The Influence Gap with Bernadette McClelland

Most CEOs looking for a sales leader ask for a rock star from their industry. Henning Schwinum says that brief is close to meaningless, because everyone's a rock star on their LinkedIn profile. Henning has spent more than 25 years leading sales in Fortune 500 companies and startups. In 2019 he co-founded Vendux, which matches CEOs with fractional sales leaders, and he's the author of the n...

There’s a word I’ve had a complicated relationship with for a long time. Which is slightly ironic given my background, the work I do, and what I believe sales leaders need to do more of — not less. So in this solo episode of The Influence Gap , I’m coming clean about it. But this isn't really an episode about a title or a label. It's about what happens when you're responsible for a rev...

The revenue you're expecting three months from now isn't being created three months from now. It's being created today — in the conversations you're having, the ones you're avoiding, and the decisions you make when the number is under pressure. In this solo episode, Bernadette McClelland walks through a simple, confronting way to look at your future revenue differently, using a Past → Today → Futu...

She carried her Google badge through airport security back when TSA had no idea what Google was. Twenty years later, she was telling Texas Instruments' senior leadership that ChatGPT was an emergency worth paying attention to. Holly Shipley spent 20 years at Google and Texas Instruments before founding her own AI strategy practice. That mix of digital and hardware experience meant that when ge...

Host Bernadette McClelland is joined by sales expert and author Victor Antonio, who wrote the first book on AI in sales back in 2017 — years before anyone believed him. Together, they explore when AI actually replaces salespeople, and where human influence still closes the deal. Tune in as they discuss:- - How Victor predicted AI's impact on sales in 2017, and why the industry laughed him off...

On this episode of THE INFLUENCE GAP PODCAST, Bernadette McClelland welcomes Leslie Greenwood, co-founder of Wednesday Women and founder of Chief Evangelist Consulting. Wednesday Women began in 2023 with one simple LinkedIn post asking: “Who are the women CEOs I should know?” That question revealed a much larger visibility gap. Too many accomplished women were being overlooked for keynote stages,...

A TITLE MAY GIVE YOU AUTHORITY - BUT IT DOESN’T GUARANTEE INFLUENCE. On today’s episode of THE INFLUENCE GAP, host Bernadette McClelland welcomes leadership consultant and 3rd Dan black belt and multiple state, national and international karate title holder Karen Gately for a powerful conversation about what truly earns a leader trust, respect and influence. After more than 25 years of training an...

WHO DO YOU DECIDE TO BECOME WHEN EVERYTHING IS TAKEN AWAY? On March 7, 2000, Jason Hogan was arrested for a crime he did not commit. Exactly 23 years later, he was offered immediate freedom—but only if he accepted a deal requiring him to surrender his rights to further appeals and compensation. On this powerful episode of THE INFLUENCE GAP, host Bernadette McClelland goes beyond the headline to ex...

10 SHARK TANK TEAMS. 40+ TEDX TALKS. One Habit that Separates The Pitches People Remember From The Ones They Forget. Brian Burkhart has spent his career on two of the highest-pressure stages there are — prepping entrepreneurs to face the Sharks and coaching speakers through 40+ TEDx talks. Along the way he's learned exactly what separates leaders who move people from leaders who just deliver i...

Discover why the future of leadership is brain-friendly, not machine-run. What if the real competitive edge in a world overflowing with AI isn’t data or speed, but an ability to stay deeply, consciously human? In this episode, Bernadette McClelland welcomes scientist, filmmaker, and author Dr. Silvia Damiano for an illuminating dive into the neuroscience of leadership, the rise of the Imagination...

Buyers don’t just choose based on product and price—they decide based on trust, risk, and the quality of human interactions. Ever wondered what truly sways your buyer’s final decision? In this episode, Bernadette McClelland sits down with win-loss analysis expert Cian McLoughlin to pull back the curtain on what buyers really think, the risks they weigh, and the subtle dynamics that separate the wi...

When community comes before trophies, culture becomes unstoppable—so what sustains unwavering loyalty when the wins don’t come? In this episode, Bernadette McClelland sits down with Petrece Kesha, former Warriors executive and community builder, to explore how the only New Zealand team in the NRL has fostered fierce devotion, resilience, and meaning well beyond the scoreboard. Petrece Kesha shares...

