167: Chris Spurvey - How a Mindset Shift Can Transform the Way You Sell
Unpacking the Habits, Rhythms, and Perspective That Make Sales Feel Like Service Again
For many business owners, sales comes with tension. You love serving clients, building relationships, and solving problems — but when it’s time to ask for commitment, something tightens.
In this episode of the Grow With Purpose Podcast, Joey Brannon sits down with Chris Spurvey, founder of Niche Consulting Growth and author of It’s Time to Sell: Cultivating the Sales Mindset. Together, they explore what really changes when you stop seeing sales as pressure and start seeing it as purpose.
Because when you bring clarity to your message, rhythm to your habits, and mindset to your leadership, something powerful happens: selling becomes serving — and growth becomes purpose.
Chris’s story is one many leaders will recognize: early success followed by resistance — not because he lacked skill, but because his identity around selling felt misaligned with who he wanted to be. Through experience and reflection, he discovered that the antidote to sales anxiety isn’t another tactic or script. It’s a mindset shift rooted in clarity, rhythm, and genuine service.
SELLING ISN’T ABOUT PERSUASION — IT’S ABOUT CLARITY
When Joey asks Chris what first transformed his relationship with selling, Chris doesn’t hesitate. “I realized I wasn’t trying to convince anyone,” he says. “I was helping people make a decision that served them.”
That reframe changes everything. Instead of pushing a product, you’re inviting a solution. You’re not closing — you’re clarifying.
“Selling isn’t about persuasion — it’s about clarity. When you know who you serve and why it matters, every conversation becomes an act of service.” — Chris Spurvey
Joey connects this to what he sees so often in Axiom’s client work: “Leaders who love what they do often hesitate to sell it. They see selling as self-promotion instead of stewardship. But when you reframe it as helping someone find clarity, it feels completely different.”
MINDSET DRIVES CONSISTENCY — AND CONSISTENCY BUILDS CONFIDENCE
Chris shares how mindset shapes behavior. When leaders see themselves as “bad at sales,” they unconsciously avoid the very actions that lead to growth. Confidence doesn’t precede action — it follows it.
He encourages leaders to focus less on outcomes and more on rhythm: small, repeatable behaviors that create forward motion.
Joey agrees: “The healthiest businesses we work with have a rhythm. They don’t just chase opportunities; they create space for meaningful conversations every week. Over time, that rhythm builds confidence and trust.”
This rhythm might be as simple as setting aside an hour each week to reach out to past clients, reconnect with prospects, or check in on open opportunities. It’s not about chasing numbers — it’s about honoring a habit of service.
“When your rhythm is clear, you stop leading from anxiety and start leading from purpose. That’s where growth becomes sustainable.”
— Joey Brannon
RHYTHM TURNS PRESSURE INTO PEACE
As the conversation unfolds, Chris emphasizes the power of tracking what truly matters. Instead of obsessing over lagging results like closed deals, he encourages leaders to watch the leading indicators — the number of conversations, proposals, and relationships nurtured each week.
When activity becomes intentional and consistent, pressure dissolves into peace.
“Confidence isn’t something you wait for,” Chris says. “You act your way into it.”
MISSION AND MARGIN WORK TOGETHER
For purpose-driven leaders, there’s often a subtle fear that growing revenue might compromise the mission. Chris dismantles that myth.
“When your purpose is clear, your revenue follows. Mission and margin aren’t opposites — they fuel each other.”
— Chris Spurvey
Growth isn’t about selling more. It’s about serving better — and serving consistently. When you know who you’re called to help and why it matters, every conversation becomes an opportunity to extend your mission.
Joey sums it up simply: “That’s why we call this podcast Grow With Purpose. When you align mission and margin, growth stops feeling like a chase. It becomes the natural result of clarity and consistency.”
KEY INSIGHTS TO REFLECT ON
Sales is service. It’s how you help others move closer to what they value.
Identity shapes behavior. What you believe about sales determines how you show up.
Rhythm builds confidence. Consistency replaces pressure with peace.
Mission fuels margin. Purpose-driven growth expands your capacity to serve.
A THOUGHT TO GROW ON
If selling still feels uncomfortable, maybe it’s not the process — it’s the perspective. What if sales isn’t about convincing, but clarifying? What if it’s the way your purpose meets someone else’s need?
“When you see sales as an extension of your mission, it stops being a burden. It becomes a privilege.”
— Joey Brannon
References and Downloadable Resources:
LinkedIn: Chris Spurvey
YouTube: Chris Spurvey - Consulting Growth
Episode 168: Leadership Guide