🎙️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭: 𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 🎙️

Hey breakers,

Most education founders and leaders think the breakthrough comes from the perfect pitch deck, the flashiest product demo, or a well-timed conference handshake.

Here’s the truth: in education, polish doesn’t sell. Proof does.

And proof isn’t just about the wins—it’s about how you frame both your victories and your setbacks.

That’s exactly what Kevin Chavous—national education reformer, bestselling author, and President of Stride—proved when I sat down with him on Breaking the Grade, alongside my friend and co-host John Gamba of Penn GSE.

And here’s why this conversation is extra special: Kevin was the very first guest we ever sat down with when we launched Breaking the Grade back on April 1, 2022. His blueprint for credibility and traction was powerful then—and it’s even more relevant now.

Kevin’s journey isn’t just inspiring. It’s a sales playbook for education founders, EdTech companies, and anyone in the education space who needs to build credibility, generate leads, and close with confidence.

The Classroom Wake-Up Call: Proof Starts With Real Stories

Kevin’s turning point didn’t happen at a board meeting—it happened inside a prison.

When a warden told him it was a “waste of money” to educate inmates, Kevin saw the deepest flaw in the system.

That moment didn’t just fuel his mission. It became a proof point that buyers, partners, and investors referenced for years.

For education leaders: your toughest classroom stories and your biggest wins are both credibility anchors. Share them. Buyers trust outcomes—positive or painful—over polish.

The Election Loss: Setbacks Can Sell When You Frame Them Right

Kevin ran for mayor of D.C.—and lost. Most would see that as failure. He used it as fuel to lead one of the most influential education reform movements in the country.

For EdTech founders: don’t bury your setbacks—frame them as lessons. When buyers see you adapt, they see resilience. And resilience sells better than perfection.

The Movement Wins: Community Buy-In Multiplies Growth

The D.C. charter movement didn’t spread because of lobbying or email blasts. It spread because parents, teachers, and community leaders championed it.

👉 For K–12 founders: parents and teachers are your natural champions.

👉 For higher ed innovators: faculty and student leaders can amplify your message more than your sales team ever will.

Community voices = organic lead-gen engines.

The Student Lens: Voices That Validate Fit

Kevin warns against the most dangerous phrase in education: “We’ve always done it this way.”

The antidote? Student voices.

When your solution reflects real student needs, buyers see more than a product—they see fit, validation, and proof.

Student input isn’t “extra”—it’s the validation that moves deals forward.

The Yardstick That Closes Deals

Kevin tests every innovation with one question:

“Will this help a child learn?”

If the answer is yes—and you can prove it—you’ve already handled the buyer’s biggest objection.

For founders, district leaders, and higher ed decision-makers: use this as your filter. Wins and losses only matter if they tie directly to learning impact.

The Founder Shift: From Features to Proof Points

Kevin’s journey shows us what too many in education forget: buyers don’t pay for ideas—they pay for proof.

The classroom moment = credibility anchor

The election loss = setback reframed as trust-builder

The reform movement = community-driven traction

The student voices = validation buyers respect

The yardstick = filter that closes deals

That’s the blueprint. Wins and setbacks, reframed as proof points, create the traction and credibility that move buyers from “interested” to “all in.”

🎧 Listen to the full episode now

→ Apple

→ Spotify

Because in education sales, polish doesn’t sell—proof does.

Josh

#EdTechSales #FounderLedGrowth #BreakingTheGrade #KevinChavous #JohnGamba