Author: Finola Annibella

April Meeting: Jay Mays, Founder of Pitch Lab

Finola Annibella

What Stand-Up Comedy Can Teach You About Transforming Sales Teams and Accelerating Growth

Join Jay Mays, Founder of Pitch Lab, for an exploration of how stand-up comedy principles can transform your sales org’s bottom line. Learn how to equip your sales team with strategies that win deals without discounting, differentiate from competitors, and prevent costly prospect ghosting. You’ll walk away with actionable approaches that elevate your sales culture and accelerate your revenue growth. And yes, there will be jokes—because in business as in comedy, timing is everything.

Jay Mays’ sales career started in 1996 when he learned to sell dial-up internet accounts and web hosting plans to small businesses. Back in those days he used 4×6 index cards in an orange Nike shoebox as a CRM. Over the past 25 years a lot has changed, but not Jay’s love for helping clients succeed. He’s booked hundreds of “closed won” deals with marquee clients like AT&T, Red Bull, and the Miami Marlins to name a few.

For the sake of optimism, Jay never keeps track of his “closed lost” deals. That said, there are a handful of heartbreaks from which he pulls some of his best sales stories and lessons. For the past 9 years, Jay’s been a sales consultant and trainer, helping B2B business owners and their sales teams differentiate from the competition, build stronger connections, and win more deals.

Learn more about Jay by visiting him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysmays/

March Meeting: Papa Dia, Founder/Executive Director of the African Leadership Group

Finola Annibella

Our very own, Solomon Muwanga will be interviewing Papa Dia, Founder and Executive Director of the African Leadership Group (ALG), a Colorado nonprofit created in 2006 to help improve the quality of life for African immigrants and members of the diaspora.

A native of Senegal, Papa immigrated to Denver in 1998.  He used his first job, stocking books, to teach himself how to read, write and speak English.  From an entry-level position in a local bank, Papa over the next 18 years climbed the ranks to become a regional vice president.  In 2017, Papa left banking to focus his full attention on running and growing ALG. 

Papa serves on the boards of the Denver Botanic Gardens, Energize Colorado, and is a member of the prestigious Livingston Fellowship. 

In addition to running ALG, Papa leads several businesses and nonprofits working in or based in Senegal.

February Meeting: Bailey Massey, Public Speaking

Finola Annibella
February Meeting: Bailey Massey, Public Speaking

Topic:  Public Speaking – Foundational approach focusing on tips for confidence and delivery.

Bailey Massey, the founder of Bailey Massey Global and Speech Therapy CO, brings over 15 years of expertise in speech therapy, speech and communication training, accent and dialect coaching, and corporate communication enhancement. With a Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science and Psychology, and a Master’s in Communication Disorders, Bailey’s comprehensive education and hands-on experience across industries enable a personalized and effective coaching approach. She excels in tailoring interactive training to meet the unique needs of organizations and professionals, focusing on areas like effective communication, speech clarity, voice control, public speaking, and leadership through research-based methods designed to achieve improvements in communication skills and foster successful professional and organizational growth.

December Meeting: Janine Davidson, Leadership Lessons

Finola Annibella

Davidson began her career as an Air Force pilot and was the first woman to fly the USAF’s tactical C-130. She went on to serve multiple roles as a civilian official in the Pentagon, finishing that chapter as the 32nd Undersecretary of the U.S. Navy. In this talk, she will discuss leadership lessons from her diverse career as an Air Force pilot and a senior Pentagon official and how these lessons inform her current role as president of a large public university.”