<![CDATA[Lead Your Way - Tom Salley Coaching]]>Unlocking the stories behind bold life and career moves. Lead Your Way dives into the pivotal moments when leaders, founders, and professionals take calculated risks, embrace change, and transform their personal and professional lives. Hosted by Tom Salley, Executive Coach, each episode uncovers the mindset, values, and strategies behind these bold leaps, inspiring listeners to navigate their own career and life transitions with clarity, courage, and purpose.

]]>www.tomsalleycoaching.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:39:57 GMTTue, 31 Mar 2026 13:11:55 GMT60Tom Salley<p>Unlocking the stories behind bold life and career moves. Lead Your Way dives into the pivotal moments when leaders, founders, and professionals take calculated risks, embrace change, and transform their personal and professional lives. Hosted by Tom Salley, Executive Coach, each episode uncovers the mindset, values, and strategies behind these bold leaps, inspiring listeners to navigate their own career and life transitions with clarity, courage, and purpose.</p>episodicTom Salleyts@tomsalleycoaching.comno<![CDATA[#5: Harry Pelivanidis — From Individual Contributor to Leader | Trust, Ambition & Impact]]>In this episode of Lead Your Way, Tom Salley sits down with Harry Pelivanidis, Managing Partner at Berg Search, to explore his journey from individual contributor to senior leader and his ambition to one day build something of his own.

Harry shares his journey from studying in Barcelona to building his career in Athens, from customer-facing and business development roles to Dialectica and Guidepoint, where he progressed to Vice President of Customer Success. He then moved into the startup world with Berg Search, where he now helps lead the company as Managing Partner.

The conversation explores what it really means to lead people: why trust should come first, how to balance being close to your team with maintaining professional boundaries, and why leadership success should be measured by what you achieve through your team, rather than what you accomplish yourself.

Harry reflects on building diverse teams, understanding different personalities and motivations, giving people autonomy, and creating an environment where people can grow. He shares a powerful leadership lesson: your role isn't to create people who are just like you, but to help each person become the best version of themselves.

Tom and Harry also discuss ambition, career progression and long-term goals, including what happens when you finally achieve a major milestone and find yourself asking: "What now?"

From studying abroad to building a career in Athens and eventually stepping into startup leadership, Harry offers a thoughtful perspective on trust, ambition, purpose and creating meaningful impact through other people.

Takeaways

  • Leadership success comes from what you achieve through your team.
  • Trust creates engagement, ownership and accountability.
  • Great leaders balance approachability with professional boundaries.
  • Diverse teams benefit from different personalities, strengths and motivations.
  • Moving from individual contributor to leader requires redefining your own value.
  • Delegation is about giving people ownership, not simply giving away tasks.
  • Great leaders create an environment where people can grow.
  • Your career path doesn't need to follow someone else's definition of success.
  • Personal ambition and helping others succeed can go hand in hand.
  • Leadership is about listening, trusting, coaching and inspiring.
  • Achieving a major goal can create a new challenge: figuring out what comes next.
  • Meaningful work comes from creating positive change in the lives of others.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Harry Pelivanidis & Berg Search
01:03 From Corporate Life to Startup Leadership
04:09 Why Hiring for Startups Is Different
07:44 Harry's Multicultural Background & Early Years
09:42 Barcelona, Entrepreneurship & Expanding Your Perspective
10:27 How Different Experiences Shaped Harry's Leadership Style
14:20 Building Diverse Teams
17:42 Trust First: How Harry Leads His Team at Berg
20:10 Listening, Trust & Avoiding Micromanagement
22:28 Being Close Without Losing Boundaries
27:28 From Individual Contributor to Managing Partner
31:00 Defining Your Own Version of Career Success
38:20 What Happens When You Finally Reach Your Big Goal?
40:00 Measuring Leadership Success Through Your Team
42:00 The Power of Trust & Freedom in Leadership
45:01 The Long-Term Dream of Building His Own Company
48:24 From Greece to the Global Stage
52:27 Why Long-Term Goals Keep You Moving Forward
53:32 The Real Driver: Helping Other People Grow
56:14 Closing Thoughts

