EP11 - Carly Pledge

I Used To Be Crap At Sales

From Scrapping Her Way Into Sales, to Scaling With Datamaran: Carly's Unconventional Path To Leadership, and Her Secrets For Building High-Performing, Winning Teams”

In this episode, our host Mark Ackers dives deep into Carly’s story, which is packed with lessons for any sales leader. Carly candidly reveals how she “scrapped her way” into the sales team, facing tough wake-up calls, and overcoming early mistakes—like almost shutting down her company due to a lead mix-up. Her experience in rising through the ranks, from SDR to Enterprise Sales Director at Datamaran, provides listeners with a roadmap to success in fast-growing companies.

Carly also discusses the challenges and joys of inheriting a sales team, her approach to personalised coaching, and the importance of understanding team motivations. She emphasises the significance of transparency and building genuine relationships within a sales team to foster growth and accountability.

Carly’s practical tips on spotting burnout, maintaining empathy as a leader, and dealing with the challenges of scaling a startup will resonate with sales leaders managing global teams or navigating high-speed environments.

This episode is a must-listen for sales leaders looking to scale their own teams and sharpen their leadership skills, this episode is filled with actionable insights on sales coaching, leadership, and strategy in a fast-paced world.