[OTL Newsletter 🎯] I’ve never seen people work like this before.

Observation 🧐

My family and I just returned from an extended trip to Asia—most of it spent in Japan.

And I’ll be honest: I came back seeing work differently.

What left the biggest impression wasn’t the food, the sights, or the technology.

It was the way people took pride in what they did—no matter the role, no matter how small the task.

👉 The barista perfecting a pour-over like it was art

👉 The station attendant bowing as the train departed

👉 The quiet precision in every step of a tea ceremony

These weren’t just actions, they were acts of intention built on deep cultural values.

At the heart of it is a Japanese cultural value called “Ganbaru”.

It means: To give your best. To persevere. To keep going, even when it’s hard.

It’s not about winning. It’s about effort. Grit. Commitment to the process.

It’s about doing the work with care—because how you do it matters.

And it made me reflect on Sales.

We celebrate the close, the number, the win.

But what if we reframed the work? What if we brought Ganbaru into how we sell?

Sales shouldn’t just be about closing deals. The process matters just as much as the result.

✅ The patience in understanding a customer’s real problem

✅ The trust you build when you say “we’re not the right solution for you”. 

✅ The humility to accept a “no” and learn from it.

✅ The dedication shown in your follow-ups

✅ The pride in being consistently good—even when no one’s watching

Ganbaru reminds us that perseverance is progress.

So here’s what I’m sitting with as I return to work:

✅ What would it look like to treat sales as a craft?

✅ How can I take pride in the process, not just the outcome?

✅ Where am I finding purpose—and where have I lost it?

Sales is one of the only careers where mindset and intention shape your success as much as skill.

Sales will always be a results-driven job.

But the best reps and leaders I’ve worked with don’t just care about the number, they care about how they get there.

That’s Ganbaru.

Thought Starter  🤔

Closely aligned to Ganbaru is the concept of “Ikigai”: a reason for being. The thing that gives your life meaning. Often represented as the intersection of:

• What you love (your passion) - Activities that bring you joy and that you would do even without external rewards
• What you're good at (your talents/skills) - Your natural aptitudes or developed competencies
• What the world needs (your mission) - How you can contribute value to others or society
• What you can be paid for (your profession) - Activities people will compensate you for

Ikigai represents a harmonious balance where:

• You're engaged in activities you enjoy
• You're utilizing your natural strengths and skills
• You're providing something valuable to others
• You're able to sustain yourself financially

The concept suggests that true fulfillment comes not just from making money, but from the alignment of all these elements. 

In Japanese culture, finding this balance is considered essential for a meaningful life.

What makes ikigai particularly powerful for sales professionals is that it shifts the focus from purely extrinsic motivation (commissions, targets) to intrinsic fulfillment - finding genuine satisfaction in the process of helping clients solve problems through your unique talents.

Love 🥰

There are countless highlights from our time in Japan. 

But I think the most special and spectacular was the Cherry Blossoms. We were at the right place at the right time and saw these trees in all their glory. 

Check out my short video for a taste of what we saw.