]]>10e79dee-45bd-4008-80f2-b39e394c81c2Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:34:07 GMT<p>In this episode of <i>Lead Your Way</i>, Tom Salley sits down with Harry Pelivanidis, Managing Partner at Berg Search, to explore his journey from individual contributor to senior leader and his ambition to one day build something of his own.</p><p>Harry shares his journey from studying in Barcelona to building his career in Athens, from customer-facing and business development roles to Dialectica and Guidepoint, where he progressed to Vice President of Customer Success. He then moved into the startup world with Berg Search, where he now helps lead the company as Managing Partner.</p><p>The conversation explores what it really means to lead people: why <b>trust should come first</b>, how to balance being close to your team with maintaining professional boundaries, and why leadership success should be measured by what you achieve <i>through your team</i>, rather than what you accomplish yourself.</p><p>Harry reflects on building diverse teams, understanding different personalities and motivations, giving people autonomy, and creating an environment where people can grow. He shares a powerful leadership lesson: your role isn't to create people who are just like you, but to help each person become the best version of themselves.</p><p>Tom and Harry also discuss ambition, career progression and long-term goals, including what happens when you finally achieve a major milestone and find yourself asking: <b>"What now?"</b></p><p>From studying abroad to building a career in Athens and eventually stepping into startup leadership, Harry offers a thoughtful perspective on trust, ambition, purpose and creating meaningful impact through other people.</p><h2>Takeaways</h2><ul><li>Leadership success comes from what you achieve through your team.</li><li>Trust creates engagement, ownership and accountability.</li><li>Great leaders balance approachability with professional boundaries.</li><li>Diverse teams benefit from different personalities, strengths and motivations.</li><li>Moving from individual contributor to leader requires redefining your own value.</li><li>Delegation is about giving people ownership, not simply giving away tasks.</li><li>Great leaders create an environment where people can grow.</li><li>Your career path doesn't need to follow someone else's definition of success.</li><li>Personal ambition and helping others succeed can go hand in hand.</li><li>Leadership is about listening, trusting, coaching and inspiring.</li><li>Achieving a major goal can create a new challenge: figuring out what comes next.</li><li>Meaningful work comes from creating positive change in the lives of others.</li></ul><h2>Chapters</h2><p>00:00 Introduction to Harry Pelivanidis &amp; Berg Search<br />01:03 From Corporate Life to Startup Leadership<br />04:09 Why Hiring for Startups Is Different<br />07:44 Harry's Multicultural Background &amp; Early Years<br />09:42 Barcelona, Entrepreneurship &amp; Expanding Your Perspective<br />10:27 How Different Experiences Shaped Harry's Leadership Style<br />14:20 Building Diverse Teams<br />17:42 Trust First: How Harry Leads His Team at Berg<br />20:10 Listening, Trust &amp; Avoiding Micromanagement<br />22:28 Being Close Without Losing Boundaries<br />27:28 From Individual Contributor to Managing Partner<br />31:00 Defining Your Own Version of Career Success<br />38:20 What Happens When You Finally Reach Your Big Goal?<br />40:00 Measuring Leadership Success Through Your Team<br />42:00 The Power of Trust &amp; Freedom in Leadership<br />45:01 The Long-Term Dream of Building His Own Company<br />48:24 From Greece to the Global Stage<br />52:27 Why Long-Term Goals Keep You Moving Forward<br />53:32 The Real Driver: Helping Other People Grow<br />56:14 Closing Thoughts</p>no00:56:1715#5: Harry Pelivanidis — From Individual Contributor to Leader | Trust, Ambition & Impactfull<![CDATA[#4: Sophie Allen — Building a Recruitment Business | Entrepreneurship, AI & Finding Top Sales Talent]]>In this episode of Lead Your Way, Tom Salley sits down with Sophie Allen, founder of Trampoline, a specialist recruitment company focused on helping SaaS companies find exceptional SDR and BDR talent.

Sophie shares her journey from building SDR recruitment teams at Venatrix to launching her own business and placing nearly 150 sales development professionals in her first year. She explains how focusing on a specific niche, building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn, and creating a candidate-first approach helped her grow a successful recruitment business independently.

The conversation explores the evolution of SDR recruitment, why traditional assessment centres are changing, how LinkedIn has transformed talent acquisition, and why specialization can become a powerful competitive advantage for entrepreneurs.

Tom and Sophie also discuss the future of sales development in the age of AI, whether SDR roles are really disappearing, how companies should balance automation with human connection, and what it takes to build a business while raising a young family.

From moving to Nice, France, to running a business remotely, Sophie shares the realities of entrepreneurship, staying present, and creating a lifestyle around the work you love.

