Bernadette McClelland

09/12/2025

SHOULD WE BELIEVE EVERYTHING WE ARE TOLD?

When I first joined Tony Robbins’ team as his resident coach for Asia Pacific across 12 countries,

I learned the famous coaching principle: Change your state, change your life.

But I don't believe it is true today.

FIND OUT WHY >>>>

When I first joined Tony Robbins’ team as his resident coach for Asia Pacific across 12 countries , I learned the famous coaching principle: Change your state, change your life. Anthony Robbins, Bernadette McClelland, Resident Coach Asia Pacific Shift your physiology.

09/05/2025

HOW TO HELP YOUR SALESPEOPLE STOP BUYER INDECISION

We are living in a Decision Crisis.

Buyers are indecisive.
Leaders are stressed.
Sales teams are confused.
And growth is coming to a halt.

And here’s the truth...

It’s not about needing more data, more ROI slides, or a better discount.

WATCH/READ WHAT ITS REALLY ABOUT HERE >>>>>

HOW TO HELP YOUR SALESPEOPLE STOP BUYER INDECISION We are living in a Decision Crisis. Buyers are indecisive. Leaders are stressed. Sales teams are confused. And growth is coming to a halt. And here’s the truth... It’s not about needing more data, more ROI slides, or a better discount. WATCH/REA...

08/15/2025

WHEN THE MARKET SHIFTS...

Most leaders don’t notice their own shift ...
Back into default mode.

It’s subtle:

🥱 Same old meetings
🥱 Same old thinking
🥱Same old results

The problem?

➡️ Read more....

Good evening everyone!If you’re a sales leader with the capacity, authority, and budget to make change happen, yet your results are circling the same level, ...

08/08/2025

WHEN THE HIGH PERFORMING SALESPERSON BECOMES A SALES LEADER

There is a trap that catches more sales leaders than they realise...

Let's face it, most sales leaders don’t fail because of a lack of skill. They fail because no one teaches them how to stop leading like a top performing sales person.

03/06/2025

THE SALES LEADER WHO DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS THE BOTTLENECK

He came to me totally frustrated. Phil was his name.

I remember him saying his team had started to not hit their targets.
The energy was dropping.
Every deal he felt was his responsibility and he felt like he was drowning.

And he couldn't understand why because in his words,
'I know I'm a damn good sales leader' and he was.

He was sharp. Experienced. He knew how to close deals.
And his team did get results - because he made sure of it.

For example, if a deal was about to be lost, he stepped in and saved it.
If someone was struggling, he had the answer before they even asked.
If a prospect was at risk, he took control and made it happen.

Sounding familiar?

Sadly... the more he was in control, the less his team seemed to grow.
And the less they grew, the more they relied on him.

So, seeing what was happening, I called the elephant in the room, and shared,

'You're reminding me of a manager I had once that did so much for me to the point I leaned on him for everything.
Every time I faced a big deal, he stepped in.
Every time I was unsure, he would tell me what to do.
And for a while? It was so easy - it was too easy, in fact, but it wasn't helping me.
I wasn’t growing.
I was hitting my targets, but I wasn’t actually getting better and believe it or not, over time.. I actually started looking for a job elsewhere..."

So we addressed his need for perfectionism first (deep dive stuff), before we considered any tactical shifts.

And then… something incredible happened.
He said, 'for the first time in years, I feel in control - but not of others - of myself,
and I get it!'

Most sales leaders think leadership is about control and getting it perfect.

But the best ones know that's not true.

I believe the difference is the following:

📌 Managers focus on tasks.
📌 Leaders focus on outcomes.
📌 Mentors focus on people - helping them grow while also delivering results.

What do you think?

Would love to hear how you’ve handled this or how you've seen others handle it.

Feel free to share in the comments.

03/01/2025

THIS IS A MASK TOO MANY SALES LEADERS WEAR

Yes, you're strong. You're confident. You're unshakeable.
But what if that’s just the mask you wear?

In sales leadership, vulnerability is often seen as weakness.
But there is a strange paradox at play.

The strongest leaders aren’t the ones who hide their struggles.
I know for a fact they're the ones who own them
And grow through them.

There is a truth about masks. They work until one day they don't!

And we all wear them. Especially the ones who call others out for doing the same!

The minute we're told how to live our lives,
We're taught how to wear masks
We wear a different mask for every different role we play
It's like choosing a different outfit for a different occasion.

Because we live and operate the way others want us to live THEIR lives,
especially when we don’t know any different.

And then, we get to an age where WE get to choose.

And what happens?

