Rising Above Challenges: Interview with Carrie Richardson

Art & Science of Complex Sales

Ever wondered how selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door could possibly lead to owning two of the top sales call center operations in North America? Carrie Richardson, our guest for this episode, has accomplished just that and much more.

From Alcoholism to Sales (07:32)

Carrie discusses her past struggles with alcoholism and her journey to sobriety, which she achieved in her 30s. She found that in sales, as long as she met her targets, her bosses were more forgiving of her behavior. She talks about her experience in sales, starting with selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door in a cold Canadian city. She credits a motivating leader who emphasized personal improvement for her success in this role. She shares a humorous anecdote from her time in sales, where she cleaned a potential customer's house with a vacuum cleaner and tried to persuade them to buy it, even going so far as to put the dirt back on the carpet when the customer refused. Ultimately, the customer bought two vacuum cleaners the next day, one for herself and one for her daughter's house.

Transitioning Careers (18:41)

Carrie talks about her experience covering a personal training shift at a gym for six weeks, as a colleague was returning to their home country. Her previous training experience and the gym's understanding of her recovery journey made it a good fit. She excelled in selling personal training, surpassing regular monthly sales within a week consistently for six weeks. As a result, the gym's manager offered her a position at a high-end gym for membership sales, but she found it wasn't the right fit for her and left the job after less than a month. She decided to start her own personal training business, but the challenge was that she had to work split shifts. She preferred working with elite athletes and highly motivated individuals. She also shared her journey into Muay Thai and eventually going to Thailand to immerse herself in it, with a strong determination to excel at whatever she pursued, regardless of the financial outcome.

From Telemarketing to Business Success (36:29)

Carrie discusses the challenges of hiring employees for a telemarketing business, describing their workforce as "second chance employees." They had to make telemarketing an attractive and exciting career option and implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in their business to achieve this. They noticed that regardless of the salary offered, they received the same applicant pool because telemarketing was not the first choice for job seekers.

This episode is packed with wisdom from Carrie's own experiences, valuable insights, and practical advice that will leave you better equipped, whether you're a seasoned professional or a beginner. Join us to uncover Carrie's inspiring journey from being unemployed to creating a successful business empire. It's a story you don't want to miss!