Dr. Garland Vance

AdVance Leadership

AdVance Leadership helps high capacity influencers live and lead with greater purpose, productivity, and peace. 

We work with leaders, teams, and organizations to understand the effects of busyness on their lives and systematically drive it out so that they can accomplish their highest priorities.

We guide people to discover their life purpose and arrange their lives so that they carry out their purpose every day.

We help teams discover the unique characteristics and strengths of each individual and work out of their greatest contributions. 

We guide organizations to discover their highest priorities and to create the habits necessary to intentionally and systematically make progress on those priorities every single day.

Founder & CEO

Names by 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘴 as one "of the seven books everyone on your team should read."

Everyone is busy. And it’s killing us all.

Hurry is the new normal. When someone asks us how we’re doing, we tell them that we’re “good… but busy.” We want to achieve our dreams and live a significant life, so we cram our calendars with nonstop activities.

Instead of feeling fulfilled, we’re distracted, exhausted, and overwhelmed. We have too much to do and not enough time.

But it doesn’t have to be this way!

Garland Vance knows how you feel. In Gettin’ (un)Busy, he shares how he nearly burned out while leading a nonprofit, having a family, and working on his doctorate in leadership and spiritual formation. He discovered a powerful, proven, and research-driven system that will help you shed stress, accomplish your dreams, and love life. You will learn:

•	the inhibiting beliefs that keep you trapped in busyness 
•	why time management isn’t the solution
•	how to attain your biggest goals 
•	the unwanted commitments that keep you from your priorities 
•	how to take control of your life so that you don’t burn out
•	and much more….

If you’re ready to do less, get more done, and enjoy life, it’s time to get (un)busy!

Author, Gettin' (un)Busy

As an event planner, you have a ton of pressure. The last thing you want to worry about is whether you'll have an engaging presenter. You want a speaker who will keep your audience entertained while simultaneously learn and grow.

I'm an award-winning speaker and have been presenting to groups since I was a teenager (that was a few decades ago).

Here are the topics I speak on:
- Unleash Your Leadership - The 7 Traits that Solve 95% of Your Leadership Challenges
- The 4 Drivers of Retention and Engagement: Clarity, Community, Culture, and Leadership Development
- The 4 Building Blocks to Create a Leadership Culture in Your Business
- Gettin' (un)Busy  - 5 Steps to Kill Busyness and Live with Purpose, Productivity and Peace

Want to see if I'm the right fit for your event? Email me at garland@advanceleadership.live

Keynote Speaker

Are you drowning because you have too much to do and not enough time? Do you feel like your burning out?

The problem is busyness -- an overcommitment to too many good commitments. Almost everyone talks about how busy we are. And, to be honest, it makes us feel significant.

But busyness stops you from accomplishing your biggest dreams. You stay so overwhelmed that you can't make progress on your highest priorities.

It took me years to get (un)busy, but you can do it in 30 days...and it only takes a few minutes each day.

30-Day Gettin' (un)Busy Course 

Unleash Your Leaders

One of the hardest challenges leaders face is figuring out how to develop MORE leaders and BETTER leaders. You're so busy leading the business that it seems impossible to grow other leaders. 

But the longer you wait to develop those leaders, the more problems you have to deal with yourself. 

In the Unleash Your Leaders Team Coaching Program, your current and potential leaders receive video training and group coaching on the 7 traits that solve 95% of leadership challenges:
1.Character 
2.Competence
3.Capacity
4.Clarity 
5.Community 
6.Culture 
7.Consistency 

This leadership training gives your team practical tools to help them 
- Build trust with their direct reports
- Delegate effectively 
- Create clarity that spreads throughout the company
- Make the hard decisions that leaders need to make
- Free up time and energy to get more done in less time
- Develop the competencies they need for their role
- Create a healthy culture that produces engaged employees

If you're interested in learning more, schedule your Strategy Call today: 
https://calendly.com/d/dry-mf7-cy9

Team Coach

As a leader, have you ever felt like you're constantly taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back? If so, you're experiencing 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝. I help high-capacity leaders increase their effectiveness and achieve leadership excellence.

HOW I DO IT: During this 10-week one-on-one coaching program, you will:
❗️Implement the 7 traits that will solve ~95% of your leadership challenges
❗️Develop deeper levels of trust with your team than you ever imagined
❗️Create the clarity that your organization needs so that everyone understands where you're going, how you're going to get there, and what their part is in the process
❗️Increase your reservoirs of time, energy, and attention so that you accomplish more in less time

Executive Coach

Swoz Leadership

Creating solutions and content to help leaders create great organizations that generate raving fans.

VP of Strategy

Senior Consultant

Helping catalyze organizations cation all transformation by creating customized solutions for leadership development and customer service.

Consultant

Grace Fellowship

- Responsible to create and implement the leadership development pipeline in both small groups and in conjunction with all ministries to enable the church to carry out its mission.
- Overseeing the assimilation process and team to demonstrate excellent hospitality and to help visitors take the path to become engaged members.

