Catherine Brown

Super Connector* Group Builder & Facilitator* Entrepreneur* Creator & teacher for The Good Humans Growth Network™ (You CAN sell more without the sleaze or cheese)

Entrepreneurs and business development professionals know that no lead generation tactic produces qualified leads better than a referral. Referrals become new clients 50-90% of the time! Because referrals are the easiest and least expensive path to your next client, I created an ecosystem of networking groups for B2B companies called The Good Humans Growth Network. Together our members refer business to one another into the middle market, so we can easily reach decision makers who want to speak with us. 

The GHGN offers structured meetings, along with two in-person conferences each year, hosted by B2B professionals. Members and sponsors develop meaningful relationships that lead to long-term growth. We focus not just on sales referrals, but ways to elevate your visibility. One-to-many opportunities help you tap into a broader market and more diverse networks.

Join a GHGN Grow Group (our version of B2B networking groups), where we increase our sales pipelines together. This way of building your business IS business development redefined. Visit https://theghgn.com for a complete list of Grow Groups or to learn about starting your own within our ecosystem.

If you're struggling with sales, purchase the Kindle or paperback of How Good Humans Sell at https://amzn.to/34odVaT and sign up for bi-weekly sales tips we'll send over email: https://newsletter.theghgn.com/signup

President

I am the president of the National Business Development Association (NBDA).

Business development professionals want a better path to sales success. We get it! We all want to sell like good humans. You don’t have to manipulate or coerce people to learn to set sales calls with hard-to-reach buyers.

NBDA believes you can figure it out. We will share with you all the good we know about business development so that you can close new clients confidently, without sacrificing integrity. You can be a successful sales professional who doesn’t manipulate people into buying something they don’t need. Through training in lead generation, B2B referrals, and qualifying NBDA has you covered.

With NBDA you can: Build your pipeline. Build your confidence. Build trust with prospects.

Today's my birthday, and it's full of work. And you know what? 
The only other thing I'd rather be doing is traveling with family or close friends, and I'll do that again soon. I'm so lucky: I get to do what I love because of the support of Ryan Brown, PhD, my family, and my close friends. 

It's fun on days like this to reflect what's happened in life to date. I see the decades behind me as learning-- I've had to learn all the things that have shaped who I am now.

Today I will...

💙 Give a couple of qualified sales leads I learned about yesterday
💙 Teach people how to build their own microcommunities
💙 Have dinner with friends from my work circles
💙 Catch up with my staff 
💙 Take a walk and get outside in Houston's gorgeous winter
and 
💙 Work on sales & operations stuff for my next conference. 

My gift to you is invite you to review what you love about what you get to do. If you don't have a long list also, then I hope you are able in 2026 to changes things. I want your list of daily activities to be something you love, too.

Happy January 20th!

B2B sales teams and entrepreneurs are struggling to find ways to reach a buyer who is busier and more distracted than ever. They know they need to be persistent but want to be considered a Good Human and not feel "too pushy." I have a framework to train you and your team to master the mindset and the process to create your best sales year ever. The most common industries who use my training services are professional services companies.  

Solopreneurs and small sales teams, check out my weekly Come & Go group coaching at www.extraboldsales.com. Larger teams, I'd be delighted to take you through the How Good Humans Sell modules for sales training. See the Bootcamp links on my site. 

As an extension of my passion for business development, I also lead referral groups.

Need a speaker for your next conference or annual training event? Contact me at catherine@extraboldsales.com and let's talk. 

Find me as @extraboldsales on other platforms.

Check out my podcast, Conversations with Good Humans at howgoodhumanssell.com.

Purchase the Kindle or paperback book of How Good Humans Sell at https://amzn.to/34odVaT

Super Connector* Microcommunity Builder* Chief Encouragement Officer* Biz Dev Expert* I created The Good Humans Growth Network®* We teach how partnerships with other humans will get you all you want in business.

This man. He's in my court. Began as a client. Became a real friend. 
Lawrence F. Hackney CPA has been a sponsor for the last two b2b entrepreneur conferences we have held in The Good Humans Growth Network. He's sponsoring again next month. 



