In the latest episode of Coach to Influence, Joe Fontana sits down with Sara Zilkovich—a powerhouse sales leader at Class Pass whose path from Serbia to San Francisco embodies grit, reinvention, and intentional growth. Her journey highlights a theme every modern revenue team should pay attention to: coaching isn’t optional anymore. It’s the multiplier.
From Personal Trainer to Sales Leader
Sara started in the fitness world, where she learned early that real transformation requires trust, motivation, and personalized guidance.
“As a personal trainer, you’re not just transforming bodies; you’re building confidence,” she says.
That foundation translates directly into her leadership philosophy. She leads with empathy, clarity, and a genuine understanding of what drives people—a skill set that today’s sellers desperately need as the sales landscape gets more complex.
Coaching as the Catalyst for Breakthrough Performance
A turning point in her career was investing in a coach, Luis Melendez, who helped her build the communication and leadership toolkit she needed to scale.
“Having a coach isn’t just about hitting numbers,” Sara explains. “It’s about how you communicate, influence, and lead.”
Her story is a reminder that the most effective leaders are the ones who constantly refine their craft—and who surround themselves with people who stretch them.
Facing Tough Conversations with Transparency
Sara is refreshingly direct about performance management: avoid sugar-coating.
"It’s about uncovering the why behind behaviors and addressing skill gaps head-on,” she says.
This approach creates psychological safety while raising the bar—something many teams struggle to operationalize, especially without structured coaching systems in place.
The ROI of Investing in Yourself
Her advice to emerging leaders is simple and spot on:
“Invest in yourself. A great coach will help you double or triple that investment.”
And she’s right. Coaching compounds. But in fast-moving sales orgs—especially those without enablement teams—it’s hard to deliver consistent guidance at scale.
Where Dextego Fits In
Sara’s journey reflects the exact challenges Dextego was built to solve.
Sellers crave coaching. Leaders want to invest in their people. But bandwidth is limited.
Dextego bridges that gap by providing each seller with personalized, AI-powered coaching tailored to their GTM motion, playbook, and individual skill gaps—exactly the kind of high-impact, foundational guidance Sara attributes to her own growth.
It’s like giving every rep a Luis Melendez in their corner—24/7.
With Dextego:
- Skill gaps are surfaced automatically
- Coaching is tailored, actionable, and consistent
- Sellers improve faster, with transparency and confidence
- Leaders get visibility into where to focus and how to support their teams
Sara’s story proves what happens when the right coaching meets the right mindset. Dextego ensures every rep gets that same opportunity—without depending on headcount or bandwidth.
Watch the full episode here.