Leadership Development Pastor

West Rome Baptist Church

Part-time contract staff while finishing my doctoral work. I helped research & develop a strategy for leadership development in both staff and volunteers. 
- Led a small team of staff to develop and launch a leadership pipeline for their volunteers.
- Partnered with the Pastor during a Spiritual Gifts sermon series to create a system to help people discover their spiritual gifts and get them plugged into a ministry opportunity that lined up with their interests & passions.
- Trained full-time staff in a Christian-based model of personal and organizational time management. 
- Assisted the staff in communicating vision and celebrating wins.
- Preached on multiple occasions.

Pastor of Staff & Leadership Development (contract)

WinShape College Program

Established and stewarded the mission, vision, and core values for a college-aged Christian program aimed at developing disciples, creating community, and launching leaders.

Led a staff of 9 people (3 full-time; 6 part-time) to design and execute the strategic training and programming to develop Christian leaders. 

Mobilized participants to lead discipleship groups based on curriculum and resources that I developed.

Facilitated training for hundreds of participants that enabled them to discover and articulate their life purpose.

Director

FranklinCovey

Guided customers to identify the best resources to meet their time management needs.

Sales Associate

New Life Community Church

Led a youth ministry for a young church plant utilizing a team of volunteer workers.

Youth Pastor

Biltmore

Arranged group visits for visitors to America's largest privately owned home.

Group Sales Associate

I help Executives retain employees and increase engagement by developing their company's leaders in 6 months or less. | Author of Gettin' (un)Busy | Collector of Cool Hats

Book a free strategy call to explore how to develop leaders who solve 95% of your company’s challenges and accelerate growth.
https://calendly.com/garlandvance/strategy

Who We Help

We work with growing companies in service, manufacturing, and banking sectors that have 500+ employees. Our ideal clients prioritize leadership development as a strategic investment and understand that strong leadership is the key to their company’s success. We typically partner with Heads of Talent Development, HR leaders, and CEOs who are committed to developing leaders at every level of their organization.

Problem We Solve

In today’s fast-paced business environment, companies often face leadership gaps that lead to team misalignment, high turnover, and stalled business growth. Developing in-house leadership programs can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially when leaders are unprepared to tackle 95% of the challenges their companies face. We alleviate that burden by delivering a proven, comprehensive leadership development solution that addresses these challenges head-on.

Client Results

Increased Employee Morale and Engagement: Companies report higher morale, improved retention, and stronger team dynamics as leaders develop confidence and competence.

Accelerated Leadership Promotions: Talent pipelines are filled with capable leaders, leading to quicker promotions and better succession planning.

Boosted Productivity: Leaders who go through our program are better equipped to drive results, manage teams effectively, and improve overall organizational performance.

Strengthened Company Culture: By focusing on leadership traits such as Character, Competence, and Community, leaders create a more cohesive, productive culture across all levels of the organization.

Our Proprietary Framework

Our Unleashed Leadership framework focuses on seven critical leadership traits: Character, Competence, Capacity, Clarity, Community, Culture, and Consistency. We provide award-winning in-person leadership training, followed by virtual sessions to reinforce learning and help leaders apply their new skills. Our programs are highly customizable, allowing you to develop a strategy that builds leaders at every level.

If you’re ready to solve your company’s leadership challenges and build a more confident, capable team, we invite you to schedule a free strategy call. During this call, we’ll assess your current leadership development needs and explore how our framework can accelerate your company’s growth.

Book your free strategy call today:
https://calendly.com/garlandvance/strategy

I help middle-to-senior managers get unleashed from the seven issues that cause every leadership challenge. | CEO, Top 20 Leadership Development Company | Collector of Cool Hats

Toxic cultures have 1 thing in common:

They dehumanize people:
-they see people as objects rather than as humans.
-they consistently use shame and blame as "motivation."
-they leverage positional power to threaten people and instill fear.

No one deserves to work in a toxic culture.

If you don’t intentionally create a great culture...
you're unintentionally shaping a bad one.

Today is one of my favorite days of the year.
I’m at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center with 31 leaders from Rollins, Inc. I’ve spent the last year guiding them through a leadership development program.  

Today, we’re headed to The Walt Disney Company Magic Kingdom.
But this isn’t a vacation.
It’s a leadership lab.

These men and women will study what makes Disney’s customer experience world-class.
They’ll discover simple lessons they can use every day.
They’ll compete.
They’ll laugh.
They’ll grow.

Sometimes I stop and think, “I get to do this for a living?”
I love helping leaders unleash their potential.
What a gift.

No alternative text description for this image

Humility is the #1 trait I look for in leaders I work with.

Humility is the willingness to admit that:
- you don't know everything
- you need other people
- you make mistakes

If you try to lead others without humility, 
you become a dictator 
or a narcissist.

I am a Thanksgiving curmudgeon.

