140: Karen Barbour – People Are People

140: Karen Barbour – People Are People

Guest: Karen Barbour

Guest Bio:

​With nearly 40 years of surety experience, Karen Barbour founded The Barbour Group in 2002, a nationally licensed surety agency focused on construction bonding and advocacy, with offices in Maryland and Tennessee. TBG is a certified DBE, WBE, WOSB, and WBENC firm. Her advocacy sparked in the late 1990s when achieving a Federal Acquisition Regulation change permitting annual bond forms to support five-year contracts instead of one bond for five years, giving small and minority 8(a) firms the capability of bonding such projects. Karen serves on the U.S. SBA’s National SBDC Advisory Board, MAA (BWI) Small & Minority Business Advisory Council, as Vice Chair for AMAC’s Government Affairs Committee, and on boards such as Women Construction Owners & Executives and Girl Scouts of Central MD for over 10 years.

Karen co-founded the Alliance for Hispanic Commercial Contractors, Party For A Cure, and the National Small Business Party. She continues to manage an exclusive surety bond program with Hensel Phelps Construction Co. that to date has bonded over $170,000,000 in subcontracts with no losses.

Key Points:

Early Career and Challenges as a Woman

Started in the insurance and surety industry in the 1980s as one of the few women in a male-dominated field. She faced pay inequality and a lack of mentorship or grooming for leadership. Despite working 80-hour weeks, she wasn’t offered ownership opportunities.

Founding the Barbour Group

After a successful career as a bond producer, she left to start her firm in 2002. Her motivation included economic independence, work-life flexibility, and family care (as a single mom and caretaker for her father with Alzheimer’s).

Passion for Cold Calling

Loved the challenge and directness of cold calling. Used it to differentiate herself and prove her value in a field where women were not readily accepted. Emphasized understanding of construction and surety underwriting, which made her uniquely effective.

Advocacy for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses

A pivotal moment came in her 20s when she unintentionally walked into a minority contractors’ meeting. Shocked by the industry's bias (her company directed underwriters to flat-out decline minority applicants), she left and began actively advocating for diversity. Worked to bond minority and women-owned firms, growing underwriting from $250,000 to $2.5 million in a year without losses.

Personal Motivation and Values

Grew up in a polluted, working-class neighborhood in Maryland. Experienced loss and hardship early in life (lost her mother at 11). Driven by empathy, fairness, and a strong sense of justice. Discovered later in life that her biological father was a neurosurgeon, which helped her understand her innate compassion.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Economic Equity

Emphasizes the importance of seeing and celebrating cultural differences, not ignoring them. Believes diversity brings better business outcomes and strengthens communities. Argues that systemic exclusion limits contributions from capable individuals and that access to capital and education are key.

Community and Social Impact Initiatives

Founded the Alliance for Hispanic Commercial Contractors to support minority businesses with financial assistance, consulting, and sponsorships. Created Party for a Cure, a nonprofit supporting children with neurological diseases. Developed a political platform, the National Small Business Party, to give small businesses a stronger voice in policy.

Core Philosophy

Step through fear—growth and purpose lie on the other side. Use business as a vehicle for empowerment, particularly for underrepresented groups. Diversity isn’t just a value—it’s a strategic imperative for societal and business success.

Guest Links:

www.thebarbourgroup.com

www.ahcc-midatlantic.org

www.nsbpusa.org – National Small Business Party

Home | Minority Business RoundTable | Washington, D.C. - Nonprofit for AHCC

www.pfac-md.org Party For A Cure – Nonprofit that helps kids with Neuromuscular Diseases

About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders

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If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time.

Please subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated!

To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and check out our website at https://gosalesology.com/.

