273: Stop Hiring for Experience: The 3 Traits That Predict Top Performers | Ursula Mentjes
Release Date:
January 22, 2026
Release Date: Jan 22
There’s always a way—and Ursula Mentjes can show you how.
On this episode of the Learn-It-All™ podcast, Damon welcomes Ursula Mentjes: five-time bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and business growth expert. Together, they explore why “accidental salespeople” often outperform the pros, what really drives outsize business growth, and how to dismantle limiting beliefs that hold leaders back. Ursula opens up about her early days in sales, her leap from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, and the mindsets that helped her—and her clients—break through seven-figure ceilings. Plus, she shares actionable tips on hiring, delegation, and leveraging AI as a powerful growth tool.
Straight talk, real stories, and a toolbox of strategy-meets-mindset wisdom—this episode is for anyone ready to think bigger, grow faster, and prove there’s always a way.
What You’ll Learn:
The surprising traits that make “accidental salespeople” outperform even industry veterans
Why limiting beliefs—not just markets or experience—are often the main barriers to growth, and how to break through them
The step-by-step process Ursula uses to help clients 2x (or 10x) their business
Why hiring for attitude and openness can be more powerful than hiring for a résumé
The essential role of delegation, trust, and empowering your team (plus how to avoid being the organizational bottleneck)
How AI can be leveraged for small business growth, and why leaders can’t afford to resist it
In This Episode:
00:00 – Ursula on “there’s always a way”
00:28 – Meet Ursula Mentjes and her journey from corporate to coaching
01:20 – Why accidental salespeople often succeed
02:15 – Ursula’s early sales lessons and reframing “the numbers game”
04:08 – Advice for finding (and hiring) great salespeople
07:04 – Top traits of high-performing salespeople
08:41 – Rejection and limiting beliefs in sales and leadership
09:09 – Ursula’s NLP techniques for overcoming limiting beliefs
13:15 – Making the jump from corporate to entrepreneurship
21:00 – Lessons in trust and delegation from running a $20M company
23:56 – The reality of launching her own business (and facing new comfort zones)
26:20 – Leadership style, micromanagement, and empowering others
27:39 – Who Ursula coaches and what her revenue model looks like
29:55 – Why mindset matters more than strategy, and the “who not how” approach
33:02 – Real client story: tripling growth with expanded vision and AI tools
35:54 – The most common reasons businesses get stuck
37:18 – Upgrading your team and vision to scale
38:19 – How to depersonalize growth decisions (“what is your business asking for?”)
38:58 – The spectrum of AI readiness—and why it matters
41:21 – Getting leaders excited about custom GPTs and real AI adoption
43:05 – Critical thinking as the ultimate future skill
44:21 – The power of coaching and who you should hire
47:07 – Ursula’s book rec: “One Great Goal” for clarity in action
48:42 – Ursula’s advice: There is always a way.
About Ursula Mentjes
Ursula Mentjes is a five-time bestselling author, award-winning entrepreneur, and sought-after business growth expert who specializes in helping leaders scale to multiple six and seven figures—while working less. A former top sales leader, Ursula built her coaching practice after a corporate career leading $20M+ companies and now brings her unique blend of mindset, delegation, and strategy to entrepreneurs nationwide. Ursula is known for her laser-sharp focus on dissolving limiting beliefs, building high-trust teams, and integrating AI for next-level performance.
