The Bird's Nest

Hosted by Dave Lehmkuhl

Business

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Aug 2026

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About the show

In life and business, we all try to find that missing something that will make our lives or careers better. In this podcast, We talk to guests on what they have found in their journey - the good and the bad, ups and the downs - and what that has meant for them along the way. Come join us for a sit down with some amazing people!

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September 5, 202636 min

The Truth About Sales, Burnout and Building a Career

What happens when you stop treating sales like a numbers game and start treating it like a human game? In this episode of The Bird's Nest Podcast, Dave sits down with Blake Nolan, a sales leader, startup operator, and fractional CRO who has spent years building sales teams, selling B2B SaaS, and helping companies raise funding and grow. Blake's career started far from the traditional path. After leaving college, he worked in sales, cold calling enterprise accounts and learning directly from a CEO. He went on to work across multiple sales environments, become an early employee at a SaaS startup, help build and scale a sales organization, and eventually move into consulting and fractional CRO work. But this conversation goes much deeper than sales tactics. Blake explains why believing in yourself matters in sales, why the best salespeople constantly sharpen their skills, and why trying to win every deal can actually become counterproductive. He also shares the sales experience that completely changed how he thought about selling — realizing that closing a deal isn't worth it if the customer isn't actually being helped. The conversation then moves into goal setting and visualization, including the story of how Blake used pictures of golf courses in Ireland to turn a personal goal into reality and eventually take his father on a golf trip. Dave and Blake also discuss the post-COVID shift in the workforce, entrepreneurship, happiness, burnout, career changes, and the difficult decision to walk away from a successful job when it was no longer working for Blake personally. One of the biggest discussions in the episode is the controversial idea of "lowering the quota to raise revenue." Blake explains why unrealistic sales quotas can damage morale, increase burnout and turnover, and potentially hurt revenue instead of improving it. They also discuss sales team retention, unrealistic targets, leadership accountability, startup growth, fractional CROs, go-to-market strategy, and Blake's vision for his next chapter. Whether you're a founder, salesperson, sales leader, startup operator, entrepreneur, or someone thinking about making a major career change, this conversation is packed with lessons on sales, leadership, business, career growth, and building a life that actually makes you happy. Chapters 00:00 – Introducing Blake Nolan 01:42 – From Door-to-Door Sales to SaaS 04:12 – The Sales Experience That Changed Everything 05:30 – Sales Lessons That Apply to Life 06:59 – Goals, Visualization & The Ireland Golf Trip 11:05 – Finding Your Strengths & Improving Your Skills 15:40 – The Human Side of Sales 16:47 – How COVID Changed Work & Entrepreneurship 20:39 – Burnout, Happiness & Betting on Yourself 23:00 – Can Lowering Your Quota Increase Revenue? 26:55 – Sales Burnout, Turnover & Retention 28:23 – Blake’s Vision for the Next 3–5 Years 30:09 – The Daily Walk That Changed Everything 32:54 – Finding Blake & The “Steak” Story 36:13 – Final Thoughts Questions answered in the episode: How do you become better at B2B sales? How do you close more sales? How do you build a strong sales mindset? How do you handle rejection in sales? How important is mindset in sales? How do you sell without being pushy? How do you build trust with customers? How do you become a better salesperson? How do you sell SaaS to businesses? How do you succeed in enterprise sales? Startup / Business How do you build a sales team at a startup? How do startups create a go-to-market strategy? When should a startup hire its first salesperson? How do you scale sales at a startup? What does a fractional CRO do? How can startups improve revenue growth? Quotas / Leadership Can lowering sales quotas increase revenue? Why are sales quotas unrealistic? How do unrealistic sales quotas hurt sales teams? How do you prevent sales team burnout? Why are good salespeople leaving companies? How do you improve sales team retention? Career / Life When should you quit your job and start a business? How do you know when it's time to leave your job? How do you balance career success and happiness? Listen to this podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3nPil3nxiW4uIVrRg4zxze?si=a20c6b2d09434bda Listen to this podcast on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-birds-nest/id1633908324 If you're interested in enterprise sales, B2B sales, AI sales, SaaS sales, outbound If you're interested in sales, SaaS, startups, entrepreneurship, leadership, or career growth, subscribe to The Bird's Nest for more conversations with people building companies, leading teams, and navigating business in the real world. #Sales #B2BSales #SaaS #Startup #Entrepreneurship #SalesLeadership #SalesStrategy #SalesMindset #ColdCalling #SalesTraining #Business #CareerGrowth #StartupGrowth #FractionalCRO #Leadership