Over a year ago, Lawrence and I brainstormed about how he could make a real difference in our events. We decided what conferences need if you're really going to make an event hospitable. You need good seating, good food and drink, and a quiet place to talk. Hence, we created the Curiosity & Imagination Cafe. 

Through his generous support, we will once again bring in couches and chairs, coffee and snacks, and we'll create a space where founders can hold conversations with fellow founders. In this special, curated space, I've seen attendees create workshops together, decide to lead a peer advisory group together, and decide to buy from one another. 

Do you see how much I appreciate Lawrence and his contribution to our attendees?  People are coming to our events from around the world to spend time deepening their relationships with each other. Lawrence's support is an example of the love and care that goes into the hospitality at the GROW 2026 conference next month on the TX beach. Sign up is in the comments below. 



The Flex Collective Tech Collaborative

For the last two Februarys, I have held a conference for entrepreneurs on the TX coast called the GROW conference. 🌴 🌞 

The event is for 100 people, with lots of time for networking with people's referral partners, as well as great teaching on how to grow your business.

Every year I do a welcome and short keynote. I work hard on this talk, so I can share from my heart what I've learned about personal growth and entrepreneurship. 

The last two years I have invited my husband, Ryan Brown, PhD to also speak. He's a social psychologist, who for the last 8 years has been studying how leaders are formed. Last year he spoke on the "Science of Prosperity." The year before he talked about research on your authentic self. This year he'll be sharing about research about purpose.

EVERY.TIME.HE.SPEAKS, more than one member of The Good Humans Growth Network walks up to me and says "Hi Catherine. Nice job on your talk." Then they lean in and whisper, "I like to hear you but you know who I REALLY like to hear?? Ryan! He's my favorite!" 😅 

Who wants to be in the Ryan Brown fan club with me? 🥇 


In the coming weeks I'll be sharing what we'll be discussing at GROW this year. Our topic is Destination YOU. Our theme is a journey... our journey as leaders. Join us! 

Feb 25-27, 2026
The San Luis Resort Spa & Conference Center, 
Galveston, TX (fly into Houston)
https://lnkd.in/g9D68Wyw

The Good Humans Growth Network

I'm old enough to remember the controversy when Hillary Clinton repeated the expression "It takes a village to raise a child." It hit the news cycle. 
People made fun of her on late night television, and others accused her of being against traditional families. I can't read her mind, so I don't know her intentions. 

But I'll tell you... I love the expression "It takes a village." 

I can't even name the number of times I've thought to myself "It takes a village" to be an entrepreneur. We aren't designed to work alone. 

You make mistakes. You want to quit. You have a vision. And you need a village. 

IF you're lucky enough to find #goodhumans who will walk alongside you and believe in you, then this fact is an unexpected treasure during the journey. That's what Jason Lee CEPA has been to me. A treasure of a friend. 

Jason is an early believer in the b2b ecosystem we are building at The Good Humans Growth Network. He's put his money and brain power behind me as a sponsor for our upcoming event. He is a friend during the dips in confidence, and he's celebrated when I win. A true trusted advisor.

Thank you, Jason, for being in our Consulting Corner at the upcoming GROW 2026 conference next month. 

If you are at GROW , you can choose to schedule a 30-minute meeting as part of your conference admission to talk with Jason about building wealth and exit planning. You have the chance for him to be an advisor to you as he's been to me. The link to GROW and to the Advisor sign up for conference attendees is below. 


Doug Gibson Sami Abboud Kevin Caballaro

When you pour your heart into a movement, you take notice who jumps into the boat with you quickly. Some people "get" what you are doing, even while the thing you're building is still an immature, messy thing. Some people can see the future. 


Katherine Pomerantz is one of those people. 


Katherine is a money coach and fractional CFO. She spoke last year at our spring conference, GROW 2025. Multiple people (tagged below) have shared that her workshop on your "money story" affected them deeply. 

The people who did the things she said to do to improve their money story have changed their lives for the better.  

So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when Katherine was one of the first people to sign up to be a sponsor for 2026's GROW conference next month. 

