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"Who does she think she is treating us like children?"

600% GROWTH in 12 Months: Alice Carlisle’s Wiz Success & Playbook

In this episode of Great Leaders UK, we sit down with Alice Carlisle, ...

In this episode of Great Leaders UK, we sit down with Alice Carlisle, VP UK&I at Wiz, to uncover how she rose from first-line leader to one of the most ...sought-after roles in the cybersecurity industry. From taking a struggling ZScaler team and transforming it in under three quarters, to embodying Wiz’s values of confidence and humility, Alice’s journey is proof that authenticity and unrelenting work ethic drive lasting impact.

She delves into the hard lessons of leading through fear-based tactics early in her career, learning the Force Management Playbook at AppDynamics, and then applying it to close LogicMonitor’s largest deal ever. Ultimately, we focus on how Alice builds culture—leading by example, caring genuinely for people, and creating internal champions—so that teams win together, not just as individuals.

Whether you’re scaling a hyper-growth sales org, building a new culture, or simply looking to be a better human in leadership, Alice’s playbook is packed with actionable insights on driving growth through customer success and winning with authenticity.

🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!
PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai
Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 – Intro
05:00 – Why Alice Was Chosen for Wiz
10:00 – Wiz Values: Humility & Authenticity
15:00 – Leadership Evolution: Leading Without Fear
20:00 – Early Work Ethic & Foundations
25:00 – Learning the Playbook at AppDynamics
30:00 – Applying Playbook at LogicMonitor
35:00 – Career Pivots & Decision to Join Zscaler
40:00 – Turning Around the Zscaler Team
45:00 – Building Culture & Final Reflections

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

Authenticity Over Authority – Leading by fear alienates; leading by genuine care and humility builds lasting loyalty.

Learn & Apply Fast – When you join a Playbook organization, absorb everything like a sponge and execute immediately – that’s how you prove its value.

Culture Eats Strategy – Even in hyper-growth, small ritualistic acts (e.g., cleaning up after yourself) set the tone for accountability, trust, and team unity.

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro

If you enjoyed this deep episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns
Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes

“People see through it as much as you might think they don’t. You have to genuinely care.”

“Being right is not very valuable. It’s more important to be valuable than be right.”

“The most important thing for me is I genuinely give a shit about people more than anything.”

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It's OK to NOT Get Everything Right

It's OK to NOT Get Everything Right, with Natasha Evans

The BRUTAL Truth About Scaling Customer Success, w/ Natasha Evans

Today we’re joined by Natasha Evans, VP of Customer Growth at Hook. ...

Today we’re joined by Natasha Evans, VP of Customer Growth at Hook. Natasha shares the raw reality of going from chaos to clarity while building the customer success function inside ...a hypergrowth rocketship.

We dive deep into the strategic thinking and tough decisions that shaped her journey, from running toward the fire in Saleslofts' early days to scaling operations and rebuilding customer teams at Hook. Natasha unpacks what it really takes to align customer growth with revenue in today’s high-velocity SaaS environment.

If you're navigating messy growth, operational debt, or building CS from scratch, this conversation is packed with hard-earned insights.

🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!
PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai
Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 – Intro and background
03:43 – Natasha's evolving career
05:50 – Building with No Playbook
08:43 – When Your Org Chart Fails
12:41 – Driving Revenue from CS
16:00 – Rebuilding Customer Success at Hook
22:10 – Scaling Fast Without Losing Focus
27:45 – Coaching vs. Commanding
32:12 – Mistakes That Made Her Better
36:30 – What Growth Looks Like Now

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Running toward fire is how you earn your seat. The people who grow fast are the ones who face the hardest problems first.

2. Customer growth must be tied to revenue. Fluffy CS doesn’t survive—alignment with GTM is critical.

3. Rebuilding is part of scaling. You often have to break what you built to keep growing the right way.

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes

“Run towards the fire. The hardest problems are where growth comes from.”
“Customer success has to earn the right to be there. You tie it to revenue or it dies.”
“Sometimes you scale by breaking everything and starting over.”

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

I Bet on Myself. Now I'm the COO.

Betting on YOURSELF at the right time

From MongoDB to Founder: How Deirdre Spillane bet on Herself

In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Deirdre ...

In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Deirdre Spillane, co-founder of SELR and former sales leader at MongoDB and Segment. She shares her incredible journey—from building ...high-performing teams in one of the most feared sales orgs in tech, to stepping into the unknown and launching her own company.

We dive into the power of coaching, the dangers of drowning in data, and why understanding the “why” behind people’s actions is everything. If you're in sales, leadership, or considering your next bold career move—this is your playbook.

🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!
PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai
Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 - Intro
01:54 - From Oracle to MongoDB
04:01 - Learning from Carlos Delatorre
06:58 - ICP and Hard Lessons in Fit
08:44 - Coaching Is About Trust
11:14 - How to Truly Meet People Where They Are
13:19 - Building Intentional Sales Teams
15:01 - Diversity of Thought in Sales
17:38 - Data Overload in Sales Leadership
21:19 - Tracking the Right Metrics
24:10 - Aligning Personal Why with Business Goals
27:03 - Grit, Motivation & Early Indicators of Success
30:49 - What Seller Actually Does
34:42 - Founder Life vs Sales Leader Life
36:59 - Why Coaching Is Her Life's Work

---

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Trust Before Tactics: Effective coaching doesn't begin with playbooks—it starts by understanding and trusting your people.

2. Data Isn’t Insight: Sales orgs today are flooded with metrics, but the true game-changers are conversion points and coaching conversations.

