This episode is a straight conversation about leadership, growth, and the parts of building a business people usually avoid talking about.
Matthew Whyatt sits down with Nikki Barua, author, CEO, and former Big Four consultant, to unpack what actually limits companies as they scale. Not markets. Not tools. Not even teams — the leader.
They talk openly about rejection in the early days, including losing 11 RFPs in a row and what it took to keep going. They dig into why sales is misunderstood, especially by technical founders, and why influence often matters more than being right.
There’s also a grounded discussion about AI — no hype or fear, just a clear view on why leaders need to rethink how they learn, decide, and lead if they want to stay relevant.
If you run a business, lead a team, or feel like you’ve hit a ceiling you can’t quite explain, this episode will make you pause and reflect.
Links:
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Subscribe for more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCeoAndTheSalesmanPodcast
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Follow Nikki Barua on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkibarua
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Subscribe to Nikki’s Reinvention Roadmap newsletter: https://www.nikkibarua.com/newsletters/reinvention-roadmap/subscribe