Episoder(151)

087: Gosia FitzGerald - OnePageCRM

087: Gosia FitzGerald - OnePageCRM

Guest: Gosia FitzGerald   Guest Bio: Gosia FitzGerald is the co-founder of OnePageCRM, an action-oriented CRM tailored for small businesses. Thanks for its innovative approach, which seamlessly combines simplicity and productivity OnePageCRM has garnered recognition, including being featured by Forbes as a 'Simple CRM packed with features.' Gosia brings over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience and her passion of 'Getting Things Done' drives her commitment to optimizing workflows and achieving tangible results.   Guest Links: https://bit.ly/salesquest-op     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus and revenue generation experts.  Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please, subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at  http://www.gosalesology.com

8 Apr 202440min

086: Ivana Taylor – Making AI… Lifelike

086: Ivana Taylor – Making AI… Lifelike

Guest: Ivana Taylor   Guest Bio: Ivana Taylor, the publisher of DIYMarketers.com, where she helps entrepreneurs simplify marketing and get marketing done on less than $17 a day. With her knack for simplifying complex strategies into affordable, actionable steps, Ivana's insights have guided millions. Featured on MSNBC and AMEX OPENForum, she's here on the podcast to show you how to streamline your sales and marketing with AI. So, if AI has you baffled, prepare for clarity.   Guest Links: Take the Super Power Quiz at https://diymarketers.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanastaylor Twitter: https://twitter.com/DIYMarketers Email: ivana@diymarketers.com     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus and revenue generation experts.  Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please, subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at  http://www.gosalesology.com

1 Apr 202433min

085: Jason Kramer - The Playbook for Lead Nurturing & Technology

085: Jason Kramer - The Playbook for Lead Nurturing & Technology

Guest: Jason Kramer   Guest Bio: Jason Kramer is the founder of Cultivize, a consulting firm that specializes in B2B lead nurturing strategies and technology. With 15 years of experience running a creative agency, Jason identified revenue gaps in marketing and sales funnels for distributors, service providers, marketing agencies and manufacturers. He launched Cultivize to provide customized solutions and empower businesses to connect prospect and customer data with marketing campaigns and sales team activities. When not strategizing in CRM, he enjoys family time with his wife, two kids, and two dogs in their lively New York home.   Guest Links: For any of the resources mentioned in this podcast and to connect with Jason, listeners can visit the following link: https://cultivize.com/salesology     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus and revenue generation experts.  Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. Watch the demo of the Salesology® Prospecting Method, A Simple, 3-Step Method That, On Average, Increases Qualified Appointments & Sales By 73%. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please, subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at  http://www.gosalesology.com

25 Mar 202433min

084: Ryan Staley – Leveraging AI for Sales

084: Ryan Staley – Leveraging AI for Sales

Guest: Ryan Staley   Guest Bio: Ryan Staley is the Founder and CEO of Whale Boss where he helps Technology Founders grow from $1M-$30M through the principles he used to achieve the same results personally. Ryan Has taught over 800 CROs, VPs, or Leaders his proprietary Enterprise Sales frameworks for startups and companies like Google, Amazon Web Services, Stripe, Salesforce, Uber, etc.   Guest Links: 140 C-Level AI Cheat Codes     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus and revenue generation experts.  Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. Watch the demo of the Salesology® Prospecting Method, A Simple, 3-Step Method That, On Average, Increases Qualified Appointments & Sales By 73%. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please, subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at  http://www.gosalesology.com