There. I said it. It’s less than 1 week til Thanksgiving, and I have always dreaded that day.

Not because of the meal or the family time. I love those things.

I dreaded Thanksgiving because of the *cleanup.*

Our kitchen always looked like a food tornado hit it. Pots bubbling on every burner. Bowls stacked up like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Every kitchen tool dirty. And by the time the Dallas Cowboys took the field, I was already in a foul mood.

A few years ago, Dorothy and I finally had enough.

We asked, “How do we make Thanksgiving more enjoyable?”

The answer surprised us.

We delegated it.

We found a restaurant that would prepare the entire meal. Turkey. Dressing. Green beans. Sweet potatoes. Even the pecan pie. We kept two dishes we actually enjoy making, and we handed off the rest.

It was the best Thanksgiving we ever had.

And it taught me something important about leadership:

There are moments when the smartest move is to get something off your plate.

In today’s newsletter, we share three signs it’s time to delegate (and a simple process to help you delegate more quickly. 

https://lnkd.in/eTEHsgjr

Low energy destroys your leadership. 

Leadership is a high-output sport.

And most leaders show up with half a tank.

When energy runs low:
- It hurts your mental engagement
- It affects your decision making
- It leaves your team feeling like you don’t care.

The result?

Apathy replaces urgency.
Disconnection replaces trust.

You don’t fix this with more sleep (though that helps).
You fix it with Life-Giving Habits.

These are the routines that recharge you:
- A bike ride before work
- Reading something that inspires you
- Time in nature

It’s different for everyone.

But if you don’t intentionally replenish, 
leadership will eventually deplete you.

Dear Leaders,

your own development isn’t selfish—it’s foundational. 
If you're burned out, your team will follow.

Invest in your leadership. Read. Reflect. Talk to a coach or mentor. 
You can’t afford not to.

Dear Leader,

You don’t need better employees.

They need a better leader.

Three ways to become the leader your team (and company) wants:

1. Build a leadership community.
You weren’t meant to do this alone. Find mentors. Develop other leaders. 

Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you.

2. Set the right culture.
Your team’s behavior is a reflection of what you tolerate. 
If you tolerate low standards, you’ll get them. 

Define the culture you want—and re-enforce it.

3. Be relentlessly consistent.
Your words and actions should align every single day. 
If you constantly shift expectations, your team will stop listening. 

Consistency builds credibility.

Become the leader your team wants to follow.

I worked with a client recently whose department was struggling. 

Missed deadlines. 
Miscommunication. 

The manager blamed his team.
The team blamed the boss...and each other. 

After a few conversations with the manager, he decided to look in the mirror.

Instead of pointing fingers, 
he asked,  
“What am I doing that's causing these problems?"

He apologized to his team.
Asked them how he could improve.
Implemented some of their suggestions. 

Within a week, every member of the team 
took responsibility for how they contributed to the problems.

Even better, each person identified 
specific ways they would help the team. 

At AdVance Leadership, we call this 125% Responsibility. 
Leaders take responsibility for everything in their scope of control
AND
for the results of their team. 

If your team is struggling, look in the mirror.

A senior executive I coached had a reputation for being 
“the smartest person in the room.” 

His team admired his brilliance… 
but they didn’t feel heard. 

Over time, innovation slowed. 
People stopped offering ideas. 
Turnover quietly increased.

He got frustrated and confused.

During one of our coaching sessions, I asked,

“When was the last time you you asked someone to challenge you??”

The next team meeting, 
he tried something different. 

Instead of leading with a solution, he led with a question:

“What do you think we should do?”

The room lit up.

Ideas flowed. 
The team leaned in. 
And for the first time in a long time, they felt seen and valued.

Arrogance in leaders is like cancer.

My mom died of cancer 13 years ago.

It ate up her organs,
and caused pain for everyone she influenced.

Arrogance in leaders is the same.

It destroys leaders from the inside
and damages every person a leader influences. 

Arrogance starts with small signs:
- brushing off feedback,
- focusing on personal wins,
- silencing others.

If this is left unchecked, 
it erodes trust and weakens team performance.

Here’s how to take practical steps that build humility 
and strengthen your leadership:

1. Ask for feedback
Arrogant leaders avoid critique. Healthy leaders seek it out.
Ask your team regularly: “What’s one thing I could do better?”
Make it safe for people to answer honestly—without fear of backlash.

2. Be prepared to change your mind
Arrogance clings to being right.
But strong leaders let go of ideas when new insights emerge.
Changing your mind isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.

3. Encourage disagreement
If no one on your team ever pushes back, you might not be as approachable as you think.
Disagreement, when invited and respected, is one of the most powerful tools for better decision-making.

Arrogance isolates leaders.
Humility invites your team to the table.

Stop being a nice leader. 

I grew up in the south, 
where everyone is nice

but few people are kind. 

They’ll say you look handsome
while a piece of broccoli is stuck in your teeth. 

