169: From Criminology Studies to Sales, Hannah Ajikawo, Revenue Funnel
Conversations with Women in Sales
Release Date: 02/29/2024
192: Be a Lifelong Learner in Sales, Ayana Gardner, Zoom
Conversations with Women in Sales
Ayana Gardner was recently named as one of "300 Women Making an Impact in B2B SaaS" so it is great that she kick off our first episode of 2025. Ayana is a ZCX Channel Leader at Zoom. We are also starting 2025 with our Q1 sponsor, RapidScale. Ayana has been in sales for a number of years and loves her current position which involves working with Zoom channel partners - a huge opportunity in B2B sales as so many companies sell through channels of one type or another. Because she works for Zoom Ayana is virtual, and does virtual events and enablement within her role. Ayana talks...
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191: This Woman WAS Tapped on the Shoulder about a Sales Role, Tania Doub, Mindful Quadrant
Conversations with Women in Sales
I always laugh about how so many women do wait to be tapped on the shoulder by a leader in the company to move into a different role - this did happen to Tania who began her career in her 20's in marketing. Tania now is a successful author, former corporate enterprise seller, and now runs Mindful Quadrant. We had a great conversation covering a lot of ground. Tania is working on a new version of her great planner currently sold as "Work It - a Modern Day Sales Planner" and wrote a book called, "Work It, Girl - a Modern Day Career Guide for Women in Sales" Having worked at...
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190: Advocate For and Believe in Yourself, Elitsa Zaimova, Sales Director at Preply
Conversations with Women in Sales
When Elitsa and I spoke, we had many stories about competent women in sales and leadership roles who wait to get the "tap" on the shoulder to be promoted. Our male counterparts TELL their boss that they expect to be promoted many times and they initiate introductions with some of their C-level leaders, heads of other teams in their company and proudly state their accomplishments. Are we too shiy to also do that, or is it in how we were raised - "don't brag," my dad would tell me. Today in 2025 we say, "It isn't bragging if it is true." Listen to Elitsa share about her...
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189: Journey from BDR to Enterprise Sales and Ultimately into Security, IT and AI, April Marks, Pangea
Conversations with Women in Sales
April Marks leveraged the communication skills she got in college to help her launch into a sales career - first as a BDR, then right into an Enterprise Sales role. She is currently at Pangea. My current role enables customers to leverage processes integrating API-based security services and strategically managing enterprise accounts, currently at Pangea. I am driven by the mission to streamline security processes, which resonates with Pangea's innovative approach to delivering comprehensive services through a single framework. My commitment to fostering a collaborative culture and...
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188: Excelling in the Male Majority Boys Club, Kaivona KP Parker,
Conversations with Women in Sales
Kaivona Parker works with companies and individuals to help get more underserved folks into tech sales and support and champion them to success. We talked about the notion of people saying to bring your "whole self" to work, but in reality we can't all do that. Kaivona wants to help build up those in sales to help them grow and flourish. She trains, coaches, and is an all around sales enablement pro, with career stops at Grainger, Yelp, Nestle', and Teachable, among others. Listen and share your thoughts - we'd love to hear them. Kaivona Parker: Women Sales Pros:...
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187: Ask Like an Auctioneer, Dia Bondi, Author, Speaker, Coach
Conversations with Women in Sales
The book has a mission: to help 1 Million women ask for more and get it. But it’s not just for women. It’s for you if you want to: Get the raise of your life Land that partnership that can change everything Expand your influence in your domain Secure that whale of a client Refuse to lowball yourself Use asking as a success strategy I was thrilled to interview Dia because as a former fundraising auctioneer myself, I know a bit about Dia's successes - A Communications Coach for two decades, Dia Bondi works with top CEOs, VC-backed founders, innovators, and creatives...
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186: Rising in Sales Roles and Being Authentic, Anna Randall, TigerEye
Conversations with Women in Sales
Anna rose from inside sales support to a sales role at Oracle, to startup PlanGrid, then Autodesk (acquired PlanGrid) and now at TigerEye as VP of Sales. How did she do it? Anna is very conversational and I really enjoyed hearing her tips in doing well in sales and also what she has to say about AI. Listen to what she has to say about being a "lone wolf" and why you don't want to be that. Follow Anna here: Follow Women Sales Pros: @womensalespros on Instagram Sign up for our 2x a month e-news: subscribe: Contribute: Past News Issues:
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185: Moneyball Leadership: Win the Game by Changing the Way You Lead, Jaime Diglio, InFirst
Conversations with Women in Sales
Do you know what you want in your career? Many of us know we don't like where we are at or our role, but we don't know what we DO want. Jaime Diglio's new book, "Moneyball Leadership" is not just for leaders - it is a quick read for anyone wanting to get out of the "war room" as Jaime puts it, and into the "win room". Mindset is so important in business - especially sales and sales leadership. Jaime explains: "Today’s leaders are burning out at higher rates than ever before because they're measuring the wrong things and using outdated methods that work...
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184: Career Opportunities for Women in Enablement, Sarah Gross, RingCentral
Conversations with Women in Sales
My guest today is Sarah Gross, VP of Global Enablement at RingCentral. Sarah and I go way back, and most recently she became a new mom which has given her new perspectives about women and work. Sarah is also a top sales enablement professional who helps design process and support for sales teams like the ones at RingCentral. When Sarah and I first met, she was with Gartner, and has also worked at Procore and Vorsight in addition to others. Sarah calls enablement the "octopus" of an organization because it is the only department that touches every other department. ...
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183: Say What They Cant Unhear, New Book by Tamsen Webster
Conversations with Women in Sales
Brilliant business author Tamsen Webster has just released her newest book, Say What They Can't Unhear: The 9 Principles of Lasting Change. Tamsen describes the new book: The book is a compact and actionable guide that will get leaders (and others!) thinking differently about where change comes from and how to initiate it. By introducing and exploring nine “persuasion proverbs,” I highlight the behavioral, cognitive, and psychological principles that underpin lasting change, and offer a powerful alternative to the standard tactics of influence and persuasion. The outlined concepts...
info_outlineHannah and I had a rousing conversation about all things sales. Hannah is founder of Revenue Funnel and is based in London. She and I talked about many topics - including:
A Conversation with Hannah Ajikawo - Journey from Sales to CEO and Founder of Revenue Funnel
In this episode, Hannah Ajikawo, CEO and Founder of Revenue Funnel, discusses her journey through experiences in Sales to forming her company. Raised in inner-city areas heavily influenced by crime, Hannah obtained a degree in Criminology and Social Policy before finding her way into Sales. She discusses her experiences working across various companies, and how her curiosity about the functioning of companies led her to setup her own business. Hannah also talks about the importance of networking and continuous learning for success in Sales. She advocates for keeping focus on improving specific areas based on individual needs. Furthermore, she emphasizes the critical role Sales plays in personal development, stepping into power, and generating wealth.
00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation
00:38 Hannah's Journey into Sales
01:01 Transition from Academia to Sales
02:24 Challenges and Triumphs in Sales
05:42 Personal Struggles and Career Progression
09:32 The Shift to Consulting
10:34 The Importance of Authenticity
12:24 Advice for Job Seekers
18:09 Hannah's Involvement in Sistas in Sales
21:32 Recommendations for Aspiring Salespeople
28:32 Conclusion and Contact Information
Reach Hannah on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-ajikawo/
Reach Lori Richardson and Women Sales Pros on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scoremoresales/