Unlock Your Hidden Value with Superpowers and Superpassions
What’s the most important sale you’ll ever make? It’s not a product, or a service — it’s you.
When Payton Beckett landed her dream job at MLSE, it wasn’t luck, it was the result of knowing how to sell herself. In this episode, Eric Janssen brings together positioning legend April Dunford, Rob Ironside, Executive Director at League of Innovators (LOI), and Payton to explore the ultimate sales challenge: selling yourself.
Together, they unpack how to turn what makes you different into what makes you desirable — and how to communicate that value so clearly that the right opportunities can’t help but say yes.
Whether you’re applying for your first job, pitching a client, or building a company from scratch, this episode will show you how to tell your story with clarity, confidence, and conviction — and make your “awesome” obvious to the world.
Reframe Takeaway
After listening, you’ll see that the goal isn’t to be everything to everyone; it’s to be the obvious choice for the right people.
Episode Guests
April Dunford: Founder of Ambient Strategy; Author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch
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Rob Ironside: Executive Director at League of Innovators (LOI)
LinkedIn | Instagram
Payton Beckett: Account Executive at MLSE (Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership)
LinkedIn
Top Episode Learnings
Discover Your Value — It Starts Within
Before you can sell anything, you have to understand what makes you valuable.
Think about your superpowers and superpassions. When you know what you’re naturally good at and what you love doing, you can start to see a clear map for your next move in life or work. Your personal value isn’t invented… it’s discovered.The Power of “Why You, Why Now”
April Dunford reminds us that most sales are lost not to competitors, but to confusion and indecision. People don’t choose what they don’t understand. When you make your value unmistakably clear, you help others say yes with confidence. As Rob Ironside puts it, every decision hinges on two questions: “Why you?” and “Why now?”. If you can answer both, you stand out.You’re Not for Everyone… and That’s a Good Thing!
Success comes from narrowing your focus, not widening it. Research shows that having a passionate base who loves you—your “five-star crew”—beats having everyone who just “kind of likes you”. The goal isn’t to appeal to everyone. It’s to connect deeply with the right people.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch — Books by April Dunford
The JOLT Effect: Book by Matt Dixon and Ted McKenna
When Online Reviews Meet Hyperdifferentiation: A Study of the Craft Beer Industry: Research paper by Eric K. Clemons, Guodong "Gordon" Gao and Lorin M. Hitt
Sons of Kent Brewing Co.: Case example
SmartSweets: Case example
Hootsuite: Case example
About Sales Reframed
Sales Reframed is a podcast that redefines sales as the ultimate life skill. Blending research, storytelling, and strategy, it explores how influence, resilience, and purpose drive success in every field.
Developed by award-winning professor and entrepreneur Eric Janssen, and powered by Ivey Executive Education, the show makes sales human, practical, and accessible to everyone.