Takeaways

  • Specialization can create a strong personal brand and make you the go-to expert in a specific market.
  • LinkedIn has become one of the most powerful channels for finding and attracting modern sales talent.
  • Recruitment success depends on understanding both companies’ needs and candidates’ motivations.
  • Traditional group assessment centres can sometimes reward performance rather than true ability.
  • AI will transform sales development but is unlikely to replace the human relationships that drive successful selling.
  • SDRs and BDRs remain critical roles when combined with strong processes, technology, and coaching.
  • Building a business around your strengths can create more freedom and flexibility.
  • Entrepreneurship requires balancing ambition, family, and personal priorities.
  • Remote work enables founders to build companies from anywhere in the world.
  • Staying focused on delivering value today can be more powerful than over-planning the future.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sophie Allen & Trampoline

01:20 Building a Successful SDR Recruitment Business

03:00 From Venatrix Assessment Centres to a New Recruitment Model

06:20 How Trampoline Finds Top SDR & BDR Talent Today

09:20 The Power of Niching Down as an Entrepreneur

11:45 Are SDRs Being Replaced by AI?

14:30 How AI Is Changing Sales Development Skills

16:40 Building a Business While Raising a Family

20:10 Entrepreneurship, Lifestyle & Staying Present

23:20 Why Sophie Chose Nice, France as Her Base

27:10 Building Networks Outside Traditional Business Hubs

29:35 The Future of Trampoline & What Comes Next

]]>0d92cde7-b207-4066-898e-616129cff55fMon, 20 Jul 2026 11:25:59 GMT<p>In this episode of <b>Lead Your Way</b>, Tom Salley sits down with Sophie Allen, founder of Trampoline, a specialist recruitment company focused on helping SaaS companies find exceptional SDR and BDR talent.</p><p>Sophie shares her journey from building SDR recruitment teams at Venatrix to launching her own business and placing nearly 150 sales development professionals in her first year. She explains how focusing on a specific niche, building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn, and creating a candidate-first approach helped her grow a successful recruitment business independently.</p><p>The conversation explores the evolution of SDR recruitment, why traditional assessment centres are changing, how LinkedIn has transformed talent acquisition, and why specialization can become a powerful competitive advantage for entrepreneurs.</p><p>Tom and Sophie also discuss the future of sales development in the age of AI, whether SDR roles are really disappearing, how companies should balance automation with human connection, and what it takes to build a business while raising a young family.</p><p>From moving to Nice, France, to running a business remotely, Sophie shares the realities of entrepreneurship, staying present, and creating a lifestyle around the work you love.</p><h2>Takeaways</h2><ul><li>Specialization can create a strong personal brand and make you the go-to expert in a specific market.</li><li>LinkedIn has become one of the most powerful channels for finding and attracting modern sales talent.</li><li>Recruitment success depends on understanding both companies’ needs and candidates’ motivations.</li><li>Traditional group assessment centres can sometimes reward performance rather than true ability.</li><li>AI will transform sales development but is unlikely to replace the human relationships that drive successful selling.</li><li>SDRs and BDRs remain critical roles when combined with strong processes, technology, and coaching.</li><li>Building a business around your strengths can create more freedom and flexibility.</li><li>Entrepreneurship requires balancing ambition, family, and personal priorities.</li><li>Remote work enables founders to build companies from anywhere in the world.</li><li>Staying focused on delivering value today can be more powerful than over-planning the future.</li></ul><h2>Chapters</h2><p>00:00 Introduction to Sophie Allen &amp; Trampoline</p><p>01:20 Building a Successful SDR Recruitment Business</p><p>03:00 From Venatrix Assessment Centres to a New Recruitment Model</p><p>06:20 How Trampoline Finds Top SDR &amp; BDR Talent Today</p><p>09:20 The Power of Niching Down as an Entrepreneur</p><p>11:45 Are SDRs Being Replaced by AI?</p><p>14:30 How AI Is Changing Sales Development Skills</p><p>16:40 Building a Business While Raising a Family</p><p>20:10 Entrepreneurship, Lifestyle &amp; Staying Present</p><p>23:20 Why Sophie Chose Nice, France as Her Base</p><p>27:10 Building Networks Outside Traditional Business Hubs</p><p>29:35 The Future of Trampoline &amp; What Comes Next</p>no00:33:2314#4: Sophie Allen — Building a Recruitment Business | Entrepreneurship, AI & Finding Top Sales Talentfull<![CDATA[#3: Suji Goetzke — The American Who Cold Calls the UK | Social Selling, GTM & Sales Leadership]]>In this episode of Lead Your Way, Tom Salley sits down with Suji Goetzke, Head of GTM at Trellus and one of the fastest-growing voices in modern B2B sales. Known online as "The American Who Cold Calls the UK," Suji shares how she built a personal brand from scratch, leveraged social selling to accelerate her career, and became a recognized thought leader in sales at just 23 years old.

