Titanium Member Spotlight: Holly Mitchell, CEO & Founder of Firefly Sales Engagement
Firefly is a sales engagement consultancy that works with sales executives and their teams to identify and break through barriers hindering sales performance. Working from the core belief that the assets you need to move your company forward are already there, Firefly shows you how to light their spark using customized programs that uncover the value in your people.
In this Titanium Member Spotlight, we spoke with the Founder and CEO of Firefly Sales Engagement, Holly Mitchell, to learn about her journey as an entrepreneur, her experience as a member of Titanium, and her interpretation of DEI.
The Professional
You’re a leader in your industry now, but did you always know this is what you wanted to do?
I love people. I always knew that my energy came from being around other like-minded humans, especially people that are optimistic and problem-solvers. I knew whatever career path I chose, being around people was the place for me.
I began my career as a "green" sales representative pioneering a brand-new territory in Southern Idaho. Over the years, I shifted into more established sales territories that required different selling skills, eventually finding my way into marketing and ultimately into management.
That said, the best part of my career is the people I have met on this journey, and in some ways, it still feels like I’m at the beginning.
How does the reality of your work compare with what you thought it would be?
Reality: I believe there are three main things that set you up where you are today, not just professionally, but personally:
Hard work
Ability to rise above failure
A little luck
My career has weaved in and out of times where extreme hard work and buckets of grit to learn from my mistakes, while other times I found myself in the intersection of the right place at the right time. And from time to time, progress boiled down to some plain old luck. As I reflect, I can't say my career is exactly where I thought it would be, but I can say that I am exactly where I want it to be today: I am an entrepreneur, piloting my own way to my own definition of success.
My experience working within the corporate structure throughout my career, as well as managing a successful side-hustle that was solely mine, provided me the opportunity to connect the best of these two worlds to help inspire the employees of both.
What is the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Show up with love. This may sound a bit warm and fuzzy, but I’ve experienced both sides of the fence, from elbowing others to get in front to being the gate they are all trying to crowd through to capture the win. In my experience, showing up with consideration and kindness always wins.
Over time, these lessons have proved to me that true success comes best when you bring the others beside you.
What does success mean for you and your line of work?
Success for me begins and ends with building meaningful relationships. It’s only after trusting relationships have been built that you can begin to have an impact on the work we do. I always ask myself at the start: In six months of working on a project with this client, what will be different? What will the result and change look like? Being able to visualize opportunity and identify what success looks like for each customer when we get there is critical in being able to know we provided value to our customers.
How do you bring your work to life to make this happen?
Some of the greatest companies have proven to us they do one thing better than others: They understand the connection between their people and their business results.
That’s why Firefly takes a people-first approach to meeting your people where they are—to unearthing their true attitudes, experiences, and current ways of working. We aren’t afraid to ask bold questions that yield real answers, so that you know you’re solving the right problems that matter most to your sales teams.
What is a common myth about your job or field of expertise?
Myth:
Salespeople are born, not made.
Truth:
While some sellers have a natural aptitude to be high performers, others can be created through proper training, coaching, and rhythm.
I know that no two days are alike, but if you had to sum it up, what does a typical day in the life of Holly Mitchell look like?
My passion is people. I believe that to show up with everything I have as a consultant, it’s chasing my personal passion that enables me to bring the most value to my work. Outside of people, my passion list is long, but I constantly return to skiing and hiking to clear my busy mind and learning new activities to keep it curious.
We’re always looking for new trends. What new industry trends are you keeping up with—and which ones do you wish would go away?
A trend that needs to go away is activity-based selling. We need ROI-based selling.
The Partnership
What three words would you use to describe Titanium?
Brilliant! Smart! Creative!
What do you value most about being a member of Titanium?
Being able to tap the talent and expertise of so many success-minded professionals across so many disciplines and working with them to offer bespoke solutions to our clients.
Titanium is the first collective agency of its kind. In your own opinion, what’s the power of partnership?
Relationships. The more we collaborate and connect, the easier it will be for our clients to do business with Titanium, ultimately saving them time, energy, and resources by not having to work with multiple agencies.
The Person
What do you draw inspiration from?
Internally, my inspiration comes from a mental drawing board within, where I’m always visualizing what success looks like on a daily basis and planning accordingly. Externally, well, there is Dolly Parton. I often ask myself, “What would Dolly do?!”
What does diversity and inclusion mean to you?
This is where the power lies; in pulling from the richness of the knowledge and perspectives and experiences of others.
What three books would you recommend?
Never Enough by Mike Hayes
Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge
Atomic Habits by James Clear
7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Do you have any final words of wisdom?
Get comfortable in the uncomfortable.
sultancy company that works with sales executives and their teams to identify and break barriers hindering sales performance. The assets you need to move your company forward are already there—Firefly shows you how to light their spark. They do this by focusing on uncovering the value in your people using their customized programs.
In this Titanium Member Spotlight, we spoke with the Founder and CEO of Firefly Sales Engagement, Holly Mitchell, to learn about her journey as an entrepreneur, her experience as a member of Titanium, and what DEI really mean to her.