prediction Jay shares first on Ultimate Guide to Partnering.

Why Listen?

We have seen rapid and sustained transformation for two years. Technology is transforming every company and industry, and we will never go back. Jay McBain has coined this the "Decade of the Ecosystem". We will continue to see significant shifts in how we market, procure and deploy the technology. The channel is also evolving, and technology tools to support this journey will grow, expand, and mature. We are in the early innings of a very exciting game!

WARNING - This episode is exclusively for leaders who care about partner ecosystems, the evolution of selling and the systems driving this next phase of economic growth, and how this “Decade of the Ecosystem” looks to take shape. You will hear Jay's view on how organizations need to think and move differently during this rapidly changing digital economy.

It’s always great to have Jay come to visit this platform. I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I enjoyed welcoming back Jay McBain as a guest on Ultimate Guide to Partnering®.

Other episodes featuring Partner Ecosystem Leaders and Industry Experts.

* 131 - How to Achieve Your Greatest Results in 2022 - Part One - Channels with Rob Spee.

* 116 – Helping ISVs Accelerate Meaningful Revenue with the Cloud Providers through Marketplaces – with Sanjay Mehta of Tackle.io.

* 115 – Creating Value to Innovative Routes-to-Market with Precise Industry and Customer Solutions – with Oguo Atuanya, Microsoft GM for Scale Partners.

* 114 – Cloud Wars Ranks the Most Influential Cloud Vendors During This Rapid Transfor...

A View of 2022 with Channel Journeys Host Rob Spee

As we kick off the podcast's fifth anniversary and leap into 2022, I'm thankful to all of the fantastic thought and business leaders who come to this podcast and share principles, success strategies, and best practices that help technology organizations thrive during this age of change and transformation. For this three-part series, I am excited to be joined by "Industry Thought Leaders" on "How to Achieve Your Greatest Results in 2022." This first episode of the series features Rob Spee, Host of the Channel Journey's Podcast and a Channel Chief on a Journey to Channel Excellence.

Rob Spee is a global IT channel professional with over 20 years of experience driving channel growth for startups to billion $ software companies. Rob is the new senior vice president of global channels at BeyondTrust, where he's focused on building a next-gen partner ecosystem. Most recently, Rob was the RVP of Americas Channels at OutSystems, where he helped to modernize the global partner strategy and partner program.

Rob has built high-performance channel teams at software firms like SAS Institute and Carbonite, led channel sales and marketing at distributor Arrow ECS, and launched a startup as a Splunk partner. He enjoys sharing his passion for the channel as the host of the Channel Journeys podcast.

As the Host of Channel Journeys, Rob shares authentic stories of channel victories, defeats, and lessons learned along the way, as SVP of Global Channel and Alliances for Beyond Trust, he accelerates revenue growth through innovative channel strategies, partnerships, and programs.

Why Listen?

We have seen our world's rapid and sustained transformation for close to two years. Technology is transforming every company and industry, and we will never go back. Jay McBain has coined this the Decade of the Ecosystem. We will continue to see significant shifts and transformations in how we market, procure and deploy the technology. The channel is also evolving, and technology tools to support this journey will grow, expand, and mature. We are in the early innings of a very exciting time!

I invited Rob for a pitch and catch on what we have seen and how technology channel professionals and leaders need to think and pivot to adapt to the change.

I hope you enjoy this episode's amazing guest as much as I enjoyed welcoming fellow Channel Leader and Podcast Host, Rob Spee to Ultimate Guide to Partnering®.

Other episodes featuring Partner Ecosystem Leaders and Industry Experts.

* 118 – How Technology Ecosystems Think and Organize Differently During These Exciting Times – with Jay McBain* 116 – Helping ISVs Accelerate Meaningful Revenue with the Cloud Providers through Marketplaces – with Sanjay Mehta of Tackle.io.* 115 – Creating Value to Innovative Routes-to-Market with Precise Industry and Customer Solutions – with Oguo Atuanya, Microsoft GM for Scale Partners.* 114 – Cloud Wars Ranks the Most Influential Cloud Vendors During This Rapid Transformation – with Bob Evans, creator of Cloud Wars

Links & Resources

* Follow Rob Spee Linked In* Channel Journey's Podcas...

Unpacking Principles and Practices of High Performance

For this special 130th episode, I am so excited to welcome back to Ultimate Guide to Partnering® Dr. Michael Gervais, a fan favorite. Dr. Michael Gervais is a world-renowned high-performance coach by training and trade. He works with athletics, the arts, and business leaders, including Olympic athletes, acclaimed musical artists, and leaders like Satya Nadella. For this follow-up interview, we put a spotlight on high-performance principles and effective partnerships.

Dr. Gervais has developed a psychological framework that allows people to thrive in pressure-packed environments. In this episode, we continue to unpack the principles and practices of high performance. We apply these principles to the art and science of high-performance partnering and business in the interview. We also discuss his experiences at the Tokyo Olympics and recollections from working with Satya Nadella's Leadership Team.

For those who missed our first interviews where Michael and I discussed the principles of high performance and successful partnerships, there are links to those interview episodes in the links below.

Dr. Gervais is also the host of the popular Finding Mastery podcast that explores the psychology of some of the world's most extraordinary thinkers and doers. Finding Mastery recently surpassed 300 interviews with past guests, including Microsoft Chairman & CEO Satya Nadella, Jim Nance, and best-selling author Brene Brown.  

Dr. Gervais and NFL coach Pete Carroll founded Compete to Create, an online and live master class for the mind. They have worked with more than 30,000 employees at Microsoft alone on the mental skills and strategies to unleash one's potential. While at Microsoft, I was privileged to be part of one of the first teams to work with Michael to apply his work and first principles to the world of business organizations.

Why Listen?

