Sales Club Spotlight: Olivia Candeloro — From Drones to Developing Leaders
Written by Kaylee Williams, Published November 5th 2025
When Olivia graduated from NC State with a degree in Sports Management, she never pictured a world of tech sales and business development as her future. “I knew I didn’t want to work in sports anymore,” she laughed, recalling the turning point. A friend introduced her to the world of business development, and before long, she found herself at PrecisionHawk, a Raleigh-based company selling drone technology and services to clients in the energy, utilities, and oil & gas industries.
Finding Her Footing in Sales
As Olivia began navigating the world of tech sales, Trevor Jones joined as her manager and mentor. Olivia spoke to the fact that Jones “really shaped how I viewed leadership and development.” Their partnership became a defining period in her early career, teaching her not only the mechanics of sales but the value of people-first mentality and leadership. That foundation helped Olivia, and enabled her to see each rep as an individual with unique strengths and challenges.
When Trevor later transitioned to Celonis, Olivia’s decision to follow wasn’t difficult. “I did my research and thought the technology was really cool. The company was in a space of massive growth,” she explained. Restarting her journey as a Business Development Representative at Celonis, Olivia drove impressive pipeline results, but set her sights on leadership. “Being a BDR is mentally tough,” she said. “I wanted to be the kind of leader who could support early-career professionals the way Trevor supported me.”
Leading Through REKS
Today, Olivia manages a team of highly successful BDRs and coaches them through the REKS Framework: Results, Effort, Knowledge, and Skills.
“If results aren’t there, we look at effort. If the effort’s there, maybe it’s a knowledge or skills gap. We always identify where the support is needed.”
This framework balances accountability with empathy and has helped her team consistently perform at a high level. For Olivia, success isn’t just pipeline and metrics — it’s people. “The best team wins,” she emphasized. “If everyone’s individually winning, we all win together.” That mindset drives her people-first approach, where wellness, personal growth, and the team connection matter just as much.
Looking to Become a BDR?
“Don’t miss an opportunity to network. Every connection is a chance to learn something new or gain a different perspective.” Olivia encourages students to immerse themselves in environments that mimic sales scenarios: from debate clubs to competitions and, of course, organizations like the Sales Club. “Exposure to these situations shows passion and growth and also stands out to hiring managers.”
When asked what she wishes she’d known at the start of her career, Olivia said, “The only constant is change. I struggled with that early on, but now I thrive in it. You can’t resist it, so you just have to reframe and adapt”.
In a lighter moment, she shared which TV character she’d recruit as a BDR: Gregory House from House. “It would probably be a disaster, but it would be so fun.” From selling drones to developing people, Olivia’s story is one of adaptability, curiosity, and purpose, which are qualities she looks for in a new generation of sellers!
From the Restaurant Floor to the Sales Floor: A Conversation with John Rosar, CEO of RevGen
Written by Kaylee Williams, Published October 29th 2025
Before John Rosar was the CEO of RevGen, he was the guy closing up a restaurant late at night, and he never could have guessed that one extra hour of work would change his life. Before stepping into leadership, he spent years in restaurants and then five more at Citrix, where he realized how much potential existed in people who just needed the right kind of training.
He explained that, during his time at Citrix, most of the candidates they hired had little to no real sales background. The only exposure many had, he said, was “maybe a class,” which wasn’t enough to set them up for success. That gap led him to build something new. He and his team launched an early company called SalesSource, but it wasn’t scalable. Eventually, they shifted their focus to what RevGen is today—a company built around creating stronger sales pipelines and helping people develop into strong SDRs.
Restaurant Roots
John didn’t break into sales through a traditional recruiting path. His story started on a restaurant floor. One night, while he was working, an executive team came in and he decided to stay open later for them. That night of conversation and networking ended up changing the direction of his career. What could’ve been a routine interaction turned into a chance to connect and eventually led him into the sales world.
Those years he explained gave him skills that translated directly into sales. In a restaurant, you learn how to stay composed, build quick connections, and read people as they speak. In sales, those same instincts help you navigate conversations, build trust, and keep momentum. For him, that foundation wasn’t a detour but the training ground that made everything else possible.
Lessons That Stick
With discussing cold calling and messaging, Rosar explained that his five-step cold calling system can make uncomfortable conversations less intimidating. “The idea,” he said, “is to guide an awkward conversation so that it’s not so awkward.”
Building on that, when asked what most new reps get wrong, Rosar didn’t hesitate. The biggest mistake, he said, is overcomplicating things. If your prospect can’t follow what you’re saying, the call is over before it starts. “Make sure your audience clearly understands what you’re saying,” he added, explaining that good messaging is clear and understandable to anyone.
He also talked about what makes someone stand out early in their career: creativity and critical thinking. Understanding why you’re doing something, not just checking a box, is what separates the great from the good.
Looking Ahead
Rosar has a clear vision for where he wants RevGen to go. Over the next five years, he wants to grow the program, help launch more careers, and expand their reach through more initiatives.
