32 - Building a Partnership Program from Scratch with Rasheité Calhoun

Friends with Benefits

Rasheité Calhoun is an experienced partner leader and revenue expert. She recently joined the team at Axios HQ, where she is building a partnership program from scratch. With a background in managing partner teams and programs, Rasheité brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. She is known for her ability to drive revenue and build successful partnerships, making her a valuable asset to any organization.
**Episode Summary:**
In this episode, Sam Yarborough interviews Rasheité Calhoun, a revenue expert and partner leader at Axios HQ. Rasheité shares her experience of building a partnership program from the ground up and provides valuable insights into the art of onboarding and generating revenue through partnerships. She emphasizes the importance of aligning expectations with the executive team, understanding the market, and making the ask. Rasheité also discusses her approach to building partner teams and the power of grassroots efforts in partner management.
**Key Takeaways:**
- Building a partnership program from scratch requires aligning expectations with the executive team and understanding the market.
- The art of onboarding and generating revenue through partnerships involves making the ask and focusing on leading indicators.
- Grassroots efforts, such as picking up the phone and having candid conversations, can lead to successful partnerships and revenue growth.
- Reporting to the CMO can provide access to resources and materials needed to build a strong go-to-market motion within a partner program.
- Hard conversations are essential for building strong relationships and driving growth in partnerships.
**Notable Quotes:**
- "I think the most important conversation that I had... was sitting down with our finance [team] and understanding what is going to make you happy and what's our CAC, what's our win rate, what's our ACV." - Rasheité Calhoun
- "Grassroots is my favorite... It's organized chaos. It's finding the repeatable steps that you know are always going to win." - Rasheité Calhoun
**Chapters:**
0:00 Intro
00:25 Introduction and Guest Arrival
00:31 Getting to Know Rasheité Calhoun
01:51 Rashida's Journey to Axios HQ
02:02 Building a Partnership Program from Scratch
02:44 The Art of Onboarding and Revenue Generation
03:23 Rasheité's Approach to Building Partnerships
05:19 Understanding the Market and Identifying Potential Partners
05:59 The Importance of Making the Ask
07:34 The Discovery Model in Action
08:03 The Art of Candid Conversations
10:08 Setting Realistic Expectations for Revenue Generation
12:50 The Importance of Aligning with the Executive Team
15:44 The Role of a Business Development Associate (BDA) in Partnerships
17:37 The Art of Educating and Influencing the Executive Team
22:16 The Importance of Speaking the Same Language as Your Team
26:22 The Concept of Grassroots in Partner Management
27:45 Revamping the Marketing Strategy
28:13 The Power of Direct Communication
28:42 The Importance of Teamwork and Collaboration
29:05 The Journey to the First Win
29:35 The Power of Storytelling in Business
29:52 Expanding Influence and Building Trust
30:19 The Impact of Strong Relationships on Revenue
30:30 The Role of Partner Managers
31:14 The Power of LinkedIn in Business Development
32:23 The Importance of Trust in Business Relationships
32:42 The Challenges of Building a New Program
37:13 The Importance of Hard Conversations in Business
42:46 The Shift in Reporting Structure
44:05 The Importance of Owning Your Actions
45:19 The Power of Honesty in Business Relationships
46:21 The Role of Marketing in Partnerships
47:50 The Importance of Metrics in Partnerships
50:24 The Power of Music in Building Connections
52:06 Conclusion: The Importance of Connection in B

챕터

1. FWB32 (00:00:00)

2. Introduction and Guest Arrival (00:00:25)

3. Getting to Know Rashida Calhoun (00:00:31)

4. Rashida's Journey to Axios HQ (00:01:51)

5. Building a Partnership Program from Scratch (00:02:02)

6. The Art of Onboarding and Revenue Generation (00:02:44)

7. Rashida's Approach to Building Partnerships (00:03:23)

8. Understanding the Market and Identifying Potential Partners (00:05:19)

9. The Importance of Making the Ask (00:05:59)

10. The Discovery Model in Action (00:07:34)

11. The Art of Candid Conversations (00:08:03)

12. Setting Realistic Expectations for Revenue Generation (00:10:08)

13. The Importance of Aligning with the Executive Team (00:12:50)

14. The Role of a Business Development Associate (BDA) in Partnerships (00:15:44)

15. The Art of Educating and Influencing the Executive Team (00:17:37)

16. The Importance of Speaking the Same Language as Your Team (00:22:16)

17. The Concept of Grassroots in Partner Management (00:26:22)

18. Revamping the Marketing Strategy (00:27:45)

19. The Power of Direct Communication (00:28:13)

20. The Importance of Teamwork and Collaboration (00:28:42)

21. The Journey to the First Win (00:29:05)

22. The Power of Storytelling in Business (00:29:35)

23. Expanding Influence and Building Trust (00:29:52)

24. The Impact of Strong Relationships on Revenue (00:30:19)

25. The Role of Partner Managers (00:30:30)

26. The Power of LinkedIn in Business Development (00:31:14)

27. The Importance of Trust in Business Relationships (00:32:23)

28. The Challenges of Building a New Program (00:32:42)

29. The Importance of Hard Conversations in Business (00:37:13)

30. The Shift in Reporting Structure (00:42:46)

31. The Importance of Owning Your Actions (00:44:05)

32. The Power of Honesty in Business Relationships (00:45:19)

33. The Role of Marketing in Partnerships (00:46:21)

34. The Importance of Metrics in Partnerships (00:47:50)

35. The Power of Music in Building Connections (00:50:24)

36. Conclusion: The Importance of Connection in Business (00:52:06)