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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 ...

The Game-Changing Advice Dan Fougere Got from Carlos Delatorre

Great CROs Do This in Every Startup

Why Work-From-Home is DESTROYING Leadership Roles

The Ultimate CRO for Startups – Who’s the Best?

It took us 5 YEARS to have this sales legend on our show!

It took us 5 YEARS to have this guest on our show! The episode with ...

How Dan Fougere Scaled 4 Billion-Dollar IPOs (And What He’d Do Differently)

In this episode of THE PLAYBOOK UNIVERSE, we sit down with legendary ...

In this episode of THE PLAYBOOK UNIVERSE, we sit down with legendary CRO Dan Fougere, a pivotal force behind FOUR $1B IPOs. From engineering roots to building elite go-to-market engines, ...Dan unpacks the battle-tested frameworks that turned great ideas into generational companies.

He shares hard-won lessons from PTC, BladeLogic, Medallia, and Datadog—including how to scale a sales org, recruit world-class talent, and align GTM with visionary founders. Whether you're a startup founder, CRO, or early-stage sales leader, this is a masterclass you don’t want to miss.

Dan also reveals the make-or-break mindset shifts that helped him navigate adversity, imposter syndrome, and the constant pressure of building under extreme constraints. This episode is packed with insights you simply won’t find in any sales playbook.

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

🏹 Key Topics Covered
00:00 Intro
02:00 Dan’s 4 IPO Journey
06:45 Why Mentorship Mattered Most
12:00 Building Datadog’s GTM from Scratch
19:30 When Founders Should Hire a CRO
26:00 Go-to-Market Mistakes Startups Keep Making
32:00 The Wrong Way to Hire Sales Leaders
36:30 Datadog’s Hardest Challenges
42:00 Leading Through Pressure & Burnout
48:00 The Power of Having Great Mentors

💥 3 Biggest Lessons

1. Your job as CRO is to make the CEO successful.
Leadership alignment and trust are the ultimate foundations for scalable growth.

2. Play the long game—optimize for learning, not short-term comp.
Dan’s biggest career leaps came from choosing mentorship over money.

3. Don’t break what’s working—build what doesn’t exist.
Great GTM leaders complement product momentum by filling strategic gaps, not overhauling systems.

----

🙌 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 Dan!
🗣 “My job as a CRO is to make the CEO successful. Period.”
🗣 “Great sales orgs win even with an average product. That’s the secret.”
🗣 “Don’t try to fix what’s already working—go build what doesn’t exist.”

#softwaresales #huntersandunicorns #playbookuniverseShow More

Zahir Abdelouhab: "THERE IS NO MAGIC WAND IN SALES"

Zahir Abdelouhab: "THERE IS NO MAGIC WAND"

Graham Moreno: "I TRY REALLY HARD TO BE A SPONGE"

Graham Moreno: I TRY REALLY HARD TO BE A SPONGE

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

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

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