Built by sales leaders, for sales teams
Factor 8 trains reps and managers on teams that sell over the phone and online. We’re not a big consulting firm, a one-size-fits-all curriculum house, or an author selling books. We’re former sales leaders who’ve made the calls, run the demos, managed the teams, and forecasted the deals. We left the daily grind to focus on our favorite part of the job: developing people. The result is training your reps and managers actually use, so they ramp faster, stay longer, and hit their numbers.
How Factor 8 got started
Factor 8 started with a sales manager who learned the hard way that a lot of sales training doesn’t stick. Founder Lauren Bailey began managing sales teams in the ’90s, back when call coaching meant tape recorders hooked up to desk phones. She saw firsthand that selling over the phone comes down to confidence, and that reps and managers weren’t getting the skills to build it fast. So she set out to build something better.
What started as favors for friends grew into a sales training company that sales leaders treat as their outsourced training department. Much of our business still comes from referrals and repeat clients, and that’s the part we’re proudest of.
Recognized by the industry
Meet the Factor 8 team
Every Factor 8 advisor brings at least 10 years of sales experience. Our team has led sales teams, service and sales teams, inbound teams, product management, training, and change management. We’re great translators and natural coaches, and Lauren says she’d happily go on vacation with anyone on the team. We’re holding her to it.
Lauren Bailey
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
A 20+ year veteran of inside sales, Lauren has worked as both a Director of Sales and a Director of Training, launching inside sales teams around the world. Her corporate experience and clients include SAP, Sony, Waste Management, Ingram Micro, Grainger, Microsoft, and Google. She’s also the founder of #GirlsClub, an organization committed to getting more women into sales management and leadership.
Steve Sharr
VICE PRESIDENT & PARTNER
With 20+ years in sales leadership, Steve has led field and inside sales teams through startups, territory expansion, customer acquisition pushes, and product launches, working with companies like Verizon, IBM, HP, Telstra, and TeleTech. His past roles include sales management, international senior director, and GM. Steve joined Factor 8 in 2010 and leads our benchmarking work.
Ashley Gagliano
VICE PRESIDENT, REVENUE
Ashley brings 15+ years of sales leadership experience to the Factor 8, #GirlsClub, and Legacy teams. She’s known for building thriving communities, including scaling a global inside and digital sales leader community from 50 to more than 10,000 members. Outside of work, you’ll find her with her husband, five kids, and four fur babies, at the lake, or cheering from the sidelines.
Amy Wunderlich
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Amy joined Factor 8 in 2020 and leads all of its marketing. She brings 10+ years of B2B digital marketing and event experience and has a knack for building marketing programs from the ground up. In her spare time, she’s doting on her Yorkiepoo, Rigatoni, or enjoying everything Chicago’s dining and entertainment scene has to offer.
Nicole Fromm
EXECUTIVE PARTNER, ENTERPRISE PROGRAMS
Nicole brings 20+ years of sales and leadership experience, including executive roles in education, life sciences, and SaaS. A former teacher, she’s built and led high-performing sales organizations and coached teams and leaders to meaningful results. She’s known for simplifying complex sales challenges, connecting with people, and turning experience into practical coaching.
Brad Truran
SR. SALES ADVISOR
Brad joined Factor 8 in 2021 with nearly 30 years of experience in sales and sales leadership. He’s worked with major Fortune 500 brands and led teams across inbound and outbound sales, chat, account management, services, renewals, and SaaS. He brings a real passion for people development and the science of sales communication.
Jen Halpern
SALES ADVISOR
Jen brings 20+ years of sales experience, including 10 years in sales leadership, building teams and sales strategies across many industries. After starting her own coaching company in 2020, she joined Factor 8 in 2021. Off the clock, she coaches college students on interview skills while raising two teenagers and two dogs. She’s not sure which is more challenging.
John Healy
SALES ADVISOR
Since 2000, John has built, scaled, and run sales organizations for companies ranging from startups to the Fortune 200. He’s also consulted with dozens of organizations around the globe to take their sales efforts to the next level.
Michael “Mase” Mason
SALES ADVISOR
Mase brings 10+ years of sales and leadership experience across SaaS, privacy, and cybersecurity, including four years leading sales at ReputationDefender. He’s founded and hosted two sales podcasts and managed sales and learning and development teams. He’s known for connecting with reps, simplifying the sales process, and coaching that sticks.
Efryl Isidro
SALES COORDINATOR
Ef joined Factor 8 in 2022 and manages The Sales Bar, our learning management system. She handles support tickets across all our systems, manages Google Drive for the delivery team, and edits audio and video for The Sales Bar. Outside of work, she loves cooking and spending time with her dogs.
Industries we serve
We work with B2B and B2C sales teams around the world, including:
We’ve also trained teams in:
Let’s talk about your team
Tell us what your reps and managers need, and we’ll show you what custom training could look like.