In this episode of Under the Surface, I’m joined by Tom Hoelderle for a grounded conversation about what actually drives sustainable growth — and why sales talent alone isn’t enough.

We dig into the realities many leaders face when growth depends too heavily on founders, tribal knowledge, or a handful of tenured salespeople. Tom breaks down why value proposition clarity is the foundation of strategy, how repeatable sales systems protect valuation, and what happens when organizations try to scale without process, discipline, or accountability.

We also explore the tension leaders face when introducing change into established sales teams, how KPIs and compensation shape behavior, and why sales infrastructure matters long before an exit is ever on the table.

If you’re a CEO, founder, or executive leader trying to scale revenue without burning yourself out — this episode is for you.

Guest Introduction:

Tom Hoelderle is a seasoned sales, marketing, and operations leader with deep experience helping organizations translate strategy into measurable results. He works closely with executive teams to build clear value propositions, repeatable sales systems, and KPIs leaders can trust — bringing discipline, alignment, and accountability to revenue engines that need to scale.

Key Takeaways:

A clear value proposition is the starting point for all strategy and sales execution.

Founder-led sales limit scale and can significantly impact long-term valuation.

Revenue growth depends on systems, frameworks, and repeatable processes — not heroics.

Sales process adoption improves when tools add value to the salesperson, not just leadership.

KPIs and compensation drive behavior and must align with growth goals.

Sustainable sales engines must operate independently of individual relationships.

Chapter Markers:

0:00 Intro – What Under the Surface Is Really About

0:45 Guest Introduction – Meet Tom Hoelderle

2:30 Why Value Proposition Is the Foundation of Strategy

5:30 The Trap of Founder-Led Sales

8:50 Sales Systems, Process, and Scalability

11:45 Change Management Inside Tenured Sales Teams

15:00 CRM, Tools, and Driving Adoption

19:30 When to Optimize vs Replace Sales Models

22:00 Growth, Cost Discipline, and Valuation

25:00 Sales KPIs, Compensation, and Accountability

29:00 Private Equity, Due Diligence, and Sales Readiness

34:00 The Role of Independent Advisors

39:00 Closing Thoughts

Keywords:

Paul Zyla, Tom Hoelderle, Under the Surface Podcast, sales leadership, revenue growth, scalable sales systems, founder-led sales, value proposition strategy, sales KPIs, sales process, B2B manufacturing sales, private equity readiness, organizational change management, executive leadership podcast