The People Playbook with Jason Taylor
Better People Decisions. Stronger Teams. Scalable Results.
The People Playbook is your weekly guide to building high-performing teams and cultures that scale. Hosted by leadership coach and executive advisor Jason Taylor, this podcast features raw, insightful conversations with CEOs, founders, and culture builders who know what it really takes to lead in today’s world.
From mindset to execution, every episode unpacks the strategies, missteps, and breakthroughs behind exceptional leadership - and how to align your people, purpose, and performance for lasting impact.
Whether you're a CEO scaling fast, a senior leader navigating change, or a builder at heart - this is your playbook for becoming the leader your team needs.
🎯 New episodes weekly
🔥 Real talk. No fluff.
🧠 Actionable insights you can use today
Because growth doesn’t start with strategy - it starts with people.
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The People Playbook with Jason Taylor
Steven Wright: Freeing Business Owners from Sales - Why Systems, Not Rockstars, Drive Growth
In this episode of The People Playbook, I sit down with Steven Wright, President and CEO of Focus, to unpack one of the most common - and costly - misconceptions in sales: the belief that success comes from hiring the elusive sales “rockstar.”
Steven shares how his team helps growth-minded business owners scale by installing systems, structure, and leadership that empower average performers to become great - and great performers to thrive without the business owner micromanaging every deal.
We talk about:
✔ The dangers of chasing unicorn salespeople
✔ Building a sales engine that’s scalable and predictable
✔ How to balance structure with human flexibility
✔ Real-world stories of sales teams transformed
✔ What business owners must let go of to truly lead
If you're tired of being stuck in sales management mode and want to build a self-sustaining growth machine - this conversation is for you.
Jason Taylor (00:00)
Welcome to the People Playbook podcast. Today's guest is Steven Wright...
Jason Taylor (00:49)
When you look at a company, what do you think is the biggest misconception business owners have about building successful sales teams?
Steven Wright (01:19)
Really what it comes down to is hiring that rockstar... but it's actually the system that makes success happen.
Jason Taylor (02:45)
Tell us about the moment where you came up with your Sales Growth System. When did that idea become a reality?
Steven Wright (03:01)
We’ve been doing this for over 20 years...
Jason Taylor (04:35)
You've worked with over 40 B2B companies — what patterns do you see in underperforming sales teams?
Steven Wright (04:55)
It comes down to rhythm. You can have process, but without consistent execution...
Jason Taylor (06:00)
There’s a difference between high-performing teams and high-achieving teams — so why is chasing the sales rockstar so risky?
Steven Wright (06:54)
Part of it is this belief that building a system is harder... but relying on unicorns is riskier.
Jason Taylor (08:39)
If you build the right system, aren't you creating a better world for your salespeople too?
Steven Wright (09:18)
Exactly. Without structure, people fall into uncertainty and imposter syndrome.
Jason Taylor (10:37)
Can you share a story of an underperformer who transformed after implementing structure?
Steven Wright (11:15)
We've seen this a lot — once we align people's strengths and roles, the results follow...
Jason Taylor (14:18)
Sometimes it's just about putting people in the right seat — would you agree?
Steven Wright (15:00)
100%. Sales is no longer just about networking; it's manufacturing sales through defined roles.
Jason Taylor (16:17)
How do you implement structure without turning your sales team into robots?
Steven Wright (16:54)
We never script people — we teach the what and why, but the how stays authentic to them.
Jason Taylor (18:24)
You've coached youth baseball for years — do those lessons translate to coaching sales teams?
Steven Wright (19:27)
Absolutely. Success comes from structure, fundamentals, and repetition — same in sales.
Jason Taylor (19:39)
When you free owners from running sales teams, what's the hardest mindset shift they need to make?
Steven Wright (20:18)
Letting go of the "art" of selling and embracing the "science" — process, structure, data.
Jason Taylor (22:12)
It's funny how owners have systems for everything — except sales. Why is that?
Steven Wright (22:40)
They've done it for operations, finance — sales is often the Wild West, but it shouldn't be.
Jason Taylor (22:59)
For owners listening, how do they know they’re stuck managing, not leading?
Steven Wright (23:17)
If you're still running sales meetings, chasing deals, you're in management mode — not visionary leadership.
Jason Taylor (24:28)
What was your why for starting Focus? What problem were you solving?
Steven Wright (24:51)
We saw a gap — businesses big enough to need leadership but unable to afford full-time sales management.
Jason Taylor (25:40)
If we set growth aside, what's the next biggest pain point for sales organizations?
Steven Wright (25:41)
Predictability. Growth isn't the goal — it's the outcome of building a predictable, repeatable system.
Jason Taylor (26:55)
What’s one success story you’re most proud of — where your system changed someone’s life?
Steven Wright (27:01)
We had a client stuck running a family business they didn’t love. Our system gave them freedom to pursue their real passion — and the business still thrives.
Jason Taylor (28:31)
Amazing. Thanks for your time today, Steven — great insights and conversation.
Steven Wright (28:46)
Thanks for having me.