I invited Michael back to the podcast because I am a student and have recognized that many of the fundamentals and principles that he teaches specifically apply to and are "first principles" of high-performance and successful partnerships.

In this interview, Michael and I revisit the principles and practices of high performance, with a spotlight on how they apply to effective and successful partnerships.

A FUN CONTEST FOR OUR LISTENERS – Michael and I are giving a Compete to Create Master Classes – a $500 Value. To be selected, please answer this question, “Why I Want to Invest In My Inner Life?” and tag Michael on Linked In, Twitter, Instagram, and also tag @vincemenzione. We will announce the winner on December 24th, 2021.

I hope you enjoy this episode's amazing guest as much as I enjoyed welcoming back Dr. Michael Gervais to Ultimate Guide to Partnering®.

Other Episodes Featuring Dr. Michael Gervais

81 – HOW FIRST PRINCIPLES GUIDE AND IMPACT SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS – PART ONE.

82 – HOW FIRST PRINCIPLES GUIDE AND IMPACT SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS – PART TWO.

Links & Resources

* Follow Dr. Michael Gervais 

How Partners Achieve Their Greatest Results

It is why so many listeners have come to rely on this podcast. I try my best to bring guests to this podcast to help you learn and grow your business. On this podcast, we peel back the complexities of working with the tech giant. We help you learn from the best in the business how to achieve your greatest results. It is why I started this podcast, as I knew so many Microsoft Partners struggle here. I invited my next guest Cameron Lim to help these partners achieve their greatest results working with Microsoft.

How One Leader is Assisting Partners to Get There

As Director of Partner Development at Microsoft, Cameron Lim works with roughly 350 ISV partners in his partner assist program to help them accelerate their success. Cam brings a unique perspective to Microsoft. He sat on the other side of the table, helping his previous organization bring out its best to accelerate their success and stand out working with Microsoft.

Cameron’s focus is to help partners have wild success selling with Microsoft around the world.  Cameron's Assisted Growth program is focused on accelerating sales value with Microsoft for their partners. When he isn’t talking to partners, Cameron can be found on a trail mountain biking or skiing.

Camerons' work with ISV partners is critically important as Microsoft looks to scale and help more and more ISV partners build their brand, market, and selling success. Cam and I have a super informative discussion that I believe will be of great value to any partner looking to step up their game with Microsoft.

I love my conversations with Cam, as he is a no-nonsense and unconventional leader on a mission to drive extraordinary results and optimal performance for the partners he manages.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed welcoming Cameron Lim to Ultimate Guide to Partnering.

Listen to other recent episodes featuring Microsoft US Partner Leaders.

* 124 – TARGETED – TO ACCELERATE PARTNER GROWTH, CAPTURE MARKET SHARE, AND INCREASE REVENUE

* 115 – CREATING VALUE TO INNOVATIVE ROUTES-TO-MARKET WITH PRECISE INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS – US Scale Solution Partners with Oguo Atuanya.

* 65 – AN AUTHENTIC CONVERSATION, FROM CO-SELLING TO THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE – Enterprise Partner Sales with Lani Phillips.

* 94 – WHERE CAN I HELP? A SERVANT LEADER’S MINDSET FOR PARTNER GROWTH – Global Independant Software Vendors (ISV) with Carlos DeTorres.

Links & Resources

* Cameron Lim on Linked In

* Cameron's Spotify List

* See All Episodes

* Rate & Review – please, this helps more listeners find us!

* Learn more how Ultimate Partnerships helps technology organizations optimize partner results...

What is the IAMCP?

The IAMCP or International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners is dedicated to helping companies and individuals in the "Microsoft ecosystem" - Connect, Learn and Grow.

In Episode 124, I featured Heather Deggans. Heather is the Vice President for Microsoft Partner Marketing in the United States. In that episode, we discussed the importance of IAMCP as both a community and an enablement engine to the 400,000 Microsoft Partners in their vast ecosystem. I am both a fan and a critic of the support IAMCP gets as an asset by the Microsoft Partner Community and, frankly, Microsoft itself. I invited current IAMCP America's President Eddie Bader to the podcast to discuss the importance of IAMCP and successful partnering.

Eddie is not only the President of IAMCP but leads Aegis Innovators a Zero Trust and Work from Anywhere solutions partner. Eddie has over 25 years of technology and business experience supporting the entertainment, manufacturing, retail, nonprofit, and healthcare industries. He is also a Disney veteran of almost fifteen years, where he learned and adopted the tenets of the Guest experience and uses them in his daily work and philanthropic efforts.

As IAMCP Americas President, he is dedicated to building an empathetic and inclusive community of partners where everyone belongs. Connect with him via LinkedIn and join him in making positive change happen.

Why Listen?

Partners often ask me how to best engage with Microsoft. I believe there is a unique opportunity to better connect to Microsoft and other like-minded Microsoft Partners through this organization. IAMCP helps companies in the "Microsoft ecosystem” - connect, learn, and grow.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed welcoming Eddie Bader to Ultimate Guide to Partnering.

Recent Outstanding Episodes Featuring IAMCP Leaders

77 – LEAD WITH AN OUTWARD GROWTH MINDSET TO MAKE THE GREATEST SOCIAL IMPACT

98 – FOCUS FREES YOUR SUPERPOWERS, PARTNER UNLOCKS YOUR CLIENT’S DREAMS

Links & Resources

* IAMCP* Eddie's Spotify List* See All Episodes

* Rate & Review – please, this helps more listeners find us!* Learn more how Ultimate Partnerships helps technology organizations optimize partner results.* Ultimate Guide to Partnering Linked In – Stay tuned as I’ll share details around our new offering for you.* Subscribe to Ultimate Guide to Partnering on Apple, Spotify,  Google,  Audible,