This year Katherine will be an Advisor in our Consulting Corner. 
This means any attendee to the conference can get 30 minutes with her at no additional charge. As part of their conference tuition. Don't wait to sign up, because her spots will fill during the conference for sure. 

thank you Katherine Pomerantz for being an early supporter of what we're building in The Good Humans Growth Network. I appreciate you tremendously. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 



Jason Lee CEPA Nader Safinya Branson Long Blessing Richardson Rick Handley Kristiana Corona, PCC Lisa McGuire, Ed.S.

Smart. Creative. Generous. These are only a few of the words that describe my friend and colleague, Dana Casto. 

Dana is a fractional CMO. This means his Zone of Genius is talking marketing plans. If you don't have one, he'll help you have more direction in one single conversation. 

Quick story: When our mutual friend John Way suggested we provide subject-matter expertise to every attendee at the GROW conference, Dana was one of the first to raise his hand. This means that while other attendees are networking or relaxing, Dana will be working. He'll be having one on one conversations, speaking with attendees who want to walk through their marketing plan or lack of marketing plan. 

No addition charge to the attendee. 
With his whole big brain.
Showing up for people.  

Thank you Dana Casto for consulting and speaking at the upcoming entrepreneur conference, GROW 2026. To get to consult with Dana at the conference, grab a ticket to GROW. Details are in comments below. 


https://lnkd.in/g9D68Wyw
The Good Humans Growth Network B2BSalesMagic Whispr Strategic Marketing Mastering Strategic Advisory

New entrepreneurs think building referral partners will be easy. 
A few coffee dates where I say I'll help you and you'll say you help me. 
Then ... crickets. The intros don't come. You're frustrated. 


Building a referral network who will consistently send you perfectly qualified leads takes time and a PLAN. You'll need to learn that plan if you want referrals to be a significant part of your strategy for new business in 2026. 


THIS is the reason I have invited Alex Kuhn and Kelly Sjol to lead one of the sessions on Day One of the GROW conference next month. They are going to share a step-by-step process on how they've built referral partners who do what they say they will do. I have heard variations of this talk twice and as a certified Superconnector, I can vouch that the plan makes sense and is not overly complicated! Plus, look how fun they look as a teaching duo!

Join us Feb 25-27 on the sunny TX coast! Details in comments. 


The Good Humans Growth Network Tech FounderX The Flex Collective #b2breferrals #referralpartners

I need to get the word out about a need. Will you help? 

I need two volunteers for the GROW conference who will work two, 2-hour shifts directing people at guest services in exchange for 22% off their Thursday/Friday ticket. This is a b2b personal development and referral-building event on the TX coast. 

🎟️ GROW 2026
📆 February 26-27, 2026
San Luis Resort Conference Center & Spa 
Galveston, TX 

💲 Volunteer ticket price is $699. (instead of $897)

You'd be a full participating attendee, minus the two shifts. This means you'd get breakfast and lunch both days with your ticket, along with the chance to be coached by our coaches (see link in comments) and two 30-min sessions with the consultants of your choice. You'd be responsible for your dinners, lodging, and transportation. 

Please tag someone who might like to know about this opportunity and share it for me. thanks!


Katie Lantukh Molly Godfrey Benjamin Manley Jay Melone 🪜 John Way B2BSalesMagic Alyssa McGinn Bryan Steele Chris Colt Mick Rudskyi 🇺🇦 Blessing Richardson Katherine Pomerantz Alex Kuhn Kelly Sjol The Good Humans Growth Network National Business Development Association (NBDA) Pandora Elisabeth Hodges Bryan Burkholder Jen Halpern Jason Lee CEPA Dana Casto Dominique Glanville Kourtney Street Rich Street Tracy Benson Tracy A. Eames

I still attend big conferences if I think I can learn something useful. 
But, I'm not hosting huge events.

The gatherings I create are anti-big-conference. Think of most things you don't like about huge events. We choose the opposite. 
We're like George Costanza in Seinfeld on Opposite Day. Do the opposite of what you you've seen when it comes to events.  

