Unlocking Sales Success & Overcoming Burnout with Luis Baez

Unlocking Sales Success & Overcoming Burnout with Luis Baez

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Welcome back to The Daily Mastermind. I’m George Wright III, bringing you your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. Today, we have a special guest whose expertise in sales and business growth is something you don’t want to miss.

Luis Baez is a sales strategist, consultant, and expert in sales enablement. With a background working at companies like LinkedIn, Google, Uber, and Tesla, he now helps business owners scale their revenues and optimize their sales strategies. He is the Global Director of Revenue Enablement at Deputy, an author, speaker, and educator.

Luis, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much for having me. Happy to be here.

Great to have you. Sales is a critical topic, not just for sales professionals, but for CEOs, business owners, and leaders across every industry. Let’s start with your backstory. How did you get into sales, and what led you to where you are today?

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Luis Baez’s Background and Journey

I was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the South Bronx, just ten minutes from Yankee Stadium. I grew up in poverty and worked as hard as I could, asking for help when I needed it. I was the first in my family to earn a high school diploma, the first to go to college, the first to hold a passport, and the first to own a business.

I initially pursued medicine and law, but I quickly realized they weren’t for me. After pivoting into business, I found my way into corporate sales. I built a career beyond my wildest dreams, working in tech, advertising, software, and renewable energy. I was recruited by some of the biggest companies in the world and managed enterprise sales portfolios worth over $100 million, as well as leading teams of over 100 people.

Today, I dedicate my time to training and mentoring the next generation of sales professionals, helping businesses create sales strategies that are sustainable and impactful.

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Key Insights on Sales and Personal Growth

That’s an incredible journey. I want to highlight something you said—you failed at being a doctor and a lawyer because you didn’t enjoy it. That’s something a lot of people struggle with. They’re doing something they don’t love, but they don’t know how to pivot. Was there an ‘aha’ moment when you realized sales was your path?

Actually, the first ‘aha’ moment didn’t come from me—it was pointed out to me. After dropping out of law school, I felt lost. I told my best friend at the time that I had no idea what to do next. She told me something that stuck with me:

"You don’t recognize this about yourself, but you have this magnetism. When you do show up, people gravitate toward you and hang onto every word you say. Have you ever considered sales?"

She submitted my resume for a sales role in tech advertising. I had no background in the industry, went through eight rounds of interviews, and somehow got the job. That was my first realization that I had a natural ability to sell—I just needed to develop it further.

That’s such an important lesson. Sometimes, we don’t recognize our own strengths, and it takes someone else to point them out. Another key takeaway is that you didn’t have experience, but you went all in and figured it out. Now, you’re an expert helping others master sales. How do you approach teaching sales across an organization?

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Sales Enablement Across an Organization

Many people assume sales is just about closing deals. In reality, sales is a company-wide effort. When I work with businesses, the first thing I look at is whether the sales team has what they need to succeed.

Once we identify gaps, we create a strategy that involves marketing, operations, and leadership to build a system that allows everyone to perform at their best.

That’s such an overlooked part of sales. Too often, businesses blame their sales team for lack of results when, in reality, the company hasn’t set them up for success. That brings me to an issue many people face—burnout. Sales, business, and leadership can be exhausting. How do you help people deal with burnout and stress?

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Overcoming Burnout and Stress in Sales

When someone is experiencing burnout, the first thing I do is give them permission to unplug. Many high achievers feel guilty about stepping back, but it’s necessary.

Step one is carving out a few hours to reset. Step two is assessing the symptoms of burnout—sleep, appetite, mindset, and energy levels. From there, we reconnect with their original “why.” If you built a business to solve a problem but now find yourself drowning in financial stress, your focus has shifted to desperation rather than purpose.

Once we reset, we take small, actionable steps to build momentum. That might mean scheduling time with family, working with a therapist, or planning workouts. Once personal well-being is addressed, we can then tackle business challenges with a clearer mind.

That’s such a great point. Burnout often stems from a shift in focus—from purpose to pressure. Let’s pivot to another challenge in sales—distraction. How do salespeople and business owners stay focused despite everything competing for their attention?

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Staying Focused and Present in Sales

To reach a state of focus and flow, two things must be in place:

Sales success doesn’t come from doing everything—it comes from doing the right things consistently. It’s always the three core activities you do consistently, not the twenty things you do occasionally, that drive results.

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Building Confidence and Resilience in Sales

Sales requires dealing with rejection on a daily basis. How do you help people build confidence and resilience after repeated rejection?

Confidence is a mindset and a skill developed over time. One thing I always tell myself when I face rejection is:

"I’ve been rejected by people more important than you."

I’ve DM’d Oprah. I’ve reached out to Ricky Martin. Neither got back to me. So if someone tells me no, it doesn’t phase me. Sales requires rejection—the more no’s you get, the closer you are to a yes.

The key to resilience is to detach yourself from the outcome and focus on small wins. Track every positive step:

The more you acknowledge your progress, the more confident you become.

That’s a powerful strategy. So many salespeople internalize rejection when, in reality, it’s just part of the process. I love how you shift the focus from failure to progress. Let’s wrap up—where can people connect with you and learn more?

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The best place to connect with me is LinkedIn. I’m always sharing insights and strategies there. I also offer a free course at learnfromluis.com, where I lay out my entire leadership playbook, strategies, and sales frameworks.

That’s an incredible resource. I’ll include all your links in the show notes so people can reach out. Any final words of advice?

You never lose when you bet on yourself. Investing in your education, skills, and training always pays off.

That’s the perfect note to end on. Thank you, Luis, for sharing your expertise, and to everyone listening, remember—it’s never too late to start living the life you were meant to live. Take action today.

This has been The Daily Mastermind. See you tomorrow.