18 Mar 202429min

083: Andrea Waltz – When They Say No

083: Andrea Waltz – When They Say No

Guest: Andrea Waltz   Guest Bio: Andrea Waltz is the co-founder of Courage Crafters, Inc. and co-author of the best-selling book, Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There. For almost two decades, Andrea has been teaching people in virtually every business and industry how to think and feel differently about failure, rejection, and the word, “no” to achieve their goals and dreams. Andrea is considered a top sales influencer online, featured on lists curated by Hubspot, Salesforce.com, Live Hive and many others. The book, Go for No! reached #1 on Amazon’s “Sales & Selling” list in 2010, and has remained in the top 50 Sales books for the last 13 years, having now sold over 500,000 copies. The “Go for No” strategy has been featured in online and offline magazines and journals including Success Magazine, Inc., Forbes, and many others. Today, “go for no” is a well-known methodology in the world of sales and widely recognized as the singular best program that deals with rejection in business. Her latest book with co-author Richard Fenton called, “When They Say No” was released in 2023.   Guest Links: When They Say No www.Goforno.com/Quiz     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus and revenue generation experts.  Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. Watch the demo of the Salesology® Prospecting Method, A Simple, 3-Step Method That, On Average, Increases Qualified Appointments & Sales By 73%. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please, subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at  http://www.gosalesology.com

11 Mar 202435min

082: Chet Lovegren – The Sales Doctor Rx

082: Chet Lovegren – The Sales Doctor Rx

Guest: Chet Lovegren   Guest Bio: With over 11 years of sales and sales leadership experience, Chet Lovegren started The Sales Doctor in 2020 as a way of providing a ‘prescriptive’ approach to revenue problems and struggling go-to-market strategies. Chet has helped build out sales processes and teams that led to companies successfully raising over $100M in VC Funds, Chet follows a ‘prescriptive’ approach to solving revenue problems and provides go-to-market professionals with the right dose of practical and tactical info needed to stop the revenue bleed from archaic practices and methods.   Guest Links: Sales Doctor Rx Newsletter: www.thesalesdocrx.com/newsletter     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus and revenue generation experts.  Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. Watch the demo of the Salesology® Prospecting Method, A Simple, 3-Step Method That, On Average, Increases Qualified Appointments & Sales By 73%. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please, subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at  http://www.gosalesology.com

4 Mar 202438min

081: Randy Crane – The Fearless Marketer

081: Randy Crane – The Fearless Marketer

Guest: Randy Crane   Guest Bio: Randy Crane, affectionally known as The Fearless Marketer, is a nationally acclaimed sales and marketing expert with over 40 years of experience with many global brands and startups. He is passionate about leadership and emotional marketing strategies that deliver Real Value to customers and impact businesses. Randy is a mentor, a visionary, and a true master of his craft, inspiring others to reach for greatness and achieve their dreams.     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus and revenue generation experts.  Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. Watch the demo of the Salesology® Prospecting Method, A Simple, 3-Step Method That, On Average, Increases Qualified Appointments & Sales By 73%. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please, subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at  http://www.gosalesology.com

19 Feb 202435min

080: Greg Brooks – Rocket Station Rocket Your Business

080: Greg Brooks – Rocket Station Rocket Your Business

Guest: Greg Brooks   Guest Bio: Greg is a partner in Rocket Station and oversees everything business development and marketing. He joined the Rocket Station team with an immense background in sales and entrepreneurship, both in the public and private sectors. He has led teams in many industries including sponsorship, fundraising, consumer packaged goods, military resale, and hospitality. On top of this, he has worked for some of the top Fortune 500 companies as well as having started and sold multiple companies of his own.     About Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders Download your free gift, The Salesology® Vault. The vault is packed full of free gifts from sales leaders, sales experts, marketing gurus and revenue generation experts.  Download your free gift, 81 Tools to Grow Your Sales & Your Business Faster, More Easily & More Profitably. Save hours of work tracking down the right prospecting and sales resources and/or digital tools that every business owner and salesperson needs. Watch the demo of the Salesology® Prospecting Method, A Simple, 3-Step Method That, On Average, Increases Qualified Appointments & Sales By 73%. If you are a business owner or sales manager with an underperforming sales team, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a time. Please, subscribe to Salesology®: Conversations with Sales Leaders so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! To learn more about our previous guests, listen to past episodes, and get to know your host, go to https://podcast.gosalesology.com/ and connect on LinkedIn and follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our website at  http://www.gosalesology.com

12 Feb 202437min

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