If you’re new to partnerships — or you’re a partnerships leader hiring / ramping first-time partner pros — this episode is a practical blueprint.

Chris Lavoie sits down with Amanda Nielsen, creator of Pivot to Partnerships, a 4-week cohort designed to help strong GTM operators (AEs, CSMs, BDRs, marketers) transition into partnerships the right way — without guessing, and without needing the title first.

You’ll walk away with clearer language for what partnerships actually is, how to evaluate roles, and how to build the skills that make you (or your new hire) effective fast.

In this episode we cover:

1. What partnerships really is (and why “relationship-building” is an incomplete definition)
2. The best GTM backgrounds for partnerships (and how to translate your experience)
3. How to spot real partnerships roles vs “fake partnerships” job descriptions
4. Hiring + onboarding first-time partner pros: what to look for and how to set them up to win
5. Personal brand / LinkedIn as career leverage (without being cringe)
6. The buzzwords to kill (yes… “synergy”)

Chapters

1. 00:00 — Intro + why this episode matters
2. 06:32 — Personal brand + why it’s leverage
3. 07:41 — Buzzwords to delete (“synergy,” etc.)
4. 29:10 — Reading job listings + spotting what’s real

Links

1. Amanda Nielsen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verydemanda/
2. Pivot to Partnerships (course/cohort): https://courses.partnershipmastermind.com/instructor/amanda-nielsen