Ryan Staley

I help Chief Revenue Officers & Sales Professionals Leverage AI to work 10 hours less weekly and 2x performance. Follow for cutting-edge cheat codes, prompts, and workflows🎙Scale Up Show Host🔥$0→$30M ARR in 5.5 yrs

Over the last decade, I’ve grown a division from 0-$30M ARR with 4 Sales People and have upskilled over 2,500 GTM executives on AI, Enterprise Sales and GTM Strategy  .

My mission is to inspire 1 million Go To Market Executives to work less and sell more through becoming Superhuman with Artificial Intelligence.

I help revenue leaders transform their teams by acquiring AI skills to escape the operational grind, and accelerate topline revenue.

I’m the founder of Whale Boss and The Scale Up Show.

My portfolio:

→ I’m the Founder of Whale Boss, an AI Sales & Marketing consulting and skill transformation company
→ I’m the Founder of the Scale Up Show, Top 1% Global Podcast
→ I teach Executives, Sales & Marketing teams to implement tools like ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, etc.   
→ I provide Chief AI Officer Advisory services for human capital.  


My results:

→0-$30M without funding, marketing or SDRs with only 4 Sales people
→Identified and implemented over 500 AI use cases (internally and externally)
→Taught over 800 CROs proprietary selling strategy and tactical execution
→Consulted over 40 Technology companies on custom revenue growth strategies.  
→Voted as a TOP global AI thought leader, Gartner Ambassador & Sales Assembly thought leader. 


If you want to learn more on how to become Superhuman, you can join my newsletter.
⇒ https://superhumanrevenue.beehiiv.com/


If you want to explore AI skill transformation for your organization or Team, apply for an AI Consult.  
=> https://calendly.com/ryanstaleywss/introductory-call-with-ryan-staley-from-whale-boss


Youtube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFGndSHN4KkE89kUP74U7Qg

Podcast-https://ryanstaley.io/podcast/

X-https://x.com/Ryan_Staley1

Podcast Host

I deconstruct how the top SAAS CEOs in the world grow their companies repeatedly and predictably.  

This show has featured Startup and Billion Dollar Founders, Best Selling Authors, and the World’s Top Sales and Marketing Experts like Terry Jones (Founder of Travelocity and Chairman of Kayak),  Andrew Gazdecki (Founder of Microacquire), Harpaul Sambhi (Founder of Magical with a previous exit to Linkedin) and many more.

Hot take: The most underrated AI tool right now isn't a model.

It's a browser extension.

Claude Chrome extension works really well and I expect this to continue to increase in value.

I know that sounds ridiculous.
Browser extensions have been slow, buggy, and frustrating. Most people have written them off.


But here's what happened when I stopped ignoring Claude's Chrome extension:


I built a complete inventory of every AI assistant and agent I've created across ALL platforms in 15 minutes.


This would have taken me 2 hours of manual copying, pasting, and formatting.


And here's why this matters more than you think:


If you've been building AI systems for the past year, you probably have agents scattered across 3 to 5 platforms with no central view of what exists.


That's not an AI strategy. That's digital hoarding.

The extension handled the tedious part. Pulled the data, organized it, formatted it cleanly.


Will these tools get better? Absolutely.


But RIGHT NOW, they already work for the unglamorous work that actually matters. Data transfer. Organization. Structuring information across platforms.


The flashy stuff gets the attention.
The operational stuff gets the results.


What hidden tool has surprised you lately?

Founder & CEO, Whale Boss | Demystifying AI Agents | Helping revenue leaders 2x team results through AI Led GTM | Trusted by $50M-$20B PE-backed and Publicly Traded Companies | AI ROI for your team in 60 days

I just watched a 2.5 hour interview that changed how I see the next 3 years. And what he said should make every business leader stop and pay attention.

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, on the Dwarkesh Podcast. 

Here's the part that hit me hardest:

There are TWO exponentials happening right now. Not one. 

The first is the capability curve. Models getting smarter at research speed. 

The second is economic diffusion. How fast businesses actually ADOPT and deploy AI. Both are fast. Neither is instant. And there's a GAP between them. 

That gap is where careers are being made or destroyed RIGHT NOW. Dario put a number on AGI. 1-3 years for most knowledge work. 90% confidence within a decade. 


He said software engineering gets fully automated FIRST because code is verifiable. It works or it doesn't. But every function is next. Sales. Marketing. Operations. Finance. Strategy. 

The question isn't whether AI will transform your organization. That's settled. 

The question is whether YOU close the gap between what's possible and what your teams are actually doing. 

Anthropic went from $0 to $9-10 BILLION in revenue in 3 years. 

10x growth per year. 
That's not hype. 
That's the market screaming that AI delivers real value. 

I've been implementing AI across leadership teams for 3 years now with 3,100+ executives. 

The pattern is clear. 

The leaders who move during the gap between capability and adoption don't just win. 

They make it nearly impossible for competitors to catch up. 

