In this 6‑questions‑in‑7‑minutes interview, Professor Pete Alexander hosts Brian Sexton, the host of the Intentional Encourager podcast and author of People Buy from People. Sexton, a 26‑year sales veteran, emphasizes that people buy from people—connection precedes any transaction. He recommends that companies start with a “Chapter 1” focus on building authentic connections with customers and internal teams. Sexton introduces the concept of intentional daily encouragement, urging leaders to explicitly recognize and value team members each week, a practice he expands on in his upcoming book The Intentional Encourager. He suggests inviting baseball executive Billy Beane to Alexander’s podcast, citing Beane’s innovative, data‑driven leadership at the Oakland Athletics. Sexton shares a formative first‑job story working in his uncle’s snack bar, where early exposure to money handling and customer interaction shaped his people skills. The episode concludes with Sexton’s contact information and platforms where listeners can find his podcast, books, and social media.
Chapters
This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
I am Bryan Sexton. I am the host of the Intentional Encourager podcast, and I'm the author of People Buy from People and an experienced sales, sales management, and customer engagement specialist of nearly 26 years.
Well, Bryan, it is an absolute pleasure to have you on the show. Question number 2: What is something that makes you smile and/or laugh about working in your industry?
What makes me smile is connecting with people on a day-to-day basis because I value connection. And, and I said this in my book, People Buy from People, Pete Alexander Alexander. I, I, what I said is people make, people buy connection before ever making a transaction. And so the, the fact of the matter is I love connecting and building relationships with people day after day. So again, if, if you're listening to this, leaders, Connect with your people. Connect with your people. Connect with your people.
I couldn't agree with you more. Great, great idea and recommendation. Question number 3. I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business.
Okay.
What chapter would you think most companies should read?
Chapter 1, because we got to start with the basics. And here's the thing I wrote when I wrote People Buy from People. I, it started out being a sales book because I don't care what business you're in, you're in sales. You know, companies can't survive without sales and revenue. But what I figured out pretty quickly, and it, and again, it was a piece of advice my dad gave me, he said, never forget, son, people buy from people. And so when I got into writing the middle of the book, Pete, I found that my dad was talking about connection. And so whatever chapter is in there about connection with customers, internal and external connection with internal teams. And again, it builds off the answer I just gave you. You know, connection is key to everything in life. If we're not connecting, we're not growing, we're not, we're not pursuing opportunities. We're not taking opportunities to take our businesses to the next level. We're not taking opportunities to take those relationships with great people that we have in our companies. To the next level. And so again, if I'm going to read your book about having all the answers to business, I would hope there's a chapter in there on connection.
And I would totally agree with you, Brian. That's— it would probably be the most important chapter of all, you know, based on the way that you described it. So thank you for that. Question number 4: Other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice or insight would you give to other business leaders?
Encourage your people every day. Be intentional with encouragement. We talk so many times about training and coaching and leading. We don't talk enough about encouraging. Let me share this with you, Pete Alexander. Encouraged people are powerful people. If you want to transform your company, start encouraging your people. Tell them every week what you value most about them and be specific. That will encourage them like nothing else. And I'm writing my second book, "The Intentional Encourager," to speak to leaders, to speak to pastors, to speak to people that own businesses, that intentional encouragement is the most powerful thing that you can do with your teams. And so that's the piece of advice that I would give is encourage your people. My dear friend, Kristen Sherry, says this, She says, "People don't leave companies, they leave leaders." And so, if we're not encouraging our people, especially in this time of COVID-19 and the pandemic, when everyone's work is different and it's unusual and it's been that way, and we don't know when things are going to return to normal, so to speak. If we can continue to encourage people and we can continue to offer intentional encouragement, every day, we're going to see productivity climb. We're going to see customer engagement climb and the customer experience climb. And you're going to see your business really transform through encouragement.
Mm-hmm. That is so insightful, Brian. I absolutely love it because people are going to love working for you. They're going to feel valued. They're going to be more loyal. There's so many things about that that you say that are spot on. So thank you so much for that.
Yeah.
Question number 5: What other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast?
You know what, Pete Alexander, I have had— I've been so blessed and fortunate with the Intentional Encourager podcast to have so many great business leaders like yourself. And so to answer that question right now would be doing— I'm going to leave somebody out. And so there are just But you know what, LinkedIn, where you and I hang out, is full of impactful, insightful business leaders. So again, I hate to defer that question. I don't want to leave anybody out. And so, you know, I appreciate you asking me that. Often I could probably name 75 people off the top of my head, and instead of 7 minutes, it would be, you know, 800 minutes just talking about all the incredible people that I've had a chance to interact with on the Intentional Encourager podcast.