From roomier seating, to space for you to have two drinks on the table (coffee and water, anyone?)... room layout matters.  

From "I can't find the coffee" to having our own Curiosity & Imagination Cafe which has has drinks and snacks all day long. 

MOST importantly, I never want someone to walk into the ballroom and feel alone. It's like changing schools as a child. First day jitters. 
This reason is why we have Networking Pods with conference attendees that meet before our live event. Every person who signs up within a few weeks of a conference should have 5-9 people they already know and recognize when they walk into the room. 

This year, Lisa McGuire, Ed.S. has come alongside me and helped us outdo ourselves.  😋 Using her TRTT framework to create training for our Pod leaders, she's training our Pod leaders to facilitate meaningful conversations. This week we had our first training. It was awesome. She was awesome. 

Example: How's this for a question to get to know your fellow attendees, 
"What are you most focused on right now?" 
We say this instead of "What do you do?" so we don't give people busywork to meet with people just to be polite even though that person doesn't align with our current goals. Ask, don't assume.  

Friends, great relationships don't just happen. They take work, and Lisa has made the work easier for our leaders for the upcoming GROW '26 conference by sharing her knowledge and gifts with us. Thank you, Lisa. 🩵 



The Good Humans Growth Network Jason Rorie CV Rao Travis Ziebro 🦓 Ashley Cadis Melanie H. Debra Mitchell, M.Ed. Lawrence F. Hackney CPA Sasha Crabtrey Tracy A. Eames

My heart is full because I know I've done something aligned with my values. Enter the Chief of Everything podcast. 🎙

With help from Bryan Steele , I'll be giving founders, solopreneurs, & mircobusiness owners 6 episodes that tell the secrets of how to go from being a disorganized, frantic Chief of Everything,  to one with a plan. 

The GROW conference sponsors are each answering the question, "What do you wish an early-stage owner understood about ____(their expertise)." 

 Friends, the episodes are so good. 


DM me to be alerted when it drops this week. 


Sarah Sears Jason Lee CEPA Katherine Pomerantz Dana Casto 
Mastering Strategic Advisory B2BSalesMagic sDesign Lauryn Wild Powell Ellen Williams

It's here, it's here! 🎤 
I am starting to share the Chief of Everything podcast with the world. This series is 6 episodes of short, full-of-advice interviews with subject matter experts who KNOW b2b small businesses.
We discuss how to be a good "Chief of Everything" as a founder. 

Sarah Sears of S Design Inc. is our first episode. why?  
Because we discuss what in the world "brand strategy" means. Things like...

Why you want to have a brand strategy on purpose
and
How to create one that represents your values so you keep using it even as you grow. 

Link in comments below. 

You can catch Sarah at the upcoming GROW conference Feb 25-27 on the TX coast speaking and sponsoring the event. AND if you can't join us this year in TX, be sure to listen and share with your friends who have small businesses. She's a gem! 


The Good Humans Growth Network B2BSalesMagic #brandstrategy Forge Podcast Co. Bryan Steele

Here's a counter-intuitive idea about conferences. 💡
If you are thinking of coming to the  GROW entrepreneur conference in February but you only know one person who will be there, be a 

Journey Leader! 🥾📍

This sponsorship gives you a path to follow to get to know other attendees and is perfect for introverts. Listen to this surprising story ...



##b2bnetworking 
The Good Humans Growth Network

First Walk and Talk of 2026. 
This one talks about whether people are a priority for the year. 

Do you have work best friends? 
Don't let distraction or loneliness keep you from enjoying full measure of what entrepreneurship can look like.


Ellen Williams, I mention you. ❤️

Business microcommunities are the best! 
Think about the way other people have influenced you for good, and chances are that you were in a small group with these people. 

✅ Peer advisory
✅ mastermind
✅ referral or networking 
✅ book club
✅ small group through church 

People help people through community. 

I'm curious: when you think of the very best small group experience you've had -- whether personal or professional-- what was it? 



The Good Humans Growth Network
Chris Colt The Challenge Champion™

I'm happy to share that episode #2 of Chief of Everything podcast is out. This 6-episode podcast includes my conversations with subject-matter experts I believe you should know. 

