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Anna Cockell
Enablement Expert | Helping GTM leaders increase effectiveness through consistent processes, communication and training
Anna Cockell is a co-founder of Kanda Group, a company she established in January 2023.1 With a background in sales enablement and strategy, Anna has extensive experience in helping startups build high-performing customer-facing teams.
Professional Experience
Anna's career has been focused on sales enablement and strategy:
Kanda Group:: As co-founder, Anna helps startups increase and retain revenue by creating high-performing customer-facing teams.1
Previous Roles::
- Founder of Swells to Summits (April 2021 - Present)
- Enablement Consultant (October 2020 - Present)
- Head of Enablement at Envoy (September 2017 - October 2020)
- Sales Enablement Specialist at Intercom (October 2015 - September 2017)
Expertise
Anna specializes in:
- Developing onboarding strategies and programs
- Creating sales playbooks and manager coaching frameworks
- Designing sales methodologies and training plans
- Developing cohesive sales pitches aligned to value
- Implementing ongoing training programs for talent retention
Philosophy and Approach
Anna describes herself as naturally curious with a life goal of never stopping learning.1 Her approach to enablement involves:
- Working with each business and team's unique culture
- Designing programs that complement existing strengths
- Ensuring everyone has access to growth opportunities
Additional Ventures
Besides her work at Kanda Group, Anna is also:
- Founder of Swells to Summits, an initiative to promote eco-friendly lifestyles
- Advisor for Momentum.io, helping build a best-in-class company
Anna Cockell is based in the Washington DC-Baltimore Area and continues to work as a consultant and advisor in addition to her role at Kanda Group.1
Highlights
I’m relearning a skill, and wow, it is humbling. I mastered playing the flute over 20 years ago, rising to first chair in my high school band and competing in solo competitions every year (I know, big nerd). But then I graduated, stopped playing, and haven’t really picked it up since. Now, I’m back in the beginner’s mind.
It’s hard. It’s embarrassing. It’s a little exhausting. It’s also really fun.
Funnily enough, it reminds me of starting a new job when you are almost a blank slate, but not quite. You know how things work from your past experience, but the new company does things differently. You have to relearn processes, a new tool stack, and navigate a new internal structure… much like I’m relearning how to read music and find the right notes.
So, if you’re starting a new job or are in charge of onboarding new employees, remember to embrace the beginner’s mind and have fun with it! Nobody expects you to perform perfectly on the first day; your onboarding program should reflect that. Take your time to settle in and really grok the new environment. You’ll be the first chair again in no time ;)
#onboarding #startups #beginner
The beginning of the school year always makes me a little nostalgic. That fresh start, brand new supplies, new wardrobe, and different classes to look forward to—I need some of that new school year energy this year!
My favorite part of the new school year was always my new class schedule (shocking to nobody, I know). I couldn’t wait to crack open my new books! Midterms and finals were far enough in the distance that it was a few weeks of getting to focus on the pure joy of learning 😎
It reminds me a little bit of being on a sales team - the start of a new quarter is a chance to reset and focus on the part of your job that brings you joy and excitement. The end-of-quarter push is months away; the opportunities are yours to take. As an adult, having a completely clean slate with a complete reset is so rare - salespeople are lucky! What I’ve realized is that everybody can take this energy into each week and day.
Maybe you just started a new quarter in August, but even if you’re in the middle of a quarter, let’s take a moment to appreciate the beginning of school year vibes this week. Buy yourself a new notebook. Pick a skill to focus on today. Embrace the clean slate! 🍎
#sales #startupsales #newschoolyear