Nice leadership isn’t always kind. 
And it’s definitely not always effective.

Being “nice” often looks like this:
– Letting missed deadlines slide
– Avoiding awkward conversations
– Hoping people will fix themselves without guidance

The result?

A culture where accountability disappears—
and so does performance.

Want to lead more effectively? Replace “nice” with clarity + courage.

- Be clear about expectations
- Be consistent with follow-through
- Be courageous enough to have hard conversations when needed

Most companies are like a crazy billionaire 

(not naming names, of course)

Here's why...

Imagine a billionaire resolving to end world hunger.

He takes his fortune to a mountain peak 
and tosses his money down the slopes.

He hopes that hungry people who live at the 
base will catch the cash and buy food.

The best word to describe this tycoon 

would be “crazy.”

Yet, this is the exact strategy that most executives use 
to develop their company’s leaders.

Companies spend approximately $366 Billion per year 
on leadership development.

But only 5% of companies have a strategy and 
plan for developing leaders.

In other words, 

they – like the crazy billionaire –
throw money at random leadership programs, 
hoping it will help the company develop better leaders.

An amazing first day with Strategic Coach in Chicago. 

Grateful for the opportunity to work with other entrepreneurs like Campbell Gerrish, Brad Adey, Shelita Burns - Hall, CPA CTC, Petar Mandic, and so many others. 

Can’t wait to grow our lives and businesses with these great folks.

A client I worked with inherited a struggling department—
-low morale, 
-missed targets, 
-constant finger-pointing.

Instead of blaming the previous leader, she did something bold.

She gathered her team and said,

“I may not have created these problems, 
but I take full ownership of fixing them.”

The next things that happened: 
• Meetings got clearer.
• Tensions dropped.
• Trust grew.

Why? She took responsibility
for problems she didn’t create.

More is better- this is what leaders believe. 

- More words in a speech.
- More slides in a presentation.
- More strategies in a plan.

It's a lie. 

In reality, complexity diminishes clarity. 

Overloaded messages overwhelm your team. 
They walk away confused, not committed.

The better approach? Simplify to amplify.

That’s one of the reasons my newest book is only 120 pages. 

Dorothy and I could’ve written a much bigger book. We have 25 years worth of more ideas and stories.

But it wouldn’t have made it better, only more confusing.  

Besides that, we saw Amazon research that found that most people only read the first 120 pages of a nonfiction book. So, why waste all that time writing something that people won’t read. 

Whether you’re writing a book or leading people, create clarity.

Dear Leader,

Don't believe this dangerous myth:

”Leadership means control”

True leaders don’t control—they take ownership.

Here’s how control and ownership shape leadership differently.

- Control means micromanaging. | Ownership means guiding.
- Control blames others. | Ownership finds solutions.
- Control limits trust. | Ownership builds it.

The more you control, the less your team grows. 
The more you own, the stronger your leadership becomes.

Take ownership—not control—and watch your team thrive.

The best leaders know confidence 
isn’t about dominating the room. 

It’s about elevating others.

Arrogant leaders:
- Ignore feedback
- Dismiss team ideas
- Focus on self over team

Confident leaders:
- Listen to feedback
- Depend on others
- Focus on the team over self. 

Nobody should have to work for an arrogant leaders.

I dream of a world filled with confident leaders.

Every leader needs 2 kinds of character:

1) Moral character.
-Do what’s right and ethical.
-This type of character expected of every human.

2) Leadership character.
-Take ownership for your team’s results.
-Engage in the difficult decisions, conversations, and actions.
-This type of character is rare.

In 2013, I was faced with severe health challenges. 

I experienced constant 
-exhaustion,
-migraines, and
-even heart palpitations.

I hit a wall. 
I was overwhelmed and constantly busy.
Despite all my accomplishments, I realized I wasn’t functioning at my best.

The problem wasn’t time management.

It was busyness addiction.

Sound familiar?

That moment made me rethink everything. I found five steps to kill busyness before it hurts you.

1. Decided to prioritize my health and well-being.
2. Deconstructed the habits that led to overcommitting.
3. Designed my life to focus on balance, including relationships and rest.
4. Developed new routines to stay unbusy. 
5. Drew others into a slower way of living. 

Busyness doesn’t guarantee success.  

 It’s time to choose. 
What would change if you led from rest—not rush?

Sparkbound

We exist to unlock the potential of people to do more good, better.

Sparkbound is a leadership development academy disguised as a medical sales organization and medical device distributor. We are focused on going beyond transactions and enriching the lives of our people, partners, and practitioners.

