Sales Director | 10 years Sober | CrossFit L1

11 years ago, I got sober. That decision didn't just change my life it completely rewired how I approach sales, leadership, and relationships. I learned discipline, authenticity, and the power of showing up consistently, even when it's hard. I learned that trust is earned through action, not words. And I learned that real growth happens when you stop chasing shortcuts and commit to the process.

Those lessons shaped everything I do today.

I've taken two companies from just over $1M ARR to nearly $3M ARR while building the playbook, running the plays, and scaling the team. I've hired, coached, and managed BDRs, AEs and AMs. I've closed complex deals, run POCs, and consistently hit quota by focusing on what actually works: genuine relationships, strategic outreach, and a relentless commitment to the process.

Now, I'm bringing that same intensity to Clinically.ai the intelligence platform for behavioral health.

We help organizations enhance documentation quality, support compliance, and free up clinicians to focus on what matters most: delivering world-class care. Our AI works alongside clinicians, never replacing them. We offer tools for AI documentation, real-time chart auditing, clinical supervision support, and referral intelligence all designed to give behavioral health teams more time, more clarity, and more confidence.

This work is personal. Behavioral health saved my life. Now I get to help the organizations and clinicians doing that same life-saving work operate more effectively, reduce burnout, and focus on the people who need them most.

I don't just manage pipelines. I fill them. I don't just hit quota. I build the systems that make it repeatable.

If you're leading a behavioral health organization and want to explore how Clinically.ai can support your team, let's talk.

Ryan Owens

Matt Dahl

Excited to announce the hire of my friend Emic Plemons as our director of Drayage in Chattanooga! 

Emics been the number 1 Drayage sales rep at a large brokerage for some time .  Also, someone who I have known for a couple of years.  This has been a long time in the making. 

It will be really fun to work with someone I’ve known for a couple of years, and know the level of results he produces. 

HDShips Chattanooga branch team is coming together.  🔥.

Logistics professional/ Heading Recruitment of Freight agents for HD Ships as well as leading the Chattanooga W2 Branch ♟️ player/ problem solver.

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Excited to welcome 4 new team members to our Chattanooga office, and 1 current employee:

  Jacob Backus- was one of the top domestic reps and first 50 reps for a very large brokerage, and managed a 7-9 person team there over the last 4.5 years there.  

  Tristan White- A former D1 football player, who has excelled through his first 2 years in logistics.  Can never go wrong hiring ex athletes.  

  Justin Holden-  A 4 year vet in the industry, with a very strong knowledge in heavy haul.  

Our agents are going to love this one Amber Holloway- will be joining us as our first Manager of Agent Success.   She has a 5+ year background as a broker, and in client support roles.   Our agent side has been growing rapidly and this role has been long overdue.   

Also pumped to have CaDarius Harris join our Chattanooga office, he has an extensive background in international, domestic, LTL , drayage.  He will be joining us a combo of account management/ltl ops/ and sales

Have another 2 hires coming later this month! I am excited to announce as well.  Time to get to work.  Happy Monday!

Wouldn’t be logistics if some things weren’t done at the last minute right?

We will be ready to rock and roll tomorrow for all our new employees with all the junk gone and clean😂. 

Might be a late night though!

I am in the office now.  Will be a 60+ hour week, probably will be that way for awhile. No one cares. 

What’s also true? No one cared when I was on the golf course at 11am on a weekday or in Latin America discos until 6am agent recruiting.

In both scenarios the only thing that matters is results.  Thats why the “hustle culture” debate cracks me up, and same with absolute thinking when it comes to “cold plunges” , working out, hours worked etc. 

I’ve had moments in my career like now where long hours is going to be required to win, and I’ve had moments where I’ve been able to be very successful with a very balanced lifestyle working less than most. 

At the end of the day you’re going to be judged on what you produce not how many hours you work. 

Happy Saturday! Hoping it doesn’t rain so I can play some ⛳️ tomorrow.

This is a bitter sweet moment , I hate driving and have purposefully not driven for 18 months.  I have never liked driving didn’t get my license until 25. 

Uber and Lyft is actually cheaper if you work remote, and travel a lot.  But now that I am in a office I had to get a car again.  

If I want to start dating again will probably help having a car again too😂.  This is the next closest thing to uber and Lyft with fsd.  

 On a side note the guy checking me out use to be a broker and has seen my LinkedIn posts! He actually worked as a broker. And my uber driver to the Tesla dealership this weekend  ships containers, got Emic Plemons a lead.   Chattanooga is the freight capital!

I am pretty nervous for next week.

This is probably the longest stretch of my career I haven’t done much cold outreach.
 
I started cold calling at 19 in boiler rooms of south Florida, and progressed to more consulative sales roles before brokering.But in agent recruiting.  I’ve relied mainly on referrals, networking, and inbound leads from content.

I haven’t got hung up on by a shipper in 2.5 years or heard 100 nos before getting 1 yes. Also, missed talking to carriers. 
 
I am pumped for it.  My first priority is making sure our team is setup for sucess, but it’s going to be a lot of fun for me grinding in the trenches too.

There are a lot of differences between now and 2022 when I built my book, and unlike 2022 I have a team who’s sucess is much more importannt than my individual sucess but I am excited to be In the trenches with them. 

Hopefully I can shake the rust off quick!

Always will be a believer of “timing and luck” 

Reached out to a old customer last week, they remembered me but it’s been over 2 years.  They have a core group of 3-4 established brokers and said to call back this summer.  