From making collection calls at a local gym to leading go-to-market initiatives for a fast-growing SaaS company, Suji's journey highlights the power of consistency, resilience, and authentic relationship building. The conversation explores cold calling across different cultures, managing and coaching sales talent, the realities of digital nomad life, and why outbound sales remains one of the most effective growth channels.

Tom and Suji also discuss the role of AI in modern sales teams, the balance between automation and human connection, and what it takes to stand out in today's competitive sales landscape.

Takeaways

  • Personal branding can create career opportunities faster than traditional paths.
  • Cold calling remains one of the most effective outbound channels when done consistently.
  • Social selling and sales development are becoming increasingly connected.
  • Great sales leaders focus on coaching, adaptability, and individual growth.
  • AI should enhance strong sales processes, not replace them.
  • Digital nomad life offers freedom but comes with challenges around stability and relationships.
  • Building genuine connections is still at the heart of successful selling.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Suji Goetzke

02:00 Growing a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

08:00 Early Sales Lessons & First Cold Calls

13:00 Women in Sales and Standing Out

18:00 Living as a Digital Nomad in Europe

22:00 Building and Leading a GTM Team

27:00 Why Cold Calling Still Works

31:00 AI, Automation & The Future of Sales

36:00 Career Growth and What's Next

]]>8d1f27d6-6627-4854-928d-f7aaa3b8f67aTue, 02 Jun 2026 10:28:38 GMT<p>In this episode of Lead Your Way, Tom Salley sits down with Suji Goetzke, Head of GTM at Trellus and one of the fastest-growing voices in modern B2B sales. Known online as "The American Who Cold Calls the UK," Suji shares how she built a personal brand from scratch, leveraged social selling to accelerate her career, and became a recognized thought leader in sales at just 23 years old.</p><p>From making collection calls at a local gym to leading go-to-market initiatives for a fast-growing SaaS company, Suji's journey highlights the power of consistency, resilience, and authentic relationship building. The conversation explores cold calling across different cultures, managing and coaching sales talent, the realities of digital nomad life, and why outbound sales remains one of the most effective growth channels.</p><p>Tom and Suji also discuss the role of AI in modern sales teams, the balance between automation and human connection, and what it takes to stand out in today's competitive sales landscape.</p><h3>Takeaways</h3><ul><li>Personal branding can create career opportunities faster than traditional paths.</li><li>Cold calling remains one of the most effective outbound channels when done consistently.</li><li>Social selling and sales development are becoming increasingly connected.</li><li>Great sales leaders focus on coaching, adaptability, and individual growth.</li><li>AI should enhance strong sales processes, not replace them.</li><li>Digital nomad life offers freedom but comes with challenges around stability and relationships.</li><li>Building genuine connections is still at the heart of successful selling.</li></ul><h3>Chapters</h3><p>00:00 Introduction to Suji Goetzke</p><p>02:00 Growing a Personal Brand on LinkedIn</p><p>08:00 Early Sales Lessons &amp; First Cold Calls</p><p>13:00 Women in Sales and Standing Out</p><p>18:00 Living as a Digital Nomad in Europe</p><p>22:00 Building and Leading a GTM Team</p><p>27:00 Why Cold Calling Still Works</p><p>31:00 AI, Automation &amp; The Future of Sales</p><p>36:00 Career Growth and What's Next</p>no00:33:5913#3: Suji Goetzke — The American Who Cold Calls the UK | Social Selling, GTM & Sales Leadershipfull<![CDATA[#2: Elric Legloire — The Outbound Chef | AI in Sales & Entrepreneurship]]>The conversation explores Elric Legloire's journey as the Outbound Chef, detailing his experiences from living in Mexico to leading sales teams. It delves into his career progression, the challenges of building a company, and the transformative role of AI in sales. Topics include leadership, entrepreneurship, AI integration, and the importance of strategic planning. Elric shares insights on effective outbound strategies, the role of leadership, and the impact of AI on modern sales processes.

