The SAMY Awards

Brett M. Bradshaw

SVP Sales | Spring Mobile
Brett Bradshaw heads up all sales, merchandising and training for Spring Mobile, the largest indirect AT&T retailer in the West. The world of mobile phone retailing is extremely competitive, but Bradshaw has made it possible for Spring Mobile to continue growing, despite tough economic conditions.

“To do well in the profession of sales, you have to be willing to adapt to change and be creative enough to overcome obstacles while remaining optimistic and realistic,” he says.

Just in the past year, Bradshaw’s efforts increased company revenues by more than $20 million and increased accessory sales by 25 percent. He also developed and launched Spring University, an online training tool that provides Spring Mobile employees with 110 hours of training within the first 90 days of employment.

Bradshaw recognizes that employees are key to the company’s success, and his top goal, he says, “is to drive the maximum amount of revenue possible with the most educated and friendly staff that deliver extraordinary experiences.”

Adam J. Casto EVP Business Development and Sales | MediConnect Global, Inc.
Adam Casto learned hard work from a young age: as a teenager, he was involved in every facet of family-owned startups. After graduation, he worked for many years at Richter7 in marketing and communications before joining MediConnect Global seven years ago as part of the company’s chief executive team. In his role, Casto helped the company become one of the nation’s largest Health Information Exchange (HIE) solutions and grew the company’s revenues more than 1,100 percent. Casto says that he is rewarded with the relationships he has developed over the years. “I personally get an immense amount of self gratification knowing that all the sales effort that my team and I make not only helps impact the positive growth of our company, but also the success of our clients,” he says. Casto says his recipe for success is based around the three P’s: preparation before a sales call, perception during the call and persistence after. ”My advice to someone who doesn’t think they have the skills to be a salesperson is to take the shot. And when you do, jump in with both feet and give it everything you have.”

Tom Fleenor

Director of Sales and Marketing | International Armoring Corporation
From driving a truck for a family-owned welding company to having dinner with foreign politicians, Tom Fleenor says he has had an interesting and fun career. Fleenor got his start in sales while working for a welding company, where he quickly found that working in sales posed a unique opportunity to build relationships with individuals—the aspect he enjoys most about the sales profession.

At International Armoring Corporation (IAC), Fleenor is able to build relationships with clientele from all over the world—including dignitaries, celebrities and high-ranking politicians. “It’s not just a product that you go sell a product and you walk away. You’re building relationships with these people,” he says.

“During Tom’s tenure, IAC has shown tremendous growth in existing markets as well as new markets,” says Mark Burton, CEO of IAC. “During the past five years, IAC has entered 22 new markets, mainly through Tom’s efforts working directly with embassies and consulates and an aggressive internet campaign.”

Harvey Bussell

Vice President of Sales | Les Olson Company
When Harvey Bussell was growing up, he knew a “no” from his father was the final answer. But he also knew that a “no” from his mother meant ask again and again and again until she finally said “yes.” It was this discovery as a child, along with the realization that he enjoyed being around people, that led Bussell into a successful career in sales.

Bussell joined Les Olson Company in 1989, working his way up from sales rep to his current position as vice president of sales. His secret to good results is being “pleasantly persistent…If you connect with your customers and continue to resolve their concerns, eventually there are no more concerns and they can’t help but say yes,” Bussell says.

Under Bussell’s leadership, his sales team has increased sales by more than 12 percent above last year. In addition, half of his 12-person team rank among the top 10 salespeople company-wide. Those results come from Bussell’s belief that anyone can be a great salesperson with enough dedication.

Derek M. Smith

Vice President of Sales and Marketing | ZAGG, Inc.
Derek Smith never thought he would find himself in sales, but after 14 years of service in the military, that was exactly where he ended up. “My start in sales came when I took a marketing position with a white goods retailer in Australia and wanted to get a solid understanding of the business. So I negotiated for my first three months with the company to be spent selling at one of the retail stores to learn that side of the business. I ended up staying in sales and haven’t looked back,” he says.