Justin shares his entire journey of going from athlete to entrepreneur. He talks about the importance of fighting shiny object syndrome. How books, podcasts and masterminds changed his trajectory.

Justin shared everything he has learned about being great at sales while being a good person.

He talked about building confidence in the world of business. And we also touched on some difficult life stuff. The existential crisis, balancing goals with wellness and his brother’s cancer diagnosis.

Life Lessons From Sport And Counter Balance

Justin shared a lot of wisdom from his success as an athlete that transfers to business and life. He reminded us that life is never linear. We’ll have ups, downs, setbacks and jumps forward.

There will be times you need to really commit yourself to a goal, maybe lose some sleep. At other times you’ll be able to craft a really consistent routine for wellness. 

Similar to an athlete in camp training for an event, you’ll need to triple down. After the event there will be some time to rest and recharge. The wins, losses and ties will come too. 

And similar to sports, our careers and life decisions will evolve. We need to know when to quit and when to fight through a situation.

Maybe sometimes you need to switch teams, ask for a trade, or completely move on to a new situation.

How To Be Great At Sales

1. To Sell Is Human: There shouldn’t be any stigma associated with sales. Persuasion and influencing others are skills used in everyday interactions. Leading, teaching, parenting, coaching and business all require great sales.
2. Master Your Product: Thoroughly understand whatever you’re selling. You need to know that it’s the best solution for people. Therefore you must know it on the deepest level possible. This enables you to sell with authenticity and confidence.
3. Evaluate Your Sales Vehicle: Does your current product or service have the potential to meet your revenue and income goals? If not, consider switching to a higher-value product, or new way to sell.
4. Don’t Hide From Objections: You shouldn’t need to keep anything secret. In fact knowing what might prevent someone from purchasing and tackling those topics head on, well ahead of time is key to being transparent and trustworthy.
5. Learn from Top Performers: Identify and learn from the top mentors and salespeople in your field. What do they do differently and what makes them successful?
6. Practice, Practice, Practice: Even if it means facing rejections, practice as much as possible. Professional preparation will pay off when it matters most.
7. Ethical Common Sense Psychology: Sales is about psychology in the most practical way. Not a matter of studying manipulative techniques. But understanding how the mind works, why we desire things and why customers would be super excited and grateful to be able to even purchase.
8. Put Yourself In Customer Shoes: Why would someone really want to buy? If your product, or service is truly valuable, then why wouldn’t they buy?

Memorable Quotes

“I’m learning to have a deeper appreciation for normal days, because those are the simple days, the good days.”

“I want people to take wealth seriously because you’re just one tragedy away from losing everything.”

“After a few months all of the haters will go away and you can keep building a tribe of people like you.”

Guest Bio

Demonstrated mastery in sales, leading sales teams, training, marketing, customer relationship management, and performance management. Proficient in shaping sales strategies and go-to-market approaches for organizations, backed by more than ten years of experience in customer-facing roles as the brand’s ambassador. A compelling presenter who thrives in high-pressure situations, celebrated for a track record of responsibility, achievement, and driving revenue.

Justin Freishtat is a hedge fund manager, sales professional and investor. 

The first 15 years of his professional life was spent building Heartland Foods which is the #1 Farm-to-Table Food Service on the east coast. The company had generated $87 million in gross revenue when the business was acquired by a private equity firm in early 2022.

Now, Justin is a Managing Partner and President of Sales at Kerns Capital. This hedge fund is growing rapidly with several funds that use multiple strategies including swing trading in equities, joint ventures in aerospace, and 3B+ unicorn companies in their private equity arm. 

Kerns Capital is partnered with Forte Capital Group and Innovation X with over $1B+ in assets under management.

As an individual investor, Justin and his partners have also amassed a multifamily real estate portfolio comprised of 1674 units across 5 states.

Justin is also personally invested in multiple funds inside the Kerns Capital ecosystem as he believes you should only partner with managers who have skin in the game.

Follow Justin

Instagram – @justinfreishtat
LinkedIn – @JustinFreishtat