How Strong Partnerships Help Companies Scale Smarter with Lance Black, MD, MBID

Champions are made, not found.

In this episode of Sales Against the Odds, host Lee Brumbaugh sits down with Lance Black, MD, MBID, Senior Associate Dean of Innovation & Strategic Projects of Texas A&M Engineering Medicine’s innovation program, physician, engineer, and startup advisor. They explore what healthcare innovation can teach SMB leaders about customer development, champion building, early partnerships, and scaling without assuming one model fits every business.

Lance shares why the first meaningful partner can become the key to unlocking growth, why founders must keep listening long after the first customer conversations, and how small, nimble teams can use technology as an advantage. From refining your message through real conversations to developing champions with frequency, depth, and diverse engagement, this conversation shows how businesses can move faster, learn sooner, and build growth around actual customer needs.

Key takeaways:

Why strong champions are developed through consistent, intentional engagement
How customer conversations reveal the real value, timing, and fit of your solution
Why scaling requires a custom strategy, not a copied playbook

Episode highlights:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:40) How engineering medicine connects innovation and industry

(07:50) Why the first partner can unlock growth

(10:24) What SMBs can learn from healthcare partnerships

(12:07) Why the best pitch starts with conversation

(14:16) How to develop champions with intention

(18:53) Why small teams have an AI advantage

(22:10) The founder mistake that slows growth

(25:27) Why scaling needs a custom strategy

(28:16) How real-world use reveals what customers need

Connect with the team:

Lance Black, MD, MBID on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-black-innovation/

Explore Texas A&M School of Engineering Medicine: https://enmed.tamu.edu/

Lee Brumbaugh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-brumbaugh-7835512b/

Sales Xceleration on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sales-xceleration/

Explore Sales Xceleration: https://salesxceleration.com/

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(23)

20 Sales Lessons from Our First 20 Guests You Can Apply Today

The biggest breakthroughs in sales rarely come from one game-changing idea. They come from consistently applying proven principles.In this episode of Sales Against the Odds, host Lee Brumbaugh looks b...

6 Aug 16min

Why Great Leadership Teams Outperform the Rest with Mark O'Donnell

Most entrepreneurs treat their leadership team as an afterthought, focusing all their energy on sales and product instead of the people who actually drive sustainable growth.In this episode of Sales A...

23 Juli 34min

Scale Smarter with Global Talent and AI for SMBs with David Nilssen

The global workforce is shifting, and the smartest business leaders are finding new ways to scale their teams, cut costs, and stay ahead of AI without sacrificing culture or quality.In this episode of...

9 Juli 31min

The Hidden Drivers of Nonprofit Growth with Karen Mozenter

Non-profit leadership is transforming, and forward-thinking executives are finding new ways to grow impact, attract resources, and run their organizations like businesses.In this episode of Sales Agai...

25 Juni 30min

Building Powerful B2B Networks from Scratch with Donnie Boivin

B2B networking is evolving rapidly, and top professionals are discovering new ways to connect and grow.In this episode of Sales Against the Odds, host Lee Brumbaugh sits down with Donnie Boivin, CEO a...

11 Juni 29min

Helping SMBs Scale Smarter Through Fractional CMOs and AI with Joseph Frost, MBA

The market is splitting in two, and smart businesses are already quietly repositioning to the right side.In this episode of Sales Against the Odds, host Lee Brumbaugh sits down with Joseph Frost, MBA,...

28 Maj 29min

Stop Leading Alone: Build a Self-Running Team with Brent Robertson

What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn't a people problem, but a missing piece?In this episode of Sales Against the Odds, host Lee Brumbaugh sits down with Brent Robertson, CEO and F...

30 Apr 33min