My Journey from Overlooked Account Manager to Thriving KAM Coach

Hi

Wow. Time flies.

In 2017, I was frustrated with the lack of promotions and recognition at my job. After managing a team of 10 for 6 years, exceeding quotas, and even having zero churn one year, I felt passed over for promotions, compensation, and respect.

The final straw came when my boss said, "Warwick, you need to be more visible. I never hear you say 'I did this'—it's always 'we' or 'the team.' You need to claim some credit."

He was right. I did great work, but it was all invisible. I assumed quality alone would get me noticed, but leadership never saw it. I wasn't political at work or good at self-promotion. Now I realized it had hurt me.

So I decided to raise my profile as a key account management expert. I wanted to ditch this job, this industry, and pursue my dreams with a company that would appreciate my skills.

On a 4-hour flight to the Global Sales Conference, I read Branding Pays by Karen Kang and built a personal branding strategy. When I returned, Account Manager Tips was born—my corner of the web for sharing expertise.

I created:

• A blog

• A YouTube channel

• A newsletter

• Templates

(My 90 Day Success Plan and One Page Account Plan are still going strong)

Within 2 years, I had 10,000 subscribers and constant invitations to train and coach account teams. Exciting!

There was just one problem: I was still an employee.

So in 2019, I took the plunge—instead of changing jobs, I quit to work for myself and trade hustle for passion.

I launched The KAM Club, an amazing community where I share everything I know about key account management. They supported me during the pandemic when I had nothing else.

The past 5 years have moved beyond a simple blog. I'm now an in-demand consultant, coach, and trainer. I've learned a lot about myself, my community, and business.

With ambitious growth goals, I want to shine an even bigger spotlight on the value key account managers provide and how I can help them thrive.

Account Manager Tips doesn't fit anymore.

So I'm rebranding as The KAM Coach—because that's what I do! Soon I hope to have more coaches joining me as champions for account managers everywhere.

Same me, new vision.

I've also retired the “One Step Ahead” newsletter.

Now, every Thursday, you can expect “Account-Minded” in your inbox—my weekly tips and advice for key account management success.

I hope you'll join me in celebrating this shift and saying a fond farewell to Account Manager Tips. Let me know any thoughts on the new name or suggestions to add value!

As always, I'm at your service. Excited for this new chapter!