Hey,
Imagine two B2B tech sales professionals. Same territory, same quota, similar results most years. One hits 40 and is completely free. The other is still grinding away.
One of them figured something out that the other one missed. Maybe you're missing it too (or not placing enough emphasis on it), because you're in reactive mode.
Big commissions and the salary hitting your account every month aren't building what you really care about as true wealth. The income that lands in your bank is only leverage if you invest it somewhere that actually matters to you.
The company you choose to sell for matters. Not just the OTE. Not just the culture they say they have, or the brand name on your LinkedIn profile. The equity. The trajectory. Whether there's an industry revolution happening, or whether you're collecting a marginally improved salary for a fancier title. You need to build leverage and compound it both inside and outside the organisation.
As I write about in Sales Life, your energy, your health, your mind, your body - that's the foundation. You cannot keep sprinting and expect not to feel it. The lactic acid eventually hits your legs. You won't make the finish line you actually want.
The second seller optimised all the wrong things. Chased only the money. Upgraded the lifestyle every time the income went up. Stayed too long at companies where the market was clearly moving on. Kept saying next year for increasing the pension investment, next year they’ll trade in the Range. Burned through their energy like it was unlimited. Never stopped to ask what they were actually working towards, or who they were ultimately doing it for.
The people I work with are doing serious numbers. Some consistently at $500K, some exceeding $750K and on their way to seven figures. The ones building real freedom aren't the stereotypical “closers”. They're applying leverage deliberately, not just into their immediate pipeline. Investing in themselves. Making conscious decisions about what role they take, whether it gives them energy or takes it away. Their end game isn't President’s Club or company #1. More often than not, they get those things, but they’re building towards something much bigger after that.
Nobody should be doing this just to hit/exceed quota. Who really cares or remembers that number long term?
It's a Friday morning with your best mates on the golf course. The afternoon walk with your partner. Never missing your kid’s sports events. Being completely present at home. Going on holiday and not thinking about your inbox when you’re by the pool.
Health has to be the number one priority. A strong body. A clear mind. Closely followed by family.
Most people spend the leverage the moment it lands, but the commissions are only the beginning. How you invest the time, the energy, the income - those are the inputs that create the life you actually want.
-Aaron
zenithconsulting.io
p.s. Sales Life - the 5-star rated book on building a career in B2B tech sales that compounds into freedom. Available on Amazon.
p.p.s. At Zenith, I work privately with senior B2B tech sales professionals on strategic deals and bold career moves, leveraging what worked for me ($100m+ revenue) and now my clients. Many are hitting record-earning years, landing dream roles, and heading towards their own version of freedom.