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A Workday With Josh Fedie of SalesReach

Josh Fedie has a founder’s mentality. Fedie used his background in sales and marketing to create the foundation for his own venture — SalesReach.io — and while the “SaaS based buyer portal” may be the professional fuel that keeps him going every day, it’s clear he cares about much more than just his own business. In his video series, The Founders Mentality (you didn’t think I came up with that catch first sentence on my own, did you?), Fedie peels back the sheen of startups and talks genuinely with fellow entrepreneurs and founders about the struggles, successes, fears, doubts, and thrills of starting your own business.

This is A Workday With Josh Fedie, CEO and founder of SalesReach.

 

 

 

 

Tell us a little about your background and how you got to where you are today.

I have been working in sales and marketing functions for the last 20 years of my life and have become obsessed with the need for the two to be better aligned. My career started in the agency setting in business development at local marketing shops, eventually transitioning to running my own digital agency where I first developed the prototype for the software company I currently run. After closing down my first business, I began working in the world of digital product development which is where I found my true passion and decided to stop building for others and start building for myself.

What time do you rise and shine?

6:30 a.m.

What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Coffee.

What’s the first work-related task you tackle each morning?

Email. It’s important to me to respond to anything I missed from the night that needs attention.

What is your workspace setup?

My desk is essentially an audio and video production studio. This is for a few key reasons. First, to bring awareness to my business, I rely on a steady stream of organic content production. This is done primarily through the production of long-form vlog and podcast production and micro content primarily used on LinkedIn as my customer base of sales professionals are a frequent LinkedIn users.

Secondly, my software leverages personalized video as part of facilitating a better buying experience, so it is important to me to ensure that my videos are produced well.

Lastly, the bulk of my day is spent providing demos and customer setup through video calls. I’ve found that ensuring a crisp audio helps tremendously in this area.

What’s the most interesting/fun/meaningful thing on your desk?

The pen I signed my first investment check with. I will take that to my grave.

What’s one piece of tech you can’t live without?

The obvious answer is my computer, but I’d be lost without my camera as well. Can we just change the question to, “What are the two pieces of tech”? Come to think of it… I need my phone as well… this is going to get out of control fast…

What do you need to get done before lunch to feel like you had a productive morning?

Every day is different. I don’t really classify mornings differently than afternoons or evenings. If I do something that I feel brings my company more value… if I do a good job of coaching my team… if I feel everyone has what they need to be successful and missions are aligned… it’s a good day.

What are you listening to these days?

“Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons”, The Tallest Man On Earth, Mandolin Orange, and Gregory Alan Isakov are on constant shuffle these days.

What is your current TV obsession?

“Blackish.”

What’s the last movie you saw and what would you rate it (out of five stars)?

“Ford V Ferrari.” 5 out of 5.

What book would we find on your nightstand?

Something written by David Sedaris.

Cats or dogs?

Dogs.

What are you currently rockin’ as your phone background?

Velodromo Vigorelli.

The best part about living in Minnesota is…

I love the change in seasons but prefer summer and fall.

How do you fend off the post-lunch lull?

I almost never take a lunch.

What do you use to stay organized during a hectic day?

This is my biggest area for improvement. I use Hubspot reminders, Troll, and Slack currently but not always successfully.

What’s a recent work-related challenge you had to conquer? Walk us through your process.

I don’t want to point out just one. We are a startup — every day brings a new challenge. What I will say is that I try and involve and rely on my team for most all pressing needs. There is power in trusting those around you to do what needs to be done. My process is to be a team driven organization and to make the most strategic moves as possible with as much company alignment as possible. When everyone understands the challenges and the how/why of how we will solve it, it’s incredibly motivating to all.

What’s one thing everyone could do to be more productive?

Block time on your calendar. Biggest life hack ever.

What’s the last work-related thing you do every day?

I try to end each day in conversation with solid advisors or prospects with mutual learning being the focus.

How do you decompress at the end of a long workday?

Do people decompress at the end of the day? I love what I do. I’m always thinking about what needs to be done next. I’ll decompress when I retire. I know this is not the current popular opinion of how to live, but it works for me.

What time do you usually hit the hay?

Midnight.

 

Photos courtesy of Josh Fedie.

 

If there’s a community thought leader or founder who you’d like to see featured in our “A Workday With…” series, contact us on Twitter @TECHdotMN or email info@tech.mn with the subject line “A Workday With… Submission.”

Have you checked out the other founders featured in the series?

Casey Shultz of BETA.

Yasameen Sajady of Maazah

Elyse Ash of Fruitful

Sai Bezawada of Giftbomb 

Mary Kay Ziniewicz of Bus Stop Mamas

Alex Skjong
Alex oversees the content produced for BETA, Twin Cities Startup Week, and tech.mn. When he’s not writing or editing, there’s a good chance he’s enjoying a refreshing brew and explaining the merits of heavy metal (of which there are many).