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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 Collapse to Credibility: Robert Martellacci’s Blueprint to Win Back Influence and Close Deals in the Education Space
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What happens when your billion-dollar success story ends—and the market forgets your name?
Robert Martellacci knows. And he didn’t quit—he reinvented.
This episode isn’t just about resilience.
It’s about the bold mindset shift it takes to reclaim relevance, rebuild trust, and restart traction when everything you built gets wiped off the board.
Robert Martellacci—founder of MindShare Learning—joins me LIVE from the Education Research & Development Institute (ERDI), one of the most influential gatherings of education decision-makers in North America, to unpack how he went from collapse to becoming one of the most trusted connectors in the EdTech space.
And here’s what makes his story even more powerful:
✅ He worked alongside Kevin O’Leary (aka “Mr. Wonderful”) while helping develop Mattel’s EdTech products.
✅ He helped build Mattel’s EdTech division—before it was acquired for $3.6B.
✅ And today? He runs an ecosystem that keeps him booked, trusted, and closing high-leverage education partnerships.
So if you’re a founder navigating market shifts—or trying to reposition your message so decision-makers say “yes”—this is your reset.
🎯 3 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Reframe Your Edge Before the Market Does
Robert didn’t wait to get picked. He pivoted, rewired his message, and claimed a niche that made him indispensable.
👉 In EdTech, traction belongs to the clearest communicator—not the loudest one.
2️⃣ Design a Business That Buys Back Your Life
Revenue matters. But Robert built a company that also delivers access, margin, and freedom.
👉 If your calendar’s full but your tank is empty, this is your model for long-term wins without burnout.
3️⃣ Reinvention is a Sales Strategy
From faculty hockey to boardrooms, Robert built trust by evolving, not retreating.
👉 Credibility isn’t claimed. It’s earned—one connection, one message, one reinvention at a time.
If you’re in the messy middle of a pivot or chasing leads that don’t convert, this is your blueprint to shift fast and close smarter.
📩 Want help repositioning your offer so decision-makers say “yes”?
DM me “Reinvent” and I’ll hop on a strategy call with you.
📤 Know an education founder stuck in pitch mode?
Send this episode before they burn another quarter on the wrong message.
Because in EdTech,
Your leads follow your clarity.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple and Spotify to help more education founders grow with purpose and precision.
#EdTech #FounderSales #MessagingStrategy #Reinvention #EdSales #ChannelSales #EducationInnovation #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #RobertMartellacci #GrowthStra
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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