Every education founder, EdTech CEO, and school leader wants growth. But here’s the mistake almost everyone makes: they chase revenue before they’ve earned trust.

In education, trust is the real currency—it turns a pitch into a meeting, and a meeting into a deal.

In this episode, I’m joined by Michael Campbell, president of Advancing Global EDU, Inc., Chief Executive Officer of Dual Bridges Academy and Advisory Board Member at edWeb.net, LIVE from the ASU-GSV Summit (the edtech conference each April in sunny San Diego) —to unpack why rushing to hire sales stalls early growth—and how the smartest founders turn research studies, customer listening, and evidence-backed storytelling into trust that fills their funnels and converts prospects into paying clients.

💡 He even gets into hard numbers: why a $20K–$30K university research study might be the best marketing investment you’ll ever make—and how to turn it into white papers, videos, and proof points that fuel your pipeline.

If you’re tired of stalled pitches and sales hires that underperform, this episode is your blueprint for turning evidence into revenue, trust, and consistent leads.

🔑 5 Big Takeaways for Education Founders

1️⃣ Invest in Evidence
Invest in a structured research study to prove your solution works. Turn the results into white papers, videos, and other assets that double as lead-generation tools.

2️⃣ Proof = Pipeline
Case studies, pilots, and research-backed evidence create credibility that fuels conversations, earns trust, and gets buyers to say yes.

3️⃣ Sales Isn’t Your First Hire
Hiring a teacher or untested salesperson won’t magically create revenue. Validate your market and build proof first.

4️⃣ Slow Sales = Smart Sales in Education
One-call closes are rare. Trust, referrals, and relationships are your real growth multipliers.

5️⃣ Courage + Consistency = Contracts
Most founders quit before traction. Those who stick with research, realistic goals, and customer listening win contracts and sustainable growth.

📩Want to flip research into a repeatable lead-generation engine? DM me “Lead Gen” and I’ll walk you through the exact framework we use to help founders turn proof points into paying customers.

📤 Know an EdTech founder struggling to turn their proof into pipeline? Send them this episode—they’ll thank you later.

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