Founder & Principal

Enovis

Sr. Salesperson building Sparkbound ❇️

Arthrex

Agency Sales Manager

Arthrex Extremity & Trauma Lead & Territory Manager

Upper Extremity Sales lead

Arthrex Clinical Specialist

Arthrex Technology Consultant | Sales Professional 

Empire Medical

Executive Sales Manager

P4L Fitness & Torque Sports Performance

Director of Sports Performance

Hospital for Special Surgery

Worked independently for Dr. Adele Boskey’s laboratory. Dr. Boskey is 	interested in tissue mineralization; the ultimate goal in the lab was to improve bone quality by providing insight needed for new 	therapies and tissue engineered products. My specific research project was focused on the role of proteoglycans in the bone mineralization process. More specifically, I looked at the effect of 	the interaction between the large proteoglycan, aggrecan, and aggrecanase (ADAMTS) and aggrecanase inhibitors (TIMP) on hydroxyapatite formation in a gel system. My work was paralleled 	with identical studies performed in this laboratory in a cell culture 	system.

Research Assistant

Weill Cornell Medical College

Presented and participated in weekly journal clubs. Partook in a Lab Techniques Workshop and Clinical Skills Workshop. Scrubbed into surgeries at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Gave an oral 	presentation at Leadership Alliance National Symposium and written and poster presentation of my research at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Intern

I help salespeople become sales leaders w/ the Salesblazer Method™️ | Executive Sales Leader

Over the last decade, I helped build multiple multi-million dollar medical device territories by developing new markets and strategic sales teams. I also helped customer-partners build their personal brands and land consulting contracts, which led to developing new products/techniques and enhanced patient outcomes.

Then, in 2023, I hit a fork in the road. Do I continue building someone else's company at the expense of my convictions, or do I risk my comfortable life to gain personal agency, take complete ownership over my future, and craft something worth telling a story about?

Building something on my terms and diversifying my income would be the best pathway towards control over my calendar, autonomy over the work I get to do, and the direct impact I can have.

While this pathway has not been easy, the results have been remarkable.

Since leaving a sales executive role with a great brand, I have been able to replace my income by working for myself with less effort (working smart).

I have launched Sparkbound, a medical sales & marketing organization that goes beyond the transaction and seeks to enrich the lives of others.

Sparkbound not only helps our people build influential careers, increase our partners' influence, or improve our practitioners' patient outcomes, but we also want to help aspiring difference makers become the change they wish they could make... and then help them make positive change happen.

My mission is to help you see that you're not stuck. You don't have to labor and live as others expect you to. My mission is to help you challenge the status quo, lead by design, and choose the impact you wish to have.

I love writing about leadership, specifically leadership without titles, about how high-impact professionals can earn personal agency, purposeful productivity (doing more good, better), and meaningful work.

Francisco Martinez

Most people wait for the perfect opportunity to start leading.

The perfect promotion.
The right work/life balance. 
The sales kickoff meeting.
A bigger team.

But here’s what I’ve learned after building sales teams:

There is no perfect opportunity.

The promotion won't make you a leader.
There is no such thing as work/life balance in sales leadership.
Leadership happens before the title. 

The people who get promoted don't wait. 

They start.
They lead anybody.
Create opportunities to serve.  
They find solutions that everyone has been aching for. 

Because they understand something most people ignore:

You don’t build influence by a title. 
You earn it by leading. 

Serving builds trust.
Solving problems makes you indispensable.

That’s exactly how I've gone from a sales demotion to now running my own sales organization.

Not with a perfect plan.

But by showing up every day seeking to enrich the lives of others.

What about you?

Making Leaders Remarkable | Follow for systems & strategies for effortless leadership & remarkable work | Founder & Principal building an 8-figure sales agency from scratch

The best leaders aren't the smartest in the room. 

More knowledge won't get you promoted. Try this instead:

Acquire wisdom. 

Here's why:

🧠 Knowledge is about knowing more. 
🦉 Wisdom is about knowing you don't know enough. 

🧠 Knowledge says, "I know the answer." 
🦉 Wisdom asks, "What's the right question?"

🧠 Knowledge recites best practices. 
🦉 Wisdom knows when to break them.

🧠 Knowledge speaks first in meetings. 
🦉 Wisdom listens, then synthesizes what others missed.

🧠 Knowledge focuses on being right. 
🦉 Wisdom focuses on being useful.

🧠 Knowledge collects information. 
🦉 Wisdom connects the dots others can't see.

The leaders who get promoted aren't the ones with the most certifications or the biggest vocabulary.

They're the ones who can navigate complexity, read between the lines, and make decisions when the data is incomplete.

They turn information into insight. Problems into opportunities. Chaos into clarity.

Stop collecting knowledge. Start cultivating wisdom.

Your career will thank you.

What's one moment when wisdom mattered more than knowledge in your career? Share below 👇

-- 
♻️ Repost to help others lead with wisdom
➕ Like and follow Francisco Martinez for more insights

The best medical sales reps don't sell. They serve.

After 13 years in medical sales, I've watched too many reps crash and burn trying to be the smartest person in the room.

Here's what actually works:

Stop trying to impress doctors.
Start trying to improve patient outcomes.

This mindset changes everything.

