Video Podcast | Michael Bates

The Shift |

Insights from Founder's Table: What Happens when the funding dries up.

Season 1, Episode 1

What happens when the Funding Dries Up?

Ever had a stretch where you knew you were good at what you do, but the money just... stopped coming in?

I sat down with a founder recently who went seven months without closing a deal.

Not because he wasn't talented—he's a former teacher and principal, brilliant at what he did. But 85% of his revenue was tied to Title funding, and when schools got nervous about whether that money would come through, everything froze.

The calls kept happening. The interest was there. But nobody was buying.

Here's what struck me about our conversation: he wasn't embarrassed to admit that closing sales didn't come naturally to him. He just knew he had to figure it out or his business was done.

I'm guessing some of you have been there, too. Where you're great at the work itself, but there's this other part of running a business that just doesn't click.

That's why I'm starting "The Shift: Insights from The Founder's Table."

Honest conversations with founders about the moments that almost broke them—and what they did to turn it around.

#TheShift #FoundersTable #EdTech #K12 #Entrepreneurship #FounderStories #SalesStrategy

The Shift | Insights from the Founder's Table: From $8,000 to Six Figures.

Season 1, Episode 2

That's the shift this founder made—and it wasn't about working harder or finding more clients.

When we first started working together, their biggest sale was $8,000. Most deals were in the $2,000 to $4,000 range—good money, but a lot of hustle for not much return.

Now? Their smallest deals are $25,000. Many are pushing six figures.

What changed? They stopped competing on price. They started working with clients who actually valued what they bring to the table.

They're working with fewer clients but making more money. Better clients, better work, better business.

Too many founders I talk to are talented, experienced, doing great work—but they're exhausted because they're taking on too many small deals to keep the lights on.

Sometimes you don't need more clients. You just need the right ones.

Episode 2 of "The Shift: Insights from The Founder's Table".

#TheShift #FoundersTable #EdTech #Entrepreneurship

The Shift | Insights from the Founder's Table: What finally worked.

Season 1, Episode 3

"I worked with two sales consultants before you, Mike. Both were great at what they do. But neither had ever sold to a school."

This founder told me they spent money on ads—Google, Meta, all of it. Got a ton of email contacts. But almost none of them turned into sales.

The problem wasn't the consultants. They just didn't get how different K-12 is. The funding, the timelines, the decision-making process—it's a whole other world.

So we shifted the approach. Stopped trying to catch everyone and started focusing on finding the right people where they already are.

The result? Better conversations. Better leads. And sales that felt natural, not some rigid process.

The founder told me it made everything "comfortable and casual" instead of exhausting.

I think this happens a lot. You hire someone who's good at their job but doesn't understand your industry.

They tell you to spend more on ads. You get a bunch of noise but nothing that sticks.

Sometimes it's not about doing more. It's about doing what actually works.

Episode 3 of "The Shift: Insights from The Founder's Table".

#TheShift #FoundersTable #EdTech #K12Sales #Entrepreneurship