And then, you know, what would happen too is the 76th person that you left out and stuff, they're the ones who are going to say, hey, what about me?
You know, you know who I think you should get, Pete, on your— I am going to— I'm going to give you one name.
Okay.
I'm going to give you one name because I know your penchant for Major League Baseball and I know your penchant for a certain team in the Bay Area. I would suggest you get Billy Bean on your podcast.
It's interesting that you say that.
Vice president of the Oakland Athletics, your childhood team, which you graciously shared with me on the Intentional Encourager podcast.
And you know, I've actually got it.
That's the lead I've got for you. Get Billy Bean on your podcast.
I love it. I'm actually going to reach out to him because I met him at a conference once. He was the keynote speaker and he was a good guy back when, you know, when the movie came out, the Brad Pitt movie came out for him, and, and, uh, so he was speaking about that. And so I will reach out to him. That's a good one.
Dynamic leader. What a revolutionary leader, because Billy Beane was doing things with the, with the Oakland Athletics when a lot of people were taking traditional data and doing traditional things. Billy Beane said, we don't have a traditional payroll, we can't compete, we have to do things that other people are not doing. And it was wildly successful.
It was, it was. So that's a great, great suggestion. Thank you for that. And I, and I got excited for my baseball team getting a plug. Absolutely.
Absolutely. My, my second one would be, um, to reach out to, to, uh, the, the general manager of the Cincinnati Reds, who is a guy named Nick Kroll. So, you know, it's— and I've met Nick Kroll myself, so it's Uh, yeah, I, I grew up a lifelong Reds fan, so we, we had fun. We had fun on the Intentional Encourager podcast telling stories from the '70s about our teams battling in, in postseason play. Your, your team got the better of my team in, in the postseason play, although we did even it up in 1990.
Yes, so, so we're, we're tied 1-1 in World Series victories.
We got to make sure that the A's and the Reds meet this postseason so we can get you know, get a clear-cut winner there.
There you go. And I would be all for that.
I would too. I would too.
Oh my goodness. We could go on forever. But let's go to question number 6. Okay. The final question. Please tell me about your first job.
You know, it's interesting. I have an uncle that is 85 years old. He lives in Oregon now with his daughter, but he was married to my aunt for over 30 years before She passed away when I was a kid. We worked in my uncle's snack bar. My uncle had a snack bar across the street from the local television station where they had their studios. And so when I was a kid, all the people that I would watch on the 6:00 news, I would see them at noon, 1:00 during the day. They would come into my, my aunt and uncle's snack bar and get hot dogs and barbecue and get their lunch there. They come every day and then I'd see them 3, 2 or 3 hours later. They'd come back and get an afternoon snack, maybe some popcorn that we would pop fresh and things like that. So I learned how to handle money, but that's where I learned how to interact with people. That's where I really learned how to interact with people. There's a, there's a guy on that's on Fox Sports Ohio. His name is Dave Metzold. He does the pregame show for the Columbus Blue Jackets now of the NHL. Well, I was 10, 11 years old and Dave Metzold was, was shadowboxing with me and slapboxing with me, just, you know, just playing around with me as a, as a little kid, you know, in my uncle's snack bar. And then we would take a break and then we'd go across the street. We'd hang out with him in the TV studio and And so that was my first job. And I'll always be grateful to my aunt and uncle for letting my sister and I come and hang out and really learn what it was like to run your own business and work. And I see my uncle snap stock pop, and I'd help him, you know, get candy and things like that. And so, uh, yeah, that was my first job, real job. And, and my uncle would pay me $5 at the end of the day, and I'd run down the street to the sporting goods store and pick up something, and, or to the, to magazine store and pick up something. But, uh, yeah, those are memories that I'll cherish the rest of my life.
Oh, I love that story. It was so fun going back with you there, and the detail that you give on that, it's, it's just great. Thank you for sharing that. And Brian, thank you so much for being on the show. How could people find you?
So you can find me on LinkedIn at Brian Sexton MBA, um, and you find me on Facebook, just type The Intentional Encourager, and, and I pop up there. I'm on Twitter @Brian Sexton 13. I'm not on Instagram because my 20-year-old son will, will have a cow. He will not, he will not allow Instagram. But, but again, wherever you get podcasts, find the Intentional Encourager podcast there. We've got a ton of great episodes, names you're going to recognize. My book, People Buy from People, is available on Amazon, or you can contact me at intentionalmediaandpublishing.com. And I, I'm sorry, intentionalmediaandpublishing@gmail.com. And if you want a signed copy, you can get with me and I'll shoot the links over to you. I can buy a signed copy directly from me.
Perfect. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Get hundreds of amazing business insights from previous guest episodes on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.