Here are the non-negotiables for high-performing medical sales reps: 

✅ Lead with patient impact, not product features
✅ Create opportunities to serve your customers. 
✅ Play the long game and build trust as you build your pipeline.
✅ Educate, educate, educate. 
✅ Don't knock the competition. 

Here's the interesting truth:

When you stop selling and start serving, your numbers go up.

In medical sales, we don't just move products.
We're integral to someone's healing.

Act like it.

What's the most important lesson you've learned about putting people before profit?

♻️ Repost if this resonates
➕ Follow for more on character-driven sales leadership

The wrong path looks promising. 

Until you are replaced. 

I used to think success came from putting in the most hours.

→ First in. Last one out.
→ Say yes to every opportunity.
→ Take work off your boss’s plate. 

The formula they sold us:
Be everywhere → Pay your dues → Trust the process

But here’s the problem:

Budget cuts happen.
Burnout persists.
And no one is looking after your career. 
One bad performance can make you replaceable. 

Now I focus on building what can’t be replaced:

1. Your Attitude
You can’t control every outcome.
But you can control whether people want you in the room when things get tough.

2. Your Wisdom
Thanks to ChatGPT, Knowledge is cheap these days.
But applying that knowledge? That’s hard-earned. 
Wisdom only comes from personal experience plus reflection.

3. Your EQ Skills
Tools change. Markets shift.
But people don’t. The ability to communicate and win with people will outlast AI. 

4. Your Character
Character can’t be bought. 
It is developed and tested over time. 
While others focus on competencies and credentials, build the foundation that no one else is. 

5. Your Discipline
Motivation can pack a punch, but has a short fuse. 
Discipline keeps your butt in the chair no matter how you feel. 


6. Your Leadership
Leadership isn’t a title.
It’s creating opportunities to initiate acts of service.

7. Your Point of View
A unique, well-reasoned perspective is a moat.
It sets you apart in a world drowning in copycats.

These 7 things made me indispensable.
No org chart. No market shift. No competitor can take them away.

You don’t need to protect yourself.
You need to build value that no one can replace.

♻️ Repost to help your tribe become indispensable
➕ Follow to learn how to become the one your company can't live without

Don't just pray for a great culture.

Be the answer to your prayer.

It's easy to hope for a healthy workplace—one where you feel safe, valued, and seen.

But culture isn't something you stumble upon.

It's something you help create.

Culture is not:

- Pizza, ping pong, or even pickleball
- Unlimited PTO or remote work
- A profitable business unit
- A mission statement
- HR department
- Core values
- The CEO

The success or attitude of individual contributors is not the measure of culture. 
But is measured by:

- Low burnout
- Employee referrals
- High retention rates
- People celebrate each other
- Alignment of all people and parts
- The way employees feel on Sunday night

Yet, no culture is perfect. Even great workplaces will disappoint at times.
And that's okay.

That's why what matters is how you carry yourself and champion the culture you wish you had.

You bring attitude, habits, and values everywhere you go.

The best cultures aren't found. Courageous people cultivate them.

So yes, pray for a great team, a mission you can stand behind, and a culture that breathes life.

But don't stop there.
Be the person who:

- Gives credit
- Has a bias for action
- Chooses to lead without a title.
- Praises the efforts and success of others.
- Isn't waiting to be asked to serve but creates opportunities to serve.

You're not just a recipient of great culture.
You're crafting it—every day.

How else can someone be the solution to a better culture?

If you want to work remotely, that's great.

If you want a hybrid workplace, that's awesome.

If you want to return to the office to be present with people, wonderful.

If you want to quit and work for a remote company, go for it.

If you want to bring everybody back from their home offices, own up to it.

If you want to go to a 4-day work week, that's also cool.

So many people are trying to fortune-tell the future of work.

Many are trying to push their version of success on others.

They pretend that one way of working is better or superior to the other.

Stop believing everyone's opinions.

You live in the digital revolution, which provides many options.

Determine the direction of your life and what works best for you this season.
Then get after it!

Be faithful no matter where you work.
That's true success.

You don't need permission to lead.
You don't need to work 60-hour weeks.
You don't need approval to implement AI.

Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. 

The biggest lies we tell ourselves:

"I need to wait until the culture improves."
"I need to be promoted before I can lead."
"I need to stay in my lane.

Here's the truth:

You have everything you need to make change happen in your company.
The work isn't waiting for permission.
The work is taking responsibility.

How many people do you know who spent years taking orders instead of taking initiative?

The most successful people didn't wait to lead and do great work.

They had a vision.
They took small bets.
They chose to lead and make a change.

Stop waiting to get picked.

Pick yourself and make positive change happen. 

♻️ Repost to help your tribe be the change they wish they had
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99% of people overcomplicate career moves.

So, in 2023, I simplified the riskiest career decision of my life. 

What they won't teach you in school or corporate America is that all you need is:

1. Direction - where do you want to go in life? 
2. Anti-goals - what are you not willing to give up?
3. Convictions - Why and what must you do no matter what?
4. People - whom do you have as your personal board of advisors?

