Written By: Mark Krusinski Jr.
I’ll admit it: I wasn’t sold on going to the Sandler Summit this year.
It’s not that I’m anti-conference. I’ve been to a handful in the past, and they were… fine. You know the drill—catch a few good speakers, overdo it at the buffet, fly home with a branded notebook and a vague sense that you should be doing more “value-based selling.” But I’ve always felt that the juice rarely justified the squeeze.
So when I booked my flight to Orlando and found myself checking into the Marriott near midnight, I wasn’t buzzing with anticipation. I was mostly thinking about how close we were to Disney and how little chance I had of actually seeing it. But something shifted pretty quickly—and not in the “I got a free tote bag” kind of way.
The First Morning: Stories That Actually Stick
The next morning, I made my way down to the kickoff session, still half-wishing I was in line for Space Mountain instead of sitting in a ballroom. That feeling lasted until David Mattson took the stage.
David is Sandler’s Executive Chairman, and he knows how to set the tone. His stories were personal—he talked about his kids, about learning curves, about why the people who keep training always seem to rise to the top. “People who just do what they’re told are fine,” he said, “but if you want to excel, you’ve got to keep learning.” That hit home.
And that was the first “okay-this-is-different” moment. This wasn’t another theoretical session about “shifting paradigms.” It was a reminder that we’ve got to outlearn the competition—especially in a field like tech recruiting where every other company is promising the “best engineers” and “cultural alignment” like it’s a vending machine snack.
Then AI Took the Stage—and Looked Just Like the SpeakerIf Day One had a defining moment, it was Jody Williamson’s presentation. And not just because it was smart—but because he brought his AI clone on stage.
Yeah, you read that right.
Jody introduced “AI Bob”—a hyper-realistic, deepfake version of himself that gave a 30-second sales pitch. Same voice. Same cadence. Same unnerving presence. It was like watching your trainer on a Zoom call, except… not.
There was a visible ripple through the room. A mix of fascination and, let’s be honest, mild panic. You could feel the tech folks in the audience calculating how soon this thing could replace their SDR team—or their boss. Meanwhile, I was just trying to figure out if AI Bob could do my intake calls.
But Jody didn’t leave us hanging in the uncanny valley. He pivoted into practical tools—like Fathom, an AI assistant that sits in on Zoom or Teams calls and automatically summarizes them.
Jody’s point wasn’t that AI is coming for our jobs. It’s that AI can take care of the grunt work so we can spend more time doing what actually moves the needle: building relationships. And that’s especially critical in tech, where candidate trust is everything and speed is the name of the game.
Finding My Tribe—And a Childhood Connection
One of the coolest parts of the Summit was that I didn’t just go solo. I went down with a crew from Zarcoa, who also trained with us through Sandler Independence. These guys were sharp, thoughtful, and from a totally different industry than recruiting. That made for some great cross-pollination of ideas.
And in true small-world fashion, I ended up talking with one of them and discovered he’s married to a friend I used to swim with before college. So yes, technically I networked and reconnected with my high school past all in one chat. Efficiency.
Beyond Zarcoa, the event drew a wild variety of people. I met a guy from Colorado who sells training to Navy SEALs. I met a trainer from Texas who works with outsourced recruiters. That’s a tough gig—even tougher than convincing a full-stack engineer to update their résumé.
But the best part? Most people there weren’t Sandler trainers. They were people like me—clients. Leaders. Sales professionals. People trying to get better. People who weren’t forced to be there, but chose to be. That shared intent created a vibe I haven’t felt at many events.
The Transformation Talk I Needed
On Day Two, I joined a session by Hamish Knox. His focus was on transformation—how to manage it, how to lead through it, and most importantly, how to make sure it sticks.
He walked us through what really happens after you launch a new initiative: the initial excitement, the creeping doubts, the resistance from the team, and eventually the grind of turning ideas into habits. It felt like he was describing every internal rollout I’ve ever been part of.
For Emerald Recruiting, where we’re constantly adapting to changing client demands and market trends, this session was gold. It gave me a new lens for evaluating how we implement change and support the team through it—not just by pushing, but by walking the talk.
Tough Love From Glen Mattson
Then came Glen Mattson—David’s brother—and his talk on excuses. Not the loud, finger-pointing kind. The quiet ones. The kind you make in your own head.
“I’m tired today.”
“This role is just too niche.”
“That client isn’t responding, so it’s probably a dead lead.”
Sound familiar?
Glen made a brutally honest point: if you’re making excuses silently, you’re conditioning yourself to accept them from your team. That one sat with me.
I’m not immune. I’ve had days where I’ve rationalized not pushing harder—where I’ve pulled back instead of leaning in. Glen’s talk was a reminder that leadership doesn’t start with a team meeting. It starts with the stuff you say to yourself when no one else is around.
It was the kind of tough love every leader needs—delivered with just enough edge to make it sting, and just enough clarity to make it stick.
What I’m Taking With Me
After the conference, I stuck around in Orlando for a bit to visit my uncle. That gave me a little space to decompress, and when I thought about the big takeaways, three things rose to the top:
1. I’m going back next year—and I’m bringing reinforcements.
This wasn’t just a feel-good motivational trip. It was tactical, specific, and full of people who actually want to get better. Next time, I want more of our team at Emerald Recruiting to be there. There’s no substitute for shared learning.
2. I need to show up earlier.
Everyone I talked to seemed to arrive a day or two ahead of the conference. Some went golfing. Some hit Disney. But more importantly, they connected. Next year, I’m blocking off extra time to plug into those informal meetups. Relationships are built in the downtime, not just the breakout sessions.
3. The people make the summit.
Whether it was tech leaders, outsourced recruiters, or someone selling to Navy SEALs, every conversation felt real. No ego. Just shared challenges, shared curiosity, and a lot of laughter about the weird stuff we all deal with in our jobs.
(Like when a senior software engineer insists they “don’t do interviews” but still applies to every DevOps role on the planet.)
A Quick Word to My Tech Clients
If you’re reading this and wondering, “What does a sales summit have to do with my tech company?”—a lot, actually.
Because selling isn’t just for salespeople. It’s for product managers trying to get buy-in. For engineering leaders pitching roadmap changes. For founders raising capital. And for every hiring manager trying to convince a passive candidate to take the leap.
What I learned at Sandler Summit isn’t just for recruiters. It’s for anyone navigating complexity, building teams, and influencing outcomes in high-stakes environments. Which—if you work in tech—basically means you.
Final Shout-Out
Before I wrap this up, I need to give credit where it’s due.
Rick McDermott and Rob Yoho, my Sandler trainers, have been absolute game-changers for me and my team. Their guidance, their frameworks, their no-BS approach to sales and leadership—they’ve helped us build what I can only describe as a “cookbook for success.”
They’ve taught me how to approach every client conversation with intent. How to coach my team with clarity. And how to hold myself accountable even when things get hard.
I truly believe I wouldn’t be the recruiter—or the leader—I am today without them.
So, if your team needs a jolt of purpose, direction, or let’s be honest, just a good ol’ fashioned kick in the pants—give Rick and Rob a call.
They won’t just train your team. They’ll transform it.
About The Author:
Mark is a senior recruiter at Emerald Recruiting, where he helps fast-growing technology companies find top-tier talent across engineering, product, and leadership roles. With a deep understanding of the tech landscape, Mark specializes in building long-term relationships with both clients and candidates. He’s passionate about blending proven sales techniques with modern recruiting strategies to drive better hiring outcomes. When he’s not on calls or at conferences, you can find him coaching his team or exploring the latest trends in AI and talent acquisition.
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