S1E11: High-Pressure Sales, Burnout, and the Case for Coaching, with Dave O'Mahony
What happens when a high-performing sales leader decides the real work is the people, not the pipeline?
Dave O'Mahony spent his career in some of the most target-driven corners of tech — sales leadership at Google, head of SMB at Uber across Australia and New Zealand, and the first go-to-market hire at Toast internationally. Somewhere along the way, he decided the actual work was the people, not just the pipeline, and he's now co-founder of SoundBoard, a coaching and advisory platform for go-to-market leaders.
In this conversation, Dave and Hannah trace his coaching journey — from an Australian MD who taught him the power of a good question, to the moment he chose vulnerability over a polished all-hands, to why psychological safety, not another target, is what actually moves a team. They also get into Ikigai, the cost of sacrifice, and what it looks like to watch someone move from stuck to thriving.
About Dave O'Mahony
Dave O'Mahony is a Dublin-based go-to-market leader turned coach, having led sales and go-to-market teams at Google, Uber, and Toast before training as a certified coach with the NeuroLeadership Institute. He's now co-founder of SoundBoard, a coaching, advisory, and community platform for go-to-market professionals, alongside co-founder Eimear O'Halloran.
Episode Chapters
00:00 Cold open, and introducing Dave O'Mahony
01:25 The pull towards coaching, and who first inspired it
01:48 Defining coaching, and where Dave first learned its power
05:09 The move to Australia
07:06 Moving back to Ireland during COVID
08:22 The gradual shift into coaching, and the seed of SoundBoard
11:19 Chasing validation, and where the pressure really got to him
16:15 Recognising the body's signals under stress
17:45 Authenticity, masks, and permission to be yourself at work
19:45 A personal story shared with the team, and choosing vulnerability
21:40 The ripple effect: vulnerability as a measure of courage
23:29 Removing the corporate mask inside SoundBoard
26:04 The Ikigai framework, and has Dave found his?
27:29 Living Ikigai: SoundBoard, family, and what it's made possible
30:54 The cost of sacrifice, and knowing when enough is enough
33:18 FIRE, COAST, and building a sustainable relationship with money
36:42 A coaching story: watching someone move from stuck to thriving
39:46 Coaches, therapists, and knowing when to change who supports you
42:38 Final message: learn, add value, have fun
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Connect & Follow
• Dave O'Mahony: LinkedIn
• SoundBoard: wearesoundboard.com
• Dave trained as a coach with NeuroLeadership Institute
• Hannah Godfrey: LinkedIn
• I Am Pausing: LinkedIn
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