"Show Up & Say Yes": Inside Sales, The "Pause Game" & Radical Leadership w/ Lauren Bailey
In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Lauren Bailey -- founder of Factor 8, #GirlsClub, and Legacy VIP -- for a raw and inspiring conversation about the "Inner Game" of leadership. Lauren shares how personal tragedy birthed her mission to help executives show up authentically, and she breaks down actionable frameworks like "The Pause Game" for coaching reps and the "3 F's" (Fears, Failures, and F-ups) for building psychological safety. From the wisdom of The Four Agreements to the tactical execution of inside sales, this is a masterclass on why perfectionism kills confidence and why true leadership is about creating space, not taking it.
Episode Summary
In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Lauren Bailey, one of the most dynamic voices in modern sales leadership. She is the founder of Factor 8 (inside sales training), #GirlsClub (empowering women in revenue), and Legacy VIP.
What starts as a conversation about sales tactics quickly turns into something deeper—a raw, funny, and inspiring dialogue about purpose. Lauren shares how losing her best friend became the catalyst for launching Legacy VIP, a space where executives show up as their whole selves, not just their résumés.
From the nuances of Landmark Forum to the practical magic of "The Pause Game" for coaching reps, this episode bridges the gap between the "Inner Game" of mindset and the tactical execution of closing deals.
Memorable Quotes:
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"Perfectionism kills confidence; authenticity builds it." — Lauren Bailey
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"Leadership is a 'we' sport. True leadership is about creating space—not taking it."
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"Show up and say yes. These two rules change everything."
3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:
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Play "The Pause Game": Stop reviewing calls just to grade them. Lauren’s favorite coaching technique is to play a recorded call and pause it every 10 seconds. Ask the rep: "What is the customer thinking right now?" and "What would you do next?" This builds empathy and situational awareness faster than any script.
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Celebrate the "3 F's": To build psychological safety, normalize the Fears, Failures, and F-ups. Vulnerability builds confidence. If leaders don't share their "F-ups," reps will hide theirs—and you can't fix what you can't see.
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Be Impeccable With Your Word: A nod to The Four Agreements. In sales, trust is binary. If you say you will follow up at 2:00 PM, do it. If you can't commit, say less. Authenticity wins over perfection.
Key Topics & Timestamps:
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(00:00) – Introduction: Meeting a Force of Nature.
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(05:20) – The Catalyst: How tragedy birthed Legacy VIP.
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(12:15) – Show Up & Say Yes: Two rules for life and leadership.
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(19:40) – The 3 F's: Why discussing Fears, Failures, and F-ups builds revenue teams.
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(27:30) – Tactical Coaching: How to play "The Pause Game" to fix call reluctance.
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(35:10) – Me vs. We: The difficult transition from "Top Seller" to "Servant Leader."
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(42:00) – Women in Sales: The mission behind #GirlsClub.
About Our Guest:
Lauren Bailey is a serial entrepreneur and founder of Factor 8, #GirlsClub, and Legacy VIP. Known for her high energy and practical "truth bombs," Lauren has been voted a Top Sales Influencer by Salesforce and LinkedIn, dedicated to getting more women into sales leadership.
About the Host:
Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group.
With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps emerging and enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.
He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.
Related Episodes:
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Ep [Prev]: The Human Side of Sales w/ Lester Sidney
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Ep [Prev]: The Invisible Manager w/ Sean Gannon
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Ep 76: Who Are You? w/ Gerhard Gschwandtner
Resources & Links:
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Training: Check out Factor 8.
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Community: Learn about #GirlsClub and Legacy VIP.
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Book: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
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Connect: Find Lauren Bailey on LinkedIn.
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Subscribe: thoughtsonselling.com.
Keywords:Inside Sales Training, Sales Leadership, Women in Sales, Lauren Bailey, Factor 8, GirlsClub, Sales Coaching, Call Reviews, The Four Agreements, Executive Presence, Sales Management, Mental Health in Sales, Authentic Leadership.
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Thoughts on Selling™ is a trademark of The Acelera Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Federal trademark registration pending.
Founder, Factor 8 | Legacy Executive Club
Meet Lauren "LB" Bailey – a transformative force in the GTM world who's revolutionizing how companies develop top-performing sales teams. As the founder of Factor 8, an award-winning virtual sales skills powerhouse, Lauren has redefined industry standards for training young sales professionals garnering award after award for the results her team achieves with client partners.
Before blazing her entrepreneurial trail, Lauren traversed the globe training sellers and sales leaders launching new digital sales centers for SAP and IBM. Her latest venture, Legacy Executive Club, is the premier destination where purpose-driven Senior Executives shape the future of leadership.
With over 1,000 career promotions influenced by her guidance, Lauren's mission transcends traditional metrics: she's dedicated to enriching lives and elevating careers by helping professionals feel successful and build meaningful connections with others.