Great leaders know that scaling revenue isn’t just about growth—it's about building the right operational flywheels and understanding when to pivot, adapt, and move with intention. In this insightful conversation, Bernadette McClelland and Mark Roberge dig into the science (and art) of scaling, sharing real-world lessons from HubSpot, Harvard, and the frontlines of tech. Mark Roberge challenges ol...

What if the single biggest barrier to courageous leadership isn’t fear—but the stories we tell ourselves about it? In this powerful episode of The Influence Gap, Bernadette McClelland sits down with bestselling author and behavioral science expert Dr. Margie Warrell to unpack why courage—not strategy or smarts—is the key to breakthrough results in business, sales leadership, and life. Tune in for...

In this energizing episode of The Influence Gap, Bernadette McClelland sits down with bestselling author Bob Burg, co-author of "The Go-Giver," to shatter common misconceptions around leadership, sales, and the real definition of value. Discover why leaders often struggle the most with receptivity, and how mastering the delicate dance between giving and receiving can completely transform...

What if everything you know—and have never said out loud—is actually your most valuable asset in the age of AI? In this powerful solo episode of The Influence Gap, discover why differentiating your value has never been more critical, even as technology automates and commoditizes expertise. The discussion explores how your lived experiences, earned wisdom, and unique observations create a form of i...

What if one of the greatest NCAA gymnastics coaches of all time never actually did a cartwheel? In this compelling episode, Bernadette McClelland sits down with Valorie Kondos Field, legendary UCLA gymnastics coach, to explore how she achieved extraordinary success—without ever being a gymnast herself. You’ll discover how Valorie Kondos Field built a championship program on relationships, vulnerab...

What if the way you think about winning in business—and even about money itself—is completely backwards? In this electrifying episode, Joel Block blows the lid off conventional business wisdom, revealing how most organizations are programmed to "play not to lose"—and why that’s a surefire formula for mediocrity. From his early days as a professional blackjack player beating the house, to...

What if you discovered that the real reason your sales team is missing targets isn't lack of effort or weak tactics—but your stories are sabotaging your results? In this episode, Bernadette McClelland welcomes the Emmy Award-winning branding expert and storytelling authority, Park Howell, to blow the lid off how most leaders unintentionally widen their "influence gap" by relying on logic and featu...

What if the true secret to success in sales and leadership isn’t about being the best—it's about being there for someone else? In this episode of The Influence Gap, Bernadette McClelland sits down with the #1 global sales guru of 2024, Colleen Stanley, to uncover the real power behind mentorship. Drawing from her farm-town roots and her groundbreaking book Be the Mentor Who Mattered, Colleen S...

What if your doctor told you, “Your life as you know it is over”? Would you give up—or fight back? In this episode of The Influence Gap, Bernadette McClelland sits down with three-time Paralympic gold medalist Carol Cooke, whose journey from devastating MS diagnosis to the top of the Paralympic podium is nothing short of incredible. Carol Cooke reveals the mindset shifts, resilience lessons, and “...

What if the biggest mistake sales leaders make is focusing on all the wrong problems—and it's costing you results, energy, and team engagement? This episode of The Influence Gap with Bernadette McClelland features a no-nonsense, insight-rich conversation with Darren Mitchell, one of Australia’s top 20 sales influencers and host of the Exceptional Sales Leader Podcast. Discover how “blind blami...

What if the biggest obstacle to your success isn’t the competition—but the gap between what you intend and the impact you actually make? On this transformational debut episode, Bernadette McClelland unveils "The Influence Gap"—the critical space where leaders must bridge their intentions, their messages, and their business results. Discover why savvy leaders, sales professionals, and hig...

2025 wasn’t a pivot year for me — it was an iteration and identity year (and for others). A year of stepping back, listening deeper, and upgrading the version of me that leads my business and my work with CEOs and Sales Leaders. In this last episode of The Sales Leader of Influence SHOW for 2025, I’m sharing the 5 lessons that began to change everything for me — personally, commercially, and creat...

  HOW REAL LEADERS LEAD WHEN THEIR BACK IS AGAINST THE WALL When life gets hectic, leaders don’t just feel the pressure – they often show it. Not publicly. Not in the boardroom. But internally, in the identity they lead from. In this week’s episode of The Sales Leader of Influence SHOW, I’m unpacking what leadership looks like when you feel like your back is against the wall… and you are still exp...