Whether you're a CEO setting direction, a VP running a division, or a Director leading a team of 15, the window is the same. 


NOTE: I pulled the key visuals and takeaways from the full 2.5 hours so you don't have to watch it all. Link in comments. Where do you think your organization sits on the adoption curve right now?

AGI Transition Strategy

What if the "ruthless" ElevenLabs quota model is actually the most HUMANE way to run a sales team?


Hear me out.


Right now, most sales orgs carry 50+ reps. Half of them miss quota. 

They grind through manual research, data entry, and admin work that has nothing to do with selling.


They burn out. They churn. They blame enablement. Leadership blames them.


Everyone loses.


ElevenLabs flipped the script. 

Micro-teams of 5-10. AI handles the grunt work. 
Reps focus on what they were actually hired to do.

The result? 80% quota attainment.


And if you hit your number? 
You get paid MORE because there are fewer people splitting the pie.


This is the part nobody talks about with AI transformation.


It's not about replacing people.
It's about FREEING the right people to do their best work and paying them what they're actually worth.


The old model punishes A-players by surrounding them with B and C-players who drag down performance, culture, and comp pools.


The new model? Only A-players. Only selling. Only winning.


NOTE: After working with 3,100+ executives on AI transformation, the biggest resistance isn't from reps. It's from leaders who built their identity around managing large teams.


Smaller team = less perceived power.


But the CROs who get over that ego hurdle?


They're the ones building the future.


Would you rather manage 50 reps at 40% attainment or 10 reps at 80%?

Controversial take: The CROs and CMOs who work the MOST hours are often the worst performers.

I know. That's uncomfortable.

But after 23 years in GTM and 3 years of working with 3000+ revenue leaders across Public Traded and PE-backed SaaS, I can't unsee the pattern.

The leaders grinding 80-hour weeks aren't outperforming anyone. They're too exhausted to realize their strategy stopped working 6 weeks ago.
I've been there myself.

I used to wear exhaustion like proof I was committed. 70-hour weeks. Always on. Always grinding. I thought that's what it took to build Whale Boss while delivering for clients.

Then I hit a wall where I couldn't see what was obvious. I was making slower decisions. Recycling old ideas. Running on fumes and calling it discipline.

The moment I started treating rest as a STRATEGIC INPUT instead of a reward, everything changed.

My content got sharper. My client sessions got better. I started seeing patterns in AI implementation I'd been too fried to notice.

Think about Tom Brady.

He didn't become the GOAT by outworking everyone in the weight room. He became the GOAT by obsessing over recovery, nutrition, rest, and how he treated his body. While other quarterbacks were breaking down at 35, Brady played 4-5 years LONGER and at a HIGHER level than his peers.

That wasn't luck. That was a strategic decision to optimize for longevity and peak performance instead of brute force.

Revenue leadership is the same game.

The executives I train who ruthlessly protect recovery time?


They see market shifts faster.
They make pricing decisions with conviction instead of desperation.
They retain their best people because burned-out leaders create burned-out teams.


One CRO told me something I'll never forget:
"I made more strategic progress in 10 days off than I did in the 6 months before. Because I finally had the space to THINK instead of just REACT."

Your brain isn't a machine that performs better with more runtime.
It's a system that performs better with RECOVERY CYCLES.

The same way PE firms don't expect compound returns without reinvestment, you can't expect compound performance without rest.

NOTE: The executives who survive and thrive across multiple PE cycles aren't superhuman. They're the Tom Brady's of leadership. They figured out that strategic rest isn't soft. It's the hardest competitive edge to copy.

What's your actual recovery strategy right now? Or are you still telling yourself you'll rest after this quarter?

Canary in the coal mine, here’s why this happened…


This is going to be common moving forward if you don’t take this seriously.

I repeat, if you don’t adapt and AI upskill, companies you work for will adapt for you.

If you don’t adapt your workforce to be AI unskilled you will be disrupted by companies like this that will put you out of business.



This is an exact quote from the CEO.

“we're not making this decision because we're in trouble. our business is strong. gross profit continues to grow, we continue to serve more and more customers, and profitability is improving. but something has changed. we're already seeing that the intelligence tools we’re creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company. and that's accelerating rapidly.”

I took inventory of every AI agent and assistant I've built for my business.

Here's a some of what my "Agent/Assistant org chart" looks like:

Operating Systems:
• CEO OS (strategy, planning, reviews)
• Sales OS (pipeline, deal coaching, forecasting)
• Product OS (curriculum, delivery, design)

C-Suite Agents:
• Chief Counsel (legal review, contracts)
• CHRO (hiring, candidate scoring, team design)
• CMO (Content, Creative, Strategy, team design)

Sales:
• Deal Coach with Next Best Action
• Research assistant

Productivity:
• Email management
• Proposal design

Marketing:
• LinkedIn content teammate

Product:
• Program design
• Agent designer
• Customer artifact designer

That's 15 agents across 6 functions. Built in 3 months. No engineering team. No dev budget.

