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
The Perfect Client Paradox: Why Chasing More Leads Isn’t the Answer
Most education founders think they have a lead problem. You want more emails, more demos, more top-of-funnel activity.
But here is the hard truth: You don't have a lead problem; you have a perfect client problem. If you are chasing the wrong person, no amount of lead gen will fix your revenue. It just gives you more conversations that don't convert.
Traction comes from the "Clean Window" strategy. Instead of trying to convince skeptics to care, you need to target the buyers who already value the outcome.
In this episode, Josh breaks down the exact methodology to stop "persuading" and start "aligning."
This isn't just a theory; it is a playbook. You will learn how to identify the "Clean Window" clients who buy fast, the specific 3-part qualifier to filter your pipeline, and the exact LinkedIn headline formula that gets your perfect buyer to stop scrolling and start DMing.
This episode is for education founders selling into schools or districts who are tired of long sales cycles, stalled pilots, and conversations that never convert.
If you are tired of chasing everything and winning nothing, this episode gives you the edge to stop the hamster wheel today.
5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders
1️⃣ The "Clean Window" Theory
Stop trying to sell window washing to a dirty building that doesn't care. Josh explains why you should only target clients who already value the outcome. Traction comes from alignment, not persuasion.
2️⃣ The "Life Change" Metric
Your perfect client isn't always the person who signs the check. It is the person whose life you change the most. Josh reveals how to identify the "Center of Gravity" in a school district, the person who feels the pain deeply enough to pull you through the procurement maze.
3️⃣ The 3-Part Qualifier
How do you screen for a perfect client? Use this 3-part filter:
1) Do they already value the outcome?
2) Is the situation mature enough to matter?
3) Is there a champion whose daily life improves when you win?
If you miss one, you don't have a deal; you have a project.
4️⃣ The "Elephant in the Room" Strategy
Your perfect client likely already has a vendor. Don't hide from it. Josh teaches you how to address the "First Elephant" (incumbents) by positioning yourself as a partner who respects what's working while filling the "quality gap" they can't ignore.
5️⃣ The LinkedIn Headline Formula
Clarity attracts. Josh shares the exact formula to rewrite your headline: "I help [WHO] using [WHAT METHOD] get [WHICH RESULT]." This isn't branding; it's a filter that attracts the right DMs and repels the time-wasters.
📩 DM me "PERFECT CLIENT" and I’ll show you how we help founders inside the EdSales Elevation Experience identify their perfect client and build a pipeline of "Clean Window" buyers.
📤 Know a founder who is chasing bad leads? Share this episode, it’s the reality check they need to stop wasting time on "dirty windows."
✍️ Love the show? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so more education founders can sell smarter, scale faster, and delegate confidently.
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