3. Your 'Why' Is the Multiplier: Aligning your personal drive with business objectives creates clarity, resilience, and momentum.

---

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro
If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

---

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

---

💬 Borrow these quotes from Deirdre!

“Once you get this opportunity, you take it with both hands… and you leave nothing on the field.”
“You’ve got to meet people where they are—that’s where the trust builds.”
“We don't lack data—we lack the right coaching to make sense of it.”
“Being gritty is more important than being gifted.”

---

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

The 4 RULES to follow before choosing your next job

The 4 rules to follow before choosing your next job

They Told Her NOT to Work in Sales — She Proved Them ALL WRONG

In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Libby ...

In this episode of The Playbook Universe, we sit down with Libby Derbyshire, Sales Director at ComplyAdvantage, whose transformation journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

From selling boat party tickets in ...Ibiza to leading with data and empathy at some of the UK’s fastest-growing startups, Libby shares the pivotal moment that changed everything — and the power of combining gut instinct with hard analytics.

We explore her early experiences in sales, how Jeremy Duggan and Steve McCluskey shaped her development, what it means to build inclusive teams, and how she balances motherhood with high-performance leadership.

Raw, inspiring, and deeply insightful, this is a masterclass in becoming more than the sum of your parts.

🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!
PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai
Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 – Intro
00:39 – From Hard Work to Data-Driven Execution
03:01 – Learning to See the Patterns
06:03 – Becoming a Convert to the Playbook
08:17 – How Libby Leads Today
11:40 – Data vs. People: Earning Buy-In
14:38 – The ‘Cookie Cutter’ Myth
16:20 – Libby’s Unconventional Start in Sales
21:40 – Navigating Pregnancy, Leadership & Career Decisions
24:00 – Female Leadership & Real-World Challenges
27:00 – Imposter Syndrome and Identity at Work
30:00 – Balancing Motherhood and Ambition
34:00 – The Mission Behind ComplyAdvantage
38:00 – Values, Priorities & Why This Role Was the Right Move

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Data doesn’t replace instinct — it amplifies it: Libby learned that great leadership isn't about abandoning your gut; it’s about backing it up with data that tells the real story.

2. Authenticity scales, imitation doesn’t: Early on, Libby tried to imitate powerful leaders, but real growth came when she embraced her own leadership voice.

3. Support isn’t just nice — it’s strategic: From Jeremy Duggan’s belief in young talent to Luke Rogers’ immediate support during Libby’s second pregnancy, backing people fully brings out their best.

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro

If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Borrow These Quotes From Libby!

"If I’m not getting value from data, why would I expect my reps to?"

"You can’t separate yourself from your values — they show up in every meeting."

"More was more. I learned that early, selling in Ibiza."

"I won’t put my family on hold anymore — I know my priorities."

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

Shakira Talbot's favorite TV Show (you won't guess it)

Shakira Talbot's Secret Weapon. Starts with "C"

From FOSTER Care to GVP: Shakira Talbot’s Relentless Rise

In this new episode of Hunters & Unicorns, we sit down with Shakira ...

In this new episode of Hunters & Unicorns, we sit down with Shakira Talbot, the Group Vice President at ServiceNow, for one of the most inspiring conversations we've ever had. ...From growing up in foster care to leading revenue responsibility for over $10B at one of the most influential enterprise software companies, Shakira’s story is a masterclass in grit, champion building, and unapologetic ambition.

She shares how she developed her tenacity, why she dropped out of university, and how she found her path through selling timeshares at 14 to leading massive enterprise deals. We dive deep into her early influences, her playbook for high-performance sales leadership, and what truly drives her to never settle.

This is not just about sales. It’s about identity, impact, and proving you belong—on your own terms.

🙌 Thanks to our Sponsors!
PG AI: https://www.getpg.ai
Selr: https://selr.ai

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 In this episode...
01:25 Intro and backstory
03:24 Why she never wanted to be like her boss
06:33 Getting recruited by Jeremy Duggan
11:22 Champion-building as a life skill
15:01 Her biggest deal (and what it taught her)
19:47 What makes a great sales leader
24:08 Owning your ambition unapologetically
28:34 From maternity policy to mindset shifts
31:10 Advice to her younger self

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

Champion-building isn’t just for sales – It’s how you win people over in life and career, especially when you come from a non-traditional background.

Authenticity scales – Shakira’s leadership works because she leads as herself, not as a copy of what leadership is “supposed” to look like.

You don’t need to be perfect to be powerful – She’s made mistakes, changed direction, and still kept rising—all while carrying massive responsibilities at home and work.

🙌 Thanks for listening!
This episode was hosted by Simon Kouttis and Ollie Kuehne, founders of Hunters & Unicorns, and post-produced by the team at videoforce.pro
If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a like/share and subscribe to our channel!

🦄 Connect with Hunters & Unicorns

Website: http://huntersandunicorns.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HuntersUn1corns
Instagram: http://instagram.com/huntersandunicorns
Blog: http://huntersandunicorns.com/blog

💬 Notable Quotes from Shak!

"I didn’t want to be a psychologist. I wanted to sell stuff."

"You don’t have a deal until you have a champion who passes the test."

"I am the only provider in my house. That’s the role we’ve landed on. So I have a duty of care to make it work."

"I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not to make people comfortable."

"Would I change things? Yeah—I would’ve done it sooner."

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

This Is What the Next Generation of CROs Looks Like | NEW Podcast Series!

We’re proud to announce a brand new podcast series spotlighting the ...

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