Things you don't need:

1. To listen to your heart.
2. 5 & 10-year plans.
3. Large network.

The key is to decide on your career before you need to choose. 

And no matter what, be excellent and intentional. 

Because none of this matters if you suck at your work.

What would you add to this career decision framework?

The key to hiring for character?

Stop asking for a candidate's highlight reel. 

Start asking for their "lowlight" reel. 

Character is tested in trial and tragedy. 

True colors are revealed by the hardships they endured, the attitude they chose during those obstacles, the challenges they overcame, and how they rose above their circumstances.

After 13 years in medical sales (17 total in sales), I've had to reinvent my career several times. 

I have been demoted, stuck, and promoted. 

I have represented large brands and startups. 

Every time, it has come down to these basic but powerful habits. 

Here are the 17 powerful habits of high-impact salespeople:

1. Focus on what you can control: your attitude & actions
2. Learn to say, "I don't know, but let me find out." 
3" Give, don't take. Give away your time, expertise, & self. 
4. The day starts the night before. Wake up to execute. 
5. Practice patience, not passivity. Growth takes time. 
6. Like navy seals, train with a pod of peers. 
7. Sundays are for strategy. Plan an ideal week.
8. Get aligned every quarter with your values and mission
9. Always be checking in on your character. 
10. Do what you say you will do, even if it costs you. 
11. First impressions are for impact, not to impress. 
12. Time block high revenue activities. Ruthlessly stick to it
13. Send a weekly highlight report to your boss. 
14. Send a weekly lessons learned report to your team. 
15. End each day with a self-assessment review of yourself.
16. Solve big problems instead of reacting to fire drills.  
17. Go beyond the transaction and seek to enrich lives. 

Medical sales, and all sales, is more than hitting quota. 

It's about becoming the person you would rave about doing business with. 

What did I miss? 

--
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The best sales leaders don't obsess over numbers. 

They obsess over people (and their growth). 

Here's a simple playbook for developing your people: 

> Invest in everyone, not just top performers.
> Be the leader you wished you had.
> Know your people's strengths & weaknesses (personal SWOT).
Create an actionable development plan that drives better paychecks.
> Become a broken record with the company's mission, values, and vision.
Connect people's "why" to the company's purpose.
> Coach, don't command.
> Delegate to grow people, not just clear your plate.
> Lead from the trenches with daily rep face time.
> Make 1:1s sacred (& follow through).
> Celebrate effort, not just results.

The math is simple:
Better people = better culture = better results. 

Choose people over profit because people matter more. The byproduct? They generate profit. 

Do you agree?

Character is king. 

You can't fake true character. 

The truth of one's character is revealed in time.

The sales boss who kills careers obsesses over numbers. 

Instead of the growth of their people. 

This is especially true in medical device sales, where companies want market share at the expense of people.  

That's why they obsess over acquiring managers and not leaders. 

Leaders help people grow. 

Sales leadership needs to stop:

❌ Managing spreadsheets
❌ Celebrating ONLY the quota achievers
❌ Compromising culture for short-term wins
❌ Measuring success by one bad quarter report

Instead leaders do the following:

✅ Help their salespeople make SMARTER goals
✅ Help align their goals with the company's purpose and goals
✅ Have clear expectations and stop micromanaging
✅ Recognize growth moments that build character
✅ Invest in their potential even when it costs you today
✅ Measure success by their consistency and direction

The leaders who get this right are the ones who:

↳ Ask more questions of their people (they care about them)
↳ Spend more time coaching and practicing
↳ See potential in people before they see it in themselves
↳ Build careers, not just quarterly results

I've watched this play out over and over.

When you care about the people you care for more than just their numbers. 

You want people not just to hit their targets because they have to. 
You want them to crust it because they want to, and they are bought in. 

What's the most impactful way a leader has invested in your growth?

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Caring isn't a strategy you implement. 

It is a lifestyle you embody daily.

So stop acting like you care. Start actually caring. 

❌ Don't perform empathy for your team 
✅ Genuinely invest in their growth

❌ Don't fake interest in customers
 ✅ Detach from profit and connect as humans

❌ Don't care for the applause 
✅ Care because it's a person you can impact

If you feel you are acting, tell yourself to care genuinely.

Do the work to make an impact, not just to impress.

What's one way to embody authentic care?

♻️ Repost to create a more caring world
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The most dangerous attitude in sales?

"I already know that" or "I don't need help."

I've seen sales careers, especially med sales, crash and burn with that attitude.

Earlier in my career, I saw my own ego get me demoted because of words like that.  

I've seen the most talented salespeople miss opportunities because of that attitude. 

Here's what I've learned about success in sales:

The moment you think you know it all or don't need help, you've already lost.

The top performers who succeed in the long run are the ones who:

↳ Still walk through their checklist before time with a customer
↳ Invite teammates to review your performance
↳ Ask "what would you have done differently?" after every encounter
↳ Read and learn daily
↳ Do not defend against correction from leadership

You only learn from every conversation in the field if you have a humble attitude.