Takeaways
Leadership Involvement: Essential from day one in outbound strategy.
Data Investment: Critical for targeting the right accounts.
AI Integration: Enhances efficiency and reduces manual tasks.
Strategic Planning: Avoids common pitfalls in scaling sales teams.
Coaching and Training: Vital for developing effective sales reps.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Elric Legloire

04:00 Career Journey and Challenges

12:00 Leadership and Management Insights

20:00 AI's Role in Modern Sales

28:00 Building Efficient Sales Systems

34:00 Future Plans and Entrepreneurship

]]>071f44a6-9272-4dba-b17d-35f1d27c4417Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMT<p>The conversation explores Elric Legloire's journey as the Outbound Chef, detailing his experiences from living in Mexico to leading sales teams. It delves into his career progression, the challenges of building a company, and the transformative role of AI in sales. Topics include leadership, entrepreneurship, AI integration, and the importance of strategic planning. Elric shares insights on effective outbound strategies, the role of leadership, and the impact of AI on modern sales processes.<br /><br />Takeaways<br />Leadership Involvement: Essential from day one in outbound strategy.<br />Data Investment: Critical for targeting the right accounts.<br />AI Integration: Enhances efficiency and reduces manual tasks.<br />Strategic Planning: Avoids common pitfalls in scaling sales teams.<br />Coaching and Training: Vital for developing effective sales reps.<br /><br />Chapters<br /><br />00:00 Introduction to Elric Legloire<br /><br />04:00 Career Journey and Challenges<br /><br />12:00 Leadership and Management Insights<br /><br />20:00 AI's Role in Modern Sales<br /><br />28:00 Building Efficient Sales Systems<br /><br />34:00 Future Plans and Entrepreneurship</p>no00:35:2112#2: Elric Legloire — The Outbound Chef | AI in Sales & Entrepreneurshipfull<![CDATA[#1: Benoît Kuhn — From Corporate Leader to Atlas Co-Founder | Startup Risk, AI & Poker Mindset]]>The conversation covers Benoit Kuhn's journey as the co-founder of Atlas - The Recruitment Platform. It delves into his career progression, the challenges of building a company, and the influence of poker on his leadership and decision-making. The conversation covers topics such as hiring, entrepreneurship, poker, work-life balance, and sales strategy. Ben discusses his experience with hiring, the connection between entrepreneurship and poker, the growth of AI, and the importance of work-life balance. He also seeks advice on improving the sales pipeline for his company, Atlas.

Takeaways

  • Entrepreneurial Journey
  • Leadership Challenges Hiring is a critical aspect of business success
  • Entrepreneurship and poker share common attributes
  • AI is rapidly evolving and impacting business development
  • Work-life balance is essential for productivity and well-being
  • Effective sales strategy involves seeking 'no's' and empowering clients to find solutions
  • Automating the sales process can enhance efficiency

Chapters

  • 00:00 The Journey to Co-Founding Atlas
  • 04:45 Building Atlas and the Role of AI
  • 12:04 Challenges of Building a Company
  • 18:57 Influence of Poker on Leadership
  • 26:03 The Impact of AI on Business Development
  • 35:57 Work-Life Balance and Productivity
]]>cf0b2682-770e-4ba8-9f40-d6524c1381a6Thu, 09 Apr 2026 08:25:05 GMT<p>The conversation covers Benoit Kuhn's journey as the co-founder of Atlas - The Recruitment Platform. It delves into his career progression, the challenges of building a company, and the influence of poker on his leadership and decision-making. The conversation covers topics such as hiring, entrepreneurship, poker, work-life balance, and sales strategy. Ben discusses his experience with hiring, the connection between entrepreneurship and poker, the growth of AI, and the importance of work-life balance. He also seeks advice on improving the sales pipeline for his company, Atlas.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Entrepreneurial Journey</li><li>Leadership Challenges Hiring is a critical aspect of business success</li><li>Entrepreneurship and poker share common attributes</li><li>AI is rapidly evolving and impacting business development</li><li>Work-life balance is essential for productivity and well-being</li><li>Effective sales strategy involves seeking 'no's' and empowering clients to find solutions</li><li>Automating the sales process can enhance efficiency</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 The Journey to Co-Founding Atlas</li><li>04:45 Building Atlas and the Role of AI</li><li>12:04 Challenges of Building a Company</li><li>18:57 Influence of Poker on Leadership</li><li>26:03 The Impact of AI on Business Development</li><li>35:57 Work-Life Balance and Productivity</li></ul>no00:37:5111#1: Benoît Kuhn — From Corporate Leader to Atlas Co-Founder | Startup Risk, AI & Poker Mindsetfull