John Barrows
Hosted by John Barrows
A top B2B sales trainer interviews tech executives and thought leaders on the evolving landscape of sales, leadership, and the impact of AI.
This is a long-form interview show where a veteran sales trainer holds peer-level conversations with high-ranking operators—CIOs, EVPs, and founders—about strategic shifts in business. While grounded in sales, the topics are often macro, focusing on the impact of technology like AI, the psychology of leadership, and timeless business principles. It's less about entry-level tactics and more about how experienced leaders should interpret and navigate the current GTM landscape.
“Unlike many sales podcasts, the host's extensive career as both a seller and a top-tier trainer allows him to bypass basic questions and engage guests in highly specific, strategic conversations. He consistently connects high-level concepts, like behavioral psychology or AI's market impact, directly to the practical realities of managing a sales team or closing a deal.”
Who hosts this show
John Barrows is a B2B sales trainer who has worked with the sales teams at some of the world's top tech companies, including Salesforce, Google, and LinkedIn. With over 25 years of experience, from making cold calls to serving as a VP of Sales, he now runs his own training and advisory company, JB Sales. His podcast, "Make It Happen Mondays," features tactical conversations with sales leaders, executives, and authors about what it takes to succeed in the modern sales environment.
Credentials & credits
- CEO of JB Sales
- Sales trainer for Salesforce, LinkedIn, Google, Amazon, and Okta
- Author of "I Want to Be in Sales When I Grow Up"
- LP at GTMfund
- Featured in Forbes, HBR, Inc., and Entrepreneur
- Studied at University of Maryland, College Park
Other ventures
- JB Sales (Sales Training & Advisory)
- SellBetter by JB Sales
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01AI Support Without Losing The Human TouchJun 26, 2026 · 42s
- 02Slow Down When People Are ScaredJun 25, 2026 · 44s
- 03Discipline Is Teaching, Not PunishmentJun 24, 2026 · 45s
- 04Active Listening Starts With BreathingJun 23, 2026 · 36s
- 05Physical Presence Is Not Emotional PresenceJun 22, 2026 · 38s
- 06How Fear Controls the Way We Lead, Sell, and Parent with Bryan PostJun 22, 2026 · 55 min
- 07AI Is Not a Strategy: How to Lead Real Transformation with Julie AverillJun 15, 2026 · 59 min
- 08How AI Agents Are Rewriting Sales with Kris BillmaierJun 8, 2026 · 54 min
Notable episodes
- 01How AI Agents Are Rewriting Sales with Kris Billmaier
Reveals how Salesforce generated over $100 million in pipeline in 8 months using AI agents, providing a concrete, high-stakes example of AI's impact on the SDR role.
- 02AI Is Not a Strategy: How to Lead Real Transformation with Julie Averill
A former CIO of Lululemon and REI draws direct parallels between the dot-com boom and the current AI wave, arguing that AI is a 'magnifying glass' for existing business problems.
- 03How Fear Controls the Way We Lead, Sell, and Parent with Bryan Post
Connects behavioral science to sales performance, reframing concepts like 'discipline' as teaching instead of punishment and explaining why pressure backfires on stressed buyers.
What you'll be asked on this show
John Barrows runs a structured yet conversational interview. He opens with a multi-minute, well-researched monologue to introduce the guest and establish the conversation's core themes. His first move is often a broad origin story question, but he quickly pivots to connect a guest's personal history or early career choices to their current professional philosophy. He probes by drawing parallels between past technological shifts (like the dot-com boom) and the current AI wave, asking guests to apply lessons learned. Barrows frequently summarizes or paraphrases a guest's point to ensure clarity before moving on, and he closes by giving guests a chance to discuss their current projects or offer a final, forward-looking thought.
John Barrows begins each interview with a detailed monologue, summarizing the guest's career and framing the episode's key themes. His style is conversational and peer-to-peer, often using his own experiences to build rapport and add context. The podcast is kept ad-free through promotions for his own JB Sales training programs, and he closes each episode with his signature sign-off, "Go out there and make somebody smile today."