August 26, 2026Episode 835 min

The Old Way of Selling Is Dead - How AI Is Changing Enterprise Sales | Daniel Klein

How is AI changing the way enterprise salespeople sell? And what does it take to win when every technology company seems to offer the same thing? In this episode of The Bird's Nest, Host Dave Lehmkuhl sits with Daniel Klein, a senior AI sales professional at Databricks to break down how enterprise sales has changed in the age of AI - from outbound prospecting and executive messaging to storytelling, discovery, credibility and using AI as a salesperson. Daniel explains why the traditional "discovery → demo → pitch" sales process is becoming less effective, and why modern sellers need to show up with a point of view, understand the customer's business problems and tell stories that help buyers understand complicated technology. The conversation also explores how Daniel changed his outbound strategy, began targeting executives with more thoughtful messaging, and eventually started getting into conversations about multi-million-dollar business problems rather than technical features. He emphasizes that meaningful changes in sales messaging can take months before the results become visible. You'll also hear Daniel's perspective on: ● Why salespeople need to become better storytellers ● How to sell AI without getting trapped in technical jargon ● Why enterprise buyers need education, not just product demos ● How to create a strong point of view before a sales meeting ● How to differentiate when competitors claim to do the same things ● Why customer stories and industry expertise build credibility ● How AI can help salespeople research accounts and build presentations ● Why sellers should actually use the technology they sell ● How AI fluency can make you a better salesperson ● What door-to-door sales taught Daniel about rejection ● Why young salespeople need a strong sales culture around them ● How to build resilience and become comfortable hearing "no" ● The importance of mindset, consistency and long-term effort ● How to architect your life around work, family, health and relationships 1. How do you sell AI to businesses? 2. How do you sell AI solutions to enterprise customers? 3. How is AI changing sales? 4. How can salespeople use AI? 5. What are the best AI tools for salespeople? 6. How will AI change B2B sales? 7. How do you sell AI without talking about technology? 8. How can AI help with sales prospecting? 9. How do you sell to enterprise customers? 10.How do you sell to executives? 11. How do you win enterprise deals? 12.How do you sell SaaS to large companies? 13.What is the best enterprise sales strategy? 14.How do you differentiate your product from competitors? 15.How do you sell technology in a competitive market? 16.How do you run a great sales discovery call? 17.What questions should you ask on a discovery call? 18.How important is storytelling in sales? 19.How do you tell better stories in sales? 20.What is a point of view in sales? 21.How do you create a sales point of view? 22.How do you build credibility with prospects? 23.How do you improve outbound sales? 24.How do you get better at sales? 25.How do you handle rejection in sales? Chapters 00:00 — Introduction & Daniel’s Sales Background 00:46 — Why AI Is Changing Enterprise Sales 03:29 — Using AI to Improve Sales & Presentations 05:15 — Selling Technology to Enterprise Customers 07:10 — The New Opportunities in AI Sales 09:35 — Changing the Outbound Sales Strategy 11:49 — Selling Business Problems, Not Technology 13:50 — Why Storytelling Matters in Sales 15:56 — How to Differentiate From Competitors 18:35 — Building Credibility With Customers 20:03 — How Salespeople Can Use AI 23:58 — Lessons From Door-to-Door Sales 25:41 — Handling Rejection & Building Sales Resilience 29:54 — Success, Life & Finding Balance 32:41 — Building the Life You Want

August 15, 202637 min

Start a Business with just a Skill & land your first client, Ft. Elisa Marten | Founder Revenue Mate