An attitude that wants to improve. 
Craves to learn. 
Never comfortable. 
Is teachable. 

Being humble means:
- You haven't arrived (& never will)
- You can't get there without others

It's not about being weak.
It's about being wise.

Sales is hard and competitive. 

But if you stay teachable and humble
You'll overcome.

Find a leader to work for. Not a job to do. 

The wrong manager can hold your career back for years. 

The right managers see your potential, help you unlock your potential, and champion your promotion.  

The best leaders are agnostic to the logo they represent. 
They are believers in the people they are responsible for. 

The best managers prioritize people first, then profit. 

I've worked for great leaders. 

- They believed I had potential.
- They asked about my wife & children. 
- They invested in me even when I deserved to be fired. 
- They designed comp plans around revenue goals, not quota.
- They created roles to solve problems that fit my passion and strengths. 
- They listened - and did not turn on me - when I considered outside offers.

I once struggled because I wasn't sure I wanted to be in this industry. 
My leaders noticed my decreasing excitement, put their arms around me, and said, "Where do you want to be? We'll help you get there." 

They are why I stayed, even though I was offered better financial terms. 
They are the reason I haven't quit the medical device industry.

Ultimately, their leadership has led to several promotions, bigger paychecks, and once-in-a-lifetime career opportunities. 

Choose leaders who want to see you grow today. 

Agree? Let me know your thoughts👇

The brutal sales career truth about quota achievement, presidents club, and MBAs:

None of these buys you job security. 

My first year of quota achievement actually got me a demotion.

I was putting up solid numbers. But my attitude? 

 Not helpful. Not responsive. Not aligned with what leadership needed from me.

That demotion was a wake-up call.

Being a top performer doesn't make you irreplaceable.

Showing up consistently with results, character, and attitude buys you security. 

Consistency is hard because it requires discipline.
It requires being a person of high character.
Someone true to their word.

Knowledge is abundant.
Tricks and Hacks are everywhere. 
Dependability is scarce.

Once I changed my attitude, everything changed:

- I became someone leadership could count on.
- I showed up for my team, not just my quota.
- I did what I said I would do, even when it cost me.
- I stopped chasing numbers and started building trust.

My career not only recovered, but it also skyrocketed. 
Then I earned endless opportunities from within and from other companies. 

Instead of focusing on bigger numbers, ask yourself: "Am I someone people can truly count on?"

What's one way you've seen reliability beat raw talent?

The best ideas don't come from dreadful meetings. 

More brainstorming on a whiteboard won't move your business forward. 

Ideas matter.
All great things started with an idea. 
That was executed. Iterated. Reshipped. 

Whether ideas to improve the workplace.
Or ideas for new products or companies. 

Ideas accelerated my career. 

I went from being demoted to an accelerated promotion track due to the high-impact ideas I brought to the table and executed. 

But if you never make time to break away to generate ideas, you'll never make time to execute them. 

Here's my Idea OS:

1) Get outside
> Find a happy place. 
> Schedule it during the best time. 
> For me, it's sunrise mornings in the hills and trails behind my house. 

2) Have a plan
> Have an exercise plan: you can walk, ruck, or run
> Have a thinking plan: what are you listening to? Podcast? Music? Audio book?
> For me, it's whatever I am working on or wanting to create. 

3) Come prepared
> I get to my happy place and set time with juices already flowing.
> This means I have already read, prayed, and prepared my heart. 
> Getting out and moving takes it to the next level. 
> Bring the right tools: notepad & pen, notes app, podcast app, etc. 

4) Capture
> When an idea or thought arrives that I want to capture, I pause. 
> I use Ali Abdaal's Voicepal app to record and transcribe all my thoughts. 

5) Create
> Don't just waste this session by doing nothing after the fact. 
> When resolve is high, take action. 
> Make a plan to outline the next steps of the best and most crucial idea you had. 
> Take a step to execute the first thing in that idea. 
> Schedule the following steps. 

Commit to a place and time to get outside and move. 
Chart a course for your time there. 
Capture what matters most. 
Commit to execution. 
Craft a plan around the most essential idea. 
Create and execute. 

For me, not one week goes by without me getting out there at least once. 

What are your favorite ways to get your creative juices flowing? 

♻️ Repost to help your tribe ditch meetings and be more creative. 

Follow Francisco Martinez for more insights like this.

Don’t take yourself seriously. Take your work seriously.

One of the greatest mindsets for doing great work without running over people:

- Think of yourself less (& others more)
- You’re not that important
- Commit unwaveringly to your mission
- Leave a mark on those you serve
- Decide to involve the skills and talents of your team
- Have fun

Nobody likes to work with arrogant jerks.

The humble way, while more challenging, brings everybody together to accomplish your important work.

How do you ensure your ego does not get in the way of doing great work?

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