Hustle Smarter with Barbara Weaver Smith

Keep Hustling

In this episode, host Aaron Gordon sits down with Barbara Weaver Smith, founder of The Whale Hunters and author of "Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company." Barbara shares her journey from an academic career, where she rose to the rank of Dean, to becoming a successful entrepreneur. She discusses the importance of self-belief, the impact of her supportive upbringing, and the critical pivot points in her career, including overcoming a challenging business partnership. Barbara emphasizes the need for entrepreneurs to view themselves as peers to their clients and to cultivate a company-wide commitment to landing large clients. She also shares insights on overcoming imposter syndrome and the significance of using time wisely. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on resilience, adaptability, and the relentless pursuit of success.

Get To Know Barbara Weaver Smith

Dr. Barbara Weaver Smith is founder and CEO of The Whale Hunters®, co-author of Whale Hunting: How to Land Big Sales and Transform Your Company, based on the collaborative culture of the Inuit people who engaged their entire village to hunt whales, and author of Whale Hunting with Global Accounts. Barbara teaches small and midsize companies to greatly increase revenues and margins through a complete business development strategy for bigger deals with bigger customers.

She supports her clients’ success with a steady stream of new content for face-to-face and online engagements.

Barbara is in her third career. She was a professor and college dean, then president of a statewide nonprofit agency, before taking the entrepreneurial plunge in 1998. Her eclectic background has given her 20 years’ experience in leading diverse groups of stakeholders to create fantastic, purposeful projects for business, education and communities. And she has raised much more than $100 million in gifts, grants, and earned income to get them properly off the ground. Barbara loves working with small/midsize companies to build the seamless processes that guarantee their continued growth, revenue, and profits. She also works with large corporations that need to become trusted advisors to their key clients or even to a whole new market of customers.

Barbara is a graduate of Anderson University and earned the MA and PhD at Ball State University. She was named Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana’s highest civilian honor, for exceptional community programs throughout the state. LinkedIn The Whale Hunters Email: [e-mail]

3 Episode Key Takeaways 1. Belief in Self-Worth and Preparedness: Barbara emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself and preparing thoroughly to be seen as a peer by potential clients, which is crucial for landing big sales and achieving success.

2. Overcoming Professional Setbacks: Barbara's story of being initially denied a promotion due to biased criteria highlights the importance of resilience and fighting for what one deserves, ultimately leading to greater opportunities.

3. Holistic Company Involvement: Barbara's approach to "whale hunting" stresses that successful sales and customer retention require the involvement and collaboration of the entire company, not just the sales team.

Show Overview:

00:36]: Meet Barbara Weaver-Smith

01:14]: Barbara's Early Hustling Days

02:33]: Growing Up with Six Sisters

03:34]: Transition from Education to Entrepreneurship

05:13]: Balancing Family and Academic Pursuits

08:09]: Challenges in Higher Education

12:41]: Pivotal Career Moments

17:34]: Becoming a Whale Hunter in Business

25:46]: Inspirational Closing Quote