We rebel against the lives our families imposed on us…

Only to swap one mask for another in relationships or business.

And we wonder why we feel so conflicted and disconnected.

Sounds crazy, right?

But it's how many people live...

It reminds me of that old adage, 'You can’t please everyone, all the time'

And nor should you try because something has to give.

Many of us have, thankfully, grown through that stage and remember what it's like.

- Trying to look like a leader.

- Scared of not being enough.

- Scared of not measuring up.

Playing the part, until you realise it's not working. And by the way, it never was!

And here’s what we learned (for those in the back row)...
..the moment you make the decision to take that mask off, everything changes.

You stop ACTING like a leader and you start BEING one - and that decision alone makes all the difference.

All these little micro-decisions we make (or don’t make) that send us off in completely different directions, shape how our lives and careers turn out.

And the craziest part? These decisions often seem so small in the moment.

🔺 How you choose to respond to failure
🔺 Whether you ask for help or stay silent
🔺 Choosing to have that uncomfortable conversation
🔺 Taking responsibility instead of placing blame

The best leaders don't wait for permission to do these things and they certainly don't shy away from their responsibility.

But one thing's for certain... more and more leaders are under the microscope today with questions being asked and assumptions being made...

Ready to take off the mask?

I can’t wait to come back from Australia in a few weeks and let you know more about ’The Sales Mentor Accelerator’ coming soon. In the meantime... trust that wisdom and experience you already have in spades because that's what people really want.

02/27/2025

THE SALES LEADERSHIP PARADOX

Everyone looks to you.

But who’s got your back?

You’re the leader. The one with the answers. The one everyone turns to.

But what happens when you need someone?

The truth of the matter is ....we all need connection.

It’s not a weakness as some may think. It’s wired into our brains.

And it's the same part of the brain that lights up when we feel disconnected.

It’s the same area that lights up when you stub your toe or jam your finger.

It literally, physically hurts.

This isn’t about being emotional. It’s science. It’s real. You feel it.

And leadership?

It can be the loneliest place of all.

You’re expected to:
✅ Drive performance
✅ Handle pressure from above
✅ Carry the emotional weight of your team

But no one talks about the pain of feeling disconnected.

Because who do you turn to?

🫵 Your peers? But can you, really?
🫵 Your leadership? Or will they see it as weakness?

One client of mine was reprimanded for checking in on a colleague’s mental health, when, in reality, he was trying to deal with his own.

Another asked his manager for guidance, only to hear:
'You should know that, that’s why we hired you.'

So here’s the real question:
👉 Is it answers you need?
👉 Or connection?

The strongest leaders aren’t the ones who isolate themselves.
They’re the ones who recognise that connection is leadership.

❤️ Connection to your team
❤️ Connection to your peers
❤️ And yes, connection to someone who has your back.

That's why The Sales Mentor’s Journey begins here...

Not with control. Not with authority.

But with the courage to admit you can’t do it alone.

Because leadership isn’t about standing apart.

It’s about standing with others.

What’s your take on this? Have you ever felt this paradox in leadership?
I'd love to know your thoughts.

02/25/2025

THE MOMENT NOBODY TALKS ABOUT

There’s a moment where a few of us get to ....
when success doesn’t feel like success anymore.

You’ve hit every target.
The revenue numbers are strong.
The team’s performing.

But in the quiet moments…
those early mornings,
those late nights…
there’s an emptiness you can’t shake.

When that weight of responsibility isn’t about hitting the number anymore.

It’s about something deeper
When you ask yourself...
Are you really leading the way you want to?
Are you shaping a team that can thrive without you?
Are you growing into the leader you always imagined you'd be?

I remember for me it was decades ago.
I had walked into a second hand book store
and picked up a small, easy to read book about a seagull.
I flicked through it.
Took it home and read it cover to cover in minutes.

And it spoke to me in ways that, yes - cliché as it sounds - changed my life.

'Why, Jon, why?' his mother asked. 'Why is it so hard to be like the rest of the flock, Jon? Why can’t you leave low flying to the pelicans, the albatross?'

While some some are content to fight over scraps on the shore
Some of us have a deep-seated desire,
a need to fly higher.

When I came to America, I could only bring five books with me.
And 40 years after I first purchased it,
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, made its way into my suitcase.

Why? Because it still resonates.

Thinking this way as a leader isn’t ego.
Nor is it failure.
It's The Call to Lead.

It’s the shift from achiever to mentor, from hitting goals to inspiring others to soar.

The question is:

Are you already flying high?
Are your team soaring high enough?
Or are you ready to answer the call to fly higher, yet again?