Questions John Barrows keeps coming back to
13 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when John Barrows reaches for it.
origin
2- Q.01
“Tell me the background stuff we can't find on LinkedIn. How did you become you?”
This is his standard opening question to get beyond the professional resume and into personal context.
- Q.02
“What was the itch that made you get into [your specific field] early on?”
He uses this to understand the guest's initial motivations and career pivots.
mindset
1- Q.01
“What leadership lessons or influences from your early life do you still apply today?”
He often asks this to connect a guest's foundational experiences to their current leadership style.
future
4- Q.01
“What takeaways from [a past tech shift] are applicable to the AI boom today?”
This question draws parallels between historical business transformations and current challenges.
- Q.02
“Where is the inflection point for customers wanting a human vs. a rep-free experience?”
This explores the future of human interaction in sales as automation increases.
- Q.03
“Tell me about your new [book/company] and why you created it.”
This is a standard closing question to allow the guest to promote their latest work.
- Q.04
“What are you most optimistic about regarding AI's impact?”
He often uses this as a final question to end the conversation on a positive, forward-looking note.
advice
2- Q.01
“What business fundamentals have changed, and which have stayed the same?”
He asks this to distinguish between fleeting trends and timeless business principles.
- Q.02
“What are you telling [SDRs/AEs] to do right now to level up and not get replaced by AI?”
He asks this to get direct, actionable advice for his core audience of sales professionals.
process
3- Q.01
“How did you shift the culture from [a negative state] to one of [a positive state]?”
This question probes for specific leadership tactics used during a cultural transformation.
- Q.02
“How do you define '[a key sales term]' now, in the context of AI?”
He uses this to clarify how new technology is forcing a redefinition of core concepts.
- Q.03
“Has the hiring profile for sales reps changed because of AI?”
This question connects the impact of AI directly to talent acquisition and team building.
craft
1- Q.01
“What's your take on [a current industry trend like PLG] today?”
He asks this to get an expert's current perspective on popular go-to-market strategies.
Signature segments
- · "Make It Happen" (Podcast name and motto)
- · Closing line: "Go out there and make somebody smile today."
- · Self-promotion of JB Sales training to keep the podcast ad-free
- · Weekly long-form interviews supplemented by short daily clips
- · "Make It Happen Mondays" (The podcast's full name)
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically C-suite and EVP-level leaders from major technology companies like Salesforce, former CIOs of large enterprises (Lululemon, REI), and subject-matter experts in adjacent fields like behavioral science.
- Bryan Poston How Fear Controls the Way We Lead, Sell, and Parent with Bryan Post
- Julie Averillon AI Is Not a Strategy: How to Lead Real Transformation with Julie Averill
- Kris Billmaieron How AI Agents Are Rewriting Sales with Kris Billmaier
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is self-sponsored, serving as a primary content marketing and lead generation channel for the host's sales training and advisory company, JB Sales. He explicitly states that he promotes his own programs to keep the podcast free of third-party ads.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch John Barrows
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People also ask
- What is the host's real name?
- The host is John Barrows.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, it releases a new long-form episode weekly, typically on Mondays.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a long-form interview podcast where John Barrows talks with sales leaders, tech executives, and other experts. The main channel also releases short clips from the interviews throughout the week.
- What is "Make It Happen Mondays"?
- "Make It Happen Mondays" is the official name of the podcast hosted by John Barrows. "Make It Happen" is also his personal and professional motto.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube and major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
- How is the podcast funded?
- The host promotes his own sales training company, JB Sales, in place of running third-party advertisements.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]About John Barrows | Sales Trainer to the Top SaaS Teamsjbarrows.com
- [02]Sales Training for Modern Reps | JB Sales by John Barrowsjbarrows.com
- [03]Make It Happen Mondays - B2B Sales Talk with John Barrows - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [04]John Barrows, Author - Salesforcesalesforce.com
- [05]Make It Happen Mondays - B2B Sales Talk with John Barrows - Muck Rackmuckrack.com
- [06]Sales Training & Tips Blog | JBarrowsblog.jbarrows.com
- [07]JB Sales Reviews 2026 - G2g2.com
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