EdSales Edge Show
EdSales Edge is the strategy podcast for education founders, consultants, operators, and leaders selling into education.
For years, this show was known as Breaking the Grade, a space to challenge the status quo in education and think differently about how change actually happens. That mission hasn’t changed.
But the work has.
Over time, one thing became clear:
Education founders don’t just need inspiration.
They need clarity.
They need real strategies for selling into schools.
They need predictable ways to generate leads.
And they need to understand how trust is built in a system that doesn’t move fast, and doesn’t give many second chances.
EdSales Edge was rebuilt to match that reality.
Hosted by Josh Chernikoff, a two-time education founder who’s built and exited companies in this space, the show breaks down how selling into education actually works—across B2C, B2B, B2B2C, and B2E—always through the lens of how education institutions really make decisions.
This is not a show about hacks, shortcuts, or quick wins.
Education doesn’t work that way.
On EdSales Edge, you’ll hear:
- Real strategy for selling into education systems
- Conversations with education decision-makers who explain how buying actually happens from the inside
- Stories from founders, CEOs, and operators who’ve built real traction selling into schools—what worked, what didn’t, and what actually moved deals forward
- Teachings from the EdSales Elevation Experience, the system used to help education founders move from unclear and invisible to trusted and in demand
You’ll learn how to:
- Define your Perfect Client
- Pull the right credibility lever
- Move from being hidden… to trusted… to building a real lead engine
Josh is joined by his good friend and mentor, John Gamba—Director of Innovative Programs and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Penn GSE, and a former education founder who’s led companies through real growth and successful exits. John brings the institutional lens, shaped by years inside districts, universities, and education systems, seeing how decisions get made when the doors are closed and what earns trust over time.
Together, they sit on both sides of the table, the builder side and the system side, so the show stays grounded in reality, not sales theory.
If you sell into education and you’re tired of guessing,
guessing who to talk to,
guessing how decisions get made,
guessing why interest doesn’t convert—
this show is built for you.
EdSales Edge
Clarity. Credibility. Real traction.
If you sell into education, this is where you earn your edge.
EdSales Edge Show
Rose’s Lead Generation Transformation with the EdSales Elevation Experience
Don’t miss the Catalyst at Penn GSE Innovation Summit on June 21st at the University of Pennsylvania. It’s a must-attend event for entrepreneurs in the education sector, filled with insights on advancing your business. Register now at https://mailchi.mp/gse.upenn.edu/catalyst-summit-2024
Rose, a successful entrepreneur and educator, shares her experience with the Ed Sales Elevation Experience. She discusses the challenges she faced in growing her business in education and how the program helped her overcome them. Rose highlights the importance of building an authentic community and focusing on quality over quantity when finding ideal clients. She also emphasizes the value of feedback and the support she received from the cohort. The program helped her redefine success and develop a consistent business scaling method.
Takeaways
- Building an authentic community is essential for business success.
- Focusing on quality over quantity when finding ideal clients leads to better results.
- The experience of receiving feedback and support from a like-minded cohort was a game-changer for Rose. It not only helped her overcome challenges but also significantly improved her business strategies. This sense of camaraderie and mutual support within the cohort is a testament to the power of community in business growth.
- Redefining success and developing a consistent method is critical to scaling a business.
- Lifelong friendships and ongoing learning are valuable outcomes of participating in programs like the EdSales Elevation Experience.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Spotlight on Rose
05:35 Challenges in Growing the Business
10:11 Support from the Cohort
14:26 Thinking Beyond Results and Building Authentic Community