Today I got a quote from them, and am now getting onboarded.

Why? One of their reps from their core group of brokers left yesterday.  That was luck.

Now, sure I bumped all the other brokers who have been reaching out for months for that spot since I have worked with them previously.  But I wouldn’t have got onboarded if their rep from a top 50 brokerage didn’t quit yesterday. 

Enough outreach though and you’ll eventually get lucky.  Feels good as I have been getting beaten up left and right, the first week back.

My working space for today, making slow but steady progress! 

But the fridge is installed, conference room done, WiFi installed.  2 TVs mounted.   Computers and monitors here.

Cleaning crew and junk removal, and desk installations this wekeend, would it be logistics if we weren’t cutting it to the last minute for Monday opening?

Just went to the gym for the first time in 5 years.  Exhausted, but feel good. 

I had to be honest myself if I joined a gym I’d never go, so I paid $750 for a personal training package.  I will definitely go now.

Some people will think that’s a waste of money, why not just go with friends, look up online training, etc.

For me it’s well worth the money, as everyone is motivated differently,  for me I hate the gym and this is the only way I know I will go.  Which will be good for me.  

I don’t think I’ll become a health and gym guy,  but as I get older and with this new office I want to make sure I am in top shape.  Hence why I haven’t smoked a cigarette since 2 weeks before the office  opened either.  

I do get acesss to the cold plunge and sauna as part of my package, maybe I’ll go to the dark side in a few months and try that😂, baby steps for now.

Happy Saturday!

Made a really splashy hire for the  Chattanooga branch that starts tomorrow, which I am pumped about. 

Especially excited as this person and I have known each for 2-3 years.   Hes a straight dawg one of the best reps in all of Chattanooga numbers wise .  But he never engages with my content even though we have met in person and talk all the time.  

This happens often with a lot of agents I hire.  The only difference here is I will be able to announce this hire.   As a lot of the biggest agent hires dont go public for different reasons. 

Got me thinking that so many people focus on the likes, comments, etc on linkedin.  But some of the biggest hires and friendships I have made have started in the DMS.   The biggest advantage of posting on Linkedin is who you meet through it, not who engages.  

Lot of the biggest business on this platform starts and goes down in the DMs as Yo gotti would say.  I do feel old as that song was forever a go now. 

Pumped for this team we are assembling.

Was catching up with an Agent last week who has been between 40-45k GP for quite some time.   He crossed 50k for the first time last month and I asked how?

Thought this was a pretty cool story, but his subagent got a new customer recently and on one of the first loads there was a big problem.   In short The driver took a wrong route, and went under a bridge that didn't fit and the product was damaged.  

The agent suggested to the subagent to go hop on a flight and meet the driver at delivery ( the customers location).   The subagent spent 1000 out of his pocket and did it.

The customer was so impressed, since he got back they have been loading him up on Freight and eliminated the other broker they used.   

Just goes to show, how you communicate and react makes a massive difference.   To be fair this was a risky move, and most aren't in the position to just hop on a flight on a days notice with their own money to make this even possible.   

Happy Monday!

Ive been leaning on some of our agents lately, lot of them have gone out of their way to help me.  

1.  One gave me a sales process they have been using for years. 

2.  I never did much with boxtrucks, one agent has helped me quote a few of them.  

3.  Another checked  my produce rates for me. 

4.   One of our new w2 reps wanted an account an agent hasn't done anything on in 6 months, they happily said go for it.   Could have just no. 

5.  Several have said if I need anything to reach out. 

One fun part of agent recruiting, is the relationships formed.  Many of the agents I have recruited I consider friends.  We text often over the months and years. 

Its not their job to help me, nor does it benefit them.   But opening this office would be a lot harder then me especially coming back 2.5 years out of the day day without them. 

Happy Wednesday!

Saturday nights looked a little different in Latin America!

But getting the kitchen and bathrooms ready and organized for Monday. Pumped for this office.

I was talking to a friend saying getting use to harsh rejection again has been fun.  I have forgetten this part.  

She told me dont worry someone recently told me I sounded like a 12 year old and hung up, so you havent even experienced it yet. 

I am enjoying the grind, but ill be honest it has taken a little bit getting use to again.   For the last 2 years Ive had the luxury to mainly rely on inbound content , friends, and referrals to bring me agents.   Something I have never experienced in my career.   

Going from people wanting to talk to you for 2 years , to almost no one wanting to talk you is an adjustment.    I would be lying if I said I had my full confidence back, but the good news that I keep reminding myself is I have done it before.   

Whats the worst thing someone has told you on a cold call?

There is a level of pettiness in the w2 space with hiring that doesn't happen nearly as often in the agent space.

Steve Monson took an agent from us awhile back, it sucked.  Sent him a text good get.  Steve is a great guy, and a heck of a recruiter.   It was also simply a better fit for that person.  

Ive won and lost deals to Armstrong, Ally, Trinity, Freight flex, Select, etc.  Many  of us our friends even refer agents back and forth are in group messages.   Jennifer Hoffman Levi Van Pay Andrew Beall IV Joshua Brawley Steven Nichols.  Even at a ownership and exec level I think this is true for the most part.   

This often doesn't go this way with w2 hiring.  Especially if multiple companies are pursuing the same candidate.  Probably could be a whole book about this topic.   

War on talent doesnt have to be personal.   And the "best" choice or program or company is going to be different for everyone.

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