That is exactly why I work with high flyers.
They swap blue oceans for blue skies
at a height few dare to reach.

If this speaks to you, message me ACCELERATOR and I’ll DM you the details of my upcoming system for sales leaders, emerging sales managers and entrepreneurial CEOs.

02/20/2025

💯 MOST BUSINESSES DON'T FAIL BECAUSE THEY LACK OPPORTUNITY 💯

They fail because they don’t value themselves enough to own their worth.

I had the privilege of joining the Profit First Professionals- It's your business. Shouldn't your profit come first? team on their podcast, diving into a conversation that too many leaders and entrepreneurs need to hear.

And that is:

➡ Resilience isn’t about bouncing back.
➡ Leadership isn’t about doing more.
➡ Success isn’t about grinding yourself into the ground.

It’s about conviction - owning your value, standing firm in your worth, and disrupting the stories that keep you stuck.

Are you ready for a bit of storytime? 😊

Years ago, Tim and I found ourselves at rock bottom.
Bankruptcy. No money (well, we did have enough stashed away in a black evening bag, literally under our mattress to support the bottom of Maslow's Hierarchy and get our son his braces! there's a story there you have to listen to!)
Welfare card in hand and...... a long, hard look in the mirror.

Now, I could have waited for things to change and got a job at the local pharmacy in the country town we lived in.
Instead, I became the person who had 'already' made it.
That yellow welfare card did eventually become a green card and a decade later we live in the USA!

I didn't wonder if I deserved a seat.
I decided I already belonged at the table.

And here’s the shift that happened in my head (and that I continually remind myself for it to happen, by the way!):

Most leaders think they’re on a hero’s journey - fighting to be seen, proving themselves over and over.
But at some point, that story has to end.

You’re not the hero anymore. You’re the mentor now.
You don’t wait to be chosen.
You own your place.
You don’t justify your worth.
You stand in it - profit first!

So this is a shoutout to the 'Profit First' team for an incredible conversation - one that every sales leader and entrepreneurial CEO needs to hear.

So, I want this to be a segue.
I want you to take a listen and follow these guys [Link is in the comments] ...
and if you’re done playing small, step into the version of you that already owns the outcome.

And look after yourself first ....

DM me if you want to enquire about how you can do that through the Sales Mentor Accelerator - coming soon.

PS... We were the inaugural YouTube show as well 🎤

Show Summary: In this episode of the Grow My Accounting Practice Podcast, we welcome Bernadette McClelland, a globally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author, to explore the power of Courage, Conviction, and Choice in business and life. Bernadette shares how true resilience goes beyond ju...

02/19/2025

SO YOU WANT TO BE PROMOTED? CEO? VP SALES? SALES LEADER?

I remember the moment I learned this lesson.
It stung.
It hit my pride, my ego, and every nerve that still thought deserving was enough.
I was ready for the next step.
I thought I had earned it.
I thought they would see my potential and just hand me the title.

They didn’t.

Instead, I got a piece of advice that cut deep but changed everything:

👉 “You don’t get promoted to become a leader. You get promoted because you already ARE one.”

Whack!!

At the time, I hated hearing it.

Now? It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.

Because here’s the truth no one tells you:

😎 If you’re waiting for the role to act like the leader, you’ve already lost.
😎 If you’re waiting for permission to show up, you won’t get it.
😎 If you think proving yourself starts after the promotion or the new role, you’re thinking too small.

You have wisdom in spades.
Experiences in bucket loads.
Mistakes that will launch a million deals.

And yet, if you’re not stepping into the room like the leader you already are…
Nobody will see it.

So, if you’re frustrated right now, for whatever reason
If you’re not getting the opportunities you know you’re ready for

Ask yourself these 2 questions:

➡️ Are you still trying to be chosen?
➡️ Or are you showing up as the person they can’t afford to ignore?

Because we are no longer talking 'A Hero’s Journey'.
You are not proving yourself.
You've already done that!

Instead we are talking a different journey.
We are talking The Mentor's Journey

And you are that Mentor.
And mentors don’t wait.
They walk the path first.

That’s exactly why I’m building 'The Sales Mentor Accelerator'.
🏆 A system and space for sales leaders who aren’t waiting for permission.
🏆A system and space for those ready to own their expertise, show up differently, and lead with conviction.
🏆A system and space for those who know they’re ready - and want to make damn sure everyone else does too.

It’s nearly done and coming soon.
If this speaks to you, DM me, and I’ll make sure you’re the first to know when we open the doors.

Let's get YOUR true colours shining through as soon as we can!