In this episode of The Bird's Nest, Dave sits down with Elisa Marten, founder of Revenue Mate, for an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, sales, cold calling, getting your first client, and building a business from the ground up. Elisa's journey didn't start with a perfectly planned business or years of entrepreneurial experience. She initially spent years preparing for a career in healthcare before eventually changing direction and moving into sales. That transition eventually led her to discover tech sales, cold calling, and the skills that would later become the foundation for her own business. One of the biggest challenges she had to overcome was cold-calling anxiety. Elissa shares what it was like to be genuinely uncomfortable picking up the phone, why she decided to work with a cold-calling coach, and how consistently putting herself in uncomfortable situations completely changed her relationship with sales. But learning how to sell was only the beginning. Elissa eventually decided to take her skills and build a business around them. She explains how she researched the market, identified potential clients, built a prospect list, started making calls, and eventually landed her first client. She also talks about what it was like to build the business while still working a full-time job, manage her first clients, and discover that getting business can sometimes become a problem of its own. Within her first couple of months, she was already dealing with capacity, client management, pricing, and the question of how to scale. She shares one of the biggest mistakes she made early on—including having to let a client go—and what that experience taught her about saying yes, managing capacity, and building a sustainable business. The conversation also explores what comes next: whether to hire and scale, specialize in a niche, become a consultant, train other salespeople, or continue building the business as a service company. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the conversation is Elissa's approach to entrepreneurial execution: Don't spend months trying to perfect an idea before putting it into the real world. Take action. Talk to potential customers. Make the calls. Get feedback. Then use what the market tells you to decide what to do next. If you're someone who wants to start a business, land your first client, turn a skill into a business, improve your sales, overcome the fear of cold calling, or develop a stronger entrepreneurial mindset, this episode is packed with practical lessons you can apply immediately. In this episode: • How to start a business from scratch • How to land your first client • How to find potential clients • Cold calling and overcoming sales anxiety • The mindset behind successful sales • Why consistency and volume matter in sales • How to turn a skill into a business • Building a business while working a full-time job • Managing your first clients • What to do when you reach capacity • Pricing your services • Knowing when to say no to clients • Finding your niche • Scaling a service business • Taking action instead of overthinking • Using market feedback to improve your business • Developing an entrepreneurial mindset ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 — Introduction 01:07 — The First Business Idea 05:12 — Leaving the Medical Career Path 09:21 — From Healthcare to Sales 12:25 — Overcoming Cold-Calling Anxiety 17:47 — The Sales Mindset That Changed Everything 20:01 — Starting a Business From Scratch 21:36 — How She Landed Her First Client 24:02 — Growing the Business & Learning the Hard Way 31:36 — Scaling, Pricing & Advice for Entrepreneurs If you're building your first business, trying to get your first few clients, or simply looking for the mindset to finally take action on an idea, this conversation is for you. Subscribe to The Bird's Nest for more conversations about entrepreneurship, business, sales, personal growth, and building something of your own. #Entrepreneurship #StartABusiness #FirstClient #Sales #ColdCalling #Entrepreneur #Business #SalesMindset #EntrepreneurialMindset #SmallBusiness #BusinessDevelopment #AppointmentSetting #Startup #BuildABusiness #RevenueMate

August 8, 2026Episode 735 min

One Conversation You'll Wish You Heard Years Ago - Story of Kyle Adams

Everyone has a story — some inspire through success, others through survival. In this episode of The Bird's Nest, host Dave sits down with Kyle Adams for a raw conversation about the hardest season of his life. What started as unexplained pain turned into a life-altering health journey that tested Kyle's resilience, faith, and mindset. Kyle opens up about facing uncertainty, setbacks, and some of his darkest moments — and how that season reshaped the way he sees gratitude, relationships, purpose, and what really matters. This isn't just a story about hardship. It's about finding strength when life doesn't go as planned, and uncovering the lessons hidden inside our biggest challenges. If you've ever faced adversity, questioned your path, or needed a reminder that hard seasons don't last forever — this one's for you.

May 4, 2026Episode 638 min

He Quit Tech Sales and Bought a Business

Alejandro Vega had a resume most people would be proud of — Account Executive at Gartner, building a territory from scratch at Sysco in Savannah, then Seamless.AI, then Prezent. At 28, he walked away from all of it to buy a concrete coating company in Greenville, SC. In this episode, Dave sits down with Alejandro and gets into the real story — not the LinkedIn version. Alejandro traces his entrepreneurial instincts all the way back to lemonade stands, door-to-door cookie sales, and a college marketing agency. He talks about the book that changed his thinking, a friend who bought a plumbing company that pushed him over the edge, and the moment his wife told him she believed in him — the kind of conversation that makes everything feel possible and terrifying at the same time. They get into Day 1 of ownership, what it actually felt like to make his first sale as the boss, and the difference between grinding for a quota versus building something of your own. Alejandro closes with a message that's hard to forget: get off social media, stop waiting, and be a doer. If you've been sitting on something — this is the episode that might finally push you to go do it.

