Thanksgiving gives us rare space to notice the ‘teachers’ we never asked for—the tough economy, rising costs, AI disruption, election-year noise, even the hard no’s and risky yes’s. In this year’s reflection, Mary Ann, Managing Partner at Butler Street, shares how those unwelcome lessons reshaped her leadership, sharpened their focus, deepened gratitude for clients and teams, and turned ongoing discomfort into clarity, courage, and uncommon growth.

Before you rush to coach your team, consider the invisible barrier that often sabotages success: you. Many leaders assume that once they step into a coaching role, the hard work of self-evaluation is over. It isn’t. The best coaches begin by diagnosing their own game—how they respond under stress, mis-step in conversations, and hold themselves accountable. Only after you’ve coached yourself can you truly lead others.

At ASA Staffing World’s CEO Roundtable, leaders across healthcare, industrial, and professional staffing shared the same truth: growth feels harder than ever. But the issue isn’t sales strategy—it’s structural. From tech overload and shifting motivation to leadership misalignment, six themes emerged that reveal what’s really holding firms back—and how top performers are reframing for 2026.

Staffing sales leaders often discover revenue leaks too late—silent skill erosion in hybrid teams, candidate experiences that push talent away, thin coaching capacity, and an AI utilization gap. These hidden drains rarely make it onto the leadership agenda, yet they erode growth quarter after quarter. With the right training discipline and real-time AI coaching, these challenges transform into growth drivers—protecting revenue, elevating talent, and building long-term trust.

Facing a big birthday milestone, I found myself stuck in indecision—no big plans, just a flood of questions. It wasn’t until I shifted from pressure to possibility that inspiration struck. That same mindset shift is the key to AI fluency: stop over-engineering and start exploring with curiosity. Today’s best AI outcomes come not from complex formulas but from clear intent and simple, evolving conversations.

My main objective when I am facilitating training is to try to convince my training participants to make changes in how they sell, recruit and lead. This is also the most challenging part of my role. At Butler Street, we like to say “No change. No change.” Put differently – If you are unwilling to change how you sell, recruit or lead, do not expect any changes in your results or outcomes. Now, I wish I could say that every trainee who went through my training sessions was a

A few months ago, I had a conversation with a sales rep who prided himself on his ability to move fast - quick dials, rapid pitches, closing like a machine. But then, he hit a wall. He told me about a current prospect who spoke slowly. Not just “took a breath between sentences” but S.L.O.W.! This woman spoke with long, thoughtful pauses. “It was like pulling teeth,” he said. “I almost lost it.” Here's the advice I shared, why speed feels productive but isn't if missing thi