When the conversation shifted to AI, he didn’t romanticize or fear it. Instead, he described it as a tool that can make good reps even better, but only if they keep doing the work themselves. “AI’s not replacing people,” he said. “It’s giving better insights. The tools get better, but we also get more defensive. You’ve got to pick the stuff and understand it yourself.”
Real Advice for Students Breaking In
Rosar had honest and straightforward advice to give to students or young professionals who are starting out in sales: take the job that will help you grow, not just the one that pays the most. “Go where people are growing and progressive,” he said. “Where they’re going to knock down walls for you.”
John’s journey is proof that grit pays off. The same mindset that carried him through long restaurant shifts is the one that helped him build RevGen, and it is the same one he encourages in every new rep he mentors. Be curious, stay ready, and choose growth every time.
Why a Winning Mentality Defines Top Sales Performers
Written by Kaylee Williams, Published September 18th 2025
After working with hundreds of Business Development Representatives, Account Executives,
and becoming VP of Business Development at Celonis, Gold believes that Hustle and a Winning
Mentality are key. “Sales is a numbers game… the more at-bats, the more chances you have
of hitting the home run,” Gold explains. “Consistent high-volume activity, a sharp focus on attaining targets, and the resilience to turn ‘no’ into ‘yes’ are what drive success.”
Gold emphasizes that in sales, you are the driver of your own career development. You need to
be ambitious, solution-oriented, curious, and always aiming to be 1% better than the day before.
This mindset - combining competitiveness with a commitment to continuous improvement - has
driven him through his career, from navigating leadership roles at a global level to starting out in
a difficult market of the 2008 recession. The same traits that carried him early in his career are
the ones he now seeks in new hires.
Key Lessons for Aspiring Sales Professionals
Be curious, stay hungry, and keep learning. Pipeline is the lifeblood of sales. Prospecting can be
challenging, but mastering this skill will set you up for a long and successful sales career.
He adds that it comes down to Learn, Earn, & Grow.
“When starting your career, assess if you
can learn the skills needed to succeed, have the ability to earn from that success (especially in
sales!), and translate it into future growth opportunities within the organization.”
The Importance of Your Team
"A rising tide lifts all boats". Being around peers, picking things up from one another, competing, and
cheering each other on will accelerate your learning and development and build confidence to
overcome the fear of the phone. Gold believes that being in the office, especially at the start of
your career, is critical to success.
What makes a BDR great?
Competitive, Coachable, Hardworking, Financially Motivated, Hustle Mentality, and Intellectual
Curiosity. Gold explains, “The best BDRs are coachable, willing to take feedback, and competitive enough
to want to be the best. They put in the volume because they understand the payoff. Above all,
they’re curious. They want to understand their prospects’ business goals and challenges and
how our value proposition maps to them.”
For those looking to break into tech sales or BDR roles, Ryan Gold offers clear guidance: build
your personal brand, fail fast, find a mentor early, and learn from every interaction.
Turning Early-Career Talent into Sales Champions
Written by Kaylee Williams, Published September 7th 2025
For Trevor Jones, Director of Business Development at Celonis, investing in people is more rewarding than anything else. He is pretty good at selling and understands the pay out there, but his passion is helping early-career professionals build skills that will pay out for the rest of their lives.
Starting in 2013 as a BDR at Citrix, Jones quickly progressed to AE and then leadership, becoming responsible for growing a team from 3 people to 42. After a stint at Precision Hawk driving impact, he has spent the last 6 years at Celonis leading enterprise BDR teams. Through this path, his desire to help individuals thrive while building high-performing teams has stayed strong.
Mentorship and leadership lessons
Building a network, relationships, and finding a mentor is critical in your professional development and makes you stand-out as an early professional to Jones. For him, mentors have shaped his leadership style, particularly one key figure at Citrix, Chris Leithe. “I used to struggle with leading meetings,” Jones remembers, “My mentor had me videotape myself leading the meeting, then watch the game tape, and revamp the structure of it, and I became obsessed with making that weekly meeting I led as good as it could be”. His meeting structure ended up becoming one of the ways everyone else in the company were supposed to base their own off of, becoming great at a weakness of his. With that said, Jones approach to leadership is to “find that one thing someone needs help with to be more successful and get closer to their goals, discussing that goal and how we can reach it, hold them accountable until it’s a skill set that they have, and then pick the next most impactful thing that’s gonna help them throw in the balance”.
What makes a Top BDR?
Hardworking/Desire to win= “They have to want it, more for themselves than anyone else does”.
Coachability= “Not just someone’s ability to take feedback, but also their ability to find it themselves. Someone who is always trying to get a little bit better, all the time”
Communication= “Verbal and Written communication is super important, especially at Celonis when we are calling and emailing executives at some of the largest companies in the world. Being able to have concise and compelling messaging that is going to resonate with an executive and capture their attention.”
Looking into a Sales Career?
If you want to stand out amongst the crowd, Jones advises “building a network, reaching out and asking for help, read books that prepare you for tech sales, and talk to reps doing the job and find out what the reality really is and if it matches what you have in your mind.”
Trevor Jones goals are clear and that is investing in people, building their confidence, sharpening their skills, and setting them up for long-term success. And if he could pick a fictional character to join his team and invest in? It would be Mike Ross from Suits.