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Hi Reader,
Notes from a Female Founder
The first time I had a DEXA scan, it showed I had osteopenia. My practitioner's advice was simple, we'll watch it.
So, I did, every few years, and every few years the scan said the same thing. Not this time. I took matters into my own hands. I did the research and learned something important, losing bone density as you age is not a foregone conclusion. There is something you can do about it, and I did.
Long before I knew this week's podcast guest, I started wearing a weighted vest and doing more weight bearing activity. It reversed my osteopenia. Bone density loss is real once estrogen levels drop, which is exactly why exercise matters more than ever if you are a female founder over 40.
Worrying about your health will absolutely get in the way of your ability to drive revenue. My best advice is to take care of yourself first. Exercise daily, hydrate, eat well, and don't sit for more than an hour without moving. Ten squats three times a day, a walking meeting, some stretching between calls. I'm not kidding. Everyone should consult their own practitioner, but don't wait for someone to tell you to act.
Sales Sharpenher
CEOs need to talk to customers. Salespeople, Account Managers and Customer Success reps need to talk to customers other than when they are trying to sell something. Listen to hear if they’re successful using what you sold them.
Ask yourself these three questions this week:
1. Visibility: Are you and your team visible when you are not trying to sell something? How much time have you actually spent listening to your customer this month?
2. Consistency: How good are your salespeople at listening? What are you and your sales leaders doing consistently to encourage them to listen?
3. Leverage: How can you leverage what you are hearing? Your customers will tell you exactly what they need if you ask. If deals aren't closing, if win rates are down, if you're losing to no decision, stop guessing. Start listening
This week’s conversation
Marie Berry was healthy, active, and training for triathlons when she got the news, osteopenia. Instead of sitting with the shock, she went looking for a solution and couldn't find one built for women. So, she built it herself.
What she learned.
• Turn your own diagnosis into your market research. Marie couldn't find a weighted vest designed for a woman's body, so she called her Adidas network and built one herself, that became YVO.
• Let your community prove the demand before you build. A 30-day rucking challenge meant for a few friends drew a hundred women in a week, all asking the same question, which vest do you use?
• Move fast once you know. Incorporated in May, shipped by December, sold out two production runs, and now has roughly 600 women walking together weekly across four cities.
One of my favorite lines from Marie. She, like Cheryl Sew Hoy in last week’s episode, asked for help.
"Asking people for help. I think that is one of my superpowers. I'm not afraid to ask anyone."
👉 Listen to the episode - and forward it to a female founder who needs to hear this today.
On LinkedIn this week
It's not about you, your products, or your value. It's about the buyer, their journey, their needs, their perspective. I explain it in this post.
👉 Read the LinkedIn post
To Your Sales Success,
Alice Heiman
P.S. Use Alice's 15% off code to buy your YVO Weighted Vest today.
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