These individuals are also people who partnered with me to bring the GROW conference to life next month. Amazing humans, like Katherine Pomerantz, teach founders and SMB leaders how to become a better "chief of everything" as they grow their business. 

This episode is all about money:
What you let money do. 
What you believe.
Why it matters.

Check it out- link in comments below. 





The Good Humans Growth Network Forge Podcast Co. Bryan Steele Dana Casto Jason Lee CEPA Sarah Sears Jake Brown @

What a full circle moment. ⭕ 

Ginger Harris had the idea of Pink Parcels in the back of her mind when she came to our Good Humans conference last year, and she used the idea to float the value proposition by attendees and get real-time feedback. 

"Would you buy this gift box for a person you know/love who has breast cancer?" A unanimous "yes!" was people's answers. 

We're now a month from this year's GROW conference, and Ginger is launched! 

Unfortunately, we know how it feels to love someone who is suffering from the "c word" and not know what to do. From personal experience, Ginger knows EXACTLY what women wish someone would send them. 

Follow Pink Parcels
Buy from them
... and join Ginger in celebrating its launch. 


The Good Humans Growth Network The Get Together Hannah White Roger Wernette

Co-Founder at Pink Parcels with expertise in start-up ventures.

It’s finally happening.

After nearly ten months of planning, building, reworking, and sitting with what real support should actually look like, Pink Parcels is officially open.

This moment feels big to us. Not because it’s perfect or polished, but because it represents something we’ve cared deeply about from the beginning. Creating a way to show up for women facing breast cancer with intention, care, and real thought behind it.

Pink Parcels was created because so many people want to help and don’t know how. The fear of getting it wrong is real, and too often it leads to silence. We believed there had to be another option. Something thoughtful, grounded, and genuinely supportive.

So today, we’re opening the doors with our first four gift boxes.

Each one is a limited-edition, carefully curated item that supports women at different moments in their breast cancer experience. They’re designed to feel considered and reassuring, focused on comfort, emotional care, and practical support without excess or performance.

For senders, Pink Parcels removes the pressure of figuring out what’s right. For recipients, it offers something that feels thoughtful, respectful, and genuinely supportive.

Whether someone in your life is facing breast cancer, or you simply want to be prepared for the moment when you wish you knew how to help, we invite you to explore the collection.

www.pinkparcels.com

Friends in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Akron, and Columbus, OH - 
My friend Kelly Sjol is starting a peer advisory community for SaaS founders who are ready to stop being the firm's solo seller. 

If you are a SaaS founder ready to scale OR you advise this person, please connect with Kelly and find out about what she's building with Tech FounderX. 


Tom Walker Rev1 Ventures Megan Lencoski Steve Conover Alex Kuhn Dana Casto The Good Humans Growth Network Tech Collaborative

Fractional CMO for B2B SaaS + Tech Services 🤖 | StoryBrand Certified Guide

I’m officially launching something new for B2B tech founders.

Over the past year, across dozens of founder conversations and years of hands-on work, the same challenge kept surfacing:

Even after building an established business largely on founder-led sales, the founder is still selling.

That’s why I’m launching Tech FounderX (TFX)

This is not another paid business development group. It’s a peer advisory group for B2B SaaS and tech solutions company founders who’ve built real, established businesses—but are still carrying too much of the sales load themselves.

These are founder/owners who
• proved the product
• built real revenue and customers
• now find themselves explaining the product, driving deals, and acting as the safety net for sales

Tech FounderX exists for this exact stage—when growth no longer comes from more hustle, but from clarity, alignment, and a sales motion that can work without the founder in the middle. From learning alongside peers who are in a similar spot, navigating roadblocks, and figuring out how to reach the next stage of growth, together—with guidance from marketing and sales experts.

I’ll be announcing January’s invite-only launch social event so let me know if you want in, and make sure you’re following Tech FounderX on Linkedin 👉 https://lnkd.in/eXWUq-8A

We’re launching in February 2026, starting in Pittsburgh and welcoming founders nationwide.

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