April 27, 2026Episode 538 min

The Choices That Changed Everything: Charles Thompson on Faith, Football, and Fatherhood

Charles Thompson grew up one of five kids with a single mom, surrounded by gangs and drugs — and made a deliberate choice to go a different way. He leaned on football, coaches, and his faith to carve a path that took him to Bucknell University and into a corporate career. In this conversation, Charles shares what it was like being the first in his family to graduate college, living with a host family in high school who helped shape him, and how getting laid off from his job led to one of his most grounding moments — showing up to coach his son's flag football practice that same day. This is a story about choices, gratitude, fatherhood, and what it really means to equip the next generation. Honest, warm, and worth every minute.

March 21, 2026Episode 431 min

How to Continously Hit "Quotas"

What keeps someone at the top of the leaderboard for over a decade? In this episode, Adam Kronemeyer of Sage shares how mindset, personal drive, and a commitment to providing for his family fueled 11 straight years of hitting quota. We get into the importance of building real relationships with clients—regardless of deal size—and how understanding a prospect’s true priorities can help you navigate obstacles and protect your time. Adam also talks about investing in professional coaching, even at the top of his game, and what he’s learned from recent losses that have made him even sharper. If you’re in sales, leadership, or just trying to stay consistent at a high level—this conversation delivers real takeaways you can apply immediately.

February 26, 2026Episode 336 min

Connecting the Dots: Turning Every Career Move into Momentum

Most people don’t take a straight path into sales. Tyler Meckes definitely didn’t. In this episode of The Bird’s Nest, Tyler hares how he went from majoring in Exercise Science to building a career in sales — and eventually making the leap into Revenue Operations at Eleven Software. What changed? He realized the skills he developed in college weren’t wasted. They were transferable. Teaching complex concepts. Breaking down problems. Communicating clearly. Those same abilities helped him win in sales — guiding prospects, diagnosing challenges, and leading conversations with confidence. And when he transitioned into Revenue Operations, those communication skills became even more valuable. Now he’s working cross-functionally — aligning sales, systems, data, and leadership to drive revenue performance at scale. This conversation is about career pivots, betting on your strengths, and realizing that no experience is wasted if you’re willing to connect the dots. If you’re in sales, RevOps, or thinking about your next move — this episode will challenge the way you look at your own path.

February 9, 2026Episode 235 min

The Power of Confidence in Sales | Career Moves, Quotas, and Closing

This episode of The Bird's Nest features Lauren Szuchan , a top Senior Account Executive at SourceWhale , sharing a candid look at how her sales career truly took shape. Lauren breaks down the early foundation of her sales mindset from her time at Red Bull , what it was like stepping into a commission- and quota-carrying role, and how she evaluates new opportunities when deciding on her next move. A consistent theme throughout the conversation is her confidence—confidence in herself, confidence in the product she sells, and the importance of directly asking for the sale. The conversation also explores what fuels her outside of work: a deep love for travel, why Italy remains a favorite destination, and her firm belief that ice cream should always be a non-negotiable part of life. This episode is a must-listen for sellers navigating career transitions, leaders building confidence at the table, and anyone who believes success comes from preparation, conviction, and the courage to ask.

January 13, 202637 min

Unfiltered: Building a Business On Her Terms

In this episode, Becca Thompson shares her deeply personal journey from medical device sales to launching her own company as a LinkedIn writer and social media consultant for medical companies Becca opens up about the pivotal career decisions that led her to entrepreneurship, how her experience with breast cancer reshaped her outlook on life and business, and why she’s committed to showing up unfiltered, unapologetic, and grounded in her values. This conversation explores: The emotional and practical realities of leaving corporate sales How adversity can clarify purpose and confidence Building a business without compromising who you are Why being “yourself” is a competitive advantage — not a risk This episode is honest, empowering, and inspiring for anyone navigating career change, entrepreneurship, or personal growth. 🎙️ A must-listen for sales professionals, founders, and anyone ready to stop shrinking and start showing up fully.