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
From One-Off Sales to Repeatable Revenue...How Future Makers Transformed Their Business
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Summary
Nine years of building a business—and then, overnight, everything changes. Suddenly, you’re scrambling to keep things afloat, unsure of your next move. That’s exactly what happened to Matt Barinholtz, founder of Future Makers. When the pandemic hit in 2020, he had to pivot fast—shifting from offering services to selling products. The truth is, pandemic aside, business is always unpredictable—marketing trends shift, relationships fade as new players enter the scene, and sometimes, your strategy just stops working. So how do you navigate these challenges and come out stronger? In this week’s episode, Matt shares exactly how he transformed Future Makers and set it up for success. Whether you’re building from scratch or looking to scale, Matt’s story is packed with actionable insights to thrive no matter what’s thrown your way.
Tune in to Hear:
✅ How to navigate big challenges in your business (like pivoting!).
✅ The biggest challenge Matt faced in pivoting his business —and how he overcame it.
✅ Why Matt’s messaging shifts made it easier than ever to spot—and attract—the perfect fit clients (and how you can too!)
✅ The surprising truth about building relationships at scale (it’s not what you think!)
✅ The exact steps Matt took to build a powerful lead generation system so that he could scale —and how you can do it too!
And if you’re ready to build your lead generation system then join my FREE Masterclass: How to get more leads and sales on repeat (without paid ads or creating endless content that no one sees!)
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: Setting the Stage
03:01 - The Importance of Having a System
05:54 - Building Relationships for Success
08:20 - Challenges in Creating a Signature Solution
12:09 - The Role of Listening in the Sales Process
14:01 - The Implementation Process: Highs and Lows
17:54 - Measuring Impact and Growth
22:40 - Evolving the Signature Solution
28:12 - Communicating Value and Building Credibility
30:44 - Trusting the Process and Embracing Iteration
34:06 - Closing Thoughts on Growth and Business Evolution
Links
Edsales Elevation Experience
Masterclass
Connect with Josh Chernikoff
Founder, Edsales Elevation Experience
Host, Edsales Edge Show
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuachernikoff/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.chernikoff
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuadcdc/
📩 Email: Jc@joshchernikoff.com
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