Dave Greenberger never imagined he’d end up in sales - let alone leading sales teams at five different startups.
After graduating from college, David thought he’d either be on Wall Street or start his own business.
At one point, he even of owning 30 Arby’s franchises ( I think we still make this happen?). Instead, by chance, he joined a 15-person startup working out of a dance studio in Columbus Circle, NYC, in 2007.
He figured the company would go under in three months, but he’d learn “what not to do” when starting his own business. In the best case, he thought he might end up as 'the janitor at Google'.
All he knew was that he didn’t want to do sales.
The founder told him, “we’re all about just getting the right people on the bus. You’re the right person, come on in, and we’ll figure it out later.”
Two months later, David started as the first salesperson.
He hated it. He couldn’t crack the code. Every day, he sat on a rock in Central Park, telling himself he wasn’t going to quit and could be digging ditches somewhere. He decided he would keep going until he got fired.
Then, one day, it just clicked.
That company ended up going public. David, the 15th employee, became their first manager, then director, and eventually head of a business unit.
David has been hooked on sales ever since.
Key reasons for his success:
Persistence and resilience - David didn’t quit even when it was tough.
Willingness to learn - he adapted and found his rhythm in sales.
Right people, right place - he joined a team that believed in getting the right people on board.
David’s experience highlights the power of persistence and the importance of embracing unexpected opportunities.
He succeeded for the same reason most successful people do:
He put in the work - the unsexy, everyday work.
The work behind the scenes.
The work that doesn’t make headlines.
The work you never see.
Check out his whole story in epi. 102 of the GTM Podcast by GTMnow.