Here's what I've learned:

The mistake most people make with AI agents is building them one at a time, like isolated tools.

The unlock is designing them like an organization.

Just like a company has:
→ Leadership (Operating Systems)
→ Departments (Sales, Marketing, Product)
→ Communication layers (how agents share context)
→ Reporting structure (which agent leads which workflow)

When you architect assistants or agents as a system instead of individual tools, every new agent you add makes the whole thing more powerful.

Not additive. Multiplicative.

The question for every leader right now:

What does YOUR agent org chart look like?

If the answer is "we don't have one" — that's your biggest AI blind spot.

Maria Trysla

🔑 WHAT I DO:
I specialize in designing and implementing data-driven, AI-enabled digital strategies that fuel exponential growth for SaaS, technology and media companies. With 25+ years of leadership, I transform business visions into measurable outcomes—accelerating growth, scaling revenue and driving successful exits.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 WHO I WORK WITH:
I partner with SaaS, tech, and media companies generating $5M-$100M+ in revenue, optimizing go-to-market strategies, streamlining digital transformation and unlocking new growth levers.

🌟 WHY WORK WITH ME?
• Proven Leadership: CEO and CMO with a track record of 65% revenue growth and PE-backed exits.
• AI Expertise: Certified in AI marketing applications—integrating cutting-edge strategies.
• Hands-On Approach: A "player-coach" mentality, ensuring execution aligns with business goals.

❓ WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT ME?
I blend vision with action. I don't stop at strategy—I implement, ensuring teams, tech, and tactics are aligned for growth.

🛅 SERVICES OFFERED:
• Messaging Development: Crafting differentiated messaging that resonates with ideal customers.
• Marketing Audit: Evaluating efforts to improve ROI and highlight key initiatives to implement.
• Go-to-Market Collaboration: Aligning Marketing, Sales & CS teams around repeatable revenue systems.
• Product-Market Fit Assessment: Refining product positioning with actionable strategic plans.

📖 MY STORY:
From leading high-growth SaaS companies to guiding mid-market tech and media firms, I’ve built a career on driving transformative results. My passion lies in blending AI, data and strategy to exceed growth targets—whether as a consultant, or board advisor.

🌐 WHERE YOU'VE SEEN ME:
Featured speaker and contributor at industry events, webinars and publications on topics like revenue architecture, AI in marketing and digital growth strategy.

🗣 TESTIMONIALS:
"Maria's insights transformed our marketing strategy driving a 40% increase in sales within six months." - CEO, member management SaaS
"Her leadership aligned our teams resulting in unprecedented efficiency and growth beyond founder-led sales." - CEO/Founder

📝 INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE:
My experience spans various industries, including SaaS, technology, and media, allowing me to bring diverse perspectives to each project.

💡 MY SPECIALTIES:
• Strategic Business Planning
• AI Marketing Strategy
• Digital Transformation
• Omnichannel Marketing
• Customer Experience Optimization
• Market Expansion
• Revenue Architecture

🤝 LET'S CONNECT!
Looking to elevate your growth strategy or board advisory bench? Let’s chat.

Advisory CMO Services - Risk-free Growth Guidance without Growing Headcount

Marketing strategy and execution focused on delivering senior leadership with a sizable return-on-investment without the full-time expense. We exist to help organizations accelerate growth through marketing and sales to fundamentally shift the demand curve.

The demand curve shift is unleashed by connecting the business strategy to the marketing and sales execution to drive results that matter.

Current and former clients include SaaS, technology, private equity and investment banks that demand results.

I’m pleased to join Wednesday Women as an Executive Member. Many thanks to Leslie Greenwood and Melissa Moody for such a warm welcome!

This powerful network brings together accomplished women who approach leadership with an abundance mindset, sharing experience, insight, and connections to help one another grow. 

Communities like this remind us that when we invest in each other, everyone moves forward.

🚀 Building Predictable Revenue Engines for Growth-Stage and Exit-Ready Companies | Revenue Architect | Avid Football Fan 🚀

Excited to invite my network to join this upcoming LinkedIn Live: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐄𝐎’𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐮: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 $5𝐌 𝐚𝐧𝐝 $50𝐌! Make sure to attend it on March 16, 2026.

Whether you're focused on driving pipeline, strengthening brand leadership, or rethinking customer engagement, you’ll walk away with practical insights and frameworks you can apply right away.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear fresh perspectives and connect with other forward-thinking professionals.

📅 Reserve your spot here: https://lnkd.in/e4RBWSWF

I'm excited to partner up with the amazing Maria Trysla on this powerful event designed for CEO's who encountering a "Growth Plateau" and want proven systems, strategies and solutions to break through!

Corey Livingston, Lisa Guillaume and 1 other connection attending

View event: The CEO’s Growth Plateau: Why Companies Stall Between $5M and $50M

The CEO’s Growth Plateau: Why Companies Stall Between $5M and $50M

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