Episode 152 - Cancelling the Cold Call with Nikki Ivey

It has been way too long in the making. But it's finally here! We have Hacker Valley merchandise available!  We have shirts, we have hats, we have sweatshirts that you can purchase.  You are in the Hacker Valley Studio with your hosts Ron and Chris. Welcome back to the show.  Today in the studio, we've brought in Nikki Ivey. Nikki is a B2B revenue growth and startup culture leader. She's recognized as a 2020 LinkedIn top voice, and she is the co-founder of SDR Defenders community.  For those that want to get to know Nikki and understand where she come from and what she is up to today, Nikki shares she works with Fortune 500 companies to help them make their outsides match their insides. In short, she helps folks close a gap, so everybody has access to a greater sense of belonging and purpose in the work that they do.   Sadly, Nikki started down this path because she felt she often did not belong or was not often treated like she belonged. Her mom says her first full sentence was, “That's not fair.” She actually studied broadcasting and journalism but then discovered that tech sales was an outlet for all of those things that she cared about. Nikki cares deeply about culture and has experienced so many issues as she has gone through her career.  The one thing she would love to change is people not being the gatekeepers rather be stewards.   Nikki has a lot of advice on “cancelling the cold call” and making connections.  She is full of beautiful ideas to make everyone, from top to bottom in a company feel included, important and connected.   Key Takeaways:   :58 Episode starts with Ron and Chris 1:40 Nikki shares her background 2:55 Bringing people into the fold 5:18 Culture issues 7:57 Nikki’s superpower 10:00 Making connections 14:20 Doubling down 19:09 Being genuine 23:11 Building your brand 26:54 Final piece of advice from Nikki Links: Email Nikki Nikki on LinkedIn Nikki on Instagram Nikki on Twitter Support Hacker Valley Studio on Patreon.  Follow Hacker Valley Studio on Twitter. Follow hosts Ron Eddings and Chris Cochran on Twitter. Get your Hacker Valley Merch here!