In the conversation, Shawn describes growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area and then moving to Dallas, Texas for the past five years. 

He talks about how he became a BDR (Business Development Representative) and how he has gained valuable experiences from this role. 

The speaker discusses his move from San Francisco to Texas, and how it has changed his life. He talks about how he got into sales, and how it has helped him in his career. 

He talks about how business development and self-development have changed his life, and how they can help others.  Shawn also talks about how he got into sales, he was laid off from his previous job and found a position as an SDR at Vanilla Soft. 

He talks about how the company is much smaller than Salesforce, but he learned a lot about sales engagement platforms and CRMs. 

He also talks about how he is a BDR lifer and how the role is the same to him as an SDR.  The term BDR Lifer was coined by a salesperson in order to change the stigma around entry-level sales roles. 

They believe that the skills and experiences gained from being a BDR are valuable and can be used throughout an entire sales career. They also believe that everyone in an organization, from the CEO to the intern, should be respected.

Highlights:

• How Sales Development changed his life from homeless to owning a house
• Grit and Passion is all you need to succeed
• It's okay to be vulnerable

Connect with Shawn Kipnis on LinkedIn

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