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
How to Build A Lead Generation System in 9 Steps
In this conversation, Josh Chernikoff discusses his nine-step process for building lead generation machines that produce high-quality and high-converting leads on repeat. He addresses the common challenge of not knowing how to get leads and emphasizes the importance of founder-led sales. Josh shares his own experience of starting a tutoring business without any sales experience and explains how he overcame obstacles to become successful. He breaks down each step of his process, including getting clear on the ideal client, prospect-to-relationship building, creating a signature solution, laser targeting, magnetic messaging, and automating processes. He also highlights the significance of success amplifiers and scaling the business.
Takeaways:
- Building lead generation machines requires a systematic approach and a clear understanding of the ideal client.
- Founder-led sales can be a powerful strategy for generating leads and building a successful business.
- Messaging plays a crucial role in lead generation, and it's important to focus on communicating value and addressing the pain points of the ideal client.
- Automating lead generation processes can help scale the business and ensure a steady flow of high-quality leads.
- Success amplifiers, such as attending conferences and leveraging social media, can boost credibility and attract more ideal clients.
- Scaling the business requires a well-defined roadmap and the ability to target and convert a large number of high-quality leads.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: The Nine-Step Process for Building Lead Generation Machines
01:41 Founder-Led Sales: Overcoming the Challenge of Getting Leads
04:29 Scaling the Business: Going Beyond a Few Schools
10:28 Messaging Mastery: Communicating Value and Addressing Pain Points
23:14 Success Amplifiers: Boosting Credibility and Attracting Ideal Clients
26:34 Scaling the Business: A Well-Defined Roadmap for Lead Generation
