Mistakes happen, it's a fact of life. But what you do with them can be the difference between success and failure. They can be defining moments that empower you to do better next time, and they make you stronger in the end. There is no one who has made it to the top without making mistakes. They become a part of your story and give you the opportunity to grow and move forward.

In today’s edition of the Knucklehead Podcast, our guest, Ian Koniak talks about the life-threatening situation that changed his career trajectory, how knucklehead moments can empower you, and why you should surround yourself with mentors.

His mantra:

• Mistakes happen for me, not to me.

In the midst of a near-death experience, Ian thought about the regrets he would have by not living a life of service where he can use his skills to help people and use his gifts to better the world. As part of the commitment he made, he built a coaching business where he shares his secrets of success with sales professionals.

Ian Koniak is the Founder and President of Ian Koniak Sales Coaching. He has been a top-performing Account Executive for 19 years, with over $100M in career sales at Fortune 500 companies. He's led and developed teams and was recently the #1 Account Executive in the Enterprise Select Division at Salesforce. Today, Ian is on a mission to share his secrets to success with the sales community.

Enjoy!

In This Episode

2:39 - The turning point when Ian shifted focus to coaching business owners full-time

5:26 - How a life-threatening experience changed Ian's career trajectory

10:49 - The knucklehead moments Ian had in his sales career

14:25 - His perception of 'knucklehead moments'

16:36 - The best way to transition side-hustles into full-time work

21:01 - The power of podcasts to connect with the right people

Favorite Quotes

00:01 - "What I always tell my coaching clients is that the worst things happen for you and when I see people in pain, when I see people suffering, in my heart, I know that it's a good thing in the long term because they are going to grow. The best growth and the best lessons occur in our most down moments." - Ian Koniak

12:31 - "Anyone who's in leadership, running sales organization, don't put yourself in situations where you're not able to control what you're doing. Don't surround yourself with people of the opposite sex where there could be miscommunications, and certainly don't throw up in front of your reps babies because you can't handle your liquor." - Ian Koniak

14:46 - "When you said 'knucklehead moments', these are defining moments. These are the things that happen that put you in the gutter, which put you on your face, that ultimately beg you and humble you." - Ian Koniak

24:09 - "When we talk about mistakes, defining moments falling in your face, the mantra I use is, 'This is happening for me, not to me.' If you say this is happening to me, you become a victim. If you say, it's happening for you, it empowers you. So, find the lesson." -Ian Koniak

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• Knucklehead Media Group is your “push button” for podcasts. We help companies and organizations tell their story using podcasts and best practices for content distribution. Home to some of the top podcasts across multiple categories, captivating coursework on gaining traction with your show, and consulting to those companies BOLD enough to get some wins. We believe your mistakes set the foundation for your success, those stories help customers beat a pathway to your doorstep, and the myths from bringing business online shouldn't hold you back from getting yours. 

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