Charles Thompson grew up one of five kids with a single mom, surrounded by gangs and drugs — and made a deliberate choice to go a different way. He leaned on football, coaches, and his faith to carve a path that took him to Bucknell University and into a corporate career.

In this conversation, Charles shares what it was like being the first in his family to graduate college, living with a host family in high school who helped shape him, and how getting laid off from his job led to one of his most grounding moments — showing up to coach his son's flag football practice that same day.

This is a story about choices, gratitude, fatherhood, and what it really means to equip the next generation. Honest, warm, and worth every minute.

What keeps someone at the top of the leaderboard for over a decade?

In this episode, Adam Kronemeyer of Sage shares how mindset, personal drive, and a commitment to providing for his family fueled 11 straight years of hitting quota.

We get into the importance of building real relationships with clients—regardless of deal size—and how understanding a prospect’s true priorities can help you navigate obstacles and protect your time.

Adam also talks about investing in professional coaching, even at the top of his game, and what he’s learned from recent losses that have made him even sharper.

If you’re in sales, leadership, or just trying to stay consistent at a high level—this conversation delivers real takeaways you can apply immediately.

Most people don’t take a straight path into sales.

Tyler Meckes definitely didn’t.

In this episode of The Bird’s Nest, Tyler hares how he went from majoring in Exercise Science to building a career in sales — and eventually making the leap into Revenue Operations at Eleven Software.

What changed?

He realized the skills he developed in college weren’t wasted.

They were transferable.

Teaching complex concepts.
Breaking down problems.
Communicating clearly.

Those same abilities helped him win in sales — guiding prospects, diagnosing challenges, and leading conversations with confidence.

And when he transitioned into Revenue Operations, those communication skills became even more valuable. Now he’s working cross-functionally — aligning sales, systems, data, and leadership to drive revenue performance at scale.

This conversation is about career pivots, betting on your strengths, and realizing that no experience is wasted if you’re willing to connect the dots.

If you’re in sales, RevOps, or thinking about your next move — this episode will challenge the way you look at your own path.