.png)
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 Lost Leads to Locked Contracts: Paul King on Niche Focus, Pilots That Convert, and Closing Education Deals
What happens when you stop trying to serve every school and start solving one urgent problem for the right schools?
It’s the positioning shift most founders resist—but it’s the exact move that transforms “just another vendor” into a mission-critical partner.
That’s why this episode of Breaking the Grade is essential listening: Josh sits down with Paul King—Founder & Director of Neighborhood Educational Partners (NEP) and Founder of King Education, who pivoted from one-on-one tutoring to landing public school contracts by solving one high-stakes problem—boosting Algebra 1 Regents pass rates in high schools stuck below 50%.
Here’s why his story changes the game for education sales:
✅ He landed 4 school pilots in one semester by targeting a pain principals couldn’t ignore—low pass rates that risk state takeover or job loss.
✅ He learned the hard way after a failed SAT prep program showed him his mission wasn’t serving the affluent but addressing systemic inequity.
✅ He turned pilot data into renewals and an invitation to present in front of 60 NYC DOE officials—proof that results drive bigger opportunities.
Paul’s story is a blueprint for education founders who want clarity that generates leads—and leads that actually convert.
🔑 5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ Why Broad Messaging Blocks Growth
Trying to “do it all” muddled Paul’s offer and made it hard for schools to understand why they should hire him.
2️⃣ The Pivot That Unlocked Real Leads
Paul traded private clients for contracts by solving one painful, measurable problem: failing Algebra Regents scores.
3️⃣ How to Leverage Pilots Into Pipeline
Four small pilots became data-driven proof points that fueled renewals and opened doors to bigger district contracts.
4️⃣ Messaging = Revenue
Clear, specific offers aren’t just marketing—they’re what get superintendents and principals to return your call.
5️⃣ Urgency That Creates Demand
For schools, failing Regents scores mean lost graduations, receivership, even closure. By targeting that pain, Paul positioned himself as the partner they couldn’t afford to ignore.
If your outreach feels generic and your pitches aren’t sticking, this episode gives you the framework to niche down, stand out, and start closing the partners who truly need you.
📩 Want help defining your niche so the right schools find you? DM me “Niche” and I’ll show you how to turn focused messaging into leads that close.
📤 Know a founder trying to serve everyone and reaching no one? Send them this episode—it might be the push they need.
✍️ Love the show?
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can turn clarity into contracts.
#EdSales #EducationSales #FounderLedGrowth #K12 #BreakingTheGrade #ClarityConverts #LeadGeneration #PaulKing#EdTech #FounderSales #NicheDown#SchoolPartnerships #EdTechStartup #SalesStrategy
